{"feed_name":"ocean-issues","schema_version":"agent-1.0.0","generated_at":"2026-10-12T22:33:38Z","source_feed":{"feed_name":"ocean-intelligence","schema_version":"1.0.0","run_id":"run_2026-10-12_npac_spac_natl_satl_southern_arctic_claude","mode":"incremental"},"run":{"mode":"incremental","run_id":"run_2026-10-12_npac_spac_natl_satl_southern_arctic_claude","run_date":"2026-10-12","research_start":"2023-10-13","research_end":"2026-10-12","prior_run_date":"2026-10-12","revision":13},"filters_applied":{},"summary":{"highest_risk":"The highest-scored finding so far is the historic eastern Pacific El Niño warmth, with NOAA forecasting a record share of the ocean in marine heatwave conditions, followed by the 2026 Arctic sea-ice minimum and the third-lowest Antarctic winter peak, and crude oil from the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi reaching Oman's coast.","directional_picture":"Coverage is in its first days: these findings come from a global sweep of the last week of news and agency releases, not from the sea-by-sea baseline passes, which begin next. Physical and climate findings dominate the early picture; pollution, fisheries and habitat findings will fill in as the baseline passes run.","cross_cutting":[{"label":"Climate signal","text":"Marine heatwave extent, king-tide flooding in South Florida and record-low polar sea ice all point the same way in the same season."},{"label":"Governance in motion","text":"A NOAA public comment on a Clarion-Clipperton nodule permit and the Nairobi Convention COP12 show seabed and regional-sea governance decisions under way."}]},"records":[{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GLOBAL-EPAC-ELNINO-HEAT-2026","title":"Historic El Niño drives extreme eastern Pacific warmth and a forecast record share of the ocean in marine heatwave","description":"NOAA's Climate Prediction Center says on 8 October 2026 that El Niño continues to strengthen, with eastern equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures more than 4.0C above average in places. NOAA's marine heatwave forecast gives eastern tropical Pacific heatwave likelihood above 90% through winter 2026-27, and global coverage is forecast to reach 45%.","location":{"name":"Eastern tropical Pacific and global ocean","type":"Ocean basin","basin":"PAC","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"Eastern equatorial Pacific El Niño region with global marine heatwave coverage effects","coordinates":{"lat":0,"lon":-110,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Basin-scale ocean heating from a developing El Niño is a physical climate condition.","secondary_drivers":["El Niño"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Heatwave exposure is forecast rather than a documented mortality event; subsurface anomalies above +10C persist in the eastern Pacific (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the opened sources documents closures or fishery losses from this event so far (refs 1-3).","scale":"NOAA puts 38% of the global ocean in heatwave in August 2026 and forecasts 45% for winter (ref 3).","duration":"Copernicus recorded heatwaves over about 82% of the ocean by end of June, and NOAA forecasts them through winter 2026-27 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"CPC has an El Niño Advisory in effect and gives 83% for a historic event in October-December (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"CPC: 83% chance of a historic El Niño (above +2.5C on the 3-month RONI) for October-December 2026; Nino-3.4 at +2.1C."},"measures":[{"name":"Nino-3.4 anomaly","value":2.1,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"CPC discussion of 8 October 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Global ocean in marine heatwave, August 2026","value":38,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA PSL monthly figure (ref 3)."},{"name":"Forecast global marine heatwave coverage, winter 2026-27","value":45,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA PSL forecast (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"CPC says El Niño continues to strengthen (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Climate Prediction Center","role":"ENSO monitoring and advisory","contact":"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Climate Prediction Center, contact details on cpc.ncep.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["CPC issued an El Niño Advisory and continues monthly updates (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions (diagnostic discussion)","publisher":"NOAA Climate Prediction Center","date":"2026-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Persistent ocean warmth and expanding marine heatwaves mark the first half of 2026","publisher":"Copernicus Marine Service","date":"2026-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/press/press-releases/persistent-ocean-warmth-and-expanding-marine-heatwaves-mark-first-half-2026","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marine Heatwaves forecast","publisher":"NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.psl.noaa.gov/marine-heatwaves/","basis":"Agency forecast page (supporting)"},{"ref":4,"title":"What historic super El Nino ahead means for your fall, winter","publisher":"The Weather Channel","date":"2026-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weather.com/2026/10/08/news/weather/super-el-nino-update-winter","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (global 7-day sweep)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-NWATL-MIAMI-KINGTIDE-2026","title":"Record king tide flooding in Broward and Miami-Dade, with higher tides forecast through November","description":"Unusually high king tides flooded streets across Broward and Miami-Dade counties on 26-27 September 2026, and a coastal flood advisory was issued. Port Everglades recorded its highest flooding since the gauge was installed in 2018. Further king tide windows run through October and November.","location":{"name":"Port Everglades to Miami Beach, Florida","type":"Urban coastline","basin":"ATL","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"countries":["US"],"detail":"Broward and Miami-Dade counties, southeast Florida","coordinates":{"lat":26.09,"lon":-80.12,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Tidal flooding of a low-lying coast made more frequent by sea level rise.","secondary_drivers":["Heavy rainfall"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Saltwater covered the Hollywood Broadwalk and nearly reached street level on Collins Avenue, but NWS had no reports of water entering homes or businesses (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fort Lauderdale police closed about two miles of A1A because of flooding (ref 1).","scale":"The event affected two counties on one stretch of coast, below regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"King tide windows recur through 24-30 October and into November, and the city lists six fall windows in 2026 (ref 2).","significance":"A coastal flood advisory was issued, a formal notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Tide about 2 feet above normal at Port Everglades and Virginia Key, highest at Port Everglades since the station began in 2018, topping Hurricane Nicole (2022)."},"measures":[{"name":"Tide height above normal high tide","value":2,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"Port Everglades and Virginia Key, 27 September 2026 report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea level rise over past 30 years","value":8,"unit":"in","status":"Reported","note":"Figure as stated in the news report (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Road closure of about two miles of A1A (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Report says the next king tide period is forecast to be the year's highest (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"City of Miami Public Works","role":"Stormwater and flooding response","contact":"https://www.miami.gov/kingtide"},{"name":"City of Hollywood","role":"Tidal Flooding Mitigation Project","contact":"https://www.hollywoodfl.org/"}],"public_contact":"City of Miami: dial 311 or 305-468-5900","corrective_actions":["Hollywood is testing removable storm panels at seawall openings on South Lake Drive (ref 1).","Miami takes flooding reports online and by 311 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"South Florida King Tides Flood Streets, Break Records","publisher":"Hoodline","date":"2026-09-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hoodline.com/2026/09/king-tides-swamp-south-florida-streets-fort-lauderdale-highway-shut-down/","basis":"News citing the Miami Herald and National Weather Service"},{"ref":2,"title":"King Tides in Miami (2026)","publisher":"City of Miami","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.miami.gov/kingtide","basis":"City agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (global 7-day sweep)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GLOBAL-POLAR-SEAICE-2026","title":"Arctic sea ice minimum ties tenth lowest and Antarctic winter peak is third lowest in 2026","description":"NASA reports the Arctic minimum on 12 September 2026 was about 4.6 million square km, tied for tenth lowest, and the 20 lowest minimums all fall in 2007-2026. Provisional NSIDC data put the Antarctic winter peak at 17.59 million square km on 14 September, third lowest in the satellite record.","location":{"name":"Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean sea ice","type":"Polar sea ice zone","basin":"GLOBAL","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"Pan-Arctic and circum-Antarctic sea ice","coordinates":{"lat":90,"lon":0,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"global"},"primary_category":"polar-oceans-sea-ice","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Loss of polar sea ice is a physical climate change.","secondary_drivers":["Atmospheric warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Barents Sea recorded its earliest melt-out on record, an ecosystem-relevant ice loss without a documented mortality (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The opened reports describe no closures or economic restrictions (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Both polar oceans are covered, with the Antarctic winter peak third lowest in 48 years (ref 2).","duration":"NASA says all 20 lowest Arctic minimums occurred from 2007 to 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"Agency reporting only; no listing, order or advisory is involved (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Arctic minimum about 4.6 million sq km on 12 September 2026, tied for tenth lowest; Antarctic peak 17.59 million sq km on 14 September (provisional), third lowest."},"measures":[{"name":"Arctic sea ice minimum extent","value":4.6,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"NASA, 12 September 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Antarctic winter peak extent (provisional)","value":17.59,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"NSIDC provisional data via Carbon Brief (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"NSIDC scientist Walt Meier: the Arctic has plateaued but remains low relative to earlier years (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Snow and Ice Data Center","role":"Sea ice monitoring","contact":"https://nsidc.org/"},{"name":"NASA","role":"Earth science research","contact":"https://science.nasa.gov/"}],"public_contact":"NSIDC User Services via nsidc.org","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Arctic sea ice 2026 minimum","publisher":"NASA Science","date":"2026-09-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/climate-science/sea-ice/arctic-sea-ice-2026-min/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Concerning low sea ice persists as Antarctic hits third-lowest winter peak","publisher":"Carbon Brief","date":"2026-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.carbonbrief.org/concerning-low-sea-ice-persists-as-antarctic-hits-third-lowest-winter-peak","basis":"News citing NSIDC data and scientists"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (global 7-day sweep)."}]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-NINETYMILE-WHALESTRANDING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"At least 12 of 15 stranded pygmy killer whales dead on Ninety Mile Beach, New Zealand","description":"Fifteen pygmy killer whales stranded on Ninety Mile Beach in New Zealand's Far North District on 1 October 2026, and at least 12 were found dead. The whales were spread over several kilometres of beach, and rough conditions hampered the rescue. Officials said they were still working to understand the full circumstances of the stranding.","location":{"name":"Ninety Mile Beach, Far North District","type":"Sandy beach coastline","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"West coast of the Far North District, North Island, New Zealand","coordinates":{"lat":-34.9,"lon":173,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A mass stranding and mortality of a marine mammal species.","secondary_drivers":[],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"At least 12 of the 15 stranded pygmy killer whales were found dead (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The reports describe no closure, advisory or economic disruption (ref 1).","scale":"The whales were spread over several kilometres of a single beach (ref 1).","duration":"The stranding was reported on a Thursday and burial of the dead was under way the next day (ref 1).","significance":"The reports cite a conservation agency response but no formal notice, listing or enforcement action (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At least 12 of 15 stranded pygmy killer whales were found dead."},"measures":[{"name":"Whales stranded","value":15,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Stranding reported on Thursday 1 October 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Whales found dead","value":12,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Stated as at least 12 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Conservation (New Zealand)","role":"Marine mammal stranding response","contact":"https://www.doc.govt.nz"}],"public_contact":"Department of Conservation's published general channel","corrective_actions":["Conservation officials and volunteers launched a rescue effort; burial of the dead whales was under way (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Twelve killer whales found dead on New Zealand beach","publisher":"The Star (Anadolu Agency, citing Radio New Zealand)","date":"2026-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/10/03/twelve-killer-whales-found-dead-on-new-zealand-beach","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"12 killer whales found dead on New Zealand beach","publisher":"Anadolu Agency (anews.com.tr)","date":"2026-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.anews.com.tr/world/2026/10/02/12-killer-whales-found-dead-on-new-zealand-beach/amp","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (global 7-day sweep)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Headlines call the animals killer whales; the article text identifies them as pygmy killer whales. The record follows the article text."}],"missing_fields":["cause of stranding","primary agency statement"],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GLOBAL-CCZ-NOAA-NODULE-PERMIT-2026","title":"NOAA public comment on a 65,000 km2 deep-seabed nodule mining application in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone","description":"NOAA found a consolidated exploration licence and commercial recovery permit application from TMC USA in full compliance with US deep seabed mining law and opened a public comment period running to 19 October 2026, with a virtual hearing on 13 October. Certification and an environmental impact statement would follow if NOAA certifies the application.","location":{"name":"Clarion-Clipperton Zone, central Pacific","type":"Deep seabed mineral area beyond national jurisdiction","basin":"PAC","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"Polymetallic nodule area between Hawaii and Mexico, outside any national jurisdiction.","coordinates":{"lat":12,"lon":-135,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national permitting process for mining the high seabed outside the international regime.","secondary_drivers":["Critical minerals demand"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Potential seabed habitat disturbance only; no environmental impact statement has yet been prepared and NOAA says one follows certification (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or coastal-livelihood disruption is reported in the cited coverage (ref 1).","scale":"A single mining province in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a regional-scale area of the Pacific (ref 1).","duration":"The application was filed on 6 February 2026 and review has run for months (ref 1).","significance":"A formal Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period and a public hearing (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Public comment period 19 August to 19 October 2026; virtual public hearing 13 October 2026, 3-5 p.m. ET."},"measures":[{"name":"Comment period length","value":60,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Federal Register comment period ending 19 October 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The applicant is a US-listed deep-sea mining developer; no market data in the cited sources (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA National Ocean Service, deep seabed mining programme","role":"Licensing authority","contact":"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/deep-seabed-mining/"}],"public_contact":"NOAA deep seabed mining page lists the docket and hearing registration.","corrective_actions":["NOAA opened public comment and a virtual hearing before deciding on certification."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Metals Company USA: Consolidation Application (docket NOAA-NOS-2026-1751)","publisher":"NOAA National Ocean Service","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/deep-seabed-mining/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"NOAA Opens Public Comment on The Metals Company USA Deep Seabed Mining Application","publisher":"OceanMiningIntel","date":"2026-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanminingintel.com/?p=202120","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (global sweep)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-WIND-NAIROBI-COP12-2026","title":"Nairobi Convention COP12 opens in Dar es Salaam on its 40th anniversary to set Western Indian Ocean governance priorities","description":"The twelfth Conference of the Parties to the Nairobi Convention met in Dar es Salaam on 6-9 October 2026 with its ten Contracting Parties. Tanzania set priorities including national law and enforcement, coastal ecosystem restoration and marine pollution; adopted decisions are not reported in the cited sources.","location":{"name":"Western Indian Ocean region","type":"Regional seas convention area","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TZ","KE","MZ","ZA","MG","MU","SC"],"detail":"Meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Convention covers ten Contracting Parties.","coordinates":{"lat":-6.82,"lon":39.29,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Regional treaty process for ocean governance.","secondary_drivers":[],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No specific harm is documented in the cited meeting coverage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited coverage says more than 65 million people depend directly on the ocean but reports no disruption (ref 1).","scale":"The Convention covers the Western Indian Ocean region with ten Contracting Parties (ref 2).","duration":"The Convention dates from 1985 and the meeting marks 40 years of governance work (ref 1).","significance":"A formal treaty COP reviewing the 2025-2035 Integrated Regional Programme and 2025-2028 Programme of Work (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":65000000,"status":"Reported","note":"People depending directly on the ocean in the region, per the cited article (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ocean wealth valued at over $300 billion; more than 65 million people depend directly on the ocean."},"measures":[{"name":"Contracting Parties","value":10,"unit":"countries","status":"Reported","note":"ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Tourism is about 70% of the region's estimated $20.8 billion annual economic output (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Nairobi Convention Secretariat (UNEP)","role":"Regional seas convention secretariat","contact":"https://www.unep.org/events/conference/twelfth-conference-parties-nairobi-convention-cop-12"}],"public_contact":"Nairobi Convention Secretariat via the UNEP COP12 page.","corrective_actions":["Parties review the Integrated Regional Programme 2025-2035 and Programme of Work 2025-2028."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tanzania hosts Nairobi Convention COP12, calls for stronger ocean cooperation","publisher":"ATTA (Africa Travel Association)","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://atta.travel/resource/tanzania-hosts-nairobi-convention-cop12-calls-for-stronger-ocean-cooperation.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Twelfth Conference of the Parties to the Nairobi Convention (COP 12)","publisher":"UNEP","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unep.org/events/conference/twelfth-conference-parties-nairobi-convention-cop-12","basis":"Agency event page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (global sweep)."}]},{"id":"OC-GULF-HALLANIYAT-CAROLINEBEZENGI-SPILL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Crude oil leaking from grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi reaches Oman's coast","description":"The tanker Caroline Bezengi, reported to carry around 800,000 barrels of Russian crude, has been disabled near the Al Hallaniyat Islands off Oman and has leaked oil since the summer. Omani authorities put the slick at nearly 400 square kilometres and confirmed oil on mainland beaches at Ras Madrakah in mid-August; Greenpeace estimated about 1,300 square kilometres. A salvage operation began on 13 August 2026; the sources opened for this record do not report the situation after mid-August.","location":{"name":"Al Hallaniyat Islands to Ras Madrakah, Oman","type":"Offshore oil spill and coastline","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["OM"],"detail":"Arabian Sea coast of Oman, off the Hallaniyat archipelago marine reserve; oil reported on the Ras Madrakah shoreline and expected on southern Masirah Island","extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Crude oil released into coastal waters from a grounded tanker.","secondary_drivers":["Sanctioned shadow-fleet tanker","Monsoon limiting salvage access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Oil reached beaches at Ras Madrakah, affecting up to 40 km of coastline, near a marine reserve created last year for sea turtles; no casualty counts are reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the opened sources reports a fishery closure or lost catch; the vessel lies about 22 nautical miles off the fishing village of Sharbithat (ref 2).","scale":"Omani authorities put the slick at nearly 400 sq km around one archipelago and a stretch of mainland coast; Greenpeace's 1,300 sq km estimate is still within one national coast (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The tanker was disabled on 8 June and grounded on 30 June, and was still leaking at the 12 to 14 August reports, so the release has run for more than two months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The IMO publicly confirmed monitoring and oil spill contingency planning, and Oman's Environment Authority is running response operations (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Omani authorities: spill measured nearly 400 square kilometres; Greenpeace: about 1,300 square kilometres as of 12 August 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Slick area (Omani authorities)","value":400,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Stated as 'nearly 400 square kilometres' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Slick area (Greenpeace, satellite)","value":1300,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Grew from 45 sq km in late July (ref 3)."},{"name":"Cargo on board","value":800000,"unit":"barrels","status":"Estimated","note":"IMO spokesperson: around 800,000 barrels (ref 2)."},{"name":"Oiled shoreline at Ras Madrakah","value":40,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"'Up to 40km' (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No fishery or tourism loss is reported in the opened sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Reports opened run from 12 to 14 August 2026; none newer was found, so the current state is unconfirmed."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Oman Environment Authority","role":"National spill response","contact":"https://www.ea.gov.om"},{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"Monitoring and contingency planning","contact":"https://www.imo.org"}],"public_contact":"Oman Environment Authority public enquiries (see published website)","corrective_actions":["Ambrey announced a salvage operation with Omani authorities on 13 August 2026, with specialists aboard to stabilise the cargo (ref 3).","Oman's Environment Authority reports monitoring and response teams prioritising sensitive areas (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oman says oil spill from stricken tanker has reached its coast","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2026-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/13/oman-says-oil-spill-from-stricken-tanker-has-reached-its-coast","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"IMO says oil slick from grounded shadow tanker reaches Oman mainland","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2026-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/emergency-services/pollution-control/imo-says-oil-slick-from-grounded-shadow-tanker-reaches-oman-mainland","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Salvage work begins on tanker leaking oil off Oman, risk firm says","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2026-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/14/salvage-work-begins-on-tanker-leaking-oil-off-oman-risk-firm-says","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":3,"note":"New record; latest source dated 14 August 2026."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Slick size: Omani authorities say nearly 400 sq km, Greenpeace says about 1,300 sq km (refs 1, 3)."},{"note":"Timeline: Al Jazeera says the ship has been disabled since 8 June; Reuters says it grounded on 30 June (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Developments after 14 August 2026 not found","Coordinates not given by the opened sources"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-BASIN-HEATWAVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record June 2025 marine heatwave covered 62% of the Mediterranean surface; 2025 was the second-warmest year on record","description":"Copernicus Marine reported that June 2025 was the warmest June on record for the Mediterranean, with a mean sea surface temperature of 23.86 C, and that a high-intensity marine heatwave affected 62% of the sea surface at the peak. Its annual bulletin ranks 2025 as the second-warmest year, with the whole basin touched by a marine heatwave for the third year running.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean Sea (basin-wide)","type":"Regional sea","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","MC","IT","MT","SI","HR","BA","ME","AL","GR","TR","CY","SY","LB","IL","PS","EG","LY","TN","DZ","MA"],"detail":"All Mediterranean coastal states; strongest in the western basin in June 2025","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Basin-scale sea-surface warming and marine heatwaves are a physical climate signal.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Atmospheric warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Copernicus bulletin says marine heatwaves 'can have negative impact on the environment and ecosystems' but reports no specific ecological damage for 2025, so harm is potential only (ref 3).","livelihoods":"None of the four cited sources reports a fishery, port or tourism restriction tied to the 2025 heatwave (refs 1-4).","scale":"Heatwave conditions covered up to 62% of the sea surface at the June 2025 peak and 93% of the basin reached strong or higher intensity during the year, a regional-sea extent (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The entire Mediterranean was affected by a marine heatwave at some point in 2025 for the third consecutive year, so the pattern is recurring (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The sources are monitoring bulletins and press releases with no advisory, closure or enforcement action, so no formal-notice credit is given (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At the June 2025 peak, 62% of the Mediterranean Sea surface was affected by a high-intensity marine heatwave, up from 40% in the same period of 2024 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"June 2025 mean sea surface temperature","value":23.86,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Warmest June on record, previous high 2003; +/-0.47 C (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak surface share under high-intensity marine heatwave","value":62,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"June 2025 peak (ref 1); the annual bulletin gives 64% for the same month (ref 2)."},{"name":"Annual mean sea surface temperature 2025","value":21.2,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Second-warmest year, just below the 2024 record of 21.3 C (ref 2)."},{"name":"Basin share with strong or higher marine heatwaves in 2025","value":93,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Third widest extent after 2023 (96%) and 2024 (99%) (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited sources describe possible effects on fisheries, aquaculture and tourism only in general terms (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"2023, 2024 and 2025 each had marine heatwave conditions somewhere in the whole basin; 2025 was second-warmest after 2024 (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNEP/MAP (Barcelona Convention Secretariat)","role":"Regional sea convention that assesses Mediterranean marine quality","contact":"https://www.unep.org/unepmap/resources/med-qsr-2023"},{"name":"Copernicus Marine Service (Mercator Ocean International)","role":"Operator of the ocean monitoring service that published the figures","contact":"https://marine.copernicus.eu"}],"public_contact":"Copernicus Marine Service press office, via marine.copernicus.eu","corrective_actions":["No corrective action: the sources are monitoring reports and do not describe a response."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"June 2025 marks third warmest June on record globally, with record-high marine heatwave intensity","publisher":"Copernicus Marine Service / Mercator Ocean International","date":"2025-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/press/press-releases/june-2025-marks-third-warmest-june-record-globally-record-high-intensity","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"The 2025 Annual Ocean Health Bulletin","publisher":"Copernicus Marine Service","date":"2026-03-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/bulletin/2025-annual-ocean-health-bulletin","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ocean Temperature Bulletin: Mediterranean Sea highlights 2025","publisher":"Mercator Ocean International","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/bulletin/ocean-temperature-bulletin-mediterranean-sea-highlights-2025/","basis":"Agency bulletin"},{"ref":4,"title":"La mer Mediterranee a enregistre une temperature de surface record en juin","publisher":"La Presse de Tunisie","date":"2025-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lapresse.tn/2025/07/01/la-mer-mediterranee-a-enregistre-une-temperature-de-surface-record-en-juin/","basis":"News (French)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Peak June extent is 62% in the 8 July 2025 press release and 64% in the 2026 annual bulletin; the sources do not explain the difference. The press-release headline says 'strong or higher' while its body says 'high or above'."},{"note":"La Presse de Tunisie (ref 4) reports a daily mean of 26.01 C on 29 June 2025 citing Copernicus data analysed by Meteo-France; this is a different metric from the monthly mean of 23.86 C."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-MED-BASIN-SSTRECORD-2024","OC-MED-ITALY-GORGONIANS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-BASIN-SSTRECORD-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mediterranean surface waters hit an all-time daily record of 28.47 C on 15 August 2024 in the warmest year then on record","description":"Mercator Ocean, which runs the Copernicus Marine Service, reported that 15 August 2024 was the hottest day on record for Mediterranean surface waters, at a mean 28.47 C, and that surface temperatures had stayed above 28 C since 6 August. The 2025 Copernicus bulletin states that 99% of the basin saw strong or higher marine heatwaves in 2024, and a June 2025 report said the 28.47 C record still stood.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean Sea (basin-wide)","type":"Regional sea","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","MC","IT","MT","SI","HR","BA","ME","AL","GR","TR","CY","SY","LB","IL","PS","EG","LY","TN","DZ","MA"],"detail":"All Mediterranean coastal states; record daily basin-mean sea surface temperature","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Record basin-mean sea surface temperature is a physical climate signal.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Atmospheric warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Euronews, summarising Copernicus Climate Change Service data, says marine heatwaves cause coral bleaching and mass die-offs; this source reports no specific 2024 die-off count, so harm is limited here (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Euronews names disruption to fisheries, aquaculture and tourism as possible costs of marine heatwaves but gives no Mediterranean closure or loss figure (ref 3).","scale":"The record is a mean over the whole Mediterranean surface, 28.47 C on 15 August 2024, and 99% of the basin saw strong or higher marine heatwaves in 2024 (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Temperatures stayed above 28 C from 6 August, the longest such spell recorded, within a run of three consecutive years with basin-wide heatwaves (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Mercator note and the Euronews article are monitoring and press reports with no advisory, closure or enforcement action (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On 15 August 2024 the Mediterranean saw its hottest day on record for surface waters, with a mean temperature of 28.47 C, surpassing the previous record set in July 2023 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Record daily mean sea surface temperature","value":28.47,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"15 August 2024, Copernicus Marine global analysis (ref 1); still the all-time record in July 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Basin share with strong or higher marine heatwaves in 2024","value":99,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Second-warmest year 2025 ranks behind this extent in the Copernicus bulletin (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Euronews lists fisheries, aquaculture and tourism as exposed sectors in general terms (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The July 2023 record of about 28.3 C was beaten in August 2024; 2025 stayed among the warmest years (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Copernicus Marine Service (Mercator Ocean International)","role":"Operator of the ocean monitoring service that published the record","contact":"https://marine.copernicus.eu"},{"name":"UNEP/MAP (Barcelona Convention Secretariat)","role":"Regional sea convention","contact":"https://www.unep.org/unepmap/resources/med-qsr-2023"}],"public_contact":"Copernicus Marine Service press office, via marine.copernicus.eu","corrective_actions":["No corrective action: the sources are monitoring reports."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mercator Ocean International: August 15th 2024, warmest surface temperature in the Mediterranean Sea","publisher":"Mercator Ocean International (Copernicus Marine Service)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mercator-ocean.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Temperature_record_August2024_MedSea.pdf","basis":"Agency press note"},{"ref":2,"title":"The 2025 Annual Ocean Health Bulletin","publisher":"Copernicus Marine Service","date":"2026-03-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/bulletin/2025-annual-ocean-health-bulletin","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"European seas break temperature records: are they too warm?","publisher":"Euronews","date":"2025-08-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://euronews.com/my-europe/2025/08/15/european-seas-break-temperature-records-are-they-too-warm","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"La mer Mediterranee a enregistre une temperature de surface record en juin","publisher":"La Presse de Tunisie","date":"2025-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lapresse.tn/2025/07/01/la-mer-mediterranee-a-enregistre-une-temperature-de-surface-record-en-juin/","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Ocean Temperature Bulletin: Mediterranean Sea highlights 2025","publisher":"Mercator Ocean International","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/bulletin/ocean-temperature-bulletin-mediterranean-sea-highlights-2025/","basis":"Agency bulletin"},{"ref":6,"title":"The Mediterranean is boiling: record temperatures in 2024, 14 heat waves in Asinara","publisher":"L'Unione Sarda","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unionesarda.it/en/sardinia/the-mediterranean-is-boiling-record-temperatures-in-2024-14-heat-waves-in-asinara-y7y24wh4","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Euronews (ref 3) cites 28.7 C on 13 August 2024 beating 28.3 C of July 2023, from Copernicus Climate Change Service data; Mercator (ref 1) gives 28.47 C on 15 August 2024. The datasets and averaging differ."},{"note":"Greenpeace Italia, as reported by L'Unione Sarda (ref 6), gives an annual Mediterranean mean of 21.16 C for 2024 while the Mercator bulletin (ref 5) gives 21.32 C; the sources use different datasets."}],"missing_fields":["The Mercator note carries no publication date other than the 15 August 2024 record date in its title, so source date is left null."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-BASIN-HEATWAVE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-ITALY-GORGONIANS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Greenpeace monitoring finds marine heatwaves down to 40 m and gorgonian and coral damage in Italian marine protected areas","description":"Greenpeace Italia's Mare Caldo network reported repeated marine heatwaves at all 14 monitored Italian stations in 2025, including a 41-day heatwave at Asinara that reached 3.5 C above the climatological threshold, with heat reaching 30 to 40 m depth. Its earlier report found severe impact on 94% of Paramuricea clavata colonies at 25 m at Portofino, and necrosis or bleaching of gorgonians and the coral Cladocora caespitosa at several sites.","location":{"name":"Asinara and other Italian marine protected areas","type":"Marine protected area network","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT"],"detail":"Italian coast: Sardinia (Asinara, Tavolara, Capo Carbonara), Sicily (Capo Milazzo, Plemmirio), Liguria (Portofino, Cinque Terre), Puglia (Torre Guaceto), Elba","coordinates":{"lat":41.067,"lon":8.267,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat stress on habitat-forming gorgonians and corals is damage to benthic habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Alien species spread"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"At Portofino, 94% of Paramuricea clavata colonies at 25 m showed severe impact in the 2024 monitoring, and Elba lost colonies of Eunicella cavolini and P. clavata over six years (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"The Greenpeace reports and press coverage describe no fishery or diving closure at the monitored sites (refs 1-4).","scale":"Heatwaves were recorded at all 14 stations in 2025, 13 of them inside marine protected areas across Sardinia, Sicily, Liguria and Puglia, a national-coastline extent (ref 3).","duration":"The network recorded heatwaves in 2024 (14 at Asinara, 6 each at Portofino and Cinque Terre) and again in 2025, and links Elba's six-year decline to the 2023 and 2024 anomalies (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The evidence is an NGO monitoring programme run with University of Genoa and OGS; no official notice or enforcement action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At Asinara marine protected area a 41-day heatwave from late May to July 2025 reached +3.5 C above the climatological threshold; at Portofino 94% of P. clavata colonies at 25 m showed severe impact in the 2024 report (refs 1, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Largest 2025 heatwave anomaly (Asinara)","value":3.5,"unit":"C above climatological threshold","status":"Reported","note":"41-day heatwave, late May to July 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Paramuricea clavata colonies severely impacted at Portofino, 25 m","value":94,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"2024 monitoring season (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Monitoring stations with heatwaves in 2025","value":14,"unit":"stations","status":"Reported","note":"All 14 stations, 13 inside marine protected areas (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Marine protected areas support diving and fishing economies, but the sources give no loss figure (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Heatwaves recorded in both 2024 and 2025; Elba shows steady six-year decline (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Management bodies of the Asinara, Portofino, Tavolara, Capo Carbonara, Capo Milazzo, Plemmirio and Torre Guaceto marine protected areas","role":"Marine protected area managers (names as listed by the Greenpeace report)"}],"public_contact":"Greenpeace Italia press office (publisher of the Mare Caldo report); MPA management bodies' public offices","corrective_actions":["Greenpeace continues annual monitoring; the sources cite no official corrective action."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Nuovo rapporto Mare Caldo di Greenpeace: nel Mediterraneo temperature annuali mai cosi alte come nel 2024","publisher":"Greenpeace Italia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/italy/comunicato-stampa/28283/nuovo-rapporto-mare-caldo-di-greenpeace-nel-mediterraneo-temperature-annuali-mai-cosi-alte-come-nel-2024/","basis":"NGO press release (Italian)"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Mediterranean is boiling: record temperatures in 2024, 14 heat waves in Asinara","publisher":"L'Unione Sarda","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unionesarda.it/en/sardinia/the-mediterranean-is-boiling-record-temperatures-in-2024-14-heat-waves-in-asinara-y7y24wh4","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mare caldo nel 2025: ondate di calore marine anche a 40 metri di profondita con gravi rischi per la vita sui fondali italiani","publisher":"Greenpeace Italia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/italy/comunicato-stampa/31520/mare-caldo-nel-2025-ondate-di-calore-marine-anche-a-40-metri-di-profondita-con-gravi-rischi-per-la-vita-sui-fondali-italiani/","basis":"NGO press release (Italian)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Caldo, nel 2025 ondate di calore marine anche a 40 metri di profondita: il rapporto di Greenpeace Italia","publisher":"LaPresse","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lapresse.it/scienze/2026/07/28/caldo-nel-2025-ondate-di-calore-marine-anche-a-40-metri-di-profondita-il-rapporto-di-greenpeacee-italia/","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Asinara","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asinara","basis":"Reference (coordinates of Asinara)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Greenpeace press-release pages show no publication date; the 2024-data release is dated by L'Unione Sarda (3 July 2025) and the 2025-data release by LaPresse (28 July 2026)."}],"missing_fields":["Monitoring is by an NGO with university partners; no official agency assessment was found for these sites.","Greenpeace press releases are in Italian."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-BASIN-HEATWAVE-2025","OC-MED-BASIN-SSTRECORD-2024","OC-MED-NWMED-GORGONIAN-HEATWAVE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-MED-VENICE-MOSE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Venice's MOSE barrier raised 25 times in 2023 and 28 in 2024 as high tides hit a record; study warns it may fail by 2100 in the worst case","description":"Venice's MOSE storm-surge barrier was raised 25 times in 2023 and 28 times in 2024, 97 times since 2020, while tides above 80 cm reached 219 events in 2024, the most recorded. A 2025 INGV study reported in Il Post found that in the highest-emissions scenario the 3 m sea-lagoon difference MOSE was designed for would be exceeded in 2100.","location":{"name":"Venice Lagoon (MOSE barrier)","type":"Coastal barrier and lagoon city","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT"],"detail":"Lido, Malamocco and Chioggia inlets, Venice, Veneto, northern Adriatic","coordinates":{"lat":45.4318,"lon":12.4085,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Rising tides and subsidence drive coastal flood risk in the lagoon.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Land subsidence","Storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Tides of 80 cm or more rose to 219 events in 2024 including MOSE closures, with almost 800 hours above that level, so flood risk to the city is growing but the barrier is protecting it (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Port operators say each raising limits port operations and want more involvement in how MOSE is managed (ref 1).","scale":"The system protects one lagoon with three inlets; INGV maps flooding of about 139 km2 by 2150 around Lido, Cavallino, Chioggia and the airport (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Tides above 80 cm rose from about 75 events a year around 2000 to 126 around 2020 and then to 219 in 2024, a chronic trend (ref 1).","significance":"No court ruling, order or emergency declaration is cited; MOSE operates under state management and critics call procedures provisional (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"MOSE was raised 25 times in 2023 and 28 times in 2024, 97 times since 2020 at almost 20 million euros, while tides of 80 cm or more reached 219 events in 2024 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"MOSE raisings in 2024","value":28,"unit":"raisings","status":"Reported","note":"25 in 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"MOSE raisings since 2020 (to January 2025)","value":97,"unit":"raisings","status":"Reported","note":"Article headline says 100; body says 97, almost 20 million euros in total (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tide events at or above 80 cm in 2024","value":219,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Including MOSE closures; 186 in 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Land that could flood by 2150 without stronger protection (INGV)","value":139,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"226 km2 with surges like 1966 and 2019 (ref 2); study in Remote Sensing."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Port operators say each raising limits port operations (ref 1).","About 200 thousand euros estimated per raising (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Annual events of 80 cm or more rose from about 75 around 2000 to 126 around 2020 and 219 in 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Venice Water Authority (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport)","role":"State operator of MOSE (as described on the MOSE reference page)"},{"name":"Consorzio Venezia Nuova","role":"Builder acting for the ministry (ref 3)"}],"public_contact":"Venice Water Authority; city tide forecasting centre (public offices)","corrective_actions":["MOSE is operating and is raised for forecast high tides (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"MOSE raised 100 times in the first four years, at a cost of twenty million euros","publisher":"Campaign for a Living Venice","date":"2025-01-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://campaignforalivingvenice.org/2025/01/11/mose-raised-100-times-in-the-first-four-years-at-a-cost-of-twenty-million-euros/","basis":"Advocacy group article citing city tide-centre figures"},{"ref":2,"title":"MOSE, Venezia 2100 e il cambiamento climatico","publisher":"Il Post","date":"2025-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ilpost.it/2025/03/26/mose-venezia-2100-cambiamento-climatico/","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":3,"title":"MOSE Project","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOSE_Project","basis":"Reference (coordinates, operators and design)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The reference page gives both 110 cm and 130 cm as the forecast tide at which the gates are raised; the advocacy article gives 97 raisings in the body and 100 in the headline."}],"missing_fields":["Primary city tide-centre statistics were not opened; counts come from a secondary article quoting them.","Il Post article is in Italian; INGV paper in Remote Sensing was not opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-ITALY-CYCLONEHARRY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cyclone Harry flooded the coasts of Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia in January 2026, with Sicily's initial damage put at 741.5 million euros","description":"Cyclone Harry struck southern Italy from 19 to 22 January 2026; Civil Protection said waves on the Calabrian coast reached 9.5 m, and waterfronts and beach establishments were destroyed. A study of Calabria's Ionian coast found peak total water levels of 3.47 to 5.03 m and impacts in 29 of 50 coastal municipalities, and Sicily's governor gave an initial damage estimate of 741.5 million euros.","location":{"name":"Ionian coast of Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia","type":"Coastline (storm-surge and wave flooding)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT","MT"],"detail":"Calabria Ionian coast (about 250 km assessed), Sicily, Sardinia; Maltese weather service also reported strong winds","coordinates":{"lat":38.9,"lon":16.6,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal flooding from waves and storm surge is a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Waterfronts and beach establishments were destroyed and houses had walls knocked down; the ANSA reports cite no coastal deaths (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Sicily's initial damage estimate was 741.5 million euros, and ANSA sources say lost income for farms, fishers and businesses takes the total past one billion euros (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Coasts of Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria were hit, 29 of 50 coastal municipalities on Calabria's Ionian coast reported impacts (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The storm lasted 19 to 22 January 2026, with the most critical phase from late 20 to early 21 January (ref 3).","significance":"Sicily's executive approved a measure for the regional assembly declaring a state of emergency with an initial 70 million euros; no final declaration is shown in the cited pages (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Civil Protection head Fabio Ciciliano said waves on the Calabrian coast 'reached up to nine and a half meters'; Sicily's governor gave an initial damage estimate of about 740 million euros (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Wave height on Calabrian coast","value":9.5,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Civil Protection statement (ref 1)."},{"name":"Initial damage estimate for Sicily","value":741.5,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Governor's initial estimate; 'over one billion' with lost income per ANSA sources (ref 2)."},{"name":"Peak total water level on Calabrian Ionian coast","value":5.03,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Range 3.47 to 5.03 m, mostly wave run-up (ref 3)."},{"name":"Coastal municipalities with impacts (Calabria Ionian coast)","value":29,"unit":"of 50","status":"Reported","note":"CNR-IRPI conference abstract (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Beach establishments and waterfronts destroyed (ref 1).","Lost income for farms, fishers and businesses in Sicily (ref 2).","Cruise ships skipped several ports (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single event of 19-22 January 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Italian Civil Protection Department","role":"National emergency response (statement in ref 1)"},{"name":"Sicilian Region (regional government)","role":"Declared damage and requested emergency funding (ref 1)"}],"public_contact":"Civil Protection Department and regional authorities (public offices)","corrective_actions":["Sicily's executive moved to declare a state of emergency and set aside an initial 70 million euros (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cyclone Harry caused 740 million euros of damage in Sicily alone","publisher":"ANSA English","date":"2026-01-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2026/01/22/cyclone-harry-caused-740-million-euros-of-damage-in-sicily-alone-3_a06b16f0-9ef9-4b33-b54e-8b4d12356bd3.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cyclone Harry damage toll climbs over one billion euros mark","publisher":"ANSA English","date":"2026-01-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2026/01/22/cyclone-harry-damage-toll-climbs-over-one-billion-euros-mark_1e66468d-37f4-4d78-9295-2e40c5d49117.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Assessing Coastal Flood Hazard and Damage from Cyclone Harry along the Calabrian Ionian Coast","publisher":"CNR-IRPI (Aristodemo, Caloiero, Mercuri, Petrucci)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iris.cnr.it/handle/20.500.14243/592922","basis":"Peer-research conference abstract"},{"ref":4,"title":"Storm Harry from a meteorological perspective","publisher":"YACHT","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yacht.de/en/sailing-knowledge/meteorology/storm-harry-from-a-meteorological-perspective/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Cyclone Harry in the Mediterranean (news item)","publisher":"SeaHelp","date":"2026-01-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sea-help.eu/en/news-general/cyclone-harry-storm-mediterranean/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Catanzaro","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catanzaro","basis":"Reference (coordinates of the Gulf of Squillace city on the Ionian coast)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Wave heights differ: 9.5 m on the Calabrian coast (Civil Protection, ref 1) against a maximum individual wave of about 16 m reported from an ISPRA buoy in the Sicilian Channel by weather channels cited by YACHT (ref 4), which is not confirmed by an official source."},{"note":"Whether Harry qualifies as a medicane is unresolved: YACHT says the label needs later analysis of a warm core; SeaHelp calls it a Mediterranean cyclone ('Medicane') (refs 4, 5)."}],"missing_fields":["No official ISPRA or Civil Protection assessment page was opened; damage figures are early estimates from ANSA.","CNR-IRPI abstract page gives only the year 2026, so its date is null."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-EBRODELTA-RETREAT-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ebro Delta loses land to coastal retreat and subsidence as dams cut sediment, with state protection plan still pending in 2024","description":"Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition says the Ebro Delta coast suffers erosion worsened by reduced sediment supply, subsidence averaging 3 mm a year, sea-level rise and more intense storms. NASA imagery shows a river-mouth island retreating by several hundred metres between 1984 and 2021, and in February 2024 a minister defended revising the coastal boundary while the State protection plan had not yet been presented.","location":{"name":"Ebro Delta","type":"River delta coast","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Tarragona, Catalonia; about 320 km2, rice fields cover up to 80 percent","coordinates":{"lat":40.717,"lon":0.733,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal retreat and flooding driven by sea-level rise, subsidence and sediment loss.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Land subsidence","Sediment trapped by dams","Storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NASA imagery shows the island at the river mouth near Riumar retreated by several hundred metres between 1984 and 2021, and Storm Gloria flooded 3,000 hectares of rice fields in January 2020 (ref 4).","livelihoods":"The 2022 sand reinforcement and farmers testing salt-tolerant rice show agriculture is under pressure, but no closure or displacement is reported (refs 3, 4).","scale":"The problem is one delta of about 320 km2 and a 50 km coast (ref 4).","duration":"Sediment transport downstream of the dams is estimated at 0.33 hm3 a year and the delta has been eroding for decades, with works in 2020, 2022 and 2024 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"MITECO presented a formal Plan for the Protection of the Ebro Delta in November 2020 and a revision of the public maritime-terrestrial boundary was under way, a formal state process (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"MITECO gives mean subsidence of 3 mm a year in the delta, and dams are said to have cut off 99% of the sediment that once reached the river mouth (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mean subsidence rate","value":3,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"MITECO press note, November 2020 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sediment transport downstream of Mequinenza, Ribarroja and Flix reservoirs","value":0.33,"unit":"hm3 per year","status":"Reported","note":"MITECO estimate excluding lower-basin inputs (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sand moved to fragile points in 2022","value":317000,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"La Marquesa, Illa de Buda and Trabucador (ref 3)."},{"name":"Rice fields flooded by Storm Gloria","value":3000,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"January 2020 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Rice fields cover up to 80 percent of the delta and were flooded in 2020 (ref 4).","Local councils and owners oppose a revised coastal boundary (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Retreat of several hundred metres since 1984 and continued sediment starvation (refs 1, 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO)","role":"Coast and water authority preparing the protection plan","contact":"https://www.miteco.gob.es"},{"name":"Confederacion Hidrografica del Ebro","role":"River basin authority measuring subsidence (ref 1)"}],"public_contact":"MITECO press office (Madrid, public enquiries)","corrective_actions":["Sand reinforcement of three critical points in 2022 (ref 3).","Revision of the public maritime-terrestrial boundary and sediment transfer strategy in 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hugo Moran presenta los avances en la elaboracion del Plan para la proteccion del Delta del Ebro","publisher":"MITECO (Spanish ministry)","date":"2020-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/prensa/201118presentaciondelplanparalaprotecciondeldeltadelebro_tcm30-517084.pdf","basis":"Official press release (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"L'Estat treballa l'estrategia per aportar mes sediments al delta","publisher":"Diari de Tarragona","date":"2024-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.diaridetarragona.com/ebre/209668/l-estat-treballa-l-estrategia-per-aportar-mes-sediments-al-delta-kn18628345_amp.html","basis":"News (Catalan)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Reforc de sorra a les zones mes fragils del delta per evitar la regressio","publisher":"Canal 21 Ebre","date":"2022-10-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canal21ebre.com/c10comarques-reforc-de-sorra-a-les-zones-mes-fragils-del-delta-per-evitar-la-regressio","basis":"News (Catalan)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Spain's changing Mediterranean coastline","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory","date":"2021-12-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/spains-changing-mediterranean-coastline-149170","basis":"Agency imagery feature"},{"ref":5,"title":"Ebro Delta","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebro_Delta","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Catalan article gives 99% of sediment cut off (a deputy's statement); the ministry note gives 0.33 hm3 a year of current transport against 7.2 hm3 a year without the reservoirs in 1967-82. The two are not the same measure."}],"missing_fields":["No source dated 2025 or 2026 was opened; the most recent is February 2024.","Sources are in Spanish and Catalan."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-NILEDELTA-EROSION-2022","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Nile Delta coast and Alexandria face erosion and rising seas as the World Bank projects annual flood losses up to 581 million dollars by 2050","description":"Egypt's irrigation ministry says sea level rose up to 3.2 mm a year since 2012 while land under Alexandria and the delta sinks at a similar rate. A World Bank analysis reported in March 2022 estimates that a 0.3 m rise would flood about 30% of Alexandria and displace about 545,000 people, and that the delta coastline lost 78 hectares a year from 2001 to 2018.","location":{"name":"Nile Delta coast and Alexandria","type":"River delta coast and port city","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["EG"],"detail":"Northern Nile Delta, Rosetta promontory and Alexandria, Egypt","coordinates":{"lat":30.9,"lon":31.117,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise, subsidence and sediment loss drive shoreline retreat and coastal flooding.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Land subsidence","Sediment trapped by dams"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A 2015 storm flooded Alexandria, killed at least six people and collapsed about two dozen homes, and the delta coastline lost 78 hectares a year in 2001-2018 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The World Bank figure of 504-581 million dollars of yearly Alexandria flood losses by 2050 and 70,500 job losses indicates economic disruption, not yet a closure (ref 2).","scale":"The retreat spans the delta coast and Alexandria, and one source cites up to 2,660 km2 of delta inundation by 2100, a national-coastline extent (ref 1).","duration":"Sea-level rise rose from 1.8 mm a year to up to 3.2 mm a year since 2012 and erosion accelerated after 2000, a chronic trend (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A World Bank report and a 105 million dollar government adaptation project with 69 km of dune dikes are formal measures (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":545000,"status":"Estimated","note":"Residents of Alexandria who would be displaced by a 0.3 m sea-level rise, World Bank estimate reported by Enterprise (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A 0.3 m sea-level rise would flood about 30% of Alexandria, displacing about 545,000 people and causing 70,500 job losses, according to the World Bank as reported by Enterprise (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea-level rise rate since 2012 (Egyptian ministry)","value":3.2,"unit":"mm per year (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"1.8 mm a year until 1993, 2.1 mm a year over the next two decades (ref 1)."},{"name":"Delta coastline loss 2001-2018","value":78,"unit":"hectares per year","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 41.7 hectares a year in the previous 17 years (ref 2)."},{"name":"Alexandria annual flood losses by 2050","value":581,"unit":"million USD (upper bound)","status":"Estimated","note":"World Bank range 504-581 million (ref 2)."},{"name":"Government adaptation project (sand-dune dikes)","value":69,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"105 million USD project (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Alexandria holds about 40% of Egypt's industrial capacity (ref 3).","World Bank projects annual flood losses up to 581 million dollars by 2050 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Rate of sea-level rise increased after 1993 and delta erosion accelerated after 2000 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Egypt Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation","role":"Coastal protection and sea-level monitoring (ref 1)"},{"name":"World Bank","role":"Analyst of coastal erosion costs (ref 2)"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, public enquiries","corrective_actions":["Concrete offshore barriers and more than 120 million dollars for shore protection (ref 1).","105 million dollar project for 69 km of sand-dune dikes (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rising seas threaten Egypt's fabled port city of Alexandria","publisher":"Gulf News (Associated Press)","date":"2019-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/rising-seas-threaten-egypts-fabled-port-city-of-alexandria-1.66103141","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coastal erosion could cost Egypt USD bns and wipe out half our beaches this century. Are we doing enough to mitigate it?","publisher":"Enterprise","date":"2022-03-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://enterpriseam.com/egypt/goinggreens/coastal-erosion-could-cost-egypt-usd-bns-and-wipe-out-half-our-beaches-this-century-are-we-doing-enough-to-mitigate-it/","basis":"News (citing World Bank)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Global warming threatens to sink Egypt's second largest city","publisher":"The New Arab","date":"2019-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newarab.com/news/global-warming-threatens-sink-egypts-second-largest-city","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nile Delta","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_Delta","basis":"Reference (coordinates and erosion summary)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sources use different erosion metrics: 0.1 m a year average Egypt-wide 1984-2016, 78 hectares a year of delta loss 2001-2018, and up to 30.8 m a year at the Rosetta promontory (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["No source dated inside the research window (2023-10-13 to 2026-10-12) was opened; the AP and Enterprise pieces date from 2019 and 2022, so the current status is not confirmed.","The original World Bank report was not opened; figures come from Enterprise's summary."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-ISRAEL-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Israel's national monitoring finds Mediterranean surface pH falling by 0.05 per decade, faster than the global ocean","description":"The 2024 climate-change report of Israel's national marine monitoring programme (IOLR, July 2025) found surface seawater pH fell by about 0.05 units per decade in 2014-2024 against about 0.02 globally, with surface pCO2 rising about 8 ppmV a year. Deep-water oxygen at 1,200-2,000 m off Haifa has been falling since 2008 at 0.38 umol per kg a year.","location":{"name":"Israel Mediterranean coast and Haifa transect","type":"National coastal monitoring area","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IL"],"detail":"Eastern Mediterranean, Israeli coast and Haifa transect","coordinates":{"lat":32.45,"lon":34.9167,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Ocean carbonate chemistry and oxygen are physical-chemical conditions of the sea.","secondary_drivers":["CO2 uptake","Warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Seawater pH fell about 0.05 units per decade (2014-2024) and the Times of Israel notes acidification hinders clams and corals building skeletons, so harm is potential (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither the IOLR report nor the Times of Israel article reports a fishery or beach restriction tied to acidification (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The monitoring covers Israel's coastal and open waters, a national-waters extent (ref 1).","duration":"The pCO2 and pH trends cover 2012-2024 and the oxygen decline has run since 2008 (ref 1).","significance":"The report is an official annual national monitoring report prepared for the energy and environmental protection ministries (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Seawater pH decreased at an average -0.05 units per decade (2014-2024), against -0.02 for the global ocean, and surface pCO2 rose about +8 ppmV a year in open waters (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Surface pH trend 2014-2024","value":-0.05,"unit":"pH units per decade","status":"Reported","note":"Global ocean -0.02 per decade (ref 1)."},{"name":"Surface pCO2 rise in open waters","value":8,"unit":"ppmV per year","status":"Reported","note":"Three to four times the atmospheric CO2 rise (ref 1)."},{"name":"Deep-water oxygen trend at 1,200-2,000 m since 2008","value":-0.38,"unit":"umol per kg per year","status":"Reported","note":"Offshore Haifa stations (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic figure tied to acidification in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"pH and oxygen both show downward trends over the monitored period (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR)","role":"Operator of the national monitoring programme","contact":"https://www.ocean.org.il/"},{"name":"Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ministry of Energy","role":"Commissioners of the national monitoring programme (ref 2)"}],"public_contact":"IOLR, Haifa (public enquiries via ocean.org.il)","corrective_actions":["Continued high-resolution monitoring is called for by the programme (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The National Monitoring Program of Israel's Mediterranean waters: Scientific Report on Climate Change and Hydrography for 2024 (IOLR Report H/15/2025)","publisher":"Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research","date":"2025-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ocean.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/NMR-Climate-Change-for-2024.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Mediterranean: Warmer, saltier, more acidic, and rising fast: report","publisher":"The Times of Israel","date":"2026-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-mediterranean-warmer-saltier-more-acidic-and-rising-fast-report/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hadera","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadera","basis":"Reference (coordinates of Hadera, an IOLR coastal station)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Times of Israel gives sea-level rise of 4.7 mm a year while the IOLR report gives 5.1 mm a year at Hadera; see the sea-level record."}],"missing_fields":["The IOLR report cover shows only 'July 2025', so the source date is set to the first of that month; the PDF was uploaded in April 2026.","The report is in Hebrew with English abstracts."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-ISRAEL-SEALEVEL-2025","OC-MED-BASIN-ACIDIFICATION-2022"]},{"id":"OC-MED-ISRAEL-SEALEVEL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sea level at Israel's Hadera station rose about 15 cm from 1992 to 2024, faster than the global average","description":"Israel's national monitoring programme reported that sea level at Hadera rose about 5.1 mm a year from 1992 to 2024, a total of about 15 cm, above the global 3.4 mm a year, and about 11 mm a year over the last decade. The report cautions that a decade is too short to infer a rate.","location":{"name":"Hadera tide station, Israeli coast","type":"Coastal tide-gauge station","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IL"],"detail":"Hadera, central Israeli Mediterranean coast","coordinates":{"lat":32.45,"lon":34.9167,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Regional sea-level rise is a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Eastern Mediterranean Transient","Warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Hadera record shows about 15 cm of rise from 1992 to 2024; no flood damage is cited, so harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither source reports a coastal closure or restriction linked to sea-level rise (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single tide station is used to describe the Israeli coast, a national-coastline extent (ref 1).","duration":"The record spans 1992 to 2024, with about 11 mm a year in the last decade, so the trend is a multi-decade one (ref 1).","significance":"The data come from an official national monitoring report for government ministries (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"From 1992 to 2024 sea level at Hadera rose about 5.1 mm a year, around 15 cm in total, above the global average of 3.4 mm a year (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea-level rise rate at Hadera 1992-2024","value":5.1,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Global 3.4 mm a year over 1993-2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cumulative rise 1992-2024","value":15,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Hadera station (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rate over the last decade","value":11,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Authors caution one decade is short to infer rates (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic figure in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Last-decade rate of about 11 mm a year exceeds the 1992-2024 average (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR)","role":"Operator of the national monitoring programme","contact":"https://www.ocean.org.il/"}],"public_contact":"IOLR, Haifa (public enquiries via ocean.org.il)","corrective_actions":["Continued monitoring under the national programme (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The National Monitoring Program of Israel's Mediterranean waters: Scientific Report on Climate Change and Hydrography for 2024 (IOLR Report H/15/2025)","publisher":"Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research","date":"2025-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ocean.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/NMR-Climate-Change-for-2024.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Mediterranean: Warmer, saltier, more acidic, and rising fast: report","publisher":"The Times of Israel","date":"2026-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-mediterranean-warmer-saltier-more-acidic-and-rising-fast-report/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hadera","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadera","basis":"Reference (coordinates of Hadera)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Times of Israel reports 4.7 mm a year; the IOLR report gives about 5.1 mm a year at Hadera for the same period."}],"missing_fields":["The IOLR cover shows only 'July 2025'; source date set to the first of the month."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-ISRAEL-ACIDIFICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-BASIN-ACIDIFICATION-2022","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mediterranean acidification has lowered pH by 0.055 to 0.157 units since pre-industrial times, with sparse monitoring and no consistent policy","description":"A systematic review in Frontiers in Marine Science found Mediterranean pH has fallen by between 0.055 and 0.157 units since pre-industrial times, a wider range than the Atlantic and global ocean, with the Algero-Provencal and Ionian sub-basins least studied. A 2025 GEOMAR-led meta-analysis states the sea is warming faster and acidifying more strongly than the open ocean.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean Sea (basin-wide)","type":"Regional sea","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","MC","IT","MT","SI","HR","BA","ME","AL","GR","TR","CY","SY","LB","IL","PS","EG","LY","TN","DZ","MA"],"detail":"All Mediterranean coastal states; strongest changes in the eastern basin","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Seawater carbonate chemistry is a physical-chemical condition of the sea.","secondary_drivers":["CO2 uptake","Warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The review reports pH declines of 0.055 to 0.157 units but documents no specific die-off; it flags calcifiers such as pteropods and sponges as poorly studied, so harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources reports a fishery, farm or beach restriction caused by acidification (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The review covers the whole Mediterranean, with projected end-century surface pH changes of -0.25 to -0.28 under high emissions (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The decline runs from pre-industrial times, with yearly rates of -0.001 to -0.009 pH units, a chronic trend (ref 1).","significance":"The review says there is a lack of consistent OA policies in the Mediterranean and only 30% of respondents submit data to the IOC-UNESCO SDG 14.3.1 process; no regulatory notice exists (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Since pre-industrial times the acidification trend has varied between -0.055 and -0.157 pH units, a wider range of acidification rates than in the Atlantic or the global ocean (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"pH decline since pre-industrial times (lower bound)","value":-0.055,"unit":"pH units","status":"Reported","note":"Range -0.055 to -0.157 by water mass (ref 1)."},{"name":"pH decline since pre-industrial times (upper bound)","value":-0.157,"unit":"pH units","status":"Reported","note":"Frontiers in Marine Science review, 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected end-century surface pH change, high emissions","value":-0.25,"unit":"pH units","status":"Estimated","note":"Review gives -0.25 to -0.28; Reale et al. model gives about -0.25 under RCP8.5 (refs 1, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The review notes socio-economic studies of acidification in the Mediterranean are scarce (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Models project further decline, faster in the eastern basin (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNEP/MAP (Barcelona Convention Secretariat)","role":"Regional sea convention; no consistent acidification policy per ref 1","contact":"https://www.unep.org/unepmap/resources/med-qsr-2023"}],"public_contact":"UNEP/MAP Secretariat (public enquiries)","corrective_actions":["The review proposes gap-filling under the UN Ocean Decade; no adopted measure is cited (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ocean acidification research in the Mediterranean Sea: Status, trends and next steps","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Hassoun et al.)","date":"2022-09-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.892670/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed review"},{"ref":2,"title":"What climate change means for the Mediterranean Sea","publisher":"GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel","date":"2025-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.geomar.de/en/news/article/what-climate-change-means-for-the-mediterranean-sea","basis":"Research institute press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Acidification, deoxygenation, and nutrient and biomass declines in a warming Mediterranean Sea","publisher":"Biogeosciences (Reale et al.)","date":"2022-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/4035/2022/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Rate estimates differ by method: -0.001 to -0.009 pH units a year in observations, about -0.0006 to -0.0012 a year in a 30-year model reanalysis (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["The GEOMAR release gives no quantitative acidification figure; the Scientific Reports paper was not opened.","The review was published in 2022, before the window; the trend remains unresolved and was restated in 2025."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-ISRAEL-ACIDIFICATION-2025","OC-MED-WMED-DEOXYGENATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-WMED-DEOXYGENATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Deep oxygen in the western Mediterranean's Algerian Basin is falling as deep convection weakens, a 2025 dataset shows","description":"A 2025 Earth System Science Data paper by CNR-ISMAR and partners assembled over 1,000 oxygen profiles from 2004 to 2023 for the western Mediterranean, calling reliable oxygen data scarce. It reports deep oxygen in the Algerian Basin about 4 to 5 umol per kg lower in 2018-2022 than before, linked to reduced deep convection, and an oxygen minimum strengthening at intermediate depth.","location":{"name":"Western Mediterranean (Algerian Basin)","type":"Deep basin","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","IT","DZ","TN","MA"],"detail":"Algerian Basin and Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Declining dissolved oxygen is a physical-chemical change in the water column.","secondary_drivers":["Warming","Weaker deep convection"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Deep oxygen in the Algerian Basin was 4-5 umol per kg lower in 2018-2022 cruises than in earlier years; no biological harm is documented, so harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The paper reports no fishery or other restriction connected with the oxygen decline (ref 1).","scale":"The data cover the western Mediterranean basin, and projections show a uniform decline across the whole sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The oxygen dataset spans 2004 to 2023 and deep convection has declined since about 2005 (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are peer-reviewed papers; no official advisory or policy action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In the Algerian Basin, deep oxygen in 2018-2022 cruises was about 4-5 umol per kg lower than in earlier years, which the authors attribute to reduced deep convection (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Deep oxygen decline, Algerian Basin 2018-2022 vs earlier","value":4.5,"unit":"umol per kg","status":"Estimated","note":"Midpoint of the 4-5 range reported in the text (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oxygen profiles in the CTD-O2WMED dataset","value":1000,"unit":"profiles (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Mostly Italian cruises 2004-2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected upper-layer oxygen fall, RCP8.5","value":15,"unit":"mmol per m3","status":"Estimated","note":"About three times the RCP4.5 decline (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic figures in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Deep-layer ventilation has weakened since about 2005 and deep oxygen fell in 2018-2022 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CNR-ISMAR (Italian National Research Council)","role":"Lead institute for the oxygen dataset (ref 1)"}],"public_contact":"CNR-ISMAR public enquiries","corrective_actions":["The dataset is intended to support deoxygenation monitoring and Biogeochemical-Argo benchmarking (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A consistent regional dataset of dissolved oxygen in the western Mediterranean Sea (2004-2023): CTD-O2WMED","publisher":"Earth System Science Data (Belgacem et al.)","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/5315/2025/","basis":"Peer-reviewed data paper"},{"ref":2,"title":"Acidification, deoxygenation, and nutrient and biomass declines in a warming Mediterranean Sea","publisher":"Biogeosciences (Reale et al.)","date":"2022-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/4035/2022/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Algerian Basin figures are quoted from the paper's main text, which cites prior literature and cruises; the underlying cruise reports were not opened.","The Tyrrhenian deep waters were comparatively stable in the same paper."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-BASIN-ACIDIFICATION-2022","OC-MED-ISRAEL-ACIDIFICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDWIDE-POSIDONIA-ANCHORING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Boat anchoring put over 50,000 hectares of Posidonia seagrass at risk across the Mediterranean in 2024, WWF reports","description":"WWF's 2025 report, built on 2024 vessel-tracking (AIS) data, estimates that more than 50,000 hectares of Posidonia oceanica meadows were potentially hit by anchoring and that over 179,000 boats may have anchored on them. Italy ranks first for impacts, followed by Spain and Turkey, with Greece and France also named as hotspots. A 2025 cross-border journalism investigation found that regulations exist in Spain, France and Italy but patrols are limited and violations often go unpunished.","location":{"name":"Posidonia meadows, Mediterranean coasts","type":"Seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT","ES","TR","GR","FR"],"detail":"Basin-wide AIS analysis; named hotspots include Golfo Aranci (Sardinia, Italy) and the coasts of Spain, Turkey, Greece and France.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Physical damage to a habitat-forming seagrass from anchors and chains.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational boating and tourism","Weak enforcement of anchoring rules"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"WWF describes the 50,000+ hectares as potentially affected in 2024, an AIS-based estimate rather than a surveyed loss, with scars that can take more than 100 years to heal (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or disruption is reported; the WWF figure of over 4 billion euros a year is a valuation of lost ecosystem services, not a livelihood loss (ref 1).","scale":"The analysis covers the whole Mediterranean basin, with Italy, Spain and Turkey ranked highest and Greece and France named as hotspots (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Impacts concentrate every May to September, when boat traffic can rise up to fourfold at Golfo Aranci, and the damage is described as lasting a century (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are an NGO report and a journalism investigation; no agency notice or enforcement action is cited, and the investigation says violations often go unpunished (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Estimated","text":"More than 50,000 hectares of Posidonia potentially affected by anchoring in 2024 (WWF estimate from AIS data)."},"measures":[{"name":"Seagrass area potentially affected by anchoring, 2024","value":50000,"unit":"hectares","status":"Estimated","note":"WWF estimate from AIS vessel-tracking data, as reported by Mondo Balneare and GreenMe (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Boats that may have anchored on seagrass, 2024","value":179000,"unit":"vessels","status":"Estimated","note":"About 45% were over 24 m and large vessels caused nearly 60% of the impacted area (ref 1)."},{"name":"Anchorings at Golfo Aranci, mostly May to September","value":13000,"unit":"anchorings","status":"Reported","note":"Over 13,000 per ref 1; ref 2 gives the same figure for Golfo Aranci and La Maddalena together."},{"name":"Estimated annual value of lost ecosystem services","value":4,"unit":"billion EUR per year","status":"Estimated","note":"WWF valuation, more than 4 billion euros per year (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["WWF values the lost ecosystem services at more than 4 billion euros a year (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One-year AIS snapshot (2024); no earlier comparable series in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National maritime and environment authorities of Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece and France","role":"Anchoring regulation and enforcement"},{"name":"WWF (report author)","role":"Source of the analysis; recommends a national anchoring ban for boats over 15 m","contact":"https://www.wwf.eu"}],"public_contact":"No single public channel; each national maritime authority handles anchoring rules.","corrective_actions":["WWF calls for a ban on anchoring by boats over 15 m in Posidonia areas, more eco-moorings, boater education and stronger MPA protection (refs 1, 2).","Areas with strict anchoring rules, such as southern France, show much lower impact rates (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Posidonia, WWF anchoring report launched for World Oceans Day (Italian trade press)","publisher":"Mondo Balneare","date":"2025-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mondobalneare.com/?p=140878","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Giornata mondiale degli oceani: cosa sta davvero minacciando il respiro del nostro Pianeta","publisher":"GreenMe","date":"2025-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenme.it/?p=1236070","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Posidonia oceanica under siege by tourism","publisher":"Journalismfund Europe (Environmental Journalism grant ENV1/2025/733)","date":"2025-10-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.journalismfund.eu/posidonia-oceanica-under-siege-tourism","basis":"Investigative journalism project page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The WWF full report and summary PDFs on wwfeu.awsassets.panda.org returned HTTP 403 and were not opened; figures come from two Italian press reports of the launch."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-NWMED-GORGONIAN-HEATWAVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated marine heatwaves kill red gorgonian forests at the Medes Islands and Portofino","description":"A University of Barcelona study found the 2022 heatwave affected about 70% of Paramuricea clavata colonies in the Medes Islands area, after heatwaves in 2016 to 2022 caused repeated mortality. Greenpeace Italy's Mare Caldo monitoring recorded severe impact on 94% of P. clavata colonies at 25 m in Portofino in 2024, and bleaching of the coral Cladocora caespitosa at Tavolara and Ventotene.","location":{"name":"Medes Islands (ES) and Portofino (IT) gorgonian forests","type":"Coralligenous gorgonian forest","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","IT","FR"],"detail":"North-western Mediterranean: Catalonia (Medes Islands marine reserve), Liguria (Portofino), Sardinia and the Calanques near Marseille in 2022 context.","coordinates":{"lat":42.05,"lon":3.22083,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":44.30389,"lon":9.20778,"precision":"city","role":"Portofino survey area (Greenpeace Italy Mare Caldo)","source_ref":5}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat-forming octocorals of the coralligenous are being lost to thermal stress.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Mucilage cover on colonies"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"About 70% of colonies were affected in 2022 with almost 40% of surface area, and 94% of colonies at 25 m in Portofino showed severe impact in 2024 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"None of the opened sources documents lost income from the gorgonian die-off; the 2022 mussel-farm losses in ref 3 relate to a different resource.","scale":"Impacts are reported on Spanish, Italian and French coasts, in the western basin rather than the whole Mediterranean (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Mortality was highest in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 and Greenpeace Italy recorded further impact in 2024, so the pressure is recurrent (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The evidence is peer-reviewed research and an NGO monitoring programme; no agency notice or enforcement is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 70% of Paramuricea clavata colonies affected in the Medes Islands area by the 50-day 2022 heatwave; 94% of colonies at 25 m severely impacted at Portofino in 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Colonies affected, Medes Islands, 2022 heatwave","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Journal of Animal Ecology study (Rovira et al.), 2022 heatwave (ref 1)."},{"name":"Colonies severely affected at 25 m, Portofino, 2024","value":94,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace Italy Mare Caldo, Paramuricea clavata (ref 2)."},{"name":"Red gorgonians dead at 10 to 20 m off Marseille, 2022","value":null,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as between 70% and 90% (Septentrion Environnement surveys) in 2022 context article (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Mortality in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 at Medes (ref 1) and severe impact in 2024 at Portofino (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Medes Islands marine reserve management (Catalonia)","role":"Marine reserve manager"},{"name":"Greenpeace Italy with University of Genoa (Distav) and OGS","role":"Mare Caldo monitoring programme"}],"public_contact":"No single public channel in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Greenpeace Italy argues for more protected sea surface and for cutting greenhouse gas emissions (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Marine heatwaves devastate red gorgonians in the Medes Islands","publisher":"Phys.org (Journal of Animal Ecology, 2024)","date":"2024-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://phys.org/news/2024-06-marine-devastate-red-gorgonians-medes.html","basis":"News on peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Mediterranean is boiling: record temperatures in 2024, 14 heat waves in Asinara","publisher":"L'Unione Sarda","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unionesarda.it/en/sardinia/the-mediterranean-is-boiling-record-temperatures-in-2024-14-heat-waves-in-asinara-y7y24wh4","basis":"News (reporting Greenpeace Italy Mare Caldo)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Underwater heat inferno ravages Mediterranean corals","publisher":"WION","date":"2022-11-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wionews.com/science/underwater-heat-inferno-ravages-mediterranean-corals-520460/amp","basis":"News (2022 context)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Medes Islands (coordinates and marine reserve status)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medes_Islands","basis":"Reference page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Portofino (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portofino","basis":"Reference page"},{"ref":6,"title":"Marine heatwaves drive recurrent mass mortalities in the Mediterranean Sea","publisher":"CEAB-CSIC","date":"2022-07-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ceab.csic.es/en/?p=9521","basis":"Research institute news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"merge","values":["Repeated marine heatwaves kill red gorgonian forests at the Medes Islands and Portofino","2022 marine heatwave hit about 70% of red gorgonian colonies at the Medes Islands reserve, with very slow recovery"],"note":"Merged with the climate-group record on the 2022 Medes Islands heatwave (University of Barcelona / CEAB study)."}],"missing_fields":["The Journal of Animal Ecology paper and the Greenpeace Italy Mare Caldo report were not opened directly; figures come from the news reports of them.","The Journal of Animal Ecology paper (doi 10.1111/1365-2656.14112) was not opened; facts come from the Phys.org release of the University of Barcelona.","The heatwave itself occurred in 2022, before the research window; the study was published in 2024 and reports unresolved recovery."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-ITALY-GORGONIANS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDWIDE-PINNA-NOBILIS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fan mussel Pinna nobilis pushed to ecological extinction in open Mediterranean waters by parasite-linked mass mortality","description":"A die-off that began in late 2016 and is mainly linked to the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae has spread across all Mediterranean basins, with mortality up to 100% in affected populations. A 2025 review and the EU LIFE PINNA CARE project describe survivors confined mostly to coastal lagoons and deltas; a 2026 study confirmed the parasite in the southern Sea of Marmara from a November 2024 sample.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean fan mussel populations","type":"Marine species range (bivalve, Critically Endangered)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","IT","GR","HR","TR","DZ","TN","BA"],"detail":"Surviving refuges named in the sources include the Ebro Delta, Thau Lagoon, Venice Lagoon, Kalloni Gulf (Lesbos), Amvrakikos Gulf, Bizerte Lagoon and Marmara Island.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease-driven collapse of a protected habitat-forming bivalve.","secondary_drivers":["Haplosporidium pinnae infection","High sea temperatures (suspected co-factor)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Mortality has reached up to 100% in affected populations since 2016 and the species is ecologically extinct in open waters (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or coastal-economy disruption is described in the opened sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The die-off began in Spain in 2016 and spread to France, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece and Turkey, reaching all Mediterranean basins (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The mortality has run since late 2016, and a sample from 23 November 2024 confirmed the parasite in new Marmara waters (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The IUCN lists the species as Critically Endangered and the EU funds a LIFE project of 3.93 million euros to prevent extinction (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mortality up to 100% in affected populations since 2016; surviving populations mostly in coastal lagoons and deltas (EU LIFE PINNA CARE)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fan mussels dead among 14,589 recorded at 258 Greek sites, 2019 to 2020","value":81.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Zotou et al. (2020) as summarised by the Archipelago Institute (ref 4)."},{"name":"Estimated live population, inner Kalloni Gulf (Lesbos)","value":684000,"unit":"individuals","status":"Estimated","note":"95% CI 322,000 to 1,453,000; likely the largest surviving population in the eastern Mediterranean (ref 4)."},{"name":"LIFE PINNA CARE eligible budget","value":3926002,"unit":"EUR","status":"Reported","note":"EU contribution 2,355,601 EUR, 1 Oct 2025 to 30 Nov 2029 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Parasite confirmed in a new area (southern Marmara) from a November 2024 sample and some refuge populations had disappeared by 2023 (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"LIFE PINNA CARE consortium (coordinator: Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir)","role":"EU-funded conservation and restoration project, 32 Natura 2000 sites","contact":"https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/project/LIFE24-NAT-ES-PINNACARE-101216239/pinna-nobilis-conservation-and-restoration"},{"name":"National nature protection authorities of the range states","role":"Species protection"}],"public_contact":"Project page on the EU LIFE public website.","corrective_actions":["EU LIFE PINNA CARE (October 2025 to November 2029) targets prevention of extinction across partners in Spain, Croatia, Germany, France, Greece and Italy (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pinna nobilis, the Vanishing Giant: A Comprehensive Review on the Decline of a Mediterranean Icon","publisher":"Animals (MDPI), University of Sassari authors","date":"2025-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12291802/","basis":"Peer-reviewed review"},{"ref":2,"title":"LIFE PINNA CARE: Pinna nobilis conservation and restoration","publisher":"European Commission LIFE programme","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/project/LIFE24-NAT-ES-PINNACARE-101216239/pinna-nobilis-conservation-and-restoration","basis":"EU programme page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Haplosporidium pinnae infection confirmed in Pinna nobilis populations in the Sea of Marmara","publisher":"Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 166 (listing: Istanbul University)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://avesis.istanbul.edu.tr/yayin/1659fc71-6a2b-419a-a7a3-f231c15fd6be/haplosporidium-pinnae-infection-confirmed-in-pinna-nobilis-populations-in-the-sea-of-marmara","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (listing shows year 2026 only)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pinna nobilis in the Greek seas (NE Mediterranean): on the brink of extinction?","publisher":"Archipelago Institute","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://archipelago.gr/pinna-nobilis-in-the-greek-seas-ne-mediterranean-on-the-brink-of-extinction/","basis":"Research summary (2020 study)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The page for ref 4 shows no date and summarises a 2020 study; it is used for Greek context only."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MARMENOR-SEAGRASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mar Menor lagoon seagrass still dominated by Caulerpa, with first limited recovery since the 2016 collapse","description":"The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) report Mapping of the Mar Menor's Seagrass Meadows 2024, released 11 December 2025, finds the alga Caulerpa prolifera on about 86% of the lagoon bed and about 711 hectares unvegetated in the central-western lagoon. Cymodocea nodosa covers about 14.5% and has regained 175 hectares since 2022, but full recovery could take over a decade and only if nutrients are cut.","location":{"name":"Mar Menor coastal lagoon","type":"Coastal lagoon seagrass meadows","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Region of Murcia, south-east Spain; Ramsar-listed coastal lagoon separated from the Mediterranean by La Manga.","coordinates":{"lat":37.76667,"lon":-0.83333,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss and slow recovery of a lagoon's seagrass habitat after eutrophication.","secondary_drivers":["Nutrient enrichment","Turbidity","Whiting (calcium carbonate precipitation)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2016 collapse destroyed about 85% of the lagoon's underwater vegetation and about 711 hectares remain unvegetated (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The opened reports on the 2024 seagrass mapping describe no closure or income loss.","scale":"One lagoon of about 135 square kilometres in the Region of Murcia (ref 3).","duration":"The vegetation crisis dates from 2016 and the IEO monitoring series started in 2014, with recovery projected to take more than ten years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The IEO-CSIC published a formal monitoring report on 11 December 2025; the lagoon is a Ramsar site and has legal personhood under a 2022 Spanish law (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Caulerpa prolifera covers about 86% of the seabed; Cymodocea nodosa about 14.5%, up 175 hectares since 2022."},"measures":[{"name":"Seabed covered by Caulerpa prolifera, 2024 mapping","value":86,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Slightly less than in 2022 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Seabed covered by Cymodocea nodosa","value":14.5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Gained 175 hectares since 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Unvegetated area linked to the whiting phenomenon, central-western lagoon","value":711,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"IEO-CSIC report as relayed by refs 1 and 2."},{"name":"Ruppia cirrhosa cover","value":32.5,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 3 hectares over 2017 to 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Annual expansion rate of Cymodocea nodosa, 2024","value":7.08,"unit":"% per year","status":"Reported","note":"Full recovery could exceed ten years (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"First signs of recovery in two native seagrasses since 2022, still limited and dependent on nutrient cuts (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, BELICH project","role":"Monitoring and mapping","contact":"https://www.ieo.es"}],"public_contact":"IEO-CSIC press office via the institute website.","corrective_actions":["The IEO report says sustained nutrient reduction could speed up recovery (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mar Menor begins showing early signs of recovery","publisher":"Murcia Today","date":"2025-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://m.murciatoday.com/mar-menor-begins-showing-early-signs-of-recovery_1000251245-a.html","basis":"News on IEO-CSIC report"},{"ref":2,"title":"El Mar Menor lucha por revivir: la vegetación marina da sus primeros signos tras el colapso ecológico","publisher":"ECOticias","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ecoticias.com/naturaleza/mar-menor-recuperacion-vegetacion-marina-informe-ieo-2024","basis":"News (Spanish) on IEO-CSIC report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mar Menor (coordinates, area, Ramsar and legal status)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Menor","basis":"Reference page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The IEO-CSIC press release PDF returned HTTP 404 and was not opened; figures come from two news reports of it (the second in Spanish)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-PELAGOS-FINWHALE-SHIPSTRIKE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fin whale found alive with deep propeller wounds in the Pelagos Sanctuary in August 2025","description":"On 13 August 2025 passengers on a whale-watching boat saw a fin whale with multiple deep gashes across its back off Andora, western Liguria, inside the Pelagos Sanctuary. The animal, named Stripes by Tethys, was alive and the injuries were consistent with a recent propeller strike; Italian Coast Guards were alerted. OceanCare and Tethys say collision risk rises with speed, especially above 10 knots, and detected strikes are only a subset.","location":{"name":"Off Andora, Liguria (Pelagos Sanctuary)","type":"Marine mammal sanctuary (cetacean habitat)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT"],"detail":"Western Liguria, within the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Vessel collisions injure and kill an endangered whale population.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel collisions","Heavy shipping traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"One live fin whale with multiple deep gashes and exposed fat was documented on 13 August 2025; its fate is not reported (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No disruption is reported; the whale was found by a whale-watching boat (ref 1).","scale":"The sanctuary overlaps some of the world's busiest shipping routes and the NW Mediterranean is recognised by the IMO as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (ref 1).","duration":"Ship strikes are described as a chronic threat, citing a fin whale that lost its tail and died after about a year and ACCOBAMS speed resolutions of 2019 and 2022 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The Mediterranean fin whale is listed as endangered by the IUCN and ACCOBAMS Resolutions 7.12 and 8.18 call for speed reduction, but no sanction applies to this event (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"One fin whale seen alive with multiple deep propeller-type wounds on 13 August 2025 within the Pelagos Sanctuary."},"measures":[{"name":"Injured fin whale observed, Andora, 13 August 2025","value":1,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"OceanCare, 19 August 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single incident; no strike count series in the opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Italian Coast Guard","role":"Alerted to the injured whale and monitored the animal (ref 1)"},{"name":"ACCOBAMS Parties","role":"Resolutions on vessel speed reduction","contact":"https://www.accobams.org"}],"public_contact":"Italian Coast Guard emergency channel; Tethys Research Institute and OceanCare publish reporting contacts.","corrective_actions":["OceanCare calls for mandatory speed reduction across the wider region; reducing speed is presented as the main protective measure because rerouting fin whales is not considered feasible (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ship strikes in the Pelagos Sanctuary","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2025-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/ship-strikes-pelagos-sanctuary/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Stripes: one more whale injured by a propeller in the Pelagos Sanctuary","publisher":"Tethys Research Institute","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://whalesanddolphins.tethys.org/?p=30053","basis":"Research institute news (page undated; images dated August 2025)"},{"ref":3,"title":"ACCOBAMS MOP9 side event on protecting large whales from vessel strikes","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2025-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/accobams-mop9/","basis":"NGO report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The whale's later fate and any collision vessel were not reported in the opened sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-HELLENICTRENCH-SPERMWHALE-SHIPSTRIKE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ship strikes threaten the fewer than 200 eastern Mediterranean sperm whales on the Hellenic Trench","description":"OceanCare reported in August 2024 that fewer than 200 endangered sperm whales remain in the eastern Mediterranean, mostly on the Hellenic Trench, and that over half of stranded whales examined there died from ship collisions. IFAW cited 13 of 24 strandings on the Greek coast between 1992 and 2016 with clear ship-strike evidence. Greek-owned Arcadia Shipmanagement voluntarily rerouted its ships away from the trench in 2024.","location":{"name":"Hellenic Trench (Greek waters)","type":"Deep-sea cetacean habitat (sperm whale subpopulation)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR"],"detail":"Western and southern Greece; the Strait of Kythira is a target site for a whale detection and alert system.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Collisions with large ships kill an endangered cetacean subpopulation.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel collisions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Scientific studies attribute the deaths of over 50% of stranded whales in the area to ship collisions, and about 20 more strikes may go undetected per recorded one (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The only shipping change is a voluntary rerouting by one company; no restriction or route closure is reported (ref 1).","scale":"The eastern Mediterranean subpopulation is concentrated along the Greek trench, a national-coastline scale issue (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The cited strandings span 1992 to 2016 and rerouting and detection-system efforts were still being promoted in November 2025 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Industry and ACCOBAMS side-event measures are voluntary or advisory; IFAW said in 2020 Greek authorities were preparing an IMO proposal, with no adopted measure in the sources (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Over 50% of stranded sperm whales examined in the Hellenic Trench area died from ship collisions; fewer than 200 whales remain in the eastern Mediterranean population."},"measures":[{"name":"Stranded sperm whales with clear ship-strike evidence, Greece, 1992 to 2016","value":13,"unit":"of 24 strandings","status":"Reported","note":"IFAW, January 2020 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Eastern Mediterranean sperm whale subpopulation","value":200,"unit":"whales (fewer than)","status":"Estimated","note":"OceanCare 2024 (ref 1); IFAW gave 200 to 300 in 2020 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No strike series over the research window in the opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hellenic authorities and shipping operators on the Hellenic Trench routes","role":"Routing and speed measures"},{"name":"ACCOBAMS Parties","role":"Vessel-strike resolutions","contact":"https://www.accobams.org"}],"public_contact":"OceanCare and IFAW publish contact channels; no Greek agency channel was cited.","corrective_actions":["Arcadia Shipmanagement changed procedures to avoid the Hellenic Trench in August 2024 (ref 1).","SAvE Whales detection system for the Strait of Kythira and ShiPrint workshops with the shipping industry (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Greek shipping company reroutes away from Hellenic Trench sperm whales","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2024-08-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/greek-shipping-whales/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sperm whales and ship strikes in Greece","publisher":"IFAW","date":"2020-01-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ifaw.org/international/people/opinions/sperm-whales-ship-strikes-greece","basis":"NGO opinion piece (context)"},{"ref":3,"title":"ACCOBAMS MOP9 side event on protecting large whales from vessel strikes","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2025-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/accobams-mop9/","basis":"NGO report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"population","note":"OceanCare (2024) says fewer than 200 sperm whales; IFAW (2020) says 200 to 300."}],"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2025 strike incident in Greek waters was found in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-PELAGOS-FINWHALE-SHIPSTRIKE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-SPAIN-DOLPHIN-MORBILLIVIRUS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"New dolphin morbillivirus epizootic kills striped dolphins on the Spanish Mediterranean coast","description":"A note in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms reports that five stranded striped dolphins were diagnosed with systemic dolphin morbillivirus infection in the Spanish Mediterranean between August and November 2025. Four died of the infection and one of cranial trauma; the authors say mortality is still ongoing as of June 2026. The viral genome is about 1% distant from strains of previous Mediterranean epizootics.","location":{"name":"Spanish Mediterranean coast","type":"Marine mammal stranding area (striped dolphin)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Stranding sites in the Spanish Mediterranean; the author announcement does not name individual sites.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Viral disease causing mortality in a dolphin species.","secondary_drivers":["Dolphin morbillivirus"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Five stranded dolphins were infected and four died of the infection; this is a small documented case series, not a counted mass mortality (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery, beach or tourism effect is mentioned (ref 1).","scale":"Strandings are reported across the Spanish Mediterranean rather than a single bay, with the authors suspecting contact with infected dolphins from other Mediterranean areas or a new Atlantic incursion (ref 1).","duration":"Cases span August to November 2025 and one more acute case died about two weeks before the 5 June 2026 announcement, so mortality continued for months (ref 1).","significance":"The evidence is a peer-reviewed note announced by an author; no agency notice or order is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"5 stranded striped dolphins diagnosed with systemic DMV infection in August to November 2025; 4 died of the infection."},"measures":[{"name":"Stranded striped dolphins diagnosed with systemic DMV, Aug to Nov 2025","value":5,"unit":"dolphins","status":"Reported","note":"4 died of morbillivirus, 1 of cranial trauma and tension pneumothorax (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"First report of this circulation; authors say mortality is ongoing (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Spanish marine mammal stranding networks and veterinary pathology laboratories","role":"Stranding response and diagnosis"}],"public_contact":"No public channel in the cited source.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"New publication: Novel dolphin morbillivirus epizootic in stranded striped dolphins in the western Mediterranean Sea, 2025","publisher":"MARMAM mailing list (post by Laura Martino announcing the Diseases of Aquatic Organisms note)","date":"2026-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://devlists.uvic.ca/archives/list/marmam@devlists.uvic.ca/thread/QT2LEZGER5VBKFEPA4U6CMSPRAMBOOIV/","basis":"Author announcement with abstract"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The journal page (int-res.com, dao03918) returned HTTP 401 and was not opened; the facts come from the abstract posted by the author.","Stranding locations and the authors' institution are not named in the announcement.","No second independent source (news or stranding-network report) was found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-AEGEAN-JELLYFISH-BLOOM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Purple jellyfish swarms prompt swimmer warnings in the Pagasetic Gulf, northern Evia and the Sporades","description":"In June and July 2025 Greek media reported a surge of the venomous jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca concentrated in the Pagasetic Gulf and spreading to northern Evia and the Northern Sporades. The Hellenic Biodiversity Monitoring Centre said its initial projections underestimated the extent and speed, and the National Public Health Organization (EODY) issued first-aid advice. Stings are painful but not typically life-threatening.","location":{"name":"Pagasetic Gulf, N. Evia and the Sporades","type":"Coastal waters and beaches (jellyfish bloom area)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR"],"detail":"Central Greece, western Aegean: Pagasetic Gulf, Chalkida and northern Evia Gulf, Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Jellyfish bloom affecting coastal waters and bathers.","secondary_drivers":["Seasonal jellyfish bloom"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Stings are very painful with possible anaphylaxis in sensitive people but are not typically life-threatening (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Officials advised beachgoers to avoid contact with the jellyfish at tourist beaches (ref 1).","scale":"Besides the Greek gulfs, ref 2 says Spain, France, Italy and parts of the Adriatic are also seeing spikes.","duration":"The 2025 season is described as resembling the 2020 to 2023 Mediterranean outbreaks, so the pattern recurs (ref 2).","significance":"EODY issued a formal advice list on first aid and when to seek care (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Swarms concentrated in the Pagasetic Gulf and spreading to northern Evia and the Sporades, with the monitoring centre admitting it underestimated extent and speed."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Beach tourism areas such as Skiathos, Skopelos and northern Evia are named as affected (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Seasonal swarms recurring since 2020 to 2023 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hellenic Biodiversity Monitoring Centre / Network","role":"Tracks jellyfish concentrations and takes public sightings"},{"name":"National Public Health Organization (EODY)","role":"Public health advice on stings"}],"public_contact":"Public sightings are reported to online biodiversity trackers (ref 1).","corrective_actions":["Public reporting of sightings and EODY first-aid advice: rinse with seawater, remove tentacles without bare hands, seek care for swelling, breathing difficulty or fainting (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Venomous jellyfish swarm Greek tourist hotspots","publisher":"iefimerida","date":"2025-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iefimerida.gr/english/venomous-jellyfish-swarm-greek-tourist-hotspots","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Jellyfish surge in Greece: which beaches to look out for, what to do if stung","publisher":"To Vima","date":"2025-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tovima.com/society/jellyfish-surge-in-greece-which-beaches-to-look-out-for-what-to-do-if-stung/amp/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No jellyfish counts or beach-closure counts are given; the cause of the 2025 surge is not stated in the sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-CYPRUS-LIONFISH-TOADFISH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lionfish and silver-cheeked toadfish are established around Cyprus, damaging gear and driving a subsidised removal scheme","description":"Cyprus Mail reporting based on the Fisheries Department says almost 145 tonnes of toxic silver-cheeked toadfish were landed in two years under a scheme running to 2029, and that lionfish are firmly established, with larger specimens increasingly common at depth. The toadfish destroys fishing gear and nets, and officials say complete elimination from Cypriot waters remains unlikely. More than 492 tonnes of invasive species were removed between 2012 and 2024.","location":{"name":"Cypriot waters (Cape Greco lionfish hotspot)","type":"National waters, invasive alien species","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CY"],"detail":"Lionfish concentrate on the warmer eastern side around Cape Greco (marine protected area since 2018); toadfish are present across much of Cyprus's coastal waters.","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":34.01667,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Invasive predators and a toxic species damage native fauna and coastal fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive alien species via the Suez Canal"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Lionfish prey on native fish and other organisms, raising ecosystem concern, but no quantified ecological loss is given (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The toadfish damages fishing gear and nets and affects coastal catches, hence a payment scheme of 4.73 euros per kg to about 150 fishermen (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The problem covers Cyprus's national waters, with over 200 alien marine species recorded and the toadfish newly appearing in Greek waters (refs 1, 4).","duration":"The toadfish has been established for about two decades, removal measures date from 2012 and the current scheme runs from June 2024 to 2029 (ref 1).","significance":"An EU-co-funded programme (70% from the European fisheries fund) and an EU-wide ban on sale of the toadfish apply; the lionfish ranked second on the EU invasive species horizon scan (refs 1, 5)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Almost 145 tonnes of silver-cheeked toadfish landed under the scheme since June 2024; over 492 tonnes of invasive species removed from Cypriot seas in 2012 to 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Silver-cheeked toadfish landed under the scheme, June 2024 to August 2026","value":145,"unit":"tonnes (almost)","status":"Reported","note":"103 tonnes reported in June 2026 (ref 3), nearly 145 tonnes in August 2026 (ref 1); 685,000 euros paid."},{"name":"Invasive species removed from Cypriot seas, 2012 to 2024","value":492,"unit":"tonnes (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Fisheries Department via Cyprus News Agency (ref 4)."},{"name":"Alien marine species recorded off Cyprus","value":200,"unit":"species (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 4."},{"name":"Scheme budget to 2029","value":1304000,"unit":"EUR","status":"Reported","note":"70% financed by the European fisheries fund (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Authorities say the toadfish has damaged fishing gear and catches (refs 1, 3).","No scientific census of the toadfish population exists for Cyprus's EEZ (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Lionfish described as established with larger specimens increasingly common (ref 2); toadfish removals climbing but no population estimate (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Cyprus","role":"Runs the toadfish removal scheme and lionfish measures"}],"public_contact":"Department of Fisheries and Marine Research general contact via the Cyprus government portal.","corrective_actions":["Grant scheme paying 4.73 euros per kg of toadfish, running to 2029 (refs 1, 3).","Government subsidised fishing of lionfish and toadfish and a new two-year biodiversity monitoring programme announced (ref 4).","Lionfish consumption promoted (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Nearly 145 tonnes of invasive pufferfish caught in two years","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2026-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/08/21/nearly-145-tonnes-of-invasive-pufferfish-caught-in-two-years","basis":"News (Cyprus News Agency interview with Fisheries Department)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Lionfish consumption urged to tackle invasive species","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2026-07-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/07/16/lionfish-consumption-urged-to-tackle-invasive-species","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"More than 100 tonnes of invasive pufferfish removed from Cypriot waters","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/06/19/more-than-100-tonnes-of-invasive-pufferfish-removed-from-cypriot-waters","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Over 200 alien marine species in waters off Cyprus","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2025-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/04/15/over-200-alien-marine-species-in-waters-off-cyprus","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Preventing lionfish invasion in Cyprus through early response and targeted removal","publisher":"Climate-ADAPT (European Environment Agency)","date":"2021-10-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/metadata/case-studies/preventing-lionfish-invasion-in-cyprus-through-early-response-and-targeted-removal","basis":"Agency case study (context)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Cape Greco (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Greco","basis":"Reference page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The three 2026 Cyprus Mail pages print only day and month in their text; the year is taken from the article URL path."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-PENTAKOMO-PORT-MONKSEAL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Pentakomo fish-farm port in Cyprus halted by court order over monk seal habitat, yet works reportedly continue","description":"In April 2025 Cyprus's administrative court issued an interim order halting construction of a port at Pentakomo, suspending a February 2025 urban planning approval, after a challenge reported as brought by BirdLife Cyprus over harm to the Mediterranean monk seal. BirdLife said in March 2026 that building had continued, coastal rock formations had been removed and no ruling had been issued after a September 2025 hearing. Government departments called a media report on the project flawed.","location":{"name":"Pentakomo port, Limassol District","type":"Coastal development site (port construction)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CY"],"detail":"Limassol District, southern Cyprus; the port would mainly serve fish farms off Moni and Pentakomo.","coordinates":{"lat":34.73833,"lon":33.24167,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A permitted coastal development is contested in court over its impact on a protected species' habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Port construction","Aquaculture expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"BirdLife warns of irreversible damage to monk seal habitat and says crucial coastal rock formations have been removed; the departments dispute the media coverage, so harm is treated as potential (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"The port is meant for the fish-farming sector, and eight aquaculture companies reportedly want to testify for the developer; no income loss is reported (ref 2).","scale":"A single construction site on one coastal stretch of Limassol District (ref 1).","duration":"The dispute runs from the February 2025 approval to at least 31 March 2026 with no final ruling, more than a year (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The administrative court's April 2025 interim order halted works and suspended the planning approval, described as the first such order on environmental grounds in the Republic (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Interim court order of April 2025 suspended construction at Pentakomo port; as of March 2026 no decision on the urgent case."},"measures":[{"name":"Monk seals remaining in Cyprus","value":20,"unit":"seals (as few as)","status":"Reported","note":"BirdLife's figure (ref 1); the agriculture ministry estimates 20 to 22 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Eight aquaculture companies reportedly want to testify in support of the developer (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Case pending since 2025; no final ruling by 31 March 2026 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Administrative Court of Cyprus","role":"Hears the challenge and issued the interim order"},{"name":"Urban planning department, Cyprus","role":"Issued the February 2025 approval that the court suspended"},{"name":"Department of Fisheries and Marine Research / Ministry of Agriculture","role":"Monk seal monitoring and protection"}],"public_contact":"No single public channel in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Interim order suspending construction and the planning decision (April 2025).","Court ordered the case expedited after a September 2025 hearing (ref 3).","Fishing and boat traffic are banned in front of mapped monk seal caves and development on land above them is prohibited (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court orders works to halt at Pentakomo port over seal population","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2025-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/04/15/court-orders-works-to-halt-at-pentakomo-port-over-seal-population","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pentakomo port project would have irreversible environmental impact","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2025-06-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/06/03/pentakomo-port-project-would-have-irreversible-environmental-impact","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Works at Pentakomo could have irreversible effects","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2026-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/03/31/works-at-pentakomo-could-have-irreversible-effects","basis":"News (year taken from the page's image path; text shows only day and month)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Cyprus rare monk seals make a comeback","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2025-03-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/03/21/cyprus-rare-monk-seals-make-a-comeback","basis":"News (agriculture ministry monitoring data)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Pentakomo (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentakomo","basis":"Reference page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"project status","note":"BirdLife Cyprus says construction continued and rock formations were removed; the environment, fisheries and public works departments issued a joint statement calling a media report on the project flawed and citing misinformation (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The court record itself was not opened; BirdLife as the claimant is stated by the article as 'appears to be'."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-CYPRUS-MPAVESSELS-ANCHORING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Satellite analysis finds over 2,000 vessels in three Cyprus marine protected areas, over half with no AIS match","description":"Periopsis, using AI vessel detection on satellite imagery compared with AIS, recorded 2,060 vessels inside the Latsi-Akamas, Cape Greco and Lady's Mile marine protected areas in the summers of 2024 and 2025, 1,114 of them without an AIS match. About 60% of sampled vessels were non-moving, which does not confirm anchoring but flags places where anchors and chains can damage Posidonia seagrass.","location":{"name":"Cape Greco, Latsi-Akamas and Lady's Mile MPAs","type":"Marine protected area (seagrass habitat)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CY"],"detail":"Three Cypriot marine protected areas; Cape Greco on the south-east tip of Cyprus.","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":34.01667,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Possible unmanaged vessel pressure inside protected areas that hold seagrass habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational and commercial vessel traffic","Anchoring"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The analysis flags potential anchor damage to Posidonia but explicitly does not confirm anchoring or damage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is described in the article (ref 1).","scale":"Three MPAs at different parts of Cyprus's coast were analysed (ref 1).","duration":"Detections cover the summers of 2024 and 2025, with August the busiest and July to August 2025 about 17% lower than 2024 (ref 1).","significance":"A satellite lab analysis is not an official notice or violation; the article says unmatched vessels may be legitimate tourism or recreation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for people in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2,060 vessel detections in three Cyprus MPAs over the summers of 2024 and 2025; 1,114 (about 54%) without an AIS match."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessel detections, Latsi-Akamas MPA","value":1026,"unit":"detections","status":"Reported","note":"738 without an AIS match (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessel detections, Cape Greco MPA","value":746,"unit":"detections","status":"Reported","note":"308 without an AIS match (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessel detections, Lady's Mile MPA","value":288,"unit":"detections","status":"Reported","note":"74 without an AIS match (ref 1)."},{"name":"Detections without an AIS match, all three MPAs","value":54,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"1,114 of 2,060 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two summers compared; July to August 2025 detections were about 17% lower than 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cypriot MPA management and enforcement authorities","role":"Protected area enforcement; patrols"},{"name":"Periopsis","role":"Satellite monitoring analysis"}],"public_contact":"No single public channel in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["Periopsis recommends combining satellite monitoring with on-water monitoring and seabed surveys (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"More than 2,000 vessels detected across Cyprus marine protected areas","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2026-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/10/06/more-than-2000-vessels-detected-across-cyprus-marine-protected-areas","basis":"News on satellite analysis by Periopsis"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cape Greco (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Greco","basis":"Reference page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Periopsis analysis itself was not opened; one news article is the only source.","Whether any detected vessel breached MPA rules is not established."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDSEA-OVERFISHED-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Just over half of assessed Mediterranean and Black Sea fish stocks remain overexploited, GFCM report finds","description":"The GFCM's State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2025 report puts the share of overexploited assessed stocks at 52 percent, the lowest in its time series but still far above a sustainable level. Sardine still shows signs of biomass depletion, while fishing mortality and biomass have improved for hake, red mullet and giant red shrimp in several areas.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean and Black Sea stocks (GFCM area)","type":"Regional fish stock assessment","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","IT","GR","TR","HR","MT","CY","EG","LY","TN","DZ","MA"],"detail":"All Mediterranean coastal states; the GFCM assessment also covers the Black Sea, which is outside this record.","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":18,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fishing pressure above sustainable levels depletes wild fish stocks.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing overcapacity","Weak enforcement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The GFCM reports 52 percent of the 120 assessed stocks are overexploited and that most biomass levels remain below target reference points (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Western Mediterranean trawl effort has been cut by regulation and the SoMFi notes small-scale vessels, 81 percent of the fleet, land only 13 percent of catch, so many fleets operate under pressure (ref 3).","scale":"The assessment covers the whole Mediterranean and Black Sea, a regional sea rather than one stock (ref 1).","duration":"The overexploited share is reported as a time series back to 2008 and has been above half through that period, down from 87 percent a decade earlier (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The finding is a formal GFCM and FAO report presented with the European Commission and discussed at the GFCM annual session, a formal assessment rather than an enforcement act (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The percentage of overexploited stocks has dropped to 52 percent, the lowest level recorded in the time series (GFCM SoMFi 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Overexploited share of assessed stocks","value":52,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"GFCM SoMFi 2025, assessments to 2023; down from 87% a decade earlier (ref 1, ref 3)."},{"name":"Stocks assessed","value":120,"unit":"stocks","status":"Reported","note":"Assessments rose from 45 in 2008 to 120 in 2023 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Biomass of assessed commercial species since 2013","value":25,"unit":"% increase","status":"Reported","note":"Most levels remain below target reference points (ref 3)."},{"name":"European hake fishing mortality since 2015","value":-38,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Results vary widely by subregion (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Marine and brackish aquaculture was 940,000 tonnes in 2023, over 45% of regional aquatic food production, as capture fisheries are constrained (ref 2, ref 3).","Small-scale vessels are 81% of the fleet but 13% of landings (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Overexploited share fell from 87% to 52% over a decade, with sardine still depleted (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM, FAO)","role":"Regional fisheries management body","contact":"https://www.fao.org/gfcm"},{"name":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries policy and enforcement","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"GFCM Secretariat (FAO, Rome), general contact via fao.org/gfcm","corrective_actions":["GFCM multiannual management plans, including the Adriatic small pelagic plan and the Western Mediterranean demersal plan (ref 3, ref 2).","Stock assessments grew from 45 in 2008 to 120 in 2023 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mediterranean and Black Sea overfishing hits 10-year low: UN report","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","date":"2025-11-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aa.com.tr/en/environment/mediterranean-black-sea-overfishing-hits-10-year-low-un-report/3756945","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"New report: Mediterranean and Black Sea overfishing drops to decade low","publisher":"Feed and Additive Magazine","date":"2025-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.feedandadditive.com/new-report-mediterranean-black-sea-overfishing-drops-to-decade-low/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2025 (SoMFi)","publisher":"FAO General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fao.org/gfcm/publications/somfi/2025/en","basis":"Agency report page (undated; footer 2026)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Environmental organisations urge the Commission to oppose rollover of Mediterranean fishing limits for 2026","publisher":"Oceana, ClientEarth, MedReAct","date":"2026-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/environmental-organisations-urge-the-commission-to-oppose-rollover-of-mediterranean-fishing-limits-for-2026/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Mediterranean Sea (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea","basis":"Reference gazetteer for sea-centre coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The SoMFi 2025 page shows no publication date; the report was reported as released on 28 November 2025 by Anadolu Agency (ref 1)."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-WESTMED-EFFORT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-WESTMED-EFFORT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"EU ministers roll over 2025 western Mediterranean trawl days as the 2025 deadline to end overfishing is missed","description":"The western Mediterranean multiannual plan required fishing effort to reach sustainable levels by 2025, a deadline Oceana reports was missed. In December 2025 ministers kept the 2025 trawl fishing days for 2026, and the Commission said the effort setting was not in line with the plan. Industry says trawl days have fallen from about 230 a year in 2019 to about 130 in 2026.","location":{"name":"Western Mediterranean demersal stocks (GSAs 1-11)","type":"Fisheries management plan area","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","IT"],"detail":"Spain, France and Italy trawl and longline fleets in the Alboran Sea, Balearic Islands, Gulf of Lion, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian and Sardinian waters.","coordinates":{"lat":42.99638889,"lon":4.00027778,"precision":"sea","source_ref":8},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An effort-limit regime (fishing days and catch limits) governs whether demersal stocks recover.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing overcapacity","Political compromise on effort limits"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Oceana reports 55 percent of assessed western Mediterranean stocks are overfished and fishing mortality is about 1.6 times sustainable levels (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Trawl fishing days fell from about 230 a year in 2019 to an average of 130 in 2026, an industry-reported 44 percent cut with job losses (ref 5).","scale":"The plan area spans Spanish, French and Italian waters across a regional sea sub-basin (ref 1).","duration":"The plan has run since 2019 and entered its permanent phase on 1 January 2025, and the end-overfishing deadline was missed (ref 1, ref 6).","significance":"A Council Regulation fixed 2026 effort and the Commission publicly opposed the agreement as not in line with the multiannual plan (ref 4, ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Total fishing days may not exceed 2025 authorised levels, even after gains from the compensation mechanism (Oceana, 13 December 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Assessed western Mediterranean stocks overfished","value":55,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana statement of stock status, 13 December 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Fishing mortality relative to sustainable level","value":1.6,"unit":"x","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana figure, about 1.6 times higher than sustainable levels (ref 3)."},{"name":"Trawl fishing days per year","value":130,"unit":"days (2026 average)","status":"Reported","note":"Industry figure: about 230 days in 2019 to an average of 130 in 2026 (ref 5)."},{"name":"Trawler subsidies, France, Italy and Spain 2019-2024","value":19238000,"unit":"EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana-commissioned report on COVID relief, compensation for fewer days and fuel support (ref 7)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Oceana report: most western Mediterranean trawlers barely profitable because of overfishing (ref 7).","Spanish industry says the reductions caused significant job losses (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Scientific data show recovering biomass and falling mortality in places, but most demersal stocks remain overfished (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries policy and enforcement","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"Council of the European Union (Agriculture and Fisheries Council)","role":"Sets annual fishing opportunities","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"European Commission DG MARE publishes a general contact through oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu","corrective_actions":["Commission proposed keeping the plan's effort regulation, deep-water shrimp catch limits and trawler compensation mechanism for 2026 (ref 1).","Ministers kept 2025 trawl days for 2026 and up to 14 voluntary compensation measures (ref 3).","Oceana study of September 2026 recommends simplifying the compensation mechanism (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Mediterranean and Black Seas","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-proposes-fishing-opportunities-2026-mediterranean-and-black-seas-2025-09-22_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Annexes to the proposal for a Council Regulation fixing 2026 fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, Annex IV (western Mediterranean)","publisher":"Council of the European Union, COM(2025) 509","date":"2025-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13077-2025-ADD-1/en/pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"EU ministers stick to status quo in the Western Mediterranean and fail to end overfishing","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2025-12-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/eu-ministers-stick-to-status-quo-in-the-western-mediterranean-and-fail-to-end-overfishing/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Environmental organisations urge the Commission to oppose rollover of Mediterranean fishing limits for 2026","publisher":"Oceana, ClientEarth, MedReAct","date":"2026-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/environmental-organisations-urge-the-commission-to-oppose-rollover-of-mediterranean-fishing-limits-for-2026/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Policy endangers future of fishing, Spanish federation warns","publisher":"Fiskerforum","date":"2026-05-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fiskerforum.com/policy-endangers-future-of-fishing-spanish-federation-warns/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"EU scheme granting extra fishing days in Western Mediterranean must be simplified to support fish stock recovery","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2026-09-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/eu-scheme-granting-extra-fishing-days-in-western-mediterranean-must-be-simplified-to-support-fish-stock-recovery/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":7,"title":"Most western Mediterranean trawlers are barely profitable due to overfishing, new report reveals","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2025-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/most-western-mediterranean-trawlers-are-barely-profitable-due-to-overfishing/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":8,"title":"Gulf of Lion (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Lion","basis":"Reference gazetteer for sub-basin coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Industry (Europeche, CEPESCA) says the plan is too harsh; Oceana says effort was not cut enough; the Commission opposed the Council's rollover (refs 3, 4, 5)."}],"missing_fields":["The Council annex opened is the Commission proposal; its effort figures are 'pm' (to be determined), so 2026 days per fleet segment were not read from an official table.","Stock status and the 1.6x mortality figure are Oceana's statements; the Council and STECF documents were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-MEDSEA-OVERFISHED-2025","OC-MED-ITALY-JUVENILEHAKE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-ITALY-JUVENILEHAKE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Undersized hake openly sold at Italian west-coast ports and markets, survey by Oceana and partners finds","description":"A May 2025 field survey at seven locations on Italy's western coast found undersized European hake on sale from boats, market stalls, fishmongers and nearby restaurants. Oceana, Sea Shepherd Italy, Altroconsumo and OCU report that 91 percent of the trawlers, stalls and markets surveyed sold undersized hake, although selling it for human consumption is prohibited under EU rules.","location":{"name":"Italian west-coast ports (Tuscany to Sicily)","type":"Fishing ports and fish markets","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT"],"detail":"Seven locations in Tuscany, Lazio, Campania and Sicily chosen for heavy bottom trawling in hake nursery areas; survey fieldwork in May 2025.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Landing and selling juvenile hake removes fish before they spawn and undermines recovery.","secondary_drivers":["Weak market enforcement","Bottom trawling in nursery areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Selling undersized hake removes juveniles from a stock the plan area still treats as overfished; the release gives no biological loss figure (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The release reports no closures or loss of fishery; the issue is illegal sales alongside normal trading (ref 1).","scale":"Seven sites along the Italian west coast were surveyed, a national-coastline sample (ref 1).","duration":"Fieldwork was in May 2025 and the plan's January 2025 end-overfishing deadline is cited as unmet; no multi-year record of the sales is given (ref 1).","significance":"The finding is an NGO and consumer-group report and the release includes no response from Italian authorities or the Commission (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Consumer survey reported by Altroconsumo, but no affected population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"91% of bottom trawlers, stalls and markets surveyed sold undersized hake (Oceana release, 24 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Surveyed sellers offering undersized hake","value":91,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Seven Italian west-coast locations, May 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Survey locations","value":7,"unit":"locations","status":"Reported","note":"Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Sicily (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Spanish online retailers advertised undersized hake reportedly imported from Italy (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single survey in May 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Italian fisheries control authorities (port and market inspection)","role":"Enforcement of EU minimum landing and sale sizes","contact":null},{"name":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries policy and enforcement","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited source; the Commission's general channel is via oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu","corrective_actions":["Oceana and partners call on Italy to strengthen port and market inspections, improve selectivity (larger mesh, expanded closures) and consumer labelling (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report uncovers extensive sale of juvenile hake in Italian ports, flouting EU rules","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2025-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/report-uncovers-extensive-sale-of-juvenile-hake-in-italian-ports-flouting-eu-rules/","basis":"NGO press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The release does not name the seven ports, so no coordinates are given.","The 20 cm minimum landing size is not stated in the source and is not asserted here.","No official Italian response found."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-WESTMED-EFFORT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-DEEPSEA-TRAWLBAN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"GFCM does not extend the Mediterranean deep-sea trawl ban from 1,000 m to 800 m depth","description":"The GFCM bans bottom trawling below 1,000 m. Oceana and MedReAct report that at its November 2025 annual session Mediterranean countries did not extend the ban to 800 m, despite pilot studies in six countries showing ecological benefits with limited or no cost to fisheries. A June 2026 report says the extension would protect about 100,000 km2 and that bamboo coral has nearly collapsed in some areas.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean deep sea below 800 m","type":"Regional fisheries management measure","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","IT","GR","MT","EG","TN","ME"],"detail":"GFCM area; pilot studies ran in Egypt, France, Greece, Malta, Spain and Tunisia (ref 1); Montenegro, France and Egypt announced national bans below 800 m (ref 2).","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":18,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regional fisheries body decision on bottom-trawling depth limits governs deep-sea habitat protection.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Oceana and MedReAct report bamboo coral (Isidella elongata) has nearly collapsed in some areas from bottom-contact fishing (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The pilot studies found minimal costs for fishers and minimal fishing occurs at these depths, so no fishery loss is reported (ref 2).","scale":"The measure covers the whole GFCM Mediterranean area, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"A 2023 GFCM commitment to expand deep-water protection in 2025 was not met, and a proposal is pending for the 2026 annual meeting (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The GFCM Scientific Advisory Committee backed the extension, but the commission did not adopt it, which is a formal process outcome rather than an order (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Extending the ban from 1,000 m to 800 m would protect an additional 100,000 km2 of deep sea, according to Oceana's estimate (Oceana, 10 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Additional deep-sea area protected by an 800 m ban","value":100000,"unit":"km2","status":"Estimated","note":"Oceana analysis; method not given in the release (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Current GFCM trawl ban depth","value":1000,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ban applies below 1,000 m (ref 2)."},{"name":"Proposed ban depth","value":800,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Proposed extension, with 600-800 m cited in the key messages (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Oceana reports pilot studies found minimal costs for fishers, and deep-water shrimp is an overfished commercial species affected (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Proposal repeated at GFCM sessions in 2025 and expected again in October 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM, FAO)","role":"Regional fisheries management body","contact":"https://www.fao.org/gfcm"},{"name":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries policy and enforcement","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"GFCM Secretariat (FAO, Rome), general contact via fao.org/gfcm","corrective_actions":["Pilot studies in six countries; Oceana and MedReAct urge adopting an 800 m ban at the 2026 GFCM annual meeting (ref 1, ref 2).","France, Egypt and Montenegro recently announced national bans below 800 m (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mediterranean countries miss crucial opportunity to protect deep sea life from destructive fisheries","publisher":"Oceana in Europe and MedReAct","date":"2025-11-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/mediterranean-countries-miss-crucial-opportunity-to-protect-deep-sea-life/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"New report: protecting the Mediterranean deep sea from trawling is scientifically-backed and makes climate sense","publisher":"Oceana in Europe and MedReAct","date":"2026-06-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/new-report-protecting-the-mediterranean-deep-sea-from-trawling-is-scientifically-backed-and-makes-climate-sense/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mediterranean Sea (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea","basis":"Reference gazetteer for sea-centre coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The GFCM session report was not opened; the outcome is described by Oceana and MedReAct.","The report's full text (Marche Polytechnic University) was not opened; findings come from the press release."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-WESTMED-EFFORT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-ALBORAN-DRIFTNETS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Moroccan driftnet vessels documented in the Alboran Sea as EU pushes to tighten the ban at ICCAT","description":"The Environmental Justice Foundation documented 843 Moroccan vessels carrying driftnets at five ports during August and September 2024 and, in May 2026, released footage of driftnet impacts in the Alboran Sea. Sharks, dolphins and whales were recorded caught in the nets. The EU has proposed clearer definitions and a possession ban at ICCAT; Morocco says it has a national programme to eliminate driftnets.","location":{"name":"Alboran Sea (Spain-Morocco)","type":"Marine area and fishing grounds","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MA","ES"],"detail":"Moroccan vessels from Tangier, Al Hoceima, Sidi Hsain, Nador and M'Diq, fishing in Spanish and Moroccan waters; Spanish vessels were not implicated (ref 1).","coordinates":{"lat":36,"lon":-3,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Illegal driftnets catch swordfish and protected species and are the subject of a regional fisheries rule.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal driftnet fishing","Weak definition of driftnets"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"EJF recorded sharks, dolphins and whales caught in the nets and ghost nets that keep trapping animals, though no counts are given (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No loss of a fishery is reported; the concern is illegal swordfish landings entering EU markets (ref 1).","scale":"The activity spans two exclusive economic zones and five Moroccan ports in the Alboran sub-basin (ref 1).","duration":"The EJF investigation ran in August and September 2024 and the issue was still reported in July 2026, with a failed ICCAT proposal in 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"An EU proposal at ICCAT technical meetings and Morocco's August 2025 note to the Commission are formal steps, but no enforcement order or court ruling is reported (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An EJF investigation from August to September 2024 documented 843 Moroccan vessels carrying driftnets (Mongabay, 8 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Moroccan vessels linked to driftnets at five ports","value":843,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"EJF investigation, August-September 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ports covered","value":5,"unit":"ports","status":"Reported","note":"Tangier, Al Hoceima, Sidi Hsain, Nador, M'Diq (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["EJF says EU member states may be importing swordfish caught illegally by driftnet vessels (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One investigation window (2024) and one 2026 update."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)","role":"Tuna fisheries management body","contact":"https://www.iccat.int"},{"name":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries policy and enforcement","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"Morocco, Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests","role":"Flag state fisheries authority","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited source; ICCAT Secretariat general contact via iccat.int","corrective_actions":["EU proposed clearer driftnet definitions, a possession ban for certain species and wider geographic scope at ICCAT technical meetings in June 2026, aiming for adoption in November (ref 1).","Morocco told the Commission in August 2025 it had measures to implement its national programme for eliminating driftnets (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seeking swordfish, catching dolphins and whales: EU pushes to rein in driftnets","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/seeking-swordfish-catching-dolphins-and-whales-eu-pushes-to-rein-in-driftnets/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Alboran Sea (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alboran_Sea","basis":"Reference gazetteer for sea-centre coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The EJF report and footage were not opened (EJF site pages did not list them); all facts come through the Mongabay article.","No court or agency enforcement record located.","Second independent source not found."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-MEDSEA-BLUEFIN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-CYPRUS-PUFFERFISH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Invasive silver-cheeked toadfish damages small-scale fishing gear in Cyprus and Greece","description":"The invasive silver-cheeked toadfish, which entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, destroys nets and gear for coastal fishers. Cyprus's fisheries department reports more than 103 tonnes removed since a grant scheme began in June 2024, and Greece is discussing a similar pilot after fishers in Volos reported the fish moving north.","location":{"name":"Cyprus coastal waters and Greek Aegean-Ionian coast","type":"Coastal fishing grounds","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CY","GR"],"detail":"Eastern Mediterranean: Cypriot coastal fisheries; in Greece from Crete and the Dodecanese north to Volos (ref 2).","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":33,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An invasive predator reduces small-scale catches and damages gear, altering the fished community.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive species","Suez Canal migration"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers in Volos report octopus have become much less common where the pufferfish increased, and the species is linked to swimmer incidents, without further detail (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Cyprus says the species damages fishing gear and netting; about 150 professional fishers in eleven groups joined the removal scheme (ref 1).","scale":"The invasion spans the eastern Mediterranean from Cyprus to northern Greece (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The Cyprus grant scheme began in June 2024 and runs to the end of 2029, and the species has spread north over years (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"A formal government grant scheme paying 4.73 euros per kg is in force in Cyprus, with Greece discussing a pilot (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 103 tonnes of invasive silver-cheeked toadfish have been collected since the grant scheme launched in June 2024 (Cyprus Mail, 19 June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Toadfish removed under the Cyprus grant scheme","value":103,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Since June 2024; approx. 103,000 kg (ref 1)."},{"name":"Payment to coastal fishers","value":4.73,"unit":"EUR per kg","status":"Reported","note":"Scheme runs to end of 2029; about 487,000 EUR paid so far (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishers in the scheme","value":150,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Eleven collective groups (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishermen's association in Volos says the fish tear nets and destroy equipment (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The fish has spread from southern Greek waters north to Volos (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cyprus Department of Fisheries and Marine Research","role":"National fisheries authority running the grant scheme","contact":null},{"name":"Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR)","role":"Research institute advising on the species","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources","corrective_actions":["Cyprus grant scheme co-funded by the EU fisheries fund and government, to end 2029 (ref 1).","Greek officials are discussing a pilot modelled on the Cyprus scheme (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"More than 100 tonnes of invasive pufferfish removed from Cypriot waters","publisher":"Cyprus Mail","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cyprus-mail.com/2026/06/19/more-than-100-tonnes-of-invasive-pufferfish-removed-from-cypriot-waters","basis":"News, quoting the fisheries department"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pufferfish threat grows in Greek seas, experts warn","publisher":"To Vima English Edition","date":"2026-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tovima.com/society/pufferfish-threat-grows-in-greek-seas-experts-warn/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cyprus (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus","basis":"Reference gazetteer for country-centre coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2024 peer-reviewed cost estimate for Greek small-scale fisheries could not be opened (publisher returned 403), so no per-vessel cost figure is given.","No Turkish source opened."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-CYPRUS-SMALLSCALE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-CYPRUS-SMALLSCALE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cypriot small-scale coastal fishers report falling catches and call for a national strategy","description":"An Oceana survey of 47 commercial fishers at six Cyprus fishing shelters found 96 percent say government support is insufficient and 72 percent name declining stocks or lack of fish as a central challenge. In August 2026 the Union of Small-Scale Coastal Fishers said Cyprus still lacks a coherent long-term plan for the sector, and nearly two-thirds of active fishers are over 55.","location":{"name":"Cyprus coastal fishing shelters","type":"Small-scale fishing communities","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CY"],"detail":"Six fishing shelters across Cyprus; a Cypriot fisher described using four to five times more net for the same income (ref 2).","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":33,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Declining stocks and weak policy support erode small-scale coastal livelihoods.","secondary_drivers":["Declining fish stocks","Invasive species","Illegal and recreational fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers report fewer fish in their nets and longer hours at sea, with 72 percent naming declining stocks as a central challenge in a 47-fisher survey (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Shrinking catches reduce earnings and a poor season can lead to debt, and a fisher reports using four to five times more net for the same income (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The survey covers six shelters across Cyprus, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Oceana documented the concerns in February, March and August 2026 releases, and the fisher quoted describes long-run decline (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3).","significance":"The evidence is an NGO survey and fishers' statements; no government assessment or formal notice is cited (ref 1, ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"96% say national government support is insufficient for the sector's challenges (Oceana survey of 47 Cypriot fishers, 19 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishers saying government support is insufficient","value":96,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana structured questionnaire, 47 fishers at six shelters (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishers naming declining stocks as central challenge","value":72,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same survey (ref 1)."},{"name":"Active fishers over 55","value":null,"unit":"share","status":"Not reported","note":"Release says nearly two-thirds, no exact figure (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers cite debt after a poor season and delayed compensation (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Survey in March 2026 and statements in August 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cyprus Department of Fisheries and Marine Research","role":"National fisheries authority","contact":null},{"name":"Union of Small-Scale Coastal Fishers (Cyprus)","role":"Fishers' representative body","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources","corrective_actions":["Fishers call for adoption and implementation of a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries, preferential coastal access and stronger enforcement against IUU fishing (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"9 in 10 Cypriot fishers say Government action is insufficient to ensure sector's survival","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2026-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/9-in-10-cypriot-fishers-say-government-action-is-insufficient-to-ensure-sectors-survival/","basis":"NGO press release (survey)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mediterranean small-scale, low-impact fishers 'barely breathing' as EU law designed to restore fish stocks is ignored","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2026-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/mediterranean-small-scale-low-impact-fishers-barely-breathing/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cypriot fishers urge the adoption of a national strategy to secure the future of small-scale fishing","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2026-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/cypriot-fishers-urge-the-adoption-of-a-national-strategy/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Cyprus (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus","basis":"Reference gazetteer for country-centre coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Number of small-scale fishers and vessels in Cyprus not given in the sources.","Survey is small (47 fishers) and from an NGO; no official Cyprus fisheries data opened."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-CYPRUS-PUFFERFISH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDSEA-BLUEFIN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"ICCAT raises eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin quota 19.3 percent while undocumented catches are still seized","description":"At its November 2025 meeting ICCAT set the 2026-2028 total allowable catch for eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna at 48,403 tonnes, a 19.3 percent increase, with the EU share rising to 25,164 tonnes. In May 2025 Italian coast guard personnel at Teulada, Sardinia, seized nine undocumented adult bluefin of nearly two tonnes. Illegal bluefin trade was previously exposed in Europol's 2018 Operation Tarantelo.","location":{"name":"Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin stock","type":"Fish stock and quota regime","sea":"MED","seas":["MED","NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT","ES","FR","MT","ABNJ"],"detail":"Mediterranean bluefin fishery and ranching; seizure at the port of Teulada, southwest Sardinia (ref 3).","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":18,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A treaty body sets the catch limit and compliance rules for a recovering stock.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal and undocumented catches","Quota increase"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Commission says the stock was near depletion about 20 years ago and is recovering; undocumented catch is a risk rather than measured damage (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The quota rises, with the EU's opportunities up 3,661 tonnes, so no restriction or closure is reported (ref 2).","scale":"The stock spans the eastern Atlantic and the whole Mediterranean, but the seizure is local to Sardinia (ref 1, ref 3).","duration":"Illegal trade was exposed in 2018 (Operation Tarantelo) and an undocumented seizure recurred in 2025, so the compliance problem is recurring (ref 3, ref 5).","significance":"ICCAT adopted binding TACs and amended its bluefin plan, and the Cagliari coast guard issued a 5,400 euro fine and administrative seizure (ref 1, ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"TACs set for 2026-2028 at 3,081.6 t and 48,403 t for the western and eastern Atlantic stocks, increases of 13% and 19.3% (ICCAT press release, 24 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin TAC, 2026-2028","value":48403,"unit":"t per year","status":"Reported","note":"19.3% increase (ref 1)."},{"name":"EU bluefin fishing opportunities","value":25164,"unit":"t per year","status":"Reported","note":"Up 3,661 t, a 17% increase (ref 2)."},{"name":"Undocumented bluefin seized at Teulada","value":2,"unit":"tonnes (just under)","status":"Reported","note":"Nine adult fish; seized night of 18-19 May 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fine of 5,400 euros and administrative seizure pending confiscation at Teulada (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Stock described as recovering; compliance cases persist (ref 2, ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)","role":"Tuna fisheries management body","contact":"https://www.iccat.int"},{"name":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries policy and enforcement","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"Italian Coast Guard, Fishing Control Center of the Cagliari Port Authority","role":"Fisheries control and enforcement","contact":null}],"public_contact":"ICCAT Secretariat general contact via iccat.int","corrective_actions":["ICCAT agreed new TACs, strengthened port State measures and the record of authorised vessels, and amended the bluefin plan to include responses to joint inspection findings (ref 1).","Seized fish may be donated to charity if the health authority approves (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ICCAT Press Release: new TACs and quotas for bluefin tuna and conservation measures (closure of the 29th Regular Meeting)","publisher":"ICCAT","date":"2025-11-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Docs/2025/Press_Release_2025_ENG.pdf","basis":"Treaty body press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"EU secures 17% increase in bluefin tuna fishing quota at ICCAT annual meeting","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-11-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-secures-17-increase-bluefin-tuna-fishing-quota-iccat-annual-meeting-2025-11-27_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Two tons of illegal red tuna in a refrigerated truck: the major seizure in Teulada","publisher":"L'Unione Sarda","date":"2025-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unionesarda.it/en/sardinia/two-tons-of-illegal-red-tuna-in-a-refrigerated-truck-the-major-seizure-in-teulada-tcvomjdk","basis":"News, quoting the Coast Guard"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mediterranean Sea (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea","basis":"Reference gazetteer for sea-centre coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"Taking down the illegal tuna trade (Operation Tarantelo)","publisher":"Fiskerforum","date":"2018-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fiskerforum.com/taking-down-illegal-tuna-trade/","basis":"News (background, outside the research window)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Teulada article gives the catch as just under two tonnes of nine fish; headline says two tons."}],"missing_fields":["The EU's 17 percent and ICCAT's 19.3 percent figures measure different things (EU quota vs total TAC).","ICCAT stock assessment (SCRS) not opened; stock status relies on the Commission's statement.","The Teulada case is a single seizure and is not shown to be representative."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-ALBORAN-DRIFTNETS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-GREECE-TRAWLBAN-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Greece commits to end bottom trawling in marine parks by 2026 and all protected areas by 2030","description":"At the Our Ocean Conference in Athens in April 2024, Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced that Greece would ban bottom trawling in its national marine parks by 2026 and in all marine protected areas by 2030. The plan includes the Ionian Marine National Park, about 12 percent of Greek territorial waters, and the South Aegean Marine Protected Area, 6.6 percent, with 780 million euros of investment.","location":{"name":"Ionian and South Aegean marine parks","type":"Marine protected area network","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR"],"detail":"Greek national marine parks and MPAs in the Ionian and Aegean seas; Turkey's foreign ministry criticised the Aegean park plan as geopolitical (ref 2).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national policy decision restricts the most damaging fishing gear in protected areas.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling in protected areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Bottom trawling is described as ploughing the seabed in protected areas, and the parks shelter sperm whales, beaked whales and monk seals, but no damage measurement is given (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The ban restricts trawlers in national parks by 2026 and all MPAs by 2030; the number of trawlers affected is not reported (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The ban covers Ionian and South Aegean parks, about 12 and 6.6 percent of territorial waters (ref 2).","duration":"The measures stretch from the April 2024 announcement to 2030, with 2026 as the first deadline (ref 1).","significance":"The commitment is a government announcement with a legislated 30 percent protection goal and 780 million euros pledged, and it drew a formal Turkish objection (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"We will ban bottom trawling in our national parks by 2026 and in all marine protected areas by 2030 (Prime Minister Mitsotakis, April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Investment in marine protection","value":780,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Government figure reported by the Greek Herald and Euronews (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Ionian Marine National Park share of Greek territorial waters","value":12,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Euronews (ref 2)."},{"name":"South Aegean MPA share of Greek territorial waters","value":6.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Euronews (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The articles do not report compensation or the number of trawlers affected (ref 1, ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Announced April 2024; implementation status in 2026 not verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hellenic Government (Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Environment and Energy)","role":"National marine park and fisheries policy","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources","corrective_actions":["Ban on bottom trawling in national marine parks by 2026 and all MPAs by 2030 (ref 1, ref 2).","Two additional marine parks planned for the Aegean and Ionian seas (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Greece becomes first country in Europe to ban bottom trawling in marine parks","publisher":"The Greek Herald (citing The Guardian)","date":"2024-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://greekherald.com.au/?p=129631","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Greece becomes the first country in Europe to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas","publisher":"Euronews via Yahoo News Singapore","date":"2024-04-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sg.news.yahoo.com/greece-become-first-europe-ban-145931282.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the 2026 national-park ban has been legislated or enforced was not verified.","No official Greek government document opened.","Coordinates not given: the parks are national-scale areas and no source gave a point."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-SPAIN-ENGINEFRAUD-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Oceana alleges 94 percent of 50 inspected Spanish Mediterranean trawl and seine vessels have manipulated engine power","description":"An Oceana report released on 1 October 2025 says 94 percent of 50 analysed trawl and purse seine vessels in the Spanish Mediterranean have allegedly fraudulent engines, with certified power of 14,393 HP against 32,980 HP actual. Oceana links engine power to fishing capacity and effort, and says the release records no response from Spanish authorities.","location":{"name":"Spanish Mediterranean trawl and purse seine fleet","type":"Fishing fleet and capacity","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Fieldwork at various fishing docks in the Spanish Mediterranean; ports not named (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Hidden fishing capacity weakens capacity and effort limits that protect stocks.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing overcapacity","Fraud in engine certification"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Oceana says engine power above limits increases fishing effort and threatens stock sustainability, but gives no stock impact figure (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery restriction or closure follows from the report (ref 1).","scale":"The sample covers 50 vessels in the Spanish Mediterranean fleet (ref 1).","duration":"The report draws on registry and freedom-of-information records without a stated time span, so duration is treated as months (ref 1).","significance":"The finding is an NGO allegation and the release reports no official Spanish response or enforcement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"94% of fishing vessels analysed by Oceana in the Spanish Mediterranean operate with allegedly fraudulent engines (Oceana, 1 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessels analysed with allegedly fraudulent engines","value":94,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana sample of 50 trawl and purse seine vessels (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessels above legal maximum power","value":20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana (ref 1)."},{"name":"Certified versus actual engine power","value":32980,"unit":"HP actual (14,393 HP certified)","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Oceana recommends scrapping plans for high-fraud segments (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One NGO report."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Spanish fisheries administration (central and regional)","role":"Fleet registry and engine power certification","contact":null},{"name":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries policy and enforcement","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited source","corrective_actions":["Oceana recommends a national regularisation plan, stronger engine power controls and selective scrapping (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"94% of fishing vessels analysed by Oceana in the Spanish Mediterranean operate with allegedly fraudulent engines","publisher":"Oceana in Europe","date":"2025-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://europe.oceana.org/press-releases/fishing-vessels-in-the-spanish-mediterranean-operate-with-allegedly-fraudulent-engines/","basis":"NGO press release (allegation)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Oceana report itself and any Spanish government reply were not opened; these are allegations, not findings of a court or agency.","Ports not named; no coordinates."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-WESTMED-EFFORT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-THERMAIKOS-MUSSELS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Heatwave destroys Thermaic Gulf mussel harvest, second collapse in three years","description":"July 2024 heatwaves pushed Thermaic Gulf sea temperatures above 30 C, too hot for farmed mussels, and farmers reported a 90 percent drop in the 2024 catch, the second such collapse in three years. All seed for the next season also died, and the Pieria Chamber of Commerce said there would be no production in 2025 and sought state compensation.","location":{"name":"Thermaic Gulf mussel farms (Pieria)","type":"Shellfish farming area","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR"],"detail":"Northern Greece, Aegean Sea; farms concentrated near Kymina and Pieria, producing over 10,500 tonnes a year across about 1,685 hectares (ref 2).","coordinates":{"lat":40.25,"lon":22.833,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-driven mortality of farmed shellfish is a direct hit to aquaculture production.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Water reached 30-32 C at 30 m depth, above the mussels' 26 C tolerance, and farmers reported a 90 percent drop in the 2024 catch (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"All seed for the coming season died, and the chamber forecast no production in 2025; about 100 families in Kymina seek compensation to pay debts (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The losses are concentrated in one gulf, which holds nearly all of Greece's mussel farms (ref 1).","duration":"This is the second such collapse in three years (after 2021) and the 2025 harvest was forecast lost (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The evidence is farmers' and chamber statements; no formal notice or state decision is reported in the sources (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":100,"status":"Reported","note":"About 100 mussel-farming families in Kymina (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Farmers reported a 90% drop in the 2024 catch, the second such collapse in three years (Reuters, 10 November 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Drop in 2024 mussel catch reported by farmers","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Farmers' figure, Reuters via Business Day (ref 1)."},{"name":"Annual Pieria mussel production","value":10500,"unit":"tonnes (over)","status":"Reported","note":"From about 1,685 hectares; roughly 95% exported (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sea temperature in July 2024","value":30,"unit":"C (above)","status":"Reported","note":"Thermaic Gulf; lethal to mussels (ref 1, ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Prices rose from about 0.40 euro/kg to 0.80-1 euro/kg, and Pieria accounts for over 60% of Greece's mussel exports (ref 2).","Farmers seek state compensation to pay off debts (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Seed loss in 2024 pushed the forecast loss into 2025 (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO)","role":"Industry body supplying sector figures","contact":null},{"name":"Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food","role":"Compensation and support measures","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources","corrective_actions":["Pieria Chamber of Commerce is working with the Ministry of Rural Development on immediate compensation and special 2025 support (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Greece's mussel harvest wiped out by warming seas","publisher":"Reuters via Business Day","date":"2024-11-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.businessday.co.za/bd/world/europe/2024-11-10-greeces-mussel-harvest-wiped-out-by-warming-seas/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"No Greek mussels on the market in 2025","publisher":"Argophilia","date":"2024-11-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.argophilia.com/news/greek-mussels/237675/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Thermaic Gulf (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermaic_Gulf","basis":"Reference gazetteer for gulf-centre coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The actual 2025 harvest outcome and whether compensation was paid were not verified; the 2025 statement is a forecast.","A lower official loss estimate seen only in a search summary was not opened and is not used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-PODELTA-BLUECRAB-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Invasive blue crab devastates Po Delta clam farming, fishing cooperative revenue down 75 percent","description":"The Atlantic blue crab has been a major problem in the Po Delta for over two years, cutting commercial clam yields by up to 70 percent in some areas and destroying young clams, with damage in the Emilia-Romagna clam sector reported at no less than 16.8 million euros. Nearly 2.3 million kg of crabs were incinerated with public funds, yet eradication has failed. The Polesine fishermen's consortium reports revenue down 75 percent and membership from about 1,500 to 850.","location":{"name":"Goro and Comacchio clam lagoons, Po Delta","type":"Clam farming lagoons","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT"],"detail":"Northern Adriatic coast, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto; Goro and Comacchio were the hardest hit areas (ref 2).","coordinates":{"lat":44.85,"lon":12.3,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An invasive predator destroys farmed clams and the livelihoods built on them.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive species"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The crab cut commercial clam yields by up to 70 percent in some areas and destroyed young clams, with at least 16.8 million euros of damage (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Revenues of the Polesine fishermen's consortium fell 75 percent to about 15 million euros across 2024-2025 and members dropped from roughly 1,500 to 850 (ref 1).","scale":"The worst losses sit in the Goro-Comacchio clam area, a local lagoon complex, though ISPRA data show spread toward Tyrrhenian river mouths (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The problem has run for over two years, since 2023, and eradication failed (ref 1).","significance":"The agriculture ministry approved a declaration decree for 2025 aquaculture damages (ref 1) and a commissioner allocated 2.9 million euros in national compensation (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":850,"status":"Reported","note":"Cooperative members left in the Polesine consortium, down from about 1,500 (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Revenues of the Polesine fishermen's consortium fell by 75% to about 15 million euros across 2024-2025 (Euronews, 2 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Damage to the clam sector in Emilia-Romagna","value":16800000,"unit":"EUR (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by QuiFinanza, 29 June 2025, mostly in the Goro and Comacchio area (ref 2)."},{"name":"Blue crab removed and incinerated with public funds","value":2300000,"unit":"kg (nearly)","status":"Reported","note":"Po Delta (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reduction in commercial clam yields in some areas","value":70,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"National compensation allocated to Emilia-Romagna","value":2900000,"unit":"EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Part of a 3.7 million euro package also covering Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Clams fell to about 10% of the consortium's earnings (ref 1).","Regional and national compensation calls opened to offset revenue losses (ref 1, ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Eradication has failed and the crab is spreading toward Tyrrhenian river mouths (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF)","role":"National declaration and compensation decree","contact":null},{"name":"Emilia-Romagna Region, agriculture and fisheries department","role":"Regional compensation and containment funding","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources","corrective_actions":["MASAF approved a declaration decree for 2025 aquaculture damages and regional compensation calls opened (ref 1).","Regional grants of 1.50 euro per kg of disposed crab, capped at 660,000 kg (ref 2).","Consortium now exports steamed crabs to Sri Lanka for processing and expects about 20 million euros turnover (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Il problema granchio blu diventa risorsa: stop agli inceneritori, via alle esportazioni","publisher":"Euronews Italia","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://it.euronews.com/2026/09/02/il-problema-granchio-blu-diventa-risorsa-stop-agli-inceneritori-via-alle-esportazioni","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Granchio blu, all'Emilia-Romagna 2,9 milioni a fronte di 17 milioni di danni","publisher":"QuiFinanza","date":"2025-06-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://quifinanza.it/economia/granchio-blu-emilia-romagna-danni-risarcimento/917357/","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Goro, Emilia-Romagna (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goro,_Emilia-Romagna","basis":"Reference gazetteer for town coordinates"},{"ref":4,"title":"The devastating economic impact of Callinectes sapidus on the clam fishing in the Po Delta (Italy): striking evidence from novel field data","publisher":"arXiv preprint (Tiralongo et al.)","date":"2025-02-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.07095v1","basis":"Preprint"},{"ref":5,"title":"Emergenza granchio blu: pronti il commissario e 10 milioni di euro","publisher":"Scatti di Gusto","date":"2024-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.scattidigusto.it/2024/08/05/emergenza-granchio-blu-pronti-il-commissario-e-10-milioni-di-euro/","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Po Delta alarm: third wave of blue crabs arriving","publisher":"Il Sole 24 Ore","date":"2025-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.ilsole24ore.com/art/l-allarme-delta-po-arrivo-terza-ondata-granchi-blu-AGjiyIXD","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Restoration of the deltaic and marine habitat, combating the proliferation of the blue crab, encouraging its use and consumption","publisher":"ISPRA","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/en/news/restoration-of-the-deltaic-and-marine-habitat-combating-the-proliferation-of-the-blue-crab-encouraging-its-use-and-consumption","basis":"Agency event notice (page shows only the 6 Nov 2024 event date)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Po Delta (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po_Delta","basis":"Reference page; coordinates given are the river mouth"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"merge","values":["Invasive blue crab devastates Po Delta clam farming, fishing cooperative revenue down 75 percent","Invasive Atlantic blue crab collapses clam production in the Po Delta lagoons"],"note":"Merged with the wildlife-group record on the same invasion (collapse of Po Delta clam production)."}],"missing_fields":["Sources are in Italian; no official government document was opened.","Whether the commissioner was formally appointed after 6 August 2024 was not confirmed in an opened source."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDSEA-ESCAPEES-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Escaped farmed sea bream and sea bass may mask overfishing of wild Mediterranean stocks, study finds","description":"A 2024 Scientific Reports study found sea bream landings were significantly correlated with estimated biomass of escaped farmed sea bream entering the wild. The authors say escapes of gilthead sea bream and European sea bass may mask wild stock overexploitation, confound stock assessments, alter genetic diversity and spread pathogens. A 2023 review of a Greek Aegean farm put escapes at 0 to 2 percent of stock per event, 5 to 8 times a year.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean sea bream and sea bass farming","type":"Marine cage aquaculture","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR","TR","EG"],"detail":"Mediterranean-wide analysis using FAO landings data; escape records from a farm in the Aegean Sea, Greece (ref 2). Greece, Turkey and Egypt are the top producers named in the GFCM report (ref 3).","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":18,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Farm escapes alter wild fish populations and the data used to assess them.","secondary_drivers":["Fish escapes from cages","Disease and parasite transfer"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study says escapes may mask wild stock overexploitation, alter genetic diversity and spread pathogens, as potential rather than measured harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No loss or restriction to a fishery is reported (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The analysis spans the Mediterranean using FAO regional landings data (ref 1).","duration":"The study links landings regime shifts to the onset of Mediterranean aquaculture, a chronic multi-decade pattern, and the Greek farm records show 5-8 escape events a year (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The evidence is peer-reviewed research with no regulator action or formal notice (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fish escapes of these two iconic species may mask wild stock overexploitation, confound stock assessments, alter genetic diversity, increase the risk of spreading pathogens and parasites (Scientific Reports, October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Escape size per event at a Greek Aegean farm","value":2,"unit":"% of stock (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 0-2% per event (ref 2)."},{"name":"Escape events per year at that farm","value":8,"unit":"events (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 5-8 per year (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sea bream share of marine aquaculture production","value":34.5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Gilthead seabream 34.5% and European seabass 29.7% (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Marine and brackish aquaculture is 940,000 tonnes and about USD 5.2 billion, with sea bream and sea bass the leading species (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two studies, 2023 and 2024; no time series of escape numbers."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM, FAO)","role":"Regional fisheries management body","contact":"https://www.fao.org/gfcm"},{"name":"National aquaculture regulators (Greece, Turkey, Spain, Italy)","role":"Licensing and escape prevention rules","contact":null}],"public_contact":"GFCM Secretariat (FAO, Rome), general contact via fao.org/gfcm","corrective_actions":["The 2023 review calls for recapture programmes, reduced escapee survival and proper legislation (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Domesticating the wild through escapees of two iconic Mediterranean farmed fish species","publisher":"Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio), via DOAJ record","date":"2024-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-74172-3","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mediterranean Aquaculture and Genetic Pollution: A Review Combined with Data from a Fish Farm Evaluating the Ecological Risks of Finfish Escapes","publisher":"Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (MDPI)","date":"2023-07-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/7/1405","basis":"Peer-reviewed review (published before the research window)"},{"ref":3,"title":"The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2025 (SoMFi), as summarised by Feed and Additive","publisher":"Feed and Additive Magazine","date":"2025-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.feedandadditive.com/new-report-mediterranean-black-sea-overfishing-drops-to-decade-low/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mediterranean Sea (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea","basis":"Reference gazetteer for sea-centre coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Scientific Reports abstract was read from the DOAJ record and the Nature page metadata (title and date); the MDPI page returned 403 so its abstract was read from the DOAJ record.","No specific dated escape incident in 2023-2026 was found; this is a study-based finding.","Country list is limited to Greece (farm records) and the top producers Turkey and Egypt named in the GFCM report; other Mediterranean producers are not named in the sources opened."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-MEDSEA-OVERFISHED-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-GABES-PHOSPHOGYPSUM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Phosphogypsum dumped into the Gulf of Gabès since 1972, with a sea-discharge suspension reported in October 2025","description":"Phosphate processing at Gabès in southeastern Tunisia has discharged untreated phosphogypsum into the gulf since 1972. A 2024 peer-reviewed study found that the resulting foam carries uranium, cadmium, arsenic and radionuclides. In October 2025 an industrial-environment expert told the national news agency TAP that the contaminated seabed strip extends about 3 km offshore and that the government had decided to suspend sea discharge.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Gabès (Chatt Essalem and Ghannouch)","type":"Coastal industrial discharge zone","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TN"],"detail":"Gabès governorate, southeastern Tunisia; discharge from the Groupe chimique tunisien phosphate complex near Chatt Essalem and Ghannouch beaches","coordinates":{"lat":33.883,"lon":10.117,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Industrial phosphogypsum slurry with trace metals and radionuclides is discharged directly into coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Phosphate fertiliser industry","Industrial waste reclassification"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2024 study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials reported uranium 56 mg/kg, cadmium 50 mg/kg, arsenic 30 mg/kg and radium-226 1,169 Bq/kg in phosphogypsum foam, and contaminated marine life on Chatt Sidi Abd Essalam beach (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A Daraj report says the gulf's fish species fell from over 270 to about 50, but attributes the figure to no named source, so only a limited livelihood impact is scored (ref 4).","scale":"The contamination described is one gulf, with a seabed strip about 3 km wide off Chatt Essalem and Ghannouch (ref 3).","duration":"Untreated dumping into the sea began in 1972 and was still continuing when the October 2025 suspension was reported (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A scientific committee recommended an immediate halt to sea dumping and the government approved reclassifying phosphogypsum on 5 March 2025 (ref 2); the October 2025 suspension rests on one TAP-based report (ref 3), so a formal notice rather than an enforcement order is scored."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for the coastal communities is given in the cited marine-pollution sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An industrial-environment expert quoted by TAP said discharges average about 15,000 tonnes of phosphogypsum a day (ref 3); the 2024 study puts cumulative wet discharge above 500 million tonnes since the 1970s (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cumulative wet phosphogypsum discharged since the 1970s","value":500,"unit":"million tonnes (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"El Zrelli et al. 2024, cited by the research institute (ref 1); other sources give far lower totals (see conflicts)."},{"name":"Average daily discharge","value":15000,"unit":"tonnes per day","status":"Estimated","note":"Expert's estimate quoted by TAP, 23 Oct 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Width of contaminated marine strip","value":3,"unit":"km offshore","status":"Estimated","note":"Expert's estimate (ref 3)."},{"name":"Radium-226 in phosphogypsum foam","value":1169,"unit":"Bq/kg","status":"Reported","note":"Reported in the 2024 study (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Residents and unions called for closure or dismantling of the polluting phosphate units and a general strike paralysed Gabès in October 2025 (ref 3).","Reported fish-species decline in the gulf, from an unattributed claim (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Dumping has run since 1972; a suspension was reported in October 2025 but its implementation was not confirmed in the sources opened (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Groupe chimique tunisien (GCT)","role":"Phosphate processing operator and source of the discharge"},{"name":"Presidency of the Government of Tunisia","role":"Approved phosphogypsum reclassification (5 Mar 2025) and the reported suspension decision"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The government reportedly decided to suspend phosphogypsum discharge into the sea as part of urgent measures for Gabès; plant managers still had to take the technical steps (ref 3).","A scientific committee recommended ending sea discharge, storage that meets standards and use of phosphogypsum in construction and agriculture (ref 2).","The expert quoted by TAP estimated 2 to 3 years of seabed dredging after discharge stops (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Phosphogypsum foam: a vector of industrial pollution affecting Mediterranean biodiversity and the health of coastal populations in Gabès, SE Tunisia","publisher":"Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (OMP)","date":"2024-12-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.get.omp.eu/en/2024/12/phosphogypsum-foam-a-vector-of-industrial-pollution-affecting-mediterranean-biodiversity-and-the-health-of-coastal-populations-in-gabes-se-tunisia","basis":"Research institute news on peer-reviewed study (J. Hazardous Materials 480, 135732)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Valorisation ou pollution: le dilemme tunisien face au phosphogypse","publisher":"La Presse (Tunisia)","date":"2025-04-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://lapresse.tn/2025/04/23/valorisation-ou-pollution-le-dilemme-tunisien-face-au-phosphogypse/","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Le nettoyage du fond marin du Golfe de Gabès exige 2 à 3 ans","publisher":"Kapitalis (citing TAP)","date":"2025-10-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2025/10/24/le-nettoyage-du-fonds-marin-du-golfe-de-gabes-exige-2-a-3-ans/","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Anti-pollution protestors face prison sentences in Tunisia","publisher":"Daraj","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://daraj.media/en/anti-pollution-protestors-face-prison-sentences-in-tunisia/","basis":"News, with activist-sourced figures"},{"ref":5,"title":"Gabès","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gab%C3%A8s","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Cumulative discharge differs by source and basis: more than 500 million tonnes wet since the 1970s (ref 1), about 200 million tonnes since the GCT was created (expert, ref 3), and about 2.8 million tonnes dumped in 2011-2023 per a scientific committee cited by La Presse (ref 2)."},{"note":"Daily discharge differs: about 15,000 tonnes a day (ref 3) against about 29 tonnes a day from an undated association report cited by Daraj (ref 4). The sources are not reconciled."}],"missing_fields":["Official confirmation that sea discharge actually stopped after October 2025 was not found.","Coordinates are for Gabès city, not the discharge point."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MARMENOR-EUTROPHICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mar Menor lagoon: chlorophyll rebound in summer 2025 and anoxic bottom water after the October flood","description":"The IEO-CSIC BELICH monitoring team reported in July 2025 that chlorophyll in the Mar Menor was about five times higher than two years earlier and that light reaching the bottom had fallen from 23.5% to 5.8%. After the October 2025 'Alice' flood, oxygen in the southern lagoon fell below 2 mg/L by 19 October and a deep anoxic layer formed, with fauna moving toward the surface. In early 2026 the lagoon also held more invasive Caulerpa algae than in previous years, with 1,158 tonnes removed in January.","location":{"name":"Mar Menor coastal lagoon","type":"Coastal lagoon (Ramsar site)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Region of Murcia, southeastern Spain; lagoon of about 135 km2 separated from the Mediterranean by the La Manga sandbar","coordinates":{"lat":37.767,"lon":-0.833,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Decades of nutrient loading drive phytoplankton blooms and oxygen depletion in the lagoon.","secondary_drivers":["Agricultural nutrient runoff","Heat","Flood freshwater input"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BELICH scientists reported a near-anoxic deep layer in the south after the Alice flood, with oxygen below 2 mg/L by 19 October 2025 and fauna fleeing toward the surface (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"Los Alcázares received permission to hand-remove Caulerpa at three beaches (Los Narejos, Carrión, La Concha), and the algal sludge deters swimmers (ref 5).","scale":"The problem is confined to one lagoon of about 135 km2 (ref 6).","duration":"The ecosystem has been in crisis since the 2016 collapse, with a new low-oxygen episode in October 2025 and a chlorophyll rebound from July 2025 (refs 2, 4, 5).","significance":"The Belich team convened a crisis cabinet in October 2025 (ref 3) and the national Secretary of State for the Environment briefed the regional minister in July 2025 (ref 2), without a declared emergency."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure appears in the cited monitoring reports."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Chlorophyll was about five times higher than two years earlier and bottom light fell from 23.5% to 5.8% after 30 June 2025 (Murcia Today, 24 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bottom light reaching the lagoon floor","value":5.8,"unit":"% of surface light","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 23.5% after 30 June 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Maximum bottom chlorophyll-a, summer 2025","value":5.84,"unit":"ug/L","status":"Reported","note":"Station A, monitoring period 15 Jun to 15 Sep 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dissolved oxygen in southern lagoon, 19 Oct 2025","value":2,"unit":"mg/L (below)","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as below 2 mg/L, toxic but not total anoxia (ref 3)."},{"name":"Caulerpa biomass removed, January 2026","value":1158,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 60% more than previous years; a further 535 tonnes by early February (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Algal sludge deters swimmers at Los Alcázares beaches (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Chlorophyll rose in July 2025 and declined by October 2025 while anoxia developed in the south (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"IEO-CSIC (BELICH project)","role":"Oceanographic monitoring of the Mar Menor"},{"name":"Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO)","role":"Funds the Priority Actions Framework for Mar Menor recovery"},{"name":"Segura River Basin Authority (CHS)","role":"Basin and groundwater management"},{"name":"Los Alcázares town council","role":"Authorised to remove invasive Caulerpa by hand"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Next Generation EU funds finance the BELICH real-time monitoring network of three buoys within MITECO's Priority Actions Framework (ref 1).","Los Alcázares became the first Spanish council authorised to remove Caulerpa prolifera by hand, with floating barriers and no heavy machinery (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Informe Verano 2025 del Sistema de Monitorización Oceanográfica del Mar Menor","publisher":"IEO-CSIC, BELICH project, via MITECO","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.miteco.gob.es/content/dam/miteco/es/ministerio/planes-estrategias/mar-menor/Informe_IEO_SEPT%202025_BELICH.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Spanish); covers 15 Jun to 15 Sep 2025, no issue date shown"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mar Menor at risk of algae bloom as oxygen levels plummet","publisher":"Murcia Today","date":"2025-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://murciatoday.com/mar-menor-at-risk-of-algae-bloom-as-oxygen-levels-plummet_1000225573-a.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Wildlife in flight as Mar Menor faces new oxygen crisis","publisher":"Murcia Today","date":"2025-10-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://m.murciatoday.com/wildlife-in-flight-as-mar-menor-faces-new-oxygen-crisis_1000243274-a.html?region=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Disminuye la clorofila del Mar Menor pero las condiciones anóxicas se mantienen en el sur de la laguna","publisher":"El Debate","date":"2025-10-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eldebate.com/sociedad/sociedad-medio-ambiente/20251026/disminuye-clorofila-mar-menor-condiciones-anoxicas-mantienen-sur-laguna_348590.html","basis":"News reporting a Belich project update (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Specialist divers are heading into the Mar Menor to tackle the invasive algae choking the lagoon","publisher":"Murcia Today","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://m.murciatoday.com/specialist-divers-are-heading-into-the-mar-menor-to-tackle-the-invasive-algae-choking-the-lagoon_1000263375-a.html","basis":"News (date taken from the article's own March 2026 timing; no printed date line)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Mar Menor","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Menor","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source 5 prints no date line; 4 March 2026 is read from the article text and may be a day off.","No fish mass mortality is reported in the sources opened for 2025."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-MARMENOR-NITRATECASES-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-MARMENOR-NITRATECASES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Spanish courts convict farmers for nitrate-laden desalination discharges into the Mar Menor","description":"In September 2024 a Campo de Cartagena farmer admitted discharging about 68,061 m3 of nitrate-rich water from an unauthorised desalination plant into the Mar Menor in 2015-2017 and received a one-year suspended sentence. A second conviction followed in September 2025 for a Torre Pacheco farm manager, with about 118,000 euros in fine and compensation. A later case, the first with the lagoon's own legal representatives, ended in a plea deal; the prosecutor said dozens more trials are scheduled.","location":{"name":"Mar Menor coastal lagoon","type":"Coastal lagoon (Ramsar site)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Region of Murcia, southeastern Spain; criminal cases tried in Cartagena and Murcia","coordinates":{"lat":37.767,"lon":-0.833,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Illegal nitrate and brine discharge from farm desalination feeds lagoon eutrophication.","secondary_drivers":["Agricultural nutrient runoff","Illegal desalination"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Courts convicted discharge of nitrate-rich water into the lagoon: about 68,061 m3 in 2015-2017 in the 2024 case (ref 1) and about 70,500 m3 in the later plea case (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No disruption to fishing or tourism is attributed to these discharges in the court reports; the only restrictions are 6 to 9 month farming bans on the defendants (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The discharges affected one lagoon, the Mar Menor (ref 4).","duration":"The discharges date from 2015-2017 and prosecutions ran from September 2024 into 2026, with dozens more trials scheduled (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Criminal courts issued suspended prison sentences of about one year in September 2024 and September 2025 (refs 1, 2); the lagoon appeared with its own legal representatives for the first time (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not relevant to the court reports cited."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sept 2025: one-year suspended sentence, a fine of about 2,100 euros and just over 116,000 euros compensation for nitrate-contaminated water from an illegal desalination plant (Murcia Today, 19 Sep 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Compensation ordered, September 2025 conviction","value":116000,"unit":"EUR (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 34,000 euros to the Murcia regional government for lagoon restoration, the rest to the national government (ref 2)."},{"name":"Discharge volume, 2024 case","value":68061,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"Prosecutors' figure for 2015-2017 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Compensation ordered, plea case reported 2026","value":26755.34,"unit":"EUR","status":"Reported","note":"To the State and the regional government (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Mar Menor tourism and fishing economy remain exposed to eutrophication episodes (see related record)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Three plea or conviction outcomes reported between September 2024 and 2026 (refs 1-3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Public Prosecutor's Office (Spain)","role":"Prosecutes environmental offences in the Topillo case"},{"name":"Mar Menor Alliance (Amarme)","role":"Private prosecutor acting for the lagoon"},{"name":"Segura River Basin Authority (CHS)","role":"Licensing authority for desalination plants"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Defendants must pay compensation partly earmarked for lagoon restoration by the Region of Murcia (ref 2).","The Public Prosecutor's Office said dozens more trials are scheduled in Cartagena and Murcia (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"First trial for polluting Mar Menor ends in 1-year prison sentence for farmer","publisher":"Murcia Today","date":"2024-09-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://m.murciatoday.com/first-trial-for-polluting-mar-menor-ends-in-1_year-prison-sentence-for-farmer_1000128861-a.html","basis":"News on court outcome"},{"ref":2,"title":"Second conviction for polluting Mar Menor with illegal desalination waste","publisher":"Murcia Today","date":"2025-09-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://m.murciatoday.com/second-conviction-for-polluting-mar-menor-with-illegal-desalination-waste_1000236275-a.html","basis":"News on court outcome"},{"ref":3,"title":"The Mar Menor makes history with its own representatives in court","publisher":"Murcia Today","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://m.murciatoday.com/the-mar-menor-makes-history-with-its-own-representatives-in-court_1000263548-a.html","basis":"News on court outcome; no printed date (places the trial about 3.5 years after the 2022 personhood law)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mar Menor","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Menor","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Court names and case numbers are not given in the news reports; judgments were not opened.","Source 3 has no printed date."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-MARMENOR-EUTROPHICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-NADRIATIC-MUCILAGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Large mucilage event across the northern Adriatic in summer 2024","description":"Mucilage aggregates from large algal blooms spread along the Croatian, Slovenian and Italian Adriatic coasts from late June 2024, with aggregates more than 20 km long recorded off Istria. A regional agency oceanographer said the bloom began off Croatia and Slovenia and reached Italy by current, and Italian coastal officials reported tourist and fishing disruption. Later peer-reviewed work linked the event to warm water and sudden freshwater inflow from the Po River.","location":{"name":"Northern Adriatic (Gulf of Trieste to Romagna and Istria)","type":"Semi-enclosed shelf sea (eutrophication zone)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT","HR","SI"],"detail":"Mucilage reported from Abruzzo to the Marche, Veneto, Trieste and the Romagna Riviera in Italy, and along the Slovenian and Istrian coasts","coordinates":{"lat":45.667,"lon":13.583,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient-rich river water and warm conditions drive bloom and mucilage formation in the Adriatic.","secondary_drivers":["Po River freshwater and nutrient input","Warm sea temperatures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The mucilage is non-toxic but plankton diversity inside it was lower than in typical blooms, and it can smother benthos and clog nets (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Hotel and beach-club pools were crowded as bathers avoided the sea, damaged boats and nets were reported, and farm-food association Unci asked for a crisis unit and earlier fishing closures (ref 1).","scale":"Italian, Slovenian and Croatian coasts were affected, from Abruzzo to Trieste and Istria (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Reports began in early July and became frequent in August 2024, easing by mid-August with the end expected at the first autumn storms (ref 1).","significance":"Only agency commentary from Arpae's Daphne unit and later studies were found; no formal advisory or enforcement was identified (refs 1-3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of affected people appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mucilage aggregates ranged from formations over 20 km long to patches under 20 m (Ruđer Bošković Institute, Jan 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Longest mucilage formation recorded","value":20,"unit":"km (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Off Istria, ODAS buoy monitoring near Rovinj (ref 2)."},{"name":"Diatom abundance inside mucilage vs surrounding water","value":null,"unit":"1-2 orders of magnitude higher","status":"Reported","note":"Gulf of Trieste and Conero Riviera samples (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Tourists avoided the sea and hotels and beach operators raised sewage concerns on the Romagna coast (ref 1).","Fishing nets and boats damaged by mucilage (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No 2025 or 2026 recurrence was found in the sources opened; the event is documented for summer 2024 (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Arpae Emilia-Romagna (Daphne oceanographic structure)","role":"Regional marine monitoring agency"},{"name":"Ruđer Bošković Institute, Center for Marine Research","role":"Monitoring and research off Istria"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Arpae monitors the coast; Cesenatico officials said monitoring of wastewater discharges was under way (ref 1).","Peer-reviewed studies in Scientific Reports and Phycology characterised the event (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ferragosto, mucillagini nel mare Adriatico: 'abbiamo scavallato il peggio'","publisher":"Dire","date":"2024-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dire.it/13-08-2024/1071463-ferragosto-mucillagini-mar-adriatico-scavallato-peggio/","basis":"News (Italian) quoting an Arpae oceanographer"},{"ref":2,"title":"Croatian scientists have identified what triggered the major Adriatic Sea mucilage event in 2024","publisher":"Ruđer Bošković Institute","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.irb.hr/eng/News/Croatian-scientists-have-identified-what-triggered-the-major-Adriatic-Sea-mucilage-event-in-2024","basis":"Research institute news on peer-reviewed study (Scientific Reports)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Microalgal Communities in Mucilage Aggregates (Northern Adriatic Sea, Summer 2024) Based on Microscopy and Metabarcoding","publisher":"Phycology 6(1), 5 (MDPI)","date":"2026-01-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ricerca.ogs.it/retrieve/8cb7b640-8ab2-460d-86f2-acbcd184bfcb/2026_Ubaldi.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gulf of Trieste","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Trieste","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Officials and hoteliers disagreed on cause: Arpae called it natural and hard to attribute, while Misano Adriatico hotel and beach operators blamed sewage discharges (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["The Scientific Reports paper itself was not opened; its findings are taken from the institute's release (ref 2).","Coordinates mark the Gulf of Trieste, one end of the affected coast."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-CENTRALMED-ARCTICMETAGAZ-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Damaged Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz drifts and is later anchored off Libya with fuel oil aboard","description":"The LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz was hit by explosions and fire on 2-3 March 2026 and abandoned. It drifted unmanned between Malta and Libya carrying LNG, an estimated 450 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 250 tonnes of diesel; five EU governments asked the Commission to activate the EU civil protection mechanism. Libyan tow attempts failed and the ship was anchored off Benghazi in late April; no oil spill had been confirmed as of 4 May 2026.","location":{"name":"Arctic Metagaz, off Benghazi, Libya","type":"Abandoned damaged LNG tanker (spill risk)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["LY","MT","IT"],"detail":"Drifted between Malta, Lampedusa and the Libyan coast; anchored about 18 nautical miles north-northeast of Benghazi around 28 April 2026","coordinates":{"lat":32.117,"lon":20.067,"precision":"city","source_ref":7},"points":[{"lat":33.64,"lon":20,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4,"role":"Approximate drift position, 24 April 2026"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil and diesel aboard a disabled, damaged tanker pose an oil spill risk.","secondary_drivers":["Armed attack on shipping","Sanctioned shadow fleet vessel","Salvage and towing failure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No confirmed oil spill, but about 450 t heavy fuel oil and 250 t diesel remained aboard and the National Oil Corporation said much of the remaining gas may have leaked (refs 4, 5).","livelihoods":"Malta reportedly barred vessels within 7 km (ref 1) and Libya's ports authority told ships to stay at least 5 nautical miles away (ref 4).","scale":"Italy, Spain, Malta, Greece and Cyprus wrote to the Commission about a Mediterranean-wide ecological risk (ref 1).","duration":"The vessel was abandoned on 3 March 2026 and was still anchored with unresolved cargo and fuel on 4 May 2026 (refs 2, 5).","significance":"Five governments formally requested EU civil protection activation (ref 1), Libya ran a national emergency response and Cedre advised EMSA, DG ECHO and REMPEC (refs 2, 6)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No pollution-affected population; the crew was evacuated safely (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The tanker carries about 450 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 250 tonnes of diesel; no confirmed oil spill was reported as of 4 May 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Heavy fuel oil aboard","value":450,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Libyan National Oil Corporation figure relayed by Libya Security Monitor (ref 4) and Blue Life Hub (ref 6)."},{"name":"Diesel aboard","value":250,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Same Libyan figure (ref 4)."},{"name":"Malta exclusion distance","value":7,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Reported Maltese ban on approach (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Shipping restricted around the drifting hull (refs 1, 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Secured by tow in late March, tow failed 2 April and 22 April, anchored about 28 April (refs 4, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Libyan National Oil Corporation","role":"Leads the emergency response"},{"name":"Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority","role":"Issues navigation warnings"},{"name":"Cedre (France)","role":"Technical advice to EMSA, DG ECHO and REMPEC"},{"name":"European Commission (civil protection)","role":"Asked by five member states to coordinate an EU response"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Libya activated an emergency response with a 24/7 operations room and towing (ref 6).","Officials were preparing to extract residual diesel and transfer it to another vessel (ref 5).","Cedre briefed EMSA, DG ECHO, REMPEC and French authorities on LNG and fuel behaviour (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Five EU leaders seek urgent solution for drifting Russian tanker to avoid environmental catastrophe","publisher":"PBS NewsHour (AP)","date":"2026-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/five-eu-leaders-seek-urgent-solution-for-drifting-russian-tanker-to-avoid-environmental-catastrophe","basis":"News (wire)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tanker Arctic Metagaz","publisher":"Cedre","date":"2026-04-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cedre.fr/en/news/tanker-arctic-metagaz","basis":"Specialist spill-response agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Arctic Metagaz: Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker adrift in the Mediterranean faces uncertain fate","publisher":"France 24","date":"2026-04-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20260408-uncertain-fate-arctic-metagaz-russian-shadow-fleet-lng-tanker-adrift-mediterranean","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Russian LNG Tanker Arctic Metagaz still drifting out of control off eastern Libya","publisher":"Libya Security Monitor","date":"2026-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://libyasecuritymonitor.com/russian-lng-tanker-arctic-metagaz-still-drifting-out-of-control-off-eastern-libya/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Stricken Russian LNG Tanker 'Arctic Metagaz' Anchored Off Libya After Two-Month Odyssey, Future Uncertain","publisher":"gCaptain","date":"2026-05-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/stricken-russian-lng-tanker-arctic-metagaz-anchored-off-libya-after-two-month-odyssey-future-uncertain/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":6,"title":"Libya moves to prevent a Mediterranean disaster: damaged Russian tanker secured","publisher":"Blue Life Hub","date":"2026-03-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bluelifehub.com/2026/03/24/libya-moves-to-prevent-a-mediterranean-disaster-damaged-russian-tanker-secured/","basis":"News relaying a Libyan National Oil Corporation statement"},{"ref":7,"title":"Benghazi","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benghazi","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Fuel quantity differs: about 450 t heavy fuel oil and 250 t diesel (Libyan figure, refs 4, 6) against roughly 900 tons of fuel oil (ref 3)."},{"note":"The number of governments warning the Commission differs: five (Italy, Spain, Malta, Greece, Cyprus; ref 1) against nine European countries (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Status after 4 May 2026 was not found, including whether residual fuel was removed.","The cause of the explosions is disputed in the reporting; Russia blamed a drone attack and no cited source establishes attribution.","Coordinates are for Benghazi, the nearest city to the anchorage, plus an approximate drift point."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-GAZA-SEWAGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Untreated sewage from Gaza's collapsed wastewater system flows into the Mediterranean","description":"UNEP's June 2024 preliminary assessment found that all five of Gaza's wastewater treatment plants had shut down and that untreated sewage was reaching beaches and coastal waters with pathogens, nutrients, microplastics and hazardous chemicals. A UNEP spokesperson cited high chlorophyll and suspended organic matter in coastal waters. Oxfam reported in February 2025 that about 130,000 m3 of untreated sewage a day was contaminating the sea, with 73 of 84 sewage pumping stations destroyed.","location":{"name":"Gaza Strip coastline","type":"Urban coastline (sewage discharge)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PS","IL"],"detail":"About 24 miles (39 km) of Gaza coast; currents carry sewage north toward Ashkelon, Israel, where a desalination plant has had to shut down several times","coordinates":{"lat":31.5,"lon":34.45,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Raw sewage with nutrients and pathogens enters coastal waters after treatment plants stopped working.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater infrastructure collapse","Fuel and power shortages"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"UNEP's June 2024 assessment found untreated sewage contaminating beaches and coastal waters with pathogens, nutrients, microplastics and hazardous chemicals (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Pollution threatens the intakes of Israeli desalination plants, one of which has been shut down several times to clear sewage (ref 2).","scale":"The pollution covers the Gaza coastline and drifts north toward Israeli beaches (refs 2, 3).","duration":"All five plants lost power within weeks of the conflict starting in October 2023 and were still impaired in February 2025 (refs 2, 4).","significance":"UNEP issued a formal preliminary assessment on 18 June 2024 at the request of the State of Palestine (ref 1), with no enforcement action."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Gaza has more than 2 million inhabitants (ref 3); no figure for people exposed to polluted seawater is given."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Oxfam: 'approximately 130,000 cubic meters' of untreated sewage is discharged daily, contaminating the Mediterranean Sea and Gaza's only aquifer (17 Feb 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Untreated sewage discharged daily (Oxfam)","value":130000,"unit":"m3 per day","status":"Reported","note":"Oxfam press release, 17 Feb 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Sewage and wastewater discharged on land or sea (UNEP)","value":100000,"unit":"m3 per day (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"UNEP estimate reported by Inside Climate News, Mar 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sewage pumping stations destroyed","value":73,"unit":"of 84 stations","status":"Reported","note":"Oxfam assessment, Feb 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Wastewater treatment plants shut down","value":5,"unit":"plants","status":"Reported","note":"UNEP preliminary assessment, June 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Israeli desalination plants near Ashkelon face intake pollution risk (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Figures are from March 2024 to February 2025; no later discharge data were found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNEP","role":"Conducted the preliminary environmental assessment of Gaza"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["UNEP said a field-based assessment would follow once security conditions and access allow (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Damage to Gaza causing new risks to human health and long-term recovery - new UNEP assessment","publisher":"UNEP","date":"2024-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/damage-gaza-causing-new-risks-human-health-and-long-term-recovery","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"As Conflict Rages On, Israel and Gaza's Environmental Fates May Be Intertwined","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2024-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15032024/todays-climate-gaza-israel-sewage-environment-debris-pollution/","basis":"News quoting UNEP"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gaza war environment (feature by Fred Pearce)","publisher":"Yale Environment 360","date":"2025-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://e360.yale.edu/features/gaza-war-environment","basis":"News and analysis"},{"ref":4,"title":"Less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels available in Rafah and North Gaza","publisher":"Oxfam International","date":"2025-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/less-seven-percent-pre-conflict-water-levels-available-rafah-and-north-gaza","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Gaza Strip","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Daily volumes differ by source and date: at least 100,000 m3 (UNEP via Inside Climate News, 2024), about 130,000 m3 (Oxfam, 2025), and about 3.5 million cubic feet (about 99,000 m3) per Yale e360 citing UNEP; they use different bases and are not reconciled."}],"missing_fields":["No post-ceasefire discharge data or measured bathing-water quality were found.","The exact headline of the Yale e360 feature (ref 3) was not captured; the title field is descriptive."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-GREECE-GRIGRIBLOCKS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Thousands of concrete blocks and synthetic ropes litter Greek seabeds from night-fishing lamps","description":"Greece's 'Fishing For Litter' programme has recorded 6,278 concrete blocks and about 11,700 synthetic ropes since 2019, mostly from night-fishing 'gri-gri' lamp anchors cut loose after fishing. The Euboean Gulf is the worst hotspot, followed by the Thracian Sea and the Thermaic Gulf. The environmental group iSea says the practice is illegal and calls for stricter enforcement.","location":{"name":"Euboean Gulf, Thracian Sea and Thermaic Gulf","type":"Fishing grounds with seabed litter","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR"],"detail":"Greek waters in the Aegean; hotspots named by iSea are the Euboean Gulf, the Thracian Sea and the Thermaic Gulf","coordinates":{"lat":38.55,"lon":23.5,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":40.25,"lon":22.833,"precision":"site","source_ref":4,"role":"Thermaic Gulf hotspot"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Discarded polypropylene ropes and concrete anchors are persistent litter on the seabed and in nets.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal fishing-lamp anchoring","Abandoned fishing gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"iSea says blocks and ropes pressure benthic ecosystems and polypropylene ropes can entangle marine life and break into microplastics, though no mortality figure is given (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Blocks caught in fishers' nets can damage gear and destroy part of the catch (ref 1).","scale":"Three Greek sea areas are affected and 67 fishing vessels joined the programme in 2026 (ref 1).","duration":"Blocks have been recorded since 2019 and the practice continues to recur (ref 1).","significance":"iSea's report of 2 September 2026 flags a practice that is illegal under the General Port Regulations, but no penalties were reported (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not relevant to the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"6,278 concrete blocks and about 11,700 synthetic ropes have been recorded since 2019; more than 360 tonnes of waste removed from deep waters."},"measures":[{"name":"Concrete blocks recorded","value":6278,"unit":"blocks","status":"Reported","note":"Since 2019, Fishing For Litter programme (ref 1)."},{"name":"Synthetic ropes recorded","value":11700,"unit":"ropes (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Linked to fishing-boat activity (ref 1)."},{"name":"Waste removed from deep waters","value":360,"unit":"tonnes (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Since 2019; over 83% plastic per the article (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishing vessels in the programme","value":67,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"2026 season (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing gear and catch damaged by blocks caught in nets (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Counts accumulate since 2019; no year-by-year trend is given (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"iSea","role":"Environmental NGO running Fishing For Litter and author of the report"},{"name":"Athanasios C. Laskaridis Public Benefit Foundation","role":"Programme funder and partner"},{"name":"Greek port and maritime authorities","role":"Enforce the General Port Regulations on lamp anchoring (enforcement role named only generally in ref 1)"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Fishers in the programme retrieve blocks and waste, recorded by iSea (ref 1).","iSea proposes at-sea checks, port-departure inspections and clearer legal definitions of gri-gri gear (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Why is Greece's seabed littered with concrete blocks?","publisher":"Euronews (with ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ)","date":"2026-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/16/the-silent-waste-of-greek-seas-thousands-of-concrete-blocks-lifted-from-seabed","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"The hidden litter of fisheries (Τα σιωπηλά απόβλητα της αλιείας)","publisher":"iSea","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://isea.com.gr/el/download/ta-siopila-apovlita-tis-alieias/","basis":"NGO report listing page (Greek); report body not read"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of Euboea","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Euboea","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"},{"ref":4,"title":"Thermaic Gulf","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermaic_Gulf","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The iSea report itself was not read; only its listing page and the Euronews article were opened.","No coordinates exist for individual block sites; points mark the named gulfs."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-TUNISIA-POSIDONIAMICROPLASTICS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Microplastics trapped in Posidonia seagrass balls at four Tunisian beaches","description":"A peer-reviewed Frontiers in Marine Science study sampled Posidonia oceanica fibre balls (aegagropiles) at Bizerte, Hammamet, Mahdia and Chebba and found microplastics at all four sites. Red and blue particles dominated, with black fibres and fragments the most common forms, and polystyrene, EVA, PET and PVC were identified. The authors link the contamination to local human activity and call for continued monitoring.","location":{"name":"Tunisian coast: Bizerte, Hammamet, Mahdia, Chebba","type":"Seagrass banquette beaches (study sites)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TN"],"detail":"Two northern sites (Bizerte, Hammamet) and two central-eastern sites (Mahdia, Chebba) on the Tunisian coast","coordinates":null,"points":[{"lat":37.278,"lon":9.864,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Study site S1, Bizerte"},{"lat":35.5,"lon":11.067,"precision":"city","source_ref":3,"role":"Study site S3, Mahdia"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Microplastics accumulate in Posidonia seagrass debris along the coast.","secondary_drivers":["Land-based plastic waste","Coastal tourism"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Microplastics were present in aegagropiles at all four sampled sites, with four polymer types identified (ref 1); no harm to organisms was measured.","livelihoods":"The study reports no fishery, beach or tourism disruption (ref 1).","scale":"The sites span the north and centre-east of the Tunisian coast, about a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The paper reports a single sampling campaign with no multi-year series (ref 1).","significance":"The finding is a peer-reviewed study without agency listing, notice or enforcement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not relevant to the study."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastics, mostly red and blue particles, were found in Posidonia aegagropiles at all four Tunisian sites sampled; polystyrene, EVA, PET and PVC were identified."},"measures":[{"name":"Sites with microplastics in aegagropiles","value":4,"unit":"of 4 sites","status":"Reported","note":"Bizerte, Hammamet, Mahdia, Chebba (ref 1)."},{"name":"Polymer types identified","value":4,"unit":"polymers","status":"Reported","note":"PS, EVA, PET, PVC by NMR and FTIR (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single study; no repeat sampling reported (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tunisian coastal and environmental authorities","role":"Coastal environment management (not named in the study)"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for ongoing microplastic monitoring of Mediterranean seagrass beds (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The trapping of microplastics in the Posidonia oceanica aegagropiles in Tunisian coastal areas (Southern Mediterranean)","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science 12","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1663783/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bizerte","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizerte","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mahdia","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates only)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahdia","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single source; no particle counts per site were in the portion of the paper opened.","Hammamet and Chebba coordinates were not retrieved."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDITERRANEAN-MARINELITTER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mediterranean plastic waste above 200,000 tonnes a year as Barcelona Convention parties adopt the Cairo Declaration","description":"The IISD summary of the 24th meeting of the Barcelona Convention parties (Cairo, 2-5 December 2025) says more than 200,000 tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into the Mediterranean each year. Parties adopted the Cairo Ministerial Declaration, committing to eliminate harmful single-use plastics by 2030, while draft references to the entire lifecycle of plastics were dropped. The Union for the Mediterranean earlier estimated 570,000 tonnes a year and about 7% of the world's microplastics in the sea.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean Sea (Barcelona Convention area)","type":"Regional sea, treaty area (marine litter)","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","MC","IT","MT","SI","HR","BA","ME","AL","GR","TR","CY","SY","LB","IL","EG","LY","TN","DZ","MA","PS"],"detail":"Basin-wide marine litter and plastic pollution addressed by the Barcelona Convention COP 24 in Cairo, Egypt, 2-5 December 2025","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Land-based plastic waste enters the whole sea and is being addressed through a regional treaty.","secondary_drivers":["Single-use plastics","Land-based waste and tourism"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The UfM says the sea holds about 1% of global water but about 7% of microplastics and that single-use plastics are about 8 in 10 debris items, without a measured harm threshold (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Neither source reports closures or lost fisheries from plastic litter (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The problem spans the whole Mediterranean regional sea; 19 Contracting Parties were represented at COP 24 (ref 1).","duration":"Plastic input is chronic and, on business-as-usual, projected to quadruple by 2050 per the UfM (ref 2).","significance":"COP 24 adopted the Cairo Ministerial Declaration and the 2026-2035 strategic decisions, a treaty action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable to a regional-sea assessment."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 200,000 tons of plastic waste are dumped into the Mediterranean annually (IISD, Barcelona Convention Bulletin, 8 Dec 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Plastic waste entering the Mediterranean (IISD summary)","value":200000,"unit":"tonnes per year (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Stated in the COP 24 summary introduction (ref 1)."},{"name":"Plastic waste entering the Mediterranean (UfM)","value":570000,"unit":"tonnes per year","status":"Estimated","note":"UfM World Environment Day statement, 5 June 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of world microplastics held by the Mediterranean","value":7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Sea holds about 1% of global water volume (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Annual input figures vary by source and no time series was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNEP/MAP - Barcelona Convention Secretariat","role":"Treaty secretariat for the Mediterranean Action Plan"},{"name":"Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention","role":"Adopt and implement marine litter and plastic measures"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["COP 24 adopted the Cairo Ministerial Declaration with a commitment to eliminate harmful single-use plastics by 2030 (ref 1).","COP 24 adopted the MSSD 2026-2035, whose Target 8 covers implementation of legally binding measures on wastewater, marine litter and plastic pollution, and affirmed a zero-tolerance approach to marine litter (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Summary of the 24th Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and Its Protocols: 2-5 December 2025","publisher":"IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin","date":"2025-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://enb.iisd.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/barcelona_convention_cop24.pdf","basis":"Meeting summary of a treaty body"},{"ref":2,"title":"Environment Day: UfM calls for urgent action on plastic litter to protect the Mediterranean","publisher":"Union for the Mediterranean (via EU Neighbours)","date":"2023-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eumedbridge.eu/news/environment-day-ufm-calls-for-urgent-action-on-plastic-litter-to-protect-the-mediterranean","basis":"Intergovernmental organisation statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Annual plastic input differs: more than 200,000 tonnes a year (IISD summary, ref 1) against 570,000 tonnes a year (UfM, ref 2); the sources use different methods and dates."}],"missing_fields":["The country list is all Mediterranean coastal states in general; the source names 19 parties present and Libya absent.","A UNEP/MAP primary decision text was not opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDITERRANEAN-OILSLICKS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Satellite study flags the Mediterranean among the oceans' highest concentrations of chronic oil slicks from ships","description":"SkyTruth's global satellite estimate, released 23 September 2026 from 2023-2025 imagery, places the Mediterranean among the areas with the highest oil-slick concentrations and finds three of the ten most polluted Important Marine Mammal Areas there. In the Spanish Mediterranean cetacean migration corridor MPA, analysts hand-labelled 45 true slicks, all from vessels, tracing 20 vessels. The regional response centre REMPEC has estimated 1,500 to 2,000 operational oil spills a year in the basin.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean shipping routes and marine mammal areas","type":"Regional sea, chronic oil slick zone","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","FR","MC","IT","MT","SI","HR","BA","ME","AL","GR","TR","CY","SY","LB","IL","EG","LY","TN","DZ","MA","PS"],"detail":"Slick hotspots follow shipping routes; the Spanish Mediterranean cetacean migration corridor MPA is the named example","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Chronic operational oil discharges from ships along busy routes.","secondary_drivers":["Operational discharges from ships","Dense maritime traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"SkyTruth says slicks overlap three of the ten most polluted Important Marine Mammal Areas, a potential harm to cetaceans without measured impacts (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the sources reports closures or lost fishing from these slicks (refs 1-3).","scale":"The Mediterranean is named among the highest-concentration regional seas (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The analysis covers 2023-2025 and REMPEC describes operational spills as a continuing source (refs 1, 3).","significance":"REMPEC's study under the Barcelona Convention framework estimates 1,500-2,000 operational spills a year (ref 3); no enforcement action is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In the Spanish Mediterranean cetacean migration corridor MPA, analysts hand-labelled 45 true slicks, all from vessels, and identified 20 distinct vessels as sources."},"measures":[{"name":"Hand-labelled true slicks in the Spanish cetacean corridor MPA","value":45,"unit":"slicks","status":"Reported","note":"All from vessels (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessels identified as sources in that MPA","value":20,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Other slicks could not be matched to a vessel (ref 1)."},{"name":"Operational oil spills estimated in the Mediterranean","value":2000,"unit":"incidents per year (up to)","status":"Estimated","note":"REMPEC 2022 estimate of 1,500-2,000 per year (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The REMPEC estimate dates from 2022 and SkyTruth reports a 2023-2025 average; no trend was published."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"REMPEC (Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea)","role":"Regional oil-spill preparedness and response"},{"name":"Flag and coastal states under MARPOL","role":"Enforcement of operational discharge rules"}],"public_contact":"No public contact channel is given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The Mediterranean was designated a Sulphur Oxides Emission Control Area in 2021, and REMPEC is studying readiness for spills of low-sulphur and alternative fuels (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Global Estimate of Marine Oil Pollution","publisher":"SkyTruth","date":"2026-09-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://skytruth.org/insights/global-estimate-of-marine-oil-pollution","basis":"NGO satellite analysis report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mapped: Oil slicks cover an area 3 times the size of Spain every year","publisher":"Euronews","date":"2026-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/25/new-map-shows-how-oil-slicks-are-smothering-our-oceans-with-one-hotspot-in-europe","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Study: Trends and Outlook of Marine Pollution","publisher":"REMPEC","date":"2022-08-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rempec.org/en/news-media/rempec-news/study-trends-and-outlook-of-marine-pollution","basis":"Regional intergovernmental centre study"},{"ref":4,"title":"Regional webinar on readiness to respond to pollution incidents involving low-sulphur and alternative fuels","publisher":"REMPEC","date":"2025-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rempec.org/en/news-media/rempec-news/regional-webinar-on-the-study-on-readiness-of-the-mediterranean-region-to-respond-to-marine-pollution-incidents-involving-low-sulphur-fuels-and-alternative-fuels-and-the-revised-guidelines-for-the-use-of-dispersants-for-combating-oil-pollution-at-sea-in","basis":"Regional intergovernmental centre news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The full SkyTruth report with Mediterranean-wide slick counts was not open; only the summary page and Euronews were read.","The REMPEC study predates the research window (published 2022) and is used for context."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-NWMED-SHIPSTRIKE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ship strikes on fin and sperm whales in the north-western Mediterranean PSSA, where the IMO speed measure is voluntary","description":"The IMO designated the north-western Mediterranean a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area in July 2023 because ship strikes are the main human-caused cause of death for fin and sperm whales there. The associated 10 to 13 knot speed reduction is a recommendation, not a requirement. In August 2025 whale-watchers and Tethys researchers reported a live fin whale with deep propeller wounds off western Liguria inside the Pelagos Sanctuary.","location":{"name":"NW Mediterranean PSSA (Pelagos Sanctuary)","type":"Particularly Sensitive Sea Area","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FR","IT","MC","ES"],"detail":"Waters between Valencia and Genoa, including the Pelagos Sanctuary (France, Italy, Monaco) and the Spanish Mediterranean Cetacean Migration Corridor","coordinates":{"lat":43.95,"lon":8.15,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Vessel collisions are documented as the leading human-caused mortality for two endangered whale populations.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel speed","Dense ferry and merchant traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"ACCOBAMS document SC16/Doc18 states ship strikes are the primary human-induced mortality for the two species, and Tethys reported a live fin whale with deep propeller gashes on 13 August 2025 (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"The IMO associated protective measures are recommendatory, so no route or speed restriction binds shipping (refs 4, 5).","scale":"The PSSA spans the waters between Valencia and Genoa, a regional-sea area (ref 3).","duration":"The 2023 IMO designation rests on decades of records; the ACCOBAMS paper cites fatal strike records from 1971 to 2001 and 2023 traffic data (ref 3).","significance":"IMO MEPC designated the PSSA by Resolution MEPC.380(80) on 7 July 2023 (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Commercial vessels in the PSSA sailed more than 80% of their 2023 distance at average speeds above 10 knots, per the AIS analysis in ACCOBAMS document SC16/Doc18 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of 2023 commercial distance sailed above 10 knots","value":80,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"AIS analysis by OceanCare and partners, ACCOBAMS SC16/Doc18 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Mediterranean fin whale estimate 2018-2019","value":1800,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative, quoted in ref 3; the document says about 3,500 in the 1990s."},{"name":"Merchant ships per year in the Mediterranean (IMO annex estimate)","value":220000,"unit":"ships/year","status":"Reported","note":"Quoted from Annex 3 of Resolution MEPC.380(80) in ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Whale-watching operators such as Golfo Paradiso Whale Watching are the ones who found the injured whale (ref 2).","The measures are voluntary, so no direct cost to carriers is documented (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee","role":"Designated the PSSA (Resolution MEPC.380(80))"},{"name":"ACCOBAMS Secretariat","role":"Regional cetacean agreement and scientific committee","contact":"https://accobams.org"},{"name":"Governments of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain","role":"Joint proponents of the PSSA"}],"public_contact":"ACCOBAMS Permanent Secretariat, Monaco (see accobams.org for the published contact page).","corrective_actions":["IMO PSSA with associated protective measures: 10 to 13 knots where large cetaceans are detected, VHF position broadcasts, collision reporting (ref 4).","OceanCare and Tethys call for the speed measure to be made mandatory (refs 1, 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ship strikes in the Pelagos Sanctuary","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2025-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/ship-strikes-pelagos-sanctuary/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Stripes: one more whale injured by a propeller in the Pelagos Sanctuary","publisher":"Tethys Research Institute","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://whalesanddolphins.tethys.org/?p=30053","basis":"Research institute report (page shows no explicit date)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Analysis of maritime traffic speed in 2023 in the NW Mediterranean PSSA (ACCOBAMS-SC16/2024/Doc18)","publisher":"ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee","date":"2024-12-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://accobams.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SC16.Doc18_Analysis-of-maritime-traffic-speed-in-2023-in-the-NW-Mediterranean-PSSA.pdf","basis":"Intergovernmental committee document (meeting 2-5 December 2024; analysis by OceanCare)"},{"ref":4,"title":"North West Mediterranean Sea: Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (NW Med PSSA)","publisher":"Steamship Mutual","date":"2023-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.steamshipmutual.com/publications/articles/north-west-mediterranean-sea-particularly-sensitive-sea-area-nw-med-pssa","basis":"P&I club circular"},{"ref":5,"title":"Press release on the IMO PSSA decision at MEPC 80","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2023-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/imo-pssa/","basis":"NGO press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No count of ship strikes in the sanctuary is given in the opened sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDSEA-SOXECA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mediterranean SOx emission control area applies from May 2025 while regional bodies work on consistent enforcement","description":"The Mediterranean became a MARPOL Annex VI sulphur emission control area on 1 May 2025, with a 0.10% fuel sulphur limit against 0.50% elsewhere. UNEP/MAP projected a large cut in sulphur oxide emissions. REMPEC, the regional marine pollution centre, said in August 2025 that attention should turn to consistent enforcement and ran a September 2025 training webinar on inspections and on ratification of MARPOL Annex VI by beneficiary countries.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean Sea SOx ECA","type":"Emission control area","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AL","DZ","BA","HR","CY","EG","FR","GR","IL","IT","LB","LY","MT","MC","ME","MA","SI","ES","SY","TN","TR"],"detail":"Whole Mediterranean Sea; proposed by the 21 Barcelona Convention states and the EU and adopted by the IMO MEPC","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Ship exhaust sulphur oxides and particulate matter are the regulated air pollutants.","secondary_drivers":["Ship fuel sulphur content","Uneven national capacity to inspect"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"UNEP/MAP estimated the measure would avoid about 1,100 premature deaths and 2,300 childhood asthma cases a year, a projected rather than measured health burden (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The rule sets a fuel limit and no port or route is closed; REMPEC records no restriction on trade (ref 2).","scale":"The control area covers the whole Mediterranean Sea (ref 1).","duration":"The 0.10% limit has applied since 1 May 2025 and is permanent under MARPOL Annex VI (refs 1, 2).","significance":"IMO MEPC 79 adopted the designation on 15 December 2022, with effect from 1 May 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The ECA requires fuel of at most 0.10% m/m sulphur from 1 May 2025, against 0.50% outside it; UNEP/MAP projected a 78.7% cut in SOx emissions (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel sulphur limit inside the ECA","value":0.1,"unit":"% m/m","status":"Reported","note":"UNEP/MAP press release, 16 December 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected SOx emission reduction","value":78.7,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"UNEP/MAP projection (about 8.5 million tonnes a year) (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected PM2.5 reduction","value":23.7,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"UNEP/MAP projection (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Compliance options are low-sulphur fuel, scrubbers or sulphur-free fuels (ref 1).","The REMPEC webinar targeted flag State and port State inspectors (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"REMPEC (Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean)","role":"Enforcement capacity-building","contact":"https://www.rempec.org"},{"name":"UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention Secretariat","role":"Proposed the ECA","contact":"https://www.unep.org/unepmap"},{"name":"IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee","role":"Adopted the ECA"}],"public_contact":"REMPEC, Sa Maison Hill, Floriana FRN1613, Malta; +356 21 337 296/7/8 (published on rempec.org).","corrective_actions":["REMPEC Regional Webinar on Sulphur Inspections, 24 September 2025 (ref 2).","Regional workshop and draft guidance on consistent implementation of the 0.10% limit, Malta, May 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Press release: Mediterranean Sea designated a sulphur emission control area","publisher":"UNEP/MAP","date":"2022-12-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unep.org/unepmap/node/24785","basis":"Intergovernmental press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Regional Webinar - MED SOx ECA","publisher":"REMPEC","date":"2025-08-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rempec.org/en/events/rempec-events/regional-webinar-med-sox-eca","basis":"Regional centre event page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No inspection statistics, penalties or port state control results in the opened sources.","Which states have ratified MARPOL Annex VI is not stated on the opened pages.","The country list uses the 21 Barcelona Convention parties named only by number in ref 1."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-BARCELONA-CRUISETERM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Barcelona and its port agree to cut cruise terminals from seven to five as cruise traffic grows","description":"In July 2025 Barcelona City Council and the Port of Barcelona signed a protocol to reduce cruise terminals from seven to five by 2030, cutting maximum daily cruise capacity from 37,000 to 31,000 passengers. The port will rebuild a 610 metre quay section so ships can connect to shore power. Barcelona handled 3.65 million cruise passengers in 2024.","location":{"name":"Moll Adossat cruise terminals, Barcelona","type":"Port","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Adossat wharf, Port of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain","coordinates":{"lat":41.35,"lon":2.17,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A city and port authority agreement to cap cruise growth and fit shore power.","secondary_drivers":["Cruise tourism growth","Ship emissions at berth"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The sources link the wharf works to shore power that would let ships switch off engines at berth, implying emissions at berth, but publish no measured air quality figure (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Daily cruise capacity is capped, falling 16% from 37,000 to 31,000 passengers, in a sector The Maritime Executive says generates about EUR 1 billion a year (ref 1).","scale":"The terminals sit on one wharf of one port (ref 2).","duration":"Passenger numbers rose about 20% from 2018 to 2024 and works run from 2026 to 2030 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"City Council and Port of Barcelona signed a formal protocol, reported on 17 July 2025 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Maximum daily cruise capacity drops about 16%, from 37,000 to 31,000 passengers, as terminals fall from seven to five by 2030 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cruise passengers handled in 2024","value":3.65,"unit":"million","status":"Reported","note":"The Maritime Executive, July 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cruise terminals after the plan","value":5,"unit":"terminals","status":"Reported","note":"Down from seven; four private and one new public terminal (ref 2)."},{"name":"Shore power quay overhaul investment","value":50,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Reported","note":"610 metre quay section housing terminals A and B (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The cruise sector contributes about EUR 562 million directly to Catalonia GDP, per The Maritime Executive (ref 1).","The Maritime Executive says the port could miss the EU 2030 shore power deadline (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Barcelona City Council","role":"Co-signatory of the protocol"},{"name":"Port of Barcelona","role":"Port authority"}],"public_contact":"The port authority's and the council's published general channels (see each organisation's website).","corrective_actions":["Demolition of terminals A, B and C and one new public terminal on the site of C (refs 1, 2).","EUR 50 million quay overhaul to allow shore power connections (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Port of Barcelona Reduces Cruise Terminals to Limit Overtourism","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/port-of-barcelona-reduces-cruise-terminals-to-limit-overtourism","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Barcelona moves to limit cruise tourism by reducing terminals from 7 to 5","publisher":"Catalan News","date":"2025-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.catalannews.com/business/item/barcelona-moves-to-limit-cruise-tourism-by-reducing-terminals-from-7-to-5","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Reports differ on interim demolition dates; only the 2030 end date is consistent in the opened pages."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-MARSEILLE-CRUISEAIR-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Marseille cruise ship air pollution complaint and the start of shore power at the Eastern Docks","description":"Marseille residents lodged a legal complaint in spring 2023 alleging inadequate action on cruise ship and ferry air pollution, and activists blocked the cruise port in September 2024. In April 2026 the Port of Marseille Fos reported that its shore power facilities can serve three large cruise ships at once, using electricity it describes as 100 percent renewable.","location":{"name":"Marseille Fos cruise port, Eastern Docks","type":"Port","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FR"],"detail":"Port of Marseille Fos, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France","coordinates":{"lat":43.32,"lon":5.35,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Ship exhaust at berth in a port city.","secondary_drivers":["Ship engines at berth","Cruise traffic growth"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Residents allege health effects from fuel-oil smog and scrubber discharge; the Connexion report gives no measurement data, so the harm is alleged, not established (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The activist blockade of 21 September 2024 delayed ships for hours, but no berth or route went out of use (ref 2).","scale":"The reported issue centres on one port (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Residents cite a ten-year campaign before the 2023 complaint, and shore power only reached testing in late 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Residents filed a legal complaint in March 2023, a formal step with no court outcome in the opened sources (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Shore power at the Eastern Docks can serve three large cruise ships simultaneously, according to Cruise Industry News (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cruise ships that shore power can serve at once","value":3,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"Cruise Industry News, 15 April 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Eastern Docks investment committed","value":200,"unit":"million EUR (nearly)","status":"Reported","note":"More than half funded by regional partners, per ref 3."},{"name":"European cruise CO2 emissions in 2022 (Transport & Environment)","value":8,"unit":"million tonnes (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Cited by The Local, September 2024 (ref 2); European-wide, not Marseille-only."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cruise calls are an economic activity for the port; the opened sources give no revenue figure (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Port of Marseille Fos","role":"Port authority"},{"name":"Residents associations and Stop Croisieres","role":"Complainants and campaigners"}],"public_contact":"The Port of Marseille Fos's published general channel (see the port website).","corrective_actions":["Shore power for cruise ships at the Eastern Docks, with testing from late 2025 (ref 3).","A study on making shore power compulsory in dock was reported in 2023 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Marseille residents take port to court over cruise ship pollution","publisher":"The Connexion","date":"2023-05-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/French-news/Marseille-residents-take-port-to-court-over-cruise-ship-pollution","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Environmental protesters block French cruise liner port","publisher":"The Local France","date":"2024-09-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thelocal.fr/20240921/environmental-protesters-block-french-cruise-liner-port","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marseille Fos Launches Shore Power for Cruise Ships","publisher":"Cruise Industry News","date":"2026-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2026/04/marseille-fos-launches-shore-power-for-cruise-ships/","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Court name and outcome of the 2023 residents complaint are not in the opened sources.","The Connexion article is from before the research window; kept because the issue is unresolved inside it."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-CRETE-HYDROCARBON-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"New offshore gas leases around Crete, including Chevron and HELLENiQ in February 2026, and cetacean concerns in the Hellenic Trench","description":"On 16 February 2026 Chevron and HELLENiQ ENERGY signed lease agreements for four Greek offshore blocks, two of them south of Crete, subject to ratification by the Greek Parliament; Naftemporiki reports seismic surveys planned for autumn 2026. Separately, a 2021-2022 survey by the University of Exeter, Greenpeace Greece and the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute found at least four cetacean species in the Hellenic Trench year-round, in the area of the earlier ExxonMobil and HELLENiQ blocks west and southwest of Crete, where 2D seismic work ended in February 2023. The opened sources do not state whether the new blocks overlap the surveyed habitat.","location":{"name":"South of Crete offshore blocks","type":"Offshore lease area","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR"],"detail":"Hellenic Trench and deep waters south of Crete, Greece; two further blocks lie off the Peloponnese","coordinates":{"lat":34.95,"lon":24.9,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A licensing decision on new offshore hydrocarbon blocks.","secondary_drivers":["Seismic survey noise","Offshore exploration drilling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Exeter, Greenpeace Greece and Pelagos found sperm whales, Cuvier's beaked whales and dolphins in the trench near the earlier Crete blocks, and The Maritime Executive says beaked whales are vulnerable to air-gun noise; no harm is documented (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishing or shipping restriction is reported in the opened sources (refs 3, 4).","scale":"Four blocks across Greek waters south of Crete and the Peloponnese (ref 4).","duration":"The earlier Crete blocks were licensed in 2019 and their 2D seismic ended in February 2023; the Chevron leases followed on 16 February 2026 (refs 1, 2, 4).","significance":"Lease agreements signed on 16 February 2026 await parliamentary ratification, and Naftemporiki placed the contract before the Court of Auditors in January 2026 (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Chevron (operator, 70%) and HELLENiQ ENERGY (30%) signed leases for four blocks, with 2D and 3D seismic planned (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Greenpeace/Pelagos survey track line, September 2021","value":5971,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Hellenic Trench visual-acoustic survey (ref 2)."},{"name":"Offshore blocks leased to Chevron and HELLENiQ","value":4,"unit":"blocks","status":"Reported","note":"South Crete 1 and 2, South Peloponnese, Block A2 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Naftemporiki names licensing, environmental issues and offshore infrastructure as the conditions for success (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy","role":"Licensor"},{"name":"Hellenic Parliament","role":"Ratifies lease agreements"}],"public_contact":"The ministry's published general channel (see the ministry website).","corrective_actions":["Lease agreements signed on 16 February 2026, pending ratification (ref 4).","Seismic surveys planned for autumn 2026 in the two blocks south of Crete (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Study finds endangered whales in offshore lease blocks off Crete","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2023-10-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/study-finds-endangered-whales-in-offshore-lease-blocks-off-crete","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Greenpeace report on seismic testing near Crete and whales and dolphins","publisher":"Greenpeace","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/51688/total-exxon-seismic-testing-whales-dolphins-oil-gas/","basis":"NGO press release (page shows no explicit date; survey was September 2021)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hydrocarbons in Greece: critical points that will judge the success of the project","publisher":"Naftemporiki","date":"2026-01-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.naftemporiki.gr/english/2056015/hydrocarbons-in-greece-critical-points-that-will-judge-the-success-of-the-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Chevron and HELLENiQ secure offshore Greece exploration leases","publisher":"World Oil","date":"2026-02-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldoil.com/news/2026/2/16/chevron-and-helleniq-secure-offshore-greece-exploration-leases/","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Parliamentary ratification status as of October 2026 was not found.","Coordinates are a general point on the south coast of Crete from the place named in refs 1-4; the blocks have no published centre point in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-CRETE-MARITIMEMOU-2025"]},{"id":"OC-MED-CYPRUS-CRONOSGAS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cyprus Cronos gas field approved for development while Turkey calls the Cyprus-Egypt gas agreement null and void","description":"Eni and TotalEnergies took a final investment decision on 28 July 2026 on the Cronos field in Cyprus Block 6, with gas to be piped to Egypt for liquefaction and first gas targeted for 2028. In February 2025 Turkish defence sources, as reported by Turkish Minute citing Hurriyet, called the Cyprus-Egypt agreement behind this route null and void and said it ignores Turkish Cypriot interests. The opened sources do not discuss environmental impacts.","location":{"name":"Cronos field, Cyprus Block 6","type":"Offshore gas field","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CY","EG","TR"],"detail":"Deepwater Block 6 in the Cyprus EEZ, about 185 km southwest of the Cypriot coast; gas to Zohr and Damietta in Egypt","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A new offshore gas development in a contested Eastern Mediterranean setting.","secondary_drivers":["Gas development","Unresolved Cyprus problem"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental impact or incident is reported in the opened pages, which do not discuss impacts (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishing, shipping or access restriction is reported (refs 1, 3).","scale":"One field in one licence block (ref 2).","duration":"Turkish objections were reported in February 2025 and the final investment decision followed in July 2026, with first gas in 2028 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Turkish defence officials issued a formal objection in February 2025 and the partners announced a final investment decision on 28 July 2026 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 3 Tcf of gas initially in place, four subsea wells, first gas targeted for 2028 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Gas initially in place","value":3,"unit":"Tcf (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"World Oil, 28 July 2026 (ref 1); Enerdata gives about 85 bcm (ref 2)."},{"name":"Production plateau","value":500,"unit":"MMcf/d (approx.)","status":"Reported","note":"World Oil (ref 1)."},{"name":"Subsea wells","value":4,"unit":"wells","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The development uses existing Egyptian processing at Zohr and liquefaction at Damietta LNG (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Eni (operator) and TotalEnergies","role":"Licensees, 50% each"},{"name":"Government of Cyprus","role":"Licensor"},{"name":"Government of Egypt","role":"Processing and export host"}],"public_contact":"Operators' and governments' published general channels (see their websites).","corrective_actions":["Final investment decision announced 28 July 2026 with commercial agreements for transport, processing and LNG (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Eni, TotalEnergies reach FID on Cyprus' Cronos gas development","publisher":"World Oil","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldoil.com/news/2026/7/28/eni-totalenergies-reach-fid-on-cyprus-cronos-gas-development","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"TotalEnergies and Eni take FID on the Cronos gas field (85 bcm) in Cyprus","publisher":"Enerdata","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/totalenergies-and-eni-take-fid-cronos-gas-field-85-bcm-cyprus.html","basis":"Energy news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Turkey slams hydrocarbon deal between Cyprus, Egypt","publisher":"Turkish Minute","date":"2025-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://turkishminute.com/2025/02/20/turkey-slams-hydrocarbon-deal-between-cyprus-egypt-report5/","basis":"News (reporting Turkish defence sources via Hurriyet)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No coordinates are published in the opened pages; the field is described only as about 185 km southwest of Cyprus.","Environmental assessment status is not covered in the opened pages."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-CRETE-MARITIMEMOU-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dispute over the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum and Greek maritime zones south of Crete","description":"Greece says the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum ignores Crete and has no legal force because Libya's parliament did not ratify it. In 2025 the eastern Libyan parliament set up a technical committee on the memorandum, and in December 2025 its speaker called it illegitimate but open to renegotiation, according to FDD's Long War Journal. The opened sources report no Greece-Libya boundary agreement.","location":{"name":"Sea between Crete and Libya","type":"Maritime boundary dispute","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GR","LY","TR"],"detail":"Eastern Mediterranean between Crete (and possibly Gavdos) and the Libyan coast; Cyprus and Egypt have also objected","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A maritime boundary and treaty dispute over continental shelf and EEZ rights.","secondary_drivers":["Competing EEZ claims","Hydrocarbon licensing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or human harm is reported in the dispute coverage (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported; the dispute concerns future exploration rights (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The claims span a stretch of the eastern Mediterranean involving three states (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The memorandum dates from November 2019 and remained unresolved in December 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"To Vima reports a Libyan appeals court annulled it in November 2019 (ref 1), and a related To Vima article summarised in ref 2 reports Cyprus wrote to the UN Secretary-General calling it illegal."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Under the memorandum Libya would recognise only six nautical miles of territorial waters for Crete, per To Vima (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Crete territorial sea recognised under the memorandum","value":6,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"To Vima description of the text (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["To Vima says ratification would open the way for Turkish hydrocarbon exploration in waters Libya and Greece both claim (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs","role":"Party to the dispute"},{"name":"Libyan House of Representatives","role":"Has not ratified the memorandum"},{"name":"Government of Turkey","role":"Party to the memorandum"}],"public_contact":"The ministries' published general channels (see their websites).","corrective_actions":["Greece rejects the memorandum under UNCLOS and proposes a median line (ref 2).","Eastern Libyan parliament technical committee, June 2025 (ref 1).","Haftar and Egyptian president started maritime demarcation talks on 12 December 2025, per FDD (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Libyan Parliament Eyes Committee to Study Maritime Deal with Turkey","publisher":"To Vima","date":"2025-06-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tovima.com/politics/libyan-parliament-eyes-comt-to-study-maritime-deal-with-turkey","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bloomberg: East Libya Lawmakers Eyeing Vote on Maritime Deal With Turkey","publisher":"To Vima","date":"2025-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tovima.com/politics/bloomberg-east-libya-lawmakers-eyeing-vote-on-maritime-deal-with-turkey","basis":"News (relaying a Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Libyan parliament speaker claims maritime deal with Turkey invalid but open to renegotiation","publisher":"FDD's Long War Journal","date":"2025-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/12/libyan-parliament-speaker-claims-maritime-deal-with-turkey-invalid-but-open-to-renegotiation.php","basis":"Think-tank news analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2026 source on a ratification vote was found; the latest opened source is December 2025.","Greek outlets and a US think tank are the sources, so claims are attributed to them; no Libyan or Turkish primary statements were opened."],"related_ids":["OC-MED-CRETE-HYDROCARBON-2026"]},{"id":"OC-MED-MEDSEA-MPA30X30-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mediterranean marine protected areas cover 9% of the sea, 0.07% strictly protected, far short of 30% by 2030","description":"MedPAN, citing the MAPAMED 2024 edition, reports that 9.0% of the Mediterranean is protected across 1,152 designated areas, with 0.07% strictly protected. Its 2025 management survey found 23% of surveyed areas have a management plan. At the 2019 to 2024 pace MedPAN estimates about 150 years to reach 30%, and 97.5% of the designated area lies on the northern shore.","location":{"name":"Mediterranean MPA network","type":"Marine protected area network","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AL","DZ","BA","HR","CY","EG","FR","GR","IL","IT","LB","LY","MT","MC","ME","MA","SI","ES","SY","TN","TR"],"detail":"Whole Mediterranean Sea; target set by CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3 and the Barcelona Convention regional strategy","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat protection coverage and management shortfall against the 30x30 target.","secondary_drivers":["Slow designation pace","Weak management capacity"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"MedPAN reports only 0.07% of the sea is strictly protected and invasive species pressure is high in 8% of MPAs basin-wide, a limited protection gap rather than a documented loss (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported; the finding concerns protection coverage (ref 1).","scale":"The figures cover the whole Mediterranean and 1,152 designated MPAs (ref 1).","duration":"MedPAN counts growth of 0.7 points over 2019 to 2024 and projects a decades-long gap (ref 1).","significance":"The 30% by 2030 goal is a formal target under CBD Target 3 and the Barcelona Convention strategy (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"9.0% of the Mediterranean (225,163 km2) is protected, against a 30% target for 2030 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area under any protected status (end 2024)","value":9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"MAPAMED 2024 edition via MedPAN (ref 1)."},{"name":"Strictly or fully protected area","value":0.07,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"No-take, no-access or no-fishing, per MedPAN (ref 1)."},{"name":"Surveyed MPAs with a management plan","value":23,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"263 MPAs surveyed, MedPAN 2025 database (ref 1)."},{"name":"Designated MPAs","value":1152,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"End 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"MedPAN","role":"Network of MPA managers; author of the status analysis","contact":"https://medpan.org"},{"name":"UNEP/MAP SPA/RAC and Barcelona Convention parties","role":"MAPAMED database and regional strategy"}],"public_contact":"MedPAN's published contact page on medpan.org.","corrective_actions":["MedPAN Mediterranean MPA Forum, Alexandria, 15 to 17 December 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Where does the Mediterranean Sea stand today in terms of protection?","publisher":"MedPAN","date":"2026-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://medpan.org/en/news/where-does-mediterranean-sea-stand-today-terms-protection","basis":"Network analysis (MAPAMED 2024 and MedPAN database)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one dated source was opened; the full 2025 MPA status report is due in late 2026 and was not available.","Country list is the 21 Barcelona Convention parties as the 30x30 target covers the whole sea."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-NADRIATIC-INAGAS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Croatian gas drilling campaign expands in the northern Adriatic while the sunken Ivana D platform remains","description":"INA completed the Ana-4 DIR gas well in the northern Adriatic in July 2026, the first of five wells in a EUR 65 million campaign (OE Digital), and Il Nord Est reports a EUR 86 million plan for three new wells to be completed by end 2026. Il Nord Est notes that the Ivana D platform, which sank on 5 December 2020 about 40 miles off Pula, is still in place with its well sealed, and that Greenpeace and other groups want it removed. INA says the new well was drilled without incidents.","location":{"name":"Northern Adriatic gas fields off Pula","type":"Offshore gas field","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["HR"],"detail":"Sjeverni Jadran production field, Croatian waters of the northern Adriatic; Ivana D platform about 40 miles off Pula","coordinates":{"lat":44.87,"lon":13.85,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Expansion of offshore gas production and an unresolved decommissioning question.","secondary_drivers":["Gas drilling expansion","Abandoned platform"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Ivana D platform sank in December 2020 at 43 metres depth with its well under a steel cover, and groups want it removed; no leak is reported in the 2026 articles (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported in the 2026 articles (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Fields and wells lie in Croatian waters off Pula, a local area (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The platform has been in place since December 2020 and drilling phases run from 2025 to end 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Only company announcements and press reports are cited; no regulatory notice or order appears in the opened pages (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ana-4 DIR (total depth 1,282 m) initially flowed about 160,000 m3 a day of gas from three reservoirs, per INA (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Initial test flow, Ana-4 DIR","value":160000,"unit":"m3/day","status":"Reported","note":"INA statement reported by OE Digital, 22 July 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Campaign cost reported","value":65,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Il Nord Est, 25 August 2026, gives EUR 65 million for phase 2; OE Digital gives the same figure for the five-well programme (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["INA says the wells support Croatian gas supply security (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"INA (MOL Group)","role":"Operator"},{"name":"Greenpeace and other environmental groups","role":"Call for removal of the Ivana D platform"}],"public_contact":"INA's published general channel (see the company website).","corrective_actions":["Drilling continues with the Labin jack-up rig; the next location is IKA JZ-6 DIR (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"INA Completes First Well in Adriatic Sea Drilling Campaign off Croatia","publisher":"OE Digital","date":"2026-07-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oedigital.com/amp/news/541410-ina-completes-first-well-in-adriatic-sea-drilling-campaign-off-croatia","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Gas in Alto Adriatico, la croata Ina investe 86 milioni per tre nuovi pozzi","publisher":"il Nord Est","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ilnordest.it/oltre-confine/ina-investimenti-gas-nuovi-pozzi-alto-adriatico-rbhsacyr","basis":"News (Italian)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Ivana D point rests on one passing mention in an Italian article; no second source or regulator statement was opened.","Coordinates are for Pula, the named reference point, not the platform."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-MED-SICILYCHANNEL-FLOATWIND-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Floating wind in the Sicily Channel: first Italian approval for 7SeasMed after regional objections, and a 1.14 GW project filed","description":"In 2022 the Sicilian Regional Assembly environment committee opposed floating wind projects west of the Egadi Islands, citing archaeology, fishing and shipping. In March 2024 the Italian environment ministry approved the environmental impact assessment for 7SeasMed, a 250 MW floating farm about 32 km off Marsala. In June 2026 a consortium filed an assessment application for a 1.14 GW project, Dentice, 22 to 40 km off Agrigento.","location":{"name":"Sicily Channel floating wind sites","type":"Offshore wind lease area","sea":"MED","seas":["MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IT"],"detail":"Strait of Sicily off Marsala (7SeasMed) and Agrigento (Dentice, formerly Sicily South), Italy","coordinates":{"lat":37.31,"lon":13.58,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":37.8,"lon":12.43,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"7SeasMed floating wind, about 32 km off Marsala"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Permitting and local-opposition process for offshore wind.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore wind permitting","Regional opposition"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental harm is documented; the 2022 objections cite potential effects only (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"Mayors and the regional committee raised fishing and navigation concerns, but no restriction is in force (ref 3).","scale":"Two project sites off the south and west Sicilian coast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Proposals run from 2022 objections to the March 2024 approval and a June 2026 filing (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The environment ministry approved the 7SeasMed EIA in March 2024, the first such Italian floating wind approval, and the Dentice application is pending (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"7SeasMed is 250 MW and Dentice 1.14 GW; both are floating wind in the Strait of Sicily (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"7SeasMed planned capacity","value":250,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Oenergetice, 2 April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dentice planned capacity","value":1.14,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"La Sicilia, 25 June 2026; seabed depths 280 to 650 m (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Oenergetice says 7SeasMed would cover about 5% of Sicily's electricity consumption (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security","role":"Environmental impact assessment authority"},{"name":"Sicilian Regional Assembly","role":"Regional body that opposed projects in 2022"}],"public_contact":"The ministry's published general channel (see the ministry website).","corrective_actions":["EIA approved for 7SeasMed in March 2024 (ref 1).","Dentice has submitted its EIA application and plans to seek support through FER II auctions (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Italy opens the door to floating wind farms off Sicily's coast","publisher":"oenergetice.cz","date":"2024-04-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oenergetice.cz/obnovitelne-zdroje/italie-otevira-dvere-plovoucim-vetrnym-elektrarnam-u-brehu-sicilie","basis":"News (Czech)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Energia pulita per il Sud: l'eolico offshore prende il largo nelle acque agrigentine","publisher":"La Sicilia","date":"2026-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lasicilia.it/news/economia/3052183/energia-pulita-per-il-sud-l-eolico-offshore-prende-il-largo-nelle-acque-agrigentine.html","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Legambiente: parco eolico offshore Egadi (ARS commission resolution)","publisher":"BlogSicilia","date":"2022-02-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.blogsicilia.it/trapani/legambiente-parco-eolico-offshore-egadi/689808/","basis":"News (Italian)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Si alle estrazioni di gas e no all'eolico: il caso della Sicilia","publisher":"greenMe","date":"2022-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenme.it/energia/sicilia-italia-rinnovabili/","basis":"News (Italian)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (MED in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The exact March 2024 approval date is not stated in ref 1 (\"last week\" in an article of 2 April 2024).","Whether the 7SeasMed project was later built or challenged is not covered in opened sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"secondary_drivers":["Crown-of-thorns starfish predation","Sediment and wastewater runoff"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-CONDAO-BLEACHING-2024","title":"Mass coral bleaching and die-off at Con Dao after 32 C seawater in 2024","description":"Con Dao National Park and the Institute of Oceanography surveyed the archipelago in early June 2024 and found 80 to 100% of eastern reefs and up to 70% of western reefs bleached, with about 20% and 10% dead respectively. Seawater at Hon Tai was measured at 32 C, above the 24 to 30 C range corals normally tolerate. The park board proposed limiting seafood harvesting, swimming and diving for three months and postponing coral restoration.","location":{"name":"Con Dao Islands, Ba Ria-Vung Tau","type":"Coral reef national park","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Con Dao archipelago (Con Son island), southern Vietnam, South China Sea.","coordinates":{"lat":8.69,"lon":106.61,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Marine heat stress is the documented driver of the bleaching.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Eastern Con Dao reefs were 80 to 100% bleached with about 20% of coral dead, western reefs up to 70% bleached with nearly 10% dead (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The park board proposed restricting seafood exploitation, swimming and diving services for three months, which would affect tour operators (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The bleaching was surveyed at eight locations around Con Son island, so it is a single archipelago rather than a coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Bleaching began in mid-May and was forecast to last to 20 June 2024, so it ran for months not days (ref 1).","significance":"The Con Dao National Park management board formally announced the bleaching on 10 June 2024 and issued recommendations (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Eastern Con Dao: 80% to 100% of coral bleached, about 20% dead (Tuoi Tre, 11 June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral bleached, eastern Con Dao","value":null,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as a 80 to 100% range; June 2-5 2024 survey (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral bleached, western Con Dao","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Upper bound of the reported 60 to 70% range (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Seawater temperature at Hon Tai, 8.6 m and 14.2 m depth","value":32,"unit":"degC","status":"Reported","note":"Normal coral tolerance given as 24 to 30 C (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Park board proposed limiting swimming, diving services and seafood harvest for three months (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Both reports describe the June 2024 survey only; earlier Con Dao bleaching years named are 1998, 2000, 2002, 2010, 2016 and 2019 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Con Dao National Park management board","role":"Park manager","contact":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/coral-bleaching-requires-reduction-in-seafood-exploitation-diving-in-vietnams-con-dao-archipelago-10380360.htm"},{"name":"Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology","role":"Survey partner","contact":"https://asianews.network/?p=152315"}],"public_contact":"Con Dao National Park management board; no direct channel appears in the cited articles.","corrective_actions":["Postpone coral restoration planned for July 2024 (ref 1).","Collect crown-of-thorns starfish and run a second reef survey (ref 1).","Limit seafood harvest, swimming and diving for three months (proposed, ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coral bleaching requires reduction in seafood exploitation, diving in Vietnam's Con Dao archipelago","publisher":"Tuoi Tre News (citing Vietnam News Agency)","date":"2024-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/coral-bleaching-requires-reduction-in-seafood-exploitation-diving-in-vietnams-con-dao-archipelago-10380360.htm","basis":"News (park board survey)"},{"ref":2,"title":"High water temperature causes mass coral bleaching, death in Vietnam's Con Dao","publisher":"Viet Nam News via Asia News Network","date":"2024-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=152315","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"secondary_drivers":["2024 global coral bleaching event"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The first source does not name the South China Sea; the sites are on the west Luzon coast."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-LUZON-BLEACHING-2025","title":"Severe coral bleaching and hard coral loss on west Luzon reefs after record 2024 sea temperatures","description":"The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute monitored reefs along the west coast of Luzon from 2022 to 2025. At Bolinao and Anda (Pangasinan) and Iba (Zambales), 60 to 77% of hard corals were bleached, mostly severely, and hard coral cover fell 51 to 59% in two years. Researchers tie the damage to the record sea temperatures of the 2024 global bleaching event.","location":{"name":"Bolinao, Anda and Iba reefs","type":"Coral reef sites","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"West Luzon coast facing the South China Sea (called the West Philippine Sea in the source): Pangasinan and Zambales provinces.","coordinates":{"lat":16.38,"lon":119.9,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":16.38,"lon":119.9,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Bolinao"},{"lat":16.27,"lon":119.97,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Anda"},{"lat":15.33,"lon":119.98,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Iba"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Record sea surface temperatures during the 2024 global bleaching event drove the coral loss.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Severely bleached Bolinao, Anda and Iba sites lost 51 to 59% of hard coral cover in two years (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The institute article reports no fishery or tourism restriction linked to the bleaching (ref 1).","scale":"Bleaching varied across several provinces from Pangasinan to Batangas and Mindoro, a stretch of national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Monitoring ran from 2022 to 2025 and the 2025 analysis finds cumulative heat stress high since 2015 (ref 2).","significance":"The sources are a scientific institute article and a peer-reviewed analysis, with no regulator notice (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In Bolinao and Anda (Pangasinan) and Iba (Zambales), 60%-77% of hard corals were bleached, mostly severely."},"measures":[{"name":"Hard corals bleached at the worst sites (upper bound)","value":77,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as 60 to 77%; Bolinao, Anda, Iba (ref 1)."},{"name":"Loss of hard coral cover at severely bleached sites (upper bound)","value":59,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as 51 to 59% in two years (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maximum Degree Heating Weeks at Lingayen Gulf in 2022","value":8.94,"unit":"degC-weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Peak in July and August 2022 in a 1985 to 2022 analysis of 12 Philippine coral habitats (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The 2025 analysis reports rapidly increasing marine environmental vulnerability of Philippine coral habitats, now across almost the whole coastline (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute","role":"Reef monitoring (research)","contact":"https://pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/quick-information-dispatch-qid-articles/boosting-coral-reef-resilience-through-marine-heatwave-tracking-and-coral-reef-monitoring"},{"name":"DOST-PCAARRD","role":"Research funder, Marine Heatwave Tracker","contact":"https://pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/"}],"public_contact":"DOST-PCAARRD published channels at pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph.","corrective_actions":["Daily Marine Heatwave Tracker for Philippine seas developed with DOST-PCAARRD support (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Boosting coral reef resilience through marine heatwave tracking and coral reef monitoring","publisher":"DOST-PCAARRD (Baria-Rodriguez, UP Marine Science Institute)","date":"2025-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/quick-information-dispatch-qid-articles/boosting-coral-reef-resilience-through-marine-heatwave-tracking-and-coral-reef-monitoring","basis":"Agency article"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spatiotemporal dynamics of marine heatwaves and ocean acidification affecting coral environments in the Philippines (Macagga and Hsu, Remote Sensing 17(6):1048)","publisher":"Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center summary","date":"2025-03-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2025/03/21/spatiotemporal-dynamics-of-marine-heatwaves-and-ocean-acidification-affecting-coral-environments-in-the-philippines/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study summary"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"secondary_drivers":["Monitoring gap"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The conference poster finds no positive heatwave-linked bleaching burden for southern China, while the 2020 Beibu Gulf event is cited in the Xisha paper as severe (refs 1, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The conference poster (ref 1) is not peer reviewed and carries no publication date on the page."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-REGION-MHWBLEACHING-2025","title":"South China Sea marine heatwaves linked to bleaching, but satellite alerts miss most events","description":"A Frontiers in Marine Science study found NOAA Coral Reef Watch default thresholds detected only about 17.7% of recorded bleaching events in the South China Sea. A 2026 conference poster reports that bleaching is about five times more likely during marine heatwaves off southern Vietnam. A separate study found 208 subsurface marine heatwaves around the Xisha area in 1992 to 2021, most with no surface signal.","location":{"name":"South China Sea","type":"Regional sea","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN","VN","PH","MY"],"detail":"Studies span southern Vietnam, the Philippines, Palawan and North Borneo, southern China and the Xisha (Paracel) area.","coordinates":{"lat":16.5,"lon":112,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"The finding documents marine heat extremes and how they track coral heat stress.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Bleaching is 5 times more likely during marine heatwaves off southern Vietnam, a potential reef risk rather than a single measured loss (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the three research sources reports a fishery or tourism restriction (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The studies span the whole sea from southern Vietnam to the Philippines, Palawan and Xisha (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Bleaching records run from 1982 to 2025 and subsurface heatwave intensity rose 1.53 degC-days per year over 1992 to 2021 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Two peer-reviewed papers and a conference poster, with no agency notice or listing (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA thresholds (1 degC Hotspot, 4 degC-weeks DHW) detected only about 17.7% of recorded bleaching events in the South China Sea."},"measures":[{"name":"Bleaching events detected by NOAA default alert thresholds","value":17.7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"305 bleaching records among 2,182 shallow-site records (ref 2)."},{"name":"Subsurface marine heatwave events, Xisha region 1992 to 2021","value":208,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"About 1.56 events per year, average 23 days; 81.73% had no clear surface signal (ref 3)."},{"name":"Increase in likelihood of bleaching during marine heatwaves, southern Vietnam","value":5,"unit":"times","status":"Reported","note":"Conference poster, 1982 to 2025 records (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Subsurface marine heatwave intensity increased by 1.53 degC-days per year (ref 3); CMIP6-based projections cited there suggest longer, stronger heatwaves."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch","role":"Satellite coral heat-stress alerts","contact":"https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch published channels at coralreefwatch.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["The authors propose region-specific lower thresholds (about 0.47 degC Hotspot and 2.65 degC-weeks DHW) for early warning (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Quantifying marine heatwave-attributable coral bleaching across the South China Sea (poster, Guan and Zhang, 22nd PAMS)","publisher":"Pacific-Asian Marginal Seas Meeting abstract","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aconf.org/conf_220485/contribution/41.html","basis":"Conference abstract"},{"ref":2,"title":"Adjusting NOAA Coral Reef Watch heat-stress thresholds for the South China Sea (Liu, Foo and Guan)","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2024-11-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1438087/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"The spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of subsurface marine heatwaves in the Xisha Region","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2024-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1399096/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Groundwater extraction","Urbanization"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Figures come from news coverage of seminars; the underlying survey reports were not opened."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-HOCHIMINH-SUBSIDENCE-2025","title":"Ho Chi Minh City sinking 2 to 5 cm a year, double the pace of sea level rise","description":"A 2024 seminar and a late-August 2025 seminar at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment reported that the city is subsiding about 2 to 5 cm a year over roughly 239 sq km, and 7 to 8 cm a year in some commercial zones. Officials say subsidence plus high tides and heavy rain is worsening waterlogging. Sinking began around 1990 and the worst areas dropped 44 to 73 cm over a decade.","location":{"name":"Ho Chi Minh City","type":"Coastal megacity","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Southern Vietnam on the Saigon River; worst sinking in Binh Tan, Binh Chanh, District 8, Nha Be and parts of Thu Duc.","coordinates":{"lat":10.78,"lon":106.7,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Land subsidence compounds sea level rise and tidal flood exposure.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Subsidence could damage infrastructure and residential areas and causes severe waterlogging, but no loss figure was given (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Waterlogging disrupts daily life and socio-economic activity across the affected districts (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The 239 sq km affected area is within one city (ref 1).","duration":"Subsidence has run since about 1990, with 2005 to 2014 surveys showing about 10 cm average sinking (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The city environment department and the national ministry were tasked with monitoring after a 2013 government assignment (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for the affected 239 sq km in the cited articles."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The city is sinking at an average of two to five centimeters per year, with 7 to 8 cm per year in weak-foundation commercial zones."},"measures":[{"name":"Area affected by subsidence","value":239,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Seminar figure reported 9 November 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Subsidence in the fastest commercial zones (upper bound)","value":8,"unit":"cm/yr","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as 7 to 8 cm per year (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sinking at An Lac Ward, Binh Tan over ten years","value":73.3,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Post-2014 monitoring (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Tidal flood control phase 1 budget VND10 trillion (about US$379 million), 93.33% complete (ref 2).","Rainfall flood works complete on 5 of 18 main streets (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Reports from November 2024 and September 2025 give the same 2 to 5 cm per year range, with the city still sinking."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment","role":"City environment agency","contact":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/news/society/20241109/ho-chi-minh-city-sinking-2fold-faster-than-sea-level-rise/82848.html"},{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Vietnam)","role":"National monitoring","contact":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/news/society/20241109/ho-chi-minh-city-sinking-2fold-faster-than-sea-level-rise/82848.html"}],"public_contact":"City Department of Natural Resources and Environment; no channel appears in the cited articles.","corrective_actions":["Groundwater extraction restricted by the city after 2010 (ref 1).","Tidal flood control project phase 1 under construction (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ho Chi Minh City sinking 2-fold faster than sea level rise","publisher":"Tuoi Tre News","date":"2024-11-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/news/society/20241109/ho-chi-minh-city-sinking-2fold-faster-than-sea-level-rise/82848.html","basis":"News (seminar report)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ho Chi Minh City's severe land subsidence heightens flood risks: study","publisher":"Tuoi Tre News","date":"2025-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/ho-chi-minh-citys-severe-land-subsidence-heightens-flood-risks-study-103250915163107199.htm","basis":"News (seminar report)"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Heavy rainfall","Land subsidence"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Vietcetera page shows \"Oct 04\" without a year; date left null and the year inferred from its September 2026 reference.","Old Binh Duong localities appear in the Tuoi Tre report under Ho Chi Minh City; administrative boundaries were not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-HOCHIMINH-SUBSIDENCE-2025"],"id":"OC-SCS-HOCHIMINH-TIDALFLOOD-2025","title":"Record high tides and flooding in Ho Chi Minh City in September to December 2025","description":"High tides on the Saigon River reached 1.52 to 1.57 m on 10 September 2025 and flooded streets. On 25 October a 1.87 m tide at Thu Dau Mot was 7 cm above its historical high; one person died and dozens of homes were submerged. Peaks of 1.65 to 1.7 m were forecast for 5 to 6 December. The city's tidal flood control project is about 95% complete and expected to be handed over in November 2026.","location":{"name":"Saigon River tidal reach","type":"Tidal river and urban coast","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Ho Chi Minh City and the adjoining Thu Dau Mot area, southern Vietnam; Mekong Delta cities also flooded.","coordinates":{"lat":10.77,"lon":106.74,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Tidal and sea level driven flooding of a coastal city.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"One person died when floodwaters swept away a temporary home, dozens of homes were submerged and 106 m of canal embankment breached (ref 1).","livelihoods":"42.5 ha of crops, roads and vehicles were damaged in the city, and streets were flooded at rush hour (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The documented impacts are in Ho Chi Minh City and adjoining wards (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Floods were reported in September, October and forecast for December 2025, and the control project has run since 2016 (refs 2, 3, 4).","significance":"Authorities cited level-three flood alerts, and the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center reported the record readings (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for the flooded areas."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Thu Dau Mot Ward recorded a 1.87 m tide, 7 cm above its historical high (25 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak tide at Thu Dau Mot, 25 October 2025","value":1.87,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"7 cm above the station's previous record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Saigon River high tide, 10 September 2025","value":1.57,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as 1.52 to 1.57 m; near or above level-three alert (ref 2)."},{"name":"Crops damaged in the city, October 2025 flood","value":42.5,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Plus roads and vehicles (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Tidal Flood Control Project phase 1 costs nearly VND10 trillion (about US$400 million) and stalled for about six years (ref 4).","Dong Thap province estimated VND8.62 billion (US$327,700) in October losses (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A station record fell in October 2025 after high tides in September and forecasts of 1.65 to 1.7 m peaks in December (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center","role":"Tide forecasts and warnings","contact":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/record-floods-in-ho-chi-minh-city-southern-vietnam-kill-1-submerge-homes-crops-103251026085920743.htm"},{"name":"Ho Chi Minh City authorities","role":"Flood control project owner","contact":"https://vietcetera.com/en/drowning-in-traffic-waiting-for-tides-can-saigons-400m-megaproject-hold-up"}],"public_contact":"Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center; no channel appears in the cited articles.","corrective_actions":["Tidal Flood Control Project phase 1: six major tide gates, 7.8 km of embankments, pumps and SCADA, handover expected November 2026 (ref 4).","City proposed 19 more embankment and sluice projects in September 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Record floods in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam kill 1, submerge homes, crops","publisher":"Tuoi Tre News","date":"2025-10-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/record-floods-in-ho-chi-minh-city-southern-vietnam-kill-1-submerge-homes-crops-103251026085920743.htm","basis":"News (hydro-meteorological data)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ho Chi Minh City residents wade through flooded streets at rush hour as high tide hits again","publisher":"Tuoi Tre News","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/ho-chi-minh-city-residents-wade-through-flooded-streets-at-rush-hour-as-high-tide-hits-again-103250911175621743.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Saigon River tides forecast to peak December 5-6","publisher":"DTiNews (Dan Tri)","date":"2025-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/print/20251203161710327.htm","basis":"News (forecast)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Drowning in traffic, waiting for tides: can Saigon's $400M megaproject hold up?","publisher":"Vietcetera","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vietcetera.com/en/drowning-in-traffic-waiting-for-tides-can-saigons-400m-megaproject-hold-up","basis":"News feature"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Groundwater extraction","Typhoons"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 11 cm figure comes from AFP's summary of the Lagmay study; the study itself was not opened.","The cited reports are news; the DENR sea level figure is quoted, not read from a DENR page."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-MANILABAY-SUBSIDENCE-2025","title":"Bulacan coast on Manila Bay sinking about 11 cm a year with daily tidal flooding","description":"AFP reported in September 2025 that parts of Bulacan are sinking almost 11 cm a year, the fastest in the Philippines, according to a study led by geologist Mahar Lagmay. On Pugad Island in Hagonoy, about 2,500 people face high-tide flooding at least three times a week, with water up to 1.5 m. The environment department says Philippine sea level rise could accelerate to 13 mm a year, while a government study on the way forward is not due until 2028.","location":{"name":"Hagonoy and Bulakan, Bulacan","type":"Subsiding coastal municipalities","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Northern Manila Bay coast, Bulacan province, including Pugad Island in Hagonoy.","coordinates":{"lat":14.83,"lon":120.73,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Relative sea level rise from subsidence and global sea level rise is flooding the coast.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Pugad Island is flooded by tides at least three times a week with water up to 1.5 m and the village captain says life cannot return to normal (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Class schedules are planned around tide charts and shops raise goods on tables, but no community relocation is reported (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The documented impacts are in a few villages of Hagonoy and Bulakan (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Satellite monitoring showed Bulacan and Pampanga sinking since 2003 and roads are raised about every three years (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The DENR geosciences chief publicly confirmed sea level rise and a groundwater ban has applied in parts of Bulacan since 2004 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":2500,"status":"Reported","note":"About 2,500 residents in Pugad Island's single village (refs 1, 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Parts of Bulacan are sinking almost 11 cm (4.3 inches) a year, the fastest rate in the Philippines."},"measures":[{"name":"Subsidence rate in parts of Bulacan","value":11,"unit":"cm/yr","status":"Reported","note":"Study led by Mahar Lagmay, as reported by AFP (ref 1)."},{"name":"High-tide flooding on Pugad Island","value":3,"unit":"times per week","status":"Reported","note":"At least three times a week; up to 1.5 m of water (ref 1)."},{"name":"Possible Philippine sea level rise rate","value":13,"unit":"mm/yr","status":"Reported","note":"DENR statement that the rise could accelerate to 13 mm annually (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Roads raised about every three years (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Sinking continues and DENR says sea level rise could accelerate (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)","role":"National regulator","contact":"https://philippines.licas.news/2025/09/12/against-the-tide-filipinos-battle-rising-sea-on-sinking-island/"}],"public_contact":"DENR; no channel appears in the cited articles.","corrective_actions":["Groundwater extraction banned in parts of Bulacan since 2004 (ref 1).","Government study on the way forward not expected until 2028 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Against the tide: Filipinos battle rising sea on sinking island","publisher":"LiCAS.news (AFP)","date":"2025-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://philippines.licas.news/2025/09/12/against-the-tide-filipinos-battle-rising-sea-on-sinking-island/","basis":"News (AFP wire)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sinking island in Philippines: Community fights to survive","publisher":"Gulf News (AFP)","date":"2025-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/sinking-island-in-philippines-community-fights-to-survive-1.500271027","basis":"News (AFP wire)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sinking land and rising seas threaten Manila Bay's coastal communities","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2022-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18112022/sinking-land-and-rising-seas-threaten-manila-bays-coastal-communities/","basis":"News (older context)"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Observatory report tables with measured peak sea levels (Table 5) returned HTTP 404 when opened; only caption text and press-reported figures are used.","The Observatory report page shows no issue date."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-HONGKONG-STORMSURGE-2025","title":"Super Typhoon Ragasa storm surge floods Hong Kong coast in September 2025","description":"On 24 September 2025 the Hong Kong Observatory reported a significant storm surge that raised water levels more than 1.5 m, with Victoria Harbour peaking near 3.4 m above chart datum. Seawater flooded a hotel lobby at Ocean Park, Heng Fa Chuen, Tseung Kwan O and the Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, and the Drainage Services Department received 16 flood reports. The observatory report also lists flooding at Tai O, Lei Yue Mun and Tuen Mun.","location":{"name":"Hong Kong coast","type":"Coastal megacity shoreline","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Hong Kong SAR, Pearl River Delta; flooding at Ocean Park, Heng Fa Chuen, Shing Mun River, Tseung Kwan O, Tai O and Lei Yue Mun.","coordinates":{"lat":22.29,"lon":114.21,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal flooding from storm surge on an astronomical high tide.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A hotel lobby was flooded calf-deep, its glass door smashed and yachts damaged at Sai Kung, and AFP reports a mother and child critically injured after falling into the sea at Chai Wan, though the cause is not tied to the surge (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Rail on open sections was suspended, hundreds of flights cancelled and mariculture rafts at Cheung Sha Wan damaged (refs 3, 4).","scale":"Flooding was reported at many points around the territory and in Macau (refs 3, 4).","duration":"The surge peaked on 24 September 2025 and lasted hours (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Observatory issued its highest typhoon warning and later published a formal event report (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected by the surge; 760 people used shelters across Hong Kong (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Storm surge raised water levels by more than 1.5 metres across the territory; Victoria Harbour reached about 3.4 m above chart datum (TVB, 24 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak water level in Victoria Harbour","value":3.4,"unit":"m above chart datum","status":"Reported","note":"Observatory figure as reported by TVB (ref 2)."},{"name":"Flood reports to Drainage Services Department","value":16,"unit":"reports","status":"Reported","note":"Count at time of the early report (ref 2)."},{"name":"Long-term mean sea level rise, Victoria Harbour 1954 to 2025","value":32,"unit":"mm per decade","status":"Reported","note":"HKO tide gauge series corrected for land settlement (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Hotel lobby flooding and yacht damage (ref 2).","Mariculture rafts and facilities damaged at Cheung Sha Wan (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Mean sea level at Victoria Harbour has risen 32 mm per decade since 1954 (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hong Kong Observatory","role":"Warnings and tide records","contact":"https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/informtc/ragasa25/ragasa.html"},{"name":"Drainage Services Department","role":"Flood response","contact":"https://news.tvb.com/en/796699-RagasawreakshavocwithfloodwaterinundatingahotellobbyTKOandShaTin"}],"public_contact":"Hong Kong Observatory published channels at hko.gov.hk.","corrective_actions":["Hotel stepped up clean-up after flood barriers were swept away (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Video: Storm surge causes seawater flooding in Heng Fa Chuen and Shing Mun River","publisher":"The Standard (Hong Kong)","date":"2025-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestandard.com.hk/news/article/312347/Video-Storm-surge-causes-seawater-flooding-in-Heng-Fa-Chuen-and-Shing-Mun-River","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ragasa wreaks havoc with floodwater inundating a hotel lobby, TKO and Sha Tin","publisher":"TVB News","date":"2025-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tvb.com/en/796699-RagasawreakshavocwithfloodwaterinundatingahotellobbyTKOandShaTin","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"14 killed by lake burst in Taiwan as Super Typhoon Ragasa wreaks havoc","publisher":"The Jakarta Post (AFP)","date":"2025-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2025/09/24/14-killed-by-lake-burst-in-taiwan-as-super-typhoon-ragasa-wreaks-havoc","basis":"News (AFP wire)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Report on Super Typhoon Ragasa (2518)","publisher":"Hong Kong Observatory","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/informtc/ragasa25/ragasa.html","basis":"Agency report (figure captions)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Mean sea level rise in Hong Kong","publisher":"Hong Kong Observatory","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/climate_change/obs_hk_sea_level.htm","basis":"Agency page"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 1.37 m 2150 study (ref 2) was published in 2023, before the research window; it is used as context."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-SINGAPORE-SEALEVEL-2025","title":"Singapore plans coastal protection for offshore islands as sea level rise projections reach 1.15 m by 2100","description":"PUB announced on 27 June 2025 a Risk Assessment Study of sea level rise on eight offshore islands, citing the Third National Climate Change Study (January 2024) projection of up to 1.15 m by 2100. Four site-specific coastal studies are under way on the mainland. About 30% of Singapore is less than 5 m above mean sea level.","location":{"name":"Singapore and offshore islands","type":"City-state coast","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["SG"],"detail":"Pulau Tekong, the Southern Islands, Kusu, Sisters' Islands, Bukom, Hantu, Pawai and Senang, plus the mainland coast.","coordinates":{"lat":1.29,"lon":103.85,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"National sea level rise projections and adaptation planning.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Low-lying coastal areas and reclaimed land could face more frequent and extensive flooding; this is a projection, not a measured loss (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No restriction or disruption is reported in the PUB announcement or the study coverage (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The study covers eight islands plus four mainland coastal segments, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Sea level rise is gradual and chronic; the current rate is 4 mm a year and projections run to 2150 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"PUB issued a tender for a formal risk assessment on 27 June 2025 as part of national coastal planning (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for the studied coast."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mean sea levels around Singapore could rise by up to 1.15 metres by 2100 (Third National Climate Change Study, January 2024, as cited by PUB)."},"measures":[{"name":"Projected mean sea level rise by 2100 (upper bound)","value":1.15,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Third National Climate Change Study (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected sea level rise by 2150 under high emissions","value":1.37,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore study, 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Offshore islands in the PUB risk assessment","value":8,"unit":"islands","status":"Reported","note":"Tekong, Southern Islands, Kusu, Sisters' Islands, Bukom, Hantu, Pawai, Senang (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["About 30% of Singapore's land lies less than 5 m above mean sea level (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Current rise is about 4 mm a year, and the NTU study projects up to 1.37 m by 2150 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency","role":"Coastal protection","contact":"https://www.pub.gov.sg/Resources/News-Room/PressReleases/2025/06/PUB-to-conduct-Risk-Assessment-Study-to-evaluate-impact-of-sea-level-rise-on-offshore-islands"}],"public_contact":"PUB published channels at pub.gov.sg.","corrective_actions":["Risk Assessment Study of offshore islands, expected to start by 2026 (ref 1).","Site-specific coastal studies under way for City-East Coast, Jurong Island and the north-west coast (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"PUB to conduct Risk Assessment Study to evaluate impact of sea level rise on offshore islands","publisher":"PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency","date":"2025-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pub.gov.sg/Resources/News-Room/PressReleases/2025/06/PUB-to-conduct-Risk-Assessment-Study-to-evaluate-impact-of-sea-level-rise-on-offshore-islands","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"S'pore sea levels could rise by 1.37m come 2150; populated areas may be hit by regular flooding: Study","publisher":"The Straits Times via Asia News Network","date":"2023-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/spore-sea-levels-could-rise-by-1-37m-come-2150-populated-areas-may-be-hit-by-regular-flooding-study/","basis":"News (peer-reviewed study)"}]},{"id":"OC-SCS-ESCODA-CORALDIE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Near-total coral die-off at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal and crushed coral at Rozul Reef in the Spratlys","description":"Philippine Coast Guard dive surveys in August and September 2023 found crushed, apparently dumped coral at Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, and Philippine scientists who surveyed Escoda Shoal in June 2024 reported almost all corals dead. Manila attributes the damage to Chinese vessels; China's Ministry of Natural Resources said in August 2024 that habitat indices at the shoal were within the suitable range and that there was no scientific basis for the claim. No independent third-party assessment of cause has been published in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Escoda (Sabina) Shoal and Rozul Reef","type":"Spratly coral reef shoal","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"Spratly Islands, inside the Philippine EEZ per Manila (about 300 km from mainland Palawan); also claimed and occupied-adjacent by China as Xianbin Reef","coordinates":{"lat":9.75,"lon":116.467,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Documented loss of live reef cover at a Spratly shoal.","secondary_drivers":["Crushed or dumped coral","Vessel anchoring and grounding"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Philippine scientists reported almost 100% of corals dead across surveyed areas of Escoda Shoal in June 2024 (ref 3); the Coast Guard found crushed coral at Rozul Reef and Escoda in 2023 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Manila's task force says the damage jeopardises the livelihoods of thousands of fisherfolk (ref 4); no closure or catch loss is quantified in the sources.","scale":"The damage is at two named features, a shoal and a reef, not a regional sea (ref 3).","duration":"Coast Guard surveys ran August to September 2023 (ref 1) and scientists still found dead reef in June 2024 (ref 3), so the loss spans more than a year.","significance":"The Philippine foreign ministry expressed serious concern and cited the 2016 arbitral award (ref 1); no court case has been filed in the sources."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Anticamara: across all areas surveyed at Escoda Shoal, almost 100% of the corals were dead (UP scientists, June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Corals dead at Escoda Shoal (survey areas)","value":100,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Almost 100%' per lead scientist Jonathan Anticamara, early June 2024 survey (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["West Philippine Sea supplies 27 to 30 percent of Philippine capture fisheries, per a law professor quoted in ref 1.","Scientists quoted in ref 2 warned reef loss could affect fish stocks in the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and China."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Surveys in 2023 and 2024 both show severe damage; no repeat survey found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Survey and monitoring","contact":null},{"name":"University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute","role":"Scientific assessment","contact":null},{"name":"China Ministry of Natural Resources","role":"Counter-assessment","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Manila's task force called for an independent third-party marine scientific assessment (ref 4).","UP scientists surveyed Escoda Shoal in June 2024 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Senators warn of China 'playbook': Reef damage, then reclamation","publisher":"Asia News Network (Philippine Daily Inquirer)","date":"2023-09-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/senators-warn-of-china-playbook-reef-damage-then-reclamation/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"UP marine experts to assess damage to WPS corals","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2023-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/09/22/2298040/marine-experts-assess-damage-wps-corals/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"LOOK: Scientists find extensive bleaching, dead corals in Escoda Shoal","publisher":"IMOA.ph","date":"2024-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://imoa.ph/look-scientists-find-extensive-bleaching-dead-corals-in-escoda-shoal/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Philippines rejects China's accusation of environmental damage in South China Sea","publisher":"Interaksyon (Reuters)","date":"2024-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://interaksyon.philstar.com/politics-issues/2024/07/09/279020/philippines-rejects-chinas-accusation-of-environmental-damage-in-south-china-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"China says no scientific, factual basis for Philippines' damage claims at Sabina Shoal","publisher":"Arab News (Reuters)","date":"2024-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arabnews.com/node/2569384/amp","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Sabina Shoal","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabina_Shoal","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"China's Ministry of Natural Resources (Aug 2024, ref 5) reports key habitat indices within the suitable growth range and rejects the Philippine attribution; the Philippines attributes crushed coral to Chinese vessels (refs 1, 4)."}],"missing_fields":["Cause of the damage is disputed and no independent assessment was found; Rozul Reef has no coordinates from an opened source."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SCARBOROUGH-GIANTCLAM-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Giant clams and other protected marine animals removed from Scarborough Shoal since 2016, Philippines says","description":"In May 2024 the Philippine Coast Guard released photos and footage it says show Chinese fishermen, suspected maritime militia, harvesting large numbers of giant clams at Scarborough Shoal, with scarred coral nearby. The National Security Council says giant clams, sea turtles, puffer fish, stingrays and topshells were taken since 2016 and asked for an independent international audit. China did not categorically deny the allegations; the 2016 arbitral tribunal separately found that large-scale clam harvesting and reef destruction there caused serious harm.","location":{"name":"Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc)","type":"Coral reef atoll lagoon","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"About 120 nautical miles off Zambales, Philippines; controlled by China since 2012","coordinates":{"lat":15.183,"lon":117.767,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Removal of protected species and reef scarring at a single reef.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal harvesting of CITES-listed giant clams"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The coast guard said the clams photographed were 'the last remaining giant clams' it saw at the shoal and coral nearby looked badly scarred (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Philippine vessels have been blocked from entering the lagoon, limiting access (ref 1).","scale":"The harvest is at a single atoll (ref 2).","duration":"Harvesting is alleged since 2016, with visible activity photographed over several years and stopping in March 2019 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The 2016 arbitral tribunal found China responsible for harm through clam harvesting and reef destruction (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NSC: giant clams, sea turtles, puffer fish, stingrays, topshells and eels hauled away since 2016 (BenarNews, 21 May 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Years of alleged harvesting","value":8,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"2016 to 2024 per the coast guard and NSC (ref 2); activity stopped in March 2019 per ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Scarborough Shoal is a rich fishing ground off Zambales (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No monitoring since 2019 visible in the sources; access is blocked."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Surveillance and evidence","contact":null},{"name":"National Security Council (Philippines)","role":"Policy and demand for audit","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Manila urged China to open the shoal to inspection by UN bodies or environmental groups (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Philippines blames China for loss of giant clams in disputed shoal and urges environmental inquiry","publisher":"Arab News (Reuters)","date":"2024-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arabnews.com/node/2513536/world","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Philippines demands China 'open' Scarborough Shoal for global, environmental audit","publisher":"BenarNews / Radio Free Asia","date":"2024-05-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rfa.org/english/news/southchinasea/philippines-china-scarborough-audit-05212024143931.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"China's Scarborough 'nature reserve' a pretext for occupation: NSC","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2025-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/09/12/2472295/chinas-scarborough-nature-reserve-pretext-occupation-nsc/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Scarborough Shoal","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Shoal","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Allegations come from Philippine government evidence; no independent survey was found. China did not respond in detail (ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-SCARBOROUGH-CYANIDE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SCARBOROUGH-CYANIDE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Contested cyanide and coral-damage claims at Scarborough Shoal, and China's new nature reserve","description":"The Philippines said in 2024 that Chinese fishermen used cyanide and damaged coral at Scarborough Shoal; China said a government-led assessment found no cyanide, 109 reef-building coral species and excellent environmental quality. In September 2025 China's State Council approved a 3,523-hectare nature reserve focused on the coral reef, which Manila protested. No independent survey of the shoal's condition has been found.","location":{"name":"Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc)","type":"Coral reef atoll lagoon","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"About 120 nautical miles off Zambales, Philippines; controlled by China since 2012","coordinates":{"lat":15.183,"lon":117.767,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disputed reef condition and a protected-area designation at one atoll.","secondary_drivers":["Alleged cyanide fishing","Protected-area designation dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Cyanide and coral damage are alleged by Manila and denied by China, which reported cyanide not detected in seawater, sediment or fish (ref 1); condition is unverified.","livelihoods":"The State Council ordered stronger enforcement against 'illegal activities' in the reserve, which Philstar suggests could mean removal of foreign vessels (ref 3).","scale":"A single atoll; the reserve covers about one-third of the reef (ref 2).","duration":"Allegations date from February 2024 and the dispute continued through the September 2025 reserve decision (refs 1, 3).","significance":"State Council approved the reserve on 10 September 2025 and the Philippine foreign ministry filed a protest (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"China's assessment: 109 reef-building coral species and 125 reef fish species recorded, cyanide not detected (Reuters via Interaksyon, 11 July 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nature reserve area approved by China","value":3523,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"State Council approval 10 September 2025; 3,523-hectare 'Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve' (ref 3)."},{"name":"Reef-building coral species counted","value":109,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"Chinese government-led assessment reported by Xinhua and Reuters (ref 1); not independently verified."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Scarborough is a rich fishing ground used by Filipino fishers (ref 3); access restrictions may follow reserve enforcement."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One Chinese assessment (2024) and no independent survey."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":null},{"name":"China State Forestry and Grassland Administration","role":"Reserve authority","contact":null},{"name":"Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs","role":"Diplomatic protest","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Manila called for international inspection of the shoal (ref 1).","The Philippines filed a formal diplomatic protest over the reserve (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China says Scarborough Shoal waters 'excellent,' dismisses Philippine concerns","publisher":"Interaksyon (Reuters)","date":"2024-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://interaksyon.philstar.com/politics-issues/2024/07/11/279202/china-says-scarborough-shoal-waters-excellent-dismisses-philippine-concerns/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"China declares nature reserve at South China Sea flashpoint","publisher":"Newsweek","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://newsweek.com/china-declares-nature-reserve-south-china-sea-flashpoint-2128029","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Philippines protests China's plan to build 'nature reserve' at Scarborough","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/09/11/2472062/philippines-protests-china-plan-build-nature-reserve-scarborough/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Scarborough Shoal","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Shoal","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Philippines alleges cyanide fishing and coral damage; China's assessment reports no cyanide detected and excellent environmental quality (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No independent coral survey; the BFAR cyanide probe results were not found in opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-SCARBOROUGH-GIANTCLAM-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-PAGASA-ANCHOR-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chinese vessel's parachute anchor crushes about 464 square metres of reef off Pag-asa Cay 1","description":"A parachute anchor dropped from a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel in early June 2025 damaged about 464 square metres of coral reef at nine metres depth near Pag-asa Cay 1, including 307 square metres crushed. The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development found no grounding and recommended a penalty of about P11.2 million. The anchor remained on the seabed when reported in July 2025.","location":{"name":"Pag-asa Cay 1 reef","type":"Spratly coral reef","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"East of Pag-asa Cay 1, near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, Kalayaan, Palawan, Spratly Islands","coordinates":{"lat":11.05222,"lon":114.28333,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Physical reef damage from a vessel anchor.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel anchoring"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"PCSD documented 464 square metres of damaged reef including 307 square metres completely crushed, with about 30 percent of coral in the area damaged (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or livelihood disruption is documented; a PCSD biologist only linked coral loss to food security in general (ref 3).","scale":"One reef site east of one cay (ref 1).","duration":"The damage dates from 7 June 2025 and the anchor was still on the seabed in July 2025 (refs 1, 3), about seven weeks.","significance":"PCSD formally recommended a P11,159,040 penalty; no diplomatic protest or legal case had been filed (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"464 square metres of reef damaged, 307 square metres completely crushed, at 9 metres depth (Palawan Daily News, 21 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reef area damaged","value":464,"unit":"m2","status":"Reported","note":"PCSD assessment, early June 2025 incident (ref 2)."},{"name":"Reef area completely crushed","value":307,"unit":"m2","status":"Reported","note":"Under the anchor (ref 2)."},{"name":"Recommended environmental penalty","value":11159040,"unit":"PHP","status":"Reported","note":"PCSD recommendation against the vessel's foreign operator (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic loss other than the PCSD valuation of reef damage at P12,000 per square metre plus restoration (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD)","role":"Damage assessment and penalty","contact":null},{"name":"National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea","role":"Coordination","contact":null},{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Anchor retrieval","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The Philippine Coast Guard planned a retrieval operation for the anchor (ref 1).","PCSD advisers recommended penalties under the Fisheries Code and the Wildlife Act (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Corals worth P11M damaged by Chinese vessel off Pag-asa","publisher":"Philippine Daily Inquirer","date":"2025-07-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.inquirer.net/?p=449352","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Chinese Fishing Vessel damages coral reef near PAG-ASA, PCSD seeks P11-M penalty","publisher":"Palawan Daily News","date":"2025-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://palawandailynews.com/national-news/chinese-fishing-vessel-damages-coral-reef-near-pag-asa-pcsd-seeks-p11-m-penalty","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Decades of coral growth lost in minutes to Chinese anchor","publisher":"Palawan Daily News","date":"2025-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://palawandailynews.com/national-news/decades-of-coral-growth-lost-in-minutes-to-chinese-anchor/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pag-asa Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pag-asa_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates of Pag-asa Island, not the cay)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The National Security Council said the vessel ran aground for about three hours; PCSD found no signs of grounding and a parachute anchor (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Coordinates are of Pag-asa Island, not the cay; accounts differ on grounding (National Security Council said it ran aground, PCSD found no grounding)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SPRATLYS-ISLANDBUILD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Island-building has destroyed thousands of acres of Spratly reef, with Vietnam now nearing China's total","description":"The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative estimates that Vietnam's landfill and dredging in the Spratlys has destroyed about 4,120 acres (about 1,667 hectares) of reef, approaching China's earlier total, with China's reef destruction at about 6,224 acres. Vietnam has added artificial land at all 21 features it holds and has 15 harbours. The Philippines claims several of the reefs, and no environmental assessment by the builders was found.","location":{"name":"Spratly Islands reefs","type":"Coral reef island group","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN","CN","PH"],"detail":"Spratly Islands, central South China Sea, reclaimed by Vietnam and China on features also claimed by the Philippines","coordinates":{"lat":10,"lon":114,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Permanent reef loss from dredging and landfill.","secondary_drivers":["Dredging and land reclamation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"AMTI estimates reef destruction of about 4,120 acres by Vietnam and 6,224 acres by China (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery loss or displacement is documented in the cited sources (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"Reclamation spans 21 Vietnamese features plus Chinese-held reefs across the Spratly group (ref 1).","duration":"AMTI compares Vietnam's total with the reef China had destroyed by 2023 and reports 534 acres of new land in the year to May 2026 (ref 2).","significance":"The sources report satellite analysis by a think tank and no formal enforcement or ruling against the builders (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Vietnam's total reef destruction, landfill and dredged areas, is about 4,120 acres, approaching the total China had destroyed as measured in 2023 (AMTI, 8 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vietnam artificial land in Spratlys","value":2771,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"AMTI, May 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Vietnam reef destruction","value":4120,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Landfill plus dredged areas (ref 2); about 1,667 hectares reported by Manila Times (ref 3)."},{"name":"China reef destruction","value":6224,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Includes new Antelope Reef work in the Paracels (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Philippine fisheries claim; effect on fish stocks is not quantified in the sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Vietnam added about 534 acres in the year to May 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vietnam (reclaiming state)","role":"Builder","contact":null},{"name":"China (reclaiming state)","role":"Builder","contact":null},{"name":"Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, CSIS","role":"Monitoring","contact":"https://amti.csis.org/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action by the builders reported in the sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"No Islet Left Behind: Vietnam reclaims land at every remaining Spratly outpost","publisher":"AMTI, CSIS","date":"2025-08-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/no-islet-left-behind-vietnam-reclaims-land-at-every-remaining-spratly-outpost/","basis":"Think tank report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Keeping Score: Vietnam's Spratly island overhaul continues","publisher":"AMTI, CSIS","date":"2026-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/keeping-score-vietnams-spratly-island-overhaul-continues/","basis":"Think tank report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Vietnam building on PH-claimed reefs","publisher":"The Manila Times","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://test.manilatimes.net/2026/07/08/news/national/vietnam-building-on-ph-claimed-reefs/2380193","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Spratly Islands","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spratly_Islands","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No hectare figures in the AMTI article (acres only); the Manila Times article gives hectares. Per-feature coordinates not taken."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-ANTELOPE-RECLAMATION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-ANTELOPE-RECLAMATION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China reclaims about 1,490 acres of Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands","description":"China began major dredging at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands in October 2025, and by March 2026 satellite analysis showed about 1,490 acres of new land, larger than Woody Island. Vietnam protested the work in March 2026, and Reuters reported a first construction phase was complete in August 2026. The cited sources do not describe the environmental impact directly, but AMTI counts the new work in China's reef destruction total.","location":{"name":"Antelope Reef, Paracel Islands","type":"Coral reef atoll","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN","VN"],"detail":"Crescent group, southwestern Paracels, about 300 km from Sanya; also claimed by Vietnam","coordinates":{"lat":16.45,"lon":111.58,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Reef converted to land by dredging.","secondary_drivers":["Dredging and land reclamation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AMTI measured about 1,490 acres reclaimed (ref 1) and counts the Antelope work in China's 6,224 acres of reef destruction (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No livelihood effect is reported in the sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single atoll (ref 1).","duration":"Dredging began in October 2025 and a first phase completed in August 2026, about ten months (refs 1, 4).","significance":"Vietnam's foreign ministry formally protested the work (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"AMTI estimates the reclaimed area at about 6.02 square kilometres (1,490 acres), close to Mischief Reef (Reuters via RFA, 23 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reclaimed area","value":1490,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"AMTI satellite imagery measurement, March 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Dredging began October 2025 and construction continued into August 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"China (reclaiming state)","role":"Builder","contact":null},{"name":"Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs","role":"Protest","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Vietnam protested to Beijing (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Antelope Reef could now be the largest island in the South China Sea","publisher":"AMTI, CSIS","date":"2026-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/antelope-reef-could-now-be-the-largest-island-in-the-south-china-sea/","basis":"Think tank report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Vietnam protests China's development of disputed reef in South China Sea","publisher":"Radio Free Asia","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rfa.org/english/southchinasea/2026/03/23/vietnam-china-paracels-antelope-reef/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Keeping Score: Vietnam's Spratly island overhaul continues","publisher":"AMTI, CSIS","date":"2026-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/keeping-score-vietnams-spratly-island-overhaul-continues/","basis":"Think tank report"},{"ref":4,"title":"China completes first stage of work at disputed South China Sea reef, images show","publisher":"China Global South Project (Reuters)","date":"2026-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://chinaglobalsouth.com/2026/08/19/china-antelope-reef-south-china-sea-military-base/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Antelope Reef","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antelope_Reef","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Neither AMTI nor RFA discusses coral impact directly; the reef-destruction link relies on AMTI's May 2026 total (ref 3)."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-SPRATLYS-ISLANDBUILD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-NHATRANG-CORALLOSS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Nha Trang Bay marine protected area has lost about 191 hectares of coral since 2002","description":"A remote-sensing study published in 2025 found about 191 hectares of coral reef vanished from Vietnam's first marine protected area between 2002 and 2024, driven mainly by landfill and coastal construction, with crown-of-thorns outbreaks cutting coral cover by an average 64 percent at 10 monitored sites. AP reported in March 2025 that tourism was paused in 2022 to let the reef recover.","location":{"name":"Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area","type":"Marine protected area coral reefs","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam; MPA of about 160 square kilometres around Mun, Tre, Mot, Tam and Mieu islands","coordinates":{"lat":12.24111,"lon":109.19111,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss from coastal construction, pollution and starfish outbreaks.","secondary_drivers":["Landfill and coastal development","Crown-of-thorns outbreaks","Rising sea temperature"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 191 hectares of coral reef lost between 2002 and 2024, per the Water study (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Local authorities paused tourism in 2022 to let the reef recover (ref 2).","scale":"The loss is within one bay MPA (ref 1).","duration":"Loss accumulated over 22 years, about 125 hectares by 2016 (ref 1).","significance":"Loss occurred inside a formally designated marine protected area, and a peer-reviewed study documents it (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 191 ha (472 acres) of coral reef vanished from 2002 to 2024 (Mongabay, 20 June 2025, citing Hieu et al. in Water)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral reef lost 2002 to 2024","value":191,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Hieu et al., Water 17(8):1224, via Mongabay (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral cover drop from crown-of-thorns outbreaks","value":64,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Average across 10 monitored sites (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Marine tourism depends on the reef; diving operators and visitors affected (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Loss continued from about 125 ha by 2016 to about 191 ha by 2024."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area management","role":"Reef manager","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Authorities paused tourism, removed starfish and cleaned the seabed in 2022 (ref 2).","A coral nursery project was approved (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Major coral loss in Vietnam's first marine protected area: Study","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/despite-protected-status-vietnams-corals-have-declined-in-20-years-study/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coral reefs in Vietnam face collapse: Can conservation efforts turn the tide?","publisher":"Associated Press","date":"2025-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.clickondetroit.com/business/2025/03/04/coral-reefs-in-vietnam-face-collapse-can-conservation-efforts-turn-the-tide/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nha Trang","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nha_Trang","basis":"Reference (coordinates of Nha Trang ward)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Water paper itself (MDPI) returned 403 and was read via Mongabay's summary."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-MALAYSIA-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record 2024 heat stress killed about 44 percent of surveyed coral in Terengganu, and Malaysian coral cover fell 20 percent in three years","description":"Reef Check Malaysia and Coralku report that 50.7 percent of surveyed corals bleached in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah in 2024, with average mortality of 34.1 percent and 44.2 percent in the Terengganu archipelago. Reef Check's 2025 national survey then found average live coral cover down to 39.94 percent from about 50 percent in 2022.","location":{"name":"Terengganu islands and east-coast Malaysia","type":"Island coral reef system","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MY"],"detail":"Peninsular Malaysia east coast (Redang, Lang Tengah, Perhentian, Tioman) and west Sabah; Reef Check surveyed 24 sites in 2024","coordinates":{"lat":5.775,"lon":103.015,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mass coral mortality from marine heatwave stress on top of local pressures.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Coastal development","Destructive fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Average bleaching mortality was 34.1 percent overall and 44.2 percent in Terengganu, with up to 63.6 percent at Pulau Redang sites (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closures or income loss are reported in the sources; Reef Check cites reef tourism value of RM8.7 billion at risk (ref 2).","scale":"Surveys span several island groups on the east coast and Sabah, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Heat stress ran June to October 2024 and coral cover kept declining into 2025 (refs 3, 4).","significance":"The findings are NGO and academic survey reports, not an agency notice or ruling (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure; about 140,000 small-scale fishers rely on reefs per ref 3."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Following record-breaking heat stress between June and October 2024, 50.7% of corals bleached; average bleaching mortality was 34.1%, and 44.2% in Terengganu (Reef Check Malaysia and Coralku report, April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Corals bleached, Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah","value":50.7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"2024 survey of 24 sites (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average mortality, Terengganu archipelago","value":44.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"October 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Live coral cover, national survey 2025","value":39.94,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 44.65% in 2024 and about 50% in 2022; 297 sites (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Six marine-park archipelagos are valued at RM8.7 billion per the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (ref 2).","Reef Check ties the cover decline to tourism-dependent coastal economies (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Live coral cover fell from about 50% (2022) to 44.65% (2024) to 39.94% (2025) (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Marine Park Malaysia","role":"Marine park manager","contact":null},{"name":"Reef Check Malaysia","role":"Monitoring NGO","contact":"https://reefcheck.org.my/"}],"public_contact":"Reef Check Malaysia publishes contact details on reefcheck.org.my.","corrective_actions":["Reef Check published a Malaysia Bleaching Response Plan for 2026 to 2030 (reefcheck.org.my/malaysia-bleaching-response-plan/).","Reef Check recommends a national bleaching response committee and a revised 2010 coral reef action plan (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The 4th global coral bleaching event in Malaysia: insights, outcomes, and paths forward","publisher":"Reef Check Malaysia and Coralku Solutions (Zenodo)","date":"2025-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://reefcheck.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2024CoralBleachingImpactReportMalaysia.pdf","basis":"Survey report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Malaysia's Coral Reefs in Crisis After Record-Breaking 2024 Bleaching Event","publisher":"Reef Check Malaysia","date":"2025-04-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://reefcheck.org.my/malaysias-coral-reefs-in-crisis-after-record-breaking-2024-bleaching-event/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Malaysia Lost Over 47,250 Football Fields Worth of Coral Over Three Years","publisher":"Reef Check Malaysia","date":"2026-01-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://reefcheck.org.my/malaysia-lost-over-47250-football-fields-worth-of-coral-over-three-years/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Malaysia lost 20% of its coral reefs in three years","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/malaysia-lost-20-of-its-coral-reefs-in-three-years/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Redang Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redang_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":6,"title":"50% of marine park reefs suffer bleaching from warmer seas","publisher":"Free Malaysia Today (Bernama)","date":"2024-06-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/06/23/50-of-marine-park-coral-reefs-suffering-from-warmer-seas","basis":"News (Department of Fisheries statement)"},{"ref":7,"title":"Many reefs hit by coral bleaching","publisher":"The Star","date":"2024-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/24/many-reefs-hit-by-coral-bleaching","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"merge","values":["Record 2024 heat stress killed about 44 percent of surveyed coral in Terengganu, and Malaysian coral cover fell 20 percent in three years","Mass coral bleaching across east coast Malaysian marine parks in April to June 2024"],"note":"Two research agents returned this event; the climate-group record (marine-park bleaching April to June 2024) was merged into the reef-group record with its sources."}],"missing_fields":["The national cover figures (ref 3) include reefs outside the SCS, such as Sabah east coast; the 2024 mortality and bleaching figures cover Terengganu, Tioman and west Sabah plus two east Sabah sites.","The reports list Pulau Payar (Kedah, outside the South China Sea) among affected parks; it is excluded from this record's location."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-CONDAO-DUGONG-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Con Dao's last dugongs: a stranded animal died in August 2025 as the local group numbers about a dozen","description":"A dugong about two metres long and nearly 300 kg stranded in Con Son Bay on 18 or 19 August 2025 and died despite rescue attempts by residents. A Vietnamese institute project counts about 12 dugongs regularly feeding in Con Dao's seagrass beds, which is the species' stronghold in Vietnam alongside Phu Quoc. The cause of the death was not determined.","location":{"name":"Con Dao National Park, Con Son Bay","type":"Seagrass and national park waters","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Con Dao archipelago, Ho Chi Minh City, about 185 km off Vietnam's southern coast","coordinates":{"lat":8.69306,"lon":106.57667,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mortality in a tiny dugong group dependent on seagrass.","secondary_drivers":["Seagrass habitat pressure","Boat traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"One adult dugong died after stranding on 19 August 2025, and about 12 individuals remain regularly (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is documented (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One island group (ref 3).","duration":"Reported in August to October 2025, months of reporting but a single event (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The species is IUCN Vulnerable and strictly protected in Vietnam (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 12 dugongs regularly present and feeding in the seagrass beds managed by Con Dao National Park (ISTEE, 30 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dugongs regularly present at Con Dao","value":12,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Local project count, not a population estimate (ref 4)."},{"name":"Stranded dugong weight","value":300,"unit":"kg","status":"Estimated","note":"'Nearly 300 kg' per Dan Tri (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Con Dao National Park Management Board","role":"Park manager","contact":null},{"name":"Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology","role":"Seagrass and dugong project","contact":"https://istee.vn/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["A project is mapping Con Dao seagrass and raising awareness among communities (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rare dugong dies on Con Dao beach","publisher":"Dan Tri International (DTiNews)","date":"2025-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/vietnam-today/rare-dugong-dies-on-con-dao-beach-20250820151034182.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Rare dugong washes ashore, dies on Ho Chi Minh City island","publisher":"Tuoi Tre News","date":"2025-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/rare-dugong-washes-ashore-dies-on-ho-chi-minh-city-island-103250820105508185.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Protecting endangered dugongs in Con Dao","publisher":"Vietnam News Agency","date":"2025-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vnanet.vn/en/anh/vna-photos-1027/protecting-endangered-dugongs-in-con-dao-8232476.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"When the dugong (Dugong dugon) return","publisher":"Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology (ISTEE)","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://istee.vn/en/when-the-dugong-dugon-return/","basis":"Research institute page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Côn Đảo","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Côn_Đảo","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Dugong stranding date is 18 August in the VNA caption and 19 August in Dan Tri and Tuoi Tre."}],"missing_fields":["A Vietnamese agriculture-ministry outlet reportedly counted 4 dugong deaths in 2025 and 8 animals remaining, but that page returned 403 and was not read."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-HONGKONG-WHITEDOLPHIN-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hong Kong's Chinese white dolphins fall to 34 animals as North Lantau is nearly abandoned","description":"The government-funded 2023-24 monitoring report estimates 34 Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong's four main survey areas in 2023, down from 188 in 2003, with a marked decline in North Lantau and no dolphins seen in the north-east Lantau survey area. Free-press reporting and AFCD data link the fall to infrastructure projects including the third runway and bridge reclamation.","location":{"name":"Lantau waters, Hong Kong","type":"Estuarine dolphin habitat","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Hong Kong SAR, western Pearl River Estuary; dolphins now concentrated off west and southwest Lantau, including Tai O","coordinates":{"lat":22.25444,"lon":113.86417,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Marine mammal population decline linked to coastal construction.","secondary_drivers":["Reclamation and construction noise","Vessel traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Combined abundance fell from 188 dolphins in 2003 to 34 in 2023, and no dolphin was observed in the NEL survey area (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or livelihood disruption is documented (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The decline is documented within Hong Kong waters (ref 1).","duration":"Steady decline from 2003 to 2023, two decades (ref 1).","significance":"AFCD commissioned the monitoring and acknowledged the drop coincided with major projects (ref 2); no enforcement action is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In 2023, the combined estimate of dolphin abundance in Hong Kong waters in the four main survey areas was 34 (HKCRP report to AFCD, 30 December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dolphin abundance, four main survey areas, 2023","value":34,"unit":"dolphins","status":"Reported","note":"Line-transect estimate, 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dolphin abundance, 2003","value":188,"unit":"dolphins","status":"Reported","note":"Combined estimate (ref 1)."},{"name":"Individuals photo-identified 2023-24","value":99,"unit":"dolphins","status":"Reported","note":"At least 99 individuals used Hong Kong waters (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Second-lowest estimate on record in both 2022 and 2023 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), Hong Kong","role":"Monitoring commissioner","contact":"https://www.afcd.gov.hk/"},{"name":"Hong Kong Cetacean Research Project","role":"Survey contractor","contact":null}],"public_contact":"AFCD publishes a general contact on afcd.gov.hk.","corrective_actions":["Passive acoustic monitoring was deployed in North Lantau marine parks (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Monitoring of Marine Mammals in Hong Kong Waters (2023-24), Final Report","publisher":"Hong Kong Cetacean Research Project for AFCD","date":"2024-12-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/con_mar/con_mar_chi/con_mar_chi_chi/files/FinalReport2023-24(MM).pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Why are Hong Kong's rare pink dolphins disappearing?","publisher":"Hong Kong Free Press","date":"2022-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hongkongfp.com/2022/12/03/why-are-hong-kongs-rare-pink-dolphins-disappearing/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"2025 marine life stranding report released by Ocean Park reveals 30 cases involving cetaceans and shark in Hong Kong waters","publisher":"Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong","date":"2026-06-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.opcf.org.hk/en/press-release/2025-marine-life-stranding-report-released-by-ocean-park-reveals-30-cases-involving-cetaceans-and-shark-in-hong-kong-waters","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Tai O","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_O","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["HKFP date taken from the article URL; the 2024-25 monitoring report was not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-REGION-MANGROVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"South China Sea mangroves assessed Endangered: about 36 percent less cover than in 1970","description":"An IUCN Red List of Ecosystems assessment preprint estimates South China Sea mangroves cover 543 square kilometres, about 36 percent less than in 1970, and rates the ecoregion Endangered. Coastal urbanisation, sea dykes, pollution and typhoons are the main threats, and half of the area could be submerged by 2070 under a mid-high sea-level rise scenario with limited sediment supply.","location":{"name":"South China Sea mangrove ecoregion","type":"Mangrove ecoregion","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN","VN"],"detail":"Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea oceanic islands and southern China coast","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Long-term loss of mangrove habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal urbanisation","Sea dyke construction","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Mangrove cover is about 36 percent below 1970 levels, per national studies compiled by the authors (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The preprint documents no livelihood or access impact (ref 1).","scale":"The assessment covers a regional ecoregion spanning several coasts (ref 1).","duration":"Loss is measured over 50 years and degradation continues (ref 1).","significance":"The authors assess the ecosystem Endangered in an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems assessment, not yet peer reviewed (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 36% less mangrove cover than in 1970, based on national studies (IUCN Red List of Ecosystems preprint, last updated 22 May 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mapped mangrove extent, 2020","value":543,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"About 0.4% of global mangroves (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cover change since 1970","value":-36,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Based on national studies (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Degradation estimated at about 5% now and about 10% over 50 years (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management","role":"Ecosystem assessment","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action in the cited source."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, Mangroves of the South China Sea","publisher":"EcoEvoRxiv preprint (Macintosh et al.)","date":"2024-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/5865/","basis":"Preprint"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single source, a non-peer-reviewed preprint; countries inferred from regional references (China and Vietnam); no second source."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SANVICENTE-TURTLE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Olive ridley nesting beach at San Vicente, Palawan faces dogs, storms and resort development","description":"LAMAVE patrols at Santo Nino village, San Vicente, report that stray dogs, high tides and beachfront resort developments threaten olive ridley nests, with hatchery nests hatching about 75 percent compared with 80 percent or more for undisturbed nests. Two resort projects of 56 and 462 hectares are planned or under construction on the coast.","location":{"name":"Santo Nino, San Vicente, Palawan","type":"Sea turtle nesting beach","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"San Vicente municipality, Palawan, facing the West Philippine Sea","coordinates":{"lat":10.5281,"lon":119.2542,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Nesting beach threatened by predators, storms and development.","secondary_drivers":["Beachfront development","Storm tides"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Hatchery nests hatch about 75 percent against 80 percent or more in undisturbed nests; dogs attack nesting females (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No livelihood effect is reported (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One nesting beach in one village (ref 1).","duration":"Patrol programme began in 2023 and threats persisted through the 2026 season (ref 1).","significance":"The reports are NGO and press accounts; no notice or enforcement is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Hatchery nests yield about 75% hatching, compared with 80% or higher for undisturbed in situ nests (Mongabay, July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Hatching success in hatchery nests","value":75,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Last season and preliminary 2026 data (ref 2)."},{"name":"Resort land under construction (Megaworld)","value":462,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Paragua Coastown, broken ground (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE)","role":"Nest patrols and hatcheries","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["LAMAVE relocates threatened nests to hatcheries and runs night patrols over more than 8 km of beach (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"How a community is helping sea turtles hatch in the Philippines","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/how-a-community-is-helping-sea-turtles-hatch-in-the-philippines/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"On a Philippine beach, villagers are stepping up to save sea turtle nests","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/on-a-philippine-beach-villagers-are-stepping-up-to-save-sea-turtle-nests/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"San Vicente, Palawan","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Vicente,_Palawan","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Both Mongabay articles draw on the same report; no agency source and no nest counts."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-CHINA-SUMMERBAN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China's 2026 summer fishing ban closed the northern South China Sea for 3.5 months","description":"China's annual summer fishing moratorium in the South China Sea north of 12 degrees N ran from 1 May to 16 August 2026. Hong Kong's fisheries department lists the same dates and says all fishing except hand-lining is covered. Chinese state media reported that about 120,000 marine fishing and support vessels returned to port and that fleets set out again on 16 August; it gave no stock-recovery data.","location":{"name":"South China Sea north of 12 degrees N","type":"Seasonal fishing closure area","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Waters off Guangdong, Guangxi (Beibu Gulf) and Hainan, China; Hong Kong follows the same dates","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A government seasonal closure used to rebuild fish stocks, so the issue is fisheries management and its effect on fishers.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing effort","Stock recovery policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"CGTN states the ban aims to restore stocks and protect ecosystems but gives no data on stock levels (ref 1), so harm is scored as potential only.","livelihoods":"The ban halted nearly all fishing for 3.5 months, and about 120,000 fishing and support vessels returned to port (ref 1); Hong Kong's notice exempts only hand-lining (ref 2).","scale":"The closure covers the northern South China Sea including the Beibu Gulf, the waters of three Chinese provinces (ref 1).","duration":"Taiwan News describes the closure as China's annual summer moratorium (ref 3), and it ran 1 May to 16 August 2026 (refs 1, 2), so it is a recurring seasonal measure.","significance":"Hong Kong's agriculture and fisheries department published the 2026 dates and scope as a formal notice (ref 2); CGTN says the agriculture and public security ministries and the coast guard took action against illegal fishing (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 120,000 marine fishing and support vessels returned to port during the 2026 summer moratorium (CGTN, 17 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishing and support vessels returned to port","value":120000,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"CGTN, 17 August 2026 (ref 1); covers the whole national moratorium, not only the South China Sea."},{"name":"Vessels that left Hainan ports on 16 August","value":29000,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"CGTN reports 'more than 29,000' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessels that left Yangjiang (Guangdong)","value":3400,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"CGTN reports 'more than 3,400', with an estimated 30,000 tonnes of seafood expected back in the first week (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["State media says the ban aims to raise fishers' incomes by restoring stocks, but reports no income or catch-recovery figures (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited pages report the 2026 closure only and give no stock series."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China","role":"Fisheries regulator named in CGTN report (ref 1)"},{"name":"Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong","role":"Applies the same closure in Hong Kong waters","contact":"https://www.afcd.gov.hk/"}],"public_contact":"Hong Kong AFCD publishes notices at https://www.afcd.gov.hk/; no mainland contact is given in the cited pages.","corrective_actions":["CGTN reports an escort operation at Qisha port and strict action against illegal fishing during the closure (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China's fishing boats return to sea as summer moratorium ends","publisher":"CGTN","date":"2026-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-08-17/China-s-fishing-boats-return-to-sea-as-summer-moratorium-ends-1PG6iwhzGg0/p.html","basis":"News (state broadcaster)"},{"ref":2,"title":"2026 South China Sea Fishing Moratorium","publisher":"Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/what_fis/what_fis.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taiwan Coast Guard sprays Chinese fishing boat for intruding on Dongsha waters","publisher":"Taiwan News","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/6102502","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No stock-recovery or catch data in the cited pages. CGTN is a state broadcaster. The AFCD page carries a 2026/09/17 header date, recorded here as no source date."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-VIETNAM-YELLOWCARD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Viet Nam still under the EU's IUU 'yellow card' as a new action plan targets its removal in 2026","description":"The European Commission has kept a 'yellow card' warning on Viet Nam's seafood since 2017 over illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. After the Commission's fifth inspection, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung signed Decision 1516/QD-TTg on 10 August 2026, setting 100% targets for vessel records, vessel monitoring and electronic catch documentation, and aiming to have the card lifted in 2026. The cited sources do not report the card as lifted.","location":{"name":"Viet Nam marine fishing fleet","type":"Exclusive economic zone","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Viet Nam's marine fishing fleet and seafood exporters; the card is an EU measure on Viet Nam as a whole","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding concerns control of illegal fishing and the trade measure used against it.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing","Seafood export market access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The action plan targets monitoring of vessels that lose signal, cross boundaries or tamper with equipment (ref 1), and the 2025 report on EU requests cites penalties for illegal fishing in foreign waters (ref 3); no catch or stock damage is quantified.","livelihoods":"VietNamNews says the prolonged warning hurts seafood exports to Europe and the products' reputation globally (ref 3); no export loss figure is given.","scale":"The plan applies to registered fishing vessels and EU-bound exporters nationwide (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The card has been in place since 2017, and the Commission has made four inspections without lifting it (ref 3).","significance":"The yellow card is a formal EU warning (ref 3) and the plan is a signed government decision, Decision 1516/QD-TTg of 10 August 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Decision 1516/QD-TTg (10 August 2026) targets 100% of registered fishing vessels in the VNFishbase database and 100% of trips by vessels of 6 m or more in electronic catch documentation, to get the EU yellow card lifted in 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Target: registered vessels with complete records in VNFishbase","value":100,"unit":"% (target)","status":"Reported","note":"A target in the action plan, not a measured result (ref 1)."},{"name":"Target: trips by vessels of 6 m or more recorded in eCDT","value":100,"unit":"% (target)","status":"Reported","note":"A target in the action plan, not a measured result (ref 1)."},{"name":"EU inspections held before the fifth","value":4,"unit":"inspections","status":"Reported","note":"VietNamNews, 5 May 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Prolonged yellow card hurts seafood exports to Europe (ref 3).","A red card would mean a ban on access to the EU market; the cited pages do not say one is planned."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two reports 15 months apart show a card still in place and a stronger action plan; no compliance data."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission, DG MARE","role":"Issues and reviews the IUU card","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/rules/illegal-fishing_en"},{"name":"Government of Viet Nam (Prime Minister's Decision 1516/QD-TTg)","role":"Implements the action plan"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Decision 1516/QD-TTg orders VMS checks at port entry and exit, risk-based inspection of exporters of high-risk species, and a nationwide peak-month campaign against IUU fishing (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Vietnam targets removal of EU yellow card on IUU fishing in 2026","publisher":"VnEconomy","date":"2026-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.vneconomy.vn/vietnam-targets-removal-of-eu-yellow-card-on-iuu-fishing-in-2026.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ke hoach khac phuc khuyen nghi cua EC ve chong khai thac IUU (action plan to address the EC's IUU recommendations)","publisher":"Trung tam WTO va Hoi nhap (Vietnam WTO and Integration Center)","date":"2026-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://trungtamwto.vn/chuyen-de/33229-ke-hoach-khac-phuc-khuyen-nghi-cua-ec-ve-chong-khai-thac-iuu","basis":"Trade information centre report (Vietnamese language)"},{"ref":3,"title":"European Council postpones Viet Nam's seafood inspection until year end","publisher":"Viet Nam News","date":"2025-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1717032/european-council-postpones-viet-nam-s-seafood-inspection-until-year-end.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Electronic catch logging threshold: 6 m or more in the 2026 plan (refs 1, 2) versus 15 m or more in the 2025 report (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The Commission's own page was opened but names no Viet Nam decision; the card status rests on Vietnamese outlets. Inspection dates and violation counts are not in the opened pages. Source 2 is in Vietnamese."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-NATUNA-PAIRTRAWL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Indonesia seizes Vietnamese pair-trawlers in the North Natuna Sea","description":"On 23 May 2025 Indonesia's fisheries ministry seized two Vietnam-flagged boats, KG 6219 TS and KG 6277 TS, and arrested 19 crew in the North Natuna Sea for pair trawling, a method Indonesia has declared illegal. The ministry counted four Vietnamese vessels caught in 2025 up to that date, after three in 2024 and one in 2023, and estimated the two boats' losses at Rp61 billion over a year. A captain told investigators Viet Nam's own waters were depleted.","location":{"name":"North Natuna Sea, Indonesian EEZ","type":"Exclusive economic zone","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID","VN"],"detail":"Waters off the Natuna Islands, Riau Islands Province, Indonesia; vessels detained at the ministry's Batam base","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":4,"lon":108,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Illegal foreign fishing and destructive gear in a national EEZ, handled through enforcement.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal foreign fishing","Pair trawling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Mongabay says pair trawls are dragged between two boats and damage coral reefs and fish habitat (ref 2); no survey of damage at Natuna is cited.","livelihoods":"KKP estimated the two vessels caused Rp61 billion in losses over one year of operation (ref 2).","scale":"The seizure was of two vessels in one part of Indonesia's EEZ (ref 1).","duration":"Mongabay counts Vietnamese boats caught as 1 in 2023, 3 in 2024 and 4 by 23 May 2025 (ref 2), so the pattern recurs across three years.","significance":"Vessels were seized and 19 crew arrested by the ministry's surveillance directorate (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Four Vietnamese fishing vessels caught in Indonesian waters in 2025 by 23 May, after three in 2024 and one in 2023 (KKP figures via Mongabay)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vietnamese vessels caught, 2025 to 23 May","value":4,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay Indonesia (ref 2)."},{"name":"Vietnamese vessels caught, 2024","value":3,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay Indonesia (ref 2)."},{"name":"Crew arrested in the 23 May seizure","value":19,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Antara (ref 1); Mongabay gives crews of 15 and 4 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Estimated loss from the two vessels over one year","value":61,"unit":"billion rupiah","status":"Estimated","note":"KKP estimate quoted by Mongabay (ref 2); method not stated."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["KKP puts 2025 illegal-fishing losses at Rp841.4 billion so far, including catch value, ecological damage and the value of banned gear (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Vessel counts rose from 1 (2023) to 3 (2024) to 4 (to May 2025) but the opened pages give no catch or stock series."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia (KKP), Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance (PSDKP)","role":"Enforcement"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["KKP vessels KP Orca 02 and KP Orca 03 intercepted the boats and took them to Batam (ref 1).","Experts quoted by Mongabay call for more intensive patrols and better agency cooperation (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Indonesia seizes two Vietnamese-flagged poaching vessels in Natuna","publisher":"ANTARA News","date":"2025-05-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/356453/indonesia-seizes-two-vietnamese-flagged-poaching-vessels-in-natuna","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mengapa pencurian ikan oleh kapal Vietnam terus terjadi (why Vietnamese fish theft continues)","publisher":"Mongabay Indonesia","date":"2025-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mongabay.co.id/2025/05/30/mengapa-pencurian-ikan-oleh-kapal-vietnam-terus-terjadi/","basis":"News (Indonesian language)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Natuna Regency","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natuna_Regency","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Antara gives no value for the catch; Mongabay gives a Rp61 billion one-year loss estimate for the two boats."}],"missing_fields":["Court outcomes for the arrested crews are not in the opened pages. The map point is the Natuna Regency reference point, not the seizure position."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-PARACEL-FISHERATTACK-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vietnamese fishermen reported injured in an attack off the Paracel Islands","description":"In late September 2024, Vietnamese media and officials reported that a Quang Ngai fishing boat, QNg 957.39 TS, was attacked near the Paracel Islands and at least 10 fishermen were injured. Viet Nam's foreign ministry protested to China's embassy; China's foreign ministry said Vietnamese boats were fishing illegally and that its enforcement was professional and restrained, with no injuries found. The sources do not independently confirm the injuries.","location":{"name":"Paracel Islands fishing grounds","type":"Fishing ground","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN","CN"],"detail":"Waters around the Paracel Islands, claimed by both Viet Nam and China; the boat sailed from Quang Ngai, Viet Nam","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":16.667,"lon":112.333,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A confrontation over fishing access in disputed waters; the sources frame it through the fishers' livelihoods and each side's enforcement claims.","secondary_drivers":["Disputed waters","Fishing access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Vietnamese reports say at least 10 fishermen were injured, with three suffering broken legs and arms (ref 2) and four taken to hospital (ref 1); China says no injuries were found (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The captain estimated about $20,000 in equipment and fish was taken (ref 1).","scale":"A single boat and crew of about ten, in one incident (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The attack was reported as a single incident on one day (ref 2).","significance":"Viet Nam's foreign ministry formally protested to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi and demanded an investigation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At least 10 Vietnamese fishermen were reported injured when their boat was attacked near the Paracel Islands, according to Vietnamese media; China said no injuries were found."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishermen reported injured","value":10,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Vietnamese media and officials via Reuters and AFP (refs 1, 2); disputed by China (ref 1)."},{"name":"Equipment and fish reported taken","value":20000,"unit":"USD","status":"Estimated","note":"The captain's estimate (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The captain estimated about $20,000 of equipment and fish was taken, and a second boat reportedly lost up to $12,200 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The opened pages describe one incident, with a second boat reported to have lost up to $12,200 in gear and fish on the same Sunday (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam","role":"Lodged the protest"},{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China","role":"States its enforcement position"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Viet Nam demanded that China investigate, report the results and not repeat such actions (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Vietnam condemns China's 'brutal behavior' in fisher attack","publisher":"Philstar (AFP)","date":"2024-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/world/2024/10/03/2389840/vietnam-condemns-chinas-brutal-behavior-fisher-attack/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Vietnam fishing boat attacked near contested South China Sea islands, media reports","publisher":"The Standard (Reuters)","date":"2024-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestandard.com.hk/china/article/221030/Vietnam-fishing-boat-attacked-near-contested-South-China-Sea-islands-media-reports","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Paracel Islands","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracel_Islands","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Viet Nam says Chinese law enforcement forces carried out the attack and injured fishermen; China says the boats fished illegally, its enforcement was professional and restrained, and no one was injured (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Exact incident date (the articles say 'Sunday', about 29 September 2024) and position are not stated. No independent confirmation of the injuries."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SCARBOROUGH-FISHERS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Filipino fishers at Scarborough Shoal report being driven off while patrol-ship missions are blocked","description":"Philippine fishers say that since China took effective control of Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) in 2012 they have been blocked from the lagoon and must fish 9 to 11 km away, with trips costing at least PHP 200,000. On 17 March 2026 the Philippine Coast Guard said Chinese coast guard and militia vessels used sirens and inflatable boats against more than 20 Filipino fishing boats; in September 2025 a BFAR vessel carrying fuel and supplies for fishers was hit by Chinese water cannon and one crew member was injured. China's own account is not given in the opened reports.","location":{"name":"Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc)","type":"Fishing ground","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"Reef in the South China Sea west of Luzon, claimed by the Philippines and China; the fishers quoted come from Zambales and Pangasinan","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":15.183,"lon":117.767,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The documented issue is access to a traditional fishing ground and the fishers' livelihoods, in a disputed area.","secondary_drivers":["Disputed waters","Fishing access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"One BFAR crew member was injured by shattered glass when the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang was hit by water cannon in September 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A fisher says one trip costs at least PHP 200,000 and a crew's 300 kg catch did not cover expenses; fishers can no longer shelter in the lagoon (ref 3).","scale":"The reports describe one shoal and the fishing communities that use it (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Fishers say access has been restricted since 2012 and 'nothing has changed' since the 2016 ruling (ref 3).","significance":"The Philippine Coast Guard issued public statements on the March 2026 incident and deployed vessels and aircraft (ref 2); no court or treaty action is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 20 Filipino fishing boats were present on 17 March 2026 when the Philippine Coast Guard said Chinese vessels used sirens and inflatable boats to drive fishers away."},"measures":[{"name":"Filipino fishing boats present, 17 March 2026","value":20,"unit":"boats (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Philippine Coast Guard via GMA (ref 2)."},{"name":"Minimum cost of one fishing trip","value":200000,"unit":"PHP","status":"Reported","note":"Fisher estimate in the Inquirer, 12 July 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"One crew's catch on a trip","value":300,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Inquirer (ref 3); said not to cover costs."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishers report trips that do not cover costs and loss of lagoon shelter (ref 3).","BFAR fuel-subsidy and supply missions to fishers have been targeted (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Fishers say conditions are worse than in 2016 (ref 3), and incidents are reported in September 2025 and March 2026 (refs 1, 2); no catch series."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Patrol and support missions"},{"name":"Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)","role":"Fisheries agency running supply missions"},{"name":"China Coast Guard","role":"Named by the Philippine side as the vessels involved"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The Philippine Coast Guard and BFAR deploy vessels and aircraft with fuel subsidies, ice and food packs for fishers (ref 2).","Philstar reports China plans a national nature reserve at the shoal (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China blasts BFAR ship with water cannon","publisher":"Philstar","date":"2025-09-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/09/17/2473390/china-blasts-bfar-ship-water-cannon","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"PCG sends ships, plane to Bajo de Masinloc after alleged Chinese harassment vs Pinoy fishers","publisher":"GMA News","date":"2026-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gmanetwork.com/news_duplicate/topstories/nation/980490/bajo-de-masinloc-china-west-philippine-sea-coast-guard/story/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"10 years after WPS victory, hope outlasts hardship for PH fishers","publisher":"Philippine Daily Inquirer","date":"2026-07-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.inquirer.net/480319/10-years-after-wps-victory-hope-outlasts-hardship-for-ph-fishers/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Scarborough Shoal","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Shoal","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Philippine sources describe Chinese actions as harassment; the Philstar report says China plans a nature reserve and the opened pages carry no Chinese statement for these incidents."}],"missing_fields":["No catch statistics for the shoal."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-DONGSHA-FISHINTRUSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chinese fishing boats repeatedly enter Taiwan's Dongsha Atoll National Park, with cyanide use alleged","description":"Taiwan's Coast Guard says it drove away 30 Chinese fishing boats in 111 incidents and seized seven small vessels at Dongsha (Pratas) between January and early May 2025, in a marine national park where all fishing is prohibited. In September 2025 Taiwan's Ocean Affairs minister accused Chinese fishers of using cyanide after a Chinese vessel was detained at the park. On 2 October 2026 the Coast Guard used a water cannon on a boat that refused to leave and said such incursions had intensified.","location":{"name":"Dongsha Atoll National Park (Pratas)","type":"Marine protected area","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW","CN"],"detail":"Dongsha (Pratas) Islands in the northern South China Sea, administered by Taiwan, whose waters Taiwan says are being poached","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":20.702,"lon":116.7275,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Illegal and destructive fishing inside a marine national park threatens reef fish and habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal fishing","Cyanide fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Taiwan's Ocean Affairs minister accused Chinese fishers of using cyanide to poison fish and destroy habitats (ref 2); no survey of damage is cited, and the Coast Guard says the activity threatens valuable ecosystems (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The cited reports describe no loss of livelihood or fishery; the park bans all fishing (ref 1).","scale":"The incidents are confined to the waters of one atoll park (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Incidents are reported in May 2025, September 2025 and October 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The Coast Guard seized seven small vessels in 2025 and detained a vessel in September 2025 (refs 1, 2); no court outcome is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Taiwan's Coast Guard says it drove away 30 Chinese fishing boats in 111 incidents and seized seven small vessels at Dongsha from January to early May 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Chinese fishing boats driven away, January to early May 2025","value":30,"unit":"boats","status":"Reported","note":"Taiwan Coast Guard via Taiwan News, 6 May 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Incidents, January to early May 2025","value":111,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"Taiwan Coast Guard via Taiwan News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Small vessels seized, January to early May 2025","value":7,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Taiwan Coast Guard via Taiwan News (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Taiwan says catches by intruding boats often reach several tonnes (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The Coast Guard said on 2 October 2026 that incursions had recently intensified (ref 3); no multi-year count in the cited pages."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coast Guard Administration, Taiwan","role":"Patrol and enforcement"},{"name":"Ocean Affairs Council, Taiwan","role":"Ministry responsible for ocean affairs"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Coast Guard vessels are stationed at Dongsha for round-the-clock monitoring (ref 1).","Taiwan called on Chinese authorities to restrain their fishing boats (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taiwan Coast Guard sprays Chinese fishing boat for intruding on Dongsha waters","publisher":"Taiwan News","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/6102502","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taiwan condemns China for cyanide fishing near Dongsha Island","publisher":"Taiwan News","date":"2025-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/6201126","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taiwan Coast Guard uses water cannon to drive Chinese fishing boat from Dongsha waters","publisher":"Taiwan News","date":"2026-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/6450720","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pratas Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratas_Island","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The cyanide claim is Taiwan's accusation as reported by Taiwan News; the cited pages give no cyanide quantity, crew number or charge, and no Chinese response."}],"missing_fields":["No Chinese government statement in the opened pages. No independent survey of damage."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-VANDON-YAGICAGES-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Typhoon Yagi wiped out fish and oyster farms at Van Don in northern Viet Nam","description":"Typhoon Yagi in September 2024 damaged about 1,200 fish cages and sank 130 boats at Van Don, Quang Ninh's largest fish-farming district, and Van Don's losses were put at over VND 2.28 trillion (about USD 91 million). Of about 32,110 tonnes of production affected, 25,637 tonnes were oysters. A month later about half of the farms had been rebuilt, with over 1,000 households allocated 6,000 hectares of water.","location":{"name":"Van Don aquaculture area, Quang Ninh","type":"Aquaculture zone","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Gulf of Tonkin coast of Quang Ninh Province; the storm also damaged farms from Quang Ninh to Nghe An","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":21.072,"lon":107.424,"precision":"site","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Storm destruction of farmed fish and shellfish stock and farm infrastructure in coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Typhoon Yagi","Marine cage and oyster farming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"VnEconomy says about 32,110 tonnes of production were affected at Van Don, including 25,637 tonnes of oysters, 636 tonnes of fish and 5,480 tonnes of other seafood (ref 2).","livelihoods":"DTiNews reports 130 boats sunk and over VND 2.28 trillion in losses at Van Don, and more than 1,000 households needing rebuilding support (ref 1); VnEconomy counts 1,340 affected households (ref 2).","scale":"Farmers from Quang Ninh to Nghe An reported over 23,500 hectares of fish farms damaged (ref 3), and MARD counted 3,722 cages damaged or washed away nationwide (ref 2).","duration":"About half of Van Don's farms had been rebuilt by 22 October 2024, over a month after the storm (ref 1).","significance":"The prime minister chaired a 15 September conference on relief and production recovery and asked for debt extensions and zero-interest loans (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Typhoon Yagi damaged about 1,200 fish cages at Van Don, with losses over VND 2.28 trillion (about USD 91 million); about 50% of farms had been rebuilt by 22 October 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish cages damaged at Van Don","value":1200,"unit":"cages","status":"Reported","note":"DTiNews, 22 October 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Van Don production affected","value":32110,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"VnEconomy: 25,637 t oysters, 636 t fish, 5,480 t other seafood (ref 2)."},{"name":"Van Don losses","value":2.28,"unit":"trillion VND","status":"Reported","note":"DTiNews and VnEconomy (refs 1, 2); about USD 91 million."},{"name":"Fish cages damaged or washed away nationwide","value":3722,"unit":"cages","status":"Reported","note":"MARD figure via VnEconomy, 7 October 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Van Don is Quang Ninh's biggest fish-raising hub and lost over VND 2.28 trillion (ref 1).","Storm damage makes the 2024 seafood export target harder to reach (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"About 50% of Van Don farms had been rebuilt by 22 October 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam (MARD)","role":"Reported nationwide damage figures"},{"name":"Quang Ninh Province authorities","role":"Allocated water areas for rebuilding"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Over 1,000 households were allocated 6,000 hectares of water area to rebuild, with preferential bank loans (ref 1).","Officials proposed debt deferrals and zero-interest loans (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Thousands of Quang Ninh fish farms get rebuilding support","publisher":"DTiNews (Dan Tri International)","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/news/thousands-of-quang-ninh-fish-farms-get-rebuilding-support-20241022141739677.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Agriculture on way to recovery from Typhoon Yagi","publisher":"VnEconomy","date":"2024-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.vneconomy.vn/agriculture-on-way-to-recovery-from-typhoon-yagi.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Many Vietnamese fish farms destroyed in typhoon","publisher":"Fish Farmer Magazine","date":"2024-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishfarmermagazine.com/news/many-vietnamese-fish-farms-destroyed-in-typhoon","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Climate change and natural disasters threaten aquaculture industry","publisher":"Vietnam Investment Review","date":"2024-09-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vir.com.vn/climate-change-and-natural-disasters-threaten-aquaculture-industry-114336.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Van Don District","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A2n_%C4%90%E1%BB%93n_District","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"DTiNews says over 32,000 tonnes of fish were lost; VnEconomy breaks the 32,110 tonnes into mostly oysters (25,637 t) and 636 t of fish."},{"note":"Nationwide cage damage: over 1,500 (VIR, early count), 3,722 (MARD via VnEconomy), 4,592 cages and nets (Fish Farmer, Quang Ninh to Nghe An)."}],"missing_fields":["Hainan and Guangdong farm losses from the same storm could not be verified: the Hainan trade-press pages returned access errors."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-HONGKONG-TRAWLING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hong Kong investigates suspected illegal trawling off Shek Kwu Chau despite the 2012 trawl ban","description":"On 16 April 2026 Marine Police found a vessel suspected of illegal trawling off Shek Kwu Chau, and Hong Kong's fisheries department seized trawling gear and is investigating two local people and four mainland deckhands. Trawling has been banned in Hong Kong waters since 31 December 2012, with a maximum penalty of HK$200,000 and six months in prison. The department says it will step up patrols.","location":{"name":"Waters off Shek Kwu Chau, Hong Kong","type":"Coastal waters (trawl-ban area)","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Southern Hong Kong waters, Pearl River Estuary side of the northern South China Sea","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":22.196,"lon":113.988,"precision":"site","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Non-selective bottom trawling damages seabed habitat and is banned to let stocks recover.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling","Illegal fishing gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AFCD describes trawling as non-selective and damaging to the seabed and marine ecosystems (ref 1); no damage survey for this case is cited.","livelihoods":"The release reports no fishery loss or closure from this case (ref 1).","scale":"A single vessel off one island was involved (ref 1).","duration":"The case was found on the night of 16 April 2026 (ref 1), though the ban is permanent.","significance":"Gear was seized and six people are under investigation under the Fisheries Protection Regulations, a formal violation case (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Two local people and four mainland deckhands are under investigation for suspected illegal trawling off Shek Kwu Chau, after the vessel was found on 16 April 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"People under investigation","value":6,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Two local persons and four mainland deckhands (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The release covers one case and no prosecution outcomes."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong","role":"Enforces the Fisheries Protection Regulations","contact":"https://www.afcd.gov.hk/"},{"name":"Hong Kong Marine Police","role":"Found the vessel"}],"public_contact":"Hong Kong AFCD, via https://www.afcd.gov.hk/","corrective_actions":["AFCD says it will work with other law enforcement departments and step up patrols (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Press release on suspected illegal trawling off Shek Kwu Chau (17 April 2026)","publisher":"Hong Kong Information Services Department (government press release)","date":"2026-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202604/17/P2026041700787.htm","basis":"Official press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Shek Kwu Chau","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shek_Kwu_Chau","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source title is descriptive, not the page headline. Only one source for the case, and no outcome of the investigation."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-LYSON-EXPLOSIVES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Border guards seize 97 kg of explosives intended for fishing at Ly Son island, Viet Nam","description":"On 15 March 2026 Quang Ngai Border Guard Command announced it had detained a 53-year-old Ly Son resident with six sacks totalling 97 kg of suspected explosives. The man said he planned to take them aboard a fishing vessel for seafood harvesting, which the report describes as illegal fishing. An investigation is under way.","location":{"name":"Ly Son Island, Quang Ngai","type":"Island fishing community","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Ly Son special zone off Quang Ngai Province, central Viet Nam","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":15.381,"lon":109.118,"precision":"site","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Explosive fishing kills indiscriminately and destroys reef habitat; this case is a seizure before use.","secondary_drivers":["Explosive (dynamite) fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The explosives were intended for fishing, a destructive method, but no blast fishing or reef damage is documented in this case (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The report notes no fishery closure or loss from this case (ref 1).","scale":"One seizure on one island (ref 1).","duration":"A single seizure announced on 15 March 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"A suspect was detained, the explosives and his motorbike seized, and a formal investigation opened (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"97 kg of suspected explosives were seized at Ly Son on 15 March 2026 from a man who said they were for a fishing vessel."},"measures":[{"name":"Explosives seized","value":97,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Six sacks, Quang Ngai Border Guard Command via DTiNews (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One seizure in the opened pages; no series."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Quang Ngai Province Border Guard Command","role":"Detained the suspect and seized the explosives"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["Suspect detained and under investigation under the law (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report on 97 kg of explosives seized at Ly Son (16 March 2026)","publisher":"DTiNews (Dan Tri International)","date":"2026-03-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/print/20260316075717109.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ly Son Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ly_Son_Island","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single news source for the event. Source 1 title is descriptive, not the page headline. A second Vietnamese outlet returned an access error."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-XISHA-REEFFISH-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Reef fish density in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands fell by more than half between 2005 and 2021","description":"A 2023 review in the Chinese Journal of Ecology reports that reef fish density in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands fell from a peak of 310 individuals per 100 square metres in 2005 to 146.7 in 2021. The authors link the wider decline of Xisha fish resources to habitat degradation and overfishing, and report a shift from carnivorous to herbivorous fish and smaller fish sizes. The data stop in 2021.","location":{"name":"Xisha (Paracel) Islands reef fish","type":"Reef fish assemblage","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN","VN"],"detail":"Paracel Islands, claimed by China and Viet Nam; the study is by Chinese researchers","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":16.667,"lon":112.333,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fish abundance and community change attributed in part to overfishing and habitat degradation.","secondary_drivers":["Overfishing","Reef habitat degradation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Reef fish density fell from 310 to 146.7 individuals per 100 square metres between 2005 and 2021, with reef-dependent fish disappearing (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The review reports no fishery or income data (ref 1).","scale":"The review covers the Xisha reefs, a single island group (ref 1).","duration":"The decline spans 2005 to 2021, about 16 years (ref 1).","significance":"The source is a peer-reviewed review with no regulatory or enforcement action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Reef fish density fell from a 2005 peak of 310 to 146.7 individuals per 100 square metres in 2021."},"measures":[{"name":"Reef fish density, 2005 peak","value":310,"unit":"individuals per 100 m2","status":"Reported","note":"Wang et al. 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reef fish density, 2021","value":146.7,"unit":"individuals per 100 m2","status":"Reported","note":"Wang et al. 2023 (ref 1); the decline was fluctuating, not steady."},{"name":"Reef fish species recorded","value":777,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"Review of Xisha research (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Density fell from the 2005 peak to 2021, with fluctuation (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Authors: Wang Teng and colleagues, Chinese Journal of Ecology","role":"Published the review"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend prioritising conservation of large fish, especially cartilaginous fish (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Research progress and conservation suggestions of coral reef fishes in the Xisha Islands","publisher":"Chinese Journal of Ecology","date":"2023-07-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cje.net.cn/EN/Y2023/V42/I7/1755","basis":"Peer-reviewed review"},{"ref":2,"title":"Paracel Islands","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracel_Islands","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Published July 2023, before the 13 October 2023 start of the research window; data end in 2021, so recent status is unknown. The abstract does not give a cause for the density decline alone."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-CAMAU-SHRIMPMANGROVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Shrimp ponds have replaced mangroves in Ca Mau, and models project further loss","description":"A 2024 study from Nong Lam University says shrimp farming in Ca Mau Province has converted mangrove forest into ponds since the early 2000s, causing deforestation and ecosystem degradation. Its model projects that if expansion continues, shrimp area reaches 317,037 hectares and mangroves fall to 76,484 hectares by 2050, whereas capping shrimp at 280,000 hectares would allow 88,902 hectares of mangrove. These are projections, not measurements.","location":{"name":"Ca Mau Province coast","type":"Coastal shrimp-farming and mangrove zone","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Southern tip of Viet Nam's Mekong Delta; the province faces the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":9.083,"lon":105.083,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Conversion of mangrove habitat to shrimp ponds is the documented driver.","secondary_drivers":["Mangrove conversion","Shrimp pond expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study states shrimp farming has converted mangrove forest into aquaculture ponds in Ca Mau since the early 2000s, causing deforestation and degraded ecosystems (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The business-as-usual scenario has shrimp farming employing 25.13% of the province's workforce and producing VND 25,153 billion by 2050, so livelihoods depend on the ponds and on the policy chosen (ref 1).","scale":"The study concerns one province's coast (ref 1), though the authors say the method applies to other regions.","duration":"Conversion is described as continuing since the early 2000s (ref 1).","significance":"The source is a journal article and a model, with no regulatory action cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Under business as usual, Ca Mau shrimp area reaches 317,037 ha and mangroves fall to 76,484 ha by 2050; capping shrimp at 280,000 ha gives 88,902 ha of mangrove (system dynamics model)."},"measures":[{"name":"Projected mangrove area in 2050, business as usual","value":76484,"unit":"ha","status":"Estimated","note":"Model projection (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected mangrove area in 2050, policy cap on shrimp area","value":88902,"unit":"ha","status":"Estimated","note":"Model projection with shrimp capped at 280,000 ha (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected shrimp area in 2050, business as usual","value":317037,"unit":"ha","status":"Estimated","note":"Model projection (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Shrimp farming employs about a quarter of Ca Mau's workforce in the model (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The page gives scenarios, not a measured mangrove time series."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ca Mau Province authorities","role":"Land-use and mangrove management (the study recommends land-use management)"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend land use management, economic diversification and alternative livelihoods (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Balancing Economy and Ecology: A System Dynamics Analysis of Shrimp Aquaculture and Mangrove Forest Policy","publisher":"Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES), vol. 12, no. 3","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hrcak.srce.hr/327799","basis":"Peer-reviewed article"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ca Mau Province","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ca_Mau_Province","basis":"Public reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Hrcak page lists the 2024 volume but shows a release date of 12.10.2026; the source date is therefore left blank."}],"missing_fields":["No measured current mangrove area in the opened page. Ca Mau borders both the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, so the sea assignment is approximate. Single source."],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Quantity of oil spilled is recorded by the IOPC Funds as unknown."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-MANILABAY-TERRANOVA-2024","title":"MT Terranova fuel-oil tanker sinking oils the Manila Bay coast of Bataan, Cavite and Bulacan","description":"The Philippine tanker Terranova capsized in heavy weather during Typhoon Gaemi on 25 July 2024 with 1,468,896 litres of fuel oil, and one crew member died. Oil reached the coasts of Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite and Manila; 97% of the cargo was later recovered and the wreck was removed on 21 September 2025, but fisheries compensation claims are still being assessed in 2026.","location":{"name":"Manila Bay, off Limay (Bataan)","type":"Oil spill site","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"East side of Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines; affected shorelines in Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite and Metro Manila","coordinates":{"lat":14.56,"lon":120.6,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Persistent fuel oil released from a sunken tanker into a semi-enclosed bay.","secondary_drivers":["Typhoon Gaemi","Vessel casualty"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The IOPC Funds record oil reaching Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite and Manila and one crew death (ref 1); fishers at Tibaguin, Bulacan found nets soaked in petroleum (ref 3).","livelihoods":"BFAR estimated losses of about P155 million a month across Bataan, Bulacan and Pampanga, affecting about 46,000 fisherfolk (ref 3); 45,127 fisheries claims were collected by August 2026 (ref 1).","scale":"The slick and shoreline oiling stayed within Manila Bay and its four adjoining provinces and city (ref 1).","duration":"Wreck removal finished only on 21 September 2025 and fisheries assessments run into the first half of 2027, more than a year after the casualty (ref 1).","significance":"The Philippine Coast Guard issued a wreck removal order on 23 October 2024 and the 1992 Fund is expected to pay compensation under the CLC and Fund regime (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":46000,"status":"Reported","note":"BFAR estimate of fisherfolk affected in Bataan, Bulacan and Pampanga as reported by Eco-Business in August 2024 (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"97% (approximately 1.4 million litres) of the cargo was recovered; 45,127 fisheries claims worth PHP 1,465,056,135 were collected as at 4 August 2026 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cargo on board","value":1468896,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"IFO 230 fuel oil plus about 27 tonnes of biodiesel bunkers (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cargo recovered","value":97,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oil removal was completed on 12 September 2024; about 3% remained as unpumpable residue (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fisheries claims collected","value":45127,"unit":"claims","status":"Reported","note":"Bataan 4,917, Bulacan 6,604, Cavite 33,606, as at 4 August 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"All claims received","value":2808559723,"unit":"PHP","status":"Reported","note":"Claims approved PHP 503,231,599 and paid PHP 417,797,155 at the same date (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["BFAR estimated losses of about P155 million a month in Bataan, Bulacan and Pampanga during clean-up (ref 3).","Claims received total PHP 2.8 billion and are expected to exceed the STOPIA 2006 limit (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Oil removal and wreck removal are complete; compensation assessment continues into 2027 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Spill response and wreck removal order"},{"name":"Steamship Mutual (shipowner insurer)","role":"Insurer funding clean-up and wreck removal"},{"name":"International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (1992 Fund)","role":"Compensation fund","contact":"https://iopcfunds.org"},{"name":"Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)","role":"Fisheries advisories and loss estimates"}],"public_contact":"Terranova Claims Submission Office, Unit 2, Ground Floor, Lou-is Building, Capitol Drive, San Jose, Balanga City, Bataan (published by IOPC Funds, ref 4)","corrective_actions":["Sealing and capping operations limited the leak and oil removal finished on 12 September 2024 (ref 1).","Wreck removal completed on 21 September 2025 under the PCG order (ref 1).","A joint claims submission office opened in Balanga City, Bataan, on 22 October 2024 and a Cavite office is also collecting claims (refs 4, 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Incidents involving the IOPC Funds, 1992 Fund: Terranova (IOPC/OCT26/3/15)","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2026-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://documentservices.iopcfunds.org/download/84526/en/IOPC-OCT26-3-15_en.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Incident in the Philippines: Terranova","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2024-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/news/incident-in-the-philippines-terra-nova/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"In the wake of a super typhoon, coastal communities grapple with oil spill in Manila Bay","publisher":"Eco-Business","date":"2024-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eco-business.com/id/news/in-the-wake-of-a-super-typhoon-coastal-communities-grapple-with-oil-spill-in-manila-bay/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"IOPC Funds and Steamship Mutual open joint Claims Submission Office for Terranova incident","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/news/iopc-funds-and-steamship-mutual-open-joint-claims-submission-office-for-terranova-incident/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"The November 2025 sessions of the governing bodies: in brief","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2025-11-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NOV25-70_e.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":6,"title":"Philippine Coast Guard makes progress on tanker wreck cleanup","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2024-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/philippine-coast-guard-makes-progress-on-tanker-wreck-cleanup","basis":"News"}],"confidence":"High"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Quantity of oil spilled is not stated in the opened official sources."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-SINGAPORE-MARINEHONOUR-2024","title":"Marine Honour bunker tanker spill after dredger strike oils Singapore beaches and prompts Johor fishers' claims","description":"On 14 June 2024 the dredger Vox Maxima struck the stationary bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal, and persistent fuel oil leaked from a damaged cargo tank. Oil reached Sentosa and other Singapore beaches, which were closed, and 137 fishers in Johor, Malaysia, later filed claims; compensation claims worth about SGD 73 million had been registered by November 2025.","location":{"name":"Pasir Panjang Terminal, Singapore Strait","type":"Port","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["SG","MY"],"detail":"Southern coast of Singapore (Sentosa, East Coast Park, southern islands) and Johor, Malaysia (fishers' claims), Singapore Strait","coordinates":{"lat":1.27,"lon":103.77,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Persistent fuel oil released into busy port waters after a vessel collision.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel collision","Bunkering"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Oil patches and sheens reached Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso beaches on Sentosa (ref 2) and the IOPC Funds record fishers in Johor claiming property damage (ref 6).","livelihoods":"Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso beaches were closed on 15 June and further beaches on 16 June, including parts of East Coast Park and the St John's, Lazarus and Kusu islands (ref 3).","scale":"Two countries were affected, Singapore and Malaysia, with Singapore agencies also informing Indonesian authorities (refs 2, 6).","duration":"The IOPC Funds were still assessing 592 registered claims in November 2025, about seventeen months after the 14 June 2024 casualty (ref 6).","significance":"The Maritime and Port Authority identified the owners as liable and said Singapore would seek compensation (ref 4); the 1992 Fund Assembly levied GBP 15 million for a Marine Honour Major Claims Fund (ref 6)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":137,"status":"Reported","note":"Fishers in Johor who filed claims with the Claims Submission Office; the number of people exposed in Singapore is not reported (ref 6)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Claims Submission Office had registered 592 claims totalling approximately SGD 73 million, of which 248 were approved (ref 6)."},"measures":[{"name":"Claims registered","value":592,"unit":"claims","status":"Reported","note":"Total approximately SGD 73 million at the November 2025 session (ref 6)."},{"name":"Singapore government response-cost claims","value":18413529,"unit":"SGD","status":"Reported","note":"SGD 2,848,067 approved so far (ref 6)."},{"name":"Johor fishers' claims","value":609762,"unit":"MYR","status":"Reported","note":"Submitted by 137 fishers for property damage and economic loss (ref 6)."},{"name":"Booms deployed in clean-up","value":3400,"unit":"metres","status":"Reported","note":"Figure given by Singapore authorities as of 20 June 2024 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["SGD 73 million of compensation claims registered by November 2025 (ref 6).","Singapore Food Agency assessed the risk to Johor Strait fish farms as low (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The spill was contained and beaches were cleaned; compensation assessments continue (refs 1, 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore","role":"Spill response and liability claim"},{"name":"International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (1992 Fund)","role":"Compensation fund","contact":"https://iopcfunds.org"},{"name":"QBE Insurance (Singapore), operating as British Marine","role":"Insurer of Marine Honour"}],"public_contact":"Marine Honour Claims Submission Office, 100 Pasir Panjang Road, #07-07, Singapore 118518 (published by IOPC Funds, ref 1)","corrective_actions":["The affected cargo tank was isolated and booms, skimmers and dispersant were deployed (refs 2, 4).","IOPC Funds and the insurer signed a memorandum of understanding on 15 July 2024 and opened a joint Claims Submission Office by 30 July 2024 (refs 1, 5).","The 1992 Fund agreed a provisional payment of USD 11 million to the insurer in March 2025 (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"IOPC Funds and British Marine open joint Claims Submission Office for Marine Honour incident","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2024-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/news/iopc-funds-and-british-marine-open-joint-claims-submission-office-for-marine-honour-incident/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Singapore authorities respond to oil spill following vessel strike","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2024-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/shipping/tankers/singapore-authorities-respond-to-oil-spill-following-vessel-strike/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Low risk of oil spill spreading to Johor Straits, local fish safe for consumption: SFA","publisher":"Mothership","date":"2024-06-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mothership.sg/2024/06/oil-spill-local-fish-safe-consumption/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Singapore to seek compensation from shipowner for oil spill","publisher":"Breakbulk News","date":"2024-06-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://breakbulk.news/singapore-to-seek-compensation-from-shipowner-for-oil-spill/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Marine Honour incident: latest developments","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2024-07-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/news/marine-honour-incident-latest-developments/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":6,"title":"The November 2025 sessions of the governing bodies: in brief","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2025-11-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NOV25-70_e.pdf","basis":"Agency report"}],"confidence":"High"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source of the October 2025 palm-oil slick is not confirmed in the cited report.","Coordinates are approximate for the strait; no source gives terminal coordinates."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-SINGAPORE-MARINEHONOUR-2024"],"id":"OC-SCS-JOHORSTRAIT-OILSPILLS-2025","title":"Fuel-oil pipeline leak and a palm-oil slick foul the East Johor Strait during 2025","description":"A leaking pipeline at the Tanjung Langsat Port Terminal in Johor released about 1.6 cubic metres of very low sulphur fuel oil on 3 April 2025, and oil reached Pulau Ubin, Changi and Pasir Ris beaches in Singapore. On 30 October 2025 a slick believed to be palm oil coated about 1 km of sea off Kampung Pasir Putih, Johor, affecting more than 100 fishermen, including 27 mussel breeders.","location":{"name":"East Johor Strait (Langsat to Pasir Putih)","type":"Strait and coastal waters","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MY","SG"],"detail":"East Johor Strait between Johor, Malaysia and Singapore (Pulau Ubin, Changi, Pasir Ris)","coordinates":{"lat":1.4,"lon":104,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Repeated oil releases from a port terminal pipeline and an unidentified palm-oil source.","secondary_drivers":["Port terminal operations","Industrial discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The April leak sent oil patches to the northeast coast of Pulau Ubin and parts of Changi Beach, with booms placed at Chek Jawa Wetlands to protect biodiversity (ref 2).","livelihoods":"More than 100 fishermen were affected by the October slick, including 27 mussel breeders, and one raft operator estimated losses of about RM20,000 (ref 3).","scale":"Both incidents stayed inside the East Johor Strait and its immediate shores (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Two separate releases seven months apart, 3 April and 30 October 2025, point to recurrence in the same waters (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Malaysia's Department of Environment instructed the terminal to report on control and clean-up measures (ref 1) and police recorded 10 reports on the October slick (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":100,"status":"Reported","note":"The Star reported more than 100 fishermen affected by the October 2025 slick (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Approximately 1.6m³ of oil spilled into the sea at the Tanjung Langsat Port Terminal on 3 April 2025 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel oil released at Langsat jetty","value":1.6,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"Environment department estimate for 3 April 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Palm-oil slick length","value":1,"unit":"km","status":"Estimated","note":"Slick estimated to stretch 1 km off Kampung Pasir Putih on 30-31 October 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Fishermen affected by October slick","value":100,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as more than 100, including 27 mussel breeders (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Singapore Food Agency worked with East Johor Strait fish farms on preventive measures (ref 2).","Mussel raft losses of about RM20,000 for one operator (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Two unrelated releases in 2025; the source of the October slick was not confirmed (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Malaysia Department of Environment","role":"Pollution investigation and clean-up oversight"},{"name":"Tanjung Langsat Port Terminal","role":"Terminal operator"},{"name":"Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore","role":"Singapore-side response"},{"name":"Royal Malaysia Police (Seri Alam district)","role":"Investigating police reports on the October slick"}],"public_contact":"Malaysia Department of Environment and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, general public enquiry channels","corrective_actions":["Pollution at Langsat was contained by midday on 4 April 2025 and drones confirmed no visible patches on the water surface (ref 1).","Singapore deployed patrol craft, an oil spill response craft and booms at Chek Jawa (ref 2).","A clean-up company with about 30 workers worked the October slick (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Leaking pipeline at Johor's Tanjung Langsat Port Terminal causes oil spill","publisher":"Free Malaysia Today","date":"2025-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/04/04/leaking-pipeline-at-johors-tanjung-langsat-port-terminal-causes-oil-spill","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil leak at Malaysian terminal contained as clean-up op begins","publisher":"Maritime Logistics Professional","date":"2025-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritimeprofessional.com/news/leak-malaysian-terminal-contained-clean-404245","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Palm oil spill affects over 100 fishermen in Johor","publisher":"The Star (Malaysia)","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/10/31/palm-oil-spill-affects-over-100-fishermen-in-johor","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source of the oil is not identified in any cited report.","Quang Nam incident of 24 February 2025 is only mentioned in passing (ref 2)."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-CENTRALVN-OILSLICKS-2025","title":"Unexplained oil slicks wash ashore along central Vietnam, with over 200 tonnes cleared at Hue","description":"Oil of unidentified origin came ashore on a 17 km stretch of Phu Loc beach in Hue on 24 February 2025, and more than 200 tonnes of congealed oil were collected over nearly two weeks. Further slicks reached Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen, in May 2025 and a Nha Trang beach in September 2024, and officials have not identified the source.","location":{"name":"Central Vietnam coast (Hue to Khanh Hoa)","type":"Coastline","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Thua Thien-Hue (Phu Loc, Lang Co), Quang Nam, Phu Yen (Tuy Hoa) and Khanh Hoa (Nha Trang), Vietnam","coordinates":{"lat":16.26,"lon":108.07,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":13.09,"lon":109.31,"precision":"city","source_ref":3,"role":"Phu Yen slick, Tuy Hoa"},{"lat":12.24,"lon":109.2,"precision":"city","source_ref":3,"role":"Nha Trang slick, September 2024"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Oil of unknown origin deposited on beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Unidentified source"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Hue authorities' seawater samples at four sites met standards for pH and mineral oil, so the documented harm is shoreline oiling over 17 km rather than measured water contamination (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Up to 1,600 people were mobilised for the clean-up at Hue (ref 1) and Tuy Hoa authorities zoned affected beach areas and posted warning signs (ref 3).","scale":"Separate incidents on at least four provinces' coasts, from Hue to Khanh Hoa, were reported (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Slicks were reported in September 2024 (Nha Trang), February 2025 (Hue, Quang Nam) and May 2025 (Phu Yen), a recurring pattern over eight months (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Tuy Hoa City People's Committee formally asked agencies to help identify the cause (ref 3) and border guard forces and Hue authorities opened an inquiry (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of affected residents or tourists in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Over 200 tonnes of congealed oil were collected at Phu Loc beach, about ten times the initial estimate (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Congealed oil collected at Phu Loc beach, Hue","value":200,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as over 200 tonnes after nearly two weeks of clean-up (ref 1)."},{"name":"Beach length cleaned at Hue","value":17,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"From Loc Vinh Commune to Lang Co Town (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oil collected at Tuy Hoa beach","value":200,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly 200 kg collected on 1 May 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Beach tourism areas were cordoned or signposted at Tuy Hoa (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Repeated incidents at different places, source never identified in the reports (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Phu Loc District People's Committee (Hue)","role":"Clean-up coordination"},{"name":"Tuy Hoa City People's Committee (Phu Yen)","role":"Beach management and source inquiry"},{"name":"Hue Border Guard Command","role":"Detection and collection"}],"public_contact":"Local People's Committees of Phu Loc District and Tuy Hoa City, published general channels","corrective_actions":["The oil was bagged and sent to an environmental treatment facility in Da Nang (ref 1).","District authorities were told to monitor marine environmental conditions after the clean-up (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hue clears massive oil slick","publisher":"Dtinews (Dan Tri)","date":"2025-03-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/vietnam-today/hue-clears-massive-oil-slick-20250310105435137.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil slick found on Hue beach","publisher":"Dtinews (Dan Tri)","date":"2025-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/vietnam-today/oil-slick-found-on-hue-beach-20250226114819524.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Oil slick on Tuy Hoa beach, Phu Yen (Dtinews print version)","publisher":"Dtinews (Dan Tri)","date":"2025-05-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/print/20250501171004314.htm","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Status after the 29 January 2026 bulletin was not found.","Bloom species and nutrient cause are not stated in the cited sources."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-BOLINAO-REDTIDE-2025","title":"Recurring red tide shellfish bans in Bolinao and Anda, Pangasinan, from 2025 into 2026","description":"The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) found paralytic shellfish poison in shellfish from Bolinao and Anda, Pangasinan, in April 2025 and told the public not to gather, sell or eat shellfish or alamang. The warning was lifted on 9 June 2025, but BFAR bulletins of January 2026 report the two towns positive again.","location":{"name":"Bolinao and Anda coastal waters","type":"Shellfish harvesting area","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Western Pangasinan, Lingayen Gulf coast, Luzon, Philippines","coordinates":{"lat":16.39,"lon":119.9,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":16.27,"lon":119.97,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Anda"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Harmful algal bloom toxins contaminating shellfish.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BFAR's bulletin of 20 May 2025 states shellfish and alamang from the two towns are \"not safe for human consumption\" because of paralytic shellfish poisoning risk (ref 2); no illnesses are reported in the cited sources.","livelihoods":"Local governments were asked to ban gathering, transporting, marketing and eating shellfish, and market inspectors in Dagupan patrolled to keep banned shellfish out (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The ban covers the coastal waters of two municipalities only (ref 2).","duration":"An alert from 10 April to 9 June 2025 (ref 3) was followed by positive results again in January 2026 bulletins 1 and 2 (refs 4, 5), a recurring pattern.","significance":"BFAR issued numbered Shellfish Bulletins (No. 12 and No. 13 of 2025, No. 01 and No. 02 of 2026) naming the two towns (refs 2 to 5)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of shellfish gatherers or consumers in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"BFAR Shellfish Bulletin No. 02, Series of 2026 (29 January 2026) lists Bolinao and Anda, Pangasinan, among four areas where shellfish remain contaminated with paralytic shellfish poison above the regulatory limit (ref 5)."},"measures":[{"name":"Days under 2025 shellfish alert","value":60,"unit":"days","status":"Estimated","note":"From the 10 April 2025 advisory to the 9 June 2025 Bulletin No. 13 that lifted it (refs 1, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Sale of mussels and oysters from the two towns was halted while the ban applied (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cleared in June 2025, positive again by January 2026 (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)","role":"Shellfish toxin monitoring and bulletins"},{"name":"Bolinao and Anda municipal agriculture offices","role":"Local ban enforcement"}],"public_contact":"BFAR national and Region 1 offices, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Bolinao's municipal agriculture office ran information campaigns and tightened auxiliary invoice controls on seafood transport (ref 1).","BFAR advised that fish, squid, shrimp and crabs remain safe if fresh, washed and gutted (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Red tide alert raised in Anda, Bolinao; sale of shellfish banned","publisher":"GMA Regional TV","date":"2025-04-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gmanetwork.com/regionaltv/news/107536/red-tide-alert-raised-in-anda-bolinao-sale-of-shellfish-banned/story","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Anda, Bolinao still positive for red tide (Shellfish Bulletin No. 12, 2025)","publisher":"Punch Dagupan","date":"2025-05-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://punch.dagupan.com/?p=615594","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Anda, Bolinao now red tide-free (Shellfish Bulletin No. 13, 2025)","publisher":"Punch Dagupan","date":"2025-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://punch.dagupan.com/business/2025/06/anda-bolinao-now-red-tide-free/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"BFAR Shellfish Bulletin No. 01, Series of 2026 (catalogued from Philippine Daily Inquirer)","publisher":"SEAFDEC/AQD Aquatic News Index","date":"2026-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ani.seafdec.org.ph/handle/20.500.12174/17543?show=full","basis":"Agency bulletin record"},{"ref":5,"title":"BFAR Shellfish Bulletin No. 02, Series of 2026 (catalogued from The Philippine Star)","publisher":"SEAFDEC/AQD Aquatic News Index","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ani.seafdec.org.ph/handle/20.500.12174/17351?show=full","basis":"Agency bulletin record"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"merge","values":["Summer bottom-water hypoxia and high nutrient levels persist in the Pearl River Estuary","Low-oxygen waters off the Pearl River Estuary expanded sharply since the 1990s"],"note":"Merged with a second record on the long-term expansion of low-oxygen waters off the estuary (XMAS 2025 abstract)."}],"missing_fields":["No hypoxic area or fish-kill figure for 2024-2026 was found in the opened sources.","Source 2 shows only \"December 2024\" so date is left null.","The studies are modelling analyses; no observed oxygen survey or agency bulletin was opened.","No regulator or monitoring agency is named in the sources; the listed body is the study team."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-PEARLRIVER-HYPOXIA-2024","title":"Summer bottom-water hypoxia and high nutrient levels persist in the Pearl River Estuary","description":"Research in the lower Pearl River Estuary finds bottom waters turn hypoxic under stratification, with about 65% of the oxygen-consuming organic matter coming from algal growth and 35% from land. Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department reports that nutrient compliance in its waters is limited by high background levels from the estuary, and China's 2025 marine bulletin lists estuarine hypoxia as a continuing risk.","location":{"name":"Lower Pearl River Estuary","type":"Estuary and coastal shelf","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN","HK"],"detail":"Guangdong coast and Hong Kong waters, northern South China Sea","coordinates":{"lat":22.1,"lon":113.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient-fed oxygen depletion in estuarine bottom water.","secondary_drivers":["River nutrient load","Water-column stratification"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A July 2014 cruise found bottom waters hypoxic at both sampling legs, with oxygen near 30 µmol/kg at one station (ref 3); a 2024 study measured sediment oxygen uptake averaging about 41 mmol per square metre per day (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Hong Kong recorded 13 red tide incidents in 2023 but no red-tide fish kill (ref 2), so no fishery disruption is documented in the cited sources.","scale":"The studied hypoxic area is the lower estuary (10 to 70 m depth) shared by Guangdong and Hong Kong waters, a regional coastal sector (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Hypoxia was documented on a July 2014 cruise (ref 3) and a December 2024 paper still models its development in the same estuary (ref 1); China's 2025 bulletin lists estuarine hypoxia as a continuing national risk (ref 4).","significance":"EPD's annual compliance reporting gives Deep Bay 53% water quality objective compliance and total inorganic nitrogen 70% in 2023 (ref 2), and China's Ministry of Natural Resources bulletin of 8 June 2026 flags estuarine hypoxia nationally (ref 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not quantified in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 65% (±16%) of the oxygen-consuming organic matter in the hypoxic zone came from marine sources and about 35% (±16%) from land (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine-origin share of oxygen-consuming organic matter","value":65,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Three-endmember mixing model with a ±16% uncertainty, July 2014 cruise (ref 3)."},{"name":"Hong Kong total inorganic nitrogen compliance","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"2023 marine water quality, attributed largely to high background levels in the Pearl River Estuary (ref 2)."},{"name":"Deep Bay water quality objective compliance","value":53,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"2023 result, up from an average of 47% in 2009-2018 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Hong Kong recorded 13 red tide incidents in 2023 but no red-tide fish kill (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Deep Bay compliance improved from 47% to 53%, while estuarine hypoxia is still flagged in China's 2025 bulletin (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department","role":"Marine water quality monitoring","contact":"https://www.epd.gov.hk"},{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Marine ecological early warning bulletins"}],"public_contact":"Hong Kong EPD published public enquiry channels (epd.gov.hk)","corrective_actions":["Hong Kong and Shenzhen continue sewerage extensions and pollution control for Deep Bay (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sediment oxygen uptake and hypoxia in coastal oceans, the Pearl River Estuary region (Water Research 267, 122499)","publisher":"HKUST Research Portal","date":"2024-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://researchportal.hkust.edu.hk/en/publications/sediment-oxygen-uptake-and-hypoxia-in-coastal-oceans-the-pearl-ri/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"ACE Paper 15/2024: Beach, marine and river water quality of Hong Kong in 2023 (dated December 2024)","publisher":"Environment and Ecology Bureau, Hong Kong","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eeb.gov.hk/sites/default/files/en/node5840/ACE_Paper_15_2024.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tracing the origin of the oxygen-consuming organic matter in the hypoxic zone in a large eutrophic estuary: the lower reach of the Pearl River Estuary, China","publisher":"Biogeosciences (Copernicus)","date":"2017-09-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/14/4085/2017/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":4,"title":"China Daily report on the 2025 China Marine Ecological Early Warning and Monitoring Bulletin","publisher":"China Daily (Ningbo)","date":"2026-06-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ningbo.chinadaily.com.cn/2026-06/09/c_1189401.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Human activities caused hypoxia expansion in a large eutrophic estuary: non-negligible role of riverine suspended sediments (Nan et al.)","publisher":"Biogeosciences 22, 5573-5589","date":"2025-10-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/5573/2025/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":6,"title":"Separating nutrient and physical drivers of oxygen loss off the Pearl River Estuary (Chen, Yu and Hu), XMAS 2025 session 15","publisher":"Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aconf.org/conf_198615/abstract/456.html","basis":"Conference abstract"},{"ref":7,"title":"Human activities caused hypoxia expansion in a large eutrophic estuary (preprint egusphere-2024-4013)","publisher":"EGUsphere","date":"2025-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2024-4013/","basis":"Preprint"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Ref 4 shows both a 2019 and a 2023 date, so its date is left null.","The cause of the September 2023 bloom is described as unclear in the cited news report.","No 2024-2026 bloom or fish-kill report was opened."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-UPPERGOT-HYPOXIA-2025","title":"Seasonal hypoxia and an extreme plankton bloom damage mussel farms in the Upper Gulf of Thailand","description":"A 2026 study of the Siracha coast on the eastern Upper Gulf of Thailand finds bottom hypoxia from August to October, driven mainly by river nutrient loading, with fish mortalities and shellfish aquaculture damage reported. In September 2023 an extreme plankton bloom off Chonburi affected more than 80% of almost 300 mussel plots, according to the Chonburi Fisheries Association.","location":{"name":"Upper Gulf of Thailand (Siracha, Chonburi)","type":"Gulf and coastal waters","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TH"],"detail":"Eastern Upper Gulf of Thailand, Chonburi province, Thailand","coordinates":{"lat":13.17,"lon":100.93,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"River nutrient loading drives oxygen loss in a poorly flushed gulf.","secondary_drivers":["River nutrient load","Warm sea temperatures (El Nino)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Frontiers study reports fish mortalities and shellfish aquaculture damage at Siracha during the September expansion stage of hypoxia, with lower layers falling to about 1 to 2 mg/L (ref 1).","livelihoods":"More than 80% of nearly 300 mussel plots off Chonburi were affected in the September 2023 bloom and one fisher lost over US$14,000 (ref 2).","scale":"The Upper Gulf covers about 22,800 km2 of Thai coastal waters (ref 1).","duration":"Hypoxia persisted from early August to early October in 2020 surveys, a Thai scientists' account says it harms marine life every year at Bangsaen and Hua Hin (ref 4), and a joint survey was held in November and December 2024 (ref 3).","significance":"No official advisory or order is cited; the evidence is a peer-reviewed study, a Reuters-reported bloom and a joint research survey (refs 1 to 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not stated in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 80% of the almost 300 mussel plots in the Chonburi area were affected by the September 2023 bloom (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mussel plots affected, Chonburi, September 2023","value":80,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Chonburi Fisheries Association figure for nearly 300 plots (ref 2)."},{"name":"Hypoxia duration offshore, Siracha 2020","value":2,"unit":"months","status":"Estimated","note":"Early August to early October, peaking in September (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Mussel farms in Chonburi lost most plots in the 2023 bloom (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Seasonal recurrence is documented, but no multi-year trend figure was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (Upper Gulf of Thailand), DMCR","role":"Hypoxia observations","contact":"https://th-ch-dic.dmcr.go.th/en/news-activities/36-jointly-conduct-observations-of-hypoxia-in-the-upper-gulf-of-thailand"},{"name":"Chonburi Fisheries Association","role":"Industry body reporting losses"}],"public_contact":"DMCR Upper Gulf research centre, published page","corrective_actions":["DMCR, Chulalongkorn University, Prince of Songkla University and China's First Institute of Oceanography ran a joint hypoxia survey from 25 November to 4 December 2024 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Physico-biochemical controls on dissolved oxygen dynamics in the Eastern Upper Gulf of Thailand: field observations and numerical modeling","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2026-01-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1708069/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Extreme plankton bloom creates marine dead zone off eastern Thailand (Reuters)","publisher":"MalaysiaNow","date":"2023-09-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://malaysianow.com/out-there-now/2023/09/20/extreme-plankton-bloom-creates-marine-dead-zone-off-eastern-thailand","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Jointly conduct observations of hypoxia in the Upper Gulf of Thailand","publisher":"DMCR Upper Gulf research centre","date":"2024-11-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://th-ch-dic.dmcr.go.th/en/news-activities/36-jointly-conduct-observations-of-hypoxia-in-the-upper-gulf-of-thailand","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Occurrence and spatial scale of hypoxia in the upper Gulf of Thailand","publisher":"Royal Society of Thailand","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://science.royalsociety.go.th/occurrence-and-spatial-scale-of-hypoxia-in-the-upper-gulf-of-thailand/","basis":"Expert article"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 measurement of floating debris quantity was found."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-HALONGBAY-FOAMDEBRIS-2024","title":"Polystyrene foam buoys and aquaculture waste litter Ha Long Bay World Heritage waters","description":"Tonnes of polystyrene foam a day were collected from Ha Long Bay in April 2023, largely from dismantled illegal aquaculture cages, and authorities ordered illegal cages removed. In March 2024 the bay management board said plastic bags and foam buoys still remained at some locations, and in June 2025 it reported cutting foam buoy use in floating structures by 94%.","location":{"name":"Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh)","type":"World Heritage bay","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN"],"detail":"Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays, Quang Ninh province, Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam","coordinates":{"lat":20.91,"lon":107.18,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Floating plastic and foam debris from aquaculture and fishing.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal aquaculture cages","Tourism"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Tuoi Tre reported the foam waste seriously damaged the bay's natural beauty, and the bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site (ref 4); Viet Nam News traced it to dismantled illegal cages (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Tuoi Tre reported the floating waste disrupted waterway traffic, and 25 boats and barges and 100 workers were deployed to collect it (ref 4).","scale":"The problem concentrates in one bay system in Quang Ninh, with named areas in Ha Long, Cam Pha, Van Don and Quang Yen (ref 1).","duration":"Foam waste was reported in April 2023, still some foam buoys in March 2024 and a 2025 management campaign (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Illegal fish cages were ordered removed before 15 April 2023 and the provincial plan was approved by Decision No 80/QD-TTG of the Prime Minister (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Officials said tonnes of styrofoam waste were collected each day in April 2023; the bay management reports a 94% fall in foam buoy use in floating structures by June 2025 (refs 1, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reduction in foam buoy use on floating structures","value":94,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Management department claim in its 2025 environmental action report (ref 3)."},{"name":"Aquaculture operators signing no-single-use-plastic pledge","value":51,"unit":"businesses and households","status":"Reported","note":"Reported June 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Heritage tourism and sightseeing boat operations are exposed to floating debris (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The management board reports large cuts in foam and single-use plastic use in 2025 (ref 3), but self-reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ha Long Bay Management Department","role":"Bay manager","contact":"https://halongbay.com.vn"},{"name":"Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee","role":"Provincial government"}],"public_contact":"Ha Long Bay Management Department, published website","corrective_actions":["Bay-wide waste collection campaigns ran in April 2023 and a further one was launched on 26 March 2024 to run to 20 April (refs 1, 2).","Illegal aquaculture cages ordered removed (refs 1, 4).","No-single-use-plastic commitments were signed by 204 tour boat operators and 51 aquaculture operators (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tonnes of styrofoam waste pollutes Ha Long Bay","publisher":"Viet Nam News","date":"2023-04-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1518042/tonnes-of-styrofoam-waste-pollutes-ha-long-bay.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Waste collection and cleanup campaign to be launched in Ha Long Bay","publisher":"Dtinews (VNA)","date":"2024-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dtinews.dantri.com.vn/vietnam-today/waste-collection-cleanup-campaign-to-be-launched-in-ha-long-bay-20240326111836157.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ha Long Bay Management Department: numerous activities during the peak month of 2025 environmental action","publisher":"Ha Long Bay Management Department","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://halongbay.com.vn/en/p/237-ban-quan-ly-vinh-ha-long-nhieu-hoat-dong-trong-thang-cao-diem-hanh-dong-vi-moi-truong-nam-2025","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Vietnam's Ha Long Bay grapples with floating styrofoam buoys","publisher":"Tuoi Tre News","date":"2023-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.tuoitre.vn/vietnams-ha-long-bay-grapples-with-floating-styrofoam-buoys-10372535.htm","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No responsible agency or corrective action is named in the two cited studies.","The 2021 paper's own ranges are inconsistent in places; the means from its table are used."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-MANILABAY-LITTER-2026","title":"Plastic litter and microplastics accumulate at Pasig River and other Manila Bay river outfalls","description":"A University of the Philippines study published in February 2026 combined satellite detection with particle tracking and found plastic litter near coastal areas and open waters of Manila Bay, with significant accumulation near Manila Bay Port in the wet season. An earlier peer-reviewed survey found microplastics in surface water at all five sampled river mouths, up to 57,665 particles per cubic metre at Meycauayan.","location":{"name":"Pasig River outfall, Manila Bay","type":"River outfall and bay","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines; river mouths of Pasig, Parañaque, Tullahan, Meycauayan and Cañas","coordinates":{"lat":14.58,"lon":120.96,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Land-based plastic waste carried into a semi-enclosed bay.","secondary_drivers":["River plastic input"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The 2026 study detected litter near coastal areas and in open waters of the bay with 68% average detection accuracy (ref 1), and the 2021 survey identified polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene fragments (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Neither cited study documents fishery or beach closures from the litter.","scale":"Both studies cover Manila Bay and its river mouths only (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Litter data from 2017 to 2019 and microplastic sampling reported in 2021 and a 2026 analysis show chronic presence (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are academic studies with no regulator notice or enforcement action cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastics in surface water at five Manila Bay river mouths ranged from 1,580 to 57,665 particles/m³ (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Highest surface-water microplastic concentration (Meycauayan River mouth)","value":57665,"unit":"particles/m3","status":"Reported","note":"Mean value from the 2021 survey of five river mouths (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pasig River mouth surface-water microplastics","value":3405,"unit":"particles/m3","status":"Reported","note":"Mean value from the same survey (ref 2)."},{"name":"Average litter detection accuracy","value":68,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Remote sensing with particle tracking, 188 detected plastic particles simulated (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two studies from different years and methods; no trend is reported."},"responsible_bodies":[],"public_contact":"","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Integration of remote sensing and particle tracking modeling to locate marine litter accumulations in Manila Bay Pasig River outfall","publisher":"ISPRS Annals (University of the Philippines Diliman)","date":"2026-02-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://isprs-annals.copernicus.org/articles/X-5-W4-2025/245/2026/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Microplastics occurrence in surface waters and sediments in five river mouths of Manila Bay","publisher":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","date":"2021-09-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.719274/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Sources are Chinese-language news coverage of official reports; the reports themselves were not opened.","The survey does not itemise coastal states in the cited coverage.","Ref 2 notes waste accumulation and fishing nets at Renai Reef but gives no debris data."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-SCS-OPENSEA-FLOATINGDEBRIS-2025","title":"China's 2025 survey finds floating plastic debris and microplastics across the open South China Sea","description":"A 2025 marine ecological environment quality report on the South China Sea, released on 20 March 2026 by Chinese monitoring institutes, found floating debris averaging 26.5 items per square kilometre, mostly plastic, with the highest counts in the western sea. Microplastics averaged 0.67 particles per cubic metre, mainly polypropylene and polyethylene.","location":{"name":"South China Sea open waters","type":"Regional sea","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Open South China Sea; the cited article does not itemise the coastal states in the survey area","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic debris and microplastics measured at sea.","secondary_drivers":[],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The report records floating debris and microplastics in open water but notes surface seawater met the first-class standard (ref 1), so harm is potential.","livelihoods":"The cited coverage reports no closures or fishery effects from the debris (ref 1).","scale":"The survey spans the open South China Sea, with the highest debris counts in its western part (ref 1).","duration":"The monitoring covers the 2025 survey year from fixed-point and underway ship monitoring and satellite remote sensing (ref 1).","significance":"The findings were issued as a formal quality report compiled by seven units including the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable to an open-sea survey."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Floating debris averaged 26.5 items per square kilometre, mostly plastic; microplastics averaged 0.67 particles per cubic metre (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Floating debris density","value":26.5,"unit":"items/km2","status":"Reported","note":"Average across the survey; highest in the western South China Sea (ref 1)."},{"name":"Microplastic density","value":0.67,"unit":"particles/m3","status":"Reported","note":"Mainly polypropylene and polyethylene film and fragments (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single survey year is reported; no prior year is given in the cited article."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center (China)","role":"Report compiler"},{"name":"South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment","role":"Report compiler"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China), published channels","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"报告显示监测的南海主要岛礁生态环境状况稳定 (coverage of the 2025 South China Sea Marine Ecological Environment Quality Report, Xinhua)","publisher":"Science and Technology Daily","date":"2026-03-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.stdaily.com/web/gdxw/2026-03/21/content_489661.html","basis":"News (official report coverage, Chinese language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Report on the 2025 South China Sea marine ecological early warning bulletins released in Haikou","publisher":"People's Political Consultative Daily (rmzxw.com.cn)","date":"2026-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rmzxw.com.cn/c/2026-08-17/3961440.shtml","basis":"News (Chinese language)"}]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SECONDTHOMAS-RESUPPLY-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Resupply of the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal under a fragile 2024 provisional arrangement","description":"The Philippines and China reached a provisional arrangement in July 2024 on rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine naval vessel grounded at Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin). An AMTI analysis dated March 2026 counts 13 missions under it, while describing the two sides as holding different interpretations of its terms. A Jakarta Post commentary of August 2026 refers to a recent physical confrontation at the shoal.","location":{"name":"Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin)","type":"Disputed reef and grounded naval outpost","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"Spratly Islands, within the Philippine EEZ claimed by Manila; China also claims the shoal. Parties dispute the legal basis for resupply rules.","coordinates":{"lat":9.733,"lon":115.867,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A bilateral arrangement governs access to a disputed reef, so the issue is a governance and sovereignty dispute.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims","Coast guard enforcement at sea"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The AMTI analysis says Philippine officials report no dangerous encounters since the July 2024 arrangement, and it documents no injuries after that date (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Access to the shoal is limited to notified resupply and rotation missions to one vessel; the AMTI analysis lists advance reporting and inspection as unresolved points (ref 1).","scale":"The arrangement applies only to Second Thomas Shoal, a single feature (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Resupply has been contested at the shoal for years; the arrangement itself has run from July 2024 through at least March 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"A formal provisional understanding between two governments is in force, but it is not a treaty or court ruling; each side states different terms (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"From July 2024 to 4 March 2026 the Philippines carried out 13 rotation and resupply missions to the Sierra Madre, roughly one every six weeks (AMTI, 23 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rotation and resupply missions completed under the arrangement","value":13,"unit":"missions","status":"Reported","note":"July 2024 to 4 March 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Consecutive undisturbed missions at 9 April 2025","value":7,"unit":"missions","status":"Reported","note":"Philstar report on the 9 April 2025 mission (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Missions proceeded without reported disruption in 2025 and early 2026 (refs 1, 2); a commentary dated August 2026 mentions a later physical confrontation there (ref 3), details not verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs","role":"Negotiating party to the arrangement","contact":"https://dfa.gov.ph"},{"name":"Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Run the resupply missions","contact":"https://coastguard.gov.ph"},{"name":"China Coast Guard","role":"Enforcement presence at the shoal","contact":"https://www.mfa.gov.cn"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The two governments agreed a provisional arrangement through diplomatic channels in July 2024; the Philippines says it has not agreed to inspections of its missions (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Divergence and Tacit Understanding in the China-Philippines Provisional Arrangement at Second Thomas Shoal","publisher":"Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, CSIS (author: Liu Xiaobo, Grandview Institution, Beijing)","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/divergence-and-tacit-understanding-in-the-china-philippines-provisional-arrangement-at-second-thomas-shoal/","basis":"Think-tank analysis"},{"ref":2,"title":"Seventh undisturbed resupply mission to Ayungin completed on Day of Valor","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2025-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/04/10/2434962/seventh-undisturbed-resupply-mission-ayungin-completed-day-valor","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Line in the sand: ASEAN must choose substance over speed in the South China Sea","publisher":"The Jakarta Post via Asia News Network","date":"2026-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=291785","basis":"News commentary"},{"ref":4,"title":"Second Thomas Shoal (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Thomas_Shoal","basis":"Reference page, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"terms of the arrangement","values":["China says the Philippines agreed to tow away the vessel; Philippine officials refute this (ref 2)","The AMTI analysis describes separate interpretations with shared implementation (ref 1)"],"note":"The two governments publicly describe the arrangement differently."}],"missing_fields":["Details of the confrontation mentioned in the August 2026 commentary were not verified from a primary source."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SCARBOROUGH-NATURERESERVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China approves a national nature reserve covering part of Scarborough Shoal; the Philippines protests","description":"In September 2025 China's State Council approved a national nature reserve of 3,524 hectares covering the northeastern side of Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, Bajo de Masinloc), according to Reuters. The Philippine foreign ministry said it strongly protests the designation and called on China to withdraw it, while Beijing calls the shoal its inherent territory. Both sides accuse the other of damaging the reef; those claims are not independently documented in the cited reports.","location":{"name":"Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc)","type":"Disputed coral atoll","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN","PH"],"detail":"Northeastern South China Sea, inside the Philippine EEZ claimed by Manila; China has controlled access since 2012.","coordinates":{"lat":15.183,"lon":117.767,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A protected-area designation is being used in a sovereignty dispute over a reef, making this a governance matter.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims","Protected-area designation in disputed waters"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Manila accuses China of damaging coral and marine life including clam harvesting, and Beijing makes similar accusations against Manila; neither is verified in the cited reports (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A Philippine academic quoted by Reuters warned the designation could lead to arrests of Filipino fishermen at a shoal where Filipino boats operate (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The reserve covers 3,524 hectares on one atoll (ref 2).","duration":"China has held de facto control since a 2012 standoff and issued baselines around the shoal in November 2024; the reserve followed in September 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"China's State Council approved the reserve and the Philippine foreign ministry lodged a formal protest (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"China approved a national nature reserve of 3,524 hectares covering the entire northeastern side of Scarborough Shoal (Reuters via Baird Maritime, 11 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reserve area","value":3524,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Reuters feature, 11 September 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A Reuters-quoted expert warned of arrests of Filipino fishermen using the shoal (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Designation follows the 2024 baselines and an August 2025 collision between Chinese vessels at the shoal reported by Philippine officials (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"State Council of China","role":"Approved the reserve","contact":"https://english.www.gov.cn"},{"name":"Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs","role":"Lodged protest","contact":"https://dfa.gov.ph"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The Philippines said it would lodge a formal diplomatic protest and urged China to withdraw the designation (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Philippines protests China's plan for nature reserve in disputed shoal","publisher":"Reuters via Baird Maritime","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/philippines-protests-chinas-plan-for-nature-reserve-in-disputed-shoal","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"FEATURE | The Scarborough Shoal dispute and China's nature reserve plans","publisher":"Reuters via Baird Maritime","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/feature-the-scarborough-shoal-dispute-and-chinas-nature-reserve-plans","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Scarborough Shoal (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Shoal","basis":"Reference page, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"sovereignty and ecological damage","values":["Philippines: shoal is within its EEZ; China: inherent territory","Each side accuses the other of damaging the reef"],"note":"Positions attributed to the governments in the Reuters reports."}],"missing_fields":["Reserve boundary coordinates not given in the cited reports."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SANDYCAY-WATERCANNON-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chinese coast guard water cannon and ramming against Philippine fisheries vessels at Sandy Cay and Pag-asa Island","description":"On 21 May 2025 a China Coast Guard vessel used a water cannon and made contact with the Philippine fisheries vessel BRP Datu Sanday near Sandy Cay, according to The Maritime Executive and Philippine officials. On 12 October 2025 Philippine officials reported more water cannon use and a ramming near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, with a Chinese flotilla of over 15 militia ships and five coast guard ships. China says it expelled the vessels lawfully.","location":{"name":"Sandy Cay and Pag-asa (Thitu) Island","type":"Disputed cays and island waters","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"Spratly Islands, Kalayaan Island Group, Palawan. Coordinates are those of Thitu Island; Sandy Cay lies nearby.","coordinates":{"lat":11.0522,"lon":114.2833,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Coast guard confrontation over contested waters used for fisheries support and marine research.","secondary_drivers":["Coast guard enforcement at sea","Competing sovereignty claims"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Philippine officials reported damage to the Datu Sanday port bow and funnel and said civilian lives were put at risk; no injuries were reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The October 2025 vessels were on a mission supporting Filipino fishermen, and the May mission was a marine research task that BFAR said was interfered with (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Two incidents at one cluster of cays near Thitu Island (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Incidents were reported in May and again in October 2025, months apart (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Philippine foreign ministry said it would file a diplomatic protest and the US, UK and Netherlands commented publicly (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Water cannon was used three times and one vessel was rammed near Pag-asa on 12 October 2025, with over 15 militia ships and five China Coast Guard ships present (Asia News Network, 14 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"China Coast Guard and militia ships near Pag-asa, 12 October 2025","value":20,"unit":"ships (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"More than 15 militia ships plus five coast guard ships, per Philippine reporting (ref 2)."},{"name":"Water cannon uses, 12 October 2025","value":3,"unit":"uses","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Philippine fisheries support missions were disrupted (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The Philippine Coast Guard described the October 2025 incident as the closest approach yet to the island (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources","role":"Operator of the vessels","contact":"https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph"},{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Maritime security","contact":"https://coastguard.gov.ph"},{"name":"China Coast Guard","role":"Enforcement presence","contact":"https://www.mfa.gov.cn"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said it would file a diplomatic protest after the October 2025 incident (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Video: Chinese and Philippine Vessels Bump as China Uses Water Cannons","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/video-chinese-and-philippine-vessels-bump-as-china-uses-water-cannons","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Chinese fleet 'closest' ever to disputed island off Philippines' Palawan province","publisher":"Asia News Network","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=232731","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Thitu Island (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thitu_Island","basis":"Reference page, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"what happened","values":["Philippines: aggressive interference and water cannon use","China: vessels ignored warnings and approached dangerously, caused a bump; the coast guard expelled them lawfully"],"note":"Competing accounts reported in refs 1 and 2."}],"missing_fields":["Exact coordinates of Sandy Cay not taken from a source."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-SECONDTHOMAS-RESUPPLY-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-ASEANCHINA-CODEOFCONDUCT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"ASEAN and China negotiate a South China Sea code of conduct against a 2026 target","description":"ASEAN and China are negotiating a code of conduct for the South China Sea, with ASEAN foreign ministers committing to conclude it within 2026. In January 2026 Malaysia's foreign minister said nearly 70 per cent of the content was agreed, and the Philippines as ASEAN chair proposed monthly meetings of the technical working group. Whether the code will be legally binding, its geographic scope and the role of UNCLOS remain open, according to a Jakarta Post commentary of August 2026.","location":{"name":"South China Sea (ASEAN-China process)","type":"Regional treaty negotiation","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN","PH","VN","MY","BN"],"detail":"Negotiating parties are the ten ASEAN states and China; the claimant states bordering the sea are listed.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A multilateral negotiation to set conduct rules for a disputed sea.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No physical harm is attributed to the negotiation itself in the cited reports (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or shipping restriction is tied to the process in the cited reports (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The code would apply to the South China Sea; the Bernama report places talks among ASEAN states and China (ref 1).","duration":"Bernama reports about 17 years of talks, and a 2019 target was missed (refs 1, 4).","significance":"A formal negotiating process with a stated 2026 deadline exists, but no text has been agreed (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Malaysia's foreign minister said nearly 70 per cent of the code's content is agreed (Bernama, 29 January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of code content agreed","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Statement by Malaysia's foreign minister, \"nearly 70 per cent\" (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Talks quickened in 2026 but remain unfinished as of the 3 August 2026 commentary (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ASEAN Secretariat","role":"Process coordination","contact":"https://asean.org"},{"name":"Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs","role":"ASEAN chair for 2026","contact":"https://dfa.gov.ph"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The Philippines proposed monthly face-to-face technical working group meetings; ASEAN states accepted and the proposal was being conveyed to China (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ASEAN, China Step Up Talks To Conclude COC","publisher":"Bernama","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asean.bernama.com/news.php?id=2518409","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"ASEAN's new strategy on 'Code of Conduct' with China: monthly face-to-face meetings","publisher":"DZRH","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/aseans-new-strategy-on-code-of-conduct-with-china-monthly-face-to-face-meetings","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Line in the sand: ASEAN must choose substance over speed in the South China Sea","publisher":"The Jakarta Post via Asia News Network (author: Endy Bayuni)","date":"2026-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=291785","basis":"News commentary"},{"ref":4,"title":"ASEAN, China agree to have SCS Code of Conduct by 2026 - DFA","publisher":"GMA News","date":"2025-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/943788/asean-china-agree-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct-2026-dfa/story/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the talks after August 2026 not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-ARBITRAL-AWARDANNIVERSARY-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-ARBITRAL-AWARDANNIVERSARY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fourteen states mark the tenth anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award; China rejects it","description":"On 12 July 2026 fourteen governments including the Philippines issued a joint statement calling the 2016 arbitral tribunal award final, legally binding and definitive between China and the Philippines. The statement reaffirms the tribunal's finding that China's claims based on \"historic rights\" have no legal basis. China's foreign ministry said it has never recognised the ruling, and no other ASEAN member signed.","location":{"name":"South China Sea (2016 arbitral award)","type":"Maritime boundary ruling","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"Award under UNCLOS Annex VII in Philippines v. China; claims of historic rights and entitlement of features are affected.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Compliance with a tribunal award on maritime entitlements.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The cited statement and report document no physical harm as such (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The statement opposes using coast guard and militia forces to intimidate lawful operations at sea but cites no specific restriction (ref 1).","scale":"The award concerns claims across the South China Sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The award dates from 2016 and remains unaccepted by China ten years later (ref 2).","significance":"An arbitral tribunal award, reaffirmed in a 14-state statement on 12 July 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fourteen governments reaffirmed on 12 July 2026 that the 2016 award is \"final, legally binding, and definitive\" between China and the Philippines (New Zealand MFAT, 12 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Governments signing the joint statement","value":14,"unit":"governments","status":"Reported","note":"Listed in the statement; no other ASEAN member signed (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Positions of the parties are unchanged, per refs 1 and 2."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Permanent Court of Arbitration","role":"Registry of the 2016 tribunal","contact":"https://pca-cpa.org"},{"name":"Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs","role":"Party to the award","contact":"https://dfa.gov.ph"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Signatories urged all parties to abide by the award and settle disputes by lawful means (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Joint Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of the Philippines-China South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award","publisher":"New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade","date":"2026-07-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mfat.govt.nz/br/media-and-resources/joint-statement-tenth-anniversary-philippines-china-south-china-sea-arbitral-tribunal-award","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Philippines, allies affirm South China Sea arbitral ruling in joint statement","publisher":"Philippine Daily Inquirer via Asia News Network","date":"2026-07-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=286905","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"status of the award","values":["Signatories: final and legally binding","China: never recognised, will not accept"],"note":"Positions reported in ref 2."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-ASEANCHINA-CODEOFCONDUCT-2026","OC-SCS-PHILIPPINES-MARITIMEZONES-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-PHILIPPINES-MARITIMEZONES-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act draw Chinese protest and rival baselines at Scarborough Shoal","description":"President Marcos signed the Philippine Maritime Zones Act (RA 12064) and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act (RA 12065) on 8 November 2024. China condemned them on 9 November and summoned the Philippine ambassador, and the Philippine foreign department summoned China's ambassador on 10 November over Chinese baselines drawn around Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine Star reported that coordinates for the zones and sea lanes still needed vetting and filing with the IMO and ICAO.","location":{"name":"Philippine maritime zones, West Philippine Sea","type":"National maritime zone legislation","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"Philippine EEZ and archipelagic waters in the eastern South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal and Spratly features claimed by both states.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Domestic legislation defining maritime zones and rival baselines in a disputed sea.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports document diplomatic protests only, with no harm to people or habitat (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is documented in the cited reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The laws cover the Philippine national maritime zones and sea lanes (ref 2).","duration":"The laws and rival baselines have stood since November 2024, nearly two years before this record (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Two national laws were enacted and both governments lodged formal diplomatic protests, summoning ambassadors (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Marcos signed two maritime laws on 8 November 2024 and China summoned the Philippine ambassador on 9 November (Inquirer and PNA, 14 November 2024)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Later events at Scarborough Shoal include a nature reserve approved by China in 2025 (see related record)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs","role":"Lodged protest over Chinese baselines","contact":"https://dfa.gov.ph"},{"name":"NAMRIA (Philippine mapping authority)","role":"Delineates the zones and sea lanes","contact":"https://www.namria.gov.ph"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The Philippines said specific coordinates would be set with the IMO and ICAO (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Government unfazed by China protest vs new laws","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2024-11-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/11/15/2400376/government-unfazed-china-protest-vs-new-laws/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"PH unfazed as China protests new maritime laws","publisher":"Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine News Agency","date":"2024-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.inquirer.net/420888/ph-unfazed-as-china-protests-new-maritime-laws/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-SCS-SCARBOROUGH-NATURERESERVE-2025","OC-SCS-ARBITRAL-AWARDANNIVERSARY-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SCS-NATUNA-SEISMICSURVEY-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China Coast Guard shadows a Pertamina seismic survey off the Natuna Islands","description":"In October 2024 China Coast Guard vessels 5302 and 5402 shadowed a Pertamina-contracted seismic survey by the Geo Coral northeast of the Natuna Islands, in Indonesia's continental shelf, according to AMTI. Indonesia's maritime security agency Bakamla and the navy escorted and expelled the Chinese vessels several times, but AMTI reports that they returned each time. China said its ships were on routine patrols in waters under its jurisdiction.","location":{"name":"Natuna D-Alpha area, Natuna Sea","type":"Offshore gas survey area","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID","CN"],"detail":"Northern edge of Indonesia's continental shelf, northeast of the Natuna Islands; AMTI says it lies within the southern edge of China's nine-dash line.","coordinates":{"lat":3.9166,"lon":108.202,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Offshore energy survey disrupted by a maritime boundary dispute.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims","Coast guard enforcement at sea"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No injury, spill or habitat damage is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The survey for PT Pertamina was shadowed by Chinese coast guard vessels and needed Indonesian escorts to continue (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One survey area northeast of the Natuna Islands (ref 1).","duration":"The AMTI timeline runs from 5 October to at least 25 October 2024, when CCG 5402 was still at the survey site (ref 1).","significance":"The ANN/Jakarta Post report records formal statements by both governments, but no ruling or enforcement order (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bakamla and the Indonesian Navy expelled CCG 5402 for a total of 8 hours but it returned each time (AMTI, 28 October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Time CCG 5402 was kept out by Indonesian forces","value":8,"unit":"hours","status":"Reported","note":"Total, per AMTI (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The dispute threatens Indonesia's close economic ties with China, per the Jakarta Post (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the October 2024 episode was verified; later incidents were not."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bakamla (Indonesian Maritime Security Agency)","role":"Patrolled and expelled the vessels","contact":"https://bakamla.go.id"},{"name":"PT Pertamina","role":"Survey operator","contact":"https://www.pertamina.com"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Bakamla and the Indonesian Navy escorted and expelled Chinese coast guard vessels; Indonesia released photos and video (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seismic Strife: China and Indonesia Clash over Natuna Survey","publisher":"Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, CSIS","date":"2024-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/seismic-strife-china-and-indonesia-clash-over-natuna-survey/","basis":"Think-tank analysis"},{"ref":2,"title":"China-Indonesia ties tested following North Natuna stand-off","publisher":"The Jakarta Post via Asia News Network","date":"2024-10-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/china-indonesia-ties-tested-following-north-natuna-stand-off/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Natuna Besar (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natuna_Besar","basis":"Reference page, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"legal basis","values":["China: routine patrols in waters under its jurisdiction (nine-dash line)","Indonesia rejects the nine-dash line; the 2016 tribunal found it without basis"],"note":"Positions reported in ref 2."}],"missing_fields":["Coordinates are those of Natuna Besar, not the survey block, which AMTI does not give in text."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-LUCONIA-COASTGUARDPRESENCE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Near-daily China Coast Guard presence around Malaysian gas platforms at Luconia Shoals","description":"AMTI counted nine China Coast Guard vessels in Malaysia's EEZ and continental shelf between January and September 2024, with at least one on station almost every day. Ships came within 1,000 metres of the Timi, Kasawari and Jerun gas platforms. Malaysia's prime minister said the drilling takes place in Malaysian waters and is necessary for the economy.","location":{"name":"Luconia Shoals, off Sarawak","type":"Offshore gas production area","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MY","CN"],"detail":"About 80 nautical miles northwest of Sarawak, per AMTI; Petronas platforms at Timi, Kasawari and Jerun.","coordinates":{"lat":5.6,"lon":112.6,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Offshore gas production under coast guard pressure in contested waters.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims","Offshore oil and gas expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"AMTI documents no collision, spill or injury near the platforms (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No suspension of production is reported; Malaysia continued drilling, 15 exploratory wells in 2024 to the time of the RFA report (ref 2).","scale":"Nine vessels patrolled Malaysia's EEZ and shelf, rotating through several blocks claimed by other states (ref 1).","duration":"Presence was near-continuous January to September 2024, with each ship staying up to six weeks (ref 1).","significance":"The findings come from a think-tank AIS analysis and news; no formal notice or order is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nine different CCG vessels patrolled Malaysia's EEZ and continental shelf from 1 January to 30 September 2024, with at least one on station nearly every day (AMTI, 1 October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"China Coast Guard vessels in Malaysian waters, Jan to Sep 2024","value":9,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"AIS analysis by AMTI (ref 1)."},{"name":"Closest approach to a production platform","value":1000,"unit":"metres","status":"Reported","note":"Timi, Kasawari and Jerun platforms (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["AMTI warned Beijing could increase pressure on Malaysian oil and gas production (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only January to September 2024 data were verified; 2025 and 2026 not checked."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petronas","role":"Operator of the platforms","contact":"https://www.petronas.com"},{"name":"Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency","role":"Maritime enforcement","contact":"https://www.mmea.gov.my"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Malaysia continued exploration drilling and the prime minister described it as within Malaysian waters (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A Well-Oiled Machine: Chinese Patrols at Luconia Shoals","publisher":"Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, CSIS","date":"2024-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/a-well-oiled-machine-chinese-patrols-at-luconia-shoals/","basis":"Think-tank analysis"},{"ref":2,"title":"Despite constant hovering by Chinese ships, Malaysia expands South China Sea drilling","publisher":"BenarNews via Radio Free Asia","date":"2024-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/malaysia-south-china-sea-oil-drilling-10022024153718.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Luconia Shoals (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luconia_Shoals","basis":"Reference page, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 source on the Luconia patrols was opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-SPRATLYS-VIETNAMRECLAMATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vietnam extends land reclamation to every one of its 21 Spratly outposts","description":"AMTI reported in August 2025 that all 21 Vietnamese-held rocks and low-tide elevations in the Spratly Islands now have artificial land, after new landfill at five reefs. Earlier, in March 2025, AMTI said Vietnam had created about 70 per cent as much artificial land as China. China protested the Barque Canada Reef runway, while Vietnam has said reclamation protects reefs and provides typhoon shelters for fishermen.","location":{"name":"Vietnamese-held Spratly features","type":"Reclaimed reefs and low-tide elevations","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN","CN","PH"],"detail":"Spratly Islands, central South China Sea; features also claimed by China and the Philippines or others. Coordinates are those of Barque Canada Reef.","coordinates":{"lat":8.1667,"lon":113.3,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Competitive land reclamation on disputed reefs, with harbour and runway construction.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims","Dredging and land reclamation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Landfill on reef features implies potential habitat loss, but AMTI does not assess environmental effects (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Vietnam says the work provides typhoon shelters for fishermen; no closures are reported (ref 2).","scale":"All 21 Vietnamese-held Spratly features are affected, across a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Reclamation began in 2021 and continued through imagery dated July and August 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"RFA reports that China protested the Barque Canada Reef runway; no ruling or order is cited (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Since June 2024 Vietnam added 641 acres (260 hectares) of land, bringing its Spratly total to just over 3,300 acres (1,335 hectares), per AMTI as cited by RFA (27 March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vietnamese-held Spratly features with artificial land","value":21,"unit":"features","status":"Reported","note":"AMTI, 22 August 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"New land created since June 2024","value":260,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"RFA citing AMTI, 27 March 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Total reclaimed land in the Spratlys","value":1335,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"RFA citing AMTI, \"just over 3,300 acres\" (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"AMTI says new work makes it likely Vietnam will match or surpass China's scale (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs","role":"Government of the occupying state","contact":"https://mofa.gov.vn"},{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China","role":"Protested the work","contact":"https://www.mfa.gov.cn"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"No Islet Left Behind: Vietnam Reclaims Land at Every Remaining Spratly Outpost","publisher":"Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, CSIS","date":"2025-08-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amti.csis.org/no-islet-left-behind-vietnam-reclaims-land-at-every-remaining-spratly-outpost/","basis":"Think-tank analysis"},{"ref":2,"title":"Vietnam expands island building in disputed waters","publisher":"Radio Free Asia (Mike Firn)","date":"2025-03-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rfa.org/english/vietnam/2025/03/27/south-china-sea-spratly-islands-reclamation/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Barque Canada Reef (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barque_Canada_Reef","basis":"Reference page, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"runway length at Barque Canada Reef","values":["RFA gives \"about 8,000 feet (244 meters)\", which is internally inconsistent (ref 2)"],"note":"AMTI says only that the runway is under construction (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No environmental impact assessment was found in the opened sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-GULFTHAILAND-MOU44-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Thailand cancels its 2001 joint oil and gas MoU with Cambodia in the overlapping claims area of the Gulf of Thailand","description":"On 5 May 2026 Thailand's cabinet approved cancelling MoU 44, the 2001 framework for joint exploration of oil and gas in the Gulf of Thailand area where the two countries' maritime claims overlap. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cited a 25-year stalemate, and Cambodia's foreign minister said Phnom Penh would start a dispute resolution process under UNCLOS. Thailand's energy ministry estimated future revenues from the area at about US$300 billion.","location":{"name":"Thai-Cambodian overlapping claims area","type":"Maritime boundary dispute area","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TH","KH"],"detail":"Gulf of Thailand, where Thai and Cambodian maritime claims overlap; no coordinates were given in the cited reports.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Termination of a bilateral resource-sharing agreement in an overlapping maritime claims area.","secondary_drivers":["Competing sovereignty claims","Offshore oil and gas interests"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or human harm is reported from the cancellation itself (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No production exists under the MoU; the reports cite no restriction on shipping or fishing (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The agreement covers an overlapping claims area in the Gulf of Thailand, a regional sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The MoU dates from 2001 and Thailand cited 25 years without progress (ref 1).","significance":"Thailand's cabinet cancelled the MoU and Cambodia said it would begin an UNCLOS dispute resolution process (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Thailand's energy ministry estimated future oil and gas revenues from the overlapping claims area at about US$300 billion (AFP via New Straits Times, 6 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated future revenue from the area","value":300,"unit":"US$ billion","status":"Estimated","note":"Thai energy ministry estimate as reported by AFP; method not given (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Thai officials say future negotiations will rely on UNCLOS (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Cancellation follows two rounds of armed border conflict in 2025, with a ceasefire in place since late December (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Thailand (Cabinet)","role":"Cancelled the MoU","contact":"https://www.mfa.go.th"},{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia","role":"Contesting the cancellation","contact":"https://www.mfaic.gov.kh"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Cambodia said it would start dispute resolution under UNCLOS (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Thailand scraps 25-year-old agreement with Cambodia on joint energy exploration","publisher":"Reuters via Arab News","date":"2026-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arabnews.com/node/2642371/world","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Thailand cancels maritime energy pact with Cambodia, triggering diplomatic row","publisher":"AFP via New Straits Times","date":"2026-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nst.com.my/amp/world/region/2026/05/1433310/thailand-cancels-maritime-energy-pact-cambodia-triggering-diplomatic","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"link to the border conflict","values":["Thai PM: unrelated to the border conflict, an election pledge"],"note":"Cambodia says it remained committed to the agreement (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Size of the overlapping area not stated in the cited reports.","Whether the Gulf of Thailand falls within SCS for this tracker was assumed."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SCS-VIETNAM-SUBSEACABLES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated subsea cable faults cut Vietnam's international internet capacity","description":"Four of the eight subsea cables serving Vietnam (SJC2, AAE-1, AAG and IA) were reported faulty in August 2026, affecting about 30% of the country's international internet traffic according to Light Reading. Causes had not been disclosed. Earlier, the IA cable fault of December 2024 was repaired by the end of February 2025 with APG repairs expected by early April 2025, and Vietnam's telecom ministry noted all five cables then serving it had problems in 2022 or early 2023.","location":{"name":"Vietnam subsea cable routes","type":"Submarine telecommunications cables","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VN","SG"],"detail":"Cables run from Vietnam across the South China Sea; reported faults include a branch 190 km from the Singapore landing station.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Recurring damage to seabed infrastructure with national connectivity effects.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed infrastructure faults"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is reported; the cited reports describe connectivity loss only (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Light Reading reports slowdowns on overseas services and traffic rerouting by VNPT and Viettel (ref 1).","scale":"Four of eight cables serving Vietnam were affected in August 2026 (ref 1).","duration":"Faults were reported in 2022-23, December 2024 to April 2025, and August 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The telecom ministry announced repairs and urged telecom firms to build new cables (ref 3); no enforcement action is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Four of eight cables serving Vietnam were affected, impacting about 30% of its international internet traffic (Light Reading, 31 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vietnam cables affected, August 2026","value":4,"unit":"of 8 cables","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Share of international internet traffic affected","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Users may see slowdowns on overseas social media and streaming at peak times (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Faults recur and are repaired, with a new set in August 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vietnam Ministry of Information and Communications (telecommunications department)","role":"Announces cable repairs","contact":"https://english.mic.gov.vn"}],"public_contact":"See the body's published general contact channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["VNPT rerouted traffic and Viettel added capacity via IA, APG and a terrestrial route through Laos to Singapore (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Four subsea cable faults hit Vietnam's Internet","publisher":"Light Reading (Gigi Onag)","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lightreading.com/cable-technology/four-subsea-cable-faults-hit-vietnam-s-internet","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Vietnam Restores IA Undersea Cable, APG Repairs to Be Completed by April","publisher":"SubTel Forum, from VietNamNet","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://subtelforum.com/vietnam-internet-infrastructure-on-the-mend/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Int'l internet connection improved as submarine cable fixed","publisher":"Bac Ninh TV (Vietnam)","date":"2023-05-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.baobacninhtv.vn/intl-internet-connection-improved-as-submarine-cable-fixed.bbg","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SCS in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Causes of the faults are not stated in any cited source.","No coordinates; faults span several cable routes."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-REGION-HEATWAVE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record 2023 Caribbean marine heatwave began one to two months early and was followed by coral die-offs across the wider Caribbean","description":"NOAA and University of Queensland scientists reported in December 2023 that extreme marine heatwaves covered the wider Caribbean, with record heat stress that started one to two months earlier than usual and lasted longer. A 2024 field study reported abnormal heat of 1 to 3 C above normal from March 2023, lasting more than five months in parts of the region, and a May 2026 study found most surveyed Caribbean sites had tipped into net reef erosion.","location":{"name":"Wider Caribbean Sea (regional)","type":"Regional sea","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BZ","CO","CR","CU","DO","GP","GT","HN","HT","JM","KY","MQ","MX","NI","PA","PR","VC","VE","VG","VI"],"detail":"Wider Caribbean including Florida-adjacent waters; longest heat stress reported around Jamaica, Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica (ref 3)","coordinates":{"lat":15,"lon":-75,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A basin-scale sea-surface heat anomaly is a physical climate event, with reef damage as its downstream effect.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","El Nino"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA's Coral Reef Watch coordinator said high mortality of staghorn and elkhorn corals had been reported in Florida, Puerto Rico and Mexico, and a study reported 60 to 100% of reef bleached in some areas with many patches dead (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"None of the opened sources reports a fishery, tourism or port restriction tied to the 2023 heatwave itself (refs 1-5).","scale":"NOAA said nearly all reef regions in the wider Caribbean were exposed to about double the heat stress expected to cause mortality, a regional-sea extent (ref 1).","duration":"Abnormal heat lasted more than five months in parts of Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica, the longest on record there, which is months rather than a year (ref 3).","significance":"The finding rests on NOAA's report with the University of Queensland and Coral Reef Watch heat-stress products, which is an agency notice but no enforcement or declaration (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA: nearly all coral reef regions in the wider Caribbean, including Florida, were exposed to about double the heat stress expected to cause mortality (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Typical onset advance of heat stress","value":2,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Heat stress started one to two months earlier than usual (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-surface anomaly from March 2023","value":3,"unit":"C above normal (upper bound of 1 to 3 C range)","status":"Reported","note":"Study reported 1 to 3 C above normal from March 2023 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Duration of abnormal heat in parts of region","value":5,"unit":"months (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica (ref 3)."},{"name":"Atlantic reef areas with bleaching-level heat stress in the year","value":98.5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA's Derek Manzello, April 2024, for the Atlantic as a whole (ref 2)."},{"name":"Surveyed Caribbean sites shifted to net reef erosion","value":70,"unit":"% (70 to 75)","status":"Reported","note":"Mexican Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico survey sites, 2018-22 versus 2023-24 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The May 2026 study notes degraded reefs give less protection from storms and flooding (refs 4, 5); no economic loss figure is cited."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A May 2026 study found 70 to 75% of surveyed sites in net erosion after the 2023-24 heat, and WMO guidance quoted in August 2026 expected a strong El Nino from August to October 2026 (refs 4, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch","role":"Satellite heat-stress monitoring and bleaching alerts","contact":"https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Caribbean national environment and fisheries agencies","role":"Reef and coastal management","contact":"https://www.cep.unep.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch, published channel at coralreefwatch.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["No regional corrective action is described in the opened sources; they cover monitoring and a call for emissions cuts and local reef management."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NOAA, University of Queensland report: Marine heatwaves severely impacting corals","publisher":"NOAA","date":"2023-12-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://noaa.gov/node/13243","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"NOAA declares a global coral bleaching event in 2023","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2024-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15042024/noaa-declares-global-coral-bleaching-event/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Lab-grown corals resisted bleaching during Caribbean's worst marine heat wave","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2024-09-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2024/09/lab-grown-corals-resisted-bleaching-during-caribbeans-worst-marine-heat-wave/","basis":"News reporting a peer-reviewed PLOS ONE study"},{"ref":4,"title":"Massive marine heatwave caused Caribbean coral reefs to collapse much faster than predicted","publisher":"Down To Earth (republished from The Conversation)","date":"2026-05-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/massive-marine-heatwave-caused-caribbean-coral-reefs-to-collapse-much-faster-than-predicted-new-research","basis":"News reporting a peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":5,"title":"Earth Today: Bleached and broken","publisher":"Jamaica Gleaner","date":"2026-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20260806/earth-today-bleached-and-broken","basis":"News (contributed piece)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Mongabay account gives the duration as more than five months in parts of the region; NOAA's release gives only an earlier start and longer duration without a figure (refs 1, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Regional fishery or tourism loss figures were not found in the opened sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-BELIZE-HEATWAVE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"May to late-autumn 2023 ocean heat wave bleached reefs along Belize's barrier reef tract","description":"A marine heat wave that began in May 2023 pushed water temperatures to about 32 C and kept them high until late autumn along an almost 200-mile stretch of Belize's barrier reefs and atolls. Belize's Fisheries Department confirmed bleaching in late June 2023 and ran monitoring surveys in marine reserves through November 2023.","location":{"name":"Belize Barrier Reef tract","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BZ"],"detail":"Almost 200-mile stretch of barrier reefs and atolls off Belize, including Hol Chan, Glover's Reef and Turneffe Atoll marine reserves (refs 1, 2)","coordinates":{"lat":17.31556,"lon":-87.53444,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"The finding is a sustained sea-temperature anomaly, with bleaching as its observed effect.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","El Nino"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Woods Hole's Oceanus reported that in some areas all coral colonies were stark white and described widespread loss in coral cover throughout Belize, without a measured percentage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The opened sources report no closure or restriction on fishing or tourism tied to the heat wave (refs 1-3).","scale":"The heat wave covered an almost 200-mile (321 km) tract of reefs and atolls, which is a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Temperatures of about 32 C persisted from May until late fall 2023, about six months, and the Fisheries Department surveyed in September to November 2023 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch issued a Bleaching Alert Level 2 for Belize and the Fisheries Department confirmed bleaching in June 2023 and the National Coral Reef Monitoring Network surveyed eight marine reserves and one national park (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Loggers in southern Belize recorded a spike to 33 C in June 2023, an unprecedented high for that time of year (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak logger temperature, southern Belize, June 2023","value":33,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Belize coastal zone page; Oceanus gives about 32 C (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Reef tract affected","value":321,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Almost 200 miles of barrier reefs and atolls (ref 1)."},{"name":"Protected areas surveyed for bleaching","value":9,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Eight marine reserves and one national park, Sep-Nov 2023 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Reef tourism and fishing depend on the barrier reef, but the opened sources report no loss figure (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The Fisheries Department planned a recovery and mortality survey for February to March 2024; no results were published on the opened page (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Belize Fisheries Department","role":"Reef and fisheries management","contact":"https://www.agriculture.gov.bz"},{"name":"Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute","role":"Coastal and reef monitoring programme","contact":"https://www.coastalzonebelize.org"}],"public_contact":"Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, via coastalzonebelize.org","corrective_actions":["Urgent bleaching monitoring in marine protected areas by the National Coral Reef Monitoring Network (ref 2).","Follow-up recovery and mortality survey planned for February and March 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Counting on corals: Belize's heat and climate solution","publisher":"Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Oceanus)","date":"2024-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/counting-on-corals-belize-heat-climate-solution","basis":"Research institution feature"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coral Bleach Watch 2023","publisher":"Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.coastalzonebelize.org/coral-bleaching-project/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Seeing is Belizing: community-led resilient reef restoration","publisher":"Climate Tracker Caribbean (from Climate Spotlight)","date":"2023-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climatetrackercaribbean.org/?p=2657","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Peak temperature is given as about 32 C by Oceanus and 33 C by the coastal zone authority's logger page (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Mortality percentages were not stated in the opened sources; the authority's recap with survey results was scheduled for August 2024 and was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-CORALGARDENS-STAGHORNCOLLAPSE-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-MARTINIQUE-HEATWAVE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"2023 marine heatwave bleached French Lesser Antilles reefs, with 86% bleaching prevalence and a 35% coral cover decline in Martinique","description":"A peer-reviewed survey of 12 Martinique sites found bleaching prevalence reached 86% in October 2023 and coral cover fell 35%, with thermal stress exceeding any previous record. The French coral reef initiative IFRECOR network estimated colony mortality at 34% in Martinique and 29% in Guadeloupe by September 2024.","location":{"name":"Martinique and Guadeloupe reefs","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MQ","GP"],"detail":"Twelve survey sites around Martinique plus monitored reefs in Guadeloupe, French Lesser Antilles (refs 1, 2)","coordinates":{"lat":14.65,"lon":-61.015,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"The record thermal stress of 2023 is the driver documented here, with bleaching as the effect.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Stony coral tissue loss disease"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Coral cover in Martinique fell 35% and post-bleaching monitoring estimated colony mortality of 34% in Martinique and 29% in Guadeloupe through September 2024 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither opened source reports a tourism, diving or fishing restriction linked to the bleaching (refs 1-3).","scale":"The monitoring covers two French overseas departments' reefs, a national coastline rather than one reef (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Martinique surveys ran October 2023 to May 2024, with heat stress ending about January 2024, so months rather than a year (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are a research paper and a reef network summary; no advisory, notice or enforcement action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bleaching prevalence reached 86% in October 2023 and coral cover fell by 35% in Martinique (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bleaching prevalence, Martinique, October 2023","value":86,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Twelve survey sites (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral cover decline, Martinique","value":35,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oct 2023 to May 2024 surveys (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated colony mortality, Martinique","value":34,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"IFRECOR post-bleaching monitoring to September 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Estimated colony mortality, Guadeloupe","value":29,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"IFRECOR post-bleaching monitoring to September 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic figure is given in the opened sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Monitoring ended in May 2024 for the paper and September 2024 for IFRECOR; recovery after that is not reported (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"IFRECOR (French Coral Reef Initiative)","role":"National coral reef monitoring and policy network","contact":"https://ifrecor.fr"},{"name":"Martinique reef researchers (IRD and partners)","role":"Authors of the survey","contact":"https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094394"}],"public_contact":"IFRECOR secretariat, via ifrecor.fr","corrective_actions":["The authors call for lower greenhouse gas emissions and effective local management (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Impact of the 2023 coral bleaching event in Martinique, Eastern Caribbean","publisher":"Coral Reefs (IRD repository record)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094394","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"IFRECOR bleaching, French Lesser Antilles","publisher":"Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)","date":"2025-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/2025/01/16/ifrecor-bleaching-french-lesser-antilles/","basis":"Monitoring network report"},{"ref":3,"title":"2023, a sad record for temperature and coral bleaching","publisher":"Reserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Martin","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://reservenaturelle-saint-martin.com/en/node/1132","basis":"Reserve newsletter"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The GCRMN page header says January 2025 but its body heading reads January 2024; the 16 January 2025 listing date is used (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The repository record gives the paper's year as 2025 without a day."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-GRENADA-STORMSURGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hurricane Beryl's storm surge and winds devastated Carriacou, Petite Martinique and the Grenadines in July 2024","description":"Beryl struck Carriacou as a Category 4 hurricane on 1 July 2024. The US National Hurricane Center says its track caused severe storm surge impacts in Grenada and its dependencies and in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where no surge observations exist. Grenada's Meteorological Service reported 99% of buildings on Carriacou damaged or destroyed, and the NHC puts damage at USD 218 million for Grenada and USD 231 million for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.","location":{"name":"Carriacou, Petite Martinique and Grenadines","type":"Island coast","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GD","VC"],"detail":"Carriacou and Petite Martinique (Grenada) and Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), southeastern Caribbean (ref 1)","coordinates":{"lat":12.46667,"lon":-61.45,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge is a physical coastal flooding hazard driven by a hurricane.","secondary_drivers":["Hurricane","Wind damage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The NHC attributes 3 direct deaths in Grenada and 8 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Beryl, with wind, surge and collapsed structures combined and no surge-only breakdown (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Grenada's Meteorological Service reported 99% of Carriacou buildings and 70% of Petite Martinique buildings damaged or destroyed, including Carriacou's only hospital (ref 1).","scale":"Severe surge impacts are reported across two countries' island groups, a national-coastline extent rather than a single site (ref 1).","duration":"The landfall on Carriacou was at 1520 UTC on 1 July 2024 and the surge was a one-day event (ref 1).","significance":"The NHC's official Tropical Cyclone Report documents the impacts, and Grenada's prime minister described the surge as extensive (refs 1, 2); no separate order is cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Direct deaths are reported (3 Grenada, 8 St. Vincent and the Grenadines) but no total number of people affected by surge is given."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Grenada's Meteorological Service reported that 99% of buildings on Carriacou were damaged or destroyed (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Buildings damaged or destroyed, Carriacou","value":99,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Meteorological Service of Grenada, via NHC (ref 1)."},{"name":"Buildings damaged or destroyed, Petite Martinique","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Meteorological Service of Grenada, via NHC (ref 1)."},{"name":"Homes damaged or destroyed, Canouan, Mayreau and Union","value":85,"unit":"% (80 to 90)","status":"Reported","note":"Meteorological Service of St. Vincent, via NHC (ref 1)."},{"name":"Damage estimate, Grenada and dependencies","value":218,"unit":"USD million","status":"Estimated","note":"NHC report of 1 May 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Damage estimate, St. Vincent and the Grenadines","value":231,"unit":"USD million","status":"Estimated","note":"NHC report of 1 May 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Catastrophic damage to buildings, agriculture and the Carriacou hospital with a USD 218 million loss estimate for Grenada (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A June 2026 Barbados report notes property owners there still use boulder barricades erected after Beryl, but no Grenada recovery status is in the opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Hurricane Center (NOAA)","role":"Forecast and post-storm analysis","contact":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Meteorological Service of Grenada","role":"National weather service, damage reporting","contact":"https://www.grenadaweather.com"},{"name":"Government of Grenada","role":"Disaster response and reconstruction","contact":"https://www.gov.gd"}],"public_contact":"Government of Grenada, published contact channel at gov.gd","corrective_actions":["The Grenada government said it would send teams to assess Carriacou and Petite Martinique after the storm (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Beryl (AL022024)","publisher":"NOAA National Hurricane Center","date":"2025-05-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL022024_Beryl.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hurricane Beryl: major damage reported as storm powers through Caribbean","publisher":"The Irish Times","date":"2024-07-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://irishtimes.com/world/americas/2024/07/02/hurricane-beryl-at-least-one-dead-as-storm-powers-through-caribbean","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Damage and death counts combine wind, surge and flood effects; the NHC states no storm surge observations were available for Grenada or St. Vincent and the Grenadines (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No measured surge height for Grenada or St. Vincent and the Grenadines exists in the NHC report."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-BARBADOS-COASTALEROSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-JAMAICA-STORMSURGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hurricane Melissa's storm surge destroyed Black River and the southwest coast of Jamaica in October 2025","description":"Melissa made landfall in western Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane on 28 October 2025. The National Hurricane Center estimates surge of 7 to 11 ft above ground near Crawford and Black River with large destructive waves, and Jamaican officials cited up to 13 ft. The NHC reports 45 deaths in Jamaica and a World Bank damage estimate of USD 12.2 billion, 41% of 2024 GDP.","location":{"name":"Black River and southwest Jamaica coast","type":"Coastal town","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["JM"],"detail":"Southwest coast of St Elizabeth and Westmoreland parishes, including New Hope, Crawford and Black River; 2 to 4 ft surge in coves near Montego Bay and Falmouth (ref 1)","coordinates":{"lat":18.026,"lon":-77.849,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge is a physical coastal flooding hazard driven by a hurricane.","secondary_drivers":["Hurricane","Wave action"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The NHC reports 45 deaths in Jamaica, with the causes not broken down, and surge damage including displaced vessels and debris lines along the southwest coast (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Several hospitals became non-operational and nearly all roofs in New Hope, Crawford and Black River were blown off, making homes uninhabitable (ref 1).","scale":"Surge reached the southwest coast and coves on the north coast, a national-coastline extent (ref 1).","duration":"Landfall was on 28 October 2025 and the surge itself lasted hours, so the event duration is days (ref 1).","significance":"Prime Minister Holness declared the entire island a disaster area, and Jamaica later declared a health emergency over leptospirosis (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure for the surge alone; 45 fatalities are reported for Jamaica overall (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NHC: maximum storm surge heights are estimated to have reached 7 to 11 ft above normally dry ground near Crawford and Black River (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated surge height, Crawford and Black River","value":11,"unit":"ft above ground (upper bound of 7 to 11)","status":"Estimated","note":"NHC hindcast; no gauge data or high-water marks at publication (ref 1)."},{"name":"Surge height cited by officials","value":13,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"Officials quoted by ABC News, 30 October 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fatalities, Jamaica","value":45,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"Government count cited by NHC; causes not broken down (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated physical damage, Jamaica","value":12.2,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Estimated","note":"World Bank Country Director estimate as of 26 March 2026, 41% of 2024 GDP (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Damage estimated at USD 12.2 billion, among the worst ever recorded for Jamaica (ref 1).","Fisheries and aquaculture facilities sustained heavy damage (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Recovery and relief operations were still ongoing at the NHC report date of 19 May 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Meteorological Service of Jamaica","role":"National weather service","contact":"https://www.metservice.gov.jm"},{"name":"Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM)","role":"National disaster agency","contact":"https://www.odpem.org.jm"}],"public_contact":"ODPEM Jamaica, published contact channel at odpem.org.jm","corrective_actions":["The prime minister declared the entire island a disaster area (ref 2).","Jamaica declared a health emergency over a leptospirosis outbreak after the storm (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Melissa (AL132025)","publisher":"NOAA National Hurricane Center","date":"2026-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL132025_Melissa.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Disastrous images emerge from Jamaica following direct hit by Hurricane Melissa","publisher":"ABC News (via ABC13)","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://abc13.com/post/disastrous-images-emerge-jamaica-following-direct-hit-hurricane-melissa/18091262/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Surge is estimated at 7 to 11 ft by the NHC hindcast and cited as up to 13 ft by officials in news reports (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Peak surge was not measured: the NHC says no water-level gauge data or high-water marks were available."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-GUNAYALA-SEALEVEL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Guna families leave sinking Gardi Sugdub island in Panama as sea level rise threatens 38 more Guna Yala islands","description":"Human Rights Watch reported in July 2023 that Gardi Sugdub, home to about 1,300 Guna, has a highest point one metre above sea level. In June 2024 Panama's housing ministry announced about 300 families had moved to the mainland site Nuevo Carti, while HRW estimates at least 38 other Guna Yala islands with about 28,000 people may need to relocate.","location":{"name":"Gardi Sugdub, Guna Yala","type":"Island community","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PA"],"detail":"Small island in the autonomous Guna Yala region off Panama's Caribbean coast; relocation to the mainland site Nuevo Carti (refs 1, 3)","coordinates":{"lat":9.47056,"lon":-78.96111,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea level rise and overcrowded low-lying islands are a physical coastal exposure.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Land reclamation by fill","Overcrowding"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"HRW documents the island's highest point at one metre above sea level and residents saying the sea is eating the land below their homes, but cites no flood deaths or damage figure (ref 1).","livelihoods":"About 300 families, more than 1,000 people, left the island for Nuevo Carti in June 2024, a displaced community (ref 3).","scale":"HRW estimates at least 38 other Guna Yala islands with about 28,000 people may need relocation, a national-coastline extent (ref 1).","duration":"Relocation planning began in 2010, the housing ministry committed in 2017 and families moved in 2024, a chronic multi-year process (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Panama's housing ministry carried out and announced a state-built relocation, and its environment ministry projects 0.27 m of sea level rise by 2050 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":1300,"status":"Reported","note":"HRW: about 1,300 people lived on Gardi Sugdub as of July 2023 (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"HRW: Gardi Sugdub's highest point is one metre above sea level, and at least 38 other Guna Yala islands with about 28,000 people may need relocation (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Families relocated to Nuevo Carti","value":300,"unit":"families","status":"Reported","note":"Panama's Ministry of Housing, June 2024 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Highest point of island above sea level","value":1,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"HRW, July 2023 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Projected sea level rise on Panama's Caribbean coast by 2050","value":0.27,"unit":"m","status":"Estimated","note":"Panama's environment ministry estimate cited by HRW, optimistic scenario (ref 1)."},{"name":"Other Guna Yala islands that may need relocation","value":38,"unit":"islands","status":"Estimated","note":"HRW estimate, about 28,000 people (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Residents who chose to stay","value":200,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"About 200 people stayed on Gardi Sugdub, per AP via NBC (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Community displaced to a mainland housing development (ref 3).","HRW reports the new site's groundwater supply may last only one to two years (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"HRW says sea level rise is inevitable even under the most optimistic scenarios, and more islands are expected to need relocation (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministerio de Vivienda y Ordenamiento Territorial (MIVIOT), Panama","role":"Built the Nuevo Carti relocation","contact":"https://www.miviot.gob.pa"},{"name":"Ministerio de Ambiente, Panama","role":"Sea level and climate projections","contact":"https://www.miambiente.gob.pa"}],"public_contact":"MIVIOT Panama, published contact channel at miviot.gob.pa","corrective_actions":["Panama's housing ministry completed Nuevo Carti housing, power, water and road infrastructure and moved about 300 families in June 2024 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Sea is Eating the Land Below Our Homes: Indigenous community facing lack of space and rising seas plans relocation","publisher":"Human Rights Watch","date":"2023-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hrw.org/node/385466","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Climate displacement threatens Indigenous Guna people in Panama: HRW","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2023-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/31/climate-displacement-threatens-indigenous-guna-people-in-panama-hrw","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hundreds of Indigenous families complete relocation off Gardi Sugdub due to rising sea levels","publisher":"NBC News","date":"2024-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hundreds-indigenous-families-complete-relocation-gardi-sugdub-due-risi-rcna156169","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Remaining islands' relocation timetable and cost are not in the opened sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-CARTAGENA-COASTALEROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cartagena builds a 250,000-million-peso coastal protection scheme against erosion and flooding as Bocagrande faces rising seas","description":"Colombia's disaster agency UNGRD and Cartagena's mayor's office are building a coastal protection megaproject in Bocagrande with groynes, breakwaters, seawalls, drainage and new beaches, costing about 250,000 million pesos, 62% paid by the national government. The city's Plan 4C projects sea level rise of 15 to 20 cm by 2040 putting more than 80% of neighbourhoods at risk without adaptation, and a 2019 study modelled up to 97.2% of Bocagrande flooded by 2100.","location":{"name":"Bocagrande, Cartagena de Indias","type":"Urban coast","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CO"],"detail":"Bocagrande sand spit and Playas 1 to 5 along Cartagena's seafront, Bolivar department, Colombian Caribbean (refs 1-3)","coordinates":{"lat":10.395,"lon":-75.555,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal erosion and sea level rise are physical coastal hazards, here with a funded engineering response.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Coastal erosion","Storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A 2019 model study found present-day wave and surge cases flood 4.5 to 28.4% of the Bocagrande area, rising to 97.2% in 2100 under the most pessimistic case, so harm is projected and partly occurring (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The June 2025 report says the works aim to mitigate erosion and prevent flooding and the August 2025 report names a flooding problem at Carrera Primera needing a drainage and pumping system (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The works and projections concern one city seafront, Bocagrande and its beaches (refs 1-3).","duration":"Works began in 2021, paused about 18 months and resumed in 2025, with the goal of completion the following first quarter, so chronic and multi-year (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The national government funds 62% of the programme and the city's Plan 4C is a formal adaptation plan with the 2040 sea-level projection (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of residents exposed is given in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Plan 4C projects a 15 to 20 cm sea level rise by 2040 putting more than 80% of Cartagena's neighbourhoods at risk without adaptation works (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Project cost","value":250000,"unit":"million COP","status":"Reported","note":"About 250,000 million pesos, 62% from the national government (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected sea level rise by 2040 (Plan 4C)","value":20,"unit":"cm (upper bound of 15 to 20)","status":"Estimated","note":"As reported by El Universal (ref 1)."},{"name":"Neighbourhoods at risk without adaptation","value":80,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Estimated","note":"Plan 4C, as reported (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bocagrande area flooded in 2100, pessimistic RCP4.5 case","value":97.2,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"2019 Frontiers in Marine Science model study (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Bocagrande hosts major hotels and a hospital and the programme is a COP 250 billion public investment (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The 2019 study finds sea level rise dominant, with flooded area rising from 38.7% in 2025 to 97.2% in 2100 (ref 3); the 2025 works are still being completed (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNGRD (Unidad Nacional para la Gestion del Riesgo de Desastres)","role":"Funds and runs the coastal protection works","contact":"https://portal.gestiondelriesgo.gov.co"},{"name":"Alcaldia de Cartagena de Indias","role":"City government, Plan 4C","contact":"https://www.cartagena.gov.co"}],"public_contact":"UNGRD Colombia, published contact channel at gestiondelriesgo.gov.co","corrective_actions":["Groynes 4 and 5 extended in 2025 and Playa 3 handed over on 25 August 2025 (refs 1, 2).","Drainage and pumping system planned for Carrera Primera flooding (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Playa 3 ya tiene fecha de entrega: asi avanza el megaproyecto de proteccion costera","publisher":"El Universal (Cartagena)","date":"2025-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2025/08/17/playa-3-ya-tiene-fecha-de-entrega-asi-avanza-megaproyecto-de-proteccion-costera/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Proteccion costera en Cartagena avanza con nuevas obras en Bocagrande","publisher":"El Universal (Cartagena)","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2025/06/11/proteccion-costera-en-cartagena-avanza-con-nuevas-obras-en-bocagrande/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Coastal impacts driven by sea-level rise in Cartagena de Indias","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2019-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00614/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The article does not state whether the first-quarter 2026 completion target was met."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-BARBADOS-COASTALEROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Barbados reports out-of-season beach erosion at Worthing and along its coasts, on top of a century of shoreline retreat","description":"Barbados's Coastal Zone Management Unit said in June 2026 that beaches that should be building were eroding, and attributed it to large pulses of South American river water raising water levels around the island. An Inter-American Development Bank project profile says coastal erosion has averaged 15 metres over 100 years and the west coast alone loses an estimated USD 3 to 4 million a year.","location":{"name":"Worthing and Barbados west and south coasts","type":"Island coast","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BB"],"detail":"Worthing Beach, Payne's Bay and Gibbs; west and south coast sites such as Oistins, Rockley and Holetown area (refs 1, 3)","coordinates":{"lat":13.073,"lon":-59.583,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Shoreline retreat and raised coastal water levels are physical coastal hazards.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Hurricane aftermath","Coastal development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The CZMU director said beaches should be building but are retreating, with noticeable shoreline retreat at Worthing over several weeks and the whole island affected (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or access restriction is reported in the opened articles, only owners' boulder barricades and economic loss estimates (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The CZMU says the whole island is affected, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Erosion averaged 15 m over 100 years and above-normal swell damage was reported in January 2023 and again in June 2026, so chronic and recurring (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Barbados has a national ICZM Plan 2020-2030 and an IDB-financed coastal management project profile of USD 50 million, formal programmes (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IDB profile: coastal erosion has reached on average 15 meters over the past 100 years, and the west coast alone loses an estimated USD 3 to 4 million a year (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Average shoreline erosion over 100 years","value":15,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"IDB project profile (ref 3)."},{"name":"West coast economic value lost to erosion","value":3.5,"unit":"USD million per year (midpoint of 3 to 4)","status":"Estimated","note":"IDB project profile (ref 3)."},{"name":"Potential national inflow loss to erosion","value":30,"unit":"USD million per year","status":"Estimated","note":"2020 IDB study cited in the profile (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Tourism-related economic value loss estimated at USD 3 to 4 million per year on the west coast (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"January 2023 swell damage on the west coast and June 2026 out-of-season erosion are both reported, with potential losses projected to rise up to 6% by 2050 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), Barbados","role":"National coastal erosion and setback authority","contact":"https://coastal.gov.bb"}],"public_contact":"CZMU Barbados, published contact channel at coastal.gov.bb","corrective_actions":["Owners may protect property with emergency boulder works if sea walls fail, with the CZMU aiming to restore original footprints (ref 1).","The IDB-supported integrated coastal management project aims to reduce erosion and flooding (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Unseasonal erosion linked to South American freshwater surges","publisher":"Barbados Today","date":"2026-06-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://barbadostoday.bb/2026/06/04/unseasonal-erosion-linked-to-south-american-freshwater-surges/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"High waves causing alarming damage to beaches","publisher":"CBC Barbados","date":"2023-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbc.bb/news/local-news/high-waves-causing-alarming-damage-to-beaches/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Barbados: Climate Resilient and Sustainable Integrated Coastal Zone Management (BA-L1059) project profile","publisher":"Inter-American Development Bank","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ewsdata.rightsindevelopment.org/files/documents/90/IADB-BR-L1590_nbPaejt.pdf","basis":"Multilateral bank document"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The CZMU's freshwater-pulse explanation comes from the unit's director in one article and has no measured sea level figure; the IDB profile shows no issue date."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-GRENADA-STORMSURGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-REGION-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Caribbean surface waters are acidifying, with aragonite saturation falling at La Parguera and the only Caribbean time series left sparse","description":"A 2025 Frontiers in Marine Science paper reports Caribbean surface aragonite saturation has declined by about 3% since pre-industrial levels and surface acidity rose roughly 10% from 1992 to 2015. La Parguera, Puerto Rico, hosts the only sustained CO2 time series, the CARIACO series off Venezuela was discontinued in 2017, and a Puerto Rico assessment finds aragonite saturation there falling 0.098 units per decade.","location":{"name":"Wider Caribbean; La Parguera, Puerto Rico","type":"Regional sea","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CO","CR","CU","DO","PA","PR","VE"],"detail":"Caribbean-wide carbonate chemistry, with the La Parguera MAPCO2 buoy in Puerto Rico and monitoring stations in six Caribbean countries (refs 1, 3)","coordinates":{"lat":17.95,"lon":-67.05,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Falling seawater pH and aragonite saturation are a chemical-physical change driven by atmospheric CO2.","secondary_drivers":["CO2 uptake","Monitoring gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The papers report falling aragonite saturation, with La Parguera waters below the 3.7 carbonate-sediment dissolution threshold for up to 90% of the year, but no direct organism loss is documented (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery, shellfish or tourism restriction linked to acidification appears in the opened sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The trend is described for the wider Caribbean, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Aragonite saturation at La Parguera has declined by 0.098 units per decade in monitoring since 2009 and surface acidity rose 10% over 1992-2015, so chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are a peer-reviewed paper and a research framework; no regulator action or standard breach is cited, though SDG 14.3.1 reporting is mentioned (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Surface aragonite saturation within the Caribbean has declined by about 3% since pre-industrial levels (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Aragonite saturation decline since pre-industrial","value":3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Increase in surface acidity, 1992-2015","value":10,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Remote sensing and model-based data (ref 1)."},{"name":"Aragonite saturation trend at La Parguera","value":-0.098,"unit":"units per decade","status":"Reported","note":"Buoy record 2009-2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Seawater CO2 increase at La Parguera","value":1.8,"unit":"uatm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Over the past decade at the MAPCO2 buoy (ref 2)."},{"name":"Caribbean countries with carbonate monitoring stations","value":6,"unit":"countries","status":"Reported","note":"Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Reefs around Puerto Rico protect about half a million people and economically significant species such as spiny lobster and conch may be affected, but no loss figure is given (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Aragonite saturation at La Parguera is falling 0.098 units per decade and CO2 is rising 1.8 uatm per year (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Ocean Acidification Program and PMEL","role":"La Parguera MAPCO2 buoy and Caribbean acidification research","contact":"https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov"},{"name":"GOA-ON Caribbean Hub","role":"Regional ocean acidification observing network","contact":"https://goa-on.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, published channel at oceanacidification.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["A GOA-ON Caribbean Hub with 28 members from 14 countries and territories existed as of February 2025 (ref 1).","The Puerto Rico framework recommends a full regional vulnerability assessment (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Building ocean acidification research and policy capacity in the wider Caribbean region","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2025-06-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1595911/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"A framework for a regional vulnerability assessment on ocean acidification in Puerto Rico","publisher":"The Ocean Foundation, University of Hawaii and Puerto Rico Sea Grant (hosted by NOAA OAP)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/A-Framework-for-a-Regional-Vulnerability-Assessment-on-Ocean-Acidification-in-Puerto-Rico.pdf","basis":"Research report"},{"ref":3,"title":"La Parguera MAPCO2 buoy","publisher":"NOAA PMEL","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/La+Parguera","basis":"Agency station page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Deoxygenation: no 2023-2026 Caribbean deoxygenation study was found; the CARIACO series that recorded it was discontinued in 2017 (ref 1).","The Puerto Rico framework PDF shows no issue date; its upload path suggests May 2025."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-MESOAMERICANREEF-BLEACHING-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mesoamerican Reef coral cover falls to 17% after the 2023 to 2024 bleaching, with about 40% of corals severely affected","description":"The 2024 Healthy Reefs report card, covering 286 sites in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, found coral cover down from 19% to 17% because of disease and the most severe bleaching on record, with about 40% of corals severely affected. Overall reef health is still rated poor and 62% of sites are poor or critical, although herbivorous and commercial fish biomass rose after stronger enforcement. Severe mortality at several iconic sites occurred after the survey ended, so the cover figure understates the loss.","location":{"name":"Mesoamerican Reef (MX, BZ, GT, HN)","type":"Barrier reef system","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX","BZ","GT","HN"],"detail":"Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System along the western Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, about 1,000 km long; the report card covers 18 subregions.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss on a regional reef system driven by thermal stress and disease.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Coral disease","Sewage and nutrient pollution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Coral cover fell from 19% to 17% and about 40% of corals were severely affected by the 2023 bleaching, with severe mortality at several iconic reef sites (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited reports document no closure, advisory or lost fishery from the bleaching; they recommend tourism carrying-capacity limits only as a precaution (ref 1).","scale":"Monitoring across 286 sites and 18 subregions in four countries, a regional-sea scale rather than a single reef (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"Belize was under a NOAA level 2 alert in August 2023 and the report card, published in November 2024, still records disease and bleaching losses, so the damage spans more than a year (ref 3, ref 1).","significance":"A formal regional report card from 42 organisations rates the reef 'poor' overall and asks for a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area designation, but no enforcement order exists (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Coral cover fell from 19% to 17%, and about 40% of corals were severely affected by the 2023 bleaching, the most severe on record (Healthy Reefs 2024 report card via GCRMN)."},"measures":[{"name":"Live coral cover","value":17,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 19% in the 2022 report card; excludes mortality after the survey ended (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Corals severely affected by bleaching","value":40,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate figure given by the report card (ref 1)."},{"name":"Monitored sites rated poor or critical","value":62,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"39% poor and 23% critical, of 286 sites (ref 2)."},{"name":"Herbivorous fish biomass change","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Increase since 2022 in three of four countries; 9 in 10 parrotfish remain under 30 cm (ref 1, ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The report card calls for tourism carrying capacities and a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area designation for the reef (ref 1).","Belize's last coral bleaching response plan covered 2008 to 2013 and the Ministry of the Blue Economy did not respond to the newspaper (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Coral cover fell 19% to 17% but the Reef Health Index rose from 2.3 to 2.5 and fish biomass improved (ref 1, ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Healthy Reefs for Healthy People","role":"Regional reef monitoring and report card","contact":"https://www.healthyreefs.org"},{"name":"Instituto de Conservacion Forestal (ICF), Honduras, Protected Areas Department","role":"National protected-areas manager for Honduran reef sites","contact":"https://icf.gob.hn"},{"name":"Belize Ministry of the Blue Economy","role":"National marine and reef management","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact the national protected-area authorities or Healthy Reefs for Healthy People through their published general channels.","corrective_actions":["The report card recommends science-based limits on fish size, catch and effort, 20% Fully Protected Zones, tertiary wastewater treatment and a PSSA designation (ref 1).","The report links the rise in fish biomass to stronger fishing enforcement (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mesoamerican Report Card 2024","publisher":"GCRMN (Healthy Reefs for Healthy People release)","date":"2024-11-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/2024/11/08/mesoamerican-report-card-2024/","basis":"Regional monitoring programme report card"},{"ref":2,"title":"After historic 2024 coral bleaching, hope remains for Mesoamerican Reef","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2024-12-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/after-historic-2024-coral-bleaching-hope-remains-for-mesoamerican-reef/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Heat stress causes coral bleaching across the region","publisher":"Amandala (Belize)","date":"2023-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amandala.com.bz/news/?p=346685","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"From data to action: what the 2024 Healthy Reefs report card means for Belize","publisher":"University of Belize Environmental Research Institute","date":"2024-11-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.uberibz.org/post/from-data-to-action-what-the-2024-healthy-reefs-report-card-means-for-belize","basis":"Research institute analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"year of worst bleaching","note":"The report card release (ref 1) dates the most severe bleaching to 2023; the Mongabay article (ref 2) calls it the 2024 bleaching. The record follows the report card and treats the event as 2023 to 2024."}],"missing_fields":["Country-level bleaching and mortality figures are not given in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-MESOAMERICANREEF-SCTLD-2025","OC-CAR-CORALGARDENS-STAGHORNCOLLAPSE-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-CORALGARDENS-STAGHORNCOLLAPSE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Largest known Caribbean staghorn coral population at Coral Gardens, Belize, dies out in the 2023 marine heatwave","description":"Annual quadrat surveys show live Acropora cervicornis at Coral Gardens, Belize, fell to zero between June and December 2023 during a heatwave that reached NOAA Alert Levels 4 and 5. The site held the largest documented extant population of this endangered coral in the Caribbean, with genets over 400 years old. A June 2024 survey found only scattered survivors at depth and on one reef-crest location, while algal cover rose.","location":{"name":"Coral Gardens reef, Belize","type":"Coral reef refugium","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BZ"],"detail":"Shallow Mesoamerican Reef site on the Belize barrier reef; exact coordinates are not given in the cited abstract.","points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of an endangered coral population through thermal stress.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Percent live A. cervicornis dropped to zero between June and December 2023 at all five transect sites, and non-acroporid cover fell from 6.9% to 3.6% by June 2024 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The abstract reports no fishery, tourism or closure effect at the site (ref 1).","scale":"A single reef site was surveyed, even though it was the largest known staghorn population in the Caribbean (ref 1).","duration":"Surveys ran from 2012 to June 2024 and show no recovery a year after the collapse, with algae up 13% and urchins down from 24.1 to 13.6 per square metre (ref 1).","significance":"The affected species is formally listed as endangered, and the loss is reported in a peer-presented AGU Fall Meeting abstract (ref 1); no enforcement or treaty action followed."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Live Acropora cervicornis at Coral Gardens plummeted to zero between June 2023 and December 2023, during a heatwave of 19 to 25 degree heating weeks (Greer et al., AGU 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Thermal stress at the site","value":22,"unit":"degree heating weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Range reported as 19 to 25 deg C-weeks (midpoint shown), NOAA Alert Levels 4 and 5 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak sea-surface temperature","value":31.3,"unit":"deg C","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as above 31.3 deg C, higher than any year since 1985 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Algal cover increase in former staghorn zone","value":13,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Between June 2023 and June 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Algae rising, urchins falling and sea temperatures still climbing; the authors call survival prospects dim (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Belize Fisheries Department and Ministry of the Blue Economy","role":"National reef management authority","contact":null},{"name":"Washington and Lee University and partners (Greer research group)","role":"Site monitoring","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact the Belize Ministry of the Blue Economy through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["No restoration or protection action at the site is described in the cited abstract (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"GC13D-0222 Death of a Coral Refugium After the 2023 Marine Heatwave and What Remains of Coral Gardens Belize","publisher":"AGU Fall Meeting 2024 (abstract hosted by NSF PAR)","date":"2024-12-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://par.nsf.gov//servlets/purl/10597853","basis":"Peer conference abstract"},{"ref":2,"title":"W&L professor publishes journal article in PLOS ONE (Coral Gardens refugium baseline, 2011 to 2019 data)","publisher":"Washington and Lee University Columns","date":"2023-02-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://columns.wlu.edu/wl-professor-publishes-journal-article-in-plos-one","basis":"University news (pre-collapse baseline)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Heat stress causes coral bleaching across the region","publisher":"Amandala (Belize)","date":"2023-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amandala.com.bz/news/?p=346685","basis":"News (regional heat context)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coordinates of Coral Gardens are not in the cited sources.","Only a conference abstract documents the collapse; no full paper was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-MESOAMERICANREEF-BLEACHING-2023","OC-CAR-BELIZE-HEATWAVE-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-BONAIRE-BLEACHINGSCTLD-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bonaire reefs lose coral to record 2023 bleaching and the first outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease","description":"STINAPA Bonaire recorded visible thermal stress on 84% of surveyed coral colonies in 2023, the highest since monitoring began in 2016, and 19% of colonies showed partial or complete bleaching mortality by February 2024. A peer-reviewed study of the same year, after the disease was first sighted in March 2023, found SCTLD-sensitive coral cover on the leeward reefs fell from over 3% in 2014 to about 1% by 2023, nearly zero at City Limits and Klein transects.","location":{"name":"Bonaire National Marine Park (leeward reefs)","type":"National marine park coral reefs","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BQ"],"detail":"Leeward coast reefs of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands; ten STINAPA bleaching sites.","coordinates":{"lat":12.1717,"lon":-68.2937,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Coral loss on a protected reef from combined thermal stress and disease.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Coral disease"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"19% of surveyed colonies had partial or complete mortality from bleaching by February 2024, and SCTLD-sensitive coral cover fell from over 3% to about 1% (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The report notes reef tourism earns about 125 million dollars a year on Bonaire but documents no closure or lost income (ref 1).","scale":"The surveys cover ten sites on one island's leeward coast (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"Bleaching ran through 2023 with follow-up mortality in February 2024, while SCTLD has been present since March 2023 and was still being tracked in the January 2025 paper (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The park manager STINAPA issued a formal monitoring report in December 2024 and the study was peer reviewed in January 2025, but no enforcement action is reported (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In 2023, 84% of coral colonies in the Bonaire National Marine Park were visibly affected by thermal stress, and 19% showed partial or complete mortality by February 2024 (STINAPA Bonaire)."},"measures":[{"name":"Colonies visibly affected by thermal stress, 2023","value":84,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Peak of the 2023 survey series at ten leeward sites (ref 1)."},{"name":"Colonies with partial or complete bleaching mortality, Feb 2024","value":19,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Follow-up surveys (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cover of SCTLD-sensitive corals by 2023","value":1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate; over 3% in 2014 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The report cites about 125 million dollars a year in tourism, 40% of it nature-based, and 110 million dollars a year from fisheries (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Highest thermal stress since 2016 followed by disease-driven cover loss (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"STINAPA Bonaire","role":"Bonaire National Marine Park manager","contact":"https://www.stinapabonaire.org"}],"public_contact":"Contact STINAPA Bonaire through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["STINAPA expanded bleaching monitoring to 35 m depth in 2023 and is running a project with Florida State University to identify at-risk areas and refuges (ref 1).","Reef Renewal Bonaire outplants coral lineages known to be more thermally tolerant (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coral Bleaching in the Bonaire National Marine Park from 2016-2023","publisher":"STINAPA Bonaire (Eckrich et al.)","date":"2024-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dcbd.nl/reposerver/api/file/4225","basis":"Park authority report (page gives month only: December 2024)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Assessing the impact of stony coral tissue loss disease on coral cover on Bonaire's Leeward side","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2025-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1512371/pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bonaire National Marine Park (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaire_National_Marine_Park","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source 1 states only 'Published December 2024', so its date is set to the first of that month."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-LITTLECAYMAN-NURSERYLOSS-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coral nursery at Little Cayman loses 91.6% of staghorn colonies in the 2023 marine heatwave","description":"A Central Caribbean Marine Institute study found that 380 of 415 nursery-reared Acropora cervicornis colonies on the north shore of Little Cayman died when the 2023 heatwave reached 19.4 degree heating weeks. Seven of ten genotypes were wiped out. The authors say putting corals back into the same environment is futile without new tools to raise resilience.","location":{"name":"Little Cayman coral nursery","type":"Coral restoration nursery","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["KY"],"detail":"Nursery about 700 m off the north shore of Little Cayman, Cayman Islands.","coordinates":{"lat":19.68333,"lon":-80.05,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Failure of a restoration nursery through thermal stress.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"380 of 415 colonies (91.6%) suffered complete mortality and seven of ten genotypes were eradicated by January 2024 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The paper reports no fishery or tourism effect from the nursery loss (ref 1).","scale":"One nursery site on one island, so the loss is confined to a single location (ref 1).","duration":"Degree heating weeks peaked at 19.44 on 16 October 2023 and the final survey was on 6 January 2024, a span of months (ref 1).","significance":"Peer-reviewed in Frontiers in Marine Science and concerns a species the paper lists as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"91.6% of the 415 nursery colonies suffered complete mortality, with seven out of ten genotypes eradicated, at 19.4 degree heating weeks (Le Gall et al., 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nursery colonies dead","value":91.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"380 of 415 colonies by the final survey on 6 January 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak thermal stress","value":19.4,"unit":"degree heating weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Peak 19.44 on 16 October 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Genotypes eradicated","value":7,"unit":"of 10","status":"Reported","note":"Genotypes with complete mortality (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single heatwave season documented."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Central Caribbean Marine Institute (Reef Ecology and Evolution Lab)","role":"Nursery operator and researcher","contact":"https://reefresearch.org"}],"public_contact":"Contact the Central Caribbean Marine Institute through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for innovative conservation strategies, including tools that raise coral resilience, rather than outplanting into the same environment (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Extirpation of Acropora cervicornis genotypes from a coral nursery during the 2023 marine heatwave undermines conservation efforts","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2025-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1599155/pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Little Cayman (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Cayman","basis":"Reference page for island coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coordinates given are for the island; the nursery lies about 700 m off its north shore (ref 1)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-MESOAMERICANREEF-SCTLD-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Stony coral tissue loss disease reaches Laughing Bird Caye, Belize, as it sweeps the Mesoamerican Reef","description":"Stony coral tissue loss disease, first found on the Mesoamerican Reef at Puerto Morelos in July 2018, was detected for the first time in Laughing Bird Caye National Park, Belize, in May 2025. It has spread to 33 Caribbean countries and territories, affects more than 30 reef-building coral species and kills up to 90% of the most susceptible. Its cause is still unknown, and teams in Belize and Honduras treat colonies with antibiotic paste.","location":{"name":"Laughing Bird Caye National Park, Belize","type":"Marine national park reef","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BZ","MX","HN","GT"],"detail":"First 2025 detection in southern Belize near Placencia; the disease affects the whole Mesoamerican Reef.","coordinates":{"lat":16.443443,"lon":-88.19725,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A spreading coral disease driving habitat loss across a regional reef.","secondary_drivers":["Coral disease","Water quality"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Mortality reaches up to 90% in the most susceptible species and a researcher working on San Andres, Colombia, said she had never seen a species disappear from a reef in a couple of years (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited articles describe no closure or income loss; the 2021 Honduras piece notes only tourism-lockdown funding for response teams (ref 2).","scale":"Spread along the whole Mexican reef within five months of detection and to 33 countries and territories overall, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"First detected on the reef in July 2018 and still reaching new sites in May 2025, so the outbreak is chronic (ref 1).","significance":"Reported by journalists and NGO responders; no regulator order, listing or emergency declaration appears in the sources (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The disease has spread to 33 countries and territories in the Caribbean and affects more than 30 reef-building coral species, with mortality up to 90% in the most susceptible (Mongabay, June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Countries and territories affected","value":33,"unit":"jurisdictions","status":"Reported","note":"Caribbean-wide spread (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral species affected","value":30,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"More than 30 reef-building species, about half of Caribbean species (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maximum mortality in susceptible species","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 90% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Honduras response teams secured funding during tourism lockdowns, indicating the reef's dive-tourism dependence (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"New detection at Laughing Bird Caye in May 2025, a month after no sign of it (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fragments of Hope","role":"Monitoring and treating corals in Belize","contact":null},{"name":"Healthy Reefs for Healthy People","role":"Regional monitoring and advocacy","contact":"https://www.healthyreefs.org"},{"name":"Bay Islands National Marine Park Technical Committee (Honduras)","role":"Co-management and disease response","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact Fragments of Hope or Healthy Reefs for Healthy People through their published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Teams in Belize and Honduras apply amoxicillin-based paste to diseased colonies and revisit them (ref 1, ref 2).","A multi-institution study of causes and probiotic treatments is expected to finish analysis by 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Researchers race to understand disease killing Caribbean corals at unprecedented rates","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-06-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/researchers-race-to-understand-new-disease-killing-caribbean-corals-at-unprecedented-rates/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Detected in Honduras: Here's What That Means","publisher":"Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)","date":"2021-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://coral.org/blog/stony-coral-tissue-loss-disease-detected-in-honduras-heres-what-that-means/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Laughing Bird Caye (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughing_Bird_Caye","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-MESOAMERICANREEF-BLEACHING-2023","OC-CAR-BONAIRE-BLEACHINGSCTLD-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-PRUSVI-SCTLDBLEACHING-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coral cover in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands falls 33% to 59% since 2013 as disease and 2023 bleaching hit","description":"NOAA's National Coral Reef Monitoring Program reports coral cover across Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands has declined by 33% to 59% since 2013, mainly because of stony coral tissue loss disease. NOAA's Coral Reef Task Force adds that Puerto Rico's reefs were hit especially hard by bleaching and resulting mortality in summer 2023 and that mitigation was limited by funding. The disease first appeared at Culebra in October 2019 and has reached eastern, northern and southern coasts.","location":{"name":"Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands reefs","type":"National coral reef monitoring jurisdictions","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PR","VI"],"detail":"Reefs around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John in the northeastern Caribbean.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss on two US Caribbean reef jurisdictions from disease and bleaching.","secondary_drivers":["Coral disease","Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Coral cover declined by 33% to 59% since 2013 and colonies are shifting to smaller sizes, especially among SCTLD-vulnerable species (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither NOAA page documents a closure, advisory or lost income from the reef decline (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The decline spans two US Caribbean jurisdictions and the 2023 survey ran across Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John (ref 1).","duration":"Declines run from 2013 to 2023, with St. Thomas, St. John and Puerto Rico persistently low since 2019 and St. Croix falling since 2021 (ref 1).","significance":"A formal NOAA monitoring-programme summary published in April 2025 and an official Coral Reef Task Force jurisdiction page (ref 1, ref 2); no enforcement order."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Coral cover declined by 33% to 59% across the region since NCRMP monitoring began in 2013, mainly due to the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease (NOAA NCRMP summary)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral cover decline since 2013 (low end)","value":33,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 33% to 59%, as stated in the summary (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral cover decline since 2013 (high end)","value":59,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Upper end of the range (ref 1)."},{"name":"SCTLD progression on a Culebra reef","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reef area affected rose from 4% to 50% within a month after the October 2019 arrival (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Task Force page says mitigation was limited by a lack of funding and resources after the 2023 bleaching (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Persistently low cover since 2019 in St. Thomas, St. John and Puerto Rico and falling since 2021 in St. Croix (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program / National Coral Reef Monitoring Program","role":"Reef monitoring","contact":"https://coralreef.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA)","role":"Territorial reef management","contact":null},{"name":"US Coral Reef Task Force","role":"Federal-territorial coordination","contact":"https://taskforce.coralreef.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"Contact NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["NOAA monitors the reefs through a two-year survey cycle with the National Park Service, the University of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico DRNA (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NCRMP report: status of coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico","publisher":"International Coral Reef Initiative (reposting NOAA summary)","date":"2025-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icriforum.org/ncrmp-report-stataus-of-coral-reefs-in-the-u-s-virgin-islands-puerto-rico/","basis":"Agency report summary"},{"ref":2,"title":"Puerto Rico - U.S. Coral Reef Task Force","publisher":"NOAA U.S. Coral Reef Task Force","date":"2025-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://taskforce.coralreef.noaa.gov/u-s-coral-jurisdictions/puerto-rico/","basis":"Agency page (footer reads 'Revised August 2025'; day set to the first)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Percent mortality from the 2023 bleaching is not given in the cited pages.","Source 1 is a reposting of the NOAA summary; the NOAA original was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-BONAIRE-BLEACHINGSCTLD-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-QUINTANAROO-SARGASSUM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record sargassum influx buries the Mexican Caribbean coast in 2025, with 73,224 tonnes collected","description":"The 2025 sargassum season on the Quintana Roo coast was the largest on record for the region, with 73,223.86 tonnes collected against 40,992 in 2024 and 65,646 in 2022. The University of South Florida found the Atlantic sargassum bloom in April 2025 was 40% above the June 2022 all-time high. A UNAM seagrass researcher warns the decomposing mats block light and suffocate seagrass meadows that shelter fish, shrimp and lobster and hold sediment on the beaches.","location":{"name":"Mexican Caribbean coast, Quintana Roo","type":"Coastline affected by sargassum inundation","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Beaches of Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Tulum and other municipalities, where most of the tonnage was collected (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Recurring algal inundation degrading beaches and seagrass habitat on a national coastline.","secondary_drivers":["Sargassum bloom","Nutrient enrichment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"UNAM's seagrass lab says accumulated, decomposing sargassum can suffocate seagrass, but the cited pages give no measured loss for 2025 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Beach clean-up burdens local governments and the Navy, which collected 12,845 tonnes in 2025, and the USF bulletin expects continued landings across Caribbean nations (ref 1, ref 3).","scale":"The record covers the whole Quintana Roo coast, with Playa del Carmen alone at 28,605 tonnes, and the bloom itself spans the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean (ref 1, ref 3).","duration":"Collection totals of 65,646 tonnes (2022), 51,309 (2023), 40,992 (2024) and 73,224 (2025) show a recurring annual problem (ref 1).","significance":"Findings rest on regional news relaying municipal, Navy and USF data; no declaration or order is cited (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2025 season ended on 31 August with 73,223.86 tonnes collected, a record volume for the region, against 40,992 tonnes in 2024 (Riviera Maya News citing Zofemat, municipalities and the Navy)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sargassum collected on the Mexican Caribbean coast, 2025","value":73223.86,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Season ended 31 August 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sargassum collected, 2024","value":40992,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Comparison year (ref 1)."},{"name":"Atlantic sargassum, April 2025 versus June 2022 record","value":40,"unit":"% above","status":"Reported","note":"USF Optical Oceanography Lab bulletin (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sargassum in the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, May 2025","value":37.5,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"USF figure cited by UNAM (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Beach clean-up is costly for local governments (ref 3).","July 2025 alone required 18,476.55 tonnes of collection (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"2025 exceeded 2022, the previous high, by about 11.5% in collected tonnage (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Secretaria de Marina (Navy) and municipal governments of Quintana Roo","role":"Beach clean-up","contact":null},{"name":"Zofemat (Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone)","role":"Coastal zone management and reporting","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact the Quintana Roo municipal governments or Zofemat through their published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Municipalities collected over 50,879 tonnes, the Navy 12,845 and Red Recolector over 9,498 in 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025 Sargassum Season Concludes as Most Intense in Recent Years for Mexican Caribbean","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2025-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/2025-sargassum-season-concludes-as-most-intense-in-recent-years-for-mexican-caribbean/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 could break record for sargassum influx in Mexican Caribbean: UNAM","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2025-06-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/2025-could-break-record-for-sargassum-influx-in-mexican-caribbean-unam/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Seaweed levels in April break all-time record in tropical Atlantic","publisher":"NBC 6 South Florida","date":"2025-05-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/seaweed-levels-in-april-break-all-time-record-in-tropical-atlantic-sargassum-what-to-know/3611075/?amp=1","basis":"News relaying USF bulletin"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"USF bloom size","note":"USF-derived figures differ across pages: about 37.5 million tonnes in the belt as of May (ref 2) and about 30 million tonnes in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean (ref 3); they come from different months and measurements."}],"missing_fields":["No measured 2025 seagrass loss figure appears in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-AKUMAL-TURTLENESTING-2025","OC-CAR-TURNEFFE-SEAGRASS-2025","OC-CAR-REGION-SARGASSUM-FISHERS-2025","OC-CAR-ANTILLES-SARGASSUMH2S-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-TURNEFFE-SEAGRASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Turtle grass cover at Turneffe Atoll, Belize, falls from 65% to 24% and vanishes from shallow transects by 2025","description":"SeagrassNet monitoring at two sites in Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve showed Thalassia testudinum cover falling from 65.12% in 2022 to 23.85% in 2025, with seagrass gone entirely from the shallow transects at both sites. The Boston University authors link the decline to reduced light, phosphate above the stress threshold in every sample from 2023 to 2025, and temperatures above the thermal optimum in 2024, calling it early-stage eutrophication. The source of the phosphate is unknown.","location":{"name":"Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, Belize","type":"Marine reserve seagrass meadows","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BZ"],"detail":"Calabash Caye and Blackbird Caye back-reef sites on Turneffe Atoll off Belize.","coordinates":{"lat":17.281626,"lon":-87.811231,"precision":"exact","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":17.305076,"lon":-87.804588,"precision":"exact","source_ref":1,"role":"Blackbird Caye site"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Seagrass habitat loss driven by nutrients, light reduction and heat.","secondary_drivers":["Nutrient enrichment","Marine heatwave","Sargassum"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Thalassia testudinum cover fell from 65.12% to 23.85% between 2022 and 2025 and seagrass disappeared from the shallow transects at both sites (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The paper describes no fishery, tourism or access effect from the loss (ref 1).","scale":"Two monitoring sites, Calabash Caye and Blackbird Caye, in one reserve (ref 1).","duration":"Declines were tracked over four annual surveys from 2022 to 2025, with phosphate above threshold in each of 2023, 2024 and 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed article only; it identifies no regulator, order or listing (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Thalassia testudinum cover fell from 65.12% in 2022 to 23.85% in 2025, and seagrass disappeared from the shallow transects at both sites (Fietz et al., 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Turtle grass cover 2022","value":65.12,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Start of the SeagrassNet series (ref 1)."},{"name":"Turtle grass cover 2025","value":23.85,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"End of the series (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak phosphate concentration","value":6.54,"unit":"mg/L","status":"Reported","note":"Stress threshold is 0.1 mg/L; every site exceeded it from 2023 to 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Cover dropped over four survey years; 2025 temperatures fell back below the 30 deg C threshold but the loss persisted (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA)","role":"Reserve co-manager","contact":null},{"name":"Belize Fisheries Department","role":"Marine reserve authority","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Continued SeagrassNet monitoring is described as effective at detecting rapid change (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seagrass composition shifts and declines associated with reduced light, high phosphate, and elevated water temperatures in Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, Belize","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Fietz, Scavo Lord, Novak)","date":"2026-07-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1842116/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one source; the last 20,000 characters of the article were not read."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-QUINTANAROO-SARGASSUM-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-MAHAHUAL-PERFECTDAY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mexico refuses to approve Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day water park on Mahahual mangroves beside the Mesoamerican Reef","description":"Royal Caribbean's roughly 1 billion dollar Perfect Day Mexico project, filed for an 82.58 hectare plot beside the Mahahual cruise pier, drew a petition of 365,935 signatures and Greenpeace objections that the site is mostly mangrove and wetland. In May 2026 Environment Secretary Alicia Barcena said Semarnat will not approve it because of the nearby Mesoamerican Reef, and works had been halted in February over mangrove concerns. Royal Caribbean denies it is withdrawing and says it will re-engage stakeholders.","location":{"name":"Mahahual, Quintana Roo","type":"Coastal mangrove and cruise-pier site","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Cruise-pier town on the southern Quintana Roo coast beside part of the Mesoamerican Reef.","coordinates":{"lat":18.71389,"lon":-87.70944,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regulatory decision over coastal mangrove development next to a reef.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal development","Cruise tourism"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Greenpeace says the site is mainly mangroves and wetlands that would be replaced by pools and slides up to 63 m high, but no completed clearing is documented (ref 4).","livelihoods":"Opponents cite threats to beach access and local identity, but no closure or lost income is documented (ref 3).","scale":"A single 82.58 hectare plot at one town (ref 3).","duration":"Announced in October 2024, a petition ran from July 2025 and the decision came in May 2026, over a year of dispute (ref 1, ref 3).","significance":"Semarnat's head announced it will not approve the project and authorities ordered work halted in February 2026 (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Semarnat head Alicia Barcena said the federal government will not approve Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day project in Mahahual, which lies near part of the Mesoamerican Reef (Mexico Solidarity Network, 20 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Project plot","value":82.58,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Figure in the Semarnat filing; the petition cites 90 hectares (ref 3)."},{"name":"Planned daily capacity","value":21000,"unit":"cruise visitors","status":"Reported","note":"Initial capacity in the filing (ref 3)."},{"name":"Petition signatures","value":365935,"unit":"signatures","status":"Reported","note":"Change.org 'Salvemos Mahahual', launched 21 July 2025, at the time of the article (ref 3)."},{"name":"Reported investment","value":1000000000,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"About 1 billion dollars (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Royal Caribbean expected up to five million cruise tourists a year across the pier and park (ref 3).","The first portion was planned for late 2027 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Federal refusal in May 2026, but the company says it will re-engage and opponents call the project stalled rather than cancelled (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Semarnat (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales)","role":"Environmental impact authorisation","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"},{"name":"Royal Caribbean Cruises (Cielo Asoleado S. de R.L. de C.V.)","role":"Project promoter","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact Semarnat through its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Semarnat said it will not approve the project (ref 1, ref 2).","Authorities ordered work halted in February 2026 over mangroves and a dirt road (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mexico's Environment Secretariat halts Royal Caribbean tourism project in Quintana Roo","publisher":"Mexico Solidarity Network (republishing El Sol de Mexico, 19 May 2026)","date":"2026-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexicos-environment-secretariat-halts-royal-caribbean-tourism-project-in-quintana-roo/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mexico Denies Approval for Royal Caribbean's Yucatan Amusement Park","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/mexico-denies-approval-for-royal-caribbean-s-yucatan-amusement-park","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Massive Water Park Project Advances in Mahahual Despite Opposition","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2026-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/royal-caribbean-formalizes-perfect-day-mexico-water-park-project-with-semarnat-in-mahahual","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Environmentalists Await Semarnat Ruling on 306 Species at Risk From Mahahual Mega-Project","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2026-05-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/environmentalists-await-semarnat-ruling-on-306-species-at-risk-from-mahahual-mega-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Mahahual (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahahual","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"project area","note":"The Semarnat filing lists 82.58 hectares (ref 3), the petition 90 hectares (ref 3, ref 4), and The Maritime Executive over 200 acres (ref 2)."},{"field":"company position","note":"Semarnat's head said the company may be considering abandoning the project (ref 1), while Royal Caribbean denied it would withdraw (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Semarnat's own resolution text was not opened; the decision is reported through news only."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-PUERTOMORELOS-DUNEMANGROVE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Semarnat voids Puerto Morelos hotel assessment after satellite images show vegetation cleared in dune and mangrove zone","description":"Semarnat left without effect the environmental impact assessment for FRC-II, a 130-room luxury development on nearly 70,000 square metres of coast about 3.5 km from Puerto Morelos. Satellite images from 2005, 2014, 2019 and 2024 showed vegetation removed before federal authorisation, with remaining impacts concentrated in the transition between coastal dune and mangrove. The company did not provide a permit or refute the allegations and may file a new procedure.","location":{"name":"Puerto Morelos coast, Quintana Roo","type":"Coastal dune and mangrove site","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Coastal parcel about 3.5 km from the Puerto Morelos municipal seat on the Riviera Maya coast.","coordinates":{"lat":20.8536,"lon":-86.8753,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regulatory finding of unauthorised coastal vegetation clearing.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Semarnat found 'indicios' of vegetation removal and impacts concentrated in the dune-mangrove transition, but no area figure is given (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The article reports no effect on fishers, tourism operators or residents (ref 1).","scale":"One parcel of nearly 70,000 square metres (ref 1).","duration":"Plant-cover loss appears across satellite images from 2005, 2014, 2019 and 2024, implying a multi-year change (ref 1).","significance":"Semarnat's resolution leaves the assessment without effect for contravening the preventive nature of environmental impact review (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Semarnat found signs of vegetation removal on the FRC-II site before federal authorisation, with impacts concentrated in the coastal dune and mangrove transition zone (Por Esto, 16 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Development site area","value":70000,"unit":"square metres","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly 70,000 square metres (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned rooms","value":130,"unit":"rooms","status":"Reported","note":"As proposed by the promoter (ref 1)."},{"name":"Land the promoter offered to keep as protected area","value":85,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Over 85% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single regulatory resolution reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Semarnat","role":"Environmental impact authorisation","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"}],"public_contact":"Contact Semarnat through its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Semarnat's resolution leaves the FRC-II assessment without effect; the company may supply proof of compliance or file a new procedure (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Semarnat desecha evaluacion ambiental de proyecto turistico de lujo en Puerto Morelos","publisher":"Por Esto (Quintana Roo)","date":"2026-08-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.poresto.com/quintana-roo/riviera-maya/2026/8/16/semarnat-desecha-evaluacion-ambiental-de-proyecto-turistico-de-lujo-en-puerto-morelos.amp.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Puerto Morelos (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Morelos","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one news source; Semarnat's resolution text was not opened. The article is in Spanish."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-MAHAHUAL-PERFECTDAY-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-CARTAGENA-CIENAGAVIRGEN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mangrove cutting and landfill at Cartagena's Cienaga de la Virgen persist despite court orders since 2019","description":"Illegal landfilling, mangrove logging and informal settlement continue around the Cienaga de la Virgen at La Boquilla, Cartagena, despite a 2019 Tribunal Administrativo de Bolivar order upheld by the Consejo de Estado in 2023 and a December 2025 judicial inspection that found the problem persisting. In May 2026 the regional authority Cardique ordered immediate suspension of construction, landfill, logging and discharges in mangrove and buffer zones and gave the city 60 days for a clean-up plan. Volunteers began planting 3,000 mangrove seedlings in degraded areas.","location":{"name":"Cienaga de la Virgen, La Boquilla","type":"Coastal lagoon mangrove","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CO"],"detail":"Coastal lagoon and mangrove fringe at La Boquilla on the northern edge of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.","coordinates":{"lat":10.4,"lon":-75.5,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mangrove habitat loss from illegal fill and logging on a coastal lagoon.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal land occupation","Landfill"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A December 2025 judicial inspection found ongoing mangrove logging, landfills and shoreline housing, though no hectare figure is given (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited articles report no fishery or community displacement effect (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"One lagoon and its La Boquilla shoreline (ref 1).","duration":"A 2019 tribunal order, a 2023 Consejo de Estado ruling and a December 2025 inspection span more than six years of the same problem (ref 1).","significance":"Cardique Auto No. 0415 of 8 May 2026 ordered immediate suspension of activities and a 60-day clean-up deadline, on top of the 2019 and 2023 court measures (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Cardique Auto No. 0415 (8 May 2026) ordered the immediate suspension of construction, landfills, logging and discharges in mangrove, low-tide and buffer zones of the Cienaga de la Virgen (El Universal, 26 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mangrove seedlings planted at La Boquilla","value":3000,"unit":"seedlings","status":"Reported","note":"Planting led by the Guardia Ambiental Colombiana with Cardique, May 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Deadline for city clean-up plan","value":60,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Set by Cardique Auto No. 0415 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Replanting and new suspension orders in May 2026 against persistent illegal fill noted in December 2025 (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cardique (Corporacion Autonoma Regional del Canal del Dique)","role":"Regional environmental authority","contact":"https://www.cardique.gov.co"},{"name":"Alcaldia Mayor de Cartagena","role":"Clean-up plan owner","contact":null},{"name":"Direccion General Maritima (Dimar)","role":"Recovery of areas under its jurisdiction","contact":"https://www.dimar.mil.co"},{"name":"Policia Metropolitana de Cartagena","role":"Patrols and enforcement","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact Cardique or the Alcaldia Mayor de Cartagena through their published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Cardique ordered suspension of activities in mangrove and buffer zones and a 60-day city clean-up plan (ref 1).","Dimar to start recovery proceedings and police to patrol permanently (ref 1).","3,000 mangrove seedlings were planted at La Boquilla (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Procuraduria pide cumplir ordenes vigentes sobre la Cienaga de la Virgen","publisher":"El Universal (Cartagena)","date":"2026-05-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2026/05/26/procuraduria-pide-cumplir-ordenes-vigentes-sobre-la-cienaga-de-la-virgen/","basis":"News reporting official orders (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Siembran 3.000 mangles en La Boquilla para recuperar la Cienaga de la Virgen","publisher":"El Universal (Cartagena)","date":"2026-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2026/05/20/siembran-3000-mangles-en-la-boquilla-para-recuperar-la-cienaga-de-la-virgen/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cartagena, Colombia (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartagena,_Colombia","basis":"Reference page for city coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No mangrove loss figure in hectares appears in the cited pages.","The tribunal and Cardique orders are reported through news, not read as primary documents."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-AKUMAL-TURTLENESTING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sea turtle nesting at Akumal falls to a decade low as sargassum and boat strikes mount on the Mexican Caribbean coast","description":"The Centro Ecologico Akumal reported 362 sea turtle nests by 22 July in a season its director called the lowest in a decade, against 895 at the same point in 2023, and blamed sargassum that blocks traditional nesting areas. In June 2025 Grupo Tortuguero del Caribe counted at least 10 turtle accidents in recent weeks between Isla Mujeres and Cancun, three from propeller strikes. Hotels using heavy machinery to clean beaches were also criticised.","location":{"name":"Akumal and northern Quintana Roo coast","type":"Sea turtle nesting beaches","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Nesting beaches at Akumal and boat-strike sites between Isla Mujeres and Cancun, Quintana Roo.","coordinates":{"lat":20.4,"lon":-87.32111,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Wildlife decline on nesting beaches linked to habitat disturbance.","secondary_drivers":["Sargassum bloom","Vessel strikes","Beach cleaning machinery"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Akumal counted 362 nests by 22 July against 895 a year earlier and at least 10 turtle accidents were reported in weeks, but the nesting cause is still under investigation (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"Neither article documents a closure or income loss (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"Akumal beaches and one stretch of the northern coast (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The July 2024 low and the June 2025 accidents and sargassum-hampered nesting show two consecutive seasons of trouble (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"Reports come from a local ecological centre and a volunteer turtle group; no notice, listing or enforcement is cited (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Akumal's turtle centre recorded 362 nests by 22 July, the lowest season in a decade, compared with 895 at the same point in 2023 (Riviera Maya News, citing Centro Ecologico Akumal)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nests recorded at Akumal by 22 July (season reported)","value":362,"unit":"nests","status":"Reported","note":"191 loggerhead and 173 green; the article is dated 25 July 2025 but gives July 2024 figures (ref 2)."},{"name":"Nests at the same point in 2023","value":895,"unit":"nests","status":"Reported","note":"Comparison cited by CEA (ref 2)."},{"name":"Turtle accidents in recent weeks, June 2025","value":10,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"At least 10, three from propeller strikes (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Whale shark, snorkel and boat-tour traffic is blamed for collisions (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Nests fell from 895 to 362 at the same point between 2023 and 2024, and sargassum persisted in 2025 (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Centro Ecologico Akumal (CEA)","role":"Nest monitoring","contact":null},{"name":"Grupo Tortuguero del Caribe","role":"Turtle protection volunteers","contact":null},{"name":"Semarnat","role":"Federal regulator of beach cleaning rules","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"}],"public_contact":"Contact the Centro Ecologico Akumal through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Conservation camps with volunteers and municipal governments protect nests (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sea Turtle Accidents Rise Due to Tourism and Sargassum in Mexican Caribbean","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2025-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/sea-turtle-accidents-rise-due-to-tourism-and-sargassum-in-mexican-caribbean/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sargassum Crisis Threatens Akumal's Sea Turtle Nests","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2025-07-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/sargassum-in-akumal-severely-impacts-sea-turtle-nesting/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Akumal (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akumal","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"field":"season year of nest counts","note":"Ref 2 is dated 25 July 2025 but its figures are for 22 July 2024 versus 2023, and it calls 2024 the lowest in a decade; the 2025 season totals were not found."}],"missing_fields":["Official 2025 nest totals for Akumal were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-QUINTANAROO-SARGASSUM-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-CHETUMALBAY-MANATEES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated manatee deaths in Chetumal Bay and Rio Hondo raise concern in the cross-border manatee sanctuary","description":"Manatees were found dead in the bay between Chetumal, Mexico, and Corozal, Belize, within less than a week in early February 2025, and residents complained that authorities released no autopsy results or causes. A further manatee with cutting wounds suspected to be from a propeller was found dead in Rio Hondo in March 2026, with no official cause. A CICY researcher tallied five deaths in 2020, one in 2023, one in 2024 and one in January 2025.","location":{"name":"Chetumal Bay and Rio Hondo","type":"Manatee sanctuary bay","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX","BZ"],"detail":"Santuario del Manatí Bahia de Chetumal on the Mexico-Belize border, southern Quintana Roo.","coordinates":{"lat":18.33333,"lon":-88.08333,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Recurring marine mammal deaths in a protected bay, probably from vessel traffic.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel strikes"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Multiple manatee carcasses in February 2025 and a propeller-suspected death in March 2026 are reported, but counts are incomplete and causes unconfirmed (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure, advisory or income loss appears in the cited articles (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"One bay and its river, though it is shared by Mexico and Belize (ref 1).","duration":"Deaths are tallied for 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, a recurring pattern over six years (ref 2, ref 3).","significance":"The bay is a designated manatee sanctuary with speed-reduction zones and navigation routes, but no new order followed these deaths (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; wildlife finding."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Manatees were found dead in Chetumal Bay within less than a week in February 2025 and another with propeller-like wounds in Rio Hondo in March 2026, with no official cause released (Por Esto)."},"measures":[{"name":"Manatees dead in Chetumal Bay, 2020","value":5,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Found within weeks, per CICY researcher cited in ref 2."},{"name":"Manatee deaths tallied 2023 to January 2025","value":3,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"One in 2023, Pompeyo in March 2024, one in January 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Deaths recur from year to year with clusters in 2020 and early 2025 (ref 2, ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Santuario del Manati Bahia de Chetumal management","role":"Sanctuary with speed-reduction zones and satellite tracking","contact":null},{"name":"Othon P. Blanco municipality","role":"Local government","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Contact the Othon P. Blanco municipality through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["The sanctuary uses speed limits, navigation routes, signage, community monitoring and satellite tracking (ref 2, ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ciudadanos exigen accion de las autoridades por manaties muertos en la Bahia de Chetumal","publisher":"Por Esto (Quintana Roo)","date":"2025-02-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.poresto.com/quintana-roo/chetumal/2025/2/9/ciudadanos-exigen-accion-de-las-autoridades-por-manaties-muertos-en-la-bahia-de-chetumal.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Muerte de manati en Rio Hondo alerta sobre riesgos por trafico de embarcaciones","publisher":"Por Esto (Quintana Roo)","date":"2026-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.poresto.com/quintana-roo/chetumal/2026/3/6/muerte-de-manati-en-rio-hondo-alerta-sobre-riesgos-por-trafico-de-embarcaciones.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Dead Manatee Found in Rio Hondo, Conservation Concerns in Southern Quintana Roo","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/dead-manatee-found-rio-hondo-conservation-concerns-southern-quintana-roo/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Chetumal Bay (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chetumal_Bay","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No official necropsy or cause of death was published in the cited articles.","The February 2025 article gives no exact count of carcasses."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-PR-SPINYLOBSTER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Puerto Rico Caribbean spiny lobster stock is undergoing overfishing as landings run far above the overfishing limit","description":"NOAA Fisheries lists the Puerto Rico Caribbean spiny lobster stock as subject to overfishing but not overfished. A 2025 non-assessment-year review found 2023 commercial landings of 696,121 lb whole weight, 158% of the 440,803 lb overfishing limit, and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council was asked to consider new accountability measures because the existing closure only covers federal waters.","location":{"name":"Puerto Rico spiny lobster fishery","type":"Fish stock and fishery","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Puerto Rico, United States Caribbean; most harvest is in territorial waters (0-9 nm) while the accountability-measure closure applies only in federal waters (9-200 nm).","coordinates":{"lat":18.2167,"lon":-66.5,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A commercially fished stock is being harvested above its overfishing limit.","secondary_drivers":["Weak in-season monitoring","Landings data lag of one to two years"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA Fisheries classifies the Puerto Rico stock as subject to overfishing though not overfished, so the stock is at risk rather than depleted (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The existing accountability measure shortens the federal-waters season; closures lasted 22 days in 2016, 24 in 2017, 40 in 2021 and 81 in 2022 (ref 2).","scale":"The finding concerns a single stock around Puerto Rico (ref 2).","duration":"Overages triggered closures in 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2022, and the 2025 review expects landings to keep exceeding catch limits under current rules (ref 2).","significance":"A formal National Marine Fisheries Service overfishing determination for 2025 was presented to the Caribbean council, which must act to end overfishing under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2023 commercial landings of 696,121 lb whole weight were 158% of the 440,803 lb overfishing limit (NMFS presentation to the Caribbean Fishery Management Council, August 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"2023 Puerto Rico commercial landings","value":696121,"unit":"lb whole weight","status":"Reported","note":"NMFS non-assessment-year determination, 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Landings as share of 2023 overfishing limit","value":158,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Against 440,803 lb ww OFL (ref 2)."},{"name":"Landings as share of current OFL","value":163,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Against 426,858 lb ww OFL under Framework Amendment 2 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Closure length under the accountability measure grew to 81 days in 2022 (ref 2).","Vast majority of harvest occurs in territorial waters that a federal closure does not reach (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Overage closures in 2016-2022, no closure in 2024 because of data delays, and a 2025 trigger again attributed to increased harvest (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office","role":"Federal fisheries manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster"},{"name":"Caribbean Fishery Management Council","role":"Fishery management council","contact":"https://www.caribbeanfmc.com"}],"public_contact":"Caribbean Fishery Management Council, general channel published at caribbeanfmc.com.","corrective_actions":["Council reviewing alternative accountability measures and an Interdisciplinary Planning Team to amend the Puerto Rico fishery plan (ref 2).","SEDAR 91 stock assessment in progress, with a July 2026 draft low-recruitment sensitivity run prepared for the scientific committee (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Caribbean spiny lobster species page (population status)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Evaluating Alternative Accountability Measures for the Puerto Rico Spiny Lobster Stock (187th CFMC meeting)","publisher":"NMFS Southeast Regional Office, presented to the Caribbean Fishery Management Council","date":"2025-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.caribbeanfmc.com/images/General%20Archive/CFMC/187/Pres.%20Puerto%20Rico%20Spiny%20Lobster%20AMs_8.8.1.2025.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"PR Spiny Lobster: Updated Projections and Sensitivity Trajectories (SEDAR 91 addendum, draft for review only; dated July 2026 in the document)","publisher":"Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://caribbeanfmc.com/images/General%20Archive/SSC/2026-jul/91u_pr_csl_ssc_202607.pdf","basis":"Agency report (draft)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Puerto Rico (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Recreational lobster landings are not monitored (ref 2)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-US-QUEENCONCH-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Queen conch listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, with the US Caribbean stock still classed as overfished","description":"NOAA Fisheries listed the queen conch as a threatened species on 14 February 2024, finding it not in danger of extinction now but likely to become so in the foreseeable future. NOAA's species page records the US Caribbean stock as overfished under a rebuilding plan, and federal waters around St. Croix close each year from June to October to protect spawning conch.","location":{"name":"Queen conch, US Caribbean (Puerto Rico and USVI)","type":"Fish stock and fishery","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Range-wide ESA listing; US management covers Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix, with Lang Bank east of St. Croix the open federal harvest area.","coordinates":{"lat":17.7335,"lon":-64.7839,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Overutilization and illegal fishing have depleted a commercially fished mollusc to the point of a federal threatened listing.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing","Depleted densities limiting reproduction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA Fisheries states the stock is overfished and that depleted densities limit mate finding, reproduction and recruitment (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Federal waters west of 64 34 W are closed year-round and the east St. Croix area is closed 1 June to October each year, with possession also barred in USVI waters 0-3 nm in that period (ref 3).","scale":"The listing is range-wide across the Caribbean, though the US management evidence concerns Puerto Rico and the USVI (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The ESA status review began in December 2019 and the species page cites a 2005 overfished determination still in force (ref 2).","significance":"A final rule listing the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act was published on 14 February 2024, effective 15 March 2024 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NMFS concluded the queen conch is not in danger of extinction throughout its range but is likely to become so within the foreseeable future, and listed it as threatened (Federal Register, 14 February 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"2021 USVI commercial landings (St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix)","value":31000,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Valued at $201,000 (ref 2)."},{"name":"2019 Puerto Rico commercial landings","value":136000,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Valued at about $864,000 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Annual seasonal closure, east St. Croix federal waters","value":5,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"1 June to 31 October 2025; Lang Bank reopened 1 November 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Regional fisheries body CRFM argued in 2012 that a US listing could cause job losses for conch-dependent fishers, and the US imported about 70% of Caribbean conch at that time (ref 5).","Critical habitat not yet determinable (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The species page reports a rebuilding plan that promotes population growth, but no abundance estimates (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"ESA and federal fisheries manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/queen-conch"},{"name":"Caribbean Fishery Management Council","role":"Fishery management council","contact":"https://www.caribbeanfmc.com"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Caribbean office, general channel published on fisheries.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["Rebuilding plan in place with annual catch limits, seasonal and area closures and size limits (ref 2).","Comprehensive review of population data under way for the 5-year status review (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Listing the Queen Conch as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (89 FR 11208; document read through the Federal Register API)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries, Federal Register","date":"2024-02-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/14/2024-02966/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-listing-the-queen-conch-as-threatened-under-the","basis":"Official rule"},{"ref":2,"title":"Queen conch species page (population status, threats, management)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/queen-conch","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Seasonal Prohibition on Fishing for or Possession of Queen Conch in Federal Waters East of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (FB25-017)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries Caribbean Fishery Bulletin","date":"2025-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/seasonal-prohibition-fishing-or-possession-queen-conch-federal-waters-east-st-croix-us-2","basis":"Agency notice"},{"ref":4,"title":"Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Croix,_U.S._Virgin_Islands","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Caribbean officials formulating regional position to proposed ban of queen conch trade","publisher":"Amandala (Belize)","date":"2012-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amandala.com.bz/news/?p=263668","basis":"News (background)"},{"ref":6,"title":"USA rejects petition to put Queen Conch on endangered species list","publisher":"Amandala (Belize)","date":"2014-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amandala.com.bz/news/?p=281337","basis":"News (background)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Conch stock status in other Caribbean states (for example Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize) was not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-JM-PEDROBANK-CONCH-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-JM-PEDROBANK-CONCH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Jamaica holds a six-month conch close season each year after the Pedro Bank conch fishery collapsed","description":"Jamaica's National Fisheries Authority runs an annual conch close season, 30 August 2025 to 28 February 2026 in the latest cycle, set at the peak spawning period. The measure follows an October 2019 Pedro Bank assessment that led to a 2019 ban and a 2020 closure, a reopening in 2022, and regulations made in 2023 with fines of up to $1 million for fishing in the close season.","location":{"name":"Pedro Bank queen conch fishery","type":"Fish stock and fishery","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["JM"],"detail":"Pedro Bank, about 80 km south of Jamaica, the island's largest conch fishery.","coordinates":{"lat":17.1,"lon":-78.3333,"precision":"site","source_ref":7},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A queen conch stock was overfished to collapse and is managed under closed seasons and quotas.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal fishing","Licensed industrial overharvest"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A 2019 study found the Pedro Banks conch fishery was collapsing and the NFA said in April 2020 that stocks had not recovered sufficiently to open the 2020 season (ref 4, ref 5).","livelihoods":"The NFA acknowledged the economic hardship of the closure, and the close season bars catching, selling or processing conch from 30 August 2025 to 28 February 2026 (ref 1, ref 5).","scale":"The finding concerns a single bank and stock south of Jamaica (ref 4).","duration":"Closures and restrictions run from the 2019 ban through the 2022 reopening to the 2025-26 close season, now an annual measure (ref 4, ref 1, ref 3).","significance":"The close season is gazetted yearly and enforced under the Fisheries (Conservation of Queen Conch) Regulations, 2023, with fines up to $1 million or 12 months in jail, and up to $3 million or two years for illegal possession (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2025-26 conch close season runs from 30 August 2025 to 28 February 2026, and fishing for conch or holding undeclared conch in that period is an offence (JIS, 10 and 11 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pedro Bank industrial catch limit, 2022 season","value":300,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by InSight Crime for the season reopened in March 2022 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Pedro Bank artisanal catch limit, 2022 season","value":50,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by InSight Crime (ref 4)."},{"name":"Conch export levy, 2025 season","value":0.5,"unit":"US$ per lb","status":"Reported","note":"House of Representatives approved the 2025 order on 1 July 2025 (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Conch is an exported product subject to a per-pound export levy to fund enforcement (ref 6).","Fishing cooperatives told InSight Crime that licensing gaps and enforcement shortfalls persist (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Stocks recovered enough for a 2021 five-month season and a March 2022 reopening, but a regional fisher group argued the two-year ban was too short (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Fisheries Authority (Jamaica)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.nfa.gov.jm"},{"name":"Jamaica ministry responsible for agriculture and fisheries","role":"Responsible ministry (Minister Floyd Green made the 2025 levy order)","contact":null}],"public_contact":"National Fisheries Authority, 876-948-9014 (published in the JIS notices).","corrective_actions":["Annual gazetted close season at peak spawning (ref 2).","Possession declarations within 21 days of the season start (ref 1).","Export levy to fund monitoring, control and surveillance (ref 6).","NFA surveys set the quotas (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Persons in Possession of Conch Must File Declaration by Sept. 20","publisher":"Jamaica Information Service","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jis.gov.jm/persons-in-possession-of-conch-must-file-declaration-by-sept-20/","basis":"Government news release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Conch Close Season a Tool for Sustainability - NFA","publisher":"Jamaica Information Service","date":"2025-09-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jis.gov.jm/conch-close-season-a-tool-for-sustainability-nfa/","basis":"Government news release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Annual conch ban starts next Thursday","publisher":"Jamaica Observer","date":"2024-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2024/08/07/annual-conch-ban-starts-next-thursday/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Overharvesting and Poaching Devastate Jamaica's Fisheries (published 2022-07-27, updated 2023-10-19)","publisher":"InSight Crime","date":"2023-10-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insightcrime.org/investigations/overharvesting-poaching-devastate-jamaica-fisheries-iuu/","basis":"News (investigation)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Queen Conch Close Season Extended","publisher":"Government of Jamaica (miic.gov.jm), notice from the National Fisheries Authority","date":"2020-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.miic.gov.jm/queen-conch-close-season-extended/","basis":"Government notice"},{"ref":6,"title":"House Approves Order to Maintain Levy on Exported Conch","publisher":"Jamaica Information Service","date":"2025-07-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jis.gov.jm/house-approves-order-to-maintain-levy-on-exported-conch/","basis":"Government news release"},{"ref":7,"title":"Pedro Bank (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Bank","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 and 2026 Pedro Bank quota and survey results were not found in an opened page.","The JIS notices do not state the currency of the fines; the Jamaican dollar is likely but not stated."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-JM-PEDROBANK-IUU-2022","OC-CAR-US-QUEENCONCH-2024"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-JM-PEDROBANK-IUU-2022","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"131 Honduran fishers convicted after Pedro Bank interception, part of recurring poaching in Jamaican waters","description":"On 11 December 2022 the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard intercepted a Honduran vessel carrying 132 men on the Pedro Banks inside Jamaica's exclusive economic zone, and the vessel damaged a Coast Guard interceptor. InSight Crime reports that foreign boats from Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic reportedly poach conch and lobster on the bank and that enforcement is thin.","location":{"name":"Pedro Bank, Jamaica's EEZ","type":"Exclusive economic zone fishing ground","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["JM","HN"],"detail":"Pedro Banks, southwest of Jamaica; foreign vessels reportedly from Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.","coordinates":{"lat":17.1,"lon":-78.3333,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Illegal foreign fishing and weak enforcement undermine the management of a national fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Weak enforcement","Foreign poaching"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"InSight Crime reports divers take everything, and foreign vessels reportedly poach conch and lobster at a bank whose conch fishery was already collapsing (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Licensed Jamaican fishers lose catch to foreign boats, and a cooperative leader said Honduran and Nicaraguan boats come every evening (ref 3).","scale":"The documented interception and poaching concern the Pedro Banks, one bank in Jamaica's waters (ref 1, ref 3).","duration":"InSight Crime notes 10 foreign vessels were intercepted between January 2011 and March 2019 and the 2022 incident shows the pattern continuing (ref 3, ref 1).","significance":"A Jamaican court convicted 131 men after guilty pleas, with fines of $40,000 or two months in prison for most and heavier penalties for the helmsman and captain (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"131 Hondurans pleaded guilty and most were fined $40,000 or two months in prison; a 132-man crew was on board when the Coast Guard intercepted the vessel on 11 December 2022 (Jamaica Observer, Gleaner)."},"measures":[{"name":"Men aboard intercepted Honduran vessel","value":132,"unit":"persons","status":"Reported","note":"Jamaica Gleaner, 12 December 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Men convicted after guilty pleas","value":131,"unit":"persons","status":"Reported","note":"Five 17-year-old minors were admonished and discharged (ref 2)."},{"name":"Foreign vessels intercepted by Jamaica, January 2011 to March 2019","value":10,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by InSight Crime (ref 3)."},{"name":"Fishers licensed vs working","value":26000,"unit":"licensed fishers","status":"Reported","note":"InSight Crime says about 40,000 Jamaicans fish for a living but only 26,000 are licensed (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Pedro Bank is the island's largest conch fishery and its conch season is already tightly limited (ref 3).","Repair of the damaged JDF interceptor was estimated at 85,000 euros (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only one recent interception was verified; InSight Crime describes poaching as recurring (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard","role":"Maritime enforcement","contact":null},{"name":"National Fisheries Authority (Jamaica)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.nfa.gov.jm"}],"public_contact":"National Fisheries Authority, 876-948-9014 (published in JIS notices).","corrective_actions":["Prosecution and fines of the 131 men under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Fisheries laws (ref 2).","An online registration system for boats and licensed fishers was announced by the NFA (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coast Guard intercepts illegal Honduran fishing vessel at Pedro Banks","publisher":"Jamaica Gleaner","date":"2022-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://past.jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20221212/coast-guard-intercepts-illegal-honduran-fishing-vessel-pedro-banks","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Illegal Honduran fishermen fined $40k or 2 months in prison","publisher":"Jamaica Observer","date":"2022-12-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/illegal-honduran-fishermen-fined-40k-or-2-months-in-prison","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Overharvesting and Poaching Devastate Jamaica's Fisheries (published 2022-07-27, updated 2023-10-19)","publisher":"InSight Crime","date":"2023-10-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insightcrime.org/investigations/overharvesting-poaching-devastate-jamaica-fisheries-iuu/","basis":"News (investigation)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pedro Bank (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Bank","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No interception or prosecution after December 2022 was verified; the JDF Coast Guard is named from the Gleaner report."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-JM-PEDROBANK-CONCH-2025","OC-CAR-CO-SANANDRES-IUU-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-CO-SANANDRES-IUU-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Illegal foreign fishing around San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina targets conch, lobster and parrotfish","description":"InSight Crime reports that over five years vessels from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Venezuela were detained for illegal fishing around the Colombian archipelago, and that the Navy seized about 12 tons of illegal seafood between January and October 2021. In a separate 2022 case, Colombia seized the Jamaican vessel Hope-On with 6,430 kg of parrotfish and detained 34 Jamaicans.","location":{"name":"San Andres archipelago, Colombian Caribbean","type":"Island archipelago and marine reserve","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CO","NI","JM"],"detail":"Archipelago about 775 km from mainland Colombia and 230 km from Nicaragua, part of the Seaflower reserve.","coordinates":{"lat":12.583,"lon":-81.7,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in a distant archipelago with limited patrol capacity.","secondary_drivers":["Weak enforcement","Maritime boundary patrol gap"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Target species include queen conch, spiny lobster, king crab and parrotfish, and InSight Crime says illegal fishing threatens the Seaflower reef (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishermen told officials illegal vessels drove them off, and InSight Crime says illegal fishing has pushed many small-scale fishermen to quit (ref 1).","scale":"The detentions span the whole archipelago and its waters, 775 km from the Colombian mainland (ref 1).","duration":"Vessels from four countries were detained over a five-year span reported by InSight Crime (ref 1).","significance":"Colombia seized the Hope-On with 6,430 kg of parrotfish and the Navy seized about 12 tons of seafood in January to October 2021 (ref 2, ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"From January to October 2021 the Colombian Navy seized about 12 tons of illegally harvested seafood, much of it around San Andres (InSight Crime, updated 13 October 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Illegal seafood seized by Navy, Jan-Oct 2021","value":12,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by Admiral Hernando Mattos Dager via InSight Crime (ref 1)."},{"name":"Parrotfish on Jamaican vessel Hope-On, 2022","value":6430,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Colombian authorities' figure in the Jamaica Gleaner (ref 2)."},{"name":"Jamaican crew detained, 2022","value":34,"unit":"persons","status":"Reported","note":"34 Jamaicans of 41 on board (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Small-scale fishers report quitting because of illegal fleets and unanswered complaints to the Navy (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Detentions are reported across 2020 to 2022; no 2024-2026 data was verified (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Colombian Navy (Armada de Colombia)","role":"Maritime enforcement","contact":null},{"name":"Government of Colombia, fisheries and environment authorities","role":"Fisheries management and Seaflower reef protection","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Navy seizure of illegal catch and vessels (ref 1, ref 2).","Hope-On crew repatriation arranged via a joint transfer proposed for 12 November 2022 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Colombia's San Andres Losing Battle Against Illegal Fishing (published 2021-11-17, updated 2023-10-13)","publisher":"InSight Crime","date":"2023-10-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insightcrime.org/news/colombias-san-andres-losing-battle-against-illegal-fishing/","basis":"News (investigation)"},{"ref":2,"title":"J'cans accused of illegal fishing by Colombia could be home in days","publisher":"Jamaica Gleaner","date":"2022-11-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://past.jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20221106/jcans-accused-illegal-fishing-colombia-could-be-home-days","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"San Andres Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Andr%C3%A9s_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Gleaner article does not name where in Colombian waters the Hope-On was detained.","No official Colombian Navy or CORALINA page was opened; only the Navy is named in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-JM-PEDROBANK-IUU-2022"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-HN-LOBSTERDIVERS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Honduran spiny lobster dive fishery has killed hundreds and paralyzed thousands of Miskito divers","description":"A January 2024 Mongabay report on a Civil Eats investigation says hundreds of Miskito lobster divers have died and thousands have been injured or paralyzed in Honduras's US$46.7 million lobster fishery. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled for 42 diver families in 2021 and ordered regulation and oversight, yet dive-caught lobster still reaches US markets.","location":{"name":"Mosquito Coast lobster fishery, Honduras","type":"Coastal fishing region","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["HN"],"detail":"Mosquito Coast, the Atlantic coast of Honduras, where Miskito divers harvest Panulirus argus for export, mainly to the United States.","coordinates":{"lat":13.379,"lon":-83.584,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Unsafe dive harvesting in a major export lobster fishery is a labor and governance failure in the fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Weak regulation of dive fishing","Export market demand"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Hundreds of Miskito divers have died and thousands are injured or paralyzed, and nearly all of about 9,000 divers had decompression sickness in 2004 data (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Boat owners reportedly often refuse to cover medical costs, and nearly half of divers had partial or total disability per CEJIL (ref 1).","scale":"The fishery spans Honduras's Atlantic Mosquito Coast, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"A 2004 lawsuit by 42 families led to a 2021 ruling, and a 2012 account describes the same injuries, so harm is chronic (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled for the divers in 2021, ordering compensation and regulation and oversight of the industry (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":9000,"status":"Reported","note":"Around 9,000 divers worked in the region in 2004, the latest year with data (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Hundreds of Miskito lobster divers have died, and thousands more are injured or have become paralyzed (Mongabay, 25 January 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Honduran lobster industry value, 2019","value":46.7,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"Mostly exported to the United States (ref 1)."},{"name":"Divers in the region, 2004","value":9000,"unit":"divers","status":"Reported","note":"Latest year with data (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dives per day reported","value":18,"unit":"dives (upper end of 12-18)","status":"Reported","note":"Divers reportedly make 12 to 18 dives per day for consecutive weeks (ref 1)."},{"name":"Regional closed season, 2021","value":4,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"1 March to 30 June across SICA Caribbean coasts (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Red Lobster says it does not serve dive-caught Central American lobster because of diver safety (ref 1).","A WWF fishery improvement project for the trap-caught fishery aimed for MSC certification by December 2024 but does not address dive-caught lobster (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No post-2024 data was verified (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Honduras fisheries authorities","role":"Fishery regulator","contact":null},{"name":"Inter-American Court of Human Rights","role":"Court that ordered regulation and oversight in 2021","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered compensation and oversight in 2021 (ref 1).","WWF fishery improvement project targets MSC standard for trap-caught lobster (ref 1).","Simultaneous regional closed season 1 March to 30 June across SICA states (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report: Human tragedy stalks the prized Honduran lobster industry","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2024-01-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/report-human-tragedy-stalks-the-prized-honduran-lobster-industry/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Lobster divers dying in Honduras, struck with paralysis and decompression illness","publisher":"AlertDiver","date":"2012-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://alertdiver.eu/en_US/articles/lobster-divers-dying-in-honduras-struck-with-paralysis-and-decompression-illness/","basis":"News (background)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Central America begins ban to protect lobster","publisher":"The Tico Times","date":"2021-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ticotimes.net/?p=146271","basis":"News (background)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mosquito Coast (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_Coast","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Inter-American Court judgment itself could not be opened (HTTP 403); the ruling is described through Mongabay.","No Honduran stock status or lobster catch data after the 2021 binational assessment was verified."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-JM-PEDROBANK-IUU-2022"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-TT-IUUCARD-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"European Commission issues Trinidad and Tobago a red card as a non-cooperating country on illegal fishing","description":"On 24 September 2023 the European Commission identified Trinidad and Tobago as a non-cooperating country in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, citing a lack of progress since its 2016 yellow card. EU imports of fishery products from the country will be refused, and the Commission proposed that the Council list it formally.","location":{"name":"Trinidad and Tobago fisheries governance","type":"National fisheries regulatory framework","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TT"],"detail":"National fisheries law, fleet control and port controls of Trinidad and Tobago; the 2023 OCCRP report also lists Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on the EU red list.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An outdated fisheries legal framework leaves illegal fishing uncontrolled and triggers EU trade sanctions.","secondary_drivers":["Outdated fisheries legislation","Weak port-state controls"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Commission said weak control of national and foreign fleets could allow fish from IUU fishing to enter the market, a potential rather than measured harm (ref 3, ref 5).","livelihoods":"EU imports of fishery products from Trinidad and Tobago will be refused even with catch certificates validated by national authorities (ref 1).","scale":"The decision concerns the whole national fisheries framework of one country (ref 1).","duration":"The Commission cited the persistence of shortcomings since the April 2016 pre-identification (ref 4, ref 3).","significance":"The Commission formally identified the country as non-cooperating and proposed that the Council add it to the non-cooperating list under Article 33 of the IUU Regulation (ref 2, ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Commission identified Trinidad and Tobago as non-cooperating (red card) on 24 September 2023 after the 2016 yellow card, and EU imports of its fishery products will be refused (Agence Europe, 25 September 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Years since pre-identification (yellow card, April 2016)","value":7,"unit":"years","status":"Estimated","note":"April 2016 to the September 2023 decision (ref 3)."},{"name":"Clauses in the fisheries bill reviewed by the Joint Select Committee","value":242,"unit":"clauses","status":"Reported","note":"The amended bill was before Cabinet's Legislation Review Committee in September 2023 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["EU is the world's largest importer of fisheries products, and its import refusal applies to T&T products (ref 1, ref 2).","The cited pages give no export value for Trinidad and Tobago (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Status after September 2023 was not verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission, DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"IUU carding authority","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (Trinidad and Tobago)","role":"National fisheries authority","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago (statement carried in the Trinidad Express).","corrective_actions":["Amended fisheries bill (242 clauses) before Cabinet's Legislation Review Committee for approval, consultation on more than 700 comments and tabling in Parliament (ref 2).","The Commission offered continued support on the legal framework, monitoring and surveillance and port controls (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EU red card for Trinidad and Tobago over IUU fishing","publisher":"Agence Europe","date":"2023-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13257/9","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Red card for T&T","publisher":"Trinidad Express","date":"2023-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://trinidadexpress.com/business/local/red-card-for-t-t/article_c34c5860-5bff-11ee-bc5f-5b4a2332a366.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Trinidad and Tobago Listed as Non-Cooperative in Combating Illegal Fishing","publisher":"OCCRP","date":"2023-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/trinidad-and-tobago-listed-as-non-cooperative-in-combating-illegal-fishing","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"EC gives Trinidad and Tobago 'red card' over IUU fishing","publisher":"Fish Focus","date":"2023-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishfocus.co.uk/ec-gives-trinidad-and-tobago-red-card-over-iuu-fishing/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"European Commission identifies Trinidad and Tobago as a non-cooperating country in the fight against IUU fishing","publisher":"ICSF","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icsf.net/?p=105991","basis":"News (undated page)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"OCCRP calls the action a red card on a Monday (25 September 2023); Trinidad Express dates the announcement to the previous day (24 September 2023)."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the Council formally listed Trinidad and Tobago, or whether the fisheries bill passed, after September 2023 was not verified.","Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is mentioned only by OCCRP as on the red list; no separate source for its status was opened, so it is not a separate record.","The Commission's own press release page could not be read (JavaScript page)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-BB-FLYINGFISH-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Barbados flying fish landings down about half since sargassum inflows began in 2011, with no stock assessment yet","description":"Barbados's Chief Fisheries Officer told a UN consultative process in June 2024 that flying fish landings have dropped by 51% since sargassum inflows began in 2011 and that stock assessments have not been conducted. UWI CERMES reports flyingfish were about 60% of annual landed catch and dolphinfish landings fell 37%.","location":{"name":"Barbados flying fish fishery","type":"Fish stock and fishery","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BB"],"detail":"Barbados pelagic fishery, where flyingfish and dolphinfish are the main species.","coordinates":{"lat":13.17,"lon":-59.5525,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Sargassum inundation and climate pressure are reducing landings of the fishery's main species.","secondary_drivers":["Sargassum inundation","No stock assessment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Landings of flying fish fell 51% since 2011 but the Chief Fisheries Officer said stock assessments have not been conducted, so stock harm is unquantified (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Flyingfish normally made up about 60% of Barbados's annual landed catch and have nearly disappeared from markets in sargassum years (ref 2).","scale":"The decline concerns the national Barbadian fishery (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The drop is measured over 2011 to 2024, thirteen years of recurring sargassum (ref 1).","significance":"The figure was presented by the Chief Fisheries Officer at the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Flying fish landings have dropped by 51% since sargassum inflows began in 2011 (Barbados Chief Fisheries Officer, CBC, 21 June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Flyingfish landings change since 2011","value":-51,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Chief Fisheries Officer, June 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Flyingfish landings change before and after 2011","value":-52,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"UWI CERMES, citing Oxenford et al. (2019) (ref 2)."},{"name":"Dolphinfish landings change since 2011","value":-37,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"UWI CERMES (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Flyingfish were about 60% of the annual landed catch (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Landings fell by about half from the 2011 first influx to 2024 (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries Division, Government of Barbados","role":"Fisheries authority","contact":null},{"name":"UWI Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES)","role":"Research","contact":"https://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes"}],"public_contact":"Barbados Fisheries Division, via the Government of Barbados.","corrective_actions":["Officials asked other countries how they are responding to sargassum and shifts in fishing and eating habits (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Flying fish industry impacted by sargassum influxes","publisher":"CBC Barbados","date":"2024-06-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cbc.bb/news/local-news/flying-fish-industry-impacted-by-sargassum-influxes","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sargassum research project: impacts on flyingfish and dolphinfish","publisher":"UWI Cave Hill CERMES","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes/research-projects/sargassum/home/","basis":"Research project page (undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Barbados (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Chief Fisheries Officer (ref 1) gives a 51% decline, while CERMES (ref 2) gives 52%; the base periods differ."}],"missing_fields":["No formal Eastern Caribbean flyingfish stock assessment was found in an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-REGION-SARGASSUM-FISHERS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-REGION-SARGASSUM-FISHERS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record Atlantic sargassum in 2025 deepens damage to Caribbean fishing gear, access and catches","description":"UNEP reported that monitors recorded 37.5 million metric tons of sargassum in the Atlantic in May 2025, the highest since monitoring began in 2011 and about 70% above the 2022 peak. Environmental Health News reported that sargassum blocked small boats and cut catches in Jamaica and left boats stuck at the dock in St. Lucia.","location":{"name":"Eastern and northern Caribbean coasts","type":"Regional sargassum inundation zone","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["JM","LC","DO","MQ","GP","BB","DM","GD","VC","TT","CU","MX"],"detail":"Caribbean islands and coasts affected by the Atlantic sargassum belt; fishing impacts documented in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Barbados and Martinique.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Floating and stranded sargassum disrupts fishing activity and catches.","secondary_drivers":["Sargassum inundation","Nutrient and climate drivers"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"EPA notes decomposing sargassum can kill commercially important species by releasing hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, and a St. Lucia resident said it was killing fish in Praslin Bay (ref 3, ref 2).","livelihoods":"In Jamaica floating sargassum blocked small fishing boats and reduced catches, and in St. Lucia boats were stuck at the dock (ref 2).","scale":"The 37.5 million ton May 2025 record covers the Atlantic, and EHN mentions 17 Caribbean states and territories (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The sargassum invasion has recurred since 2011, with the EHN article titled 13 years with no end in sight (ref 2, ref 1).","significance":"UNEP's Caribbean Environment Programme raised the issue at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, and a September 2023 WECAFC report was cited on its health effects (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In May 2025 monitors recorded 37.5 million metric tons of sargassum in the Atlantic, the highest total since monitoring began in 2011 (UNEP, 27 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Atlantic sargassum biomass, May 2025","value":37.5,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Highest since monitoring began in 2011; previous peak 22 million tons in June 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"CARICOM economic losses from sargassum, 2022","value":102,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by EHN (ref 2)."},{"name":"Annual beach cleaning cost, upper estimate","value":210,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"EHN states yearly cleaning costs may reach this level (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["EHN reports national responses often prioritize tourism and leave fishers behind (ref 2).","Sargassum clogs engines and damages gear (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The May 2025 total was about 70% above the previous 2022 peak (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme (Cartagena Convention Secretariat)","role":"Regional seas programme","contact":"https://www.unep.org/cep"},{"name":"Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC)","role":"Regional fisheries body","contact":null}],"public_contact":"UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme, general channel on unep.org/cep.","corrective_actions":["Regional sargassum policy responses are fragmented and funding is small: under $7 million of climate project funding addressed sargassum between 2000 and 2021 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tackling the Sargassum Crisis: UNEP's Christopher Corbin's Key Message at the UN Ocean Conference 2025","publisher":"UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme","date":"2025-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unep.org/cep/news/blogpost/tackling-sargassum-crisis-uneps-christopher-corbins-key-message-un-ocean-conference","basis":"Agency news"},{"ref":2,"title":"After 13 years, no end in sight for Caribbean sargassum invasion","publisher":"Environmental Health News (with CPI)","date":"2024-04-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ehn.org/caribbean-sargassum-invasion","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sargassum Inundation Events (SIEs): Impacts on the Economy","publisher":"US EPA (archived snapshot)","date":"2024-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://19january2025snapshot.epa.gov/habs/sargassum-inundation-events-sies-impacts-economy/index.html","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025-26 fisher-specific catch figure was found for any country other than Barbados."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-BB-FLYINGFISH-2024","OC-CAR-QUINTANAROO-SARGASSUM-2025","OC-CAR-ANTILLES-SARGASSUMH2S-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-BZ-SHRIMP-DISEASE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Belize shrimp farming remains far below its peak after disease, with a recovery under way and a new Taiwan export route","description":"Belize's farmed shrimp exports fell from US$86.17 million in 2014 to US$3.65 million in 2020 after Taura syndrome virus and other diseases, and reached 544,246 lb worth US$2.888 million in 2023. In August 2026 Cabinet said production had tripled since 2020 on faster-growing genetics and more intensive ponds, and Taiwan approved Belizean shrimp on 30 July 2025.","location":{"name":"Belize shrimp aquaculture sector","type":"Coastal shrimp farming sector","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BZ"],"detail":"Belize shrimp farms, with a focus on southern Belize; hatchery at San Pedro; disease surveillance by the Belize Agricultural Health Authority.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Disease losses reduced a major aquaculture export sector, now recovering under biosecurity measures.","secondary_drivers":["Shrimp disease (EMS, Taura syndrome virus)","Biosecurity gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Taura syndrome virus and other diseases hurt the industry, and a 2015 bacterial disease cost an estimated $30 million (ref 1, ref 4).","livelihoods":"A 2015 disease outbreak led to more than 100 layoffs and exports fell from $12 million in 2016 to $3.65 million in 2020 (ref 4, ref 1).","scale":"The decline concerns the whole national sector in Belize (ref 1).","duration":"Disease and decline span 2015 to 2023, with output only tripling since 2020 by August 2026 (ref 4, ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The IDB project BL-T1113 targets biosecurity and BAHA runs surveillance and certification, formal measures but not enforcement orders (ref 3, ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Belize exported 544,246 pounds of shrimp worth $2.888 million in 2023, up from 327,970 pounds in 2022, against peaks of 16 to 17 million pounds a year (Amandala, August 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Shrimp exports, 2023","value":544246,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Value $2.888 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Shrimp exports, 2022","value":327970,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Value $1.512 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Export value, 2014 peak","value":86.17,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"Fisheries Department statistics via Amandala (ref 1)."},{"name":"Production growth since 2020","value":3,"unit":"times","status":"Reported","note":"Cabinet statement reported 6 August 2026; economic value near $25 million (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Taiwan, importing about US$350 million of shrimp a year, approved Belizean shrimp on 30 July 2025 (ref 1).","Cabinet expects exports to Mexico, the Caribbean and Taiwan to revive (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Exports rose from 327,970 lb in 2022 to 544,246 lb in 2023 and Cabinet reports production tripled since 2020 (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA)","role":"Aquatic disease surveillance and certification","contact":null},{"name":"Government of Belize, Ministry of Agriculture","role":"Sector ministry","contact":null},{"name":"Inter-American Development Bank","role":"Funder of the Belize Shrimp Cluster biosecurity project","contact":"https://sustainableislands.iadb.org/idb-operations/improving-sustainable-production-belize-shrimp-cluster"}],"public_contact":"Belize Agricultural Health Authority, general channel (not given in the cited pages).","corrective_actions":["Biosecurity Aquaculture Zone Management Plan under IDB project BL-T1113 (ref 3).","BAHA aquatic health unit conducts disease surveillance, testing and certification (ref 1).","Taiwan market access approved on 30 July 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Belize to export shrimp to Taiwan","publisher":"Amandala (Belize)","date":"2025-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amandala.com.bz/news/?p=361629","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Belize's Shrimp Industry Stages a Comeback, Cabinet Says","publisher":"Greater Belize","date":"2026-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greaterbelize.com/belizes-shrimp-industry-stages-a-comeback-cabinet-says/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Improving Sustainable Production in the Belize Shrimp Cluster (BL-T1113)","publisher":"Inter-American Development Bank","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sustainableislands.iadb.org/idb-operations/improving-sustainable-production-belize-shrimp-cluster","basis":"Agency page (undated)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Shrimp industry struggling in first month of New Year (published 2017-02-08)","publisher":"San Pedro Sun","date":"2017-02-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sanpedrosun.com/?p=56189","basis":"News (background)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Cabinet's near US$25 million economic value (ref 2) is not comparable with the export value of US$2.888 million in 2023 (ref 1); the pages do not explain the basis of the Cabinet figure."}],"missing_fields":["No pollution or mangrove-clearing documentation for Belize shrimp farms was found in an opened page.","The disease name EMS is given by Greater Belize (ref 2); Amandala names Taura syndrome virus (ref 1)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-PA-ESCUDO-COBIA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ngobe-Bugle fishers shut out of waters near Open Blue's offshore cobia farm off Escudo de Veraguas, Panama","description":"Sentient Media reported in November 2025 that the Ngobe-Bugle face a one-year closure of Isla Escudo de Veraguas ordered in October and fishing-gear confiscations, while Open Blue's cobia farm operates seven miles south inside a 2,500-acre no-take zone. A University of Miami-led study reported minimal environmental impact from the farm, and no escapes were reported.","location":{"name":"Open Blue cobia farm, off Escudo de Veraguas","type":"Offshore marine fish farm","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PA"],"detail":"Open-ocean farm with 22 sea pens about seven miles south of Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Bocas del Toro province, Panama.","coordinates":{"lat":9.0975,"lon":-81.5581,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Access to traditional fishing grounds is restricted near a large offshore fish farm.","secondary_drivers":["Protected-area closures","Offshore feed and waste concerns"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Critics raise fish waste and escapes as general open-ocean risks, but the Miami-led study found minimal impact on surrounding waters and no escapes were reported (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"Officials reportedly confiscated fishers' snorkels and flippers in September and fishers say they struggle to feed their communities (ref 1).","scale":"The documented issue concerns one farm and one island (ref 1).","duration":"Fishing has been restricted from March to June each year since a 2009 resolution and the farm opened in 2009 (ref 1).","significance":"The government ordered a temporary one-year closure of the island in October, a formal order whose link to the farm is not established by the article (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Ngobe-Bugle have fished the waters for over 100 years while Open Blue produces about 1,200 tons of cobia a year inside a 2,500-acre no-take zone (Sentient Media, 12 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Open Blue sea pens","value":22,"unit":"pens","status":"Reported","note":"Sentient Media; Fish Farming Expert also reports 22 cages (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Cobia production","value":1200,"unit":"tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Sentient Media figure; Fish Farming Expert reports more than 1,400 t (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"No-take zone around the farm","value":2500,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Per the article (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cobia exports go to the US, China and Europe (ref 1).","Open Blue did not reply to Sentient Media's questions on environmental impact and feed ratios (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The closure order and gear confiscations date from September and October 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Panama Department of Environment (Ministerio de Ambiente)","role":"Protected-area manager","contact":null},{"name":"Open Blue","role":"Farm operator","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Government one-year closure of Isla Escudo de Veraguas ordered in October (ref 1).","Company states independent monitoring shows no traceable impact; reports not provided to Sentient Media (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Panama Shuts Indigenous Fishers Out of Ancestral Waters as Industrial Fish Farm Expands Nearby","publisher":"Sentient Media","date":"2025-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sentientmedia.org/?p=49345","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Offshore fish farming is the way forward say scientists","publisher":"Fish Farming Expert","date":"2019-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishfarmingexpert.com/article/offshore-fish-farming-is-the-way-forward-say-scientists/","basis":"News (study summary)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Escudo de Veraguas (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escudo_de_Veraguas","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Production is about 1,200 tons a year in Sentient Media (ref 1) and more than 1,400 tonnes in Fish Farming Expert (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The government closure order itself was not opened; the Sentient Media article does not give the date or year of the October order beyond context.","The Sentient Media page header shows a later date (12 October 2026) than the article date given in the text (12 November 2025)."],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-TOBAGO-GULFSTREAMSPILL-2024","title":"Gulfstream barge bunker fuel spill oils about 15 km of Tobago's coast, with waste and liability still unresolved","description":"An overturned barge named Gulfstream, towed by the tug Solo Creed, lodged about 200 m off Cove, Tobago, and leaked persistent Bunker Fuel C from 7 February 2024; the Prime Minister called it a national emergency. About 15 km of coastline, including beaches, mangroves, rivers and a reef, was oiled, and Trinidad and Tobago reported the incident to the IOPC Funds. In September 2025 the recovered waste was still stored in pits at Studley Park, the tug had escaped arrest and not been found, and compensation payments were set to run to 2027.","location":{"name":"Cove, southwest Tobago","type":"Oil spill coastline","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TT"],"detail":"Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago. Barge lodged off Cove Estate near Canoe Bay; the IOPC submission describes the oiled shoreline as Tobago's Atlantic coast, so the sea assignment to the Caribbean is an editorial choice.","coordinates":{"lat":11.25,"lon":-60.667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":7},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Persistent bunker fuel released from a capsized barge contaminated shoreline and marine habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Uninsured, unidentified vessel","Unidentified vessel ownership and no insurance reported"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"IOPC reports about 15 km of Tobago coastline oiled with persistent Bunker Fuel C, affecting beaches, rivers, mangroves, a reef and wildlife (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishers, hotels and schools were affected, and 290 claims worth US$30.3 million, including Tobago fisheries claims, had been filed by April 2025 (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Bonaire filed claims for aerial surveillance and beach cleaning, and containment work aimed to keep oil out of neighbouring countries' EEZs, so the response reached beyond Tobago (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The spill began on or about 5-7 February 2024, salvage ran to August 2024, waste was still in pits at Studley Park in September 2025 and payments run to 2027 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The Prime Minister declared a national emergency (ref 4) and the 1992 Fund was asked to accept the incident as eligible for compensation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Cited sources count claims and kilometres of coast, not people affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 15 km of Tobago's coastline was oiled with persistent Bunker Fuel C; the quantity spilled is listed as unknown (IOPC Funds document, 17 April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coastline impacted by oil","value":15,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Trinidad and Tobago submission to the IOPC Funds, April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Satellite-estimated slick length on 14 February 2024","value":48,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"Sentinel 1A interpretation by the Institute of Marine Affairs, quoted in ref 1."},{"name":"Estimated response cost (incl. oil removal from wreck)","value":23.5,"unit":"million USD","status":"Estimated","note":"Government estimate of about TT$160 million as of April 2024; US$12.5 million spent by 6 April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Compensation claims submitted","value":290,"unit":"claims","status":"Reported","note":"Worth US$30.3 million as of April 2025, per IOPC figures reported by the Trinidad Guardian (ref 2)."},{"name":"Tobago House of Assembly clean-up spend","value":72.1,"unit":"million TT dollars","status":"Reported","note":"Reported September 2025, above the TT$50 million allocated by Central Government in 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Officials were concerned about tourism during Carnival season in February 2024 (ref 4).","290 claims including fisheries and tourism-related claims, with more expected (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Bulk clean-up finished in March 2024 and the barge was removed, but waste disposal and the compensation process remain open (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (Trinidad and Tobago)","role":"Lead for national response, salvage and oil removal","contact":"https://www.energy.gov.tt"},{"name":"Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA)","role":"Coordinated shoreline clean-up under the Tobago Oil Spill Contingency Plan"},{"name":"International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (1992 Fund)","role":"Compensation for eligible claims","contact":"https://iopcfunds.org"}],"public_contact":"The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and the IOPC Funds publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Bulk shoreline clean-up completed in March 2024 (ref 1).","Barge refloated on 19 August 2024 and later broken up at Sea Lots, Trinidad, in March 2025 (refs 2, 3).","Government hired a satellite surveillance firm in May 2025 to find the tug Solo Creed, which escaped arrest (ref 2).","IOPC Funds compensation payments began; just over GBP 1 million paid by 30 June 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Incidents involving the IOPC Funds, 1992 Fund: Incident in Trinidad and Tobago (IOPC/APR24/3/6/1), submitted by the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago","publisher":"International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds","date":"2024-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://documentservices.iopcfunds.org/download/78771/en/IOPC-APR24-3-6-1_en.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"International group starts process for $38M compensation for Tobago oil spill","publisher":"Trinidad Guardian","date":"2025-09-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://guardian.co.tt/news/international-group-starts-process-for-38m-compensation-for-tobago-oil-spill-6.2.2407118.eff24a7066","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Removal of Capsized Oil Barge off Tobago Completed After Six Months","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2024-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/removal-of-capsized-oil-barge-off-tobago-completed-after-six-months","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Massive oil spill from mystery shipwreck causes national emergency in Trinidad and Tobago","publisher":"Euronews","date":"2024-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/02/12/massive-oil-spill-from-mystery-shipwreck-causes-national-emergency-in-trinidad-and-tobago","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Tobago oil spill clean up nearing completion","publisher":"Trinidad Guardian","date":"2024-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://guardian.co.tt/news/tobago-oil-spill-clean-up-nearing-completion-6.2.1994296.a14e25c809","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Two months after oil spill, Tobago slowly recovering","publisher":"Trinidad Guardian","date":"2024-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/two-months-after-oil-spill-tobago-slowly-recovering-6.2.1967364.3e76b2d735","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Tobago (island coordinates, 11 deg 15 min N, 60 deg 40 min W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobago","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Barge capacity: the IOPC submission gives 60,000 barrels with an alleged 35,000 barrel cargo (ref 1); The Maritime Executive gives about 85,000 barrels (ref 3)."},{"note":"Oil recovered from the wreck: the Trinidad Guardian reported about 15,000 barrels vacuumed with about 12,000 remaining in May 2024 (ref 5); The Maritime Executive reported over 32,000 barrels recovered by April (ref 3)."},{"note":"Compensation: the Trinidad Guardian reports the IOPC payout estimate as GBP 4.2 million (TT$38 million) alongside US$30.3 million of claims submitted (ref 2); the two figures are not reconciled in the article."}],"missing_fields":["Quantity of oil spilled (listed as unknown in ref 1).","Barge owner, cargo owner and tug owner remain unconfirmed (refs 1, 2).","Coordinates are for the island, not the grounding point; the IOPC document shows the position only on a map."],"related_ids":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-GULFPARIA-OILSPILLDISPUTE-2026","title":"Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago dispute oil spills in the Gulf of Paria after a May 2026 release","description":"Trinidad and Tobago says a spill of about 10 barrels was detected on 1 May 2026 and contained the same day. On 9 May Venezuela's Foreign Ministry told the international community that a spill from Trinidad and Tobago caused serious damage on the coasts of Sucre and Delta Amacuro states, and in June it claimed a larger spill confirmed by satellite imagery. Heritage Petroleum and the Energy Minister say field checks, Coast Guard and drone reconnaissance found no evidence of large amounts of oil.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Paria (Trinidad and Venezuela)","type":"Gulf, transboundary oil spill","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TT","VE"],"detail":"Shared gulf between Trinidad and the Venezuelan states of Sucre and Delta Amacuro; Venezuela cites mangroves and wetlands, and social media posts showed oil-like material on seaweed at Punto Guiria.","coordinates":{"lat":10.383,"lon":-62.35,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"An alleged oil release in a shared gulf with a formal transboundary complaint.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore oil and gas production"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Trinidad and Tobago reports about 10 barrels released and contained, while Venezuela alleges 'severe risks' to ecosystems including mangroves and wetlands, without published measurements (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure, beach closure or advisory is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The dispute concerns two Venezuelan states and one gulf, with no basin-wide spread reported (ref 1).","duration":"The oil release was reported on 1 May 2026 and Venezuela's second, larger claim was still being answered on 13 June 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Venezuela's Foreign Ministry sent a formal letter to the international community demanding information, a mitigation plan and reparations under international environmental law (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Trinidad and Tobago says 10 barrels were spilled and contained the day they were detected (1 May 2026); Venezuela gave no volume (AP, 10 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Spill volume stated by Trinidad and Tobago","value":10,"unit":"barrels","status":"Reported","note":"Government figure for the spill detected on 1 May 2026; disputed by Venezuela (ref 1)."},{"name":"Spill volume stated by Venezuela","value":null,"unit":"barrels","status":"Not reported","note":"Venezuela did not give a volume for either claim (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two claims in May and June 2026; no later reporting opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Heritage Petroleum Company Limited","role":"Trinidad and Tobago state oil company; reported the spill and says it found no abnormalities in follow-up checks"},{"name":"Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (Trinidad and Tobago)","role":"Government regulator and spokesperson","contact":"https://www.energy.gov.tt"},{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela","role":"Complainant, requested information and reparations"}],"public_contact":"The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries publishes contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Trinidad and Tobago says the spill was contained on the day of detection (ref 1).","Air and Coast Guard and Heritage carried out reconnaissance at sea and by drone, and the Energy Ministry asked Venezuela for the coordinates of the alleged second spill (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Venezuela warns of 'serious' environmental impact from alleged oil spill in Trinidad and Tobago","publisher":"Associated Press via KFYR-TV","date":"2026-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kfyrtv.com/2026/05/10/venezuela-warns-serious-environmental-impact-alleged-oil-spill-trinidad-tobago/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"T&T probes oil spill claim by Venezuela","publisher":"Trinidad Express","date":"2026-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/t-t-probes-oil-spill-claim-by-venezuela/article_c6884ca1-a279-4a3d-ab07-bb1d944f1700.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Venezuela warns of 'serious' environmental impact from alleged oil spill in Trinidad and Tobago","publisher":"Press Trust of India (AP wire)","date":"2026-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/international/2026/05/10/venezuela-warns-of-serious-environmental-impact-from-alleged-oil-spill-in-trinidad-and-tobago.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gulf of Paria (coordinates 10 deg 23 min N, 62 deg 21 min W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Paria","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Trinidad and Tobago says the spill was about 10 barrels and contained the same day (ref 1); Venezuela says it caused serious damage on two states' coasts and later claimed a larger spill confirmed by satellite imagery (refs 1, 2); Heritage says there is no evidence of large amounts of hydrocarbons (ref 2)."},{"note":"Trinidad and Tobago did not disclose the May spill until after Venezuela's complaint (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Venezuela's volume, detection date and exact location of the alleged spills.","Independent measurement of oil on the water or shoreline."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-TOBAGO-GULFSTREAMSPILL-2024"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-OMOA-MOTAGUAWASTE-2025","title":"Motagua River plastic and mixed waste again floods Omoa and Puerto Cortes beaches, Honduras","description":"Each rainy season the Motagua River carries waste from Guatemala about 500 km to the Honduran Caribbean coast, covering beaches at Omoa and Puerto Cortes with plastic, styrofoam, bottles and hospital waste. Honduran officials and a local marine researcher said in September 2025 that the problem has lasted more than eleven years and worsens each winter, while Guatemala says a new river barrier retains 75-80% of floating plastic. Reporting also cites microplastics in regional fish and fishers forced farther offshore.","location":{"name":"Omoa and Puerto Cortes coast","type":"River mouth and beach coastline","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["HN","GT"],"detail":"Cortes Department, Honduras, at the Gulf of Honduras; waste originates in the Motagua basin in Guatemala.","coordinates":{"lat":15.7759,"lon":-88.0375,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"River-borne plastic and mixed solid waste stranding on a coast.","secondary_drivers":["Mismanaged solid waste in the Motagua basin","Rainy-season river flow"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Plastics, styrofoam, bottles and hospital waste including syringes and blood bags cover Omoa beaches, and microplastics have been detected in regional fish (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Fishers say murky water and trash-filled nets force them to fish farther offshore, and tourism losses were estimated at US$2.6 million a month in 2022 (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The debris reaches two countries' coasts and Guatemalan studies cite about 8,500 tonnes of solid waste a year from the basin to the Caribbean (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The marine researcher quoted says the problem has lasted over eleven years and 'every winter is worse' (ref 1).","significance":"Officials proposed a bilateral agreement after the 2023 crisis and Guatemala reports a new barrier, but El Heraldo says no firm actions or deadlines followed (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Hakai (2022) cites about 80 families being relocated from Barra del Motagua; no current figure for the coast."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Guatemalan studies estimate about 8,500 tonnes of solid waste per year reach the Caribbean from the Motagua basin (La Prensa Honduras, 26 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Solid waste reaching the Caribbean from the Motagua basin","value":8500,"unit":"tonnes per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Guatemalan studies as cited by La Prensa Honduras (ref 2)."},{"name":"Plastics and floating debris retained by new Guatemalan barrier","value":null,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Guatemala's environment ministry; target about 90% (ref 1).","text":"75-80"},{"name":"Waste reaching Honduran Caribbean in 2021 despite 1,400 t captured in Guatemala","value":540,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Hakai Magazine report from 2021 data; over 48 km of Omoa beaches affected (ref 3)."},{"name":"Funds allocated to 22 Motagua-basin municipalities after the 2023 crisis","value":11.6,"unit":"million lempiras","status":"Reported","note":"El Heraldo, September 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Honduran tourism losses estimated at US$2.6 million per month (ref 3).","Omoa's mayor reported up to 60 tonnes a day collected in the rainy season at about US$4,059 per month (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A local marine researcher says each winter is worse than the last (ref 1); Guatemala's new barrier may reduce inputs (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN), Guatemala","role":"Operates river barriers and basin management","contact":"https://www.marn.gob.gt"},{"name":"Municipalidad de Omoa and Puerto Cortes (Honduras)","role":"Beach clean-up"},{"name":"The Ocean Cleanup","role":"Barrier technology partner in Guatemala"}],"public_contact":"MARN Guatemala and the Omoa municipality publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Guatemala says a new barrier built with OceanClean retains 75-80% of plastics and floating debris, with a 90% target (ref 1).","The Ocean Cleanup says bio-barriers have kept about 10 million kilograms of Guatemalan plastic out of the Caribbean (ref 2).","Beach and community clean-ups at Omoa and Cuyamel (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Omoa lleva 11 anos luchando contra la basura que llega desde Guatemala","publisher":"El Heraldo (Honduras)","date":"2025-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elheraldo.hn/ehambiente/playa-omoa-honduras-11-anos-basura-guatemala-EG27565526","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Omoa y Puerto Cortes, otra vez le hacen frente a toneladas de basura de Guatemala","publisher":"La Prensa (Honduras)","date":"2025-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.laprensa.hn/premium/omoa-basura-rio-motagua-crisis-LA27502238","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"The Prickly Case of a Cross-Border Garbage Chute","publisher":"Hakai Magazine","date":"2022-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hakaimagazine.com/article-short/the-prickly-case-of-a-cross-border-garbage-chute/","basis":"News (feature)"},{"ref":4,"title":"From Sacred Waters to Toxic Streams: The Troubled Legacy of the Motagua River and Our Path to Restoration","publisher":"Climate Policy Lab, Tufts University (Fletcher School)","date":"2024-09-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climatepolicylab.org/communityvoices/2024/9/20/from-sacred-waters-to-toxic-streams-the-troubled-legacy-of-the-motagua-river-and-our-path-to-restoration","basis":"Student commentary"},{"ref":5,"title":"Omoa (coordinates 15.7759 N, 88.0375 W)","publisher":"Wikipedia (Spanish)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omoa","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Reported collection figures vary by period and place: up to 60 tonnes a day in the rainy season (refs 3, 4), almost one tonne from a 300 m beach stretch (ref 1), and 1,400 tonnes captured in Guatemala in 2021 (ref 3); they are not comparable and are not combined here."}],"missing_fields":["Current-season tonnes collected at Omoa.","Peer-reviewed measurement of microplastics in fish (reported as detections by a researcher, ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-ROATAN-MARINELITTER-2024"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-KINGSTON-HARBOURTRASH-2025","title":"Kingston Harbour receives gully-borne plastic and waste; interceptors have removed over three million kilograms since 2022","description":"Kingston's gullies carry household and commercial waste into Kingston Harbour. The Ocean Cleanup, GraceKennedy Foundation and Clean Harbours Jamaica have installed Interceptor barriers at gully mouths since 2022, aiming to stop an estimated 1,000 tons of trash a year, and by October 2025 had removed more than three million kilograms. The cited sources do not give an official measure of harm to the harbour.","location":{"name":"Kingston Harbour","type":"Urban harbour and gully outfalls","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["JM"],"detail":"Kingston and Hunts Bay, Jamaica; gullies drain the city into the harbour and on to the Caribbean Sea.","coordinates":{"lat":17.95,"lon":-76.8,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Urban solid waste and plastic entering a harbour via gullies.","secondary_drivers":["Urban gully discharge","Inadequate solid waste collection"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The project estimates about 1,000 tons of trash a year would flow into the harbour from the gullies, and the University of the West Indies is studying effects on mangroves, with no damage figure published (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or beach closure is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The work covers the harbour and nine of Kingston's 11 most polluting gullies, a single urban water body (ref 2).","duration":"Interceptors have operated since 2022 and removed more than three million kilograms by October 2025, showing a chronic input (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources describe a voluntary NGO and company programme backed by a government minister, with no violation or order cited (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than three million kilograms of waste removed from Kingston Harbour since 2022 (Jamaica Observer, 4 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Waste removed from the harbour since 2022","value":3000000,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project total (ref 2)."},{"name":"Estimated annual trash flow targeted by the project","value":1000,"unit":"tons per year","status":"Estimated","note":"The Ocean Cleanup project aim (ref 1)."},{"name":"Interceptors deployed in Kingston by end of 2023","value":7,"unit":"units","status":"Reported","note":"Four more planned for 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Waste removed during International Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 at Gun Boat Beach","value":4500,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Volunteer event (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Removal totals are reported but no trend in the amount reaching the harbour is published in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project (GraceKennedy Foundation, The Ocean Cleanup, Clean Harbours Jamaica)","role":"Interceptor operation and waste offload","contact":"https://theoceancleanup.com"}],"public_contact":"The Ocean Cleanup and the GraceKennedy Foundation publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Seven Interceptors installed in Kingston gullies in 2022-2023, with four more planned for Hunts Bay in 2024 (ref 1).","Plastic offloaded and collected for recycling by Recycling Partners of Jamaica (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kingston, Jamaica: the first Interceptor city","publisher":"The Ocean Cleanup","date":"2024-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/kingston-jamaica-the-first-interceptor-city/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"GraceKennedy Foundation removes 4,500kg of waste from Kingston Harbour","publisher":"Jamaica Observer","date":"2025-10-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025/10/04/gracekennedy-foundation-removes-4500kg-waste-kingston-harbour/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"The floating feast (opinion column on Kingston Harbour pollution)","publisher":"Jamaica Observer","date":"2025-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025/03/20/the-floating-feast/","basis":"Opinion column"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kingston Harbour (coordinates 17 deg 57 min N, 76 deg 48 min W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston_Harbour","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Official measurement of the sewage and nutrient load to the harbour: the opinion column (ref 3) attributes a sewage volume to NEPA and gives a coliform figure, but neither is sourced in the column, so they are not used here.","Independent estimate of the annual plastic load."],"related_ids":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-MARACAIBO-OILSPILLS-2024","title":"Recurring crude oil spills foul Lake Maracaibo and the Falcon coast in Venezuela","description":"Venezuela's western oil region has frequent crude spills from ageing pipelines and facilities that reach Lake Maracaibo, which opens to the Gulf of Venezuela, and the Falcon coast. The NGO Clima 21 counted at least 43 spills from July 2023 to January 2024, 90% in Zulia and Falcon, and oil-coated turtles and birds were rescued. The government reports more than 140,000 tonnes of waste removed and pipeline replacement, but the state publishes no spill volumes.","location":{"name":"Lake Maracaibo and Falcon coast","type":"Estuarine lake and coastal waters","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["VE"],"detail":"Zulia and Falcon states, western Venezuela, including submarine pipelines near Paraguana; Lake Maracaibo is brackish and connects to the Gulf of Venezuela.","coordinates":{"lat":9.816,"lon":-71.557,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Crude oil spills from ageing oil infrastructure contaminating coastal and estuarine waters.","secondary_drivers":["Ageing pipelines and lack of maintenance","No national contingency plan"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Clima 21 reports 22 oil-coated animals treated in 2023 and a turtle found fully covered in oil in January 2024, and the government reports more than 140,000 tonnes of oily waste removed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Shrimp catches in Lake Maracaibo were reportedly contaminated, per the Izquierda Diario summary of Observatory of Political Ecology cases (ref 2).","scale":"Spills were counted across Zulia (31) and Falcon (29) in 2022 and 90% of 43 spills in mid-2023 to early 2024 were in those two states (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Clima 21 describes the problem as about 100 years of accumulated spills and has seen no significant improvement since 2022 (ref 1).","significance":"The government reported more than 150 inspections of plants and industrial sites and a May 2024 sampling plan, which is an official response but no sanction or order is reported (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Clima 21 counted at least 43 oil spills between July 2023 and January 2024, 90% of them in Zulia and Falcon (El Diario, 14 June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil spills counted July 2023 to January 2024","value":43,"unit":"spills","status":"Reported","note":"Minimum, Clima 21, from media and residents; no official figures exist (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oil spills and gas leaks in 2022","value":86,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"Observatory of Political Ecology of Venezuela; Zulia 31, Falcon 29 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Waste removed in government clean-up, July 2023 to January 2024","value":140000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Ecosocialism Minister Josue Lorca (ref 1)."},{"name":"Lake pipeline replaced","value":606,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Former Vice President for Public Works Nestor Reverol, as of 18 March 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishing catches such as shrimp reportedly contaminated in Lake Maracaibo (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Clima 21 says it has monitored spills since 2022 without seeing significant improvement (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA)","role":"State oil operator"},{"name":"Ministry of Ecosocialism (Venezuela)","role":"Environment ministry; reported clean-up and inspections"}],"public_contact":"PDVSA and the Ministry of Ecosocialism publish contact channels on their official websites; contact details were not verified for this record.","corrective_actions":["Government reported more than 150 inspections and 606 km of lake pipeline replaced (ref 1).","Oily clean-up waste was sent to PDVSA management centres (ref 1).","Water and sediment sampling for nutrients and coliforms on 4 May 2024 under a strategic master plan (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pidieron al Estado implementar politicas para evitar los derrames de petroleo en el lago de Maracaibo","publisher":"El Diario (Venezuela)","date":"2024-06-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldiario.com/2024/06/14/pidieron-implementar-politicas-derrames-de-petroleo-lago-maracaibo/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Continuos derrames petroleros y aumento del crimen ambiental en Venezuela","publisher":"Izquierda Diario","date":"2023-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.izquierdadiario.es/Continuos-derrames-petroleros-y-aumento-del-crimen-ambiental-en-Venezuela","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Venezuela's oil spill crisis reached new heights in 2022: report","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2023-01-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/01/venezuelas-oil-spill-crisis-reached-new-heights-in-2022-report/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Derrames petroleros y deforestacion en Venezuela: informe expone ampliacion del dano ecologico en 2022","publisher":"Voz de America","date":"2023-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/derrames-petroleros-y-deforestacion-venezuela-registro-ampliacion-del-dano-ecologico-en-2022-expone-informe/7125775.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Lake Maracaibo (coordinates 9.816 N, 71.557 W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Maracaibo","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2021 spill count is given as 77 by Mongabay (ref 3) and 73 by Voz de America (ref 4) in coverage of the same 2022 report."},{"note":"The Izquierda Diario piece says the Ecosocialism Minister stated the lake has a healthy ecosystem and is not in a pollution emergency (ref 2), which Clima 21 and the Proyecto EPA observatory contest (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Volume of oil spilled: PDVSA has not published spill data since 2016 (ref 3).","Spill counts for 2024 to 2026: only the 2023-24 count was opened.","Lake Maracaibo is a brackish estuarine lake; its inclusion as marine or coastal is a judgement for the editors."],"related_ids":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-ANTILLES-SARGASSUMH2S-2025","title":"Record sargassum strandings and hydrogen sulphide alerts on French Antilles and Mexican Caribbean shores","description":"Sargassum washing ashore in large quantities decomposes and releases hydrogen sulphide and ammonia; in April 2023 the air-quality monitor Gwad'Air issued a red alert at Capesterre, Marie-Galante. Meteo-France forecast 'fort a tres fort' strandings for Guadeloupe and Martinique in April 2026, the port of La Desirade was blocked for several days, and the Atlantic sargassum belt reached a record 40 million tonnes in May 2025 according to the University of South Florida. Quintana Roo expected about 400,000 tonnes ashore in 2025.","location":{"name":"French Antilles and Quintana Roo coasts","type":"Windward Atlantic-facing and Caribbean shorelines","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GP","MQ","MX"],"detail":"Guadeloupe (including Marie-Galante and La Desirade), Martinique, and the Mexican Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo.","coordinates":{"lat":15.933,"lon":-61.267,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Decaying sargassum biomass emits hydrogen sulphide and ammonia on shore; the bloom is linked to Atlantic nutrient enrichment, which these sources do not themselves document.","secondary_drivers":["Atlantic sargassum bloom","Warm ocean conditions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Gwad'Air recorded a red alert for hydrogen sulphide at Capesterre, Marie-Galante, in April 2023, and studies cited link the gases to health risks, while a French health council opinion in 2012 found H2S generally low near stored sargassum (refs 1, 5).","livelihoods":"The port of La Desirade was blocked for several days and Quintana Roo tourism suffered (refs 3, 4).","scale":"Strandings affect the French Antilles and the Mexican Caribbean coast, two shores of the regional sea (refs 2, 4).","duration":"France has run two national sargassum plans since 2018 and a third was announced in May 2025, so the problem is recurring (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Meteo-France issued a red-level 'tres fort' stranding warning for Martinique in April 2026 and Gwad'Air a red alert in 2023 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"A 2018 Lancet letter reported more than 11,000 acute toxicity cases over eight months in Martinique and Guadeloupe (ref 1); no current-year figure was found."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Gwad'Air issued a red alert at Capesterre, Marie-Galante, on 18 April 2023 for hydrogen sulphide from rotting sargassum (Environmental Health News, 24 April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Atlantic sargassum belt, May 2025","value":40,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"University of South Florida figure as reported by Riviera Maya News (ref 4)."},{"name":"Expected sargassum ashore in Quintana Roo, 2025","value":400000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Forecast by the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network director (ref 4)."},{"name":"Sargassum plan measures implemented in second phase","value":10,"unit":"of 26 measures","status":"Reported","note":"Report commissioned by the Direction generale des outre-mer, as reported in April 2026 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Quintana Roo government estimates put sargassum management at up to 11% of state GDP, about US$2 billion a year, as reported by Riviera Maya News (ref 4).","Tourism in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel is being hurt (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Meteo-France and the University of South Florida describe 2026 as shaping up to be a major, possibly record, year after 2025 (refs 2, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Gwad'Air (Guadeloupe air quality monitor)","role":"Issued the hydrogen sulphide alert"},{"name":"Meteo-France","role":"Stranding forecasts for Guadeloupe and Martinique"},{"name":"Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network","role":"Monitoring and forecasting in the Mexican Caribbean"}],"public_contact":"Gwad'Air and Meteo-France publish contact channels on their websites; contact details were not verified for this record.","corrective_actions":["France funds about US$40 million for the 2022-2026 national sargassum plan and covers 80% of costs; a third plan was announced in May 2025 (refs 1, 2).","Petit-Bourg has installed protective nets and needs at least 4 km more at about EUR 2 million (ref 2).","Quintana Roo crews of 101 workers and seven excavators in Playa del Carmen clear 150 to 200 tonnes per day (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"From poisoning to skin diseases: multiple effects of sargassum on health","publisher":"Environmental Health News (RCI Guadeloupe, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo)","date":"2024-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ehn.org/sargassum-effects-on-health-2667776413.html","basis":"News (feature)"},{"ref":2,"title":"On nous annonce une nouvelle annee terrible en Guadeloupe et Martinique : echouements massifs de sargasses en vue","publisher":"Outremers 360 (AFP)","date":"2026-04-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://outremers360.com/bassin-atlantique-appli/on-nous-annonce-une-nouvelle-annee-terrible-en-guadeloupe-et-martinique-echouements-massifs-de-sargasses-en-vue","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Algues en Guadeloupe : l'annee s'annonce chargee en sargasses","publisher":"L'Info Durable (AFP)","date":"2026-04-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.linfodurable.fr/algues-en-guadeloupe-lannee-sannonce-chargee-en-sargasses-55950","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Sargazo in the Atlantic sets new record, reaching 40 million metric tons","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/sargazo-in-the-atlantic-sets-new-record-reaching-40-million-metric-tons/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Algues brunes sur les plages des DOM : des risques limites pour la sante (HCSP opinion)","publisher":"Le Quotidien du Medecin","date":"2012-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cancerologie.lequotidiendumedecin.fr/actus-medicales/sante-publique/algues-brunes-sur-les-plages-des-dom-des-risques-limites-pour-la-sante","basis":"News (French, background)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Marie-Galante (coordinates 15.933 N, 61.267 W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Galante","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Health severity is disputed: the Haut Conseil de la sante publique opinion of 2012 found stranded brown algae did not appear to be a real public health problem if removed quickly and H2S was generally about 1 ppm near storage (ref 5), whereas the 2018 Lancet letter and 2023 Gwad'Air red alert point to harm (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["A current Sante publique France or ARS health bulletin for 2025-2026 was not opened.","H2S measurements for 2025-2026 were not found in the opened sources.","Quintana Roo actual 2025 collection totals were not confirmed in an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-QUINTANAROO-SARGASSUM-2025","OC-CAR-REGION-SARGASSUM-FISHERS-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-CARTAGENA-PLAYABLANCA-2025","title":"Cardique confirms microbiological and solid-waste contamination at Playa Blanca and Portonaito lagoon, Cartagena","description":"After a 7 February 2025 inspection, the regional environment authority Cardique reported alarming coliform levels, hazardous waste, fuels and oils, degraded mangroves and pipes apparently discharging household wastewater at Playa Blanca and the Portonaito lagoon on Baru island. Cardique warned of risks to hawksbill turtle nesting and opened a preliminary investigation by Auto 0096 on 13 February 2025. Authorities agreed on a wastewater diagnosis, new sampling and expanded monitoring.","location":{"name":"Playa Blanca and Portonaito, Baru","type":"Tourist beach and coastal lagoon","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CO"],"detail":"Baru island, Cartagena insular zone, Bolivar, Colombia. Coordinates are for Cartagena city.","coordinates":{"lat":10.4,"lon":-75.5,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["plastics-marine-debris","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Domestic wastewater discharge with bacterial contamination, plus solid waste and fuel residues, at a coastal beach and lagoon.","secondary_drivers":["Unauthorised wastewater discharges","Lack of public sanitation","High tourist density"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Cardique found alarming coliform levels, hazardous waste, fuels and oils and fragmented mangroves, without publishing counts (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Cardique said recreational beach use is at risk and urged tourists and operators to adopt responsible practices, with no closure reported (ref 1).","scale":"The findings concern one beach and one lagoon on Baru island (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The documented episode spans the 7 February inspection to new sampling announced on 20 February 2025 (ref 2).","significance":"Cardique opened a preliminary investigation by Auto 0096 on 13 February 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Cardique found alarming coliform levels and hazardous waste at Playa Blanca and the Portonaito lagoon on a 7 February 2025 inspection (El Tiempo, 18 February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coliform levels","value":null,"unit":"","status":"Not reported","note":"Cardique called levels 'alarming' but the articles give no counts (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Playa Blanca is a tourist beach with constant tourist boat traffic and Cardique said recreational use is at risk (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One inspection and follow-up sampling reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Corporacion Autonoma Regional del Canal del Dique (Cardique)","role":"Regional environmental authority; opened the investigation","contact":"https://www.cardique.gov.co"},{"name":"Distrito de Cartagena","role":"Municipal authority, part of the coordination group"},{"name":"Direccion General Maritima (Dimar)","role":"Maritime authority, part of the coordination group"}],"public_contact":"Cardique publishes contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Auto 0096 of 13 February 2025 opened a preliminary investigation (ref 1).","Priorities set: diagnosis of wastewater discharges at Playa Blanca, new water sampling, expanded monitoring and a carrying-capacity analysis (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cartagena: alerta ambiental en Playa Blanca y la cienaga de Portonaito por contaminacion","publisher":"El Tiempo","date":"2025-02-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/otras-ciudades/cartagena-alerta-ambiental-en-playa-blanca-y-la-cienaga-de-portonaito-por-contaminacion-3428228","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Continua analisis por situacion ambiental de Playa Blanca y Portonaito","publisher":"El Universal (Cartagena)","date":"2025-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2025/02/20/continua-analisis-por-situacion-ambiental-de-playa-blanca-y-portonaito/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mitigar fuentes de contaminacion, el principal reto de la bahia de Cartagena (Basic Cartagena monitoring)","publisher":"El Universal (Cartagena)","date":"2023-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/mitigar-fuentes-de-contaminacion-el-principal-reto-de-la-bahia-de-cartagena-FB9113241","basis":"News (Spanish, background)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Cartagena, Colombia (coordinates 10.400 N, 75.500 W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartagena,_Colombia","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Measured coliform counts from Cardique's sampling.","Outcome of the preliminary investigation and the new sampling.","Cartagena Bay (Canal del Dique sediment, nutrient and metal inputs) is documented in ref 3 from September 2023 and was not given its own record."],"related_ids":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-CIENAGAGRANDE-FISHKILL-2024","title":"Repeated fish die-offs from low oxygen in the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta lagoon complex","description":"Fishers and the regional authority Corpamag reported fish dying in the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta from February 2024, with mojarra and robalo found floating, and attributed it to drought and heat linked to El Nino and low dissolved oxygen. A later undated report describes a further die-off, fishers digging a provisional canal to bring in freshwater, and a dispute with Corpamag over the work. Corpamag warned that decomposing fish pollute the water and can cause disease.","location":{"name":"Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta","type":"Coastal lagoon complex (Ramsar site)","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CO"],"detail":"Magdalena department, Colombia, a brackish lagoon system separated from the Caribbean by a sandy spit; fishers from Nueva Venecia and Buenavista.","coordinates":{"lat":10.867,"lon":-74.417,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Oxygen-depleted water causing fish mortality in a coastal lagoon; cited sources attribute it to drought and El Nino rather than to a nutrient source.","secondary_drivers":["Drought and El Nino","Altered freshwater and seawater exchange"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Infobae reports mojarra and robalo floating at river mouths from February 2024 and a headline of mass fish death, but gives no count or tonnage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fisher Ariel Garcia said catches were already scarce and worse now, and a community leader cited reduced fishing opportunities (ref 1).","scale":"The die-offs are in one lagoon complex, with related events elsewhere in the sources (ref 1).","duration":"Mortality began in February 2024 and worsened in March, and a later die-off is reported in an undated article (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Corpamag supported a public-calamity declaration for Cano Zapayan after a January 2024 emergency (ref 1), while the undated article says none has been declared for the Cienaga Grande (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Cited sources name fishing communities but give no count."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fish die-offs ('cientos de peces') reported since February 2024 in the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta and attributed to drought and low oxygen (Infobae, 2 April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish killed","value":null,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Not reported","note":"No count or tonnage given in the opened articles (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Local fishers report shrinking catches (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One 2024 episode plus an undated later die-off."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Corporacion Autonoma Regional del Magdalena (Corpamag)","role":"Regional environmental authority","contact":"https://www.corpamag.gov.co"}],"public_contact":"Corpamag publishes contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Corpamag attended the Cano Zapayan emergency in January 2024 and warned of more die-offs (ref 1).","Fishers opened a provisional canal near the floodgates to bring in freshwater and oxygen; Corpamag opposes unplanned works and asks for hydraulic studies (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Alerta por muerte masiva de peces en la Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta","publisher":"Infobae (Colombia)","date":"2024-04-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/04/02/alerta-por-muerte-masiva-de-peces-en-la-cienaga-grande-de-santa-marta-ahora-todo-es-aun-peor/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"En Santa Marta, pescadores abren canal provisional para evitar muerte de peces por falta de oxigeno","publisher":"La FM (Colombia)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lafm.com.co/colombia/en-santa-marta-pescadores-abren-canal-provisional-para-evitar-muerte-de-peces-por-falta-de-oxigeno","basis":"News (Spanish, date not shown on page)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta (coordinates 10 deg 52 min N, 74 deg 25 min W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ci%C3%A9naga_Grande_de_Santa_Marta","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Date of the La FM report on the later die-off (not shown on the page).","Invemar or Corpamag oxygen measurements and fish-kill counts for 2024-2026.","Whether a public-calamity declaration was made."],"related_ids":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-CAR-ROATAN-MARINELITTER-2024","title":"Marine litter in Roatan's mangroves and reefs fed by Honduran rivers and the Motagua","description":"A November 2024 paper in the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute proceedings measures marine litter in Roatan's mangrove forest and examines litter in the gut of a dead American crocodile, noting thousands of tons of plastic reach the western Caribbean each year from the Motagua River and Honduran rivers. A March 2025 volunteer clean-up led by Waste Free Oceans with BICA and Roatan Marine Park removed over 1.71 tonnes of waste from beaches, mangroves and underwater sites. BICA says mismanaged solid waste in the Bay Islands threatens coastal ecosystems and health.","location":{"name":"Roatan, Bay Islands","type":"Island coast, mangroves and reefs","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["HN"],"detail":"Bay Islands, Honduras, Mesoamerican Reef region.","coordinates":{"lat":16.383,"lon":-86.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic and mixed marine litter stranded in island mangroves and reef areas.","secondary_drivers":["River-borne waste from the Motagua","Limited island waste infrastructure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The GCFI paper measured litter in Roatan's mangroves and in a crocodile's digestive system, but the abstract reports no concentrations (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or beach closure is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The cited work concerns one island's mangroves, beaches and reefs (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The paper describes thousands of tons of plastic arriving yearly from the Motagua and Honduran rivers, a recurring input (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are a conference paper and NGO reports, with no violation or order cited (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A March 2025 clean-up removed over 1.71 tonnes of waste from Roatan beaches, mangroves and underwater sites, with divers recovering over 44 kg underwater (Waste Free Oceans, 31 March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Waste removed in March 2025 clean-up","value":1.71,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Waste Free Oceans with BICA and Roatan Marine Park (ref 2)."},{"name":"Waste recovered by divers from the seabed","value":44,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as over 44 kg (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No time series in the opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA)","role":"Waste education, recycling collection and clean-ups"},{"name":"Roatan Marine Park","role":"Marine park manager and clean-up partner"},{"name":"Waste Free Oceans","role":"Clean-up organiser"}],"public_contact":"BICA and Roatan Marine Park publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Volunteer clean-up in March 2025 by Waste Free Oceans, BICA and Roatan Marine Park (ref 2).","BICA 'Waste, people and reef health' education campaign and recycling collection (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Marine litter: sources, fate and concentrations in the Bay Islands of Honduras (Zuniga, Vermaire and Flores), Proceedings of the 77th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute","publisher":"Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute","date":"2024-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://proceedings.gcfi.org/proceedings/marine-litter-sources-fate-and-concentrations-in-the-bay-islands-of-honduras/","basis":"Peer-reviewed or conference paper (abstract only)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Thank you for supporting WFO actions (Roatan clean-up report)","publisher":"Waste Free Oceans","date":"2025-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://waste-free-oceans.prezly.com/thank-you-for-supporting-wfo-actions","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Waste, people and reef health campaign","publisher":"Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bicainc.org/bica-roatan-waste-people-reef-health","basis":"NGO page (date not shown)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Roatan (coordinates 16.383 N, 86.400 W)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roat%C3%A1n","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Litter concentrations and sources from the GCFI paper: only the abstract page was opened and the full PDF returned an error.","Day of publication of the GCFI paper (month only shown)."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-OMOA-MOTAGUAWASTE-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"OC-CAR-GUY-SPILLASSURANCE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Guyana Court of Appeal overturns order for an unlimited Exxon guarantee covering Stabroek Block oil spills","description":"On 7 May 2026 Guyana's Court of Appeal unanimously set aside a 2023 High Court order requiring ExxonMobil Guyana to provide an unlimited parent-company guarantee for spill liability under the Liza Phase 1 permit. The appeal court held that liability and financial assurance are distinct and that the Environmental Protection Agency may set a defined guarantee; ExxonMobil had offered a US$2 billion guarantee. The case was brought by two citizens, who argued the permit required unlimited assurance.","location":{"name":"Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana","type":"Offshore lease area","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GY"],"detail":"Offshore Guyana, Atlantic coast of South America; Liza Phase 1 permit issued by Guyana's EPA to ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (Esso Exploration and Production Guyana).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The dispute is over who must back spill liability for offshore oil production and how courts and the regulator allocate that duty.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore oil production expansion","Regulatory discretion over financial assurance"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No spill is reported; the harm score is for potential spill damage that the guarantee is meant to cover under permit Condition 14 (refs 2, 4).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction follows from the ruling; the High Court's 2023 permit-suspension order was itself set aside on appeal (ref 1).","scale":"The permit obligations extend to the permit holder and co-venturers across the Stabroek Block (ref 5), an offshore area, with the exposure being Guyana's coastline.","duration":"The case runs from the 3 May 2023 High Court ruling to the 7 May 2026 appeal decision, about three years (refs 1, 5).","significance":"A court ruling: the Court of Appeal's unanimous decision of 7 May 2026 reversed the High Court (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Guyana's Court of Appeal on 7 May 2026 unanimously overturned the order requiring ExxonMobil Guyana to provide an unlimited parent guarantee for oil-spill liability (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Guarantee offered by ExxonMobil in place of an unlimited guarantee","value":2000,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Gleaner report of the appeal ruling says the High Court found Exxon in breach for proposing US$2 billion (ref 3)."},{"name":"Third-party liability limit, any one accident (insurance policy Feb 2024 to Feb 2025)","value":100,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Policy published in Guyana's Official Gazette of 11 May 2024, as reported by Stabroek News (ref 4)."},{"name":"Operator's extra expense limit, any one accident (same policy)","value":500,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Same policy and source (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Attorney General argued that failure to supply an unlimited guarantee could affect the Government's contract rights and revenue stream (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The High Court ordered unlimited assurance in 2023; the Court of Appeal reversed it in 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Agency of Guyana","role":"Permitting and enforcement agency for the Liza Phase 1 permit","contact":"https://epaguyana.org"},{"name":"Attorney General's Chambers, Guyana","role":"Party to the appeal for the State","contact":"https://dpi.gov.gy"}],"public_contact":"EPA Guyana's published general contact channels at epaguyana.org.","corrective_actions":["Court of Appeal set aside the unlimited-guarantee order and the permit-suspension order (7 May 2026).","The EPA retains discretion to set the guarantee amount; the sources report a US$2 billion guarantee accepted by the EPA (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Press Release: AG hails COA's ruling on ExxonMobil, EPA's financial guarantees","publisher":"Department of Public Information, Guyana","date":"2026-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dpi.gov.gy/press-release-ag-hails-coas-ruling-on-exxonmobil-epas-financial-guarantees/","basis":"Government press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Appeal Court overturns Justice Kissoon's ruling on unlimited parent company guarantee for oil spill","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2026-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2026/05/08/court-of-appeal-overturns-justice-kissoons-ruling-on-unlimited-parent-company-guarantee-for-oil-spill/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Exxon wins appeal in environmental permit case","publisher":"Jamaica Gleaner","date":"2026-05-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/world-news/20260509/exxon-wins-appeal-environmental-permit-case","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Exxon insurance contract sets US$500m limit for any one incident","publisher":"Stabroek News","date":"2024-05-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://stabroeknews.com/?p=757148","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"CCJ says yes to gov't bid to join EPA appeal of decision in Exxon liability case","publisher":"Stabroek News","date":"2024-05-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://stabroeknews.com/?p=756760","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether further appeal is sought is not reported in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-GUY-SPILLREADINESS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-GUY-HAMMERHEADEIA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Guyana court challenge over Scope 3 emissions in the Hammerhead (Exxon seventh project) impact assessment","description":"In March 2025 Guyana's High Court held that the environmental impact assessment for ExxonMobil's Hammerhead project must evaluate Scope 3 emissions. Two citizens, through their lawyer, then argued the 4,232-page assessment did not comply and in July 2025 filed a further suit against the EPA. By December 2025 the EPA head described a new Hammerhead permit with flaring and emergency provisions, and a production licence had been granted in October 2025, according to Kaieteur News.","location":{"name":"Hammerhead project, Stabroek Block","type":"Offshore lease area","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GY"],"detail":"South-western portion of the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana; planned capacity 150,000 barrels of oil per day, start-up targeted 2029 (Kaieteur News).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A legal dispute over how far an offshore oil project's environmental assessment must go before a permit is issued.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore oil expansion","Environmental assessment scope"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No harm is documented; the score reflects the potential emissions and spill effects the challengers say the assessment leaves out (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported for Hammerhead; the project targets production from 2029 (ref 4).","scale":"A single development in the south-western Stabroek Block (ref 4).","duration":"From the March 2025 ruling to the December 2025 permit statements is under a year, with litigation continuing (refs 1, 3, 5).","significance":"A High Court ruling of 18 March 2025 on the assessment scope and a follow-up suit filed in July 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A letter of 30 May 2025 to the EPA states the Hammerhead assessment runs to 4,232 pages and contains no statement evaluating Scope 3 effects, despite the court's 18 March 2025 decision (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned Hammerhead production capacity","value":150000,"unit":"barrels per day","status":"Reported","note":"Kaieteur News, December 2025, citing the project licence terms (ref 4)."},{"name":"Forecast Hammerhead oil production","value":445,"unit":"million barrels","status":"Reported","note":"Same report (ref 4)."},{"name":"Pages in the Hammerhead environmental impact assessment","value":4232,"unit":"pages","status":"Reported","note":"As stated in the lawyer's letter reported by Kaieteur News (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Natural Resources Minister said in September 2025 that approval of the project could come very soon (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Dispute documented from March to December 2025 only."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Agency of Guyana","role":"Reviewer of the assessment and permit issuer","contact":"https://epaguyana.org"}],"public_contact":"EPA Guyana's published general contact channels at epaguyana.org.","corrective_actions":["The EPA stated it would submit the assessment to its Environmental Assessment Board (ref 2).","The new Hammerhead permit carries 14 flaring provisions and eight emergency-event provisions, per the EPA head (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Int'l Lawyer says: Exxon's study for 7th oil project excludes 90% of harm to the environment","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/06/02/intl-lawyer-says-exxons-study-for-7th-oil-project-excludes-90-of-harm-to-the-environment/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"EPA faces another lawsuit for breach of court order in Exxon's 7th project","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/07/30/epa-faces-another-lawsuit-for-breach-of-court-order-in-exxons-7th-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"'7th oil project to be approved very soon' - Min. Bharrat","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/09/15/7th-oil-project-to-be-approved-very-soon-min-bharrat/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Exxon must provide daily drill data, ROV images","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-12-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/12/09/exxon-must-provide-daily-drill-data-rov-images/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Exxon now has 14 days before flaring fee kicks in - EPA Head","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/12/12/exxon-now-has-14-days-before-flaring-fee-kicks-in-epa-head/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The text of the 18 March 2025 judgment was not opened; it is described through the challengers' letter in Kaieteur News.","The EPA's permit decision itself was not opened; the permit is described via the EPA head's statements."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-GUY-FLARING-2025","OC-CAR-GUY-SPILLREADINESS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-GUY-FLARING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gas flaring at ExxonMobil's Liza Phase 1 FPSO off Guyana and the court ruling on the permit change","description":"Guyana's Liza Phase 1 permit prohibits flaring except for maintenance or emergencies, yet InfoAmazonia reports 1,298 flaring instances from 2019 to 2023 using SkyTruth satellite data. After three citizens complained in April 2021 the EPA modified the permit, extending allowable flaring from three to 60 consecutive days with a US$45 per tonne CO2 charge; a Guyanese court ruled for the company in 2023. In December 2025 the EPA head said the new Hammerhead permit gives a maximum of 14 days to address flaring.","location":{"name":"Liza Phase 1 FPSO, Stabroek Block","type":"Offshore production platform","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GY"],"detail":"Offshore Guyana, Stabroek Block; flaring under permits issued by Guyana's EPA to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana.","points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Routine offshore flaring releases carbon dioxide and methane and was the subject of a permit modification and court case.","secondary_drivers":["Gas compression failures","Permit modification"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The flaring emits CO2 and methane; the analysis cited puts 2019 to 2023 emissions at 1.32 million tonnes CO2, with no direct marine harm documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction on coastal users is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The reported flaring is at the Liza Phase 1 production vessel, a single site (ref 1).","duration":"Flaring instances are reported every year from the 2019 start of production through 2023, and permit limits were revisited in December 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A court ruling in 2023 found it had not been proven that the permit modification caused additional adverse effects (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ExxonMobil flared 687 million cubic metres of gas off Guyana from 2019 to 2023, emitting 1.32 million tonnes of CO2, per an analysis by SkyTruth with Arayara reported by InfoAmazonia (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reported flaring instances, 2019 to 2023","value":1298,"unit":"instances","status":"Reported","note":"SkyTruth satellite data as reported by InfoAmazonia and Climate Home News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gas flared, 2019 to 2023","value":687,"unit":"million m3","status":"Reported","note":"Same analysis (ref 1)."},{"name":"CO2 emitted by flaring, 2019 to 2023","value":1.32,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Same analysis (ref 1)."},{"name":"Allowable consecutive flaring under revised Liza 1 permit","value":60,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Raised from three days; charge of US$45 per tonne CO2 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maximum flaring period under the new Hammerhead permit","value":14,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Stated by the EPA's executive director (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Instances are reported to 2023; the 2025 permit changes are not yet followed by flaring data."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Agency of Guyana","role":"Permitting and flaring approvals","contact":"https://epaguyana.org"}],"public_contact":"EPA Guyana's published general contact channels at epaguyana.org.","corrective_actions":["The EPA head says excess flaring beyond the approved period attracts a tax under the new permit (ref 2).","The EPA head said later permits add redundancy to gas compression systems after the Liza 1 compressor problem (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ExxonMobil helps Amazon nation Guyana build 'petrostate', while people stay poor","publisher":"Climate Home News (InfoAmazonia)","date":"2025-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climatechangenews.com/?p=69778","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Exxon now has 14 days before flaring fee kicks in - EPA Head","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/12/12/exxon-now-has-14-days-before-flaring-fee-kicks-in-epa-head/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2023 flaring judgment was not opened; it is reported through InfoAmazonia. Flaring figures are from a satellite-data analysis cited by the news outlet, not an official agency count."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-GUY-HAMMERHEADEIA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-GUY-SPILLREADINESS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Spill modelling for Guyana's Stabroek Block shows possible landfall within days while response tools take longer","description":"Exxon's Hammerhead impact assessment models oil reaching the coast of Guyana's Regions One and Two, with a minimum 1 to 10 days to Region One in the December to May season, while the Liza 1 permit allows nine days to bring a capping stack to a blown-out well, according to Kaieteur News. The Government announced an Oil Pollution bill in April 2025, and in May 2026 the EPA could not say how it independently verifies offshore discharge quality.","location":{"name":"Stabroek Block and Region One and Two coasts","type":"Offshore lease area","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GY"],"detail":"Offshore Guyana and the Regions One and Two coasts in the north-west of the country, per Hammerhead assessment modelling reported by Kaieteur News.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Documented gaps in spill response timing and discharge verification for offshore oil operations.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore oil production","Spill preparedness"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No spill is reported; the score is for modelled worst-case discharge reaching shorelines (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or advisory is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 3).","scale":"Modelled oil contact is predicted for the Region One and Region Two coasts, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Concerns are documented from April 2025 to May 2026 across successive permits and projects (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"A formal Government bill was announced in April 2025 and EPA permit conditions were tightened in December 2025, but no enforcement or ruling (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Liza 1 permit (Section 9.13) requires capping stack mobilisation within nine calendar days of an uncontrolled well event, while Hammerhead modelling gives a 1 to 10 day minimum time for oil to reach the Region One shoreline in December to May (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum days to mobilise a capping stack under Liza 1 permit","value":9,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Permit Section 9.13 as quoted by Kaieteur News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Modelled probability of oil reaching Region One coast, Dec to May (worst-case discharge)","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Upper end of a 5-70% range from the Hammerhead assessment (ref 1)."},{"name":"FPSOs producing oil in the Stabroek Block","value":4,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"As stated by Kaieteur News in May 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Documented from April 2025 to May 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Agency of Guyana","role":"Regulator of spill response and discharge permits","contact":"https://epaguyana.org"},{"name":"Attorney General's Chambers, Guyana","role":"Sponsor of the Oil Pollution bill","contact":"https://dpi.gov.gy"}],"public_contact":"EPA Guyana's published general contact channels at epaguyana.org.","corrective_actions":["The EPA now requires daily drilling reports and ROV images before and after drilling (ref 4).","The EPA uses a satellite-monitoring partnership with Maxar to detect spills (ref 4).","The Oil Pollution, Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Bill 2025 was announced for tabling in April 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil spill will hit Guyana's shores before capping stack arrives to plug leak","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-04-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/04/06/oil-spill-will-hit-guyanas-shores-before-capping-stack-arrives-to-plug-leak/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil spill bill for Parliament Monday","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/04/24/oil-spill-bill-for-parliament-monday/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"EPA fails to say what mechanisms in place to verify Exxon's offshore waste discharge","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2026-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2026/05/02/epa-fails-to-say-what-mechanisms-in-place-to-verify-exxons-offshore-waste-discharge/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Exxon must provide daily drill data, ROV images","publisher":"Kaieteur News","date":"2025-12-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2025/12/09/exxon-must-provide-daily-drill-data-rov-images/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the Oil Pollution bill was passed is not shown in the cited sources.","The Hammerhead assessment itself was not opened; modelling results are quoted from Kaieteur News."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-GUY-SPILLASSURANCE-2026","OC-CAR-GUY-HAMMERHEADEIA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-GUY-ESSEQUIBO-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Guyana-Venezuela Essequibo dispute before the ICJ and a March 2025 naval incident near the Stabroek Block","description":"The International Court of Justice heard the merits of Guyana's case on the 1899 Arbitral Award from 4 to 11 May 2026, and its judgment is pending. On 1 March 2025 Guyana's president said an armed Venezuelan naval vessel entered waters near ExxonMobil's Stabroek Block production vessels; Venezuela's government disputed the claim, describing the area as disputed international waters. The sources describe a dispute over land and maritime borders.","location":{"name":"Stabroek Block waters and Essequibo, Guyana","type":"Maritime boundary dispute area","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GY","VE"],"detail":"Offshore Guyana in the Atlantic, north-west of the Essequibo region claimed by Venezuela; ICJ case Guyana v. Venezuela.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A pending international court case and a reported vessel incident concern the control of waters hosting offshore oil production.","secondary_drivers":["Territorial and maritime claims","Offshore oil development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented in the cited reports of the incident or the case (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"No closure of the block or restriction on shipping is reported; Guyana said it deployed air and coast guard assets to support operations (ref 2).","scale":"The dispute concerns Guyana's national waters and a large land region, a national-scale issue (ref 3).","duration":"Guyana filed the case in 2018 and merits hearings closed on 11 May 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"ICJ provisional measures orders of 1 December 2023 and 1 May 2025 are on the court record (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The ICJ merits hearings in Guyana v. Venezuela were held from 4 to 11 May 2026 and the court's page shows no judgment yet (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated oil in the Stabroek Block","value":11,"unit":"billion barrels","status":"Reported","note":"Associated Press, 1 March 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The AP reports the Stabroek Block is operated by ExxonMobil with Hess and CNOOC and holds an estimated 11 billion barrels (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Court proceedings advance while a March 2025 vessel incident was disputed by both governments (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Court of Justice","role":"Court hearing Guyana v. Venezuela (Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899)","contact":"https://www.icj-cij.org"}],"public_contact":"ICJ Registry's published contact channels at icj-cij.org.","corrective_actions":["ICJ provisional measures orders of 1 December 2023 and 1 May 2025.","Guyana summoned Venezuela's ambassador and notified allies after the March 2025 incident (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela)","publisher":"International Court of Justice","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.icj-cij.org/case/171","basis":"Court record"},{"ref":2,"title":"Guyana's president denounces Venezuelan incursion in offshore oil field operated by ExxonMobil","publisher":"Associated Press (via WSLS)","date":"2025-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wsls.com/business/2025/03/01/guyanas-president-denounces-venezuelan-incursion-in-offshore-oil-field-operated-by-exxonmobil/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Venezuelan Navy Approaches Exxon FPSO Off Guyana","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/venezuelan-navy-approaches-exxon-fpso-off-guyana","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Guyana says an armed Venezuelan vessel entered its waters in the Stabroek Block; Venezuela's government disputed this and called the waters disputed international waters (refs 2, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The operative text of the ICJ orders was not opened (the court's PDF files returned an access error); the case page lists dates only.","The ICJ page does not state whether the case covers maritime delimitation; the sources describe a land and maritime dispute."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-GUY-SPILLREADINESS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-JAM-ISAMININGCODE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"International Seabed Authority Council ends July 2026 session in Kingston without adopting the deep-sea mining code","description":"The ISA Council ended Part II of its 31st session in Kingston, Jamaica, on 24 July 2026 without adopting the exploitation regulations known as the Mining Code. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reported that environmental safeguards, liability, inspection and benefit-sharing remain unresolved and that experts expect talks to run three to four more years. Over 30 countries have called for a moratorium, and the United States has moved ahead with its own licensing process.","location":{"name":"International Seabed Authority, Kingston","type":"Treaty process","basin":"GLOBAL","countries":["JM","ABNJ"],"detail":"ISA headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica; the Authority regulates mineral activities on the international seabed (the Area) under UNCLOS.","coordinates":{"lat":17.9647,"lon":-76.7917,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"global"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding concerns the rule-making process and licensing authority for seabed mining in international waters.","secondary_drivers":["Deep-sea mining demand for nickel and cobalt","Unilateral national licensing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No mining is authorised under the ISA code; the score is for the potential seabed harm that unresolved environmental safeguards are meant to address (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction or closure is reported; the sources describe a negotiation outcome only (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The code would govern the international seabed in all oceans, a global scope (ref 2).","duration":"Part I of the session ended 19 March 2026 and Part II on 24 July 2026, both without agreement, and Benchmark expects three to four more years of talks (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A formal Council session outcome: no code adopted, six exploration contract extensions approved in Part I, and a Part II decision listing for further extensions (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On 24 July 2026 the ISA Council concluded two weeks of negotiations without adopting the International Mining Code (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Outstanding issues discussed in Part I of the 31st session","value":29,"unit":"of 32 issues","status":"Reported","note":"OceanMiningIntel on the March 2026 session (ref 2)."},{"name":"Countries calling for a moratorium or pause","value":30,"unit":"countries (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Global Mining Review, April 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Exploration contract extensions approved in Part I","value":6,"unit":"contracts","status":"Reported","note":"OceanMiningIntel (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Global Mining Review reports NOAA simplified its deep-sea mining licence process in January 2026 and found The Metals Company's application in substantial compliance (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Negotiation continues without a code while national licensing moves forward (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Seabed Authority","role":"Regulator of seabed mineral activities in the Area","contact":"https://www.isa.org.jm"}],"public_contact":"ISA Secretariat's published channels at isa.org.jm.","corrective_actions":["The Council approved extensions of six exploration contracts in Part I (March 2026) (ref 2).","Further intersessional work was proposed for 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Benchmark at International Seabed Authority meeting as global commercial framework remains unresolved","publisher":"Benchmark Mineral Intelligence","date":"2026-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/benchmark-at-the-international-seabed-authority-meeting-as-global-commercial-framework-remained-unresolved","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Council of the International Seabed Authority advances negotiations on the Mining Code","publisher":"OceanMiningIntel","date":"2026-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanminingintel.com/news/regulation/the-council-of-the-international-seabed-authority-advances-negotiations-on-the-mining-code/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Why 2026 will decide who governs the seabed","publisher":"Global Mining Review","date":"2026-04-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/22042026/why-2026-will-decide-who-governs-the-seabed/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"31st Session 2026","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.isa.org.jm/sessions/31st-session-2026/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"International Seabed Authority, location","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Seabed_Authority","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ISA's own press release or final Council statement for Part II was not found; the 24 July outcome rests on the Benchmark report, whose full text is paywalled."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-MEX-COZUMELPIER4-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cozumel fourth cruise pier: environmental authorization annulled and rejected, developer challenge pending in federal court","description":"Muelles del Caribe's planned fourth cruise pier at Cozumel would run about 1 km across the Villa Blanca reef. Mexico's environment ministry (Semarnat) approved it in 2021, annulled the authorization in September 2025 and confirmed its rejection on 26 February 2026 after finding a coral reef and seagrass meadow not disclosed in the impact statement. The developer has challenged the revocation and a federal judge will decide.","location":{"name":"Fourth cruise pier site, Cozumel","type":"Cruise port project","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Cozumel island, Quintana Roo, Mexico; the project is near the Villa Blanca reef and the island's last public beach (Mongabay).","coordinates":{"lat":20.42,"lon":-86.92,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A port expansion dispute over construction across a reef and seagrass area, decided by environmental regulators and courts.","secondary_drivers":["Cruise tourism growth","Coastal construction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A testing platform was placed near the reef in May 2025 and the pier is planned across Villa Blanca reef, but no completed damage is documented (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure is reported, but the pier would occupy the island's last public beach, per Mongabay (ref 1).","scale":"One reef and beach site on Cozumel (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The assessment was filed in 2020 and the dispute is still before federal courts in April 2026, over five years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A federal court granted a provisional suspension in July 2025 and Semarnat annulled (September 2025) and then rejected (26 February 2026) the authorization (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Semarnat confirmed its rejection of the fourth cruise pier on 26 February 2026 after finding a coral reef and seagrass meadow not disclosed in the impact statement (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned pier length","value":1,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay, 30 August 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral decline at Cozumel since 1982","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration Program estimate cited by Mongabay; method not given (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tourists received by Cozumel per year","value":4.5,"unit":"million","status":"Reported","note":"Municipal government figure cited by Mongabay (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cozumel has three existing piers; the municipal government cites more than 4.5 million tourists a year (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Approved in 2021, suspended by a court in 2025, annulled and then rejected by Semarnat; the developer's challenge is pending (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Semarnat (Mexico's environment ministry)","role":"Environmental impact authorization","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"},{"name":"Profepa (federal environmental protection agency)","role":"Inspection of the pier site ordered by the 5th District Court","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/profepa"}],"public_contact":"Semarnat and Profepa published contact channels at gob.mx.","corrective_actions":["Semarnat annulled the 2021 authorization in September 2025 and confirmed rejection on 26 February 2026 (ref 2).","The 5th District Court provisionally suspended the project in July 2025 and ordered Profepa to inspect the site (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cruise industry expansion collides with Cozumel's coral reef","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/cruise-industry-expansion-collides-with-cozumels-coral-reef/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fourth Cruise Pier Project in Cozumel Remains Active Despite Environmental Rejection","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2026-04-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/fourth-cruise-pier-project-cozumel-remains-active-despite-environmental-rejection/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cozumel","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozumel","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Court filings and the Semarnat resolution were not opened; they are described through Mongabay and Riviera Maya News. The coordinates are those of Cozumel island, not the pier site."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-MEX-COZUMELSSA-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-MEX-COZUMELSSA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Semarnat rejects SSA Mexico's cruise terminal expansion at Cozumel over reef and seabed risk","description":"Mexico's environment ministry (Semarnat) declared the planned expansion of the SSA Mexico cruise terminal at Cozumel unviable, about a year after the March 2025 application. The Riviera Maya News report says the work could cause irreversible ecological harm, with reef patches and NOM-059 listed species in the project's area of influence near the Villa Blanca reef system. The planned works included a new berth, a pier extension and demolition of existing facilities.","location":{"name":"SSA Mexico cruise terminal, Cozumel","type":"Cruise port project","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Cozumel island, Quintana Roo, Mexico; one of three cruise piers on the island, handling nearly 40% of cruise ships and passengers in 2025 (Riviera Maya News).","coordinates":{"lat":20.42,"lon":-86.92,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regulator's rejection of a port expansion because of its predicted seabed and reef effects.","secondary_drivers":["Cruise tourism growth","Port dredging and construction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Semarnat found the work could permanently alter seabed morphology and harm reef patches in the project area; no construction damage is reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The terminal continues to operate and no restriction is reported; the decision blocks an expansion (ref 1).","scale":"A single terminal site on Cozumel (ref 1).","duration":"The application ran from March 2025 to the decision about March 2026, around a year (ref 1).","significance":"A formal regulatory decision: Semarnat's Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk declared the project unviable (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Semarnat declared the SSA Mexico terminal expansion, estimated at 882 million pesos, environmentally unviable (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated project cost","value":882,"unit":"million pesos","status":"Reported","note":"About US$44 million per Riviera Maya News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of Cozumel cruise ships and passengers handled by the SSA terminal in 2025","value":40,"unit":"% (nearly)","status":"Reported","note":"Riviera Maya News, 2 May 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The mayor said the municipality welcomes sustainable investment and backed overnight tourism as an alternative (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single decision reported around March 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Semarnat (Mexico's environment ministry)","role":"Environmental impact authorization","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"}],"public_contact":"Semarnat's published contact channels at gob.mx.","corrective_actions":["Semarnat rejected the expansion; the Cozumel city council had earlier found it environmentally unfeasible (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mexico Rejects SSA Cruise Pier Expansion in Cozumel Over Environmental Concerns","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2026-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/mexico-rejects-ssa-cruise-pier-expansion-cozumel-environmental-concerns/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cozumel","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozumel","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one news report was opened for this decision; the exact decision date and the Semarnat resolution were not found. The article does not mention any legal challenge."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-MEX-COZUMELPIER4-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CAR-CYM-CRUISEBERTH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cayman Islands voters reject George Town cruise berthing piers in April 2025 referendum","description":"Cayman Islands Ports planned two cruise piers in George Town harbour at a cost of US$150 to 200 million, including dredging, reclamation and breakwater work. In the referendum held with the April 2025 general election about 65% of voters (11,973) said no, against nearly 30% (5,417) in favour. The Association for Cruise Tourism said it was disappointed and concerned about the effect on the sector.","location":{"name":"George Town harbour, Grand Cayman","type":"Cruise port project","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["KY"],"detail":"George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (British Overseas Territory); large cruise ships currently anchor offshore and tender passengers ashore.","coordinates":{"lat":19.29639,"lon":-81.38167,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A port expansion with dredging and reclamation was decided by public vote.","secondary_drivers":["Cruise tourism growth","Coastal dredging and reclamation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The project would involve dredging, reclamation, revetment and breakwater works in George Town harbour; no damage is reported because nothing was built (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction is reported; cruise arrivals fell from 1.8 million in 2019 to under 750,000 in 2024 and the cruise association warned of impact on the sector (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single harbour on Grand Cayman (ref 1).","duration":"The piers have been planned since 2020, running to the April 2025 referendum (ref 1).","significance":"A formal public referendum result of 30 April 2025, with the new government urged to honour it (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 65% of voters (11,973) rejected the cruise berthing proposal and nearly 30% (5,417) supported it (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Votes against the cruise berthing proposal","value":11973,"unit":"votes","status":"Reported","note":"Official results as reported by Cruise Industry News (ref 2)."},{"name":"Votes in favour","value":5417,"unit":"votes","status":"Reported","note":"Same source (ref 2)."},{"name":"Cruise passengers, 2019 to 2024","value":750000,"unit":"passengers (2024, under)","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 1.8 million in 2019 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Cruise arrivals fell from 1.8 million in 2019 to under 750,000 in 2024 (ref 1).","The Association for Cruise Tourism said it was concerned about the likely negative impact on the sector (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No post-referendum update was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of the Cayman Islands","role":"Authority behind the cruise berthing project (Cayman Islands Ports is the planner per Cruise Hive)","contact":"https://www.gov.ky"}],"public_contact":"Cayman Islands Government's published channels at gov.ky.","corrective_actions":["The proposal was put to a public referendum alongside the 30 April 2025 general election (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cayman Islands' Cruise Expansion Future in Hands of Voters","publisher":"Cruise Hive","date":"2025-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cruisehive.com/cayman-islands-cruise-expansion-future-in-hands-of-voters/159365","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cayman Islands Residents Reject Cruise Pier","publisher":"Cruise Industry News","date":"2025-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2025/05/cayman-islands-residents-reject-cruise-pier/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"George Town, Cayman Islands","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Town,_Cayman_Islands","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Cayman Compass pages returned an access error and were not opened. The opened sources do not describe reef impacts; the project's environmental assessment was not found. No 2026 update on whether the project was shelved was found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CAR-CAR-SHADOWTANKER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ocean Foundation warns of spill-liability gap as aging sanctioned tanker transits the Caribbean toward Venezuela","description":"In an 18 December 2025 statement the Ocean Foundation said the 2006-built tanker HYPERION, flagged in Gambia after several flag changes, was transiting Caribbean waters toward Venezuelan ports. It argued that sanctioned tankers typically lack International Group P&I insurance, leaving coastal states to bear cleanup costs, and that Caribbean states face gaps in spill response equipment. No spill from the vessel is reported.","location":{"name":"Caribbean tanker routes toward Venezuela","type":"Shipping route","sea":"CAR","seas":["CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["VE"],"detail":"Caribbean waters en route to Venezuelan ports; the statement names no specific coastal state for the transit.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"The concern is the spill risk and liability exposure from older tankers outside standard insurance.","secondary_drivers":["Sanctions-related shipping","Aging tanker fleet"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No spill is reported; the score reflects the potential harm to reefs, seagrass beds and fisheries the Foundation says a spill could cause (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No advisory or restriction is reported (ref 1).","scale":"The statement concerns Caribbean waters generally, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The statement describes a single transit announced on 18 December 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"An informal advocacy statement; no agency notice or enforcement is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Ocean Foundation says the HYPERION, built 2006 and flagged in Gambia, was transiting Caribbean waters toward Venezuelan ports without standard P&I coverage typical for sanctioned vessels (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Age of tanker HYPERION","value":19,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Built in 2006, per the Ocean Foundation statement (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single statement, 18 December 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coastal states of the Caribbean","role":"Authorities able to require proof of environmental liability cover before transit, as the statement urges","contact":"https://www.imo.org"}],"public_contact":"The Ocean Foundation's press contact is listed on its statement page.","corrective_actions":["The Ocean Foundation calls on coastal states to verify environmental liability coverage before permitting transit (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Statement on environmental risks from shadow fleet operations in Caribbean waters","publisher":"The Ocean Foundation","date":"2025-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanfdn.org/statement-on-environmental-risks-from-shadow-fleet-operations-in-caribbean-waters","basis":"Advocacy organisation statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (CAR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one advocacy statement was opened; no agency, insurer or news confirmation of the vessel's cargo or route was found. The statement's claims about shadow fleet spills were not independently verified."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FLBIGBEND-SURGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hurricane Helene's record storm surge devastated Florida's Big Bend and flooded Tampa Bay","description":"NHC's final report puts Helene's storm-surge inundation at 12 to 16 ft above ground from Keaton Beach to Steinhatchee, where about 80% of buildings were destroyed. The NOS gauge at Cedar Key read 9.30 ft above MHHW, the highest since 1914 and above the Idalia record of 6.89 ft a year earlier, and St. Petersburg reached a record 6.31 ft. Storm surge caused 14 deaths, all in Florida.","location":{"name":"Florida Big Bend and Tampa Bay coast","type":"Storm-surge impact coast","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Gulf coast of Florida from Taylor County to Collier County; strongest surge between Keaton Beach and Cedar Key, plus Tampa Bay.","points":[{"name":"St. Petersburg tide gauge, Tampa Bay","lat":27.7606,"lon":-82.6269,"precision":"exact","source_ref":4,"role":"Record 6.31 ft above MHHW"}],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.135,"lon":-83.0317,"precision":"exact","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge from a Category 4 hurricane is the coastal-flooding hazard, amplified by low-lying shorelines and sea level.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone storm surge","Relative sea level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NHC reports 14 storm-surge deaths, all in Florida, and storm surge destroyed about 80% of buildings in Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee and roughly 70% of Horseshoe Beach (ref 1).","livelihoods":"About 25% of homes in Cedar Key were destroyed and 20 people were rescued from rooftops in Yankeetown, and the towns of Cedar Key and Yankeetown were described as devastated (ref 1).","scale":"Surge impacts extended along Florida's Gulf coast from Taylor County to Collier County and as far south as Naples (ref 1).","duration":"Helene's Steinhatchee mark was about 4.5 ft above Idalia's of August 2023, and Cedar Key's record fell a year after Idalia set it (ref 1).","significance":"NHC issued a formal Tropical Cyclone Report dated 17 February 2026 documenting the surge and its records (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources count deaths and structures, not people displaced."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Peak storm-surge inundation of 12 to 16 ft above ground level occurred from just west of Keaton Beach through Steinhatchee (NHC)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cedar Key tide gauge peak above MHHW","value":9.3,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"Highest since the station started in 1914; prior record 6.89 ft during Idalia, August 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"St. Petersburg tide gauge peak above MHHW","value":6.31,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"Previous record 3.97 ft in Hurricane Elena, 1985 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Storm-surge deaths","value":14,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"All in Florida (ref 1)."},{"name":"Total U.S. damage from Helene","value":78.7,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"All hazards, not surge alone (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Towns on the Big Bend coast lost most buildings, and Cedar Key lost about 25% of its homes (ref 1).","Pasco County reported at least 9,900 damaged structures, mostly from coastal storm-surge flooding (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Cedar Key's all-time surge record was broken in 2024 after being set in 2023 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Hurricane Center","role":"Forecaster and storm-surge analyst","contact":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Florida Division of Emergency Management","role":"State emergency management","contact":"https://www.floridadisaster.org"}],"public_contact":"National Hurricane Center via nhc.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["NHC documented the event in its final Tropical Cyclone Report (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Helene (AL092024)","publisher":"NOAA National Hurricane Center","date":"2026-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092024_Helene.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"National Hurricane Center releases final Hurricane Helene report","publisher":"News4JAX","date":"2025-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news4jax.com/weather/2025/03/25/national-hurricane-center-releases-final-hurricane-helene-report","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"NOAA CO-OPS station metadata, Cedar Key (8727520)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/webapi/stations/8727520.json","basis":"Station metadata for coordinates"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOAA CO-OPS station metadata, St. Petersburg (8726520)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/webapi/stations/8726520.json","basis":"Station metadata for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"News4JAX (ref 2) attributes the 7.2 ft reading to Madeira Beach; NHC (ref 1) gives 7.2 ft at the NOS gauge at East Bay and 7.26 ft from a USGS sensor at Madeira Beach. The NHC figures are used."}],"missing_fields":["Surge-specific damage cost not reported; the $78.7 billion figure covers all Helene hazards."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-FLSWFL-SURGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FLSWFL-SURGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hurricane Milton's storm surge cut a new inlet at Manasota Key and hit southwest Florida two weeks after Helene","description":"NHC reports 6 to 9 ft of storm-surge inundation from Venice to Boca Grande, with a hindcast peak of 10 ft above MHHW at Manasota Key, where a new inlet called Milton Pass opened. Surge in Tampa Bay was only 1 to 2 ft because winds there were offshore. The same stretch of coast had taken Helene's surge two weeks earlier, and erosion and debris compounded the damage.","location":{"name":"Manasota Key and Charlotte Harbor, Florida","type":"Barrier-island coast","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southwest Florida Gulf coast between Venice and Boca Grande, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":26.9403,"lon":-82.3639,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge and wave action from a major hurricane flooded and eroded a low-lying barrier-island coast.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone storm surge","Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NHC's aerial imagery shows destructive surge on the Manasota Key beachfront, significant coastal erosion and the opening of a new inlet, Milton Pass (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Surge damage compounded Helene's, though NHC says it had no details on structures destroyed or damaged and reports no storm-surge deaths (ref 1).","scale":"Inundation of 3 to 10 ft above ground ran along the coast from Longboat Key through Marco Island and Charlotte Harbor (ref 1).","duration":"The surge event lasted a day, though it came two weeks after Helene's surge on the same coast (ref 1).","significance":"NHC issued a formal Tropical Cyclone Report dated 31 March 2025 with surge analysis (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources give no count of people displaced by the surge."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Storm-surge inundation of 6 to 9 ft above ground occurred from Venice southward to Boca Grande, with an isolated peak up to 10 ft near Manasota Key (NHC)."},"measures":[{"name":"Hindcast stilled water level, Manasota Key","value":10,"unit":"ft above MHHW","status":"Estimated","note":"NHC hindcast, excludes waves; no in situ gauge in the hardest-hit area (ref 1)."},{"name":"USGS sensor near Venice Fishing Pier","value":6.74,"unit":"ft above MHHW","status":"Reported","note":"Wave-filtered storm tide (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fort Myers tide gauge","value":5.27,"unit":"ft above MHHW","status":"Reported","note":"NOS gauge (ref 1)."},{"name":"Total U.S. damage from Milton","value":34.3,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"NCEI estimate, all hazards, almost all in Florida (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["NCEI estimated $34.3 billion in U.S. damage, almost all in Florida (ref 1).","Damage assessment was complicated by Helene's earlier impacts (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Hurricane Center","role":"Forecaster and storm-surge analyst","contact":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"National Hurricane Center via nhc.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["NHC documented the surge in its final Tropical Cyclone Report (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Milton (AL142024)","publisher":"NOAA National Hurricane Center","date":"2025-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL142024_Milton.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hurricane Milton by the numbers: Tampa Bay","publisher":"Spectrum Bay News 9","date":"2025-04-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/weather/2025/04/11/hurricane-milton-by-the-numbers-tampa-bay","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hurricane Milton one year later","publisher":"Spectrum Bay News 9","date":"2025-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/weather/2025/10/08/hurricane-milton-one-year-later","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Manasota Key, Florida (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manasota_Key,_Florida","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-FLBIGBEND-SURGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FLPANHANDLE-SURGE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hurricane Isaias brought storm surge to the Alabama and western Florida Panhandle coast in October 2026","description":"Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on the evening of 9 October 2026 as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds, after a storm surge warning covered Dauphin Island to the Suwannee River. Forecasts ahead of landfall ranged up to 9 ft of surge, and NHC's overnight update lowered the Florida forecast to 2 to 4 ft; news reports describe surge overtopping fences and beach walkways in Destin. These are preliminary news reports and NHC has not yet issued a post-storm report.","location":{"name":"Destin and Florida Panhandle coast","type":"Storm-surge impact coast","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Gulf coast from Dauphin Island, Alabama, to the Florida Panhandle; landfall near Destin.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":30.3894,"lon":-86.4836,"precision":"city","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge from a landfalling hurricane is the coastal-flooding hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Fox 10 reports surge overtopped fences and beach walkways in Destin and three to four deaths, which it attributes to falling trees and a garage generator rather than to surge (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Several counties ordered mandatory evacuations and Mobile imposed a curfew (ref 3), and more than 70% of daily Gulf oil output was shut in before landfall (ref 4); CBS reported forecast surge of up to 9 ft (ref 6).","scale":"Surge impacts were concentrated on the Alabama and western Florida Panhandle shoreline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The surge lasted hours on the night of 9 October 2026 (refs 2, 4), with inland flooding expected to persist for days (ref 2).","significance":"Florida's governor declared a state of emergency in 25 counties and a storm surge warning covered Dauphin Island to the Suwannee River (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Outage and evacuation counts are reported, but no figure for people affected by surge."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Landfall near Destin as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds; surge forecasts ran up to 9 ft before NHC lowered the Florida forecast to 2 to 4 ft (news reports, 9-10 October 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Customers without power across Alabama, Florida and Georgia","value":668000,"unit":"customers","status":"Reported","note":"About 12:25 a.m. EDT 10 October 2026 (ref 4); all causes."},{"name":"Maximum sustained winds at landfall","value":105,"unit":"mph","status":"Reported","note":"AP and Fox 10; NBC reported NHC corrected an earlier landfall wind figure (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Offshore oil production was largely shut in ahead of the storm (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Event concluded on 10 October 2026; measured surge and damage assessment are pending."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Hurricane Center","role":"Forecaster and storm-surge analyst","contact":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"National Hurricane Center via nhc.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["Evacuations, a curfew in Mobile and a state of emergency in 25 Florida counties preceded landfall (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"First hurricane of season threatens northern Gulf Coast","publisher":"WGCU / FPREN","date":"2026-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wgcu.org/2026-10-08/first-hurricane-of-season-threatens-northern-gulf-coast","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Isaias leaves trail of darkness, flooding across Florida Panhandle and Alabama","publisher":"Fox 10 (Mobile)","date":"2026-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/10/10/isaias-leaves-trail-darkness-flooding-across-florida-panhandle-alabama/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Isaias strengthens into Category 3 hurricane on path toward the US Gulf Coast (AP)","publisher":"WRDW / Associated Press","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wrdw.com/2026/10/09/isaias-could-unleash-dangerous-mix-life-threatening-storm-surge-flooding-tornadoes-it-strengthens/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Live updates: Hurricane Isaias","publisher":"NBC News","date":"2026-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/hurricanes/live-blog/live-updates-hurricane-isaias-rcna602422","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Destin, Florida (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destin,_Florida","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"},{"ref":6,"title":"Hurricane Isaias makes landfall on Gulf Coast","publisher":"CBS News","date":"2026-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-isaias-first-storm-2026-atlantic-season-record/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"News sources give differing forecast surge ranges (WGCU 5-7 ft, AP 3-5 ft, NBC 2-4 ft, CBS up to 9 ft, reflecting forecasts at different times) and NBC reported an NHC correction of landfall winds to 100 mph; the 105 mph figure is from AP and Fox 10."}],"missing_fields":["No measured peak surge from an official gauge or NHC post-storm report was available; surge heights are forecasts and qualitative news descriptions. NPR and AccuWeather pages could not be opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-LA-SEALEVEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Tulane-led study says relative sea-level rise in coastal Louisiana may be three times the global average","description":"A Nature Sustainability study led by Tulane geologist Torbjorn Tornqvist, reported on 5 May 2026, says sea-level rise in coastal Louisiana may be about three times the global average because the land is subsiding. It finds that nearly all of Louisiana's coastal zone has lost residents since 2000, especially after major hurricanes, and urges planning now for relocation. The Gulf is expected to reach an ancient shoreline about 30 miles north of New Orleans, with no timeline given.","location":{"name":"Coastal Louisiana","type":"Subsiding delta coast","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Mississippi River delta plain and Louisiana coastal zone, United States.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":29.34,"lon":-90.84,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Land subsidence plus sea-level rise drives relative sea-level rise and population loss on the coast.","secondary_drivers":["Land subsidence","Tropical cyclone storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study warns surrounding wetlands will continue to disappear; the coverage describes this as a projection rather than a measured loss (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Nearly all of Louisiana's coastal zone has lost residents since 2000, which the researchers read as depopulation already under way (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The finding covers Louisiana's whole coastal zone (ref 2).","duration":"Subsidence-driven relative sea-level rise is chronic, and the population decline spans 2000 to 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study and news coverage, with no regulatory notice or order in the cited pages (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The coverage gives no population count, only that nearly all coastal-zone areas lost residents since 2000."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea-level rise in coastal Louisiana may be about three times the global average because the land is subsiding (study lead, May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Local sea-level rise relative to global average","value":3,"unit":"times","status":"Estimated","note":"Stated as 'maybe three times' by the study lead (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Coastal parishes have lost residents since 2000, especially after major hurricanes (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The authors expect the Gulf to eventually reach an ancient ridge north of New Orleans; no exact timeline is given (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), Louisiana","role":"State coastal planning agency","contact":"https://coastal.la.gov"}],"public_contact":"CPRA via coastal.la.gov","corrective_actions":["Researchers urge local governments to plan now for relocation and infrastructure change (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"'New Orleans is not forever;' Tulane study warns coastal Louisiana must plan now for retreat north","publisher":"WAFB","date":"2026-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wafb.com/2026/05/05/new-orleans-is-not-forever-tulane-study-warns-coastal-louisiana-must-plan-now-retreat-north/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"'New Orleans is not forever;' Tulane study warns coastal Louisiana must plan now for retreat north","publisher":"KPLC","date":"2026-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kplctv.com/2026/05/05/new-orleans-is-not-forever-tulane-study-warns-coastal-louisiana-must-plan-now-retreat-north/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrebonne_Parish,_Louisiana","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Nature Sustainability paper itself was not opened; both sources are news reports of it and carry the same wording."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-BARATARIA-DIVERSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-TX-SUBSIDENCE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Galveston's relative sea level is rising fast because of subsidence","description":"A peer-reviewed study of the Galveston Pier 21 tide gauge found about 0.7 m of relative sea-level rise since 1909, with groundwater-driven aquifer compaction accounting for up to 85% of it, and projects another 1.9 m by 2100. A 2024 National Wildlife Federation study, as reported in March 2025, found about 8 inches of rise in 14 years at Galveston. NOAA data show Galveston Pier had 23 high-tide flood days in the 2023-24 year, more than predicted.","location":{"name":"Galveston Pier 21, Texas","type":"Tide-gauge station and subsiding barrier island","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Galveston Island and Galveston Bay, Houston-Galveston region, Texas.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.31,"lon":-94.7933,"precision":"exact","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Subsidence plus ocean rise raises relative sea level and tidal flooding on a Gulf barrier island.","secondary_drivers":["Land subsidence","Groundwater extraction","Relative sea level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Pier 21 study found about 0.7 m of relative sea-level rise since 1909 and projects 1.9 m more by 2100, a potential flood-hazard growth (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Galveston recorded 23 high-tide flood days in 2023-24, the second most of any station in the western Gulf (ref 3).","scale":"The finding centres on one gauge and the Galveston-Houston area (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Relative sea level has risen since 1909 and the gauge shows acceleration of 0.270 mm per year squared since 1992 (ref 1).","significance":"Evidence is a peer-reviewed paper, an NGO study reported by news and NOAA monitoring, with no formal notice or order (refs 1-3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 0.7 m of relative sea-level rise at Galveston Pier 21 since 1909, with groundwater-driven compaction responsible for up to 85% (Liu et al., Scientific Reports, 2020)."},"measures":[{"name":"Relative sea-level rise since 1909, Pier 21","value":0.7,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Share attributed to aquifer compaction","value":85,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Projected additional rise by 2100","value":1.9,"unit":"m","status":"Estimated","note":"Study projection assuming no change in groundwater management (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-level rise at Galveston in 14 years","value":8,"unit":"inches","status":"Reported","note":"2024 NWF study, as reported by news in March 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"High-tide flood days, Galveston Pier, 2023-24","value":23,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA outlook (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Galveston Bay is protected only by a proposed surge barrier that is largely unfunded federally (see OC-GOM-TX-IKEDIKE-2025)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The study reports acceleration of relative sea-level rise at Pier 21 since 1992 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services","role":"Tide-gauge operator","contact":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA CO-OPS via tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["The study authors urge flood-mitigation planning around the highest global sea-level scenario and vulnerability assessments that account for groundwater management (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Land subsidence contributions to relative sea level rise at tide gauge Galveston Pier 21, Texas","publisher":"Scientific Reports (Liu et al.)","date":"2020-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7578811/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sea levels are rising faster than ever: here's where that could have the biggest impact","publisher":"Yahoo News (David Knowles)","date":"2025-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/sea-levels-are-rising-faster-than-ever-heres-where-that-could-have-the-biggest-impact-211046965.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"2025 Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook (archive PDF, covering 2023-24)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2024-2025-Annual-High-Tide-Flooding-Outlook.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOAA CO-OPS station metadata, Galveston Pier 21 (8771450)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/webapi/stations/8771450.json","basis":"Station metadata for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The National Wildlife Federation study itself was not opened; its 8-inch figure rests on the Yahoo News report.","No Houston-area (as opposed to Galveston) subsidence measurement from a post-2023 source."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-TX-IKEDIKE-2025","OC-GOM-GULF-TIDALFLOOD-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULF-TIDALFLOOD-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf Coast high-tide flooding in 2023-24: 28 days at Eagle Point, 23 at Galveston and records in Tampa Bay","description":"NOAA's high-tide flooding outlook reports Eagle Point, Texas, had 28 flood days in the 2023-24 meteorological year and Galveston Pier 23 days, while four eastern Gulf stations set records, including St. Petersburg with 6 days; Clearwater Beach had 7. The western Gulf now averages 8 more high-tide flood days a year than in 2000, a more than 300% increase. NOAA's current page shows both Gulf regions saw fewer flood days than predicted in 2025-26, so the pattern is mixed year to year.","location":{"name":"Galveston Bay, Texas, and Tampa Bay, Florida","type":"Tide-gauge stations (high-tide flooding)","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Western and eastern Gulf coast tide gauges, with Texas Galveston Bay and Florida Tampa Bay the records cited.","points":[{"name":"St. Petersburg tide gauge, Tampa Bay","lat":27.7606,"lon":-82.6269,"precision":"exact","source_ref":5,"role":"Record 6 flood days, 2023-24"}],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":29.31,"lon":-94.7933,"precision":"exact","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Rising relative sea level raises the number of sunny-day tidal flood days.","secondary_drivers":["Relative sea level rise","Land subsidence","El Nino"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Street flooding on sunny days is documented, for example at Jamaica Beach on Galveston Island and Coffee Pot Park in St. Petersburg (ref 1), but the pages give no loss figures.","livelihoods":"NOAA describes high-tide flooding as disrupting coastal communities, with flood days counted against a nuisance threshold (ref 1).","scale":"The record counts span the western and eastern Gulf coast stations in Texas, Mississippi and Florida (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The western Gulf has 8 more flood days a year than in 2000, and the eastern Gulf 3 more, a chronic rise over 25 years (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA issued a formal annual outlook naming the stations at or above record (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Eagle Point, Texas, had 28 high-tide flood days in 2023-24; Galveston Pier had 23, more than predicted (NOAA)."},"measures":[{"name":"High-tide flood days, Eagle Point TX, 2023-24","value":28,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Greatest in the western Gulf (ref 1)."},{"name":"High-tide flood days, Galveston Pier TX, 2023-24","value":23,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Second greatest in the western Gulf (ref 1)."},{"name":"High-tide flood days, St. Petersburg FL, 2023-24","value":6,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Station record (ref 1)."},{"name":"High-tide flood days, Bay Waveland MS, 2023-24","value":11,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Greatest in the eastern Gulf (ref 1)."},{"name":"Western Gulf increase in flood days since 2000","value":8,"unit":"days per year","status":"Reported","note":"More than a 300% increase (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["NOAA says the western Gulf is predicted to have the highest flood-day range in the continental U.S. for 2024-25 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"NOAA's current page reports the East Gulf median was 0 flood days and the West Gulf about 2 in 2025-26, below predictions of 3-7 and 6-15 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services","role":"Water-level monitoring and outlook","contact":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA CO-OPS via tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["NOAA publishes an annual outlook so communities can plan for high-tide flooding (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025 Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook (archive PDF, covering 2023-24 and the 2024-25 outlook)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2024-2025-Annual-High-Tide-Flooding-Outlook.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook (2026-2027 edition)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/high-tide-flooding/annual-outlook.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Coastal flooding is getting more common, even on sunny days","publisher":"WUSF / NPR","date":"2024-09-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-09-03/coastal-flooding-is-getting-more-common-even-on-sunny-days","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOAA CO-OPS station metadata, Galveston Pier 21 (8771450)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/webapi/stations/8771450.json","basis":"Station metadata for coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"NOAA CO-OPS station metadata, St. Petersburg (8726520)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/webapi/stations/8726520.json","basis":"Station metadata for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The NOAA outlook PDF and page carry no day-level publication date, so their source dates are null.","Eagle Point coordinates not obtained, so the map point uses the Galveston Pier gauge."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-TX-SUBSIDENCE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-TX-IKEDIKE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Galveston Bay's proposed storm-surge barrier has $500,000 in federal funding against a $21 billion federal share","description":"The Coastal Texas Project, known as the Ike Dike, would put gates across the mouth of Galveston Bay flanked by dunes. As of December 2025 the federal government had appropriated $500,000 for a small component against a $21 billion federal share, while Texas had appropriated $950 million to the Gulf Coast Protection District. Design contracts were approved for the gates and the dunes, and the Army Corps says design could take two to five years and construction 10 to 15 more.","location":{"name":"Galveston Bay entrance, Texas","type":"Coastal storm-surge barrier project","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, Texas; Houston Ship Channel region.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.3014,"lon":-94.795,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding is about funding and delivery of a surge defence against a known coastal-flood hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone storm surge","Relative sea level rise","Funding gap"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Hurricane Ike in 2008 produced an estimated 15 to 20 ft of surge that destroyed homes on Bolivar Peninsula, which the unbuilt barrier is meant to prevent (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or loss is documented; the sources describe a protection gap, not a current disruption (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The barrier would protect the Galveston Bay area, including Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula (ref 1).","duration":"The project was authorized in 2022, construction has not started, and design plus construction could take 12 to 20 years or more (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Gulf Coast Protection District formally approved the design contracts and the Army Corps has a federal authorization (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The federal government has appropriated $500,000 so far for a small component, far short of its $21 billion share (Texas Tribune via KSAT, 4 December 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Federal appropriation to date","value":500000,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Federal share of cost","value":21,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Texas appropriation to Gulf Coast Protection District","value":950,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Not all for barrier design (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated total cost, Army Corps upper estimate","value":57,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Estimated","note":"2023 Army Corps estimate; 2022 estimate was nearly $35 billion (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The district says the region has large industrial plants and population at risk and that the cost of inaction exceeds the cost of protection (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District","role":"Federal project partner","contact":"https://www.swg.usace.army.mil"},{"name":"Texas General Land Office","role":"State coastal agency","contact":"https://www.glo.texas.gov"}],"public_contact":"Texas General Land Office via glo.texas.gov","corrective_actions":["The Gulf Coast Protection District approved design contracts, Jacobs for the gates and HDR for the dunes and beach restoration (ref 1).","Texas appropriated $950 million to the district (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Contracts awarded to design gates and dunes for Gulf Coast 'Ike Dike' project","publisher":"KSAT / Texas Tribune","date":"2025-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2025/12/04/contracts-awarded-to-design-gates-and-dunes-for-gulf-coast-ike-dike-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"After active hurricane season, Coastal Texas project waits for more federal funding","publisher":"Community Impact","date":"2024-11-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://communityimpact.com/bay-area/development/after-active-hurricane-season-coastal-texas-project-waits-for-more-federal-funding/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Galveston, Texas (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston,_Texas","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Community Impact (Nov 2024) says Texas had provided $226 million and the total cost was about $34 billion; KSAT (Dec 2025) says $950 million appropriated and a Corps estimate up to $57 billion; the later article's figures are used."}],"missing_fields":["Gulf Coast Protection District website was not opened; contact URLs for the district and the Corps are the agencies' home domains."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-TX-SUBSIDENCE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-MX-SLR-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sea-level rise could flood 581,000 to over 800,000 hectares of Mexico's Gulf and Caribbean coast by 2100","description":"A study reported by Mongabay in June 2025 estimates that 1 to 2 m of sea-level rise by 2100 would flood 581,000 to more than 800,000 hectares of Mexico's Atlantic coast, directly exposing 124,820 to 440,444 people. Up to 80% of coastal wetlands in low-lying zones are affected, including Pantanos de Centla and Laguna de Terminos. A separate 2025 Natural Hazards paper models flooding along the northern Yucatan Peninsula.","location":{"name":"Mexico's Gulf of Mexico coast","type":"National coastline and coastal wetlands","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM","CAR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatan on the Gulf, plus Quintana Roo on the Caribbean side.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":21.28,"lon":-89.67,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Projected sea-level rise flooding low-lying coastal wetlands and communities.","secondary_drivers":["Relative sea level rise","Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study projects flooding of wetlands rather than reporting measured loss, naming Pantanos de Centla, Laguna de Terminos and Laguna de Tamiahua (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The study counts 124,820 people directly vulnerable at 1 m and 440,444 at 2 m of rise, as projections (ref 1).","scale":"Five Mexican states along the Gulf and Caribbean coasts are covered (ref 1).","duration":"The exposure is a long-term projection to 2100 for a coast where Yucatan's erosion is already described as the primary concern (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Evidence is a scientific study and news coverage with no government notice (refs 1-3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":440444,"status":"Estimated","note":"People directly vulnerable at 2 m of rise by 2100; 124,820 at 1 m (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Estimated","text":"A 1 m rise by 2100 would flood 581,000 ha and a 2 m rise more than 800,000 ha of Mexico's Atlantic coast (Mongabay, 5 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area flooded at 1 m of rise","value":581000,"unit":"ha","status":"Estimated","note":"Projection to 2100 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Area flooded at 2 m of rise","value":800000,"unit":"ha (more than)","status":"Estimated","note":"Projection to 2100 (ref 1)."},{"name":"People directly vulnerable at 1 m","value":124820,"unit":"people","status":"Estimated","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Tabasco coastal municipalities with high climate vulnerability","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"LANRESC report-card project, as reported March 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Yucatan coastal erosion is under pressure from urban growth and port development (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT)","role":"Federal environment ministry","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"}],"public_contact":"SEMARNAT via gob.mx/semarnat","corrective_actions":["LANRESC launched a five-state Gulf report-card project in 2024 to support coastal decisions (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Aumento del nivel del mar impactaria humedales del Golfo y Caribe mexicanos","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2025/06/aumento-nivel-mar-impactaria-humedales-golfo-caribe-mexicanos/","basis":"News (Spanish); reports a Inecol and UNAM study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Assessing the impact of coastal flooding along the northern Yucatan Peninsula associated to sea level rise under different shared socio-economic pathways","publisher":"Natural Hazards (Rey et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://produccioncientifica.uca.es/documentos/686973fc84fff30d95b147de?lang=en","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (bibliographic page only, 2025)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of Mexico faces coastal erosion, pollution and climate change impacts, report finds","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2026-03-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/gulf-of-mexico-faces-coastal-erosion-pollution-and-climate-change-impacts-report-finds","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Progreso, Yucatan (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progreso,_Yucat%C3%A1n","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The peer-reviewed sea-level paper behind the Mongabay report was not opened; the Natural Hazards page shows bibliographic data only, not results.","Progreso is used as a representative coastal point; the study covers five states."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULF-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Mexico acidification is documented but has no long-term basin time series","description":"A 2025 paper from a US-Mexico-Cuba summit states that acidification is occurring in the open Gulf and estuaries but that no long-term time series exists for the Gulf, with gaps in nearshore, deep and karst waters. A 2018 study at the Flower Garden Banks found decreases in subsurface pH and aragonite saturation larger than in other tropical and subtropical waters. USGS started a 2025 analysis of acidification monitoring at Gulf Islands and Padre Island National Seashores.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Mexico","type":"Regional sea (acidification monitoring)","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US","MX","CU"],"detail":"United States, Mexico and Cuba shared waters; priority sites include the Florida Keys, northwest Gulf and Flower Garden Banks.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Ocean uptake of carbon dioxide and local carbonate-chemistry drivers acidify Gulf waters.","secondary_drivers":["Anthropogenic CO2","River discharge and nutrients","Ocean warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Hu et al. found decreases in subsurface pH and aragonite saturation at the Flower Garden Banks larger than in other tropical waters, with potential risk to calcifiers (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The 2025 paper values Gulf economies and oyster fisheries as at risk but documents no closure or loss from acidification (ref 1).","scale":"The 2025 summit paper covers the whole Gulf across three countries (ref 1).","duration":"Osborne et al. say long-term acidification has been documented in several Gulf regions (ref 4), and Hu et al. report decadal subsurface changes at the Flower Garden Banks (ref 3).","significance":"The evidence is peer-reviewed papers and a USGS technical-assistance project, with no regulatory action (refs 1-4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; no population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ocean and coastal acidification is occurring in both the open Gulf and estuaries, but no long-term time series exists for the Gulf (Frontiers in Marine Science, 22 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Summit participants, Merida, October 2022","value":31,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"United States, Cuba and Mexico (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gulf annual economy, three countries","value":2.04,"unit":"USD trillion","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimate quoted by the 2025 paper (ref 1)."},{"name":"USGS 2025 project funding","value":50000,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"Technical assistance project (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Oyster fisheries brought in about $93.4 million in 2022 and $76.9 million in 2023, and the paper treats them as exposed (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 2025 paper reports no long-term Gulf-wide series to judge a trend (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Ocean Acidification Program","role":"Funder and coordinator","contact":"https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov"},{"name":"USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center","role":"Acidification monitoring analysis","contact":"https://www.usgs.gov"},{"name":"Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN)","role":"Regional research network","contact":"https://gcoos.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Ocean Acidification Program via oceanacidification.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["Participants propose a tri-national acidification network with standardised sampling and shared data (ref 1).","USGS and NPS began a 2025 analysis of existing park monitoring data (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A tri-national initiative to advance understanding of coastal and ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Hall et al.)","date":"2025-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1676610/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Analysis of coastal acidification monitoring data from Gulf Islands National Seashore and Padre Island National Seashore","publisher":"USGS / National Park Service","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://webapps.usgs.gov/nps-partnership/projects/2025-guis-analysis","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Seasonal variability of carbonate chemistry and decadal changes in waters of a marine sanctuary in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico","publisher":"Marine Chemistry (Hu et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/ocd/NCRMP/Paper2018.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (2018)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico: Drivers, impacts, and unknowns","publisher":"Progress in Oceanography (Osborne et al.) via USGS","date":"2022-10-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.usgs.gov/publications/ocean-acidification-gulf-mexico-drivers-impacts-and-unknowns","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, climate and physical)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No dated post-2024 measurement of Gulf pH or aragonite saturation was found; deoxygenation beyond the hypoxic zone was not documented in a source opened this pass.","The Hu et al. paper was opened as a PDF without a publication day, so its date is null."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-FGB-BLEACH-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FLKEYS-BLEACH-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record 2023 heatwave bleached every monitored Florida Keys coral and killed up to 43% of tracked colonies on inshore reefs","description":"Summer 2023 was the most severe marine heatwave on record for Florida's coral reef; a peer-reviewed study of over 4,200 brain and boulder coral colonies at nine reefs found 100% bleaching. Offshore reefs lost almost no tracked colonies, but at two inshore reefs 43.1% (Newfound Harbor) and 30% (Cheeca Rocks) of colonies died completely, and the authors report branching Acropora corals and inshore octocorals locally extinct at most sites. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) calls it the worst bleaching event ever recorded in Florida.","location":{"name":"Florida Keys reef tract (Keys National Marine Sanctuary)","type":"Coral reef tract","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, Florida Keys from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas; the Keys sit at the Gulf of Mexico / Straits of Florida boundary.","coordinates":{"lat":24.68,"lon":-81.24,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss and coral mortality driven by thermal stress on a reef tract.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Coral disease (black band disease)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Newfound Harbor lost 43.1% of tracked colonies completely and Cheeca Rocks 30%, and Acropora corals were locally extinct at most sites (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited study and FWC page describe no fishery, dive-site or beach closure tied to the bleaching, so no disruption is scored (refs 1, 2).","scale":"FWC lists the Keys, Dry Tortugas, Marquesas and southern Miami-Dade among the most heavily impacted areas, and the study monitored nine reefs (refs 1, 2).","duration":"FWC places heat from mid-July with water not cooling until October 2023, and recovery lesions were still reported on Orbicella faveolata afterwards (refs 1, 2).","significance":"FWC's agency page records it as the worst bleaching event ever recorded in Florida and NOAA reported the 2023 heat as unlike any other in the region's recorded history (refs 2, 3); no regulatory action is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bleaching affected 100% of the monitored corals at both offshore and inshore sites; 43.1% of monitored colonies died completely at Newfound Harbor and 30% at Cheeca Rocks."},"measures":[{"name":"Monitored corals bleached","value":100,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Fate-tracked brain and boulder colonies at nine reefs (ref 1)."},{"name":"Colonies died completely, Newfound Harbor","value":43.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Plus 12.3% partial mortality from bleaching and/or black band disease (ref 1)."},{"name":"Colonies died completely, Cheeca Rocks","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Plus 13% partial mortality (ref 1)."},{"name":"Offshore colonies killed outright by bleaching","value":0,"unit":"of 1,547 colonies","status":"Reported","note":"Only four had partial bleaching-related mortality (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak water temperature","value":93,"unit":"°F","status":"Reported","note":"About 5 degrees above normal; bleaching threshold cited as about 87°F (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The study covers the 2023 event; FWC says its 2023 data were still being analysed (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","role":"State coral monitoring (CREMP and disturbance response)","contact":"https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/coral/"},{"name":"NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary","role":"Sanctuary manager","contact":"https://floridakeys.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, general contact channels on its website","corrective_actions":["Thousands of nursery colonies were moved to climate-controlled labs or deeper water during the heat and returned in autumn 2023 (ref 3).","NOAA updated its Coral Reef Watch bleaching alert maps in December 2023 and launched an ocean heatwave forecasting system (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Too hot to handle? The impact of the 2023 marine heatwave on Florida Keys coral","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Neely et al.)","date":"2024-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1489273/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coral bleaching in Florida (2023 bleaching event)","publisher":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/coral/news/bleaching/","basis":"Agency page (undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Future of coral restoration in the Florida Keys after unprecedented marine heat","publisher":"NOAA Climate.gov","date":"2024-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/future-coral-restoration-florida-keys-after-unprecedented-marine-heat","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keys_National_Marine_Sanctuary","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"Extreme Ocean Temperatures Are Affecting Florida's Coral Reef","publisher":"NOAA NESDIS","date":"2023-08-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nesdis.noaa.gov/news/extreme-ocean-temperatures-are-affecting-floridas-coral-reef","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":6,"title":"Coral Bleaching Early Warning Network, Current Conditions Report #20250827","publisher":"Mote Marine Laboratory / Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mote.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CC_20250827.pdf","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"NOAA reported killing of corals in August 2023 while the later study found 0-2% mortality at seven of nine monitored sites and 30-43% at two inshore sites (refs 1, 2); mortality varied by site and species."},{"field":"merge","values":["Record 2023 heatwave bleached every monitored Florida Keys coral and killed up to 43% of tracked colonies on inshore reefs","Record 2023 marine heatwave bleached the Florida Keys reef tract, and heat stress returned in 2025"],"note":"Merged with the climate-group record on the same 2023 heatwave (includes the 2025 return of heat stress)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","economic_risk signals","Gulf-wide (non-Keys) sea-surface temperature record not confirmed from an official source in this pass."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-FLKEYS-ACROPORA-2023","OC-GOM-FGB-BLEACH-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FLKEYS-ACROPORA-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fewer than 22% of outplanted staghorn and under 5% of elkhorn corals survived the 2023 heatwave at Mission: Iconic Reefs sites","description":"NOAA's Mission: Iconic Reefs assessment, reported in early 2024, found that fewer than 22% of about 1,500 outplanted staghorn corals and fewer than 5% of about 1,000 outplanted elkhorn corals remained alive across five of the seven restoration sites. Looe Key Reef had no live staghorn or elkhorn in the sampled areas, and live staghorn persisted only at the two northernmost reefs. NOAA has since shifted restoration toward heat-tolerant stock and massive brain and boulder corals.","location":{"name":"Mission: Iconic Reefs sites (Carysfort Reef shown)","type":"Coral restoration reef sites","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: Carysfort, Horseshoe, Sombrero, Eastern Dry Rocks and Looe Key reefs among seven sites.","coordinates":{"lat":25.2175,"lon":-80.2147,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of threatened reef-building corals and of restoration investment from thermal stress.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fewer than 22% of about 1,500 outplanted staghorn and fewer than 5% of about 1,000 outplanted elkhorn corals were alive after the heat (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery restriction is reported; the sources describe restoration programme losses only (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The assessment covered 64 locations at five of seven restoration reefs off the Keys, a site-level footprint (ref 1).","duration":"Corals bleached in summer 2023, nurseries could not be reinstalled until late October, and NOAA was still adjusting its strategy in July 2025 (refs 2, 4).","significance":"NOAA's own assessment prompted a formal strategy change toward heat-tolerant and massive corals, and NOAA describes both species as federally threatened (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fewer than 22% of about 1,500 outplanted staghorn corals and fewer than 5% of about 1,000 outplanted elkhorn corals survived, across five of seven Mission: Iconic Reefs sites."},"measures":[{"name":"Outplanted staghorn corals alive","value":22,"unit":"% (upper bound)","status":"Reported","note":"Fewer than 22% of about 1,500 colonies; preliminary (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"Outplanted elkhorn corals alive","value":5,"unit":"% (upper bound)","status":"Reported","note":"Fewer than 5% of about 1,000 colonies (refs 3, 4)."},{"name":"Survey locations","value":64,"unit":"locations","status":"Reported","note":"Across five of seven Mission: Iconic Reefs sites (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2023-24 survey is cited; no later survival count was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Mission: Iconic Reefs / Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary","role":"Restoration programme lead","contact":"https://floridakeys.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Mote Marine Laboratory; Coral Restoration Foundation","role":"Restoration partners","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, general contact channels on its website","corrective_actions":["NOAA plans to outplant massive brain and boulder corals, breed heat-tolerant stock, and gene-bank coral sperm (ref 4).","Coral nurseries were moved to labs and deeper water during the heat (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Florida's coral reefs suffer severe damage after a summer heat wave","publisher":"WLRN / WUSF Public Media","date":"2024-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2024-02-26/floridas-coral-reefs-suffer-severe-damage-after-a-summer-heat-wave","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"NOAA reports Florida Keys coral deaths after marine heat wave","publisher":"Straight Arrow News","date":"2024-02-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://san.com/cc/noaa-reports-florida-key-coral-deaths-after-marine-heat-wave/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Future of coral restoration in the Florida Keys after unprecedented marine heat","publisher":"NOAA Climate.gov","date":"2024-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/future-coral-restoration-florida-keys-after-unprecedented-marine-heat","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOAA and partners launch next-generation coral restoration following Florida coral bleaching","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2025-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-and-partners-launch-next-generation-coral-restoration-following-florida-coral","basis":"Agency feature story"},{"ref":5,"title":"Carysfort Reef (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carysfort_Reef","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Survey timing is not stated consistently across sources (WLRN describes the 64-location survey as an August assessment, while the Straight Arrow News report is dated 22 February 2024); all counts are preliminary."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-FLKEYS-BLEACH-2023"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FGB-BLEACH-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Flower Garden Banks bleached in two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024, for the first time on record, though coral cover stays high","description":"Reef-depth temperatures at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary exceeded local bleaching thresholds in 2023 and again in 2024, the first consecutive bleaching years recorded there. In 2023 bleaching affected 28.06% of reef-wide coral cover at East Flower Garden Bank (EFGB) and 5.61% at West (WFGB) by late September; NOAA reports only low recent mortality and coral cover above 50%.","location":{"name":"Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary","type":"Offshore coral reef banks (marine sanctuary)","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, northwestern Gulf of Mexico about 190 km off Galveston, Texas.","coordinates":{"lat":27.917,"lon":-93.717,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Thermal stress on a high-cover offshore coral habitat with disease also present.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Coral disease"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Bleaching reached 28.06% of coral cover at EFGB in 2023 and 10.3% bleached plus 46.9% pale at WFGB in 2024, but only low recent mortality was found (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"The monitoring reports describe no closure, fishery restriction or tourism loss at the sanctuary (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Two adjacent reef banks within one sanctuary were monitored, a site-level scale (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Thresholds were exceeded in both 2023 and 2024, the first consecutive bleaching years recorded at the sanctuary, and disease has been present since 2022 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The evidence is NOAA monitoring reports; no notice, listing or order specific to this bleaching is cited, though Orbicella corals that dominate cover are ESA-listed (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2024 bleaching followed a major 2023 event and is the first instance of consecutive bleaching years recorded at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral cover bleached at EFGB, late Sept 2023","value":28.06,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reef-wide average (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral cover bleached at WFGB, late Sept 2023","value":5.61,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reef-wide average (ref 1)."},{"name":"Days above 30 °C at EFGB, 2023","value":53,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Local bleaching threshold is 33 days (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral cover bleached at WFGB, late Sept 2024","value":10.3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"A further 46.9% was pale (ref 2)."},{"name":"Mean coral cover, 2024","value":56,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Annual report mean across one-hectare study sites (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Repeated bleaching in 2023 and 2024, with coral cover stable or rising at the banks (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary","role":"Sanctuary manager and monitoring lead","contact":"https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/flowergarden/"}],"public_contact":"Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, general contact channels on its website","corrective_actions":["NOAA continues annual long-term monitoring of coral, fish and temperature at both banks (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Long-Term Monitoring at East and West Flower Garden Banks: 2023 Annual Report","publisher":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/longterm-monitoring-east-west-fgb.html","basis":"Agency report (page undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coral Reef Long-Term Monitoring at East and West Flower Garden Banks: 2024 Annual Report","publisher":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/2026/coral-reef-long-term-monitoring-east-and-west-flower-garden-banks-2024-annual-report.html","basis":"Agency report (page undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"NOAA Flower Garden Banks monitoring summary","publisher":"Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/2026/03/23/noaa-flower-garden/","basis":"Network summary of NOAA report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_Garden_Banks_National_Marine_Sanctuary","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"Even deep Texas coast reefs aren't safe from coral bleaching as world's oceans cook","publisher":"Deceleration","date":"2024-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://deceleration.news/even-deep-texas-coast-reefs-arent-safe-from-coral-bleaching-as-worlds-oceans-cook/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2024 annual report gives mean coral cover of 56% across one-hectare study sites, while the GCRMN summary cites an estimated 65.0% (±4.1) for 2024; the figures use different estimators and both are shown."},{"field":"merge","values":["Flower Garden Banks bleached in two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024, for the first time on record, though coral cover stays high","Consecutive coral bleaching in 2023 and 2024 at the Flower Garden Banks"],"note":"Merged with the climate-group record on the same consecutive bleaching years."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","economic_risk signals","publication dates of the NOAA pages","The two NOAA report pages show no publication date, so source dates are null."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-FLKEYS-BLEACH-2023"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-VERACRUZ-REEFPORT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Veracruz port expansion works begin beside the Veracruz Reef System, years after a Supreme Court order to re-evaluate the project","description":"Mexico's Supreme Court ruled on 9 February 2022 that Semarnat approved the Veracruz port expansion with serious deficiencies and ordered a comprehensive re-evaluation. Earthjustice said in August 2024 that Semarnat was still not complying; in October 2026 reef monitors reported rock being dumped beside La Gallega reef after the port authority told Semarnat on 9 July 2026 that phase II construction would begin. These reports come from civil society groups and are not independently confirmed here.","location":{"name":"Veracruz Reef System National Park, Veracruz","type":"National park reef system (Ramsar site)","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Mexico, southwestern Gulf of Mexico off the port of Veracruz; 19 reefs in two polygons, Ramsar site since 2004.","coordinates":{"lat":19.18,"lon":-95.79,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Port dredging and breakwater construction threatening a protected reef system.","secondary_drivers":["Port expansion and dredging","Sedimentation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Reef monitors warn of sedimentation and say rock was dumped beside La Gallega reef, but the sources give no measured reef damage figure (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Organisations say fishing, tourism and coastal protection would be affected, but no closure or loss is documented (ref 2).","scale":"The works concern one port zone next to a park of 19 reefs, a local footprint (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The dispute runs from the 2022 ruling through the December 2022 re-approval, the August 2024 non-compliance claim and the July 2026 notice of phase II works (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Mexico's Supreme Court ruled on 9 February 2022 that the approval violated the right to a healthy environment and ordered re-evaluation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Supreme Court ordered permits revoked and the project reassessed in February 2022; Semarnat re-approved it in December 2022, again in fragments, and organisations say the ruling is still not being met."},"measures":[{"name":"Fragments in which the project was approved","value":15,"unit":"fragments","status":"Reported","note":"Earthjustice says Semarnat approved the project in 15 fragments (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reefs in the national park","value":19,"unit":"reefs","status":"Reported","note":"Seven in the Veracruz polygon and twelve in the Antón Lizardo polygon (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Construction of phase II was notified in July 2026 and rock dumping reported in October 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Semarnat (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales)","role":"Environmental impact authority","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"},{"name":"ASIPONA Veracruz and Secretaría de Marina","role":"Port authority and works contractor","contact":null},{"name":"Profepa","role":"Environmental enforcement agency","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/profepa"}],"public_contact":"Semarnat, general contact channels on gob.mx","corrective_actions":["The Supreme Court ordered Semarnat to revoke permits, re-evaluate the project and seek international technical assistance under the Ramsar Convention (ref 1).","Organisations ask for the works to halt and for Profepa and the judiciary to investigate (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Siguen sin cumplirse las medidas ordenadas por la Suprema Corte mexicana para proteger el arrecife veracruzano","publisher":"Earthjustice (press release, Spanish)","date":"2024-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/siguen-sin-cumplirse-las-medidas-ordenadas-por-la-suprema-corte-mexicana-para-proteger-el-arrecife-veracruzano","basis":"NGO press release in Spanish; summarises a Supreme Court ruling"},{"ref":2,"title":"La Marina desobedece sentencia de la Corte y sepulta el arrecife La Gallega en Veracruz","publisher":"Grupo Animal (Spanish)","date":"2026-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://grupoanimal.mx/estados/marina-desobedece-sentencia-corte-arrecife-la-gallega-veracruz","basis":"News in Spanish; cites an ASIPONA oficio to Semarnat"},{"ref":3,"title":"Veracruz Reef System (coordinates, reef count)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veracruz_Reef_System","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Veracruz Reef System page gives the park area both as 65,516.47 hectares and as 11.14 km2; no area is used in this record."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","measured reef damage","the Supreme Court judgment itself and the oficio were not opened; both are known through the cited NGO and press accounts"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-TAMPABAY-SEAGRASS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Tampa Bay seagrass recovers to 31,544 acres in 2024, but remains well below the 38,000-acre target and Old Tampa Bay hits a record low","description":"Tampa Bay lost 27% of its seagrass between the 2016 peak of 41,655 acres and 30,137 acres in 2022. The 2024 mapping shows a gain of about 5% (1,407 acres) to 31,544 acres after several dry years, but Old Tampa Bay lost another 327 acres to a new historic low. The imagery was flown before Hurricanes Helene, Debby and Milton, so storm effects are not yet captured.","location":{"name":"Tampa Bay","type":"Estuary seagrass meadows","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, Florida Gulf coast; Hillsborough Bay and Old Tampa Bay are the main sub-segments.","coordinates":{"lat":27.7625,"lon":-82.5458,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss from nutrient and stormwater pollution in an estuary.","secondary_drivers":["Nutrient and wastewater discharge","Stormwater runoff"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Seagrass fell from 41,655 acres in 2016 to 30,137 in 2022 (11,518 acres lost) and Old Tampa Bay lost 327 more acres by 2024 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither source reports a fishery or beach closure from the seagrass loss itself (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One bay of about 1,000 km2 is affected (ref 3).","duration":"Losses run across three consecutive mapping periods from 2016 to 2022 and Old Tampa Bay was still declining in 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Seagrass is a recognised bay-health indicator with a 38,000-acre target and a 2032 reclaimed-water discharge deadline under SB64, but no enforcement action is cited (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Tampa Bay has 31,544 acres of seagrass in 2024, about 5% (1,407 acres) more than in 2022, while Old Tampa Bay lost 327 acres, a new historic low."},"measures":[{"name":"Seagrass area, 2024","value":31544,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Up about 5% from 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seagrass area, 2022","value":30137,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"A 27% decline from the 2016 peak (ref 2)."},{"name":"Seagrass area, 2016 peak","value":41655,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Opinion piece by Tampa Bay Waterkeeper citing the district mapping (ref 2)."},{"name":"Seagrass lost in Old Tampa Bay, 2024 mapping","value":327,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Described as a new historic low for that segment (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Decline 2016-2022, partial recovery by 2024, but Old Tampa Bay still falling (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tampa Bay Estuary Program","role":"Estuary program and seagrass mapping","contact":"https://www.tbep.org"},{"name":"Southwest Florida Water Management District","role":"Seagrass mapping agency","contact":"https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us"}],"public_contact":"Tampa Bay Estuary Program, general contact channels on its website","corrective_actions":["The Nitrogen Management Consortium, formed in 1996, works to meet nitrogen targets (ref 2).","Florida SB64 requires reclaimed water discharges to surface waters such as Hillsborough Bay to be reduced or eliminated by 2032 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seagrass growth in Tampa Bay reaches highest level since 2016","publisher":"WUSF Public Media","date":"2025-03-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wusf.org/environment/2025-03-28/seagrass-growth-tampa-bay-highest-level-2016","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"We've lost 27% of our seagrass in Tampa Bay since 2016; it's time to prioritize our water","publisher":"St. Pete Catalyst (opinion by Tampa Bay Waterkeeper)","date":"2023-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://stpetecatalyst.com/w/weve-lost-27-of-our-seagrass-in-tampa-bay-since-2016-its-time-to-prioritize-our-water/","basis":"Opinion by NGO director citing agency mapping"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tampa Bay (coordinates, area)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampa_Bay","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"WUSF says the 2024 total is the most seagrass since 2016; the 2022 and 2016 acreage come from the 2023 opinion piece, whose figures are consistent with the 2024 gain (30,137 + 1,407 = 31,544)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","post-hurricane seagrass mapping (not found)","the district and Tampa Bay Estuary Program mapping reports were not opened"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-RICESWHALE-VESSELS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Rice's whale, about 51 left, loses Gulf vessel-speed protections while NOAA's 2025 opinion finds extinction risk","description":"The Rice's whale, found only in the Gulf, numbers about 51 animals (2022 stock assessment). NOAA denied a 10-knot vessel-speed petition in October 2023, the Fifth Circuit removed habitat protections from Lease Sale 261 in November 2023, and in February 2025 new rules dropped a recommendation that large vessels slow down in its habitat. NOAA's revised May 2025 biological opinion found that, without precautionary measures, oil and gas activities could lead to extinction, and Earthjustice sued in May 2025.","location":{"name":"Northeastern Gulf, 100-400 m depths (De Soto Canyon)","type":"Endangered whale habitat","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States Gulf waters, mostly the northeastern Gulf shelf break near De Soto Canyon off the Florida-Alabama border; less frequent sightings in the western Gulf.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Endangered-species mortality risk from vessel strikes and oil and gas activity.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel strikes","Oil and gas activity","Ocean noise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The 2022 stock assessment gives about 51 whales and minimum human-caused deaths of 0.5 a year against a sustainable 0.07, and NOAA estimates nine killed and three seriously injured over 45 years (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"A 2023 settlement set a temporary 10-knot limit for oil and gas vessels in the western Gulf and set aside 6 million acres of habitat from a lease sale, restrictions industry fought and later had removed (refs 2, 4).","scale":"The whale's range covers the northern Gulf of Mexico, a regional sea, mostly in the northeastern Gulf (ref 1).","duration":"The 2020 opinion was vacated in August 2024 and the revised one issued May 2025, while the critical habitat final decision is delayed to July 2027 (ref 1).","significance":"The species is ESA-listed as endangered, the Fifth Circuit ruled on 14 November 2023 and a federal court vacated the 2020 opinion (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":51,"status":"Estimated","note":"NMFS 2022 stock assessment, based on 2017-2018 survey data; newer 2023-2024 data are being used to update it (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 51 individuals remain; federal regulators' revised biological opinion found vessel strikes in the Gulf's oil and gas fields likely to threaten the whales' existence."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated Rice's whale population","value":51,"unit":"whales","status":"Estimated","note":"NMFS 2022 stock assessment (ref 1)."},{"name":"Minimum human-caused mortality and serious injury","value":0.5,"unit":"whales per year","status":"Reported","note":"NMFS estimates removal of about 0.07 whales per year is sustainable (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected deaths from vessel strikes over 45 years","value":9,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA estimate, plus three seriously injured (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Industry groups including the National Ocean Industries Association say further restrictions could threaten oil and gas operations in the western Gulf (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Speed protections were removed in 2025 and the species remains at about 51 animals (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"ESA and MMPA authority for the species","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale"},{"name":"U.S. Department of the Interior","role":"Offshore lease sale and oil and gas regulation","contact":"https://www.doi.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, general contact channels on fisheries.noaa.gov","corrective_actions":["NMFS issued a revised biological opinion in May 2025 after a federal court vacated the 2020 opinion (ref 1).","Earthjustice and partners sued over the biological opinion in May 2025, seeking stronger speed limits and a 500-yard buffer (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Rice's Whale: Conservation Efforts, Implications for Ocean Sectors, and Considerations for Congress","publisher":"Congressional Research Service (via EveryCRSReport)","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-01-29_IF12835_1d9c24b1e33178714d99a4999e18242cbfe44e57.html","basis":"Official government report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Restrictions on ship speeds removed in endangered Rice's whales' Gulf habitat","publisher":"WUSF Public Media","date":"2025-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wusf.org/environment/2025-02-27/restrictions-ship-speeds-removed-endangered-rices-whale-gulf-habitat","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Lawsuit filed in effort to protect endangered Rice's whales in Gulf","publisher":"WUSF Public Media","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wusf.org/environment/2025-05-22/lawsuit-filed-effort-protect-endangered-rices-whales-gulf","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fossil-fuel-friendly ruling endangers the last Gulf of Mexico whales","publisher":"Earthjustice","date":"2023-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/article/a-court-decision-favoring-oil-and-gas-puts-the-last-51-gulf-of-mexico-whales-at-risk","basis":"NGO article summarising a court ruling"},{"ref":5,"title":"NOAA denies petition for speed limits in Gulf of Mexico","publisher":"Marine Industry News","date":"2023-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/noaa-denies-petition-speed-limits-gulf-mexico/","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Population is given as 51 (CRS, WUSF caption), \"fewer than 50\" in the body of the WUSF lawsuit story, and \"fewer than 100\" by Earthjustice; the NMFS stock-assessment figure of 51 is used."},{"note":"WUSF reports the February 2025 change as new rules dropping a slow-down recommendation; the CRS report describes the 10-knot term as removed from Lease Sale 261 after judicial rulings."}],"missing_fields":["coordinates (range given only as a depth band and canyon; no public coordinate opened)","Federal Register notices and the biological opinion itself were not opened"],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-LEASE259-2025","OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-RICEBIOP-2026","OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-SEISMIC-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-TEXAS-KEMPSRIDLEY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Kemp's ridley nests hit records on the Texas coast, 449 in 2025 and over 650 in 2026, yet the species remains critically endangered","description":"Texas recorded 449 Kemp's ridley nests in 2025, a state record, and more than 650 in 2026, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Park Service says the species remains critically endangered, nesting has not met recovery targets since growth stalled after 2009, and Mexico has left some nests to incubate unprotected on the beach since 2004. Nests face predators, extreme heat, beach traffic and rising high tides.","location":{"name":"Padre Island National Seashore and Texas coast","type":"Sea turtle nesting beaches","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US","MX"],"detail":"United States, South Texas Gulf coast; the species also nests on the Mexican Gulf coast.","coordinates":{"lat":26.9844,"lon":-97.3806,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Recovery and persisting risk of a critically endangered sea turtle on its nesting beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Predation","Extreme heat","Beach vehicle traffic","Rising high tides"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The NPS calls it the most critically endangered sea turtle and says nesting remains below recovery targets, while the FWS counts of 449 and 650 nests show rising nesting (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or fishery restriction is described in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The counts cover the Texas coast and a single national seashore holds almost 55% of U.S. nests (ref 2).","duration":"The NPS says Texas nesting has been built up over roughly 40 years and the re-migration interval lengthened to 3.7 years by 2022 (ref 2).","significance":"The species remains listed as critically endangered and the recovery plan's predicted downlisting by 2020 did not happen (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Texas documented more than 650 Kemp's ridley nests in 2026, surpassing the 2025 record of 449."},"measures":[{"name":"Texas Kemp's ridley nests, 2025","value":449,"unit":"nests","status":"Reported","note":"Described as the state's record at the time (ref 1)."},{"name":"Texas Kemp's ridley nests, 2026","value":650,"unit":"nests (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Documented as of the 30 July 2026 FWS story; season count may change (ref 1)."},{"name":"Texas re-migration interval, 2022","value":3.7,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Longest documented; typical range is 1 to 3 years (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Texas nest counts rose from 449 in 2025 to more than 650 in 2026, but nesting overall remains below recovery targets (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Park Service, Padre Island National Seashore","role":"Nation's longest-running Kemp's ridley recovery programme","contact":"https://www.nps.gov/pais/"},{"name":"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service","role":"Endangered species recovery lead","contact":"https://www.fws.gov/species/kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-lepidochelys-kempii"},{"name":"Texas Parks and Wildlife Department","role":"State wildlife agency","contact":"https://tpwd.texas.gov"}],"public_contact":"Padre Island National Seashore, general contact channels on nps.gov","corrective_actions":["Texas relocates all nests to protected corrals and the FWS Coastal Program leads hatchling releases (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Renewed hope for Kemp's ridley sea turtles","publisher":"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fws.gov/story/2026-07/renewed-hope-kemps-ridley-sea-turtles","basis":"Agency story"},{"ref":2,"title":"Despite heroic efforts, Kemp's ridley sea turtles remain critically endangered","publisher":"National Park Service (Park Science)","date":"2023-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/despite-heroic-efforts-kemps-ridley-sea-turtles-remain-critically-endangered.htm","basis":"Agency article"},{"ref":3,"title":"Padre Island National Seashore (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padre_Island_National_Seashore","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["population_affected","Mexican nest counts (not given in the opened sources)","extra confirmation of the 2026 count"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-SWFL-MANATEE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Southwest Florida manatee deaths in 2025: red tide killed 50 and Lee County became a statewide hot spot","description":"Florida recorded 632 manatee deaths in 2025, below the five-year average of 731 but above 2023 (555) and 2024 (565). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) attributes 50 deaths to red tide, mainly in southwest Florida, and by early June Lee County had 83 deaths, second only to Brevard County on the east coast. Watercraft, cold stress and calf deaths were also recorded.","location":{"name":"Southwest Florida Gulf coast (Lee County)","type":"Manatee coastal habitat","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, Florida Gulf coast; Lee, Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties.","coordinates":{"lat":26.58,"lon":-81.92,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mortality of a protected marine mammal from algal blooms and boat strikes.","secondary_drivers":["Red tide (harmful algal bloom)","Watercraft collisions","Cold stress"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"FWC attributes 50 manatee deaths to red tide in southwest Florida and counts 632 statewide deaths for 2025, with 98 necropsied watercraft cases (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no boating, fishing or beach restriction tied to the deaths (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The concentration is in southwest Florida counties; Lee County recorded 83 deaths by early June and Manatee and Sarasota 37 by 7 November (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Red tide deaths were mainly during winter and the counts run through the 2025 calendar year, months rather than a chronic multi-year event (refs 1, 3).","significance":"FWC's 2025 mortality review is the state's formal accounting for a protected species, but no declaration or enforcement action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Statewide manatee deaths in 2025 totalled 632, including 50 red tide deaths mainly in southwest Florida; Lee County had 83 deaths by early June."},"measures":[{"name":"Manatee deaths in Florida, 2025","value":632,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"Five-year average 731; 2023 had 555 and 2024 had 565 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Manatee deaths from red tide in southwest Florida","value":50,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"Mostly Lee County, in winter (ref 1)."},{"name":"Lee County manatee deaths by early June 2025","value":83,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"FWC figures as of the prior week (ref 2)."},{"name":"Manatee and Sarasota county deaths to 7 Nov 2025","value":37,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"26 in Manatee County and 11 in Sarasota County (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Total deaths rose from 565 in 2024 to 632 in 2025 but stayed below the five-year average (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","role":"Manatee mortality response and statistics","contact":"https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/"}],"public_contact":"FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, general contact channels on myfwc.com","corrective_actions":["FWC tracks mortality, rescues live manatees and reports statistics; live watercraft-injury rescues reached a record 33 in 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025 manatee mortality statistics: review","publisher":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/rescue-mortality-response/statistics/mortality/2025/review/","basis":"Agency report (page undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Manatee deaths at 407 so far in 2025; Lee County ranks second","publisher":"WGCU News (News Service of Florida)","date":"2025-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wgcu.org/top-story/2025-06-13/manatee-deaths-at-407-so-far-in-2025-lee-county-ranks-second","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Manatee deaths for 2025 already exceeding numbers for last two years, data show","publisher":"WWSB ABC7 Suncoast","date":"2025-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mysuncoast.com/2025/11/17/manatee-deaths-2025-already-exceeding-numbers-last-two-years-data-show","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Lee County, Florida (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_County,_Florida","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The WWSB report gives 587 deaths statewide to 7 November 2025 against prior-year counts of 495 (2024) and 494 (2023), while FWC's review gives 632 for 2025 and 565 and 555 for 2024 and 2023; the FWC review is later and is used."},{"note":"WGCU and WWSB name no cause for county counts; only FWC's review attributes 50 deaths to red tide."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","FWC page publication date"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-MSSOUND-DOLPHINS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Study links Bonnet Carré Spillway openings to dolphin skin lesions and strandings in the Mississippi Sound; coalition sues Army Corps","description":"A peer-reviewed study of 2010 to 2021 data found that the prevalence of common bottlenose dolphins with skin lesions in the western Mississippi Sound, and the frequency of stranded dolphins across the Sound, were significantly related to Bonnet Carré Spillway discharge. The Corps diverted 6.4 trillion gallons in 2011 and 10.07 trillion gallons in 2019. In January 2024 the Mississippi Sound Coalition sued the Army Corps, alleging the 2019 opening killed many resident dolphins without a Marine Mammal Protection Act take permit.","location":{"name":"Mississippi Sound","type":"Estuarine sound, resident dolphin habitat","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, Mississippi and Alabama coast, Lake Borgne and Biloxi Marsh to Dauphin Island; discharge comes from the Bonnet Carré Spillway in Louisiana.","coordinates":{"lat":30.267,"lon":-88.517,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mortality and disease in marine mammals linked to river diversion freshwater.","secondary_drivers":["Freshwater diversion (Bonnet Carré Spillway)","Low salinity exposure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The study found lesion prevalence and stranding frequency significantly related to spillway discharge, and the 2018-2019 stranding relationship highly significant (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The coalition alleges the 2019 opening severely harmed the Sound's oyster population, an allegation in a complaint and not a finding (ref 2).","scale":"The effect is mapped across one sound along the Mississippi and Alabama coast (ref 1).","duration":"Diversions in 2011, 2019 and lower-discharge years coincided with lesions and strandings across 2010 to 2021, a recurring pattern (ref 1).","significance":"A complaint was filed on 22 January 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi under the Marine Mammal Protection Act; no ruling is cited (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The prevalence of dolphins with skin lesions in the western Mississippi Sound was significantly related to Bonnet Carré Spillway discharge, not to coastal stream discharge."},"measures":[{"name":"Spillway diversion volume, 2019 flood","value":10.07,"unit":"trillion gallons","status":"Reported","note":"Into Lake Borgne, Biloxi Marsh and the Mississippi Sound (ref 1)."},{"name":"Spillway diversion volume, 2011 flood","value":6.4,"unit":"trillion gallons","status":"Reported","note":"Same receiving waters (ref 1)."},{"name":"Injured dolphins found in Mississippi waters","value":50,"unit":"% (half)","status":"Reported","note":"Plaintiffs' claim, versus 10% in Alabama and 7% in Florida (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The coalition alleges severe harm to Mississippi Sound oysters from the 2019 opening (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The study ends in 2021 and no later stranding count was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District","role":"Bonnet Carré Spillway operator","contact":"https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil"}],"public_contact":"Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, general contact channels on its website","corrective_actions":["The Mississippi Sound Coalition seeks a declaration that the Corps violated the law, compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act and an order to avoid harming dolphins when operating the spillway (ref 2).","The study calls for research on the duration and degree of exposure to low-salinity water (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Impacts of the Bonnet Carré Spillway on common bottlenose dolphins in the Mississippi Sound from 2010 to 2021","publisher":"Science of the Total Environment (Baker et al., Institute for Marine Mammal Studies)","date":"2024-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lacoast.gov/crms/crms_public_data/publications/Baker_etal2025.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mississippi Sound Coalition files complaint against U.S. Army Corps of Engineers","publisher":"WLOX","date":"2024-01-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wlox.com/2024/01/22/mississippi-sound-coalition-files-complaint-against-us-army-corps-engineers","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mississippi Sound (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_Sound","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The study describes the link as statistical (models show freshwater leakage \"likely increases\" lesions and strandings); the complaint claims direct mortality. No court finding is cited."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","stranding counts by year","case outcome (not found)"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-LA-SHRIMPFLEET-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf shrimp fleet shrinks under record-low dockside prices as NOAA moves to extend the permit moratorium","description":"NOAA says Gulf shrimp stocks are healthy but profitability and effort keep declining, with valid Gulf shrimp permits down from 1,933 in 2008 to 1,287 in 2024, and in September 2026 the Louisiana Shrimp Association asked the administration to limit imports. Reports in August and September 2026 describe shrimp selling for 50 to 60 cents a pound against diesel near 5 dollars a gallon. Federal disaster requests from Louisiana and Alabama in 2023 were listed by NOAA as withdrawn or ineligible.","location":{"name":"Gulf of America shrimp fishery (Louisiana focus)","type":"Fishery","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Federal and state waters of the northern Gulf, with Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi fleets; Louisiana lands about 28 to 33 percent of domestic wild shrimp (ref 2).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A healthy stock under economic and trade pressure: the finding concerns fleet viability and import competition, not stock depletion.","secondary_drivers":["Shrimp imports","Fuel costs","Low dockside prices"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NMFS states Gulf shrimp stocks are healthy, but a Hoodline report citing the Southern Shrimp Alliance gives average vessel margins of negative 6.1 percent and about 1,200 jobs lost (ref 2, ref 1).","livelihoods":"Valid Gulf shrimp permits fell from 1,933 in 2008 to 1,287 in 2024 and the Louisiana Shrimp Association says docks and plants are closing (ref 1, ref 3); the fishery is limited-entry, not closed.","scale":"The moratorium and the declining effort cover the Gulf-wide federal shrimp fishery, not one state (refs 1, 2).","duration":"NMFS ties the effort decline to fuel costs and import-driven price drops seen since the early 2000s, and the permit moratorium dates to 2006 (ref 1).","significance":"NMFS published Amendment 19 and a proposed rule to extend the permit moratorium to 2036 (ref 1); NOAA lists the 2023 Louisiana and Alabama shrimp disaster requests as withdrawn or ineligible (ref 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Valid Gulf shrimp moratorium permits fell from 1,933 (2008) to 1,287 (2024); NMFS proposes extending the moratorium 10 years to 26 October 2036 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Valid Gulf shrimp moratorium permits, 2024","value":1287,"unit":"permits","status":"Reported","note":"NMFS proposed rule, 2008 baseline 1,933 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gulf shrimp fleet revenue, 2023","value":221,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 489 million in 2021; figures attributed by Hoodline to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, primary not opened (ref 2)."},{"name":"Louisiana commercial shrimp licences sold, 2025","value":7554,"unit":"licences","status":"Reported","note":"Hoodline report, 6 Aug 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"US shrimp imports, 2025","value":1.75,"unit":"billion lb","status":"Reported","note":"Louisiana Shrimp Association figure (ref 4); not independently checked."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Shrimp at 50 to 60 cents a pound with diesel near 5 dollars a gallon (refs 2, 3).","Active vessels in the federal Gulf fleet down 19 percent (ref 2, citing the Southern Shrimp Alliance)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Permit counts fell every year from 2019 to 2024 (ref 1); 2026 prices and diesel costs are described as the lowest and highest in recent years (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office","role":"Federal fishery manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast"},{"name":"Gulf of America Fishery Management Council","role":"Regional fishery management council","contact":"https://gulfcouncil.org"},{"name":"Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries","role":"State fishery manager","contact":"https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov"}],"public_contact":"NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305 (published in the Federal Register notices).","corrective_actions":["NMFS proposed Amendment 19 and a rule to extend the Gulf shrimp permit moratorium to 2036; comments closed 24 Sep 2026 (ref 1).","Louisiana Shrimp Association petition asks for import quotas, enforcement of trade law and expanded federal purchases (refs 3, 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Extension of the Commercial Shrimp Permit Moratorium in the Gulf of America (proposed rule)","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/25/2026-17300/fisheries-of-the-caribbean-gulf-of-america-and-south-atlantic-extension-of-the-commercial-shrimp","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Louisiana pushes shrimp season opening to Aug. 18, fishermen warn of cash crunch","publisher":"Hoodline","date":"2026-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hoodline.com/2026/08/louisiana-pushes-shrimp-season-opening-to-aug-18-fishermen-warn-of-cash-crunch/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Louisiana shrimpers call on Pres. Trump to limit imported shrimp","publisher":"WLOX / WVUE","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wlox.com/2026/09/05/louisiana-shrimpers-call-pres-trump-limit-imported-shrimp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Louisiana Shrimp Association: America's wild-caught shrimp industry is in crisis (federal aid requests)","publisher":"Perishable News","date":"2026-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://perishablenews.com/?p=435492","basis":"News (industry statement)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Fishery Disaster Determinations (entries 137 Alabama Shrimp and 139 Louisiana Shrimp, 2023)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/fishery-disaster-determinations","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Import volumes and price statements come from the Louisiana Shrimp Association (refs 3, 4) and are not independently verified; NMFS (ref 1) says only that stocks are healthy and non-regulatory issues hurt profitability."}],"missing_fields":["Southern Shrimp Alliance fleet-revenue figures reached via Hoodline; the primary report was not opened.","NOAA March 2026 fleet-economics report mentioned in search results was not opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FL-APALACHICOLAOYSTER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery reopens on a small fraction of its reefs after five-year closure","description":"Florida's wildlife commission voted in November 2025 to reopen Apalachicola Bay to limited oyster harvest from 1 January 2026, ending a closure that began in 2020 after the fishery collapsed in 2013. Reef area has fallen from about 2,000 acres to under 100, and in August 2026 the commission planned a cut of about 46 percent in bags for the 2026-27 season, with one reef closed.","location":{"name":"Apalachicola Bay","type":"Estuarine oyster fishery","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Franklin County, Florida Panhandle; once about 90 percent of Florida's oyster landings (refs 1, 3).","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.7258,"lon":-84.993,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Collapse of a wild oyster fishery and its reefs, now under a restricted reopening.","secondary_drivers":["Oyster reef loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Reef size fell from about 2,000 acres to less than 100 acres (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The bay, once about 10 percent of oysters sold nationally, was closed to harvest from 2020 to the end of 2025 (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The finding covers one bay, Apalachicola Bay (ref 3).","duration":"The fishery collapsed in 2013 and was closed for five years from 2020, with only limited reopening in 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously on 5 November 2025 for a new management plan tied to oyster abundance, and set caps of 10 percent of available oysters (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Reef size fell from about 2,000 acres to less than 100 acres (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oyster reef area","value":100,"unit":"acres (upper bound, 'less than 100')","status":"Reported","note":"Down from about 2,000 acres (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned bags for 2026-27 season","value":2560,"unit":"bags","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 4,726 in the January-February 2026 season, about 46 percent (ref 1)."},{"name":"Restoration funding, 2026-27 state budget","value":11,"unit":"USD million for Apalachicola Bay","status":"Reported","note":"Part of 15 million for state oyster reef restoration (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Commercial harvesters need a new Apalachicola Bay Endorsement and recreational harvest is by lottery permit (ref 2).","East Hole reef missed its harvest threshold and will be closed in 2026-27 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Reopened January 2026 with 52 recreational bags used, then a planned 46 percent cut for 2026-27 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","role":"State fishery manager","contact":"https://myfwc.com"}],"public_contact":"FWC general contact via myfwc.com (no specific channel in the cited sources).","corrective_actions":["Harvest allowed only on reefs with at least 400 bags of legal-sized oysters, capped at 10 percent of available oysters (ref 2).","15 million dollars for oyster reef restoration in the 2026-27 state budget, 11 million for Apalachicola Bay (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"FWC backs oyster restoration efforts","publisher":"WUWF / News Service of Florida","date":"2026-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wuwf.org/florida-news/2026-08-05/fwc-backs-oyster-restoration-efforts","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"FWC approves reopening of Apalachicola Bay oyster harvesting in 2026","publisher":"The Capitolist","date":"2025-11-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thecapitolist.com/fwc-approves-reopening-of-apalachicola-bay-oyster-harvesting-in-2026/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Apalachicola Bay could reopen to oyster harvesting in 2026, but with tight restrictions","publisher":"WJHG","date":"2025-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wjhg.com/2025/11/05/apalachicola-bay-could-reopen-oyster-harvesting-2026-with-tight-restrictions","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"WJHG (ref 3) says FWC planned to open '10 percent of the bay' while also citing 100 of 10,000 acres; the two figures do not match and neither is used as a measure."}],"missing_fields":["The causes of the 2013 collapse are not stated in the cited sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-TX-LANCHAS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mexican lanchas keep fishing red snapper and sharks in US waters off southern Texas","description":"The US Coast Guard detained 11 Mexican fishermen on 6 February 2025, 12 on 21 April 2025 and 13 on 13 June 2025 in federal waters north of the maritime boundary line, seizing red snapper and shark. In January 2026 ten Gulf senators wrote that illegally harvested red snapper seized in 2025 rose 28 percent to 15,859 pounds despite fewer interdictions.","location":{"name":"Federal waters off southern Texas","type":"Exclusive economic zone boundary area","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US","MX"],"detail":"North of the US-Mexico maritime boundary line in the Gulf, off Corpus Christi and South Padre Island, Texas; crews from Station South Padre Island (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":26.1118,"lon":-97.1681,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Illegal, unreported fishing in a neighbouring EEZ that undermines US catch limits and enforcement.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal fishing","Organised crime"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Boats were seized with about 1,595 pounds of red snapper and nine sharks on 6 February 2025 and 550 pounds of red snapper and 850 pounds of shark on 21 April 2025 (refs 1, 2); no stock-level harm is quantified.","livelihoods":"The cited reports describe no closure or documented loss to US fishers; the senators' letter cites Louisiana's near 2 billion dollar seafood economy as the market at risk (ref 4).","scale":"The interdictions were in federal waters off southern Texas (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Interdictions are reported across 2025 and the 2026 letter compares them with 2024 (refs 1 to 4).","significance":"Fishermen were detained and handed to US Customs and Border Protection or Homeland Security Investigations, and ten senators asked NOAA for import restrictions (refs 2, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Illegally harvested red snapper seized by the Coast Guard rose 28 percent to 15,859 pounds in 2025 (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Illegal red snapper seized by Coast Guard, 2025","value":15859,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"As cited in the senators' letter, reported by Baird Maritime 19 Jan 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Fishermen detained, 21 April 2025","value":12,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Three lanchas seized (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fishermen detained, 13 June 2025","value":13,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"About 1,500 lb of red snapper seized (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Ten Gulf senators asked NOAA to use import-restriction authorities against illegally caught red snapper (ref 4).","A DHS Inspector General finding cited in the letter says the Coast Guard interdicts one in five detected foreign fishing vessels (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Fewer vessel interdictions in 2025 than 2024 but 28 percent more red snapper seized (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Coast Guard","role":"Maritime enforcement","contact":"https://www.news.uscg.mil"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement","role":"Fisheries enforcement","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"US Coast Guard press office via news.uscg.mil.","corrective_actions":["Coast Guard cutters, Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations interdict lanchas and process detainees (refs 1 to 3).","Ten senators asked NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs to apply import-restriction authorities (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Texas Coast Guard detains 11 Mexican fishermen, seizes illegally caught fish, 9 sharks","publisher":"FOX 7 Austin","date":"2025-02-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-coast-guard-detains-11-mexican-fisherman-seizes-illegally-caught-fish-9-sharks","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"12 Mexican nationals detained for illegal fishing off Texas coast","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2025-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/fishing/regulation-enforcement/12-mexican-nationals-detained-for-illegal-fishing-off-texas-coast","basis":"News (reporting a Coast Guard release)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Coast Guard, partner agencies detain Mexican nationals for illegal fishing off Texas coast","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2025-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/fishing/regulation-enforcement/coast-guard-partner-agencies-detain-mexican-nationals-for-illegal-fishing-off-texas-coast","basis":"News (reporting a Coast Guard release)"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOAA urged to help block cartels from profiting off illegally caught red snapper","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2026-01-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/fishing/regulation-enforcement/noaa-urged-to-help-block-cartels-from-profiting-off-illegally-caught-red-snapper","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"FOX 7 reports four lanchas for 6 February 2025 while its photo caption says three (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Coast Guard press releases (news.uscg.mil) returned access denied, so the incidents are cited through news reports of them.","Date of the senators' letter is not given in ref 4."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-LA-REDSNAPPERPRIVATE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Louisiana private anglers exceed their Gulf red snapper catch limit two years running","description":"NMFS found that Louisiana's private-angler red snapper landings exceeded the state's catch limit in both 2024 and 2025. Louisiana reported 947,103 pounds landed in 2025 against a limit of 894,955 pounds, so NMFS cut the 2026 limit to 882,439 pounds under the accountability measure.","location":{"name":"Louisiana red snapper management area","type":"Fish stock","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Federal waters off Louisiana, where the state manages private-angler red snapper under a 2020 delegation (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Overages of a state-managed catch limit and the federal accountability measure that follows.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational overharvest"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Private anglers landed 947,103 lb of red snapper in 2025 against a 894,955 lb limit, an overage of 52,148 lb (ref 1); the sources do not state a stock-level impact.","livelihoods":"The 2026 Louisiana private-angling limit is cut by the overage to 882,439 lb (ref 1).","scale":"The rule applies only to the Louisiana management area and leaves the other Gulf states' limits unchanged (ref 1).","duration":"A 2024 overage already cut the 2025 limit (ref 2), and a 2025 overage cut the 2026 limit (ref 1).","significance":"NMFS issued temporary rules on 6 May 2025 and 6 May 2026 implementing accountability measures (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Louisiana private anglers landed 947,103 lb in 2025, exceeding the 894,955 lb limit by 52,148 lb (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"2025 Louisiana private-angler red snapper landings","value":947103,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by LDWF to NMFS (ref 1)."},{"name":"2026 Louisiana private-angler limit after adjustment","value":882439,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 934,587 lb (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Louisiana's 2026 private-angling limit is 52,148 lb below its base limit of 934,587 lb (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Overage occurred in 2024 and again in 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office","role":"Federal fishery manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast"},{"name":"Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries","role":"State manager of private-angler red snapper","contact":"https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov"}],"public_contact":"NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305 (published in the Federal Register notices).","corrective_actions":["NMFS reduced Louisiana's 2025 and 2026 private-angler limits by the prior-year overage (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Accountability Measure for Recreational Harvest of Red Snapper in Federal Waters off Louisiana (temporary rule)","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2026-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/06/2026-08984/fisheries-of-the-caribbean-gulf-of-america-and-south-atlantic-reef-fish-fishery-of-the-gulf-of","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 Red Snapper Private Angling Component Accountability Measure in Federal Waters Off Louisiana","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/06/2025-07884/2025-red-snapper-private-angling-component-accountability-measure-in-federal-waters-off-louisiana","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2024 landings and overage amounts were not read directly; ref 1 gives the adjusted 2025 limit of 894,955 lb."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULF-GREATERAMBERJACK-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf greater amberjack, overfished since 2001, exceeds catch limits and both sectors are closed","description":"NMFS lists the Gulf greater amberjack stock as overfished since 2001. Recreational landings of 882,451 pounds in 2024-25 were more than double the 404,000 pound limit, so the recreational sector was closed from 27 September 2025 to 31 July 2026, and the commercial sector was closed on 2 September 2025 after exceeding its limit.","location":{"name":"Gulf greater amberjack stock","type":"Fish stock","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Gulf of America federal waters (EEZ), managed under the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An overfished stock under a rebuilding plan that is being overshot.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational overharvest","Rebuilding plan overage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"NMFS states the Gulf greater amberjack stock has been overfished since 2001, and 2024-25 recreational landings were 882,451 lb against a 404,000 lb limit (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The recreational sector was closed 27 September 2025 to 31 July 2026 and the commercial sector closed 2 September 2025 (ref 1).","scale":"The stock is managed Gulf-wide in the federal EEZ (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The overfished status dates to 2001 and Amendment 54 aimed to rebuild by 2027 (ref 2).","significance":"NMFS issued a temporary rule closing the recreational sector as an accountability measure, with the adjusted limit set to zero (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Recreational greater amberjack landings were 882,451 lb in 2024-25, exceeding the 404,000 lb limit by 478,451 lb (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"2024-25 recreational landings","value":882451,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Against a recreational limit of 404,000 lb (ref 1)."},{"name":"Recreational overage","value":478451,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Deducted from the 2025-26 limit, leaving zero (ref 1)."},{"name":"Commercial ACL overage, 2023","value":35280,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Noted in the July 2024 rule (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Recreational harvest prohibited from 27 September 2025 until 1 August 2026 (ref 1).","Commercial sector closed on 2 September 2025 for the rest of 2025 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Commercial overage in 2023 and 2025, recreational overage in 2024-25 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office","role":"Federal fishery manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast"},{"name":"Gulf of America Fishery Management Council","role":"Regional fishery management council","contact":"https://gulfcouncil.org"}],"public_contact":"NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305 (published in the Federal Register notices).","corrective_actions":["Amendment 54 reduced catch limits and set rebuilding by 2027 (ref 2).","Overage deducted from the next year's recreational limit, closing the sector (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025-2026 Recreational Closure for Gulf Greater Amberjack (temporary rule)","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2025-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/26/2025-18694/2025-2026-recreational-closure-for-gulf-greater-amberjack","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Greater Amberjack and Red Snapper Management Measures (final rule)","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2024-07-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/07/22/2024-15873/fisheries-of-the-caribbean-gulf-of-mexico-and-south-atlantic-reef-fish-fishery-of-the-gulf-of-mexico","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Stock status after the 2026 stock analysis was not checked; the 2027 rebuilding target is as stated in the July 2024 rule."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULF-REDGROUPERALLOCATION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Red grouper commercial-recreational allocation dispute: appeals court remand, then new allocation in Amendment 62","description":"Commercial fishing groups sued in 2022 over Amendment 53, which shifted Gulf red grouper quota to the recreational sector. A federal appeals court remanded it to NMFS in March 2024, and Amendment 62, effective 2 October 2026, resets the split to 68.2 percent commercial and 31.8 percent recreational while raising catch limits for a stock found not overfished.","location":{"name":"Gulf red grouper stock","type":"Fish stock","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Gulf of America reef fish fishery; plaintiffs include A.P. Bell Fish Company of Cortez, Florida (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A sector allocation dispute settled through litigation and a new federal amendment.","secondary_drivers":["Allocation dispute","Recreational data change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"SEDAR 88 found the red grouper stock not overfished or undergoing overfishing, so the dispute concerns allocation, not depletion (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The 2022 complaint says Amendment 53 takes fish from the commercial sector for the recreational sector (ref 1); NMFS says keeping the 59.3/40.7 split after the recreational data change would be a de facto reallocation from commercial to recreational (ref 3).","scale":"The dispute concerns one stock, Gulf red grouper (ref 3).","duration":"The complaint was filed 6 May 2022 and the new allocation takes effect 2 October 2026 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"SeafoodNews reported on 4 March 2024 that a U.S. appeals court remanded Amendment 53 to NMFS (ref 2), and NMFS issued a final rule on 6 October 2026 (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Amendment 62 sets Gulf red grouper allocation at 68.2 percent commercial and 31.8 percent recreational (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Commercial allocation after Amendment 62","value":68.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Previously 59.3 percent under Amendment 53 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Red grouper ABC, new","value":8.28,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 4.96 million lb, phased in over three years (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishermen report difficulty catching legal-sized red grouper even as catch limits rise (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Allocation reset and higher limits take effect in October 2026 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office","role":"Federal fishery manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast"},{"name":"Gulf of America Fishery Management Council","role":"Regional fishery management council","contact":"https://gulfcouncil.org"}],"public_contact":"NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305 (published in the Federal Register notices).","corrective_actions":["Amendment 62 final rule updates allocation and catch limits using SEDAR 88 and state survey data (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A.P. Bell Fish Company, Inc. et al. v. Raimondo et al., No. 1:22-cv-01260 (D.D.C.), Complaint","publisher":"DocketAlarm","date":"2022-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/District_Of_Columbia_District_Court/1--22-cv-01260/A.P._BELL_FISH_COMPANY_INC._et_al_v._RAIMONDO_et_al/1/","basis":"Court record"},{"ref":2,"title":"Court Finds Red Grouper Reallocation Was Flawed, Remands to NMFS","publisher":"SeafoodNews","date":"2024-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1272915/Court-Finds-Red-Grouper-Reallocation-Was-Flawed-Remands-to-NMFS","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Amendment 62 (final rule)","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2026-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/06/2026-20435/reef-fish-fishery-of-the-gulf-of-america-amendment-62","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The SeafoodNews excerpt does not name the appeals circuit, and the Federal Register rule does not say Amendment 62 responds to the court remand; the link is inferred from timing and the allocation rationale."}],"missing_fields":["The appeals court opinion itself was not opened (court sites blocked automated access)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULF-SCAMPYELLOWMOUTH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf scamp and yellowmouth grouper limits cut by 55 percent with a new recreational closed season","description":"A 2022 stock assessment found harvest of Gulf scamp and yellowmouth grouper must be reduced. NMFS's June 2026 final rule cuts the Other Shallow-Water Grouper catch limit from 710,000 to 322,000 pounds and closes recreational harvest from 1 January to 30 June each year, effective 1 January 2027.","location":{"name":"Gulf Other Shallow-Water Grouper complex","type":"Fish stock","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Gulf of America federal waters; scamp and yellowmouth grouper assessed together in SEDAR 68 (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Stock-assessment-driven catch reductions for reef fish at risk of overfishing.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational and commercial harvest"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"SEDAR 68 (2022) indicated harvest of scamp and yellowmouth grouper must be reduced, and the rule aims to cut the likelihood of overfishing (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The commercial ACL falls from 547,000 to 255,000 lb and a recreational closed season of January to June is added (ref 1).","scale":"The measure covers one stock complex in the Gulf (ref 1).","duration":"The assessment dates from 2022 and the fuller Amendment 58A is delayed, so the interim cut runs into 2027 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NMFS published a final rule on 17 June 2026 after a proposed rule on 18 March 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Stock complex ACL cut 54.7 percent, from 710,000 lb to 322,000 lb (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Stock complex ACL, new","value":322000,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Previously 710,000 lb (ref 1)."},{"name":"Commercial ACL, new","value":255000,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Previously 547,000 lb (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Commercial quota cannot be reduced until 2027 because 2026 allocation was already distributed (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office","role":"Federal fishery manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast"},{"name":"Gulf of America Fishery Management Council","role":"Regional fishery management council","contact":"https://gulfcouncil.org"}],"public_contact":"NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 727-824-5305 (published in the Federal Register notices).","corrective_actions":["Final rule effective 1 January 2027 cuts limits and sets a January to June recreational closure (ref 1).","Council defers Amendment 58A pending a recreational effort survey pilot (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Shallow-Water Grouper Management Measures (final rule)","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2026-06-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/17/2026-12175/reef-fish-fishery-of-the-gulf-of-america-shallow-water-grouper-management-measures","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Shallow-Water Grouper Management Measures (proposed rule)","publisher":"Federal Register / NMFS","date":"2026-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/18/2026-05267/reef-fish-fishery-of-the-gulf-of-america-shallow-water-grouper-management-measures","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FL-VELELLAEPSILON-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"First federal-waters Gulf fish farm, Velella Epsilon, cleared after eight years but opposed over red tide and pollution risks","description":"EPA issued a modified permit in May 2025 for Ocean Era's Velella Epsilon pilot net pen about 40 miles off Sarasota, now for up to 20,000 red drum over a year. Environmental groups say it could worsen nutrient pollution and red tide; July 2026 reports say appeals were rejected, the final permit was granted and operation is hoped for early 2027 pending funding.","location":{"name":"Velella Epsilon net pen off Sarasota","type":"Offshore aquaculture site","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"About 40 miles off Sarasota County, Florida, in federal waters; no coordinates are published in the cited sources (refs 1, 3).","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":27.3364,"lon":-82.5307,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A permitted offshore finfish pilot whose water-quality and fish-escape risks are contested.","secondary_drivers":["Nutrient discharge","Escapes","Red tide"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Opponents warn of nutrient pollution in an area prone to red tide, escapes and sea turtle risks; EPA says the pilot is small scale (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No disruption to fisheries or coastal businesses is documented in the cited sources (refs 1 to 3).","scale":"A single net pen of up to 20,000 fish at one site (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Permitting began in 2018 and took about eight years, with operation hoped for early 2027 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"EPA issued a modified NPDES permit in May 2025 and the EPA Environmental Appeals Board had earlier found the original permit violated the Clean Water Act (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Up to 20,000 red drum would be raised for about a year in one submerged net pen about 40 miles off Sarasota (refs 2, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish permitted","value":20000,"unit":"red drum","status":"Reported","note":"One net pen over about 12 months (ref 3)."},{"name":"Distance offshore","value":40,"unit":"miles","status":"Reported","note":"Off Sarasota County (refs 1, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Ocean Era says more funding is needed because of rising costs (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Environmental Protection Agency Region 4","role":"NPDES permit issuer","contact":"https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-4-southeast"}],"public_contact":"EPA Region 4 public information office via epa.gov.","corrective_actions":["EPA modified the permit to red drum and fewer fish (ref 1).","Operator will monitor and publish environmental and social impacts (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EPA Issues Permit For Velella Epsilon Fish Farm Despite Strong Public Opposition","publisher":"Center for Food Safety","date":"2025-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/7026/epa-issues-permit-for-velella-epsilon-fish-farm-despite-strong-public-opposition","basis":"Advocacy group release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Offshore aquaculture demonstration clears final permitting hurdle in Gulf of Mexico","publisher":"Responsible Seafood Advocate","date":"2026-07-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.globalseafood.org/advocate/offshore-aquaculture-demonstration-clears-final-permitting-hurdle-in-gulf-of-mexico/","basis":"Trade press (operator-sourced)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Kona-based company bringing aquaculture to Florida","publisher":"Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Hawaii Tribune-Herald)","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/07/27/hawaii-news/kona-based-company-bringing-aquaculture-to-florida/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Appeals Board finds EPA permit for first-ever industrial aquaculture facility in federal waters violates Clean Water Act","publisher":"Center for Food Safety","date":"2022-05-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6625/appeals-board-finds-epa-permit-for-first-ever-industrial-aquaculture-facility-in-federal-waters-violates-clean-water-act","basis":"Advocacy group release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ocean Era says the Environmental Appeals Board appeals were 'ultimately rejected' (ref 2) while the Appeals Board's 2022 decision on the original permit found violations (ref 4); the 2025 modified permit's appeal outcome was not documented in an agency source."}],"missing_fields":["EPA's own permit page was not opened (404), so permit dates are not stated.","Army Corps of Engineers permit status not verified.","Coordinates are for Sarasota city; the net pen position is not published in the cited sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-FL-HURRICANEDISASTER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Florida Gulf fisheries hurricane disaster requests: Ian approved in 2026 after nearly four years, Idalia and 2024 storms still pending","description":"NOAA records that Commerce approved a fishery disaster for Florida shrimp, lobster and longline fisheries after Hurricane Ian on 28 July 2026, nearly four years after the 2022 request. Requests for Hurricane Idalia (September 2023) and Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton (August 2025) are listed as pending, and Mississippi's 2020 shrimp and oyster disaster received about 3.0 million dollars in January 2024.","location":{"name":"Florida Gulf coast fisheries","type":"Fishery disaster area","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Florida's Gulf coast, including the Big Bend and Gulf Coast peninsula, plus Mississippi shrimp and oyster fisheries (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Storm damage to fisheries and slow federal disaster relief processes.","secondary_drivers":["Hurricanes","Slow disaster determinations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The NOAA page lists the Ian request for shrimp, lobster (bullynet and diving) and pelagic longline finfish fisheries but gives no loss figures (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Commerce approved a disaster for the Ian-affected fisheries on 28 July 2026, with the allocation amount still blank (ref 1).","scale":"The requests cover Florida's Big Bend and Gulf coast peninsula, a state coastline rather than the whole sea (ref 1).","duration":"The Ian request was received 15 October 2022 and approved 28 July 2026; Idalia has been pending since 6 September 2023 (ref 1).","significance":"A federal fishery disaster determination was approved for Ian, an emergency-type declaration (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Hurricane Ian fishery disaster approved by the Secretary of Commerce on 28 July 2026; Idalia and the 2024 storms pending (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mississippi shrimp and oyster disaster allocation","value":2993283,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"Allocated 29 January 2024 for the 2020 disaster (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Florida shrimp, lobster and longline fisheries await relief allocation after Ian (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"One approval in 2026 while later requests remain pending (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (Secretary of Commerce determinations)","role":"Disaster determining agency","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/fishery-disaster-determinations"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries via the disaster determinations page.","corrective_actions":["Ian determination issued 28 July 2026; allocation of funds still to follow (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fishery Disaster Determinations (entries 125, 135, 165 and 117)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/fishery-disaster-determinations","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only the NOAA list page was opened; the determination letter PDF could not be read, and no news article was found.","Landings or revenue losses behind the requests are not in the cited page."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-MX-OCTOPUSMAYA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Campeche and Yucatan Octopus maya catches fall short: Campeche down in 2024, red tide in 2025, weak start to 2026","description":"Campeche fishermen reported only about 2,000 tonnes so far in mid-November 2024 against 8,000 to 9,000 normally, and the 2025 Yucatan catch of 25,462 tonnes was about 80 percent of the 32,000 tonne target in a season with a red tide. In September 2026 a cooperative federation president said August and early September 2026 catches were low and blamed in part illegal fishing in the closed season.","location":{"name":"Campeche Bank octopus fishery","type":"Fishery","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Yucatan and Campeche coasts, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico; Octopus maya fished from 1 August to 15 December (refs 2, 3).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":21.2833,"lon":-89.6667,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Weak catches of a managed octopus stock, with illegal off-season fishing reported.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal fishing","Red tide","Shifting octopus distribution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No official balance exists of how much of the 2026 decline is illegal fishing, environment or availability, but cooperatives report small octopus taken in breeding areas (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Campeche fishermen said only about 2,000 tonnes were caught against an expected 8,000 to 9,000, forcing trips of more than 80 miles (ref 1).","scale":"The finding concerns one stock fished off two Mexican states (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Weak seasons are reported in 2024 for Campeche and in 2026 for the region, while 2025 value rose (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"A federal decree raised the 2025 quota from 28,000 to 32,000 tonnes and Conapesca opened the 2026 season on 1 August (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Yucatan's 2025 catch was 25,462 tonnes against a 32,000 tonne quota for Campeche and Yucatan, about 80 percent (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Yucatan Octopus maya catch, 2025 season","value":25462,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"State figure; Conapesca reports 28,789 t for 2025 (refs 2, 4)."},{"name":"Campeche catch, 2024 season to mid-November (reported)","value":2000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 2,000 t against 8,000 to 9,000 t expected, per a cooperative president (ref 1); Conapesca later reports 8,951 t for Campeche in 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Red tide strip, Progreso to Celestun, Aug-Sep 2025","value":117,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Declared 12 Aug to 11 Sep 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Octopus sells around 120 pesos per kilogram, below expectations, and international sales are hard (ref 3).","Conapesca reports 2025 fishery value above 3,386 million pesos, up 57 percent on 2024 (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Weak Campeche 2024 and 2026 reports, but Campeche reached 8,951 t and fishery value rose 57 percent in 2025 (refs 1, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Conapesca (Comision Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca)","role":"Federal fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/conapesca"}],"public_contact":"Conapesca via gob.mx/conapesca.","corrective_actions":["Closed season from 16 December 2025 to 31 July 2026 and a ban on compressor diving for octopus (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Campeche faces octopus shortage, imports from Yucatan","publisher":"Riviera Maya News","date":"2024-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramayanews.mx/campeche-faces-octopus-shortage-imports-from-yucatan/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"La pesqueria yucateca de pulpo genero un valor comercial estimado en 1,762 millones de pesos (cierra la temporada con 25,462 toneladas)","publisher":"Diario de Yucatan","date":"2025-12-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yucatan.com.mx/yucatan/2025/12/20/cierra-la-temporada-de-pulpo-con-25462-toneladas.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Temporada de pulpo preocupa en Yucatan: agosto cerro con bajas capturas y septiembre no mejora","publisher":"Por Esto","date":"2026-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.poresto.com/yucatan/2026/9/12/temporada-de-pulpo-preocupa-en-yucatan-agosto-cerro-con-bajas-capturas-y-septiembre-no-mejora.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mil toneladas Yucatan coloca frente produccion pulpo Mexico (Conapesca 2025 production)","publisher":"Por Esto","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.poresto.com/yucatan/2026/10/9/mil-toneladas-yucatan-coloca-frente-produccion-pulpo-mexico.html","basis":"News (Spanish, citing Conapesca)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The state figure for Yucatan 2025 (25,462 t, ref 2) differs from Conapesca's annual figure (28,789 t, ref 4)."}],"missing_fields":["Sources are news reports in Spanish; no Conapesca or INAPESCA stock assessment was opened.","Coordinates are Progreso, Yucatan, not the fishing grounds."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-LA-MENHADENSPILLS-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Menhaden net spills leave about 850,000 dead fish off Cameron Parish, prompting a wider fishing buffer proposal","description":"Three purse-seine spills in mid-September 2023 dumped an estimated 850,000 menhaden off Cameron Parish, Louisiana, after a similar loss of about 900,000 fish in September 2022. State agents cited Omega Protein and Westbank Fishing, and Louisiana proposed moving menhaden boats from a quarter mile to one mile offshore.","location":{"name":"Cameron Parish coast (Holly Beach)","type":"Coastal fishery zone","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southwest Louisiana coast; the proposed rule adds 3-mile buffers off Rutherford Beach and Holly Beach (refs 1, 3).","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.7747,"lon":-93.4863,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Waste and bycatch from the Gulf menhaden reduction fishery near a recreational redfish coast.","secondary_drivers":["Reduction fishery","Net spills"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Boats spilled an estimated 850,000 menhaden onto Cameron Parish beaches in three incidents over four days in September 2023 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Anglers argue the fishery harms redfish spawning grounds but no closure or loss is documented in the cited reports (ref 1).","scale":"The spills were along one parish coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"A similar spill of about 900,000 fish occurred in September 2022 (ref 4), and sportsmen say kills have recurred for years (ref 2).","significance":"LDWF cited Omega Protein for failing to report releases within two hours and Westbank Fishing for excessive killing of fish (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 850,000 menhaden were dumped in three spills off Cameron Parish, 11 to 15 September 2023 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Menhaden released, Sept 2023","value":850000,"unit":"fish","status":"Estimated","note":"News estimate in AP and KPLC reports (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Proposed offshore buffer","value":1,"unit":"mile","status":"Reported","note":"Up from a quarter mile (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Louisiana menhaden landings exceed 611 million pounds worth 66.4 million dollars a year (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries","role":"State fishery manager","contact":"https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov"}],"public_contact":"LDWF general contact via wlf.louisiana.gov.","corrective_actions":["LDWF proposed a one mile buffer, 3 mile buffers off Grand Isle, Rutherford Beach and Holly Beach, and cleanup within 12 hours (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Louisiana officials seek to push menhaden fishing boats 1 mile offshore after dead fish wash up","publisher":"Associated Press / American Press","date":"2023-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://americanpress.com/?p=271611","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Calls for change after recent fish kills","publisher":"KPLC","date":"2023-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kplctv.com/2023/09/27/calls-change-after-recent-fish-kills","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Two commercial fishing companies cited for fishing violations","publisher":"Louisiana Sportsman","date":"2023-10-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.louisianasportsman.com/?p=153355","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Dump of Menhaden in Gulf Brings Latest Calls for Regulation","publisher":"Biz New Orleans / AP","date":"2022-09-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bizneworleans.com/dump-of-menhaden-in-gulf-brings-latest-calls-for-regulation/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"KPLC (ref 2) names Omega Protein and Daybrook Fisheries; AP (ref 1) and LDWF citations (ref 3) name Omega Protein and Westbank Fishing as the companies."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission adopted the buffer rule, and any later spills, were not verified: all sources are from September to October 2023, at the very start of the research window.","Coordinates are for Holly Beach, named in the proposal; the spills were off Cameron Parish."],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ranking of the 2026 zone: the NOAA release says 2nd smallest in 40 years, GCOOS says third smallest since 1985 (refs 3, 4)."},{"note":"June 2026 forecast: NOAA 7,027 sq mi versus LSU 7,532 sq mi (refs 1, 2); the measured 2026 size beat both."},{"note":"NOAA release page opened (ref 3) did not give cruise dates or the five-year average after 2026; the GCOOS cruise dates of 24-30 July are not confirmed by NOAA."}],"missing_fields":["Five-year average after the 2026 measurement not found in opened pages","No point coordinates: the zone is an area, not a site"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-LATXSHELF-HYPOXIA-2026","title":"Gulf hypoxic zone off Louisiana and Texas measured at 6,705 sq mi in 2024, 4,402 in 2025 and 1,332 in 2026","description":"NOAA-supported summer cruises led by LUMCON measured the bottom-water low-oxygen zone off Louisiana and Texas at about 6,705 square miles in July 2024, 4,402 in July 2025 and 1,332 in July 2026. The 2026 zone came in far below the June forecasts of 7,027 (NOAA) and 7,532 (LSU) square miles; GCOOS attributes the small size to below-average river discharge and Tropical Storm Bertha mixing the water column. The Hypoxia Task Force goal is a five-year average below 1,900 square miles by 2035; the average stood at 4,755 after the 2025 measurement.","location":{"name":"Louisiana-Texas continental shelf","type":"Seasonal hypoxic zone (dead zone)","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Bottom waters of the northern Gulf shelf off Louisiana and Texas, fed by the Mississippi-Atchafalaya river basin nutrient load.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Agricultural nutrient runoff drives algal growth whose decay strips oxygen from bottom water each summer.","secondary_drivers":["Mississippi-Atchafalaya basin nitrogen load","River discharge variability","Tropical storm mixing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA defines the zone as seafloor water at 2 mg/L oxygen or less; in 2025 about 2.8 million acres of habitat were unavailable to fish and bottom-dwelling species (ref 6).","livelihoods":"LSU says low oxygen stresses or kills fish, shrimp and crabs, and NOAA says it drives fish and shrimp out of the area (refs 2, 5); no closure is documented in the cited pages.","scale":"The zone covers shelf bottom waters off Louisiana and Texas, a national coastline segment rather than the whole Gulf (ref 4).","duration":"Measured every summer since 1985 (38 years of measurement by 2024, 40 by 2026) (refs 7, 3), so chronic and recurring.","significance":"The Mississippi River/Gulf Hypoxia Task Force has a formal goal of a five-year average below 1,900 sq mi by 2035; the 2025 average of 4,755 sq mi is more than twice that (ref 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA-supported scientists announced that the 2026 Gulf hypoxic zone is approximately 1,332 square miles, against 4,402 in 2025 and 6,705 in 2024; the 2035 goal is a five-year average below 1,900 square miles."},"measures":[{"name":"Measured hypoxic zone, July 2024","value":6705,"unit":"sq mi","status":"Reported","note":"12th largest in 38 years; cruise 21-26 July 2024 on RV Pelican (ref 7)."},{"name":"Measured hypoxic zone, July 2025","value":4402,"unit":"sq mi","status":"Reported","note":"15th smallest in 39 years; cruise 20-25 July 2025; 21% below the June forecast (ref 6)."},{"name":"Measured hypoxic zone, July 2026","value":1332,"unit":"sq mi","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA release: 2nd smallest in 40 years; GCOOS: third smallest, cruise 24-30 July 2026 (refs 3, 4)."},{"name":"Five-year average after the 2025 measurement","value":4755,"unit":"sq mi","status":"Reported","note":"More than twice the 2035 target (ref 5)."},{"name":"NOAA June 2026 forecast","value":7027,"unit":"sq mi","status":"Reported","note":"Forecast made with May 2026 river discharge about 36% below average (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hypoxia Task Force goal","value":1900,"unit":"sq mi (five-year average, by 2035)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 5."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fish and shrimp are driven out of the hypoxic area (ref 5).","LSU notes low oxygen stresses or kills fish, shrimp and crabs (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Measured size swung from 6,705 (2024) to 4,402 (2025) to 1,332 square miles (2026); GCOOS ties 2026 to a tropical storm and low river flow rather than a lasting nutrient cut, and LSU says Mississippi nitrate loading has not significantly decreased since the 2001 plan (refs 4, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Mississippi River/Gulf of America Hypoxia Task Force","role":"Sets the 2035 goal and Action Plan","contact":null},{"name":"NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science","role":"Funds and publishes the annual forecast and measurement","contact":"https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/"},{"name":"Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)","role":"Leads the monitoring cruise","contact":null}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["The Hypoxia Task Force targets a five-year average dead zone of 1,900 square miles by 2035 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NOAA forecasts an above-average summer dead zone in Gulf of America","publisher":"NOAA National Ocean Service","date":"2026-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/jun26/summer-dead-zone.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"2026 'Dead Zone' May Remain Three Times Larger than the Goal Established in 2001","publisher":"LSU Center for Coastal Ecosystems","date":"2026-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lsu.edu/cce/mediacenter/news/2026/6/turner_hypoxiaforecast.php","basis":"University forecast release"},{"ref":3,"title":"NOAA and partners find smaller-than-anticipated hypoxic zone in Gulf of America","publisher":"Gulf Hypoxia / NOAA release","date":"2026-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfhypoxia.net/2026/08/","basis":"Agency release (mirror)"},{"ref":4,"title":"2026 Dead Zone Smaller than Average Following Tropical Storm","publisher":"GCOOS","date":"2026-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcoos.org/2026-dead-zone-report/","basis":"Regional observing system report"},{"ref":5,"title":"Below Average Summer 2025 'Dead Zone' Measured in Gulf","publisher":"NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science","date":"2025-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/?p=97413","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":6,"title":"NOAA says Gulf of Mexico dead zone is smaller this year","publisher":"UPI","date":"2025-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2025/07/31/science-NOAA-Gulf-Mexico-dead-zone-smaller-this-year/9181753984279/","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Larger Than Average","publisher":"Ocean News & Technology","date":"2024-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceannews.com/news/science-technology/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-larger-than-average/","basis":"News (NOAA release)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Gulf 'dead zone' is larger than average this year, the size of New Jersey","publisher":"WWNO","date":"2024-08-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wwno.org/coastal-desk/2024-08-02/gulf-dead-zone-is-larger-than-average-this-year-the-size-of-new-jersey","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Shutdown delay: NTSB page says the system indicated a leak for more than 11 hours; AP says nearly 13 hours before the shutdown (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Shoreline and wildlife impact figures not found in opened pages","PHMSA primary press release returned HTTP 403; penalty details taken from trade news"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-MAINPASS-MPOGSPILL-2023","title":"Main Pass Oil Gathering pipeline released 1.1 million gallons of crude; record $9.6 million penalty proposed","description":"An 18-inch subsea pipeline of the Main Pass Oil Gathering system released about 1.1 million gallons of crude oil on 15 November 2023 in Louisiana state waters southeast of Venice. The NTSB found a fitting lost its seal after geohazard-driven pipeline movement and that the control room did not shut the system down despite leak indications. PHMSA issued a notice of probable violation on 31 December 2025 and proposed a $9,622,054 civil penalty, which it calls the largest ever proposed in a pipeline safety case; the operator disputes parts of it.","location":{"name":"Main Pass Oil Gathering pipeline, Main Pass 69","type":"Offshore oil pipeline","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Louisiana state waters of the Gulf, southeast of Venice, Plaquemines Parish area.","coordinates":{"lat":29.297222,"lon":-88.718056,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A subsea crude oil pipeline failure released oil to Gulf waters.","secondary_drivers":["Geohazards and hurricane-driven seabed movement","Delayed control-room shutdown"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The NTSB page records about 1.1 million gallons of crude released from the pipeline into Louisiana state waters, and AP-reported NTSB figures put the damage at $30 million (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"None of the cited pages (refs 1-4) describes a fishery closure, beach closure or shipping restriction.","scale":"A single pipeline segment near Main Pass 69, a site-level release (ref 1).","duration":"Release on 15 November 2023 with flow stopped by about 9 a.m. the next day (ref 2), but the legal and enforcement process ran to at least 31 December 2025 (ref 4), so the issue spans months.","significance":"PHMSA issued a 22-page Notice of Probable Violation on 31 December 2025, proposed a $9,622,054 penalty and a compliance order, and the NTSB issued a final report on 26 June 2025 (refs 4, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 1.1 million gallons of crude oil released from an 18-inch underwater pipeline on 15 November 2023 (NTSB); PHMSA proposed a $9,622,054 civil penalty."},"measures":[{"name":"Crude oil released","value":1100000,"unit":"gallons","status":"Reported","note":"NTSB investigation page (ref 1)."},{"name":"Proposed PHMSA civil penalty","value":9622054,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"Proposed, not final (ref 4)."},{"name":"Time the system indicated a leak without shutdown","value":11,"unit":"hours (minimum)","status":"Reported","note":"NTSB: more than 11 hours; AP: nearly 13 hours (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"NTSB damage estimate","value":30000000,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by AP via WWNO (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Operator Third Coast said it was \"taken aback\" by the size of the proposed fine and will address allegations with the agency (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single event with a regulatory follow-up; NTSB lists a fitting-monitoring program and leak detection system adopted by the operator (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Panther Operating Company LLC / Third Coast Infrastructure","role":"Pipeline operator and owner","contact":null},{"name":"PHMSA","role":"Pipeline safety regulator","contact":null},{"name":"NTSB","role":"Accident investigator","contact":"https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/PLD24FR001.aspx"}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["PHMSA proposed a compliance order requiring the operator to evaluate and protect the pipeline from geological and geotechnical hazards (ref 4).","NTSB lists a monitoring program for the fittings and a leak detection system, with PHMSA overseeing changes to the risk management program (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Third Coast Infrastructure LLC Crude Oil Release (PLD24FR001)","publisher":"NTSB","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/PLD24FR001.aspx","basis":"Agency investigation page"},{"ref":2,"title":"NTSB says company failed to shut down oil pipeline for nearly 13 hours after pressure dropped","publisher":"WWNO (AP)","date":"2025-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wwno.org/coastal-desk/2025-06-27/ntsb-says-company-failed-to-shut-down-oil-pipeline-for-nearly-13-hours-after-pressure-dropped","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"\"Largest civil penalty ever\" imposed for offshore oil pipeline leak","publisher":"Offshore Magazine","date":"2026-01-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-mag.com/pipelines/news/55341786/largest-civil-penalty-ever-imposed-for-offshore-oil-pipeline-leak","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Feds Seek $9.6M for Pipeline Spill into Gulf","publisher":"HazmatNation","date":"2026-02-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hazmatnation.com/news/feds-seek-9-6m-for-pipeline-spill-into-gulf/","basis":"Trade news (PHMSA notice)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Taylor Energy has disputed that the leak is active and attributes remaining plumes to contaminated sediment; NCCOS and government officials found active releases from the wells (refs 3, 5)."},{"note":"Distance from the delta: Coast Guard release says about 11 miles south of the Louisiana shoreline, NOAA DARRP says about 13 miles from the river mouth (refs 2, 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No leak-rate or collection figure newer than July 2022 found in opened pages"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-MC20-TAYLORLEAK-2004","title":"Taylor Energy MC-20 wells still leak oil after 2004 platform collapse; Coast Guard containment continues","description":"Oil has leaked from wells buried at the collapsed Taylor Energy platform in Mississippi Canyon Block 20 since Hurricane Ivan toppled it in 2004. NOAA page updated in February 2025 states the spill remains active, with a Coast Guard-hired containment system capturing much of the oil and a permanent fix still being worked out. NCCOS estimated the release at 9 to 108 barrels a day in 2019 and the containment system passed 1 million gallons collected in July 2022.","location":{"name":"Taylor Energy MC-20 site","type":"Offshore wellsite (collapsed platform)","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Mississippi Canyon Block 20, about 11 to 13 miles off the Mississippi River delta, Louisiana, in about 490 feet of water.","coordinates":{"lat":28.93583,"lon":-88.97,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Chronic crude oil release from buried wells reaching the Gulf surface.","secondary_drivers":["Hurricane Ivan mudslide (2004)","Unplugged wells"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"NCCOS measured active releases from the wells of 9 to 108 barrels a day against Taylor Energy's 3 to 5 gallons, and NOAA reports slicks up to 30 miles long (refs 3, 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or community disruption appears in the cited pages (refs 1-4).","scale":"The source is a single wellsite in Mississippi Canyon Block 20 (ref 2).","duration":"Leaking since the platform toppled in Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and still active in the February 2025 NOAA update (refs 2, 1).","significance":"The Coast Guard issued a Notice of Federal Assumption in November 2018 and a settlement was finalized on 18 March 2022 with $16.5 million for natural resource restoration (refs 4, 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The containment system reached 1,016,929 gallons of oil collected as of 12 July 2022, averaging about 900 gallons a day, with the spill described as still active in NOAA's February 2025 update."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil collected by containment system, to 12 July 2022","value":1016929,"unit":"gallons","status":"Reported","note":"Coast Guard figure reported by MarineLink (ref 2)."},{"name":"Average collection rate (2022)","value":900,"unit":"gallons per day","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"NCCOS estimated flow from wells (2019), upper bound","value":108,"unit":"barrels per day","status":"Estimated","note":"Range 9 to 108 barrels (378 to 4,536 gallons) a day by NCCOS flow measurement; Taylor Energy had estimated 3 to 5 gallons a day (ref 3)."},{"name":"Natural resource restoration funding","value":16500000,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"Settlement finalized 18 March 2022 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The leak is contained in part but still active; NOAA gives no newer leak rate (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Coast Guard","role":"Federal on-scene coordinator for containment","contact":null},{"name":"NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (DARRP)","role":"Scientific support and damage assessment","contact":"https://darrp.noaa.gov/node/401"},{"name":"Taylor Energy LLC","role":"Former platform owner","contact":null}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["Coast Guard-hired Couvillion Group subsea containment system operating since 2019 (refs 1, 2).","Permanent decommissioning plan for the wells still in development (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taylor Energy | Oil Spills | DARRP","publisher":"NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program","date":"2025-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://darrp.noaa.gov/node/401","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"One Million Gallons Collected from US' Longest Running Oil Spill","publisher":"MarineLink","date":"2022-07-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ws16.marinelink.com/news/one-million-gallons-collected-us-longest-498034","basis":"News (Coast Guard release)"},{"ref":3,"title":"NCCOS Scientists Publish Flow Rates for 14-year-long Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico","publisher":"NOAA NCCOS","date":"2019-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dev.coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/mc20report/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Coast Guard Working to Contain MC20 Leak","publisher":"Marine Technology News","date":"2018-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinetechnologynews.com/news/coast-guard-working-contain-583903","basis":"News (Coast Guard release)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Taylor Energy oil spill","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Energy_oil_spill","basis":"Reference (coordinates and depth only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Lake Okeechobee releases (freshwater, excluded here) were cited by a Sarasota Bay Estuary Program director as making red tides worse, not creating them (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["FWC bloom-level cell counts for the event not obtained; cell figure is from a local research foundation sample cited by WGCU","No fish kill tonnage found in opened pages"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-SWFLORIDA-REDTIDE-2025","title":"Karenia brevis red tide bloom after Hurricane Milton spread over 200 miles of Florida's southwest Gulf coast","description":"A Karenia brevis bloom that began near Tampa Bay after Hurricane Milton in October 2024 stretched more than 200 miles from Tampa Bay to Key West by early February 2025, with Lee and Charlotte counties at its centre. Local health departments advised against more than a dozen beaches, and dead fish, eels and a few sea turtles washed ashore between Sarasota and Key West. WGCU reported the bloom had dissipated by mid-March 2025, and FWC reported only background to very low K. brevis levels on 9 October 2026.","location":{"name":"Tampa Bay to Key West, Florida Gulf coast","type":"Coastal waters (harmful algal bloom)","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southwest Florida Gulf coast, centred on Lee and Charlotte counties, Sanibel and Captiva islands.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A nutrient-fed marine algal bloom with toxins and fish kills.","secondary_drivers":["Hurricane Milton runoff","Nutrient upwelling after Hurricanes Helene and Milton"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Dead fish, eels and a few sea turtles washed up on beaches from Sarasota to Key West, and sampling at two Lee County beaches found about 22 million cells per litre (refs 2, 1).","livelihoods":"Health departments advised avoiding more than a dozen beaches in Lee County, with alerts at Collier beaches and Monroe County cautions (ref 1).","scale":"The bloom spanned more than 200 miles of coast from Tampa Bay to Key West (ref 1).","duration":"Started offshore after Hurricane Milton in October 2024 and had dissipated by mid-March 2025, about five months (ref 2).","significance":"County health departments issued formal beach health alerts, and Lee County lifted nearly a dozen of them in March 2025 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bloom stretching more than 200 miles from Tampa Bay to Key West, with about 22 million Karenia brevis cells per litre at two Lee County beaches (above 1 million is considered high)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bloom length along the coast","value":200,"unit":"miles (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"WGCU, 2 February 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak sampled K. brevis concentration","value":22000000,"unit":"cells per litre","status":"Reported","note":"SCCF samples at Algiers Beach and Tarpon Bay Road Beach, Lee County (ref 1)."},{"name":"Lee County beaches with alerts lifted in March 2025","value":20,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly a dozen alerts covering 20 beaches from Boca Grande Pass to Bonita Beach (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Beach advisories across Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Monroe counties (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"By mid-March 2025 sampling showed the bloom had dissipated; FWC reported background to very low K. brevis in 11 samples on 9 October 2026 and no suspected red tide fish kills that week (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","role":"Red tide monitoring and status reports","contact":"https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/"},{"name":"Florida Department of Health in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties","role":"Beach health alerts","contact":null}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["County health departments issued and then lifted beach alerts as sampling cleared (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Swath of red tide forms along Southwest Florida coast from Tampa Bay to Key West","publisher":"WGCU","date":"2025-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wgcu.org/section/environment/2025-02-02/swath-of-red-tide-forms-along-southwest-florida-coast-from-tampa-bay-to-key-west","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Beach advisories cancelled as red tide from Tampa Bay to Key West fades","publisher":"WGCU","date":"2025-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wgcu.org/section/environment/2025-03-15/beach-advisories-cancelled-as-red-tide-from-tampa-bay-to-key-west-fades","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Red tide status (statewide)","publisher":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/","basis":"Agency status page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Origin: Pemex denied any leak on 2 March and the Veracruz governor and President attributed the oil to a private ship (refs 8, 4); the 16 April communique says the scientific group found evidence of a February spill in the Abkatun-Cantarell zone and Pemex found an unreported pipeline integrity loss at the same site (ref 1). Pemex had also pointed to a reactivation of natural seeps (ref 2)."},{"note":"Extent: 170 km of Veracruz coast on 5 March (ref 3) versus about 630 km by late March (refs 6, 1)."},{"note":"Wildlife: environmental groups reported at least 12 dead animals including 7 turtles and 3 dolphins, which Veracruz authorities said were not linked to the spill, and the communique says no mass death of any species was observed (refs 6, 1)."},{"note":"Cleanup status: Pemex reported 85% progress in March while the Reef Corridor network said most beaches had not been cleaned (ref 4)."},{"note":"A widely shared slick map was an illustrative infographic, not a satellite image (ref 6)."}],"missing_fields":["Spill volume not reported in any opened source","Coordinates are NOAA's approximate estimate of the Campeche Bay release location, not a surveyed site","Ek-Balam and Cantarell field leaks and the 2023 Nohoch-A fire not independently sourced in this pass"],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-PARAISO-DOSBOCAS-2025"],"id":"OC-GOM-ABKATUN-PEMEXSPILL-2026","title":"Crude from an Abkatun-Cantarell pipeline leak oils the Veracruz and Tabasco coast; Pemex officials removed","description":"Oil appeared on beaches in Tabasco and southern Veracruz from 2 March 2026 and later reached Tamaulipas; a coalition mapped 51 contaminated sites and about 630 km of affected coastline. After weeks of denials by Pemex, a joint government communique of 16 April 2026 said satellite and drift analysis pointed to a February spill in the Abkatun-Cantarell zone, that Pemex had found an unreported pipeline integrity loss at that site, and that three Pemex officials were removed. About 915 tonnes of oily waste had been collected and an investigation and complaint to the Attorney General are open.","location":{"name":"Abkatun-Cantarell to Veracruz-Tabasco coast","type":"Offshore pipeline release and coastline","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Campeche Sound release; oil reached beaches and lagoons from Paraiso, Tabasco to Veracruz, including Laguna del Ostion, and later southern Tamaulipas.","coordinates":{"lat":18.7932,"lon":-93.4042,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","coastal-habitats","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Crude oil from an offshore pipeline reached a long stretch of coast.","secondary_drivers":["Pipeline mechanical integrity loss","Delayed valve closure","Natural seeps raised by Pemex as a possible factor"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Reef Corridor network counted 51 contaminated sites (42 in Veracruz, 9 in Tabasco), oil reached the Laguna del Ostion where it affects oysters, shrimp and mangroves, and about 915 tonnes of oily waste were collected (refs 6, 3, 1).","livelihoods":"Access to beaches and the Laguna del Ostion was closed (ref 8), about 14,000 people in three Veracruz municipalities depend on fishing and tourism (ref 3), and 3,379 fishers received 15,000-peso payments (ref 1).","scale":"Cleanup patrols covered about 630 km of Gulf of Mexico coast across Campeche, Tabasco, Veracruz and Tamaulipas (ref 1).","duration":"Leak detected 6 February, valve closed 14 February, oil ashore from 2 March and cleanup still running at the 16 April communique (refs 1, 4).","significance":"ASEA filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General on 27 March, three Pemex officials were separated from their posts on 16 April, and the President ordered an investigation (refs 2, 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":14000,"status":"Reported","note":"People in Pajapan, Mecayapan and Tatahuicapan who depend directly or indirectly on fishing and tourism, per UnoTV citing the Reef Corridor network (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 915 tonnes of hydrocarbon-contaminated waste collected and 630 km of coastline covered by cleanup patrols across 48 beaches as of the 16 April 2026 joint communique."},"measures":[{"name":"Contaminated waste collected","value":915,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Joint government communique, 16 April 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastline covered by recurring cleanup patrols","value":630,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1; the Reef Corridor network gave 630 km as the affected length (ref 6)."},{"name":"Contaminated sites mapped by Reef Corridor network","value":51,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"42 in Veracruz and 9 in Tabasco (refs 6, 7)."},{"name":"Oily water concealed in containment barriers","value":350,"unit":"m3 (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Pemex director general's own findings listed in the communique (ref 1)."},{"name":"Days between leak detection and main valve closure","value":8,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Detected 6 February, valve closed 14 February per the communique (ref 1)."},{"name":"Crude recovered at separate Dos Bocas refinery spill","value":549000,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"Distinct event, 21-22 March 2026, reported by OPIS (ref 7)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishermen reported damaged nets and boats during Lent (ref 3).","Pemex committed 30 million pesos to Veracruz fishing cooperatives (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Latest sourced status is the 16 April 2026 communique; NGOs said oil kept arriving after northerly winds in late March (ref 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex)","role":"Operator of the Abkatun-Cantarell infrastructure","contact":null},{"name":"ASEA (Agencia de Seguridad, Energia y Ambiente)","role":"Hydrocarbon safety and environment regulator","contact":null},{"name":"Profepa and Semarnat","role":"Environmental enforcement and damage assessment","contact":null},{"name":"Secretaria de Marina","role":"Leads the response","contact":null}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["Interagency group with more than 3,000 personnel; 5,100 m of containment barriers; 48 beaches attended (ref 1).","Three Pemex officials separated and a complaint filed with the Attorney General (ref 1).","A Permanent Gulf of Mexico Observatory was established for early warning and monitoring (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Comunicado conjunto: separan a 3 funcionarios de cargo por derrame en Golfo de Mexico","publisher":"Marina, Semarnat, Sener, SECIHTI, Pemex, Profepa, ASEA, Conanp, Conapesca","date":"2026-04-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://lopezdoriga.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/comunicado-conjunto-160426.pdf","basis":"Official joint government communique (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Grupo interinstitucional actualiza avances tras derrame en el Golfo","publisher":"Quadratin Mexico","date":"2026-03-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mexico.quadratin.com.mx/grupo-interinstitucional-actualiza-avances-tras-derrame-en-el-golfo","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Derrame de petroleo contamina 170 km de costa entre Veracruz y Tabasco; pescadores denuncian perdidas economicas","publisher":"UnoTV","date":"2026-03-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unotv.com/nacional/derrame-de-petroleo-contamina-170-km-de-costa-entre-veracruz-y-tabasco-pescadores-denuncian-perdidas-economicas/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Profepa, ASEA y Pemex evaluaran danos en Veracruz y Tabasco por derrame de crudo","publisher":"Excelsior","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/profepa-asea-y-pemex-evaluaran-danos-veracruz-y-tabasco-por-derrame-crudo","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Oil Spill; Bay of Campeche, Mexico","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11139","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":6,"title":"A 25 dias del derrame de petroleo en el Golfo de Mexico: 630 kilometros afectados y sin origen claro","publisher":"Grupo Animal","date":"2026-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://grupoanimal.mx/explicaciones/a-25-dias-del-derrame-de-petroleo-en-el-golfo-de-mexico","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":7,"title":"Pemex Reports Second Oil Spill at Dos Bocas Refinery and Larger Offshore Release","publisher":"OPIS","date":"2026-03-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.opis.com/resources/energy-market-news-from-opis/pemex-reports-second-oil-spill-at-dos-bocas-refinery-and-larger-offshore-release/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":8,"title":"Rocio Nahle atribuyo derrame de petroleo que llego a Veracruz a un barco privado","publisher":"El Imparcial","date":"2026-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elimparcial.com/mexico/2026/03/12/rocio-nahle-atribuyo-derrame-de-petroleo-que-llego-a-veracruz-a-un-barco-privado-agencia-de-seguridad-energia-y-ambiente-evaluara-posibles-sanciones/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Deaths in the 6 April fire: N+ says two workers died, Diario de Yucatan (EFE) says one died and nine were injured (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["No Pemex or regulator statement on the slick in opened pages","No coordinates from a public source opened in this pass"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-AKALB-PEMEXSPILL-2024","title":"NGOs report an unacknowledged oil slick near Pemex Akal-B platform after the April 2024 explosion","description":"Greenpeace Mexico and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law said satellite images showed oil leaking near Pemex's Akal-B platform in the Campeche Sound from about 22 March 2024 and still ongoing on 9 April, covering at least about 390 km2. Pemex said a fire at the platform on 6 April started in the process center and was under control in a little over an hour. The slick claim comes from the NGOs and authorities had not reported the spill in the cited articles.","location":{"name":"Akal-B platform, Campeche Sound","type":"Offshore production platform","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Pemex Cantarell/Campeche Sound offshore field, Gulf of Mexico off Campeche state.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Alleged crude release at an offshore production platform.","secondary_drivers":["Platform fire and explosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"NGO satellite analysis cited a hydrocarbon slick of at least about 390 km2; no ecological damage is documented in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither article reports a fishery or tourism disruption from the slick.","scale":"The slick is tied to one platform area in the Campeche Sound (ref 1).","duration":"NGOs counted 18 days of continuous leakage from 22 March to 9 April 2024 (ref 1).","significance":"Only NGO statements; the articles carry no Pemex or regulator statement on the slick, so no formal notice exists in these sources (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NGOs estimate the oil covers a minimum surface of about 390 km2 and leaked for at least 18 days."},"measures":[{"name":"Minimum slick area claimed by NGOs","value":390,"unit":"km2","status":"Estimated","note":"Satellite analysis by Greenpeace Mexico and Cemda, as reported 12 April 2024 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Days of continuous leakage claimed","value":18,"unit":"days","status":"Estimated","note":"22 March to 9 April 2024 per NGOs (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No later reporting on whether the leak was contained was found in opened pages."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex)","role":"Platform operator","contact":null},{"name":"ASEA (Agencia de Seguridad, Energia y Ambiente)","role":"Regulator named by NGOs","contact":null}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["Pemex activated its emergency response plan for the fire (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Organizaciones Civiles Denuncian Derrame de Petroleo en Sonda de Campeche","publisher":"N+ (Televisa)","date":"2024-04-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nmas.com.mx/medio-ambiente/organizaciones-civiles-denuncian-derrame-de-petroleo-en-sonda-de-campeche/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Organizaciones piden se tomen responsabilidades por derrame de petroleo","publisher":"Diario de Yucatan (EFE)","date":"2024-04-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yucatan.com.mx/mexico/2024/04/12/organizaciones-piden-se-tomen-responsabilidades-por-derrame-de-petroleo.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Volume at Southwest Pass 24 (January 2026) is listed as about 10 barrels \"total amount at risk\", not a confirmed release (ref 3)."},{"note":"The Main Pass 65 incident (April 2026) is in the same area but its page names no responsible party, so it is not counted (NOAA incident 11152)."}],"missing_fields":["No BSEE or Coast Guard enforcement outcome found","All sources are one publisher (NOAA IncidentNews); no independent news coverage opened","Incident pages are initial notifications and may be updated"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-MISSDELTA-TPICSPILLS-2026","title":"Eight oil spills at TPIC facilities in the Mississippi delta oil fields from November 2025 to August 2026","description":"NOAA IncidentNews logged eight spills linked to Texas Petroleum Investment Company (TPIC) pipelines, flow lines, wells, a tank and a platform in the South Pass and Main Pass blocks between November 2025 and August 2026. Reported releases include 50, 15, 50 and 150 barrels of crude, with marsh oiled in at least three of them. The pages are initial incident notifications; no penalty or enforcement action was found in the cited pages.","location":{"name":"South Pass and Main Pass oil fields, Mississippi delta","type":"Offshore and marsh oil production area","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, around Pilottown, Port Eads and Empire, and Gulf blocks east of the delta.","coordinates":{"lat":29.0785,"lon":-89.2842,"precision":"site","source_ref":8},"points":[{"lat":29.0785,"lon":-89.2842,"precision":"site","source_ref":8,"role":"Aug 2026 150 bbl crude into marsh, South Pass 24","name":"South Pass 24 flowline"},{"lat":29.0885,"lon":-89.2752,"precision":"site","source_ref":2,"role":"Jan 2026 15 bbl, SL 1923 #28 well","name":"SL 1923 #28 well, South Pass 24 field"},{"lat":29,"lon":-89.2848,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"Jan 2026 about 10 bbl flow line spill","name":"Southwest Pass 24"},{"lat":29.0403,"lon":-89.3287,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Nov 2025 50 bbl into marsh","name":"South Pass 24 flowline"},{"lat":29.5063,"lon":-89.4128,"precision":"site","source_ref":4,"role":"Apr 2026 gas lift line leak","name":"Main Pass 33"},{"lat":29.2008,"lon":-89.047,"precision":"site","source_ref":5,"role":"May 2026 15 bbl crude pipeline spill","name":"Main Pass 69 pipeline"},{"lat":29.2025,"lon":-89.04,"precision":"site","source_ref":6,"role":"May 2026 50 bbl crude from out-of-service tank","name":"Main Pass 69 Central"},{"lat":29.2388,"lon":-89.0763,"precision":"site","source_ref":7,"role":"Jun 2026 platform spill with potential 25 nm slick","name":"Main Pass 81"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Repeated crude releases from ageing production infrastructure into marsh and delta waters.","secondary_drivers":["Flow line and injection line failures","Tank leak"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Crude oiled about 0.5 acre of marsh in November 2025 (ref 1), 0.65 acre of flotant marsh in January 2026 (ref 2) and 150 barrels went into marsh and an adjacent waterway in August 2026 (ref 8).","livelihoods":"None of the eight incident pages reports a closure or fishery disruption.","scale":"All sites sit in the South Pass and Main Pass blocks of the delta, a local area (refs 1-8).","duration":"Recurring over nine months, from 11 November 2025 to 26 August 2026 (refs 1, 8).","significance":"Each spill drew a Coast Guard response and an NOAA incident report, and BSEE flew an overflight at Main Pass 81 (refs 7, 5); no violation or penalty is cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Eight NOAA incident reports from 11 November 2025 to 26 August 2026 name TPIC lines or facilities; seven give a volume (one of 0.16 gallons), the largest 150 barrels of crude in August 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"TPIC-linked incident reports, Nov 2025 to Aug 2026","value":8,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 1-8."},{"name":"Largest reported release","value":150,"unit":"barrels","status":"Reported","note":"South Pass 24, August 2026 (ref 8)."},{"name":"Sum of reported crude volumes","value":290,"unit":"barrels","status":"Estimated","note":"Sum of 50 + 15 + 10 (at risk) + 15 + 50 + 150 from refs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8; the Main Pass 81 report gave 0.16 gallons."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Nine months of notifications; no baseline of earlier years was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Texas Petroleum Investment Company (TPIC)","role":"Named responsible party or facility operator in the reports","contact":null},{"name":"U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans","role":"Receives notifications and oversees response","contact":null},{"name":"BSEE","role":"Overflight at Main Pass 81","contact":null}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["Sources secured and oil spill response organisations deployed; in-situ burns proposed or applied in Nov 2025, Jan 2026 and Aug 2026 reports (refs 1, 2, 8)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Flowline Leak and In Situ Burn; South Pass 24, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2025-11-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11084","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Crude Oil Release at TPIC SL 1923 #28 Well; Pilottown, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-01-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11099","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Oil Spill from TPIC Flow Line, Southwest Pass 24; Port Eads, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11107","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Oil Spill at TPIC Main Pass 33; Gulf, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11153","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":5,"title":"Spill from TPIC Pipeline, Main Pass 69; Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-05-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11162","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":6,"title":"Oil Spill from Out-of-service Tank at TPIC Main Pass 69 facility; Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11161","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":7,"title":"TPIC Oil Spill, Main Pass 81; Gulf of America","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11168","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":8,"title":"Crude Oil Spill and In-Situ Burn at TPIC; South Pass 24, Pilottown, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11211","basis":"Agency incident report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Volume at South Pass 28 not stated","The page does not use the word orphaned; \"no viable responsible party\" is the page's wording","Only NOAA incident pages opened; no independent coverage or BSEE orphan-well figures"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-MISSDELTA-ABANDONEDWELLS-2026","title":"Abandoned wellheads with no viable owner leak crude in the Mississippi delta at West Bay and South Pass 28","description":"NOAA IncidentNews reports an abandoned wellhead in West Bay near Pilottown releasing as much as one barrel of crude a day in January and February 2026, with the Coast Guard placing a coffer dam around it and planning repairs. The page states the wellhead is abandoned with no viable responsible party. An earlier report from August 2025 describes an abandoned Whitney wellhead discharging oil at South Pass 28 near Port Eads, which the Coast Guard contracted a cleanup firm to secure.","location":{"name":"West Bay and South Pass 28, Mississippi delta","type":"Abandoned wellhead","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, near Pilottown and Port Eads.","coordinates":{"lat":29.13017,"lon":-89.30283,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":29.13017,"lon":-89.30283,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Abandoned leaking well, West Bay (Jan-Feb 2026)","name":"West Bay, Pilottown"},{"lat":28.99683,"lon":-89.254,"precision":"site","source_ref":2,"role":"Abandoned Whitney wellhead discharging, South Pass 28 (Aug 2025)","name":"South Pass 28, Port Eads"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Orphaned oil wells discharging crude with no operator to pay for repair.","secondary_drivers":["Orphaned or abandoned wells with no responsible party"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The West Bay well is releasing as much as 1 barrel of crude per day, held within a coffer dam, so limited harm is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither NOAA page reports a closure or fishery effect (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Two single wellheads in the delta, each a site-level source (refs 1, 2).","duration":"West Bay notice came in January 2026 and the leak was still active with repairs only planned on 19 February 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"The Coast Guard responded directly with a coffer dam and, at South Pass 28, contracted ES&H to secure and clean up the release under National Response Center report 1439943 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The abandoned West Bay wellhead was releasing as much as 1 barrel of crude oil per day with no viable responsible party (NOAA, 19 February 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Crude released by abandoned West Bay well","value":1,"unit":"barrels per day (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA IncidentNews (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two separate wells reported six months apart; no longer series opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Coast Guard","role":"Federal responder funding containment and repair","contact":null},{"name":"NOAA Office of Response and Restoration","role":"Scientific support","contact":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11122"}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["Coast Guard installed a coffer dam around the West Bay wellhead and is planning repairs (ref 1).","Coast Guard contracted ES&H to secure and clean up the South Pass 28 discharge (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Abandoned and Leaking Well in West Bay; Pilottown, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-02-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11122","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Discharge from Abandoned Wellhead, South Pass 28; Port Eads, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2025-08-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11051","basis":"Agency incident report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Sources of all three releases unidentified in the cited pages","Coordinates are NOAA approximate positions","The sanctuary site carried no notice of the sheen when opened"],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-GOM-FGBNMS-UNKNOWNSHEENS-2026","title":"Oil sheens of unknown source at Flower Garden Banks Bright Bank, Eugene Island 316 and Holly Beach in 2026","description":"NOAA incident reports describe an intermittent oil sheen at Bright Bank in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary first reported on 6 August 2026, with the source unidentified and the Coast Guard starting an Endangered Species Act consultation. Sheens of unidentified source have also been tracked at Eugene Island Block 316 since early August, and about one mile of shoreline at Holly Beach, Louisiana was oiled in July 2026 with the source unknown.","location":{"name":"Flower Garden Banks Bright Bank and two other sheen sites","type":"Marine sanctuary bank and offshore lease blocks","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Bright Bank in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Eugene Island 316 off Louisiana, and Holly Beach, Cameron Parish.","coordinates":{"lat":27.87633,"lon":-93.29733,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":27.87633,"lon":-93.29733,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Intermittent sheen inside the sanctuary, from 6 Aug 2026","name":"Bright Bank"},{"lat":28.26283,"lon":-91.61833,"precision":"site","source_ref":2,"role":"Unidentified sheens since early Aug 2026","name":"Eugene Island 316"},{"lat":29.76533,"lon":-93.52717,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"About 1 mile oiled shoreline, Jul 2026","name":"Holly Beach"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Unexplained oil releases at sea and on a beach, source not identified.","secondary_drivers":["Unidentified source"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Oil sheen inside a national marine sanctuary and a mile of oiled shoreline at Holly Beach are physical oiling, but no wildlife or habitat harm is reported (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery effect appears on any of the three incident pages.","scale":"Three separate sites each affecting a limited area (refs 1-3).","duration":"The Bright Bank sheen ran from 6 to at least 25 August 2026 and the Eugene Island 316 sheens from early August to 8 September 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Coast Guard is initiating an Endangered Species Act consultation for Bright Bank and USCG and BSEE are investigating the Eugene Island source (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An intermittent oil sheen, first reported 6 August 2026, persists at Bright Bank in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and \"the source of the discharge remains unidentified\"."},"measures":[{"name":"Oiled shoreline at Holly Beach","value":1,"unit":"mile","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA IncidentNews, July 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Open incidents with no later updates on the pages."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur","role":"Responder for Bright Bank","contact":null},{"name":"BSEE","role":"Investigating the Eugene Island 316 source","contact":null},{"name":"NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary","role":"Sanctuary manager","contact":"https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/"}],"public_contact":null,"corrective_actions":["Coast Guard seeking NOAA guidance and starting an Endangered Species Act consultation (ref 1).","A Coast Guard-hired oil spill removal organisation is cleaning Holly Beach (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Intermittent Oil Sheen; Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Bright Bank","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11210","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mystery Sheens at Eugene Island Block 316; Gulf of America, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11216","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mystery Oiled Shoreline at Holly Beach; Cameron Parish, Louisiana","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2026-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/11184","basis":"Agency incident report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary","publisher":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://flowergarden.noaa.gov/","basis":"Agency page (sanctuary context; no incident notice)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-LEASE259-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Court finds Lease Sale 259 review inadequate on Rice's whale and climate; Interior reaffirms the sale in 2026","description":"In March 2025 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that BOEM's environmental review for Gulf Lease Sale 259 (March 2023) did not adequately assess greenhouse gas emissions or impacts on the Rice's whale, and ordered briefing on remedy. In February 2026 BOEM issued a Record of Decision reaffirming Lease Sales 259 and 261 on their original terms, relying on a new programmatic EIS; the remedy question and the stayed Lease Sale 261 challenge remain open.","location":{"name":"Gulf of America OCS lease sale areas (GOM)","type":"Offshore lease area","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"U.S. outer continental shelf, central and western Gulf of Mexico (BOEM now uses the name Gulf of America); lease sales held March 2023 and December 2023.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A leasing decision whose legality is contested in court, with the regulatory review as the central question.","secondary_drivers":["Federal leasing policy","Endangered whale habitat"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The court found BOEM failed to address an NMFS determination that Rice's whale habitat extends into the western and central Gulf, a potential rather than measured harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery restriction is documented in the cited sources; the dispute concerns future drilling effects (refs 1, 3).","scale":"Lease Sale 259 covered about 73 million acres of Gulf federal waters per Earthjustice, a regional-sea footprint (ref 1).","duration":"The challenge was filed March 6, 2023 and remedy had still not been decided when BOEM reaffirmed the sale on February 24, 2026 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A federal district court ruled on March 27, 2025 that the NEPA analysis was inadequate, and BOEM issued a Record of Decision reaffirming the sales in February 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources describe whale and climate effects, not a population figure for people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The court found BOEM's analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and Rice's whale impacts inadequate for Lease Sale 259 (73 million acres), and BOEM reaffirmed the sale in a February 24, 2026 Record of Decision."},"measures":[{"name":"Area offered in Lease Sale 259","value":73,"unit":"million acres","status":"Reported","note":"Earthjustice press release, March 28, 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Federal defendants argued on March 2, 2026 that remedy proceedings are moot after the new Record of Decision (ref 3).","The Lease Sale 261 challenge was stayed on November 29, 2023 pending the Lease Sale 259 case (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Court loss for BOEM in March 2025, followed by a reaffirming Record of Decision in February 2026; remedy still unresolved."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)","role":"Leasing agency","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Healthy Gulf v. Burgum)","role":"Court hearing the challenge","contact":"https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov"}],"public_contact":"BOEM Office of Environment, New Orleans, publishes contact details in the Federal Register notice (ref 2).","corrective_actions":["BOEM issued a Record of Decision on February 24, 2026 reaffirming Lease Sales 259 and 261 and relying on the Gulf of America Programmatic EIS (ref 2).","The court ordered briefing on remedy; plaintiffs seek vacatur of the SEIS and partial vacatur of the leases (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Federal Court Finds Massive Gulf of Mexico Offshore Oil Sale Illegal","publisher":"Earthjustice","date":"2025-03-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/press/2025/federal-court-finds-massive-gulf-of-mexico-offshore-oil-sale-illegal-ruling-in-favor-of-gulf-and-environmental-groups","basis":"Advocacy group press release on court ruling"},{"ref":2,"title":"Gulf of America, Outer Continental Shelf, Record of Decision To Reaffirm Decisions for Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales 259 and 261 and Gulf of America Regional OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales and Post-Lease Activities: Final Programmatic EIS (91 FR 9296)","publisher":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Federal Register","date":"2026-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-02-25/pdf/2026-03727.pdf","basis":"Agency notice (Federal Register)"},{"ref":3,"title":"BOEM Issues Record of Decision Reaffirming Gulf of America Lease Sales 259 and 261","publisher":"Jones Walker via Mondaq","date":"2026-03-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/about-mondaq/1755126/boem-issues-record-of-decision-reaffirming-gulf-of-america-lease-sales-259-and-261","basis":"Law firm analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Remedy ruling not found in the sources opened; the Lease Sale 259 acreage is from the advocacy press release only."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-BBGSALES-2026","OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-RICEBIOP-2026","OC-GOM-RICESWHALE-VESSELS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-BBGSALES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mandated Gulf lease sales BBG1 and BBG2 offer about 80 million acres at a 12.5% royalty","description":"Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) BOEM must hold 30 Gulf of America lease sales, the first of which (BBG1, December 10, 2025) drew $300.4 million in high bids on 181 blocks and the second (BBG2, March 11, 2026) $47.0 million on 25 blocks. A Congressional Research Service report says the whale-habitat exclusion and 10-knot vessel terms proposed for Lease Sale 261 are not part of these mandated sales.","location":{"name":"Gulf of America OCS lease sales BBG1 and BBG2","type":"Offshore lease area","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"U.S. outer continental shelf off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida; first two of 30 sales required by law.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A statutory leasing programme that sets the pace of new offshore oil and gas activity.","secondary_drivers":["Statutory leasing mandate","Low royalty rate"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"CRS states Rice's whale protections proposed in 2023 are not part of the mandated sales, which creates potential vessel-strike and noise exposure for an endangered whale (ref 5).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery restriction is reported in the sale results; effects on livelihoods are not documented (refs 1, 3).","scale":"BBG1 attracted bids across 80 million acres of federal Gulf waters in five states' offshore areas (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The law requires 30 sales, which OGJ describes as running through 2039, so leasing is programmed for well over a decade (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Each sale follows a formal Notice of Sale; the BBG2 final notice was published in the Federal Register on February 5, 2026 (ref 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Lease sale results are financial and acreage figures; no population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"BBG1 produced $300,425,222 in high bids for 181 blocks across 80 million acres; BBG2 produced $46,976,423 for 25 blocks covering about 141,000 acres (BOEM)."},"measures":[{"name":"BBG1 total high bids","value":300425222,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"BOEM sale page; 181 blocks, 30 companies, 219 bids (ref 1)."},{"name":"BBG2 total high bids","value":46976423,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"BOEM sale page; 25 blocks, about 141,000 acres, 13 companies (ref 3)."},{"name":"Royalty rate","value":12.5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Rigzone report on BBG2 results quotes DOI on a 12.5% rate for shallow and deepwater leases (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Wood Mackenzie reported BBG1 bids fell 37.8% in number against Lease Sale 261 while deepwater high bid per acre rose 23% (ref 6).","BBG2 high bids of $47.0 million were about 84% below BBG1's $300.4 million (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Bid totals fell sharply between the first and second sale."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)","role":"Leasing agency","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"U.S. Congress (Public Law 119-21)","role":"Sets sale schedule by statute","contact":"https://www.congress.gov"}],"public_contact":"BOEM general inquiries are published at https://www.boem.gov.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action: the sales proceed under statute; BOEM says a final bid recap follows about three months after each sale (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Big Beautiful Gulf 1 (BBG1) Oil & Gas Lease Sale","publisher":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.boem.gov/Sale-BBG1","basis":"Agency sale page"},{"ref":2,"title":"bp, Woodside, Murphy, Beacon big winners in Gulf lease sale","publisher":"Oil & Gas Journal","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ogj.com/general-interest/government/news/55337678/bp-woodside-murphy-beacon-big-winners-in-gulf-lease-sale","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Big Beautiful Gulf 2 (BBG2) Oil & Gas Lease Sale","publisher":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.boem.gov/Sale-BBG2","basis":"Agency sale page"},{"ref":4,"title":"DOI Announces Results of BBG2 Lease Sale","publisher":"Rigzone","date":"2026-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rigzone.com/news/doi_announces_results_of_bbg2_lease_sale-13-mar-2026-183204-article/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":5,"title":"The Rice's Whale: Conservation Efforts, Implications for Ocean Sectors, and Considerations for Congress (IF12835)","publisher":"Congressional Research Service","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-01-29_IF12835_1d9c24b1e33178714d99a4999e18242cbfe44e57.html","basis":"Congressional agency report"},{"ref":6,"title":"Big Beautiful Gulf 1 lease sale shows targeted approach in new leasing era","publisher":"Wood Mackenzie","date":"2025-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/big-beautiful-gulf-1-lease-sale-shows-targeted-approach-in-new-leasing-era/","basis":"Industry analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"OGJ on the sale day reported about $279.4 million in BBG1 high bids; BOEM's sale page later shows $300,425,222. This record uses BOEM's figure."},{"note":"OGJ says the 30 sales run through 2039; the end year was not confirmed on a BOEM page, so it is not stated as fact here."}],"missing_fields":["Whether BBG1 and BBG2 blocks overlap Rice's whale habitat was not stated on the BOEM pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-LEASE259-2025","OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-RICEBIOP-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-RICEBIOP-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Louisiana federal court rules against NMFS jeopardy finding for Rice's whale and oil and gas vessels","description":"NMFS's May 20, 2025 biological opinion on Gulf oil and gas activities found jeopardy to the Rice's whale, a species NMFS's 2022 assessment put at 51 individuals, with an alternative focused on vessel monitoring technology. On January 23, 2026 the Western District of Louisiana granted summary judgment to Louisiana, the American Petroleum Institute and Chevron, holding the jeopardy determination and alternatives violated the ESA and APA; remedy briefing was ordered and a parallel Maryland case by environmental groups is pending.","location":{"name":"Rice's whale habitat, northern Gulf shelf break","type":"Endangered species habitat","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"U.S. Gulf of Mexico EEZ, waters about 100 to 400 m deep along the continental shelf break (NMFS).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Regulatory protection of a critically small whale population from vessel strikes tied to oil and gas operations.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel strike risk","Regulatory litigation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"NMFS's 2025 opinion found oil and gas vessel operations likely to jeopardize the whale through strike risk; the court record quotes the bureaus' assessment that neither of two known strikes was attributed to oil and gas activity, so harm is potential (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Industry groups warned a gap in the opinion could halt nearly all Gulf offshore operations, but no shutdown occurred in the cited sources (ref 2).","scale":"The whale occurs only in the Gulf, where NMFS places it along the 100 to 400 m shelf break; the 2022 estimate was 51 animals (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Litigation over the biological opinions began with a 2020 suit and the 2024 Maryland vacatur, and the Louisiana ruling came on January 23, 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Judge James Cain Jr. granted summary judgment on January 23, 2026 against NMFS's jeopardy determination and parts of its incidental take statement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources report a whale population estimate, not people affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NMFS's 2022 stock assessment estimated 51 Rice's whales (CRS, January 2026); the court ruled on January 23, 2026 that NMFS's jeopardy determination violated the ESA and APA."},"measures":[{"name":"Rice's whale abundance estimate","value":51,"unit":"individuals","status":"Reported","note":"NMFS 2022 stock assessment from 2017-2018 survey data, as reported by CRS (ref 2); 2023-2024 survey data are to update it."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["CRS reports industry warnings that a lapse in the opinion could halt nearly all Gulf offshore oil operations (ref 2).","Remedy briefing was ordered after the January 2026 ruling; plaintiffs requested remand without vacatur and 12 months to correct errors (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"BOEM rescinded its 2023 vessel notice to lessees on February 20, 2025 and NMFS denied a vessel speed petition in October 2023, while a new jeopardy opinion issued in May 2025 and was then set aside in part by a court (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries)","role":"ESA consulting agency","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"},{"name":"BOEM and BSEE","role":"Action agencies for Gulf oil and gas","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana","role":"Court","contact":"https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources publishes contact details at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["Court ordered supplemental briefing on remedy; a separate ruling will select the remedy (ref 1).","NMFS's reasonable and prudent alternative called for technology to monitor Rice's whale presence and avoid strikes on oil and gas vessels (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of Louisiana et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service et al., Memorandum Ruling, No. 2:25-cv-00691 (W.D. La.)","publisher":"U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, via Sea Grant Law Center","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nsglc.olemiss.edu/casealert/feb-2026/la-v-nmfs.pdf","basis":"Court record"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Rice's Whale: Conservation Efforts, Implications for Ocean Sectors, and Considerations for Congress (IF12835)","publisher":"Congressional Research Service","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-01-29_IF12835_1d9c24b1e33178714d99a4999e18242cbfe44e57.html","basis":"Congressional agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Restrictions on ship speeds removed in endangered Rice's whale Gulf habitat","publisher":"WUSF Public Media","date":"2025-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wusf.org/environment/2025-02-27/restrictions-ship-speeds-removed-endangered-rices-whale-gulf-habitat","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"An Earthjustice attorney says fewer than 100 whales remain, with estimates as low as 51 (ref 3), while NMFS's 2022 estimate is 51 (ref 2); NMFS found jeopardy and the Louisiana court found that finding unsupported (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Remedy ruling and the status of the parallel Maryland case (Sierra Club II) were not found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-LEASE259-2025","OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-BBGSALES-2026","OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-SEISMIC-2025","OC-GOM-RICESWHALE-VESSELS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-SEISMIC-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"NMFS authorizes airgun seismic survey overlapping Rice's whale habitat in the northern Gulf","description":"NMFS issued and twice modified a Letter of Authorization to TGS for a 3D ocean bottom node survey with airgun arrays in the East Breaks area, now planned for 140 days of sound source operation. NMFS says about 10 percent of the area ensonified above 160 dB overlaps the 100-400 m depths used by the Rice's whale and authorized two Rice's whale takes. In January 2026 a Louisiana federal court found a quietest-equipment requirement in NMFS's 2025 incidental take statement beyond its authority.","location":{"name":"East Breaks seismic survey area, northwestern Gulf","type":"Seismic survey area","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"U.S. Gulf of Mexico EEZ; survey zones 6 and 7 under NMFS geophysical survey rules.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Impulsive underwater noise from oil and gas exploration is acoustic pollution affecting marine mammals.","secondary_drivers":["Underwater noise","Oil and gas exploration"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NMFS estimated generic acoustic modelling gave one Rice's whale take and authorized two, with about 10 percent of the 160 dB area overlapping whale depths, a modelled harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited notice and ruling document no fishery or shipping restriction from the survey itself (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The rule governs surveys across U.S. Gulf waters under a five-year regime, but the cited LOA covers one survey in zones 6 and 7 (ref 1).","duration":"The LOA was extended from December 19, 2025 to April 19, 2026 and the plan rose to 140 days of source operation, so exposure lasts months (ref 1).","significance":"A formal NMFS LOA notice published in the Federal Register authorizes the take; the court ruling in January 2026 struck RPM 1 on equipment configuration as outside NMFS authority (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Marine mammal take is authorized by number of animals; no human population applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NMFS authorized two Rice's whale takes for TGS's survey, planned at 140 total days of sound source operation (139 days in zone 6 and 1 day in zone 7)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned sound source operation","value":140,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"TGS request of November 26, 2025 as described in the LOA notice (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of ensonified area above 160 dB overlapping Rice's whale depths","value":10,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Modified LOA notice, effective through April 19, 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rice's whale takes authorized","value":2,"unit":"takes","status":"Reported","note":"Modelled one take, rounded up to group size of two (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic effect on a port, fishery or operator is described in the cited notice (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources","role":"Issues incidental take authorizations","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/marine-mammal-protection/issued-letters-authorization-oil-and-gas-industry-geophysical-survey"},{"name":"BOEM","role":"Approves geophysical survey activity","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"}],"public_contact":"NMFS Office of Protected Resources, 301-427-8401 as published in the Federal Register notice (ref 1).","corrective_actions":["NMFS mitigation, monitoring and reporting requirements apply under 50 CFR 217.180 et seq. (ref 1).","The Western District of Louisiana found required use of the quietest equipment configuration exceeded NMFS authority (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of America: Notice of issuance of letter of authorization (modification to TGS)","publisher":"National Marine Fisheries Service, Federal Register","date":"2025-12-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23842.pdf","basis":"Agency notice (Federal Register)"},{"ref":2,"title":"State of Louisiana et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service et al., Memorandum Ruling, No. 2:25-cv-00691 (W.D. La.)","publisher":"U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, via Sea Grant Law Center","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nsglc.olemiss.edu/casealert/feb-2026/la-v-nmfs.pdf","basis":"Court record"},{"ref":3,"title":"The Rice's Whale: Conservation Efforts, Implications for Ocean Sectors, and Considerations for Congress (IF12835)","publisher":"Congressional Research Service","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-01-29_IF12835_1d9c24b1e33178714d99a4999e18242cbfe44e57.html","basis":"Congressional agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Survey location is described only by NMFS zones; no coordinates are published in the notice opened."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-RICEBIOP-2026","OC-GOM-RICESWHALE-VESSELS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GULFWIDE-DECOMMISSION-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"More than 2,700 Gulf wells and 500 platforms overdue for decommissioning, with bonds far below estimated costs","description":"A January 2024 GAO audit found that as of June 2023 more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms in the Gulf were overdue for decommissioning under BSEE deadlines, while BOEM held about $3.5 billion in supplemental bonds against estimated costs of $40 to $70 billion. All four GAO recommendations remained open per GAO's page, and Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas sued over BOEM's 2024 financial assurance rule.","location":{"name":"Gulf of America idle and end-of-lease infrastructure","type":"Offshore oil and gas infrastructure","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"U.S. outer continental shelf, Gulf of Mexico (BOEM and BSEE jurisdiction).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regulatory and financial-assurance gap in who pays to remove aging offshore infrastructure.","secondary_drivers":["Idle iron","Insufficient financial assurance"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BSEE states idle facilities add risk of well leaks and hazards to ships and fishermen, a potential rather than measured harm (ref 4).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure tied to the backlog is documented in the sources opened (refs 1, 3).","scale":"GAO counted more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms overdue across Gulf leases, over 75% of end-of-lease and idle infrastructure (ref 1).","duration":"Operators missed the one-year deadline for over 40% of wells and 50% of platforms on leases that ended 2010 to 2022 (ref 1).","significance":"GAO issued four recommendations that Interior accepted, and as of March 2026 all four were still open (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The audit counts wells and platforms rather than people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"As of June 2023, more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms in the Gulf were overdue for decommissioning, and BOEM held about $3.5 billion in supplemental bonds against $40 to $70 billion in estimated costs (GAO-24-106229)."},"measures":[{"name":"Overdue wells","value":2700,"unit":"wells","status":"Reported","note":"GAO states 'more than 2,700' as of June 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Overdue platforms","value":500,"unit":"platforms","status":"Reported","note":"GAO states 500 as of June 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Supplemental bonds held by BOEM","value":3.5,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Reported","note":"Compared with $40-70 billion in estimated decommissioning costs (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["GAO says the federal government is exposed to billions in potential liabilities if operators cannot pay (ref 1).","Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and a state oil and gas association challenged the 2024 financial assurance rule, arguing it would burden independents (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"GAO data are as of June 2023; BOEM proposed new financial assurance regulations in March 2026 per GAO's status page (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)","role":"Decommissioning enforcement","contact":"https://www.bsee.gov"},{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)","role":"Financial assurance","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"Government Accountability Office","role":"Audit and recommendation tracking","contact":"https://www.gao.gov"}],"public_contact":"BSEE and BOEM publish general contact information at https://www.bsee.gov and https://www.boem.gov.","corrective_actions":["BOEM finalized a financial assurance rule in April 2024, effective June 29, 2024, and proposed superseding regulations in March 2026 (ref 1).","GAO's four recommendations to BSEE and BOEM remain open (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Offshore Oil and Gas: Interior Needs to Improve Decommissioning Enforcement and Mitigate Related Risks (GAO-24-106229)","publisher":"U.S. Government Accountability Office","date":"2024-01-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gao.gov/products/gao-24-106229","basis":"Government audit"},{"ref":2,"title":"A new rule could speed up unused oil well decommissioning. Gulf states are suing to stop it","publisher":"WWNO New Orleans Public Radio","date":"2025-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-02-25/a-new-rule-could-sped-up-unused-oil-well-decommissioning-gulf-states-are-suing-to-stop-it","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Decommissioning Offshore Oil and Gas: A Conversation with Former Regulators","publisher":"Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School","date":"2025-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blogs.law.columbia.edu/climatechange/2025/12/12/decommissioning-offshore-oil-and-gas-a-conversation-with-former-regulators/","basis":"Academic roundtable summary"},{"ref":4,"title":"Idle Iron","publisher":"Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bsee.gov/site-page/idle-iron","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"WWNO and the Columbia post round the GAO figure to nearly 3,000 or 2,500 wells; GAO's own figure is more than 2,700 and is used here."}],"missing_fields":["Current counts from BSEE's offshore infrastructure dashboard were not opened; GAO figures date from June 2023."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-LAKECHARLES-WINDLEASE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf's only offshore wind lease off Lake Charles cancelled in 2026 after the second sale was called off","description":"BOEM's first Gulf offshore wind auction on August 29, 2023 produced one lease, OCS-G 37334 off Lake Charles, Louisiana, won by RWE with a $5.6 million bid; the Galveston areas drew no bids and a second sale was cancelled in July 2024 for lack of competitive interest. On August 4, 2026 Interior cancelled and rescinded the lease under a settlement in which RWE relinquished its U.S. leases for $1.22 billion.","location":{"name":"Lake Charles wind lease area OCS-G 37334","type":"Offshore lease area","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Offshore Louisiana (BOEM Lake Charles Lease Area, 102,480 acres in the proposed sale notice); the coordinates given are for Lake Charles city.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":30.2294,"lon":-93.2169,"precision":"city","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal decision outcome on whether renewable energy leasing proceeds in the Gulf.","secondary_drivers":["Federal offshore wind policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or health harm is documented; the sources concern lease outcomes (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is documented in the cited pages (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The lease area covered 102,480 acres off one parish coast, a site-level footprint (ref 1).","duration":"The lease went from the August 2023 auction to cancellation on August 4, 2026, a period of about three years (ref 1).","significance":"BOEM records that Interior cancelled and rescinded the lease under a settlement agreement, an agency action with legal force (ref 1)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Lease outcomes carry no population measure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On August 4, 2026 the Department of the Interior cancelled and rescinded lease OCS-G 37334 under a settlement with RWE Offshore US Gulf LLC; RWE's settlement across its U.S. leases was $1.22 billion."},"measures":[{"name":"Winning bid, Lake Charles lease area","value":5.6,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"BOEM Gulf activities page, August 29, 2023 sale (ref 1)."},{"name":"RWE settlement for U.S. leases (New York Bight, California, Louisiana)","value":1.22,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Reported","note":"RWE press release, August 6, 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["RWE said it determined there is no path forward to permit these projects in the U.S. for the foreseeable future (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The sole Gulf wind lease was removed in August 2026 after a cancelled second auction; no further action is pending in the sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)","role":"Leasing agency","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"RWE U.S. Offshore","role":"Former lessee","contact":"https://www.rwe.com"}],"public_contact":"BOEM publishes contact details at https://www.boem.gov.","corrective_actions":["Interior cancelled and rescinded lease OCS-G 37334 on August 4, 2026 under the RWE settlement (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Gulf of America Activities","publisher":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/gulf-mexico-activities","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"US Cancels Second Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind Lease Sale","publisher":"Offshore Wind (offshorewind.biz)","date":"2024-07-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://offshorewind.biz/2024/07/26/us-cancels-second-gulf-of-mexico-offshore-wind-lease-sale","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"RWE U.S. Offshore reaches settlement agreement with U.S. Department of Interior on offshore wind leases","publisher":"RWE","date":"2026-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rwe.com/en/investor-relations/financial-calendar-and-publications/news-and-ad-hoc-announcements/news/news-2026-08-06/","basis":"Company press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"RWE agrees with the US DOI to relinquish its offshore wind leases","publisher":"Enerdata","date":"2026-08-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/rwe-agrees-us-doi-relinquish-its-offshore-wind-leases.html","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":5,"title":"Lake Charles, Louisiana (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Charles,_Louisiana","basis":"Reference page (city coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The RWE release names Louisiana but not the lease number; the match to OCS-G 37334 rests on BOEM's page listing the cancellation under the RWE settlement."}],"missing_fields":["The BOEM Gulf activities page shows no publication date."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-CALCASIEU-CP2DREDGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dredging spills for CP2 LNG terminal coat oyster reefs in Calcasieu Lake, Louisiana","description":"An August 4, 2025 dredge sediment release tied to Venture Global's CP2 LNG construction put an estimated 9,000 to 18,000 cubic yards of material south of the No-Name Weir into Calcasieu Lake, according to a fishers' petition; Louisiana wildlife officials confirmed sediment on public oyster reefs and elevated mortality, without directly attributing it to the company. Litigation followed, and on August 25, 2026 the D.C. Circuit upheld FERC's approval of CP2, finding a moderate but not significant effect on commercial fishing.","location":{"name":"Calcasieu Lake (Big Lake) and No-Name Weir","type":"Estuarine lake and oyster reefs","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Cameron Parish, southwest Louisiana, next to the existing Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal; CP2 is planned at up to 28 million tonnes per year of LNG.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.9003,"lon":-93.2828,"precision":"site","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","fisheries-overfishing","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Sediment smothering of oyster reefs and marsh in a coastal estuary from LNG terminal dredging.","secondary_drivers":["Dredging","LNG terminal construction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries confirmed in September 2025 sediment deposits on several public oyster reefs and elevated mortality near the weir, and the Cameron Parish Port said mud filled more than 260 acres of vegetated marsh (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Twenty commercial fishers and seafood businesses sued on July 30, 2026 alleging business losses, and an oyster farm alleges the spill destroyed its crop; the allegations are unproven (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The documented effects are in one lake and its adjacent marsh near the terminal site (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The petition lists failures on August 4, 2025, December 17, 2025, January 16, 2026 and February 14, 2026, about six months of recurring incidents (ref 2).","significance":"A Calcasieu Parish judge ordered scientific testing on April 14, 2026 and the D.C. Circuit ruled on August 25, 2026 on FERC's approval of CP2 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources count fishers in a suit (20 plaintiffs) but report no affected-population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Dredged sediment spilled south of the No-Name Weir on August 4, 2025, releasing an estimated 9,000 to 18,000 cubic yards into Calcasieu Lake, per the fishers' court petition."},"measures":[{"name":"Sediment released August 4, 2025 (lower estimate)","value":9000,"unit":"cubic yards","status":"Estimated","note":"Lower end of the estimated range in the fishers' petition (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sediment released August 4, 2025 (upper estimate)","value":18000,"unit":"cubic yards","status":"Estimated","note":"Upper end of the estimated range in the fishers' petition (ref 2)."},{"name":"Vegetated marsh covered by dredge mud","value":260,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"More than 260 acres, according to the Cameron Parish Port as cited by KPLC (ref 1)."},{"name":"Plaintiff fishers and seafood businesses","value":20,"unit":"plaintiffs","status":"Reported","note":"Filed July 30, 2026 in Louisiana's 38th Judicial District Court (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Calcasieu Lake oyster farming was in its second year with state startup funding paid from BP spill funds, per KPLC (ref 3).","Plaintiffs seek damages for past and future business losses, property damage and lost seafood inventory (ref 2).","Healthy Gulf and other groups sued in Louisiana state court in April 2024 over coastal use permits for CP2 and an 80-mile-plus pipeline (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Further containment failures were alleged in December 2025, January 2026 and February 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Venture Global CP2 LNG, LLC","role":"Project developer","contact":"https://venturegloballng.com"},{"name":"Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries","role":"Oyster reef monitoring","contact":"https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov"},{"name":"Federal Energy Regulatory Commission","role":"Approving agency","contact":"https://www.ferc.gov"}],"public_contact":"Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries publishes contact information at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov.","corrective_actions":["A Calcasieu Parish judge ordered scientific testing to compare the dredge material's chemical profile with mud on the oyster cages (ref 1).","The D.C. Circuit denied petitions against FERC's approval on August 25, 2026, and the NRDC challenge to the DOE export approval is still pending (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Judge orders scientific testing in lawsuit linking Venture Global dredging spill to millions of ruined oysters","publisher":"KPLC 7 News","date":"2026-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kplctv.com/2026/04/15/judge-orders-scientific-testing-lawsuit-linking-venture-global-dredging-spill-millions-ruined-oysters/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cameron Parish fishermen, seafood businesses file lawsuit over Calcasieu Lake dredging spills","publisher":"KPLC 7 News","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kplctv.com/2026/07/30/cameron-parish-fishermen-seafood-businesses-file-lawsuit-over-calcasieu-lake-dredging-spills/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Federal court rejects petition against Cameron LNG facility","publisher":"KPLC 7 News (The Current)","date":"2026-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kplctv.com/2026/08/26/federal-court-rejects-petition-against-cameron-lng-facility/","basis":"News on court ruling"},{"ref":4,"title":"Louisiana sued over LNG project permits","publisher":"E&E News","date":"2024-04-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eenews.net/articles/louisiana-sued-over-lng-project-permits/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Calcasieu Lake","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcasieu_Lake","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Venture Global denied any significant impact on the lake (ref 1); LDWF confirmed sediment and higher mortality but stopped short of linking it to the company (ref 1). The cause is contested in court."}],"missing_fields":["The fishers' figures are allegations in a petition; the dredge volume and cause are not adjudicated."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-BROWNSVILLE-RIOGRANDELNG-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Court vacates Rio Grande LNG approval in 2024; FERC's 2025 remand order is challenged again","description":"On August 6, 2024 the D.C. Circuit vacated FERC's remand authorization for the 27 million tonne per year Rio Grande LNG terminal at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, because FERC should have prepared a supplemental EIS; petitioners had argued FERC failed to weigh environmental justice and greenhouse gas impacts. FERC issued an Order on Remand on August 29, 2025, and on December 15, 2025 the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, the City of Port Isabel and the Sierra Club petitioned the D.C. Circuit to set it aside.","location":{"name":"Rio Grande LNG terminal, Port of Brownsville","type":"LNG export terminal","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Port of Brownsville, Texas, on the lower Texas Gulf coast; coordinates are for Brownsville city.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":25.9303,"lon":-97.4844,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A permitting dispute over whether federal review adequately weighed coastal community and climate impacts.","secondary_drivers":["LNG export terminal","Environmental justice review"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Petitioners alleged FERC failed to adequately consider environmental justice impacts and greenhouse gas emissions, which are alleged potential harms (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community closure is documented in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The dispute concerns a single terminal and pipeline project at one port (refs 1, 2).","duration":"FERC first authorized the project in November 2019 and the case reached a second D.C. Circuit petition in December 2025, a multi-year dispute (ref 2).","significance":"The D.C. Circuit vacated the authorization on August 6, 2024 and a new petition (No. 25-1284) was filed on December 15, 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources name petitioners but give no affected-population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The D.C. Circuit vacated FERC's remand authorization of the 27 million tpy Rio Grande LNG terminal on August 6, 2024; construction of Phase 1 trains continued."},"measures":[{"name":"Terminal export capacity","value":27,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Oil & Gas Journal report on the August 2024 vacatur (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["NextDecade said it was reviewing options and assessing the effect on the timing of a final investment decision on Train 4 (refs 1, 3).","Construction on the first three liquefaction trains continued after the 2024 ruling (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Vacatur in 2024, FERC remand order in August 2025, then a new petition for review in December 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Energy Regulatory Commission","role":"Permitting agency","contact":"https://www.ferc.gov"},{"name":"NextDecade Corporation (Rio Grande LNG)","role":"Project developer","contact":"https://www.next-decade.com"}],"public_contact":"FERC publishes its public contact channels at https://www.ferc.gov.","corrective_actions":["FERC issued an Order on Remand on August 29, 2025 (ref 2); the Baird report says FERC would have to reconsider impacts with a new draft supplemental EIS and comment period (ref 1).","Petitioners filed No. 25-1284 in the D.C. Circuit on December 15, 2025 to review the Order on Remand (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"US Court of Appeals revokes permit for LNG facility in Texas' Brownsville Port","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2024-08-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/shipping/tankers/gas/us-court-of-appeals-revokes-permit-for-lng-facility-in-texas-brownsville-port","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Joint Petition for Review of Orders of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, No. 25-1284 (D.C. Cir.)","publisher":"South Texas Environmental Justice Network, City of Port Isabel and Sierra Club (court filing)","date":"2025-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/document/rio-grande-lng-ferc-petition","basis":"Court record"},{"ref":3,"title":"NextDecade reviewing Rio Grande LNG options as federal permit vacated","publisher":"Oil & Gas Journal","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ogj.com/general-interest/government/article/55131319/nextdecade-reviewing-rio-grand-lng-options-as-federal-permit-vacated","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Brownsville, Texas (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsville,_Texas","basis":"Reference page (city coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The content of FERC's August 29, 2025 Order on Remand was not opened; only the petition that challenges it. Current case status after December 2025 was not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-BARATARIA-DIVERSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Louisiana cancels the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion after permit suspension, leaving land loss unaddressed","description":"The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, intended to divert Mississippi River water and sediment into the Barataria Basin and build land, was cancelled on July 17, 2025, announced by Louisiana's coastal authority and the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, after the Army Corps suspended its permit. More than $600 million had been spent without completing the project; the basin has lost roughly 432 square miles of land since 1932 and the state has pivoted to a smaller diversion at Myrtle Grove.","location":{"name":"Barataria Basin and Barataria Bay","type":"Coastal basin and estuary","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southeast Louisiana, Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes; the diversion was designed to divert up to 75,000 cubic feet of river water per second.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.3741,"lon":-89.9381,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","sea-level-coastal-flooding","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A government decision to end a coastal restoration project amid permitting, cost and fisheries disputes.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal land loss","Project cancellation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The basin has lost roughly 432 square miles of land since 1932 per ASCE, and the 2022 EIS projected up to about 17,300 acres of new land by 2050 that will not be built (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Oyster and brown shrimp concerns drove opposition, but no fishery closure from the diversion is documented, since it was never completed (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The cancellation concerns one basin project, while the land loss it targeted is basin-scale along coastal Louisiana (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Land loss has run since 1932 and the project spanned construction from August 2023 to cancellation in July 2025 (ref 2).","significance":"The Army Corps suspended the project's permit and the trustees cut the authorized budget from $2.26 billion to $618.52 million on July 17, 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The authorized budget was reduced from $2.26 billion to $618.52 million, reflecting funds already spent, as the project was cancelled on July 17, 2025 (Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, as reported by Fox 8)."},"measures":[{"name":"Authorized budget after cancellation","value":618.52,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Reduced from $2.26 billion to reflect funds already spent (ref 1)."},{"name":"Land loss in the basin since 1932","value":432,"unit":"square miles","status":"Reported","note":"ASCE article, September 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Land projected to be built in 50 years","value":21,"unit":"square miles","status":"Reported","note":"Expected build per Fox 8's report on the project's aim (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Landry administration criticized rising costs and effects on oysters, brown shrimp and other fisheries (ref 1).","Oystermen welcomed the cancellation while environmentalists and scientists called it a step backward for coastal restoration, per WWNO (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"ASCE reports stakeholders are still debating the path forward after the cancellation (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), Louisiana","role":"Project sponsor","contact":"https://coastal.la.gov"},{"name":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers","role":"Permitting agency","contact":"https://www.usace.army.mil"},{"name":"Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group","role":"Funding board for Deepwater Horizon restoration funds","contact":"https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"CPRA publishes contact details at https://coastal.la.gov.","corrective_actions":["CPRA may use funds to close out the project and has suggested a smaller diversion studied earlier by the Army Corps (ref 1).","The state is pursuing a medium diversion at Myrtle Grove with dedicated dredging (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Louisiana moves to officially cancel its largest and most controversial coastal project","publisher":"Fox 8 Live","date":"2025-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fox8live.com/2025/07/17/louisiana-moves-officially-cancel-its-largest-most-controversial-coastal-project","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"What can engineers learn from canceled Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project?","publisher":"American Society of Civil Engineers","date":"2026-09-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.asce.org/publications-and-news/civil-engineering-source/article/2026/09/24/what-can-engineers-learn-from-canceled-mid-barataria-sediment-diversion-project","basis":"Professional society article"},{"ref":3,"title":"Environmentalists lament, while oystermen celebrate, demise of Mid-Barataria diversion","publisher":"WWNO New Orleans Public Radio and Louisiana Illuminator","date":"2025-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wwno.org/coastal-desk/2025-07-18/environmentalists-lament-while-oystermen-celebrate-demise-of-mid-barataria-diversion","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Barataria Bay (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barataria_Bay","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Louisiana moves to officially cancel its largest and most controversial coastal project","publisher":"WLOX","date":"2025-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wlox.com/2025/07/17/louisiana-moves-officially-cancel-its-largest-most-controversial-coastal-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaquemines_Parish,_Louisiana","basis":"Reference page for coordinates"},{"ref":7,"title":"As funding dries up for Louisiana's coastal restoration program, advocates are strategizing to sustain it","publisher":"WWNO / Floodlight","date":"2024-09-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wwno.org/2024-09-18/as-funding-dries-up-for-louisianas-coastal-restoration-program-advocates-are-strategizing-to-sustain-it","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"Louisiana Cancels Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion","publisher":"Biz New Orleans","date":"2025-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bizneworleans.com/louisiana-cancels-landmark-coastal-restoration-project/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Project cost is given as $3.1 billion by Fox 8 and $2.9 billion by ASCE."},{"note":"WLOX gives the projected land gain as 21 square miles and WWNO as nearly 20; the project cost is given as $3.1 billion (WLOX) and nearly $3 billion (WWNO)."},{"field":"merge","values":["Louisiana cancels the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion after permit suspension, leaving land loss unaddressed","Louisiana cancels the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, its largest land-building project"],"note":"Merged with the climate-group record on the cancellation and Louisiana land loss."},{"note":"Projected additional land loss over 50 years differs: up to 4,000 square miles (EDF, ref 1) versus up to 3,000 square miles (a Data Center report cited in ref 3). The wetland, not a single projection, is the finding."},{"field":"merge","values":["Louisiana cancels the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion after permit suspension, leaving land loss unaddressed","Louisiana cancels the $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, its largest wetland-rebuilding project, as coastal land loss continues"],"note":"Merged with the habitat-group record on the cancellation."}],"missing_fields":["Status of the Army Corps permit suspension and litigation after July 2025 was not confirmed.","The trustee or CPRA primary statement was not opened; the CPRA home page did not carry it.","population_affected","CPRA and Trustee Implementation Group primary documents were not opened"],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-LA-SEALEVEL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-PARAISO-DOSBOCAS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Crude oil spill from Dos Bocas marine terminal fouls Tabasco beaches and halts fishing in May 2025","description":"From May 4, 2025 residents and fishermen in Paraíso, Tabasco reported tar and crude on beaches near Mexico's Dos Bocas marine terminal, with beaches closed along nearly 17 km of coast, fish deaths reported and fishing paralyzed. Mexico's environmental safety regulator ASEA confirmed the spill came from the Dos Bocas marine terminal and asked Pemex for a detailed report on its causes; oil also reached mangroves and the Mecoacán lagoon, per local reports.","location":{"name":"Dos Bocas marine terminal and Paraíso coast","type":"Oil terminal and coastline","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Paraíso, Tabasco, southern Gulf of Mexico (Bay of Campeche), next to the Olmeca (Dos Bocas) refinery; Spanish-language sources.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":18.3961,"lon":-93.2128,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","coastal-habitats","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Hydrocarbon release from a marine oil terminal contaminating coast, mangroves and fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Oil terminal release","Marine terminal operations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Residents reported dead sábalo, jurel and bonito and effects on oyster larvae and pelicans, and tar reached mangroves and the Mecoacán lagoon, but findings by authorities were not found (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Public beaches were closed for nearly 17 km of coast and fishing was paralyzed, per local reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The affected stretch is one coastal municipality's shoreline and an adjoining lagoon (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The reports describe the first days after May 4, 2025, and no later duration is documented in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","significance":"ASEA, an agency of Mexico's environment ministry, began a supervision of Pemex and requested a detailed report on causes (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Local reports describe fishers, restaurants and beach services affected but give no count."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Playas públicas de Paraíso, Tabasco, cerradas por contaminación con hidrocarburo y chapopote en casi 17 km de costa (TV Azteca); ASEA confirmed the spill came from the Dos Bocas marine terminal."},"measures":[{"name":"Coastline closed or contaminated","value":17,"unit":"km","status":"Estimated","note":"'Casi 17 km' of coast per TV Azteca; ADN40 reported 16 km (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing activity was reported paralyzed and restaurant patronage fell on fear of contaminated seafood (ref 1).","Fishermen filed formal complaints and demanded a prompt response (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Agencia de Seguridad, Energía y Ambiente (ASEA)","role":"Environmental and safety regulator","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/asea"},{"name":"Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex)","role":"Terminal operator","contact":"https://www.pemex.com"}],"public_contact":"ASEA publishes its public channels at https://www.gob.mx/asea.","corrective_actions":["ASEA began supervision of Pemex to determine causes, quantity released and containment and remediation measures (ref 1).","Local authorities began cleanup on May 4, 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Derrame de petróleo en Dos Bocas contamina 16 km de costa en Tabasco (Spanish)","publisher":"ADN40","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn40.mx/mexico/2025-05-06/derrame-petroleo-dos-bocas-contamina-costa-tabasco","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Derrame de petróleo contamina playas y manglares con chapopote en Paraíso, Tabasco (Spanish)","publisher":"TV Azteca","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tvazteca.com/aztecanoticias/derrame-petroleo-contamina-playas-y-manglares-chapopote-en-paraiso-tabasco","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Refinería Dos Bocas contamina aguas del Río Seco, denuncian pescadores de Paraíso, Tabasco (Spanish)","publisher":"El Financiero","date":"2024-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/estados/2024/08/03/refineria-dos-bocas-contamina-aguas-del-rio-seco-denuncian-pescadores-de-paraiso-tabasco/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Dos Bocas Refinery, Paraíso (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_Bocas_Refinery","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ADN40 reports 16 km of coast contaminated; TV Azteca says nearly 17 km. Neither source gives an official figure, and the volume spilled was not reported in the pages opened."}],"missing_fields":["Pemex's own statement, the spilled volume and ASEA's findings were not available in the pages opened; sources are Spanish-language news. A 2024 fisher complaint about the Río Seco near the refinery (ref 3) is context and not a finding of marine contamination."],"related_ids":["OC-GOM-ABKATUN-PEMEXSPILL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOM-CORPUSCHRISTI-CHANNEL-2022","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Corpus Christi Ship Channel deepening for supertankers would dredge 46 million cubic yards into the Gulf","description":"The Port of Corpus Christi Authority has applied to deepen the ship channel from 54 to about 75 feet so fully laden very large crude carriers can load, extending the entrance channel into the Gulf (a roughly 10-mile extension in the draft EIS; the Corps' 2019 notice described 13.8 miles of deepening); the Army Corps' June 2022 draft EIS puts new-work dredging at about 46 million cubic yards. A 2026 conference abstract by a University of Texas marine scientist flags larval-recruitment and brine-discharge concerns, and no permit decision was found in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Corpus Christi Ship Channel at Port Aransas","type":"Ship channel and port","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Nueces County, Texas, from Harbor Island through Aransas Pass into the Gulf; the port exports about 2.4 million barrels of oil per day (UT Marine Science Institute abstract).","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":27.8333,"lon":-97.0667,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port expansion and dredging to serve crude exports, with permitting and estuarine effects under review.","secondary_drivers":["Channel dredging","Crude oil exports"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The draft EIS lists direct inshore impacts including 16.61 acres of tidal wetlands and 6.88 acres of seagrass, and an abstract flags risk to larval recruitment, a potential harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or route restriction is documented; the project would enlarge rather than restrict shipping (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Effects are centred on one channel and adjacent bays, though the entrance channel would extend roughly 10 miles into the Gulf (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The application was filed January 3, 2019 and the draft EIS appeared in June 2022, with the issue still discussed in May 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A Corps Draft Environmental Impact Statement and a FAST-41 permitting track are formal federal processes, but no decision was found (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The EIS and abstract give no population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Dredging under the applicant's proposed action would result in 46 million cubic yards of new work material, deepening the channel to about 75 feet MLLW from the authorized 54 feet (USACE Draft EIS, June 2022)."},"measures":[{"name":"New-work dredged material","value":46,"unit":"million cubic yards","status":"Reported","note":"USACE Galveston District Draft EIS, June 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Inshore tidal wetland impacted by placement areas","value":16.61,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Direct impact figure in the Draft EIS executive summary (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seagrass impacted by inshore placement areas","value":6.88,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Draft EIS (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The port says its channel limits full loading of very large crude carriers, requiring reverse lightering offshore (ref 1).","The channel supports about 60 percent of U.S. crude exports according to the 2026 abstract (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Port of Corpus Christi Authority","role":"Applicant and port","contact":"https://portofcc.com"},{"name":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District","role":"Permitting agency","contact":"https://www.swg.usace.army.mil"}],"public_contact":"USACE Galveston District publishes contact details at https://www.swg.usace.army.mil.","corrective_actions":["The Draft EIS proposes beneficial use of dredged material for beach nourishment and dune restoration on San Jose Island (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Corpus Christi Ship Channel Deepening Project, Volume I","publisher":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District","date":"2022-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://files.library.northwestern.edu/transportation/online/unrestricted/EIS/2022/20220076/Draft%20EIS%20for%20the%20Proposed%20Corpus%20Christi%20Ship%20Channel%20Deepening%20Vol%20I%20-%20June%202%202022.pdf","basis":"Agency report (draft EIS)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Corpus Christi Ship Channel: Potential impacts of channel deepening, oil spills and desalination on recruitment of marine fish and shellfish larvae","publisher":"Gulf Conference 2026 (Edward Buskey, UT Marine Science Institute)","date":"2026-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://events.american-tradeshow.com/gulfcon2026/session/3981175/corpus-christi-ship-channel-potential-impacts-of-channel-deepening-oil-spills-and-desalination-on-recruitment-of-marine-fish-and-shellfish-larvae","basis":"Conference session abstract"},{"ref":3,"title":"Corps Seeks Comments on Port of Corpus Christi Channel Deepening","publisher":"The Waterways Journal (International Dredging Review)","date":"2019-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/?p=14854","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Port Aransas, Texas (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Aransas,_Texas","basis":"Reference page (city coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2026 abstract refers to a proposed Harbor Island port deepening the channel to 78 feet, whereas the 2022 Draft EIS proposes about 75 feet (with 77 feet in an alternative)."}],"missing_fields":["The final EIS, any Record of Decision or permit were not found in the pages opened; the Permitting Dashboard returned an access error."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GOM-GALVESTONBAY-HSCPROJECT11-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Houston Ship Channel Project 11 widens Galveston Bay reach, with funding gaps and habitat reuse plans","description":"Project 11, the Houston Ship Channel Expansion, widens the Galveston Bay reach by 170 feet to 700 feet and deepens some upstream segments to 46.5 feet. The Waterways Journal reported in May 2025 that the project was 87 percent funded with about $162 million still needed and completion expected in 2029, while the Greater Houston Port Bureau says over 15 million cubic yards of non-silt material is committed to beneficial reuse including marsh, bird islands and oyster reefs.","location":{"name":"Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay reach","type":"Port and navigation channel","sea":"GOM","seas":["GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Galveston Bay, Texas, between Bolivar Roads and the upper Houston Ship Channel; coordinates are for Galveston Bay.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.5697,"lon":-94.9367,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port expansion and dredging with habitat reuse commitments and an incomplete funding plan.","secondary_drivers":["Channel widening","Dredging"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The cited sources document no ecological harm and describe habitat-creation features, so no harm is scored (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction on fishing or shipping is described in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The works concern one channel in one bay system (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Funding and construction span from at least 2023 to a 2029 completion estimate, a multi-year build (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources report a Corps work plan allocation and no violation, listing or enforcement action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources give no population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Project 11 is now 87 percent funded, with about $162 million still needed to finish the widening, and completion is listed for 2029 (Waterways Journal, May 30, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of Project 11 funded","value":87,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"As of May 2025 after the FY2025 Work Plan (ref 1)."},{"name":"Non-silt dredged material committed to beneficial use","value":15,"unit":"million cubic yards","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 15 million' per Texas Gulf Coast article of October 31, 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Planned oyster reef","value":324,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Texas Gulf Coast article, October 2023 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Corps awarded $131 million in its FY2025 Work Plan, of which $33 million goes to Segment 1B (ref 1).","Upstream segments 4 to 6 need at least $178 million more in federal funding, per the 2023 article (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Funding rose from 83 percent in September 2023 to 87 percent in May 2025 (refs 1, 2), but the sources give no environmental trend."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Port Houston","role":"Non-federal sponsor","contact":"https://porthouston.com"},{"name":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District","role":"Federal sponsor","contact":"https://www.swg.usace.army.mil"}],"public_contact":"Port Houston publishes contact details at https://porthouston.com.","corrective_actions":["Dredged non-silt material is committed to beneficial use including bird islands, marsh and oyster reefs (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Houston Ship Channel Receives Funding For Project 11","publisher":"The Waterways Journal","date":"2025-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/?p=41832","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Accelerating Houston Ship Channel Expansion for Regional Economic and Environmental Benefits","publisher":"Greater Houston Port Bureau","date":"2023-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.txgulf.org/news/accelerating-houston-ship-channel-expansion-for-regional-economic-and-environmental-benefits","basis":"Industry advocacy article"},{"ref":3,"title":"Galveston Bay (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston_Bay","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (GOM in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2023 article gives end-2026 completion subject to funding and about 800 acres of marsh; the May 2025 article gives 2029."}],"missing_fields":["Project 11 completion year differs between the two sources (see conflicts)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-CALCURRENT-MARINEHEATWAVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record northeast Pacific marine heatwave rivals the Blob and persists off the US West Coast into 2026","description":"NOAA Fisheries reports that a marine heatwave first tracked in May 2025 reached a record average northeast Pacific temperature of 20.6 C on 9 September 2025 and has dominated West Coast waters since, strengthening again after weakening in autumn. NOAA says its ecological impact has so far been much less than the 2013 to 2016 Blob, but harmful algal blooms, reduced salmon ocean survival and unusual species locations are being tracked. The tracker records 2026 daily sea-surface temperature records at some California Current sites.","location":{"name":"California Current and offshore northeast Pacific","type":"Marine heatwave footprint (open coast and offshore)","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","CA"],"detail":"US West Coast from Southern California to Alaska and British Columbia, extending offshore across the North Pacific; Oregon and Washington nearshore waters largely spared in 2025.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A physical ocean-temperature anomaly driven by persistent atmospheric conditions.","secondary_drivers":["Persistent anomalous winds","Climate warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA says the event has had much less ecological impact than the Blob so far, but is tracking harmful algal blooms that sicken marine mammals and reduced salmon ocean survival (ref 1).","livelihoods":"NOAA lists shellfish fishery closures from harmful algal blooms as a possible consequence and notes lower salmon survival (ref 1); no specific closure is cited, so limited.","scale":"NOAA Blobtracker put the early September 2025 footprint near 3 million square miles, reaching from Kamchatka to California (ref 3), so basin-scale.","duration":"Tracked since May 2025; NOAA says it has dominated West Coast waters since summer 2025 and strengthened again after receding in October and November (ref 1); the tracker was updated in September 2026 with the heatwave still expanding (ref 2).","significance":"NOAA Fisheries published a formal feature story and maintains an operational tracker designating the event NEP25A (refs 1, 2); no emergency declaration cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On 9 September 2025 the northeast Pacific reached its highest average temperature on record, 20.6 C (about 69 F), nearly half a degree warmer than any previous record (NOAA Fisheries)."},"measures":[{"name":"Record northeast Pacific average temperature, 9 Sep 2025","value":20.6,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA Fisheries feature story, March 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"West Coast waters above normal, winter 2026","value":null,"unit":"F","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA says roughly 3 to 4 F above normal (ref 1); source gives a range, not one value."},{"name":"Heatwave footprint, early September 2025","value":3,"unit":"million square miles","status":"Reported","note":"About the size of the contiguous US per NOAA Blobtracker, quoted by OPB (ref 3)."},{"name":"Daily SST record days at some Southern California sites, 2026","value":null,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Tracker states 50 to 150 record days at some locations and a few over 150 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["NOAA flags possible algal-bloom shellfish fishery closures and reduced ocean salmon survival (ref 1).","Large numbers of tuna caught in Alaska in autumn 2025 reported as unusual (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"NOAA tracker (Sep 2026) says NEP25A off the southern US West Coast has expanded and intensified in recent weeks after a winter rebound (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center","role":"Marine heatwave tracking (California Current Blobtracker)","contact":"https://www.integratedecosystemassessment.noaa.gov/california-current-marine-heatwave-tracker-blobtracker"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Stranding Hotline (866) 767-6114 for marine mammal reports.","corrective_actions":["NOAA Fisheries and partners are tracking possible impacts and publishing the heatwave tracker (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"West Coast Waters Experiencing Another Large Marine Heatwave","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-03-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/west-coast-waters-experiencing-another-large-marine-heatwave","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"California Current Marine Heatwave Tracker (Blobtracker): What is a marine heatwave?","publisher":"NOAA California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.integratedecosystemassessment.noaa.gov/california-current-marine-heatwave-tracker-blobtracker","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marine heat wave known as 'the Blob' returns to Pacific, but so far spares Oregon and Washington","publisher":"OPB / KUOW","date":"2025-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/16/blob-heat-wave-pacific-ocean/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"The North Pacific heat 'blob' is back and experts are worried about marine life","publisher":"Global News","date":"2025-11-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/11509385/north-pacific-heat-blob-back-worried-marine-life","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-GULFALASKA-MARINEHEATWAVE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-GULFALASKA-MARINEHEATWAVE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Recurring Gulf of Alaska marine heatwaves weaken nutrient-carrying eddies; a new heatwave formed offshore in May 2026","description":"A Brown University study summarised by NOAA Climate.gov found that marine heatwaves in the Gulf of Alaska have become more frequent since 2013 and weaken coastal circulation and eddies that carry nutrients to phytoplankton. NOAA's heatwave tracker reports that a second 2026 feature, NEP26A, formed in the offshore Gulf of Alaska in May 2026, and NOAA noted unusual tuna catches in Alaska in autumn 2025.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Alaska","type":"Subarctic continental shelf and offshore waters","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Alaska's Gulf of Alaska coast and offshore waters; the Bering Sea is a separate unit.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":57,"lon":-145,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A physical warming and circulation change with food-web consequences.","secondary_drivers":["High-pressure atmospheric blocking","Weakened eddies and nutrient supply"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Climate.gov reports heatwaves reduce eddy formation and nutrient support for phytoplankton, the base of the food web; no mortality event is cited (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Climate.gov refers generally to lasting effects on fisheries (ref 1) and NOAA notes unusual tuna catches in Alaska (ref 4), but no closure or restriction is documented.","scale":"The study covers the Gulf of Alaska basin and the tracker places NEP26A in the offshore Gulf of Alaska region (refs 1, 2), a regional-sea extent.","duration":"Climate.gov states heatwaves have become more frequent since 2013 (ref 1), and large North Pacific heatwaves have occurred every year from 2019 to 2025 (ref 3).","significance":"Findings rest on a peer-reviewed study and agency tracker; no notice, listing or declaration is cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Marine heatwaves in the Gulf of Alaska have become more frequent since 2013, producing high-pressure conditions that weaken coastal circulation and eddy formation (NOAA Climate.gov summary of a Communications Earth & Environment study)."},"measures":[{"name":"Satellite record analysed in the study","value":30,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Brown University analysis of 30 years of satellite data and models (ref 1)."},{"name":"New offshore Gulf of Alaska heatwave designated NEP26A","value":1,"unit":"event (formed May 2026)","status":"Reported","note":"Blobtracker page updated 30 Sep 2026 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Climate.gov says heatwave effects extend to fisheries and marine food webs without naming a fishery (ref 1).","NOAA noted large numbers of tuna caught in Alaska in autumn 2025 (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Frequency has risen since 2013 (ref 1) and a new heatwave formed in May 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (Southwest Fisheries Science Center tracker)","role":"Marine heatwave tracking","contact":"https://www.integratedecosystemassessment.noaa.gov/california-current-marine-heatwave-tracker-blobtracker"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries published contact channels via fisheries.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["NOAA tracks Pacific heatwaves through its operational tracker (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Marine heatwaves disrupt ocean circulation and nutrient distribution in the Gulf of Alaska","publisher":"NOAA Climate.gov (Climate Program Office)","date":"2024-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climate.gov/news-features/feed/marine-heatwaves-disrupt-ocean-circulation-and-nutrient-distribution-gulf-0","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"California Current Marine Heatwave Tracker (Blobtracker)","publisher":"NOAA California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.integratedecosystemassessment.noaa.gov/california-current-marine-heatwave-tracker-blobtracker","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marine heat wave known as 'the Blob' returns to Pacific, but so far spares Oregon and Washington","publisher":"OPB / KUOW","date":"2025-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/16/blob-heat-wave-pacific-ocean/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"West Coast Waters Experiencing Another Large Marine Heatwave","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-03-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/west-coast-waters-experiencing-another-large-marine-heatwave","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Fishery-specific effects of the 2025 and 2026 events in the Gulf of Alaska were not in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-CALCURRENT-MARINEHEATWAVE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-SANCLEMENTE-RAILEROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Surf and bluff erosion repeatedly close the LOSSAN rail line at San Clemente and threaten the Del Mar bluffs","description":"The coastal rail line through San Clemente has faced repeated closures over five years from surf on one side and fragile bluffs on the other; emergency work in April 2025 halted trains for about six weeks, and high surf eroded ballast again in June and July 2026. The city faces a sand deficit of about 3 million cubic yards, and officials are studying moving the line inland. At Del Mar, about 1.7 miles of track follows a fragile bluff and stabilization is underway.","location":{"name":"San Clemente and Del Mar rail-bluff corridor","type":"Coastal passenger and freight rail corridor","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Orange and San Diego counties, southern California; 7 miles of low-lying track at San Clemente and about 1.7 miles on the Del Mar bluffs.","points":[{"name":"Del Mar bluffs","lat":32.959,"lon":-117.265,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Bluff-top rail segment"}],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":33.427,"lon":-117.612,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise, wave action and beach erosion threaten coastal infrastructure.","secondary_drivers":["Beach sand deficit","High surf and king tides","Bluff erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"AP reports crumbling bluffs have damaged oceanfront homes and erosion split San Clemente's North Beach (ref 1); no casualty is cited.","livelihoods":"Metrolink service was suspended without detour from 28 April 2025 for an estimated six weeks (ref 3), and Amtrak and Metrolink trains were cancelled or delayed again in July 2026 (ref 2).","scale":"The documented damage is a localized stretch of coast: 7 miles at San Clemente and about 1.7 miles at Del Mar (ref 2).","duration":"AP says closures have recurred over the past five years (ref 1); a king tide eroded ballast on 16 June 2026 and surf did so in late July 2026 (ref 2).","significance":"AP reports California's recent emergency declaration for the line (ref 1); OCTA ordered emergency stabilization of four vulnerable areas (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"San Clemente faces a sand deficit of about 3 million cubic yards, according to the city manager; trucking it in would take about 300,000 trips (AP, Sept 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Beach sand deficit at San Clemente","value":3000000,"unit":"cubic yards","status":"Reported","note":"City Manager Andy Hall quoted by AP (ref 1)."},{"name":"Low-lying track at risk at San Clemente","value":7,"unit":"miles","status":"Reported","note":"Union-Tribune via Mass Transit (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sand planned for the San Clemente shoreline","value":540000,"unit":"cubic yards","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 540,000 cubic yards pending state and federal permits; 3,400 cubic yards delivered Sept 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Estimated cost of the full San Clemente project package","value":310,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Times of San Diego, Sept 2025 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["AP describes the line as the second busiest passenger rail corridor in the US, also used for freight and the military (ref 1).","OCTA estimates $310 million for the full project package (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Closures recurred in 2025 and again in June and July 2026 (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)","role":"Owner of the San Clemente rail segment and sand project","contact":"https://www.octa.net"},{"name":"North County Transit District (NCTD)","role":"Operator on the Del Mar bluffs","contact":"https://www.gonctd.com"}],"public_contact":"OCTA and NCTD publish customer information lines on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Rock revetment and ballast repairs (refs 2, 3).","Sand placement: about 3,400 cubic yards delivered in September 2025 toward up to 540,000 cubic yards (ref 4).","Longer-term study of moving track inland at San Clemente and a tunnel at Del Mar (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sea level rise reshaping California beach town and threatening rail line","publisher":"PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/science/sea-level-rise-reshaping-california-beach-town-and-threatening-rail-line","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"CA: Trains delayed by high surf, erosion between San Diego and Orange County","publisher":"Mass Transit (San Diego Union-Tribune)","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/news/55394540/ca-trains-delayed-by-high-surf-erosion-between-san-diego-and-orange-county","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Emergency landslide, erosion repairs halt trains through San Clemente for several weeks","publisher":"Los Angeles Times (via Yahoo News)","date":"2025-04-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/emergency-landslide-erosion-repairs-halt-180003736.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Hundreds of loads of sand delivered to shore up railway in San Clemente","publisher":"Times of San Diego","date":"2025-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2025/09/05/hundreds-of-loads-of-sand-delivered-to-shore-up-rail-line-in-san-clemente/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-PACIFICA-SEAWALLEROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Pacifica pier closed and cafe demolished as seawall fails; local emergency declared over coastal erosion","description":"The Pacifica Municipal Pier closed indefinitely in June 2026 after structural cracking at the seawall connection, and the city demolished the Chit Chat Cafe at its entrance. The city council declared a local emergency, and the city says erosion had already forced demolition of three apartment buildings. Rep. Sam Liccardo says $50 million for the more than $80 million seawall project was revoked in 2025, and Pacifica has received no funding for it.","location":{"name":"Pacifica Municipal Pier and Beach Boulevard seawall","type":"Coastal pier and seawall","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Pacifica, San Mateo County, California, south of San Francisco.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":37.6138,"lon":-122.4869,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Wave action, erosion and rising seas are failing coastal defences and infrastructure.","secondary_drivers":["Seawall failure","Bluff erosion","Funding withdrawal"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Rep. Liccardo's letter reports erosion forced demolition of three apartment buildings, and the pier and cafe were damaged by a failing seawall (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The pier is closed indefinitely and the Chit Chat Cafe, open since 1973, was demolished in a couple of hours (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The damage is concentrated at one pier, its seawall and adjacent bluffs in one city (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The city has pursued a seawall resiliency project that needed federal funding revoked in 2025 and reopened in March 2026 (ref 2); the pier problem is ongoing with no repair timeline (ref 2).","significance":"The city council unanimously declared a local state of emergency and is seeking a state declaration from the governor (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The city manager estimated the pier alone would cost about $21 million to fix, and the Beach Boulevard seawall project more than $80 million (KQED, June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated pier repair cost","value":21,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"City Manager Sean Charpentier (ref 2)."},{"name":"Beach Boulevard Infrastructure Resiliency Project cost","value":80,"unit":"USD million (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"KQED, June 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Federal funding revoked in 2025 for the seawall","value":50,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Rep. Sam Liccardo's request to reinstate it (ref 2)."},{"name":"Boulders being added at the seawall connection","value":150,"unit":"boulders","status":"Reported","note":"Stabilization step (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Pier closed indefinitely and the cafe at its end demolished (refs 1, 2).","Seawall project cost exceeds $80 million with funding unresolved (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"KQED reports widening cracks in June 2026 and a leaning pier (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"City of Pacifica","role":"Pier and seawall owner and emergency authority","contact":"https://www.cityofpacifica.org"}],"public_contact":"City of Pacifica published general channel (city website).","corrective_actions":["Emergency rock and boulder stabilization (ref 2).","Local emergency declared; state declaration requested (ref 2).","City listening sessions planned for autumn 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"What Will Pacifica Do About Its Iconic but Deteriorating Pier?","publisher":"KQED","date":"2026-06-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087431/what-will-pacifica-do-about-its-iconic-but-deteriorating-pier","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"After Pacifica Pier Damage, Bay Area Leaders Urge Trump to Restore Aid","publisher":"KQED","date":"2026-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087577/after-pacifica-pier-damage-bay-area-leaders-urge-trump-to-restore-aid","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sea level rise reshaping California beach town and threatening rail line","publisher":"PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/science/sea-level-rise-reshaping-california-beach-town-and-threatening-rail-line","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-TAHOLAH-RELOCATION-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Quinault Nation relocates Taholah lower village uphill from sea-level rise, storm surge and tsunami risk","description":"The Quinault Indian Nation is moving its two villages at the Quinault River mouth about a mile uphill because of rising seas, flooding, storm surge and tsunami risk. The relocation is estimated to cost about $100 million; a $25 million federal grant and HUD housing funds for six elder homes were announced in 2022 and 2024. The tribe says relocating a whole village will take a long time.","location":{"name":"Taholah, Quinault Indian Reservation","type":"Tribal coastal village","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Olympic Peninsula coast, Grays Harbor County, Washington, at the junction of the Quinault River and the Pacific Ocean.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":47.337,"lon":-124.289,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise and storm surge are forcing a coastal community to relocate.","secondary_drivers":["Cascadia tsunami exposure","Storm surge","Shoreline erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Daily Climate reports Taholah frequently floods from storm surge and rising seas (ref 3); NPR notes continued erosion despite 2014 seawall repairs (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Two villages, home to more than half of the tribe's 3,000 members, are being moved a mile uphill (ref 1); elders move first into six new homes (ref 2).","scale":"The relocation concerns one tribal community at one river mouth (ref 1).","duration":"The tribe began the process more than 12 years before 2022 (ref 1), and the Quinault Housing Authority says relocating a whole village will take a long time (ref 2).","significance":"The federal government awarded $25 million in 2022 and HUD funded $3.5 million for Quinault and Chehalis homes in 2024; these are formal grants but not an emergency order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":1500,"status":"Estimated","note":"NPR reports more than 3,000 tribal members with over half living in the two villages (ref 1); the figure is half of 3,000."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Total relocation cost is around $100 million, according to Quinault president Guy Capoeman; the Nation received $25 million from the federal government (NPR/KQED)."},"measures":[{"name":"Total estimated relocation cost","value":100,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Guy Capoeman quoted by NPR (ref 1)."},{"name":"Federal relocation grant to Quinault Nation","value":25,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Part of $75 million for three tribes (ref 1)."},{"name":"HUD funding for six elder homes","value":2,"unit":"USD million (nearly)","status":"Reported","note":"ICDBG funds, Feb 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Projected cost per new home","value":null,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"$350,000 to $400,000 per Daily Climate (ref 3); source gives a range."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Housing costs of $350,000 to $400,000 per home may be unaffordable for many members (ref 3).","Total cost about $100 million against $25 million awarded (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Slow, funding-dependent phased relocation reported 2022 to 2024 (refs 1 to 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Quinault Indian Nation","role":"Relocation lead","contact":"https://www.quinaultindiannation.com"},{"name":"US HUD Native American Programs Northwest Office","role":"Housing funder","contact":"https://www.hud.gov"}],"public_contact":"Quinault Indian Nation general contact via its published website.","corrective_actions":["Phased relocation uphill (about a mile per NPR, half a mile per Daily Climate).","HUD-funded elder homes in the Northeast Neighborhood with 59 lots (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"3 Tribes Dealing With the Toll of Climate Change Get $75 Million to Relocate","publisher":"NPR (via KQED)","date":"2022-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kqed.org/science/1980880/3-tribes-dealing-with-the-toll-of-climate-change-get-75-million-to-relocate","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Funding for Northwest tribes to help challenges with housing, climate change","publisher":"Northwest Public Broadcasting","date":"2024-02-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nwpb.org/2024/02/16/funding-for-northwest-tribes-to-help-challenges-with-housing-climate-change","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Quinault Indian Nation plans relocation to combat flooding","publisher":"The Daily Climate","date":"2024-05-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailyclimate.org/quinault-indian-nation-plans-relocation-to-combat-flooding-2668254593.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 progress report was found in opened sources; status reflects reporting through May 2024."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-SFBAY-KINGTIDEFLOOD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record king tides and storm flood Highway 101 and Marin communities in San Francisco Bay, January 2026","description":"On 3 January 2026 record king tides combined with a storm to flood a 15-mile stretch from the Sausalito area to San Rafael, closing Highway 101 exits and trapping cars in water 3 to 4 feet deep. KQED reports hundreds of structures were affected and the tide reached a 28-year high at the San Francisco gauge. An $18 million federal grant for a neighborhood sheet-pile wall has been paused for months.","location":{"name":"Corte Madera and Marin shoreline, San Francisco Bay","type":"Bayfront communities and highway corridor","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Marin County, northern San Francisco Bay: Corte Madera, Larkspur Marina, Sausalito, San Rafael and Santa Venetia.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":37.925,"lon":-122.527,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Tidal and storm-surge flooding amplified by sea-level rise at the bay shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["King tide","Storm surge","Heavy rain"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AP reports cars stuck in 3 to 4 feet of water and rescues (ref 1); KQED says hundreds of structures were affected, damage unquantified (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Highway 101 exits were shut for hours and a Highway 1 ramp closed again on Monday; one gym used sandbags and a pump (ref 2).","scale":"The flooded stretch was about 15 miles of Marin shoreline (ref 1).","duration":"The surge lasted days, but KQED reports the bay is rising about 2 mm a year and an $18 million flood-wall grant has been paused for months (ref 2).","significance":"The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the San Francisco area until Saturday afternoon and an advisory through Sunday (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"King tides reached a 28-year high of 2.5 feet above ground level on the National Weather Service gauge in San Francisco (KQED, 6 Jan 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Highest king tide at the San Francisco gauge in 28 years","value":2.5,"unit":"feet above ground level","status":"Reported","note":"NWS gauge per KQED (ref 2)."},{"name":"Flooded shoreline stretch, Sausalito to San Rafael","value":15,"unit":"miles","status":"Reported","note":"AP (ref 1)."},{"name":"Water depth where cars were stuck","value":null,"unit":"feet","status":"Reported","note":"3 to 4 feet per AP (ref 1); source gives a range."},{"name":"Federal grant paused for a neighborhood sheet-pile wall","value":18,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"KQED (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Hundreds of structures affected per Marin County officials (ref 2).","Highway 101 and ramps closed for hours (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"KQED cites bay rise of about 2 mm per year, a foot by midcentury and over 6 feet by 2100 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marin County and National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area","role":"Flood response and warnings","contact":"https://www.weather.gov/mtr/"}],"public_contact":"NWS Bay Area forecast office, published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Sandbags and temporary pumps used locally; state requires coastal jurisdictions to produce sea level rise plans by 2034 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Heavy rain, high tides cause flooding along stretch of Northern California","publisher":"Associated Press (via News4Jax)","date":"2026-01-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/01/03/heavy-rain-high-tides-cause-flooding-along-stretch-of-northern-california/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marin County Looked Like 'a Lagoon' After King Tides, Heavy Rain","publisher":"KQED","date":"2026-01-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068644/marin-county-looked-like-a-lagoon-after-king-tides-heavy-rain","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-WASHINGTON-LEVEEFLOODING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Aging coastal levees at Stanwood and Grays Harbor face king-tide flood risk as federal funding stalls","description":"A January 2026 king tide gouged a half-mile of the century-old levee at Stanwood on Skagit Bay, and emergency repairs were funded in July 2026 with $1.75 million. At Grays Harbor, a planned 11-mile levee for Aberdeen and Hoquiam awaits promised federal funds after FEMA cancelled its BRIC program in April 2025 and a federal judge ordered it restored. NOAA researchers put the chance of a very strong El Nino by autumn 2026 at 80 percent, which UW oceanographer Ian Miller says can raise Pacific Northwest sea levels.","location":{"name":"Stanwood levee (Skagit Bay) and Grays Harbor levees","type":"Coastal levee systems","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Puget Sound at Stanwood and the Washington outer coast at Aberdeen and Hoquiam, Grays Harbor.","points":[{"name":"Hoquiam and Aberdeen, Grays Harbor","lat":46.981,"lon":-123.889,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Planned 11-mile levee"}],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":48.242,"lon":-122.372,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Tidal flooding and rising sea levels threaten coastal communities and their flood defences.","secondary_drivers":["King tides","El Nino sea-level rise","Federal funding delay"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Waves and wind gouged a half-mile of the Stanwood outer levee in January 2026; a 2022 county study estimates failure could displace 1,100 people and damage $480 million of buildings (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery restriction is reported; the levees are protective projects not yet built or repaired (ref 1).","scale":"The two sites span Puget Sound and the Washington outer coast, covering about 5,000 Grays Harbor properties and Stanwood (ref 1).","duration":"Grays Harbor cities have sought levees since the 2015 floods, and the Stanwood levee is about a century old (ref 1).","significance":"A federal judge ordered FEMA's cancelled BRIC program restored in December 2025, and Stanwood repairs received emergency approvals (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":1100,"status":"Estimated","note":"Potentially displaced if the Stanwood levee failed, from a 2022 county study cited by KUOW (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Warming has raised sea level around Puget Sound about six inches since the Stanwood levee was built, and a failure could displace 1,100 people and damage $480 million in buildings (KUOW, July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Emergency Stanwood levee repair funding from Snohomish County","value":1.75,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"KUOW (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned Grays Harbor levee length","value":11,"unit":"miles","status":"Reported","note":"Aberdeen and Hoquiam, protects more than 5,000 properties (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hoquiam levee funding under FEMA review","value":34.65,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Per a FEMA spokesperson quoted by KUOW (ref 1)."},{"name":"Possible displacement if Stanwood levee failed","value":1100,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"2022 Snohomish County study (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Failure could damage $480 million in buildings at Stanwood (ref 1).","Grays Harbor needs nearly $100 million in federal funding (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"NOAA puts the chance of a very strong El Nino by autumn at 80%, which raises regional sea levels (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Snohomish County and the cities of Stanwood, Aberdeen and Hoquiam","role":"Levee owners and sponsors","contact":"https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov"},{"name":"FEMA","role":"Funder (BRIC program)","contact":"https://www.fema.gov"}],"public_contact":"Local governments publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Emergency Stanwood levee repairs approved and funded in July 2026 (ref 1).","Hoquiam levee funding under FEMA review, with construction hoped for spring 2027 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Washington cities try to gird for coastal flooding as 'super El Nino' nears","publisher":"KUOW","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kuow.org/climate/2026-07-29/washington-cities-try-to-gird-for-coastal-flooding-as-super-el-nino-nears","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one source opened for this finding; second source not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-RICHMOND-FRASERDELTADIKES-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Richmond, BC raises Fraser delta dikes to 2100 sea-level rise design levels","description":"Richmond, a low-lying city on the Fraser River delta, plans to raise its dikes from about 3.5 metres to 4.7 metres and designs for 1 metre of sea-level rise over 80 years plus about 0.2 metres of land subsidence. In May 2024 federal, provincial and city governments committed about $13 million to a pump station rebuild and a raised dike section.","location":{"name":"Richmond dikes, Fraser River delta","type":"Delta city flood defence system","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Richmond, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, on the Fraser River delta.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":49.167,"lon":-123.134,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise and subsidence on a delta require raising flood defences.","secondary_drivers":["Land subsidence","King tides","Fraser freshet"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The dike upgrades are protective against potential flooding; the opened sources document no flood damage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The 2024 project protects over 29,000 residents, about 50 businesses and 8 square kilometres of farmland, but no disruption is documented (ref 1).","scale":"The funded work is a 1,200-metre dike section and pump station in one city (ref 1).","duration":"The city plans for 1 metre of rise over the next 80 years and ongoing dike raising from 3.5 to 4.7 metres (ref 2).","significance":"The province advises planning for 1 metre of sea-level rise, and three governments funded the 2024 project (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":29000,"status":"Reported","note":"Over 29,000 residents protected by the funded project (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Richmond dikes are about 3.5 metres and the City plans to raise them to 4.7 metres; the Province advises planning for 1 metre of sea-level rise over the next 80 years (City of Richmond)."},"measures":[{"name":"Funding for pump station and raised dike section","value":13,"unit":"CAD million (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Federal $1.35M, provincial $8.18M, city $3.47M (ref 1)."},{"name":"Provincial planning sea-level rise","value":1,"unit":"metre over 80 years","status":"Reported","note":"City of Richmond dike page (ref 2)."},{"name":"Expected land subsidence","value":0.2,"unit":"metres over 80 years","status":"Reported","note":"City of Richmond (ref 2)."},{"name":"Residents protected by the 2024 project","value":29000,"unit":"people (over)","status":"Reported","note":"BC Government (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Eight square kilometres of agricultural land and about 50 businesses sit behind the upgraded section (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"City of Richmond","role":"Dike owner and flood protection lead","contact":"https://richmond.ca/services/water-sewer-flood/dikes.htm"}],"public_contact":"City of Richmond published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Raise dikes from 3.5 to 4.7 metres under the Flood Protection Management Strategy (ref 2).","Rebuild the No. 3 Road South pump station with quadrupled capacity (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Federal and provincial governments shore up flood defences in Richmond","publisher":"Government of British Columbia","date":"2024-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.gov.bc.ca/stories/federal-and-provincial-governments-shore-up-flood-defences-in-richmond","basis":"Government news release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Flood Protection (dikes)","publisher":"City of Richmond","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://richmond.ca/services/water-sewer-flood/dikes.htm","basis":"Municipal agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Page date for the City of Richmond source is not shown; no 2025 or 2026 update opened; Tofino not verified."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-PNWSHELF-HYPOXIA-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Near-bottom hypoxia now covers up to 56 percent of the Oregon and Washington shelf in strong upwelling years","description":"A 2024 Scientific Reports study found near-bottom hypoxia over about 15,500 square kilometres, nearly half the shelf inshore of 200 metres, in summer 2021, with the hypoxic share up from an average of about 2 percent in 1950 to 1980 and 24 percent in 2009 to 2018. Researchers tie the trend to stronger upwelling winds under climate change. NOAA notes hypoxic zones are increasingly forming on Dungeness crab and other fishing grounds.","location":{"name":"Oregon and Washington continental shelf","type":"Continental shelf hypoxic zone","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Near-bottom waters inshore of the 200 m isobath off Oregon and Washington, with a mid-shelf band extending 450 km along north-central Oregon and Washington.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":45.5,"lon":-124.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Declining dissolved oxygen is a physical ocean-chemistry change with ecosystem effects.","secondary_drivers":["Strengthening upwelling winds","Offshore oxygen decline"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Barth et al. measured oxygen below the harmful 61 micromoles per kilogram threshold across 15,500 square kilometres in 2021 (refs 1, 2); the Daily Astorian reported fish and crab trapped and dying (ref 4).","livelihoods":"NCCOS says hypoxic zones are forming on once-productive fishing grounds and the Oregon Dungeness fishery averages $39.5 million a year (ref 3); the Quinault Nation closed crab season early in 2018 (ref 5).","scale":"The hypoxic band spans the shelf from Oregon into Washington, about 450 km along the coast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Oxygen maps from 1950 show a steady decline, and hypoxia has formed nearly every summer since 2002 (refs 1, 5).","significance":"NOAA's Integrated Ecosystem Assessment published the finding, and NOAA funded a sensor project from 2018 to 2025 (refs 1, 3); no regulatory action."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The hypoxic fraction of near-bottom shelf water rose from about 2% (1950 to 1980) to 24% (2009 to 2018) and reached 56% in 2021 (Barth et al., Scientific Reports 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Shelf area with near-bottom hypoxia, summer 2021","value":15500,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly half the shelf inshore of 200 m (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Hypoxic share of near-bottom shelf water, 2021","value":56,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Up from about 2% in 1950 to 1980 and 24% in 2009 to 2018 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Mid-shelf band with oxygen below 50 micromoles per kg","value":450,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Off north-central Oregon and Washington (ref 2)."},{"name":"Oregon Dungeness crab fishery average annual value","value":39.5,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"20-year average per NCCOS (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Oregon Dungeness crab averages about $39.5 million a year and hypoxia now forms on its fishing grounds (ref 3).","Demersal surveys caught few or no fish across hypoxic areas, adding uncertainty to stock assessments (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Hypoxic share rose from 2% to 24% to 56% across the analysed periods (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Coastal Hypoxia Research Program and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Monitoring and fishery management partners","contact":"https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/tracking-extent-and-effect-of-hypoxia-on-commercial-fisheries-in-pacific-northwest/"}],"public_contact":"NOAA NCCOS published contact page.","corrective_actions":["Crab-pot oxygen sensor network (about 40 sensors) with a 1 to 7 day hypoxia risk forecast aim, run 2018 to August 2025 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Near-bottom hypoxia widespread and increasing off the US Pacific Northwest","publisher":"NOAA California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment","date":"2024-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.integratedecosystemassessment.noaa.gov/news/near-bottom-hypoxia-widespread-and-increasing-us-pacific-northwest","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Widespread and Increasing Near-bottom Hypoxia in Pacific NW Coastal Ocean","publisher":"Ocean Observatories Initiative","date":"2024-05-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanobservatories.org/2024/05/widespread-and-increasing-near-bottom-hypoxia-in-pacific-nw-coastal-ocean/","basis":"Research programme report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tracking the Extent and Effect of Hypoxia on Commercial Fisheries off the Pacific Northwest","publisher":"NOAA NCCOS","date":"2019-02-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/tracking-extent-and-effect-of-hypoxia-on-commercial-fisheries-in-pacific-northwest/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Low-oxygen levels off coast a concern for fisheries","publisher":"The Daily Astorian (via Yahoo News)","date":"2021-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/low-oxygen-levels-off-coast-024800216.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Pacific Coast crabs are suffocating","publisher":"High Country News (Hakai Magazine)","date":"2022-03-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hcn.org/articles/ocean-pacific-coast-crabs-are-suffocating/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2023 to 2025 season-specific hypoxia report was found in opened sources; the Scientific Reports paper itself was not opened, only agency summaries of it."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-SALISHSEA-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Northeast Pacific and Salish Sea waters are acidifying faster than the atmosphere, Nature Communications study finds","description":"A University of Washington study published in November 2025 used museum coral samples from 1888 to 1932 compared with 2020 corals to show CO2 has accumulated in North American Pacific waters faster than in the atmosphere. Acidification has been stronger 100 to 200 metres below the surface. Washington Ecology estimates Puget Sound and outer coast waters are 10 to 40 percent more corrosive than in 1800.","location":{"name":"Salish Sea and Pacific Northwest coast","type":"Inland sea and continental margin","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","CA"],"detail":"Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the outer Pacific coast of Washington and neighbouring waters.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":47.7,"lon":-122.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Ocean chemistry shift from absorbed CO2 and natural upwelled corrosive water.","secondary_drivers":["Atmospheric CO2","Upwelled carbon-rich water","River mixing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Ecology says some shellfish species are already being negatively affected and deep Puget Sound water is more corrosive for seafloor animals (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is documented in these sources; Washington's shellfish industry is described as a $270 million sector at risk (ref 3).","scale":"The study covers the Salish Sea and the Northeast Pacific margin along North America (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Coral records stretch from 1888 to 2020 and Ecology says favorable conditions have declined since the early 1800s (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A peer-reviewed Nature Communications paper and Ecology's formal indicator from its monitoring program established in 2019 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Puget Sound and outer coast waters have become 10 to 40 percent more corrosive since 1800 (Washington Department of Ecology, December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral samples analysed, 1888 to 1932","value":54,"unit":"samples","status":"Reported","note":"Compared with corals collected at the same sites in 2020 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ocean acidity increase since industrial revolution","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Global figure cited by UW News via NOAA (ref 1)."},{"name":"Increase in corrosiveness of Puget Sound and outer coast since 1800","value":null,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ecology gives a range of 10 to 40 percent (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Washington shellfish industry worth $270 million, the largest on the West Coast (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"UW study says the effect is likely to grow as atmospheric CO2 rises (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Washington Department of Ecology","role":"State ocean acidification monitoring","contact":"https://ecology.wa.gov/OA"},{"name":"Washington Ocean Acidification Center, University of Washington","role":"Research","contact":"https://oceanacidification.uw.edu"}],"public_contact":"Washington Department of Ecology published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Ecology monitors 28 sites monthly in Puget Sound and the coast and publishes a favorable-conditions indicator (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Carbon-rich waters are becoming even more acidic as atmospheric CO2 levels rise","publisher":"University of Washington News","date":"2025-11-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.washington.edu/news/2025/11/13/carbon-rich-waters-are-becoming-more-acidic-faster/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (university release)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ocean acidification to hit Puget Sound harder, study says","publisher":"OA-ICC (reposting The Seattle Times)","date":"2025-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2025/12/04/ocean-acidification-to-hit-puget-sound-harder-study-says/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"New indicator tracks and visualizes ocean acidification in Washington","publisher":"Washington Department of Ecology","date":"2024-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/december-2024/new-indicator-tracks-visualizes-ocean-acidification-in-washington","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Nature Communications paper page required authentication and was not opened; study details come from the UW release."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-WASHINGTON-SHELLFISHACIDIFICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-WASHINGTON-SHELLFISHACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Acidification and proposed federal research cuts put Washington's $270 million shellfish industry at risk","description":"Pacific Northwest hatcheries saw mass die-offs of oyster larvae about two decades ago that were later linked to ocean acidification, and growers say conditions are expected to worsen. In 2025 the administration proposed federal research cuts that could jeopardize monitoring systems and resilient-oyster experiments; the cuts were not described as enacted. Washington Ecology now tracks the days each year with favorable conditions for shellfish.","location":{"name":"Washington shellfish growing waters","type":"Shellfish aquaculture waters (Puget Sound and coast)","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Puget Sound and Washington outer-coast shellfish growing areas.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":47.2,"lon":-123.2,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Corrosive water chemistry directly constrains shell formation for farmed shellfish.","secondary_drivers":["Corrosive upwelled water","Research funding proposals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"EHN summarising the New York Times reports oyster larval die-offs in hatcheries and weakened mussel and crab shells (ref 1); Ecology says some shellfish are already affected (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Hatchery larval die-offs are reported (ref 1) and Ecology says favorable growing conditions occur only from spring through most of summer (ref 2); no closure is cited.","scale":"The finding is confined to Washington State waters (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Hatchery die-offs began nearly two decades ago and Ecology says favorable conditions have declined since the early 1800s (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The funding cuts were only proposed (ref 1) and Ecology's indicator is an informational product (ref 2), so no formal enforcement or listing."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Washington State's oyster industry is worth $270 million, and proposed federal research cuts could jeopardize acidification monitoring and resilient-oyster experiments (EHN summary of New York Times, July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Washington shellfish industry value","value":270,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Ecology and EHN (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Monitoring sites measured monthly by Ecology","value":28,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Puget Sound and coast, surface and 100 feet (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Taylor Shellfish spokesman Bill Dewey said ocean chemistry conditions are going to get worse (ref 1).","Research cuts proposed that could halt monitoring (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ecology says conditions favorable to shellfish have declined since the early 1800s (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Washington Department of Ecology","role":"Ocean acidification monitoring","contact":"https://ecology.wa.gov/OA"}],"public_contact":"Washington Department of Ecology published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Ecology publishes a favorable-days indicator for growers (ref 2).","Ecology shares monitoring data with Tribes, shellfish farmers and managers (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oyster farms face growing threat from ocean acidification in the Pacific Northwest","publisher":"Environmental Health News","date":"2025-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ehn.org/oyster-farms-face-growing-threat-from-ocean-acidification-in-the-pacific-northwest","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"New indicator tracks and visualizes ocean acidification in Washington","publisher":"Washington Department of Ecology","date":"2024-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/december-2024/new-indicator-tracks-visualizes-ocean-acidification-in-washington","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Monitoring ocean acidification","publisher":"Washington Department of Ecology","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecology.wa.gov/OA","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The original New York Times article was not opened; the cuts were described as proposed only."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-SALISHSEA-ACIDIFICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-NORCAL-KELPBARRENS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Northern California bull kelp still about 95% lost a decade on, with purple urchin barrens persisting","description":"Mongabay reported in September 2025 that about 95% of Northern California bull kelp died during the warm-water years of 2013 to 2017 and has not recovered at scale, except in a few coves under intensive restoration. At Casper Cove off Fort Bragg the reporter counted about 120 purple urchins in roughly one square metre, against about 2 per square metre at which kelp thrives. A July 2026 Times-Standard piece repeats a roughly 95% canopy loss since 2014 from Landsat analysis.","location":{"name":"Northern California coast (Sonoma to Humboldt)","type":"Kelp forest coast","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, California north coast between San Francisco and the Oregon border; Casper Cove off Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, is the restoration site named in the 2025 report.","coordinates":{"lat":39.44,"lon":-123.81,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of a canopy-forming habitat after a marine heatwave and the collapse of the urchin predator.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave 2014-2016","Sunflower sea star wasting disease","Purple urchin population explosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 95% of bull kelp died and kelp has not recovered at scale outside a few restored coves (ref 1); the 2019 Scientific Reports study found more than 90% canopy loss over 217 miles (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Red abalone mass mortalities led to the closure of a $44 million recreational abalone fishery in 2018 (ref 3).","scale":"The loss spans the 217 miles of coast between San Francisco and the Oregon border (ref 3), a regional stretch of one state's coastline rather than a single bay.","duration":"The collapse began in 2013 to 2014 and the July 2026 report still describes about 95% canopy loss since 2014 (ref 2), so over a decade of persistence.","significance":"The abalone fishery closure of 2018 (ref 3) is a formal state fishery restriction; the sources record no listing or court action for the kelp itself."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 95% of Northern California bull kelp died; about 120 purple urchins counted in roughly 1 square metre at Casper Cove (kelp thrives at about 2 per square metre)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bull kelp lost","value":95,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay, September 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Purple urchins counted in about 1 square metre at Casper Cove","value":120,"unit":"count","status":"Reported","note":"Single-site count by the reporter (ref 1); kelp thrives at about 2 per square metre."},{"name":"Urchins removed from a 0.4-hectare area at Casper Cove","value":150000,"unit":"count","status":"Reported","note":"More than 150,000 removed by divers over three years (ref 1)."},{"name":"Canopy loss, San Francisco to Oregon border (217 miles)","value":90,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Scientific Reports study as described by UC Davis, October 2019 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["A $44 million recreational red abalone fishery was closed in 2018 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Persistently low: kelp has not recovered at scale in 2025 (ref 1) and canopy loss is still about 95% in July 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"State fish and wildlife manager","contact":"https://wildlife.ca.gov"},{"name":"Noyo Center for Marine Science","role":"Local science and restoration partner named in ref 1","contact":"https://www.noyocenter.org"}],"public_contact":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife public contact channels (wildlife.ca.gov)","corrective_actions":["Divers removed more than 150,000 urchins from a 0.4-hectare (1-acre) area at Casper Cove over three years (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"California's kelp forests struggle to recover a decade after collapse","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/californias-kelp-forests-struggle-to-recover-a-decade-after-collapse/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"North coast kelp collapse: Yurok Tribe confronts a changing ocean (Times-Standard, republished by FISHBIO)","publisher":"FISHBIO (republishing the Times-Standard)","date":"2026-07-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishbio.com/news/north-coast-kelp-collapse-yurok-tribe-confronts-a-changing-ocean/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"California's crashing kelp forest","publisher":"UC Davis","date":"2019-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/californias-crashing-kelp-forest","basis":"University release on peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The FISHBIO page shows 7 July 2026; its URL suggests the Times-Standard ran it on 4 July 2026."}],"missing_fields":["No CDFW or Ocean Protection Council page was opened for current restoration acreage."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-COAST-SUNFLOWERSEASTAR-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-COAST-SUNFLOWERSEASTAR-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sunflower sea star still not finally listed three years after the proposed threatened rule, and a lawsuit filed in June 2026","description":"NOAA Fisheries proposed on 16 March 2023 to list the sunflower sea star as threatened, citing a range-wide decline of 94.3% after the 2013 to 2017 sea star wasting outbreak. NOAA's species page, updated September 2025, still shows the status as proposed. The Center for Biological Diversity sued on 22 June 2026 in the Northern District of California to force a final decision, alleging NMFS missed the 12-month statutory deadline.","location":{"name":"Sunflower sea star range, Aleutians to Baja California","type":"Species range (ESA listing proposal)","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","CA","MX"],"detail":"Northeast Pacific from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California, about 3,663 km of coastline according to the Federal Register notice.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A keystone predator lost to disease, with the protective listing decision overdue.","secondary_drivers":["Sea star wasting syndrome","Warm water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Range-wide decline of 94.3% after the 2013 to 2017 outbreak, and 99.6% to 100% from Cape Flattery, Washington, to Baja California (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the sources reports a fishery or livelihood restriction tied to the listing proposal; the effect of the species' loss on kelp is the indirect link (ref 4).","scale":"The species ranges over the whole Northeast Pacific coast from the Aleutians to Baja California (ref 1), a regional-sea-scale distribution.","duration":"The wasting outbreak ran 2013 to 2017 and NOAA still calls the decline precipitous with disease the primary threat in September 2025 (ref 2).","significance":"NMFS published a formal proposed rule in March 2023 (ref 1) and a federal complaint (case 3:26-cv-06157) was filed on 22 June 2026 (ref 3); there is no final listing or ruling in the sources."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"NOAA states there is no systematic dataset on population size or long-term trends (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA proposed listing as threatened on 16 March 2023; range-wide decline of 94.3% after the 2013 to 2017 outbreak, about 600 million individuals remaining (less than 10% of pre-2013 abundance)."},"measures":[{"name":"Range-wide decline after the wasting outbreak","value":94.3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Hamilton et al. 2021 as cited in the proposed rule (ref 1)."},{"name":"Individuals remaining (estimate)","value":600000000,"unit":"individuals","status":"Estimated","note":"Proposed rule states an estimated 600 million remain, less than 10% of pre-2013 abundance (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"NOAA reports no systematic population trend dataset (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region (NMFS)","role":"ESA listing authority","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region general contact via fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast","corrective_actions":["NMFS has proposed a threatened listing and said any 4(d) protective regulations would be proposed separately (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Rule to List the Sunflower Sea Star as Threatened (88 FR 16212)","publisher":"Federal Register (NMFS)","date":"2023-03-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-03-16/html/2023-05340.htm","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sunflower Sea Star","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/sunflower-sea-star","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Center for Biological Diversity v. National Marine Fisheries Service, No. 3:26-cv-06157 (N.D. Cal.)","publisher":"Climate Litigation Database","date":"2026-06-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climatecasechart.com/document/center-for-biological-diversity-v-national-marine-fisheries-service_9623","basis":"Court record"},{"ref":4,"title":"California's kelp forests struggle to recover a decade after collapse","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/californias-kelp-forests-struggle-to-recover-a-decade-after-collapse/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay says the species lost 99% of its population; the Federal Register gives 94.3% range-wide and 99.6% to 100% in the southern regions."}],"missing_fields":["The Federal Register page was read to character 100,000 of 132,388; source 3 is a litigation-database listing of the complaint, not the complaint itself; the NOAA page was last updated 11 September 2025, so a later final rule is not excluded."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-NORCAL-KELPBARRENS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-SALISH-SRKW-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Southern Resident killer whales hold at about 74 to 76 animals as calves die, and Canada widens its vessel limits","description":"The Center for Whale Research July 2025 census counted 74 Southern Residents, up one from 2024, with four births and three deaths in the census year, including two calves; K pod fell to 14, its lowest on record. Orca Network lists 76 whales at 14 December 2025 plus further births and presumed deaths through June 2026. Canada raised the mandatory approach distance from 400 to 1,000 metres from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027.","location":{"name":"Southern Resident range, Salish Sea","type":"Marine mammal population (endangered)","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","CA"],"detail":"Salish Sea and the Pacific coast of Washington and British Columbia; DFO's 2026 measures name Haro Strait, Swiftsure Bank and the Gulf Islands.","coordinates":{"lat":48.5,"lon":-123.2,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A single endangered population squeezed by prey scarcity and vessel noise.","secondary_drivers":["Chinook salmon scarcity","Vessel noise and disturbance","Contaminants"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Two calves (L128 and J61) died in the census year to 1 July 2025, and K pod is at 14, its lowest since surveys began (ref 2); Orca Network lists L129 presumed dead in 2026 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"DFO's 2026 measures include areas closed to salmon fishing and mandatory vessel-restricted zones off Pender and Saturna Islands (ref 4).","scale":"A single population of 74 to 76 whales (refs 1, 2), so the scale is one stock.","duration":"NOAA lists the population as endangered since 2005 (ref 5) and Orca Network's births-and-deaths table runs from 2023 to 2026 (ref 1), a multi-year decline-and-stall pattern.","significance":"Canada's mandatory 1,000 metre approach distance applies from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027 (ref 3); NOAA keeps the endangered listing (ref 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":76,"status":"Reported","note":"Orca Network table: 76 whales as of 14 December 2025 (ref 1); the July 2025 census counted 74 (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"74 Southern Residents at the July 2025 census, up from 73; Orca Network lists 76 at 14 December 2025 (J 27, K 15, L 34)."},"measures":[{"name":"Southern Residents, July 2025 census","value":74,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA species page and Seattle Times (refs 5, 2)."},{"name":"Southern Residents, 14 December 2025","value":76,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Orca Network (ref 1): J 27, K 15, L 34."},{"name":"Births in the census year to 1 July 2025","value":4,"unit":"calves","status":"Reported","note":"Seattle Times via ADN (ref 2)."},{"name":"Deaths in the census year to 1 July 2025","value":3,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Two calves and one adult (ref 2)."},{"name":"Mandatory approach distance in Canada from 1 June 2026","value":1000,"unit":"metres","status":"Reported","note":"Previously 400 metres (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["DFO's 2026 measures include areas closed to salmon fishing between mid-July and November (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Census rose from 73 to 74 and Orca Network shows 76 in December 2025, while calves keep dying (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region","role":"Species at risk manager, Canada","contact":"https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"},{"name":"Transport Canada","role":"Vessel approach and speed measures","contact":"https://tc.canada.ca"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region","role":"ESA recovery lead, United States","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast"}],"public_contact":"Each agency's published general channel (dfo-mpo.gc.ca, tc.canada.ca, fisheries.noaa.gov)","corrective_actions":["Transport Canada and DFO announced on 2 April 2026 a 1,000 metre approach distance, two 10-knot speed-restricted zones at Swiftsure Bank and two vessel-restricted zones off Pender and Saturna Islands (ref 3).","DFO 2026 measures include salmon-fishing closures in specified areas to support recovery (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Southern Resident Orca Community Demographics, Composition of Pods, Births and Deaths since 1990","publisher":"Orca Network","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://orcanetwork.org/resources/srkw-births-and-deaths/","basis":"Non-profit research tracker (cites Center for Whale Research)"},{"ref":2,"title":"No sign of orca population recovery in annual census of southern resident pods","publisher":"Seattle Times (republished by Anchorage Daily News)","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2025/10/14/no-sign-of-orca-population-recovery-in-annual-survey-of-southern-resident-pods/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Government of Canada announces stronger protections for Southern Resident killer whales in 2026","publisher":"Transport Canada","date":"2026-04-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2026/04/government-of-canada-announces-stronger-protections-for-southern-resident-killer-whales-in-2026.html","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Overview of 2026 management measures to support Southern Resident killer whale recovery","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2026-06-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/mammals-mammiferes/whales-baleines/docs/srkw-measures-mesures-ers/srkw-ers-overview-apercu-eng.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Killer Whale (Southern Resident listing and census)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/killer-whale","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"74 (July 2025 census) and 76 (Orca Network, 14 December 2025) differ by timing: Orca Network's table lists births and presumed deaths after the census."}],"missing_fields":["No Center for Whale Research page was opened; its census is cited through NOAA, the Seattle Times and Orca Network. The July 2026 census figure was not verified from an official source."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-SALISH-VESSELNOISE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-WCOAST-GRAYWHALESTRAND-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gray whale strandings stay at unusual-mortality-event levels along the West Coast in 2025 and 2026, with deaths in San Francisco Bay","description":"NOAA closed the 2019 to 2023 gray whale unusual mortality event after 690 strandings, but its own March 2026 letter reports 63 dead gray whales stranded in the United States in 2025, consistent with annual numbers during that event. Necropsies found malnutrition, vessel strikes, entanglements and killer whale predation, and many whales fed in San Francisco Bay. Smithsonian Magazine reported in July 2026 that NOAA counts show 145 dead gray whales in 2026 by 6 July.","location":{"name":"West Coast gray whale migration corridor","type":"Marine mammal migration route","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","MX","CA"],"detail":"Eastern North Pacific gray whales along the coasts of Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia; San Francisco Bay is the 2025 hotspot.","coordinates":{"lat":37.8,"lon":-122.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Starving whales entering busy waters where ships and gear kill them.","secondary_drivers":["Arctic prey decline","Vessel strikes","Entanglement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA's stranding networks reported 63 stranded dead gray whales in the United States in 2025 (ref 2); NOAA counted 47 by late May 2025, 27 in California, 13 in Washington and 7 in Oregon (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or livelihood restriction appears in the cited sources; the only measure mentioned is a voluntary vessel speed reduction in Greater Farallones sanctuary (ref 2).","scale":"Strandings run from Baja California lagoons to Washington and Alaska, with 316 in Mexico and 27 in Canada during the earlier event (ref 1); the issue spans three countries.","duration":"The earlier event lasted from December 2018 to November 2023 (ref 1) and 2025 and 2026 counts remain high (refs 2, 4).","significance":"NOAA's Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events did not recommend declaring a new UME in June 2025 but advised continued monitoring (ref 2); the earlier UME is a formal closed declaration (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA: 63 dead gray whales stranded in the United States in 2025, consistent with annual numbers during the 2019 to 2023 unusual mortality event."},"measures":[{"name":"US gray whale strandings (dead) in 2025","value":63,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA letter, 19 March 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"US West Coast strandings by late May 2025","value":47,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA count as reported by KNKX: 27 California, 13 Washington, 7 Oregon (ref 3); 2024 total 31, 2023 total 44."},{"name":"Gray whales found dead on the West Coast of North America in 2025","value":179,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA data as cited by Smithsonian Magazine (ref 4); the geographic scope is not specified."},{"name":"Gray whales dead in 2026 to 6 July","value":145,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA figure as cited by Smithsonian Magazine (ref 4)."},{"name":"2019 to 2023 UME strandings (US, Mexico, Canada)","value":690,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"347 US, 316 Mexico, 27 Canada (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"145 dead by 6 July 2026 against 179 for all of 2025 (ref 4); US 2025 count of 63 is at UME levels (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (Office of Protected Resources, West Coast Region)","role":"Marine mammal stranding program","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/marine-life-distress"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries West Coast marine life distress hotline and pages (fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/marine-life-distress)","corrective_actions":["NOAA stranding coordinators hold weekly calls with the stranding networks during migration and the transboundary investigative team meets quarterly (ref 2).","NOAA suggests an annual voluntary vessel speed reduction in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary to reduce ship strikes (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Frequent Questions: West Coast Gray Whale Unusual Mortality Event","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2024-03-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/marine-life-distress/frequent-questions-west-coast-gray-whale-unusual-mortality-event","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"NMFS letter to Representative Liccardo on 2025 gray whale deaths in the San Francisco Bay area","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries (posted by Rep. Liccardo)","date":"2026-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://liccardo.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/liccardo.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/25-0096522_nmfs-signed_liccardo-2.pdf","basis":"Agency letter"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gray whales along the Pacific west coast appear to be in trouble","publisher":"KNKX Public Radio","date":"2025-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.knkx.org/environment/2025-06-12/gray-whales-along-the-pacific-west-coast-appear-to-be-in-trouble","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nearly 150 gray whales have been found dead along North America's Pacific shore this year","publisher":"Smithsonian Magazine","date":"2026-07-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-150-gray-whales-have-been-found-dead-along-north-americas-pacific-shore-this-year-prompting-scientists-to-sound-the-alarm-180989109/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"NOAA's letter counts 63 US gray whale strandings in 2025; Smithsonian cites 179 for the whole West Coast of North America, geography not specified."},{"note":"KNKX cites a 2024 population estimate of about 19,000; Smithsonian cites about 13,000 in 2025."}],"missing_fields":["No NOAA page for the 2025 to 2026 strandings was opened; the 2026 count rests on a news report of NOAA data."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-CAOR-HUMPBACKENTANGLE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Humpback whale entanglements in Dungeness crab gear delay California's 2025-26 season and reach a record in Oregon","description":"California confirmed four humpbacks entangled in Dungeness crab gear in 2025 plus four more in unknown gear, and new rules adopted on 21 October 2025 delayed the statewide commercial opener to at least 1 January 2026. A juvenile humpback tangled in two sets of crab gear off Eureka in June 2025 led to closure of the northern zones. An August 2026 report says at least 400 whales were caught in gear off Washington, Oregon and California from 2015 to 2025, and Oregon logged at least four humpbacks in crab gear in 2025.","location":{"name":"California and Oregon coast crab grounds","type":"Fishery and whale feeding grounds","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Commercial Dungeness crab fishery zones off California (Zones 1 to 6), and Oregon; the June 2025 entanglement was six miles northwest of Eureka, Humboldt County.","coordinates":{"lat":40.8,"lon":-124.16,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Protected whales injured by fishing gear in a managed fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear entanglement","Warming waters moving whale feeding grounds inshore"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A juvenile humpback was entangled in two sets of crab gear and rescue attempts had not succeeded at the time of the June 2025 announcement (ref 1); NMFS estimates only about one in five entanglements is detected (ref 3).","livelihoods":"California delayed the commercial season to at least 1 January 2026 and closed recreational crab trap fishing in Zones 1, 3 and 4 (ref 2); Zones 1 and 2 closed to conventional gear from 20 June 2025 (ref 1).","scale":"At least 400 whales were caught in gear off Washington, California and Oregon from 2015 to 2025 (ref 3), a three-state coastline.","duration":"The ten-year count of at least 400 whales (ref 3) and 95 large whale entanglements in US waters in 2024 against a historical average of about 71 (ref 2) show recurrence.","significance":"Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program 2.0 rules took effect on 21 October 2025 and triggered the statewide delay when four humpbacks were confirmed in crab gear (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Four humpbacks confirmed entangled in California Dungeness crab gear in 2025, triggering the three-whale threshold that delays the commercial opener."},"measures":[{"name":"Humpbacks confirmed entangled in California crab gear, 2025","value":4,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Plus four more in unknown gear (ref 2)."},{"name":"Large whale entanglements confirmed in US waters, 2024","value":95,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA report cited by Oceana (ref 2): 64 in 2023, historical average about 71."},{"name":"Whales caught in gear off WA, OR and CA, 2015-2025","value":400,"unit":"whales (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"NMFS figure as cited in ref 3."},{"name":"Humpbacks entangled in Oregon commercial crab gear, 2025","value":4,"unit":"whales (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Highest confirmed annual number to date (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["California delayed the commercial 2025-26 Dungeness crab season opener to at least 1 January 2026 (ref 2).","Zones 1 and 2 closed to conventional commercial crab gear from 20 June 2025 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Entanglements reached a six-year high in 2024 (ref 1) and Oregon's 2025 count is its highest on record (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Fishery manager (closures, RAMP)","contact":"https://wildlife.ca.gov"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region","role":"Large Whale Entanglement Response Network and ESA","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast"},{"name":"Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Oregon crab fishery manager","contact":"https://www.dfw.state.or.us"}],"public_contact":"CDFW and ODFW published public contact channels","corrective_actions":["California delayed the statewide opener and closed Zones 1 and 2 to conventional gear (refs 1, 2).","Pop-up (ropeless) gear is under experimental permits in California, and Oregon adopted rules to allow testing of pop-up gear, with permits possible from spring 2027 (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Northern California Dungeness crab fishery to close as humpback is entangled off Eureka","publisher":"Oceana (reproducing CDFW announcement of 13 June 2025)","date":"2025-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/northern-calif-dungeness-crab-fishery-to-close-as-humpback-is-entangled-off-eureka/","basis":"NGO release carrying agency announcement"},{"ref":2,"title":"California commercial Dungeness crab season delayed statewide until the new year","publisher":"Oceana","date":"2025-10-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/california-commercial-dungeness-crab-season-delayed-statewide-until-the-new-year/","basis":"NGO release citing CDFW and NOAA"},{"ref":3,"title":"Humpback whale entanglements are on the rise. Oregon is trying innovative rope-free crab traps","publisher":"Good Good Good (adapted from Oregon Capital Chronicle)","date":"2026-08-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/oregon-ropeless-crabbing-gear-whale-entanglements","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The NOAA entanglement report and the CDFW announcement were read only through Oceana and news; the date of the Oceana June release is taken from the CDFW announcement date it quotes (13 June 2025)."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-DUNGENESS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-DOMOICSEALIONS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Domoic acid sickens California sea lions in 2025 off Los Angeles and again in 2026 on the Central Coast","description":"In March 2025 the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro was already above 50 animals of its 120 capacity, with sea lions and elephant seals sickened by domoic acid from Dockweiler Beach to Long Beach and Malibu, in the fourth straight year of the bloom. In late August 2026 the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito reported a spike in sick sea lions around Monterey, most attributed to domoic acid, and said state testing before the November crab season had yet to find the toxin in crabs.","location":{"name":"Central and Southern California coast","type":"Harmful algal bloom marine mammal event","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Los Angeles County beaches (Dockweiler to Long Beach, Malibu) in 2025 and the Monterey Bay area (Castroville, Moss Landing) in 2026.","coordinates":{"lat":36.6,"lon":-121.89,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Toxic algal bloom poisoning marine mammals and threatening crab fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom (domoic acid)","Warm ocean temperatures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Rescue crews reported dozens of sea lions and elephant seals sickened in 2025 (ref 1), and 15 to 20 sick sea lions were rescued in three days in August 2026, with three found dead at Moss Landing State Beach (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Domoic acid severely damaged or ruined Dungeness crab seasons in 2014 to 2017, 2024 and 2025, and the 2026 season is at risk (ref 3).","scale":"The events span Los Angeles County in 2025 (ref 1) and the Monterey area in 2026 (ref 2), a long stretch of California coast.","duration":"The 2025 bloom began in February and was the fourth straight year (ref 1); a new surge followed in August 2026 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The sources record rescue and testing activity but no formal advisory, closure or enforcement order for the 2026 surge (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In March 2025 the San Pedro center, with room for about 120 animals, was already caring for more than 50; the Marine Mammal Center reported 200 to 650 calls a day in September 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine Mammal Care Center capacity","value":120,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"More than 50 in care in early March 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sick sea lions rescued in three days, Monterey area","value":15,"unit":"sea lions (15 to 20)","status":"Reported","note":"KSBW via CNN Newsource, 29 August 2026 (ref 2); the count was expected to rise."},{"name":"Daily response calls to the Marine Mammal Center","value":200,"unit":"calls per day (200 to 650)","status":"Reported","note":"KTVU, 4 September 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Domoic acid damaged or ruined Dungeness crab seasons in 2024 and 2025; the 2026 season opens in November and formal state testing is due beforehand (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Intense in early 2025 off Los Angeles (ref 1), with a new Central Coast surge in August 2026 (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"The Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito)","role":"Rescue and rehabilitation, Central and Northern California","contact":"https://www.marinemammalcenter.org"},{"name":"Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles","role":"Rescue and rehabilitation, Los Angeles area","contact":"https://www.marinemammalcare.org"},{"name":"California Department of Public Health and CDFW","role":"Shellfish and crab domoic acid testing","contact":"https://www.cdph.ca.gov"}],"public_contact":"Marine Mammal Care Center hotline 1-800-39-WHALE (ref 1)","corrective_actions":["Treatment with clean fish and fluids can help if animals are reached in time (ref 3).","State testing of crab for domoic acid is scheduled before the November season opener (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Unprecedented number of sick, stranded sea lions being found on Los Angeles beaches","publisher":"NBC Los Angeles","date":"2025-03-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/toxic-algae-bloom-malibu-dockweiler-sick-stranded-sea-lions-los-angeles-beaches/3649163/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Dozens of sea lions sickened, possibly by toxic algae","publisher":"KSBW via CNN Newsource (published by KYOU)","date":"2026-08-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kyoutv.com/2026/08/29/dozen-sea-lions-sickened-possibly-by-toxic-algae/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sick marine mammals are coming ashore along California's coast at alarming rate","publisher":"KTVU","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ktvu.com/news/record-high-number-ill-marine-mammals-washing-ashore-along-california-coast-raises-concerns-crab-season","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No state (CDPH or CDFW) domoic acid bulletin was opened; the crab-season claims rest on KTVU's reporting. Total animals affected in 2025 or 2026 is not given in the sources."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-DOMOICACID-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-ANONUEVO-H5N1ELEPHANTSEAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"H5N1 bird flu kills about 100 northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo, the first detection in the species","description":"Seven weaned elephant seal pups were found dead or sick at Año Nuevo State Park on 19 and 20 February 2026, and a USDA laboratory confirmed highly pathogenic H5N1 on 24 February, the first confirmed cases in northern elephant seals. KRON4 later reported about 100 deaths attributed to H5N1 (about 50 on the mainland and 45 to 50 on Año Nuevo Island), plus H5N1 in one sea otter and two sea lions, and State Parks halted all remaining elephant seal tours for the year.","location":{"name":"Año Nuevo State Park and Island","type":"Elephant seal rookery","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Pescadero, southern San Mateo County, California; the island lies about half a mile offshore.","coordinates":{"lat":37.11,"lon":-122.33,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Avian influenza mortality in a breeding colony of marine mammals.","secondary_drivers":["Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1","Contact with sick seabirds"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 100 elephant seal deaths at Año Nuevo were attributed to H5N1 (ref 2), against more than 1,300 weanlings still healthy when Bay Nature reported on 26 February (ref 1).","livelihoods":"California State Parks halted all remaining public elephant seal tours for the year and Año Nuevo cancelled tours (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Illness was confined to Año Nuevo; no sickness was reported at Point Reyes or Piedras Blancas (ref 1).","duration":"The outbreak was detected on 19 and 20 February 2026 and was still producing about two deaths a day when KRON4 reported (refs 1, 2), so weeks to a few months are documented.","significance":"USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed H5N1 on 24 February 2026 and State Parks closed viewing (refs 1, 2); no regulatory action beyond that is recorded."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 100 recent elephant seal deaths at Año Nuevo State Park attributed to HPAI H5N1, about 50 on the mainland and 45 to 50 on the island."},"measures":[{"name":"Elephant seal deaths attributed to H5N1 at Año Nuevo","value":100,"unit":"seals (about)","status":"Reported","note":"KRON4, undated (about March 2026) (ref 2)."},{"name":"Suspected deaths when the outbreak was confirmed","value":30,"unit":"seals (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Bay Nature, 26 February 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Healthy weanlings at Año Nuevo when reported","value":1300,"unit":"pups (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Bay Nature (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["California State Parks halted all remaining public elephant seal tours for the year (ref 2); Año Nuevo cancelled tours (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"About 30 suspected deaths on 26 February (ref 1) rose to about 100 in the later KRON4 report (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"California State Parks","role":"Site manager, Año Nuevo State Park","contact":"https://www.parks.ca.gov"},{"name":"UC Santa Cruz Año Nuevo Reserve","role":"Research reserve and monitoring","contact":"https://anonuevo.ucnrs.org"},{"name":"USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory","role":"H5N1 confirmation","contact":"https://www.aphis.usda.gov"}],"public_contact":"California State Parks public information line (parks.ca.gov)","corrective_actions":["UC Santa Cruz is placing trail cameras to monitor scavengers and carcasses and will continue surveillance (ref 2).","Tours were cancelled and the Marine Mammal Center paused seal rescue (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"After elephant seal deaths, the race is on for bird flu investigators","publisher":"Bay Nature","date":"2026-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://baynature.org/2026/02/26/science-nature/wildlife/after-elephant-seal-deaths-the-race-is-on-for-bird-flu-investigators/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bay Area elephant seal deaths round triple digits amid bird flu outbreak","publisher":"KRON4","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bay-area-elephant-seal-deaths-round-triple-digits-amid-bird-flu-outbreak/amp/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Bay Nature: about 30 suspected deaths (26 February 2026); KRON4: about 100 deaths later, count basis differs."}],"missing_fields":["The KRON4 page shows no publication date (context points to about March 2026); the current outbreak status after that is not verified. Coordinates are the location of the named park, not stated in the sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-SANJUANS-EELGRASSLOSS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Eelgrass declining in 12 of 21 San Juan County bays, and Puget Sound eelgrass is below its recovery target","description":"A five-year San Juan County study by University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs, Washington DNR and Friends of the San Juans found significant eelgrass declines in 12 of 21 bays, increases at four sites and no clear trend at five. DNR calls the San Juan Islands an area of concerning losses, with the largest losses in Westcott Bay, Reef Net Bay, Shallow Bay and Swifts Bay. The Puget Sound Vital Signs indicator rates eelgrass Below Target, with Skagit Bay losing nearly 500 acres from 2004 to 2023.","location":{"name":"San Juan Islands, Puget Sound eelgrass beds","type":"Eelgrass habitat","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"San Juan County, Washington, in the Salish Sea; Puget Sound-wide indicator covers 214 monitored sites.","coordinates":{"lat":48.53,"lon":-123.02,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of a foundational seagrass habitat in a protected inland sea.","secondary_drivers":["Eelgrass wasting disease","Boat anchoring and moorings","Warming water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Significant declines in 12 of 21 San Juan County bays and nearly 500 acres lost in Skagit Bay from 2004 to 2023 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The sources report no fishery or livelihood restriction for the eelgrass losses.","scale":"The Puget Sound-wide indicator found 44 declining and 28 increasing sites from 2000 to 2023 across 214 monitored sites, so the pattern extends beyond one bay (ref 2).","duration":"The indicator compares 2000 to 2023 and 2018 to 2023, and San Juan sites show 21 declines against 5 increases over the long term (ref 2).","significance":"DNR formally identified the San Juan Islands as an area of concerning losses and the state indicator status is Below Target (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Significant eelgrass declines in 12 of 21 San Juan County bays, with increases at four sites and five stable."},"measures":[{"name":"San Juan County bays with significant eelgrass decline","value":12,"unit":"of 21 bays","status":"Reported","note":"Five-year study, Salish Current/Cascade PBS, August 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Puget Sound sites declining vs increasing, 2000-2023","value":44,"unit":"declining sites (28 increasing)","status":"Reported","note":"Puget Sound Vital Signs indicator (ref 2)."},{"name":"Skagit Bay eelgrass lost, 2004-2023","value":500,"unit":"acres (nearly)","status":"Reported","note":"Puget Sound Vital Signs indicator (ref 2)."},{"name":"Eelgrass in Washington inland marine waters","value":57000,"unit":"acres (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Cascade PBS (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Intertidal eelgrass is declining while subtidal is stable or growing (ref 1); the state indicator reports mixed results (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Washington Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources","role":"Eelgrass monitoring and conservation","contact":"https://www.dnr.wa.gov"},{"name":"Puget Sound Partnership","role":"Recovery targets and indicators","contact":"https://www.psp.wa.gov"},{"name":"Friends of the San Juans","role":"Local conservation partner","contact":"https://sanjuans.org"}],"public_contact":"Washington DNR published public contact channels (dnr.wa.gov)","corrective_actions":["In 2022 the Washington legislature directed DNR to identify at least 10,000 acres of priority kelp and eelgrass habitat for conservation and recovery (ref 1).","Friends of the San Juans runs a Green Boating program with eelgrass maps for boaters (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Scientists monitor the loss of vital eelgrass plants in Salish Sea","publisher":"Cascade PBS (from Salish Current, 5 August 2025)","date":"2025-08-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cascadepbs.org/environment/2025/08/scientists-monitor-the-loss-of-vital-eelgrass-plants-in-salish-sea","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Eelgrass (Puget Sound Vital Signs indicator)","publisher":"Puget Sound Partnership","date":"2025-03-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pugetsoundinfo.wa.gov/Indicator/Detail/114","basis":"Agency indicator page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-GOA-MURREDIEOFF-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Alaska common murres show no recovery after a heatwave die-off of about 4 million birds","description":"A study published in Science on 12 December 2024 estimated that the 2014 to 2016 marine heatwave killed about 4 million common murres in Alaska, roughly half the state's population, far above the earlier estimate of about 1 million. Monitoring of 13 colonies in the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea found no recovery through 2022. Researchers link the deaths to starvation as Pacific cod, a key prey fish, fell about 80% between 2013 and 2017.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea murre colonies","type":"Seabird colonies","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC","BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Thirteen long-term monitored common murre colonies in the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea, Alaska; dead birds also washed ashore from Alaska to California.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Seabird mass mortality and failed recovery after a marine heatwave collapsed the food web.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave 2014-2016 (the blob)","Prey fish decline (Pacific cod)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"About 4 million murres died, roughly half of Alaska's population, and more than 62,000 carcasses were counted (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The sources report no fishery or livelihood restriction tied to the die-off.","scale":"Colonies across the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea fell 52% to 78% between 2008-2014 and 2016-2022 (ref 2), a regional-sea scale.","duration":"Monitoring from 2016 to 2022 found no signs of recovery (ref 2), so the loss persists years after the heatwave ended.","significance":"The evidence is a peer-reviewed study and press coverage (refs 1, 2); the sources record no agency listing or enforcement action."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 4 million common murres died in Alaska in the 2014 to 2016 heatwave, roughly half the Alaskan population, with no recovery in monitoring through 2022."},"measures":[{"name":"Murres estimated dead in Alaska, 2014-2016","value":4000000,"unit":"birds (about)","status":"Estimated","note":"Science, 12 December 2024, as reported by Audubon and CNN (refs 1, 2); earlier estimate about 1 million."},{"name":"Murre carcasses counted by end of the heatwave","value":62000,"unit":"carcasses (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"A fraction of the total because most dead seabirds never reach land (ref 2)."},{"name":"Colony decline range, 2008-2014 vs 2016-2022","value":52,"unit":"% to 78%","status":"Reported","note":"Thirteen monitored colonies (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pacific cod decline, 2013-2017","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"About 80% (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Numbers have risen from near-zero lows but remain far below pre-heatwave levels with no sign of recovery (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge","role":"Seabird colony monitoring","contact":"https://www.fws.gov/refuge/alaska-maritime"}],"public_contact":"Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge public contact channels (fws.gov/refuge/alaska-maritime)","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A Single Heatwave Killed Half of Alaska's Common Murres, a Shocking New Study Reveals","publisher":"Audubon magazine","date":"2024-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.audubon.org/magazine/single-heatwave-killed-half-alaskas-common-murres-shocking-new-study-reveals","basis":"News on peer-reviewed study (Science)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Record heat wave killed half of this Alaska bird population and they aren't recovering","publisher":"CNN (republished by KEYT)","date":"2024-12-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://keyt.com/news/national-world/cnn-other/2024/12/26/record-heat-wave-killed-half-of-this-alaska-bird-population-and-they-arent-recovering/","basis":"News on peer-reviewed study (Science, DOI 10.1126/science.adq4330)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Audubon says every monitored colony lost more than 50%; CNN gives 52% to 78% across 13 colonies."}],"missing_fields":["The Science paper itself was not opened; figures come from Audubon and CNN. Place the finding in NEPAC and BERING because the colonies span both."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-MPAREVIEW-2026","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"California's Fish and Game Commission to vote on 15 marine protected area petitions as two state agencies disagree","description":"California's network of 124 marine protected areas covers about 16% of state waters. The Fish and Game Commission received 20 petitions in December 2023 proposing more than 80 changes, approved five in 2025 and is set to hear the remaining 15 on 15 and 16 October. The Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended denial, while the Ocean Protection Council recommended approving proposals that strengthen the network, including a tribally co-led nine-acre Mishopshno MPA at Carpinteria that local fishers oppose.","location":{"name":"California marine protected area network","type":"Marine protected area network","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"124 MPAs along California's roughly 1,100-mile coast; the best-documented petition is the Mishopshno MPA at Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County.","coordinates":{"lat":34.39,"lon":-119.52,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A state decision on whether to strengthen or weaken coastal protected areas.","secondary_drivers":["Competing fishing and conservation interests"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Some of the 15 pending petitions would weaken existing protections while others would strengthen the network (refs 1, 2); no ecological damage from the pending changes is documented.","livelihoods":"Carpinteria's fishing community opposes the Mishopshno MPA as limiting access to a local food source and pastime (ref 1).","scale":"The network spans California's roughly 1,100-mile coast and about 16% of state waters (ref 2).","duration":"The petition process has run since December 2023 and the Decadal Management Review finished in January 2023 (ref 2).","significance":"The Commission is to vote on 15 petitions at hearings on 15 and 16 October, with CDFW and the Ocean Protection Council giving opposed recommendations (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Fish and Game Commission will vote on 15 marine protected area petitions; CDFW recommended denial and the Ocean Protection Council recommended approving proposals that strengthen the network."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine protected areas in the California network","value":124,"unit":"MPAs","status":"Reported","note":"About 16% of state waters, roughly half no-take (Surfrider, ref 2)."},{"name":"Petitions pending before the Commission","value":15,"unit":"petitions","status":"Reported","note":"The Santa Barbara Independent, 21 August 2026 (ref 1); the article does not state the year of the October hearings."},{"name":"Petitions received in December 2023","value":20,"unit":"petitions","status":"Reported","note":"More than 80 unique changes proposed (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Carpinteria's fishing community opposes the proposed Mishopshno MPA (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The Commission has not yet voted on the 15 pending petitions in the cited sources (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"California Fish and Game Commission","role":"Final decision on MPA petitions","contact":"https://fgc.ca.gov"},{"name":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Evaluates petitions, manages the MPA network","contact":"https://wildlife.ca.gov"},{"name":"California Ocean Protection Council","role":"Cabinet-level policy recommendation","contact":"https://opc.ca.gov"}],"public_contact":"California Fish and Game Commission public meeting and comment channels (fgc.ca.gov)","corrective_actions":["CDFW evaluated the petitions in phases and released assessments of ten of the longer-term petitions in March 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"California divided over ocean conservation proposals, including creation of marine protected area off Carpinteria coast","publisher":"Santa Barbara Independent","date":"2026-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.independent.com/2026/08/21/california-divided-over-ocean-conservation-proposals-including-creation-of-marine-protected-area-off-carpinteria-coast/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"California MPAs","publisher":"Surfrider Foundation California","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://california.surfrider.org/california-mpas","basis":"NGO page (undated; refers to CDFW assessments of March 2026)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: source 2 date \"None\" set to null (undated page)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Ocean Protection Council and NRDC pages returned 403 and were not read; the October hearing year is inferred from the 21 August 2026 article. Outcome of the hearings is not known."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-GREATBEAR-MPANETWORK-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Great Bear Sea marine protected area network reaches 30% coverage but only one site is actively managed","description":"On 22 May 2026 British Columbia, Canada and six coastal First Nations marked an agreement to create a Central Coast national marine conservation area reserve in the Great Bear Sea, named Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon. The network's progress page, as of June 2026, says it covers 30% of the Great Bear Sea, with more than 60% already existing MPAs, six of 11 named sites designated and only one listed as complete at the actively managed stage.","location":{"name":"Great Bear Sea (Northern Shelf Bioregion)","type":"Marine protected area network","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CA"],"detail":"British Columbia north and central coast and Haida Gwaii; the 22 May 2026 announcement was made at Klemtu.","coordinates":{"lat":52.59,"lon":-128.52,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Delivery of a Canada-BC-First Nations marine protection network.","secondary_drivers":["Indigenous-led marine conservation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Only one of 11 named network sites is listed as complete at the actively managed stage and several are delayed (ref 2), leaving protection incomplete.","livelihoods":"Local tourism and commercial and recreational fishing continue inside the new reserve under zoning (ref 1), so no livelihood restriction is documented.","scale":"The network covers 30% of the Great Bear Sea / Northern Shelf Bioregion (ref 2), a regional sea.","duration":"The progress timeline runs from 2021 to 2031 and beyond, with the NMCAR designation in 2027 and four sites in 2028 (ref 2).","significance":"Canada, the province and six First Nations formally marked an agreement to create the reserve on 22 May 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The network covers 30% of the Great Bear Sea; more than 60% of it is existing MPAs, and 6 of 11 named sites are designated."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of the Great Bear Sea covered by the MPA network","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Network progress page, as of June 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of the network that is existing MPAs","value":60,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Named network sites designated or complete at designation stage","value":6,"unit":"of 11 sites","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"A new reserve agreement in May 2026 and sites moving to designation through 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Province of British Columbia (Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship)","role":"Co-lead of the MPA network","contact":"https://news.gov.bc.ca"},{"name":"Government of Canada","role":"Partner in the national marine conservation area reserve agreement","contact":"https://www.canada.ca"},{"name":"MPA Network (Great Bear Sea)","role":"Network progress reporting","contact":"https://mpanetwork.ca"}],"public_contact":"BC government public enquiries channel (gov.bc.ca)","corrective_actions":["The province, Canada and six First Nations agreed to establish the Central Coast marine conservation area reserve (ref 1).","The province aims to protect 30% of marine areas by 2030 under its Coastal Marine Strategy (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Province, Canada and First Nations celebrate agreement for new Central Coast marine conservation area reserve","publisher":"Province of British Columbia","date":"2026-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026WLRS0027-000582","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Great Bear Sea MPA Network: protected areas progress","publisher":"MPA Network (Great Bear Sea)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mpanetwork.ca/?p=2232","basis":"Network progress page (as of June 2026)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Great Bear Sea (Northern Shelf Bioregion)","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2026-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/collaboration/indigenous-led-projects-dirigees-par-autochtones/great-bear-sea-mer-eng.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Great Bear Sea MPA Network Implementation Progress Report, Year 2","publisher":"Great Bear Sea MPA Network Committee","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mpanetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GBS-MPAN-Progress-Report-Year-2.pdf","basis":"Network progress report (covers work to March 2026)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"merge","values":["Great Bear Sea marine protected area network reaches 30% coverage but only one site is actively managed","Great Bear Sea marine protected area network: four sites designated and a Central Coast reserve agreed, network at 23% protection"],"note":"Merged with the governance-group record on the four designated sites and the Central Coast reserve."}],"missing_fields":["The progress page is dated 'as of June 2026' without a day; the area of the new reserve is not stated in the BC release. The ministry named in responsible_bodies is inferred from the release code WLRS and was not otherwise confirmed.","The progress report shows no single publication date; its URL path indicates June 2026."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-ROBERTSBANK-RBT2-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Roberts Bank Terminal 2 container expansion in the Fraser estuary approved despite findings of significant effects","description":"Canada approved the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority's Roberts Bank Terminal 2 in 2023 with 370 federal conditions after the federal environment minister concluded it was likely to have significant environmental effects and cabinet found the public interest outweighed them. The project would remove 177 hectares of habitat in an estuary that has already lost 85% of its salmon habitat and could affect biofilm eaten by western sandpipers. Construction was expected to start in 2027, and The Narwhal updated its reporting on 15 May 2026.","location":{"name":"Roberts Bank Terminal 2, Fraser River estuary","type":"Port expansion site","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CA","US"],"detail":"Roberts Bank at Deltaport, Delta, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, in the Strait of Georgia.","coordinates":{"lat":49.02,"lon":-123.15,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port expansion converting intertidal estuary habitat used by migratory shorebirds and salmon.","secondary_drivers":["Port expansion and dredging","Loss of biofilm feeding habitat"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The federal assessment found impacts for salmon, wetlands, western sandpipers and southern resident killer whales, and the project removes 177 hectares of habitat; no completed loss yet (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or livelihood closure is documented in the sources; First Nations harvesting and access effects were identified in the assessment (ref 2).","scale":"A single estuary site is affected, though the sandpiper population is about 3.5 million with the port saying 17% rely on Roberts Bank (ref 1).","duration":"Federal approval came in 2023, construction is expected to start in 2027 and take about six years (refs 1, 2), so the exposure runs for years.","significance":"Cabinet approved the project in 2023 with 370 federal conditions and conservation groups challenged it in court (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Project would deplete 177 hectares of habitat in an estuary that has lost 85% of its salmon habitat; 370 federal conditions were attached to the 2023 approval."},"measures":[{"name":"Habitat removed by the project","value":177,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"The Narwhal, 2025 and 2024 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Federal approval conditions","value":370,"unit":"conditions","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Salmon habitat lost in the Fraser estuary","value":85,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Restoration committed by the port authority","value":86,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Estimated capital cost of $3.5 billion, now described by the port as confidential (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Construction has not started; monitoring programs are planned (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vancouver Fraser Port Authority","role":"Proponent","contact":"https://www.portvancouver.com"},{"name":"Impact Assessment Agency of Canada","role":"Federal assessment authority","contact":"https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-assessment-agency.html"},{"name":"BC Environmental Assessment Office","role":"Provincial assessment","contact":"https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/environmental-assessments"}],"public_contact":"Port of Vancouver public enquiries channel (portvancouver.com)","corrective_actions":["The port authority commits to 86 hectares of salmon habitat restoration and a monitoring program overseen by an independent scientific panel for biofilm and shorebirds (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tiny birds, and their tiny superfood, could decline due to 'irreversible' effects of Vancouver port expansion","publisher":"The Narwhal","date":"2025-11-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thenarwhal.ca/roberts-bank-terminal-western-sandpiper/","basis":"News (updated 15 May 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Roberts Bank Terminal 2 explainer","publisher":"The Narwhal","date":"2024-02-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thenarwhal.ca/roberts-bank-terminal-2-explainer/","basis":"News (updated 21 February 2024)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Federal Court upholds RBT2 Megaport expansion, in a setback to legal protection for species at risk","publisher":"Georgia Strait Alliance","date":"2025-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://georgiastrait.org/press/federal-court-upholds-rbt2-megaport-expansion-in-a-setback-to-legal-protection-for-species-at-risk/","basis":"Advocacy group press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Conservation groups back in court to protect Southern Resident killer whales from Roberts Bank impacts","publisher":"Raincoast Conservation Foundation","date":"2024-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.raincoast.org/press/back-court-protect-srkws-impacts-roberts-bank/","basis":"Advocacy group press release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Conservation groups legally challenge federal decision to approve Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project","publisher":"Raincoast Conservation Foundation","date":"2023-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.raincoast.org/press/conservation-groups-legally-challenge-federal-decision-to-approve-roberts-bank-terminal-2-project/","basis":"Advocacy group press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The port authority says 17% of western sandpipers rely on Roberts Bank in spring; other sources cite up to 64% (ref 1)."},{"field":"merge","values":["Roberts Bank Terminal 2 container expansion in the Fraser estuary approved despite findings of significant effects","Federal Court upholds approval of Roberts Bank Terminal 2 despite panel finding of harm to Southern Resident killer whales"],"note":"Merged with the governance-group record on the Federal Court decision upholding the approval."}],"missing_fields":["The federal Decision Statement and the port's field-study notice (403) were not opened; both sources are one outlet. Coordinates are the general location of Roberts Bank, not stated in the sources.","The Federal Court decision itself was not opened; the ruling date is not stated in the press release.","All three sources are advocacy-group releases; no port authority or government statement was opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-COOKINLET-BELUGA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cook Inlet belugas remain endangered near 331 animals, about a quarter of the 1979 count","description":"NOAA Fisheries estimated 331 Cook Inlet belugas (range 290 to 386) from June 2022 aerial surveys, compared with 279 in 2018 and 1,292 in August 1979; the population is listed endangered under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA says it has contracted into the northern inlet in summer, and new surveys in June 2025 were still being analyzed. The recovery plan ranks catastrophic events, cumulative stressors and noise as high concerns.","location":{"name":"Cook Inlet, Alaska","type":"Endangered marine mammal population","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Cook Inlet, Gulf of Alaska coast, near Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"One isolated endangered whale population that has not recovered.","secondary_drivers":["Noise","Cumulative stressors","Prey availability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The count fell from 1,292 in August 1979 to 331 in 2022 (ref 1), and NOAA reports a 2.3% decline from 2008 to 2018 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The sources report no fishery closure; subsistence harvest has not been allowed because the population averaged below 350 since listing (ref 3).","scale":"A single stock confined to one inlet (ref 2).","duration":"The stock fell about 50% between 1994 and 1998 and has not recovered as expected (ref 3).","significance":"NOAA listed the population endangered in 2008 and a second five-year review in September 2022 kept that status (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":331,"status":"Reported","note":"2022 median best estimate (range 290 to 386) (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA's 2022 estimate: 331 Cook Inlet belugas (range 290 to 386), up from 279 in 2018, down from 1,292 in 1979."},"measures":[{"name":"Cook Inlet beluga abundance, 2022","value":331,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Range 290 to 386 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cook Inlet beluga abundance, 2018","value":279,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Range 250 to 317 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cook Inlet beluga count, August 1979","value":1292,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"ADF&G aerial surveys as cited by NOAA (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"NOAA says the population may be stable and possibly increasing slightly, with a ten-year trend of about +0.2% a year (ref 1); the June 2025 survey results were not yet published (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region","role":"ESA recovery lead","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska"},{"name":"Marine Mammal Commission","role":"Independent oversight","contact":"https://www.mmc.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region public contact channels","corrective_actions":["A recovery plan was finalized in December 2016 and the population is a NOAA 'Species in the Spotlight' with a 2021 to 2025 Priority Action Plan (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"New abundance estimate for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2023-06-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/new-abundance-estimate-endangered-cook-inlet-beluga-whales","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Aerial Abundance Survey research brief 2025","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2025-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/outreach-materials/cook-inlet-beluga-whale-aerial-abundance-survey-research-brief-2025","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cook Inlet Beluga Whale (species of concern)","publisher":"Marine Mammal Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/cook-inlet-beluga-whale/","basis":"Oversight body page (undated)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The June 2025 survey estimate was not published in any opened source; the latest verified abundance is the 2022 estimate."],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Dollar figures differ: Commerce relief for 2023 reported as USD 20.6 million against a state loss estimate of USD 45 million (ref 3); the 2024 loss estimate was above USD 47 million (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Oregon-side 2023 and 2024 closure details and the Klamath River fall Chinook forecast for 2026 were not available from the opened pages.","Coordinates are an approximate location for Cape Falcon, a coast-wide fishery boundary, not from a source."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_drivers":["Drought and river conditions","Freshwater habitat loss","Marine heatwave"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-CAOR-SALMON-2026","title":"California and southern Oregon ocean salmon closed for three seasons, reopened in 2026 under tight quotas","description":"The Pacific Fishery Management Council closed ocean salmon fishing off California and southern Oregon in 2023 and 2024 and allowed only six recreational days in 2025, after near-record low Sacramento and Klamath fall Chinook returns. Commerce found fishery resource disasters for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, citing drought, changing ocean conditions and habitat loss. California commercial fishing reopened in spring 2026 with vessel-based trip limits and seasonal harvest guidelines that can close areas early.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"California and southern Oregon coast","type":"Commercial and recreational ocean salmon fishery","countries":["US"],"detail":"US west coast, California and Oregon south of Cape Falcon; Sacramento River and Klamath River fall Chinook stocks. Coordinates mark Cape Falcon, the northern edge of the 2023 closure.","coordinates":{"lat":45.77,"lon":-123.98,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Collapse of wild Chinook runs removed a fishery for three seasons.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Sacramento River fall Chinook returned at near-record low numbers in 2022 and the Klamath forecast was the second lowest since 1997 (ref 1); the 2024 closure followed prolonged drought and habitat loss (ref 5).","livelihoods":"Commerce found a 100 percent revenue loss against the five-year average for the 2024 salmon fisheries (ref 5), and losses to California coastal economies were estimated above USD 100 million (ref 7).","scale":"The closures covered the whole California coast and southern Oregon from Cape Falcon south (ref 1), a national coastline but one coastal region.","duration":"Commercial fishing was closed three straight years and recreational fishing had six open days in 2025 (ref 6), with the 2026 season still under early-closure quotas (ref 9).","significance":"The Secretary of Commerce issued fishery resource disaster determinations for 2023 (ref 2) and 2024 (refs 4, 5), and NOAA allocated funds in 2026 (ref 8)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of affected fishers in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2024 Sacramento River and Klamath River fall Chinook ocean and inland fisheries experienced a 100 percent revenue loss compared with the previous five-year average (Commerce Secretary letter, 12 December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Revenue loss, 2024 ocean and inland fall Chinook fisheries","value":100,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Versus previous five-year average, Commerce determination letter (ref 5)."},{"name":"2026 Sacramento River fall Chinook ocean abundance forecast","value":392000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Pre-season forecast, 137 percent above the 2025 projection (ref 7)."},{"name":"2025 Sacramento River fall Chinook spawner escapement","value":164763,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Above the 122,000 spawner management goal (ref 7)."},{"name":"Estimated losses to California coastal economies, 2023 to 2025","value":100,"unit":"million USD","status":"Estimated","note":"Article states losses \"estimated at over $100 million\" (ref 7); the state estimated more than USD 47 million for 2024 alone (ref 3)."},{"name":"2026 commercial Chinook harvest limit south of Point Arena","value":83000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Seasonal limit with early closure if reached (ref 9)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Boats tied up and maintenance deferred through three closed seasons; one tackle shop laid off all but one employee (refs 3, 9).","The 2026 commercial fleet is projected to land about 100,000 salmon, with a slow early bite (ref 9)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Escapement and the 2026 forecast are up, but the fishery is described as not yet recovered and is constrained by in-season quotas (refs 7, 9)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Fishery Management Council","role":"Federal salmon fishery management council","contact":"https://www.pcouncil.org"},{"name":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"State salmon and ocean fishery manager","contact":"https://wildlife.ca.gov"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region","role":"Federal implementing agency and fishery disaster process","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast"}],"public_contact":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife ocean salmon information line and Pacific Fishery Management Council general office, as published on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Council adopted a new 2026 harvest strategy with vessel-based trip limits and seasonal harvest guidelines (refs 6, 9).","California Salmon Strategy: nearly 70 percent of 71 action items underway and 26 percent complete (ref 6).","NOAA announced about USD 123 million for six fishery resource disasters including the 2024 Sacramento River fall Chinook disaster (ref 8)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sport and commercial ocean salmon season closed statewide (reposting North Coast Journal)","publisher":"Water Education Foundation, Aquafornia","date":"2023-03-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.watereducation.org/aquafornia-news/sport-and-commercial-ocean-salmon-season-closed-statewide","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Commerce Secretary announces fishery disaster determinations for California salmon","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2023-11-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/commerce-secretary-announces-fishery-disaster-determinations-california-salmon","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"California lawmakers request disaster declaration after state's second straight salmon season cancelation","publisher":"Office of Rep. Jared Huffman (news compilation)","date":"2024-04-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://huffman.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/california-lawmakers-request-disaster-declaration-after-states-second-straight-salmon-season-cancelation","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Secretary of Commerce determines fishery resource disasters in 2024 for the State of California","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2024-12-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/secretary-commerce-determines-fishery-resource-disasters-2024-state-california","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Secretary of Commerce determination letter, 2024 Sacramento River and Klamath River fall Chinook","publisher":"US Department of Commerce","date":"2024-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2025-01/CA-Salmon-Determination-2024-1-.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":6,"title":"Let's go fishing: salmon fishing is back in California after more than 3-year closure","publisher":"Office of the Governor of California","date":"2026-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/04/13/lets-go-fishing-salmon-fishing-is-back-in-california-after-more-than-3-year-closure/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":7,"title":"Surviving the storm: California's 2026 salmon season returns after historic closure","publisher":"FISHBIO","date":"2026-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishbio.com/surviving-the-storm-californias-2026-salmon-season-returns-after-historic-closure/","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"NOAA is sending $123 million to fishery disasters across the country, California's salmon is one of them","publisher":"Active NorCal","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.activenorcal.com/noaa-is-sending-123-million-to-fishery-disasters-across-the-country-californias-salmon-is-one-of-them/","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Salmon season is back; let's not get too carried away, 2026 season update","publisher":"Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust","date":"2026-05-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.montereybayfisheriestrust.org/stories/salmon-2026-3bd73","basis":"Fishery association report"},{"ref":10,"title":"Fishery disaster determinations (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska entries)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/fishery-disaster-determinations","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":9,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 Fraser sockeye outcome and any DFO notice of Chinook closures were not opened.","Coordinates are the Hope, B.C. river gauge location named in the Panel report, approximated; the fishery itself spans the river and marine approaches."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_drivers":["Low river flow and warm water","Freshwater habitat slides (Big Bar, Chilcotin)"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-FRASER-SOCKEYE-2026","title":"Fraser River sockeye returns about half the 2026 forecast while Upper Fraser Chinook forecast ranks among the lowest on record","description":"The Fraser River Panel's 14 August 2026 report adopted an in-season sockeye run of 4.1 million, against a pre-season forecast of 7.7 million, with the Summer run cut to 2.2 million from a forecast median of 4.3 million. Canadian Panel Area waters stayed closed to commercial fishing. A Williams Lake First Nation plan notes the Upper Fraser Chinook return is forecast at about 54,500, among the lowest on record, and cites warm, low-flow river conditions.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Fraser River, British Columbia (Panel Area)","type":"Salmon stock complex and fishery","countries":["CA","US"],"detail":"Fraser River watershed, Juan de Fuca and Johnstone straits marine approaches, British Columbia, shared with Washington State treaty and citizen fisheries.","coordinates":{"lat":49.386,"lon":-121.442,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Weak salmon returns reduce harvestable fish and conservation margins.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Accounted sockeye run of 998,500 through 13 August with an adopted run of 4.1 million against a 7.7 million forecast, and river discharge 24 percent below average (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Canadian Panel Area waters remained closed to commercial salmon fishing in the 14 August report (ref 1) and First Nations fishing windows were limited (ref 2).","scale":"One river system and its stock groups (ref 1), so a single stock complex rather than a whole coast.","duration":"NOAA lists Fraser River sockeye disasters for Makah Tribe fishing in 2019 to 2021 and 2023, approved 28 July 2026 (ref 3), and Upper Fraser Chinook are forecast at record-low levels (ref 2).","significance":"The Pacific Salmon Commission adopted reduced in-season run sizes and regulatory closures in a formal weekly report (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of fishers affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Adopted in-season Fraser sockeye run size 4,096,000 against a pre-season run size of 7,743,390 (Fraser River Panel, 14 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Adopted in-season Fraser sockeye run size","value":4096000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Fraser River Panel weekly report No. 6, 14 August 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pre-season Fraser sockeye run size","value":7743390,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Same table (ref 1); WLFN cites about 7.7 million (ref 2)."},{"name":"Summer run adopted size versus 4.3 million median forecast","value":2200000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Panel reduced the Summer run size from 2.4 million to 2.2 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Upper Fraser Chinook anticipated return","value":54500,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Range 28,000 to 107,000, Williams Lake First Nation 2026 plan (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fraser River temperature at Qualark, 13 August","value":19.5,"unit":"deg C","status":"Reported","note":"0.9 deg C above average for the date (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Commercial salmon fishing in Canadian Panel Area waters stayed closed (ref 1).","Makah Tribe Fraser River sockeye fishery disasters for 2019 to 2021 and 2023 were approved on 28 July 2026 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The forecast was stronger than 2019 to 2024 (ref 2) but the in-season run came in near 53 percent of it (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Salmon Commission, Fraser River Panel","role":"In-season run assessment and Panel Area regulation","contact":"https://www.psc.org"},{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region","role":"Canadian salmon fishery manager","contact":"https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"}],"public_contact":"Fraser Panel in-season fishing schedules by phone: Canadian fisheries openings and closures line 604-666-2828 (published in the Panel report).","corrective_actions":["Panel adopted reduced run sizes and kept Canadian commercial waters closed (ref 1).","First Nations asked members to avoid early-timed sockeye and delay Chinook fishing until opening dates (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fraser River Panel weekly report No. 6, 14 August 2026","publisher":"Pacific Salmon Commission","date":"2026-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.psc.org/download/731/2026/20046/august-14-2026-2.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Williams Lake First Nation 2026 Fishing Plan","publisher":"Williams Lake First Nation","date":"2026-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wlfn.ca/natural-resource/williams-lake-first-nation-2026-fishing-plan/","basis":"First Nation government report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fishery disaster determinations (Washington entries for Makah Tribe Fraser River sockeye)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/fishery-disaster-determinations","basis":"Agency page"}],"confidence":"Medium","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Council's own documents on the stock-definition proposal returned HTTP 503, so the proposal is described from Oceana only.","No coordinates: a coast-wide stock."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_drivers":["Low productivity and ocean temperature","Stock-definition dispute"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-USWC-SARDINE-2025","title":"Northern Pacific sardine remains closed to directed fishing under a rebuilding plan, with a stock-merger proposal pending","description":"NOAA Fisheries' 2025-2026 specifications put northern subpopulation sardine biomass at 30,158 metric tons and prohibit most directed commercial fishing off Washington, Oregon and California, with an annual catch limit of 2,200 tons. Oceana reports that NOAA declared the stock overfished in 2019, won a 2024 court ruling against the first rebuilding plan, and that the Pacific Fishery Management Council in September 2026 advanced a stock definition that would merge the northern and southern subpopulations.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"US west coast sardine fishery (WA, OR, CA)","type":"Fish stock (northern subpopulation Pacific sardine)","countries":["US"],"detail":"US Exclusive Economic Zone off Washington, Oregon and California, managed under the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan.","coordinates":null,"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A depleted forage-fish stock under rebuilding management.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The 2025 assessment estimated age 1+ biomass at 30,158 mt, below the 50,000 mt level at which the rebuilding plan restricts the catch limit to 2,200 mt (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The primary directed fishery is closed because biomass is under the 150,000 mt threshold; only live bait, minor directed and incidental catch is allowed (ref 1).","scale":"A single stock (the northern subpopulation) managed as one unit off three states (ref 1).","duration":"Oceana reports the stock was declared overfished in 2019 and has fallen more than 97 percent since 2006 (ref 2), so the restriction is multi-year.","significance":"A final federal rule sets the specifications (ref 1), a 2024 court ruled for Oceana on the earlier rebuilding plan, and NOAA approved a new plan in 2025 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of affected vessels or processors in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Pacific sardine age 1+ biomass 30,158 metric tons (2025 stock assessment), with OFL 4,645 mt, ABC 3,957 mt and ACL 2,200 mt for 2025-2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Age 1+ biomass, northern subpopulation","value":30158,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"2025 stock assessment, as used in the final rule (ref 1)."},{"name":"Annual catch limit 2025-2026","value":2200,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"Under rebuilding plan Amendment 23 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Overfishing limit 2025-2026","value":4645,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"Final rule (ref 1)."},{"name":"Decline since 2006","value":97,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana's figure, \"more than 97%\" (ref 2); an advocacy claim."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Directed commercial sardine fishing is prohibited; live bait and minor directed fisheries continue (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2025 estimate was opened; the 2026-2027 specifications were not."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region","role":"Implements CPS specifications and rebuilding plan","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast"},{"name":"Pacific Fishery Management Council","role":"Recommends specifications and stock definitions","contact":"https://www.pcouncil.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, as published in the Federal Register notice (Katie Davis, CPS contact line 323-372-2126).","corrective_actions":["Rebuilding plan approved as Amendment 23 on 29 May 2025, capping the catch limit at 2,200 mt when biomass is under 50,000 mt (ref 1).","Incidental catch limited to 20 percent by weight in other CPS fisheries (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fisheries off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; 2025-2026 Annual Specifications for Pacific Sardine (final rule)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries, Federal Register","date":"2025-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-17848.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fishery managers look to remove protections for overfished Pacific sardine (Oceana release)","publisher":"Perishable News (Oceana)","date":"2026-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://perishablenews.com/?p=435540","basis":"Advocacy organisation press release"}],"confidence":"Medium","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Oregon and Washington crab seasons were not researched.","CDFW page is undated; its latest item is the 18 June 2026 risk assessment.","Coordinates are an approximate location for Point Conception, not from a source."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-CAOR-HUMPBACKENTANGLE-2025"],"secondary_drivers":["Humpback whale entanglement","Domoic acid bloom"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-DUNGENESS-2026","title":"California Dungeness crab season delayed and gear-restricted for whale entanglement and domoic acid in 2025-26","description":"California delayed the 2025-26 commercial Dungeness crab season statewide after four humpback whales were confirmed entangled in California crab gear in 2025, and the northern zones stayed closed longer for domoic acid. The central area opened 5 January 2026 with a 40 percent trap reduction and the northern area at 15 percent, and later risk assessments closed Zones 3 to 5 in spring 2026.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"California coast, Fishing Zones 1 to 6","type":"Commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fishery","countries":["US"],"detail":"California Management Areas from the Oregon border to Point Conception; whale and sea turtle foraging areas. Coordinates mark Point Conception, the southern end of the central area.","coordinates":{"lat":34.45,"lon":-120.47,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fishery closures to limit entanglement of protected whales and exposure to a marine biotoxin.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Four humpbacks were confirmed entangled in California Dungeness gear in 2025 and four more in unidentified gear that may be crab gear (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The statewide commercial opener was delayed to at least 1 January 2026 and Zones 1 and 2 waited for domoic acid testing until about 15 January (refs 2, 3).","scale":"Management covered the full California coast, Fishing Zones 1 to 6 (ref 2).","duration":"CBS reports the season has been delayed every year since 2017-18 (ref 3), and spring 2026 risk assessments closed Zones 3 to 5 early (ref 2).","significance":"CDFW adopted updated RAMP rules effective 21 October 2025 and issued formal risk assessments and closures through 18 June 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No vessel or crew count in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Four humpback whales were confirmed entangled in California Dungeness crab gear in 2025, triggering the statewide delay (Oceana, 24 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Humpbacks confirmed entangled in CA Dungeness gear, 2025","value":4,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Plus four in unidentified gear that may be crab gear (ref 1)."},{"name":"Trap reduction, Central Management Area","value":40,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Opening 5 January 2026 (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Trap reduction, Northern Management Area","value":15,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Opening delayed to at least 15 January 2026 for domoic acid (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Commercial fleet kept at dock into January 2026 (ref 4).","Commercial Zones 3 to 5 closed for the rest of the 2026 season on 15 May 2026 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Delays every season since 2017-18 (ref 3); 2025-26 included risk-based closures into June 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Dungeness crab fishery manager, RAMP risk assessments","contact":"https://wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/whale-safe-fisheries"}],"public_contact":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Region, as published on the Whale Safe Fisheries page.","corrective_actions":["RAMP 2.0 rules finalized 21 October 2025 postpone the opener when three or more humpbacks are confirmed entangled (ref 1).","Trap reductions, depth constraints and an alternative (pop-up) gear authorization in spring 2026 (ref 2).","Fair-start rule bars vessels fishing other areas from the northern area for 30 days (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"California commercial Dungeness crab season delayed statewide until the new year","publisher":"Oceana USA","date":"2025-10-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/california-commercial-dungeness-crab-season-delayed-statewide-until-the-new-year/","basis":"Advocacy organisation press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Whale Safe Fisheries (2025-26 risk assessments and management actions)","publisher":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/whale-safe-fisheries","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"California commercial Dungeness crab season set to open on January 5","publisher":"CBS News San Francisco","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/sanfrancisco/news/california-commercial-dungeness-crab-season-set-to-open-on-january-5","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Dungeness crab fishing fleet is stuck at dock by threat to whales","publisher":"Mendo Voice","date":"2025-10-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mendovoice.com/2025/10/dungeness-crab-fishing-fleet-is-stuck-at-dock-by-threat-to-whales/","basis":"News"}],"confidence":"Medium","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"DFO has said Strait of Georgia herring are healthy at near-historic levels (2019 report, ref 3); conservation groups and Pacific Wild dispute this (refs 1, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["DFO's 2025/26 integrated fisheries management plan and stock assessment pages returned 404 or lacked herring content, so all figures come through Pacific Wild.","Haida Gwaii and Council of the Haida Nation positions were not sourced.","Coordinates are an approximate centre of the Strait of Georgia, not from a source."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_drivers":["Contested stock assessment","Forage-fish role for salmon"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-BRITISHCOLUMBIA-HERRING-2026","title":"BC herring roe fishery expands in the Strait of Georgia while Haida Gwaii and the west coast of Vancouver Island stay closed","description":"Pacific Wild's reading of DFO's 2025/26 herring plan reports a Strait of Georgia harvest rate of 14 percent with a maximum of 14,390 tons, up 1,603 tons, while Haida Gwaii and the west coast of Vancouver Island remain closed to commercial harvest. Conservation groups dispute DFO's view that Strait of Georgia stocks are healthy and call for closing the roe fishery. DFO's own plan text was not retrievable.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Strait of Georgia and BC coast herring stocks","type":"Fish stock (Pacific herring, five major BC stocks)","countries":["CA"],"detail":"British Columbia: Strait of Georgia, Prince Rupert District, Central Coast, Haida Gwaii and west coast of Vancouver Island herring management areas. Coordinates are an approximate centre of the Strait of Georgia.","coordinates":{"lat":49.3,"lon":-124,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A harvest-allocation dispute between the regulator, roe fishery and conservation and First Nations groups.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Pacific Wild reports no significant spawning in Area 19 since before 1950 and the lowest recent spawning levels in Area 17, with spawning concentrating in a smaller area (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Commercial gillnet and seine harvest is closed on the west coast of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, and the Central Coast is open only to spawn-on-kelp (ref 1).","scale":"The plan spans five coast-wide management areas along the BC coast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The same Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island closures and Strait of Georgia increases appear in both the 2023/24 plan (ref 2) and the 2025/26 plan (ref 1).","significance":"DFO issued a formal integrated fisheries management plan with set quotas; the Pacific Marine Conservation Caucus declined to endorse any Strait of Georgia option (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of affected harvesters in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Strait of Georgia 2025/26: 14% harvest rate, maximum 14,390 tons, a 1,603 ton increase (as reported by Pacific Wild from DFO's plan)."},"measures":[{"name":"Strait of Georgia herring maximum TAC, 2025/26","value":14390,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"14 percent harvest rate (ref 1)."},{"name":"Strait of Georgia roe seine allocation, 2025/26","value":5794,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Roe gillnet 5,559 tons (ref 1)."},{"name":"Strait of Georgia maximum TAC, 2023/24","value":8058,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"10 percent harvest rate (ref 2)."},{"name":"Prince Rupert District maximum TAC, 2025/26","value":3715,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"8 percent harvest rate (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Pacific Wild argues roe fisheries take about 80 percent of the Strait of Georgia TAC, with an estimated 285 tonnes eaten directly by people (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Catch limits rose between 2023/24 and 2025/26 (refs 1, 2) while the cited group reports shrinking spawning areas; DFO views Strait of Georgia stocks as healthy (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region","role":"Herring fishery manager","contact":"https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"}],"public_contact":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Region general enquiries, as published at pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.","corrective_actions":["DFO kept Haida Gwaii, west coast of Vancouver Island closed to commercial net harvest and limited the Central Coast to spawn-on-kelp (ref 1).","Heiltsuk Nation kept its 2026 spawn-on-kelp fishery closed (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025/26 Herring Management Plan Released","publisher":"Pacific Wild","date":"2026-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pacificwild.org/2025-26-herring-management-plan-released/","basis":"Conservation group report on agency plan"},{"ref":2,"title":"2024 Herring Management Plan","publisher":"Pacific Wild","date":"2024-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pacificwild.org/2024-herring-management-plan/","basis":"Conservation group report on agency plan"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bid to close roe herring fishery gains support (Times Colonist reposted)","publisher":"Pacific Wild","date":"2019-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pacificwild.org/times-colonist-bid-to-close-roe-herring-fishery-gains-support/","basis":"News"}],"confidence":"Low","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["OFL and ABC values were not stated in the opened pages.","The newsletter shows no day-of-month, so its date is set to the first of the month.","Pre-2025 history of the stock decline and the Marine Conservation Society \"overfished\" statement were not verifiable (page returned 403)."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_drivers":["Federal shutdown delayed assessment"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-GULFOFALASKA-PCOD-2026","title":"Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod catch limit raised 38 percent for 2026 after a survey shows rising abundance","description":"NOAA set the 2026 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod total allowable catch at 30,053 metric tons in February 2026, replacing 21,826 tons set in December 2025, after an assessment using the 2025 bottom trawl survey. The Council's science committee found the stock was not overfished in 2025. A hook-and-line sector in the Central Gulf still closed in September 2026 on reaching its allocation.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Gulf of Alaska (Western, Central, Eastern areas)","type":"Fish stock (Pacific cod)","countries":["US"],"detail":"Federal waters of the Gulf of Alaska managed by NPFMC and NMFS Alaska Region; Kodiak is the main port named in coverage.","coordinates":{"lat":57.79,"lon":-152.41,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Stock status and catch limits for a depleted groundfish stock now rebounding.","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Scientific and Statistical Committee found Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska was not overfished in 2025 and the new assessment shows a significant rise in abundance (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Catch limits stood at 22,235 mt in March 2025 and 21,826 mt in December 2025 before the increase, and Kodiak state-waters guideline harvest level fell to about 5.31 million pounds (refs 2, 3).","scale":"A single stock managed in three Gulf areas (ref 2).","duration":"The lower limits applied from at least March 2025 to February 2026 (ref 2), roughly a year, and the Sept 2026 sector closure runs to year end (ref 4).","significance":"NOAA published a formal inseason adjustment rule on 10 February 2026 (ref 2) and a temporary closure notice filed 28 August 2026 (ref 4)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"In 2024 about 65 vessels fished Kodiak state-waters cod (ref 3) but no total fleet count is reported."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2026 Gulf of Alaska federal Pacific cod TAC 30,053 mt, a 38 percent increase from the December recommendation (NPFMC, February 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"2026 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod TAC","value":30053,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"Western 6,693, Central 21,549, Eastern 1,811 mt (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Earlier 2026 TAC set December 2025","value":21826,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"Replaced in February 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Central Gulf hook-and-line catcher vessel (50 ft and over) 2026 allocation","value":1387,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"Directed fishing closed 1 September 2026 on reaching the allowance (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Shore-based processors could benefit from higher volumes (ref 3).","Kodiak state-waters cod harvest was about 11.1 million pounds worth roughly USD 3 million ex-vessel in 2024 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Abundance rose in the 2025 survey and the 2026 TAC is 38 percent above the December figure (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","role":"Recommends specifications","contact":"https://www.npfmc.org"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region","role":"Implements specifications and closures","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska"}],"public_contact":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Anchorage, general contact as published at npfmc.org.","corrective_actions":["Council requested an updated assessment after the autumn 2025 federal appropriations lapse (1 October to 12 November 2025) blocked the usual one (ref 1).","NMFS revised seasonal and gear-sector apportionments for 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"February 2026 Council newsletter","publisher":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","date":"2026-02-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.npfmc.org/february-2026-newsletter/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod inseason adjustment","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries, Federal Register (via policyrisk.com)","date":"2026-02-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-02656","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Council recommends big boost in Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod catch limits","publisher":"Kodiak Daily Mirror","date":"2026-02-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/news/article_a10e723f-35bb-4624-b6e1-dbbb26beb71e.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOAA closes directed Pacific cod fishing, Central Gulf hook-and-line catcher vessels","publisher":"Nature World News","date":"2026-09-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/73215/20260903/noaa-pacific-cod-closure-central-gulf-alaska-hook-line.htm","basis":"News"}],"confidence":"Medium","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":3,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Job and economic figures differ by source and date: about 5,000 jobs and C$1.2 billion (June 2024, ref 2) versus 4,500 full-time jobs and C$1.1 billion (2025, ref 4). Both are industry figures."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the final transition plan was released in 2025 or 2026 was not confirmed.","Sea lice counts were not extracted: DFO publishes them as datasets and graphs not opened here.","No coordinates: a coast-wide sector."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-DISCOVERYISLANDS-NETPENS-2026"],"secondary_drivers":["Sea lice and disease concerns for wild salmon","Closed-containment egg supply"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-BCCOAST-NETPENBAN-2024","title":"British Columbia open-net salmon farms face a 2029 ban as operators warn of exits and egg-supply gaps","description":"Canada announced on 19 June 2024 that open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia coastal waters will be banned by 30 June 2029, with five-year licence renewals from 1 July 2024 and only closed containment considered for new licences. A February 2025 government memo, reported in August 2025, warned that Mowi, Cermaq and Grieg may leave BC including their hatcheries, and a final transition plan promised for 2025 was not confirmed in any page opened.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"British Columbia coastal salmon farms","type":"Marine finfish aquaculture sector (open net-pen Atlantic salmon)","countries":["CA"],"detail":"British Columbia coast, including the Broughton Archipelago, Clayoquot Sound, Discovery Islands and Vancouver Island farms.","coordinates":null,"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national policy phase-out of a coastal industry, disputed on science and economics.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The government acknowledged \"significant scientific uncertainty\" about farm impacts on wild salmon, citing sea lice, viruses and bacteria concerns (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The BC Salmon Farmers Association says the 2029 deadline puts 4,500 full-time jobs and C$1.1 billion in activity at risk, about 50,000 tonnes a year (ref 4).","scale":"The ban applies to the whole BC coast and 79 farms are in the transition plan scope (ref 2).","duration":"The phase-out runs five years from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029 (ref 1), following a 2025 pledge that was extended (ref 2).","significance":"The federal government set a legal ban date and licence conditions in a policy decision on 19 June 2024 (refs 1, 3), a formal government ruling."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":4500,"status":"Reported","note":"Full-time jobs the industry association says are at risk (ref 4); an industry claim."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Open net-pen salmon aquaculture to be banned in British Columbia coastal waters by June 30, 2029 (DFO transition policy page)."},"measures":[{"name":"Ban date for open net-pen salmon farming","value":2029,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"By June 30, 2029 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Farms in transition plan scope","value":79,"unit":"farms","status":"Reported","note":"Global News, 19 June 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Open-net production at risk","value":50000,"unit":"tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate annual BC open-net output (ref 4)."},{"name":"Mowi Canada West seawater licences","value":46,"unit":"licences","status":"Reported","note":"Fish Farming Expert, 20 June 2024 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Industry says 4,500 jobs and C$1.1 billion in activity are at risk (ref 4).","Grieg suspended new BC investment and a February 2025 memo flagged possible exits by three operators (refs 3, 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Policy dates are fixed but no 2026 status of the final transition plan was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region","role":"Aquaculture licensing and transition policy","contact":"https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/index-eng.html"}],"public_contact":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Region aquaculture pages, as published at pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture.","corrective_actions":["Five-year licences from 1 July 2024 with stricter sea lice, reporting and marine mammal monitoring conditions (ref 1).","An interdepartmental task force consults on a Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan; the draft was released in September 2024 (ref 5).","Facilities committing to closed containment can get nine-year licences (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The transition from open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2024-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/bc-transition-cb/pol-eng.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"B.C. fish farm phase-out delayed to 2029","publisher":"Global News","date":"2024-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/10576199/bc-fish-farm-phase-out-2029","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Dismay as Canada bans open-net pen salmon farms in British Columbia","publisher":"Fish Farming Expert","date":"2024-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishfarmingexpert.com/british-columbia-cermaq-canada-mowi-canada-west/dismay-as-canada-bans-open-net-pen-salmon-farms-in-british-columbia/1785572","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Scramble for eggs: land-based farms face crisis if major producers pull out of BC, reveals Canadian government memo","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2025-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/scramble-for-eggs-land-based-farms-face-crisis-if-major-producers-pull-out-of-bc-reveals-canadian-govt-memo/?amp=1","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":5,"title":"Question Period Note: Aquaculture, open-net pen transition plan in British Columbia","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2024-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/record/dfo-mpo%2CDFO-2024-QP-00015","basis":"Agency report"}],"confidence":"Medium","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Number of affected farms: 15 farms (We Are Aquaculture) versus 11 Atlantic salmon sites (SalmonBusiness)."}],"missing_fields":["The judgment text itself was not opened; case number A-272-24 is taken from the Watershed Watch link filename.","The coordinates are an approximate centre of the Discovery Islands, not from a source."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-BCCOAST-NETPENBAN-2024"],"secondary_drivers":["Sea lice and disease transfer uncertainty"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-DISCOVERYISLANDS-NETPENS-2026","title":"Federal Court of Appeal upholds the ban on open-net salmon farms in the Discovery Islands","description":"On 29 January 2026 the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Mowi Canada West's appeal of the federal fisheries minister's 2023 decision not to renew open-net Atlantic salmon licences in the Discovery Islands, B.C., finding the precautionary decision reasonable. Reports differ on whether 11 sites or 15 farms were affected. Mowi said it accepts the ruling.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Discovery Islands, British Columbia","type":"Salmon farm licensing area on wild salmon migration route","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland, a migration corridor for wild Pacific salmon; coordinates are an approximate area centre.","coordinates":{"lat":50.2,"lon":-125.3,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court test of the minister's authority to refuse fish farm licences on precaution.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Federal authorities argued scientific uncertainty about disease transfer and sea lice justified precaution along the wild salmon migration corridor (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Licence renewals were refused for 15 open-net farms per one report, 11 sites per another (refs 2, 1), and the companies pursued court challenges through to the Federal Court of Appeal (refs 2, 3).","scale":"One licensing area, the Discovery Islands (ref 1).","duration":"The dispute dates from a 2020 federal order, a 2022 court reversal, the 2023 refusal and rulings in June 2024 and January 2026 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The Federal Court of Appeal issued a 41-page judgment (case A-272-24) on 29 January 2026 (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No worker count for the Discovery Islands farms in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Mowi's appeal on 29 January 2026; open-net salmon farming is not permitted in the Discovery Islands under current policy."},"measures":[{"name":"Farms or sites with licences not renewed","value":15,"unit":"farms","status":"Reported","note":"We Are Aquaculture reports 15 farms; SalmonBusiness reports 11 Atlantic salmon sites (refs 2, 1)."},{"name":"Federal Court of Appeal judgment length","value":41,"unit":"pages","status":"Reported","note":"Judgment delivered by Chief Justice de Montigny and Justices Heckman and Walker (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Mowi Canada West said it accepts the ruling but disagrees with its reasoning (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Court rulings in 2024 and 2026 upheld the same 2023 decision (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","role":"Licensing authority (Minister of Fisheries)","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"}],"public_contact":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Region general enquiries as published at pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.","corrective_actions":["Licences not renewed on precautionary grounds (ref 1).","Further appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada is possible with leave (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Appeal court delivers verdict in Mowi's bitter Discovery Islands dispute","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2026-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/appeal-court-delivers-verdict-in-mowis-bitter-discovery-islands-dispute/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Legal avenue closes for Mowi in the Discovery Islands","publisher":"We Are Aquaculture","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weareaquaculture.com/news/aquaculture/legal-avenue-closes-for-mowi-in-the-discovery-islands","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mowi loses and wild salmon win at the Federal Court of Appeal","publisher":"Watershed Watch Salmon Society","date":"2026-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://watershedwatch.ca/stories/mowi-loses-and-wild-salmon-win-federal-court-of-appeal/","basis":"Conservation group report"}],"confidence":"Medium","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Stakeholder and agency concerns (for example Coastal Commission or fishing-industry positions) were not opened; no news article on the controversy was verified.","Acreage and coordinates of each AOA were not given on the opened pages; the point is an approximate channel centre, not from a source."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_drivers":["Executive order on seafood"],"id":"OC-NEPAC-SOUTHERNCALIFORNIA-AOA-2025","title":"NOAA identifies ten offshore aquaculture opportunity areas in the Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Monica Bay","description":"NOAA Fisheries signed a decision on 10 September 2025 and identified ten Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in federal waters off Southern California on 19 September 2025: eight in the Santa Barbara Channel and two in Santa Monica Bay, covering all types of aquaculture. NOAA opened a new request for information on further areas in July 2026. The pages opened do not summarize public concerns.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Monica Bay","type":"Federal waters aquaculture opportunity areas","countries":["US"],"detail":"Federal waters off Southern California; eight areas in Santa Barbara Channel, two in Santa Monica Bay. Coordinates are an approximate centre of the Santa Barbara Channel.","coordinates":{"lat":34.25,"lon":-119.9,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal siting decision for new offshore aquaculture.","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No harm is documented in the NOAA pages opened; they describe a siting process and no operating farms (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The pages report no disruption to existing fisheries or users (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Ten areas in two named waterbodies, the Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Monica Bay (ref 1).","duration":"The process ran from the May 2022 notice of intent and the November 2024 draft EIS to the September 2025 decision (refs 1, 2), more than three years.","significance":"NOAA signed a decision document selecting Alternative 4b and listed the areas; this is a formal listing but no permit or violation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited pages."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"10 AOAs in federal waters off Southern California identified September 19, 2025: 8 in the Santa Barbara Channel and 2 in Santa Monica Bay."},"measures":[{"name":"Aquaculture Opportunity Areas off Southern California","value":10,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"8 Santa Barbara Channel, 2 Santa Monica Bay (ref 1)."},{"name":"Decision document signed","value":null,"unit":"","status":"Not reported","note":"Signed 10 September 2025 selecting Alternative 4b (ref 1); acreage per area not stated."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No operator or investment figure appears in the opened pages."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Decision is recent; a 2026 request for information is open (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region","role":"Aquaculture Opportunity Area identification","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/aquaculture/west-coast-region-southern-california-aquaculture-opportunity-area"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Aquaculture Coordinator, as published on the Southern California AOA page.","corrective_actions":["A Final Programmatic EIS and decision document were issued in September 2025 (ref 1).","A new request for information on additional AOAs opened 30 July 2026 and closed 14 September 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"West Coast Region Southern California Aquaculture Opportunity Area","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/aquaculture/west-coast-region-southern-california-aquaculture-opportunity-area","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Aquaculture Opportunity Areas","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/aquaculture/aquaculture-opportunity-areas","basis":"Agency page"}],"confidence":"Low","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-SANPEDROBASIN-DDTDUMP-2021","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Deep-ocean DDT and industrial waste dumpsite in the San Pedro Basin off Los Angeles remains under investigation","description":"Between the 1930s and 1972 Montrose Chemical's DDT acid waste and other industrial waste was dumped in deep basins between Palos Verdes and Santa Catalina Island. Scripps and partner studies report sediment DDT concentrations above those at the nearby Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund site, evidence that much of the DDT was bulk-dumped rather than barrelled, and a 2025 UC Santa Barbara map of hot spots. EPA, NOAA-funded researchers and the Navy are still characterizing the site and no remediation has been decided.","location":{"name":"San Pedro Basin Disposal Site 2","type":"Deep-sea chemical dumpsite","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Pacific off Los Angeles County, California, roughly halfway between the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island at about 1,000 m depth.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":33.6,"lon":-118.4,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Legacy DDT and other chemical waste on the seabed is a chemical contamination problem.","secondary_drivers":["Legacy industrial dumping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Scripps reports San Pedro Basin sediments with DDT+ concentrations exceeding those at the Palos Verdes Superfund site and UCSB mapped hot spots (refs 1, 4), but no ecological or health harm has been quantified and EPA says risks are still being assessed (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or beach closure tied to the dumpsite is documented; EPA says recreation occurs nearshore and far shallower than the 3,200 ft site and the Palos Verdes Shelf advisories are a separate matter (ref 2).","scale":"Scripps mapped more than 36,000 acres of seafloor and the 2021 survey found barrel-sized objects across 135 square miles of the basin, a local rather than regional-sea footprint (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Dumping ran from the 1930s to 1972 (EPA says contaminated disposal in the channel ended in 1975) and most deep sediments show little DDT+ degradation (refs 1, 2, 6).","significance":"EPA and partner agencies opened a formal Disposal Site #2 investigation and NOAA awarded Scripps $5.6 million in 2022 and $6 million in 2023 for research, but there is no enforcement or cleanup order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Scripps: sediments in the San Pedro Basin were found with DDT+ concentrations exceeding those at the Palos Verdes Superfund site; the highest concentrations were not near barrels, suggesting bulk dumping."},"measures":[{"name":"Area of seafloor mapped in the 2021 Scripps survey","value":36000,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 36,000 acres' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Depth of Disposal Site #2","value":3200,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"EPA gives about 3,200 ft (1,000 m) (ref 2)."},{"name":"Estimated DDT and other chemicals dumped per year (Montrose documents)","value":40000,"unit":"lbs/yr","status":"Estimated","note":"Scripps: Montrose documents indicate approximately 40,000 lbs per year 'could have been dumped' from the 1930s to 1972 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sediment stations sampled in the short-dumping study","value":40,"unit":"stations","status":"Reported","note":"USC Sea Grant page, cores of 12 to 24 cm (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["EPA says seafood-consumption and ecosystem risks at Disposal Site #2 have not yet been determined (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Surveys in 2021, 2023 and 2025 have widened the known contaminated area, but no repeat measurements of concentration are cited."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 (Southern California Ocean Disposal Site #2 Investigation)","role":"Lead investigating agency","contact":"https://www.epa.gov/ocean-dumping/southern-california-ocean-disposal-site-2-investigation"},{"name":"Scripps Institution of Oceanography (NOAA-funded DDT+ research)","role":"Survey and research lead","contact":"https://scripps.ucsd.edu/ddtcoastaldumpsite"}],"public_contact":"Contact EPA Region 9 through the contact details on the Disposal Site #2 investigation page.","corrective_actions":["EPA and partner agencies are developing a sampling plan and a conceptual site model for Disposal Site #2 (ref 2).","NOAA funded Scripps, UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State University research on extent, food-web transfer and bioremediation (ref 1).","The US Navy said it is reviewing the 2023 survey's munitions findings (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Chemical Dumpsite Offshore Southern California","publisher":"Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://scripps.ucsd.edu/ddtcoastaldumpsite","basis":"Research institution page (undated; cites papers through July 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Southern California Ocean Disposal Site #2 Investigation","publisher":"US Environmental Protection Agency","date":"2026-07-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.gov/ocean-dumping/southern-california-ocean-disposal-site-2-investigation","basis":"Agency page (last updated date shown)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Survey of San Pedro Basin seafloor finds thousands of munitions, explosives","publisher":"Times of San Diego","date":"2024-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://timesofsandiego.com/tech/2024/01/05/survey-of-san-pedro-basin-seafloor-finds-thousands-of-munitions-explosives/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"What's causing eerie halos around barrels on ocean floor","publisher":"Santa Barbara Independent","date":"2025-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.independent.com/2025/10/09/whats-causing-eerie-halos-around-barrels-on-ocean-floor/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Passive samplers used to measure DDT at offshore dump sites","publisher":"Southern California Coastal Water Research Project","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sccwrp.org/?p=16817","basis":"Research institution news"},{"ref":6,"title":"Short-dumping and DDT+ sediment study in the San Pedro Basin","publisher":"USC Sea Grant","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dornsife.usc.edu/uscseagrant/?p=3945","basis":"Research programme page (undated)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Reported barrel counts differ (a 2021 county source gives over 27,000 barrels); EPA says the barrels likely hold substances other than Montrose DDT acid waste, which was mostly bulk dumped."}],"missing_fields":["Coordinates are approximate, derived from EPA's description of Disposal Site #2 (about 12 miles from Palos Verdes toward Santa Catalina); no source page gives a latitude and longitude.","No sediment concentration values in ug/kg are stated in the sources opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-IMPERIALBEACH-TIJUANASEWAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Tijuana River sewage keeps Imperial Beach shoreline closed for more than 1,600 consecutive days","description":"Untreated and partly treated sewage from the Tijuana River watershed in Mexico flows across the border and into the Pacific at Imperial Beach, closing beaches and releasing airborne hydrogen sulfide. San Diego County closed the whole Imperial Beach shoreline again on 27 September 2026 and the Tijuana Slough shoreline remains closed. EPA and the US section of the International Boundary and Water Commission report expansions and repairs underway, but the problem persists.","location":{"name":"Imperial Beach and Tijuana Slough shoreline","type":"Coastal sewage-polluted shoreline","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","MX"],"detail":"San Diego County, California at the US-Mexico border, with sources in the Tijuana River watershed.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":32.5839,"lon":-117.1131,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Sewage discharge to the sea is a pollution issue with bacterial and chemical contamination.","secondary_drivers":["Cross-border wastewater infrastructure failure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"San Diego County said bacteria levels exceeded state health standards at several beaches and that the water 'contains sewage and may cause illness' (ref 2); a 2025 Science study measured hydrogen sulfide peaking at 4,500 ppb (ref 3).","livelihoods":"County health officials closed the Imperial Beach shoreline to water contact on 27 September 2026 and the Border Field State Park and Tijuana Slough shoreline remain closed (ref 2).","scale":"Contamination is confined to the San Diego County shoreline near the border plus advisories at a handful of nearby beaches (ref 2), so it is a site-scale marine problem.","duration":"Coastkeeper counts more than 1,600 consecutive days of Imperial Beach closures (ref 3).","significance":"A local emergency is in place, EPA issues quarterly public updates and ATSDR agreed in January 2025 to a public health assessment (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 1,600 consecutive days of beach closures in Imperial Beach, according to San Diego Coastkeeper (Hoodline, 9 Sept 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Consecutive days of Imperial Beach closures","value":1600,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 1,600' per San Diego Coastkeeper, cited by Hoodline (ref 3)."},{"name":"Contaminated water crossing the border during the local emergency","value":200,"unit":"billion gallons","status":"Estimated","note":"'More than 200 billion gallons' per officials, as cited in ref 3."},{"name":"Peak airborne hydrogen sulfide","value":4500,"unit":"ppb","status":"Reported","note":"August 2025 Science study at Saturn Boulevard (ref 3)."},{"name":"South Bay plant capacity after the August 2025 interim expansion","value":35,"unit":"MGD","status":"Reported","note":"Expansion to 50 MGD is the next stage; first major contract awarded September 2026 (refs 1, 4)."},{"name":"Reduction in South Bay plant exceedances reported by EPA","value":99,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"EPA's own account in its Q3 2026 update (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Ongoing closures of Imperial Beach and Tijuana Slough shorelines (ref 2).","Residents' surveys report health concerns and a proposed US$1 billion diversion and treatment plant is under design (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"EPA reports 99% fewer plant exceedances and 54% lower dry-season flows, yet shoreline closures were renewed on 27 September 2026 (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Environmental Protection Agency","role":"Federal lead for the binational sewage effort","contact":"https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/tijuana-river-watershed-public-updates"},{"name":"San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality","role":"Beach closure and advisory authority","contact":"https://sdbeachinfo.com"},{"name":"International Boundary and Water Commission, US Section","role":"Operator of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant","contact":"https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/tijuana-river-watershed-public-updates"}],"public_contact":"San Diego County beach advisory line 619-338-2073 (published in the county's closure notices).","corrective_actions":["South Bay plant interim expansion to 35 MGD completed August 2025; Parallel Gravity Line finished August 2026; river gates Phase 2 under construction (ref 1).","Expansion of the South Bay plant to 50 MGD: first major contract awarded September 2026 (ref 1).","About 16,622 feet of river channel cleared ahead of a possible El Nino winter (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tijuana River Watershed Public Updates (Quarterly Public Update, 30 September 2026)","publisher":"US Environmental Protection Agency","date":"2026-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/tijuana-river-watershed-public-updates","basis":"Agency page (last updated date shown)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Imperial Beach shoreline closed due to sewage contamination (City News Service)","publisher":"Times of San Diego","date":"2026-09-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://timesofsandiego.com/?p=402830","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"County, CDC health survey examines South Bay sewage crisis","publisher":"Hoodline","date":"2026-09-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hoodline.com/2026/09/county-cdc-health-survey-examines-south-bay-sewage-crisis/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"EPA quarterly update: river gates Phase 2 under construction, parallel gravity line completed, South Bay expansion contract awarded","publisher":"Water Online","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wateronline.com/doc/trump-epa-tijuana-sewage-crisis-quarterly-update-phase-of-river-gates-under-construction-parallel-gravity-line-completed-south-bay-plant-expansion-contract-awarded-0001","basis":"Trade news reporting an agency update"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Closure-day count comes from an advocacy group cited by Hoodline; the county page opened gives no running total.","Sewage volume per year is not stated in the pages opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-PUGETSOUND-NITROGENPERMIT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Washington drops Puget Sound nitrogen general permit as 58 treatment plants keep feeding low-oxygen waters","description":"Ecology says nitrogen from 58 public wastewater treatment plants contributes to low dissolved oxygen in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, and in 2022 it issued a nutrient general permit to curb it. After legal challenges the Pollution Control Hearings Board invalidated the mandatory permit on 28 February 2025, and on 7 January 2026 Ecology announced it will not reissue it and will address nitrogen through individual plant permits.","location":{"name":"Puget Sound and Salish Sea (Washington)","type":"Inland sea affected by nutrient loading","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Puget Sound, Washington State, with 58 domestic wastewater facilities discharging to the sound.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrients from sewage treatment plants cause low-oxygen conditions at sea.","secondary_drivers":["Municipal wastewater nitrogen","Legal challenge to permit authority"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Washington's Court of Appeals acknowledged in September 2023 that the plants contribute to low dissolved oxygen in Puget Sound (ref 1); fish kills or habitat loss are not described in the cited pages.","livelihoods":"No fishery or shellfish closure linked to the nutrient permit is described in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Fifty-eight plants discharge to Puget Sound and seven 'dominant loaders' account for over 80% of the nutrients, which spans a whole inland sea (ref 1).","duration":"The general permit decision dates to January 2020, took effect in January 2022 and remains unresolved in 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A State Supreme Court ruling in September 2024, a Hearings Board invalidation on 28 February 2025 and a filed Ecology notice on 7 January 2026 are formal legal actions (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Seven 'dominant loaders' among the 58 Puget Sound wastewater plants contribute over 80% of the nutrients (Ecology)."},"measures":[{"name":"Domestic wastewater facilities discharging to Puget Sound","value":58,"unit":"plants","status":"Reported","note":"Ecology permit page (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of nutrients from the dominant loaders","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 80%' from seven facilities (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Compliance costs for the 58 plants are being reset through individual permits (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The mandatory permit took effect in January 2022, was invalidated in February 2025 and was dropped in January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Washington State Department of Ecology","role":"Water quality permitting authority","contact":"https://ecology.wa.gov/Regulations-Permits/Permits-certifications/nutrient-permit"}],"public_contact":"Washington Department of Ecology, contact details on the permit page.","corrective_actions":["Nitrogen discharges will be addressed in individual permits for the 58 plants (ref 2).","Public comment on a revised voluntary permit ran 18 June to 27 August 2025 before Ecology reversed course (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit","publisher":"Washington State Department of Ecology","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecology.wa.gov/Regulations-Permits/Permits-certifications/nutrient-permit","basis":"Agency page (undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"WSR 26-03-003: Ecology will not reissue the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit","publisher":"Washington State Register","date":"2026-01-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Law/WSR/2026/03/26-03-003.htm","basis":"Official notice"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No nitrogen limits for the individual permits are stated in the sources.","No dissolved-oxygen measurements are in the sources opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-VANCOUVER-IONASEWAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vancouver's Iona Island plant still gives sewage only primary treatment as Metro Vancouver re-scopes its upgrade","description":"The Iona Island plant in Richmond, built in 1963, treats wastewater from about 750,000 people and is one of the last primary-only treatment plants in North America. Metro Vancouver's board voted on 3 October 2025 to replace the roughly C$9.9 billion rebuild with a phased C$6 billion upgrade expected to finish by 2039, years after the federal 2030 secondary-treatment requirement.","location":{"name":"Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, Richmond","type":"Sewage treatment plant and outfall","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, serving the City of Vancouver, parts of Burnaby and Richmond, UBC and the University Endowment Lands.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":49.21,"lon":-123.2,"precision":"site","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Discharge of only primary-treated sewage to coastal waters is a pollution issue.","secondary_drivers":["Ageing infrastructure","Capital cost escalation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"CBC reports the plant provides only primary treatment, removing about half of dissolved organic materials, while secondary treatment removes up to 90% or more of pollutants (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery restriction tied to the plant is mentioned in the cited articles (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single plant that processes about 200 billion litres, around 40% of the region's wastewater, each year (ref 3).","duration":"The plant opened in 1963 and the new schedule has full completion in 2039 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Federal and provincial regulations require secondary treatment, federally by 2030, and the board vote of 3 October 2025 is a formal decision (refs 1, 2, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Metro Vancouver's new plan is a C$6 billion phased upgrade to secondary treatment, down from a C$9.9 billion rebuild; staff expect completion by 2039 (CBC, 6 Oct 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Revised project cost","value":6,"unit":"billion CAD","status":"Reported","note":"Down from $9.9 billion approved in 2022 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Wastewater processed per year","value":200,"unit":"billion litres","status":"Reported","note":"About 40% of the region's wastewater (ref 3)."},{"name":"Residents served","value":750000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Vancouver Sewerage Area (refs 1, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Staff say the phased approach will cost more over time as labour and material prices rise (ref 1).","Ratepayers face higher bills; Richmond News reported in 2021 that households could pay $400 to $500 a year more (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The project has been re-scoped repeatedly since 2019, but no effluent-quality trend data are cited."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Metro Vancouver Regional District","role":"Plant owner and operator","contact":"https://metrovancouver.org"}],"public_contact":"Metro Vancouver's published general contact channels.","corrective_actions":["Board adopted phased upgrades with incremental secondary treatment and membrane bioreactor technology on 3 October 2025 (refs 1, 3).","The existing primary plant will be rehabilitated and replaced later (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Metro Vancouver votes to scale down sewage treatment project from $10B to $6B","publisher":"CBC News","date":"2025-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7651857","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Metro Vancouver votes to adopt new approach for Iona Island wastewater treatment plant","publisher":"Global News","date":"2025-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/11463488/metro-vancouver-votes-adopt-new-approach-iona-island-wastewater-treatment-plant","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Metro Vancouver adopts new approach for upgrading the Iona Island WWTP","publisher":"ReNew Canada","date":"2025-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.renewcanada.net/metro-vancouver-adopts-new-approach-for-upgrading-the-iona-island-wwtp/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Iona wastewater plant upgrade pegged at $10.4 billion, will miss federal deadline","publisher":"Richmond News","date":"2021-07-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/iona-wastewater-plant-upgrade-pegged-at-104-billion-will-miss-federal-deadline-3953320","basis":"News (context, pre-window)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Richmond News (2021) reported secondary treatment at Iona by 2034 and full completion by 2042; the October 2025 plan targets 2039."}],"missing_fields":["The receiving water body for the plant's effluent is not named in the sources opened (CBC mentions waterways such as the Fraser River).","Plant coordinates are approximate for Iona Island, Richmond; no opened page gives them."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-COOKINLET-TRADINGBAYSHEEN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Unexplained mile-long oil sheen near idled Spark platform in Cook Inlet prompts unified response","description":"A pilot reported a long oil sheen on the western side of Cook Inlet near Trading Bay on 24 August 2026. The Coast Guard, Alaska DEC and Hilcorp formed a unified command, but by 27 August searches found no oil and the source, size and substance were still unidentified. No wildlife impacts were reported, though coho and sockeye salmon were migrating through the area.","location":{"name":"North Trading Bay, Cook Inlet","type":"Oil and gas production area in an estuarine inlet","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Western Cook Inlet near Tyonek, about 45 to 60 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":61,"lon":-151.2,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Suspected petroleum release in coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Ageing oil and gas infrastructure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Alaska DEC situation report said there were no reports of fish or wildlife impacts but fish could be at risk, with all five Pacific salmon species present (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure, fishery restriction or shipping restriction was reported in the cited articles (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The sheen was described by a pilot as about five miles long, in one part of the inlet (ref 2).","duration":"The response moved to monitoring status within four days of the 24 August report (ref 3).","significance":"A unified command of the Coast Guard, ADEC and Hilcorp was set up and ADEC issued a situation report, a formal response but not an enforcement action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A pilot estimated the sheen at about five miles long; no oil was seen in grid searches by 27 August 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Pilot-estimated sheen length","value":5,"unit":"miles","status":"Estimated","note":"Anonymous pilot's estimate reported by KTUU (ref 2); not a measured area."},{"name":"Oil and gas platforms in Cook Inlet, of which inactive","value":17,"unit":"platforms","status":"Reported","note":"Six, including Spark, are inactive (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cook Inletkeeper called the event a warning about risks from idled platforms (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single incident reported on 24 August 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation","role":"State on-scene coordinator","contact":"https://dec.alaska.gov"},{"name":"US Coast Guard","role":"Federal on-scene response","contact":"https://www.uscg.mil"},{"name":"Hilcorp Alaska","role":"Operator of nearby platforms and unified command member","contact":"https://www.hilcorp.com"}],"public_contact":"ADEC and Coast Guard published general contact channels.","corrective_actions":["Unified command established on 24 August 2026 and response vessel Endeavor searched in a grid pattern (ref 1).","Hilcorp inspected the Spark platform, which has been inactive since 1992, and tested nearby pipes and hoses (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Alaska officials respond to mystery spill near idled Cook Inlet oil platform","publisher":"Alaska Beacon (via ArcticToday)","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arctictoday.com/alaska-officials-respond-to-mystery-spill-near-idled-cook-inlet-oil-platform/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cook Inlet oil spill prompts multi-agency response","publisher":"Alaska's News Source (KTUU)","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/25/cook-inlet-oil-spill-prompts-multi-agency-response/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Responders to Cook Inlet oil sheen shift to monitoring status","publisher":"Alaska Public Media (KDLL)","date":"2026-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://alaskapublic.org/news/2026-08-28/responders-to-cook-inlet-oil-sheen-shift-to-monitoring-status","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Outlets place the sheen variously about 5 miles south of Tyonek, 30 miles northwest of Kenai and 45 to 60 miles southwest of Anchorage; coordinates are approximate."}],"missing_fields":["Source, substance and volume of the sheen were not identified in the sources opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-SANTAMONICABAY-FIREMETALS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Metals and debris from the January 2025 Los Angeles fires washed into Santa Monica Bay","description":"After the Palisades and Eaton fires, Heal the Bay sampling at ten Santa Monica Bay sites in January and February 2025 found silver, arsenic and zinc above average marine-health limits, with rains carrying metals from burned areas. Los Angeles County lifted its ocean water quality advisory in early April 2025 and later testing found metals below levels posing health risks, but Heal the Bay still lacks regulatory standards to call the water safe and debris and sediment continued to move after storms in winter 2025 to 2026.","location":{"name":"Santa Monica Bay","type":"Urban coastal bay","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Los Angeles County, California; contamination was highest near Topanga Beach, Big Rock in Malibu and Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":34.04,"lon":-118.56,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Heavy metals and combustion by-products entering coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Wildfire runoff","Post-fire storm runoff"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Heal the Bay found silver, arsenic and zinc above average marine-health limits and said metals can harm marine mammals and fish, but later testing found no levels high enough to pose health risks to beachgoers (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Los Angeles County had an ocean water quality advisory in place until early April 2025 and urged people to avoid visible fire debris on beaches (ref 3).","scale":"Sampling covered ten Heal the Bay sites along the bay and the monitoring network spans nearly 200 sites, within one bay (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The advisory lasted about three months, but Heal the Bay still reported lingering sediment and debris in January 2026 (refs 3, 4).","significance":"A county advisory and a 25-agency monitoring network were set up, but there is no enforcement action and no formal ocean standard for fire pollutants (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Heal the Bay's January to February 2025 testing at ten sites screened 116 pollutants and found silver, arsenic and zinc above average marine-health limits."},"measures":[{"name":"Heal the Bay sampling sites","value":10,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Santa Monica Bay, Jan-Feb 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pollutants screened","value":116,"unit":"substances","status":"Reported","note":"Heal the Bay screening (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sites in the post-fire aquatic monitoring network","value":200,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 200 sites' across the bay and the LA and San Gabriel River watersheds (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Heal the Bay warned that contaminants may accumulate in seafood (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The county advisory was lifted in April 2025 and later tests found metals not at levels harmful to beachgoers, though debris and sediment still moved after storms in winter 2025 to 2026 (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Heal the Bay","role":"Monitoring non-profit","contact":"https://healthebay.org"},{"name":"Southern California Coastal Water Research Project","role":"Leads post-fire monitoring network at the request of LA Regional Water Board and Ocean Protection Council","contact":"https://www.sccwrp.org"},{"name":"Los Angeles County Department of Public Health","role":"Issued and lifted the ocean advisory","contact":"https://publichealth.lacounty.gov"}],"public_contact":"Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Ocean water quality advisory lifted in early April 2025 (ref 3).","SCCWRP network coordinating data for beach closure and fish consumption decisions (ref 2).","Heal the Bay is working to establish a first-of-its-kind ocean safety protocol for wildfire impacts (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Heavy metals found in Santa Monica Bay after the Palisades fire, Heal the Bay says","publisher":"NBC Los Angeles","date":"2025-03-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/heavy-metals-santa-monica-bay-heal-the-bay-marine-life/3664641/?amp=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"SCCWRP coordinates post-fire aquatic monitoring network","publisher":"Southern California Coastal Water Research Project","date":"2025-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sccwrp.org/news/sccwrp-coordinates-post-fire-aquatic-monitoring-network/","basis":"Research institution news"},{"ref":3,"title":"LA's beaches six months after the fires: are they safe?","publisher":"KFI AM 640","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kfiam640.iheart.com/content/2025-07-03-las-beaches-six-months-after-the-fires-are-they-safe","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Clear ocean safety standards still lag one year after LA wildfires","publisher":"Santa Monica Daily Press (with Westside Current)","date":"2026-01-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://smdp.com/clear-ocean-safety-standards-still-lag-one-year-after-la-wildfires","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Early Heal the Bay results flagged metals above marine-health limits, while later county and university testing found levels not harmful to people; screening levels used are not safety thresholds (ref 4)."}],"missing_fields":["The USC CLEAN Waters one-year report could not be opened, so its figures are not used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-OREGONCOAST-DUNGENESSGEAR-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lost Dungeness crab pots on the Oregon coast removed at about 700 a year but still a whale and navigation hazard","description":"Oregon's post-season derelict gear recovery program, launched about 2013, pays commercial vessels to retrieve lost and abandoned Dungeness crab gear because it entangles marine life, ghost-fishes and endangers navigation. The 2023 round, run by 23 vessels between late August and mid-October, pulled 593 pots, lines and buoys; the program has averaged about 700 pots a year.","location":{"name":"Oregon coast Dungeness crab grounds","type":"Commercial crab fishing grounds","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Pacific coast of Oregon, with recovery work out of ports such as Newport and Rockaway Beach.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":44.64,"lon":-124.05,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Lost fishing gear is plastic and rope debris that continues to catch marine life.","secondary_drivers":["Storms and currents moving crab gear","Fishing gear loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"ODFW says derelict crab gear causes entanglement risk, ghost fishing and navigational hazards (ref 1); no mortality counts are given in the cited pages.","livelihoods":"No fishery closure tied to derelict gear is reported in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The 2023 recovery was a state coastline programme with 23 vessels (ref 1).","duration":"The recovery program has run for about ten years and has removed an average of 700 pots a year (ref 1).","significance":"Oregon law (HB 3262) and ODFW permit rules formally regulate the post-season recovery program (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2023 Oregon recovery pulled 593 pots, lines and buoys from the ocean; the program has removed an average of 700 derelict pots a year since inception (Lincoln Chronicle, 22 Nov 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Items recovered in the 2023 program","value":593,"unit":"pots, lines and buoys","status":"Reported","note":"Runs from end of August to mid-October 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average derelict pots removed per year since inception","value":700,"unit":"pots","status":"Reported","note":"Quoted from ODFW project manager reporting (ref 1)."},{"name":"Licensed vessels taking part in 2023","value":23,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Recovery permits let participants keep or sell retrieved gear, funding the removal (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Roughly 600 to 700 pots are recovered each year; no trend in gear loss is cited (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Runs the Post-Season Derelict Gear Recovery Program","contact":"https://dfw.state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/commercial/crab/psdgrp.asp"}],"public_contact":"ODFW Marine Resources Program contacts listed on the program page.","corrective_actions":["Post-season permits effective 31 August to 9 October allow licensed vessels to retrieve derelict gear and keep or sell it (ref 2).","Derelict gear locations reported to ODFW are posted and updated (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Off-season crabbers remove hundreds of derelict commercial pots from the ocean to protect whales, marine life and other boats","publisher":"Lincoln Chronicle (YachatsNews)","date":"2023-11-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://lincolnchronicle.org/commercial-crabbers-remove-derelict-pots-from-ocean/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Post-Season Derelict Gear Recovery Program","publisher":"Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dfw.state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/commercial/crab/psdgrp.asp","basis":"Agency page (latest posting date shown)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coordinates are approximate for the central Oregon coast (Newport is named as ODFW's project base).","Latest-year recovery totals were not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-PUGETSOUND-DERELICTPOTS-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Puget Sound derelict crab pots: 647 recovered by sonar surveys and 1,283 by sweeps in 2023","description":"Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that in 2023 a Northwest Straits Foundation contract recovered 647 derelict crab pots using side-scan sonar, with 572 Dungeness crab and 124 red rock crab found inside, and enforcement sweeps removed another 1,283 pots. Only 16.4% of recovered recreational pots were legibly labeled.","location":{"name":"Puget Sound crab grounds","type":"Inland sea crab fishing grounds","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Puget Sound, Washington State, including sweeps near Port Townsend.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":48.12,"lon":-122.76,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Lost pots and lines are persistent marine debris that keeps trapping animals.","secondary_drivers":["Lost recreational and commercial crab gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Recovered pots held 572 Dungeness crab (80 dead) and 124 red rock crab (seven dead), showing ghost fishing, but the report does not estimate total losses (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure is tied to derelict pots in the report (ref 1).","scale":"Sonar surveys and sweeps cover Puget Sound crab grounds, localised to survey areas (ref 1).","duration":"Derelict gear is found every year; 2023 funding was $284,967 in dedicated recovery funds (ref 1) and NOAA notes nets have been removed since 2002 (ref 2).","significance":"Washington's RCW 77.32.430 requires annual reporting and dedicated funds, a formal legislative requirement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2023: 647 derelict pots recovered by the Northwest Straits Foundation contract (210 commercial and 437 recreational) and 1,283 pots removed by WDFW sweeps."},"measures":[{"name":"Derelict pots recovered by sonar contract","value":647,"unit":"pots","status":"Reported","note":"210 commercial, 437 recreational (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pots removed by enforcement sweeps","value":1283,"unit":"pots","status":"Reported","note":"2,104 legal-size male crab released (ref 1)."},{"name":"Recreational pots properly labeled","value":16.4,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of recreational pots recovered in summer 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Derelict nets removed from Puget Sound since 2002","value":5000,"unit":"nets","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 5,000' per NOAA Marine Debris Program (ref 2; undated)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Recovery is paid by $1 from each Puget Sound crab endorsement (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only 2023 figures were opened; earlier years differ in method."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Derelict shellfish gear program","contact":"https://wdfw.wa.gov"},{"name":"Northwest Straits Foundation","role":"Sonar survey and removal contractor","contact":"https://nwstraits.org/our-work/derelict-gear"}],"public_contact":"WDFW published general channels.","corrective_actions":["WDFW contracts the Northwest Straits Foundation for sonar detection and removal ($128,000 in 2023) (ref 1).","Summer crab pot sweeps by enforcement officers (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2023 derelict shellfish gear report to the Legislature","publisher":"Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife","date":"2023-12-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/02479/wdfw02479.pdf","basis":"Agency report to the Legislature"},{"ref":2,"title":"Northwest Straits Initiative Puget Sound Derelict Net Removal","publisher":"NOAA Marine Debris Program","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/removal/northwest-straits-initiative-puget-sound-derelict-net-removal","basis":"Agency page (undated)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024 or 2025 totals were found."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-OREGONCOAST-DUNGENESSGEAR-2023"]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-BRITISHCOLUMBIA-COASTALDEBRIS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"British Columbia has removed 2,100 tonnes of marine debris and 215 derelict vessels through Clean Coast, Clean Waters","description":"The province's Clean Coast, Clean Waters initiative has paid First Nations, local governments and non-profits to clean shoreline, remove derelict vessels and, since 2024, clean old aquaculture sites with damaged polystyrene floats. Government figures show more than 2,100 tonnes of marine debris, 215 vessels and over 6,400 km of shoreline cleaned, and a further 1,900 km planned in 2024.","location":{"name":"British Columbia coast","type":"Coastline with marine debris and derelict vessels","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Pacific coast of British Columbia from Haida Gwaii and the Central Coast to the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic and polystyrene debris and derelict vessels on the shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Derelict vessels","Derelict aquaculture structures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Minister said marine debris and plastic pollution harm marine life and enter food sources as they break down (ref 2), but no mortality counts are given.","livelihoods":"No fishery or beach closure is reported; cleanups employ people and maintain nearly 2,400 jobs (ref 1).","scale":"More than 6,400 km of shoreline has been cleaned across the province's coast (ref 1).","duration":"The initiative has run since 2020 and the province funded a further 17 projects in 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The debris programme is a formal provincial plan under the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan with $49.83 million in funding (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Over 2,100 tonnes of marine debris, including 215 derelict vessels, removed and more than 6,400 km of shoreline cleaned (B.C. government, updated 20 Aug 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine debris removed since 2020","value":2100,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 2,100 tonnes' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Derelict vessels removed","value":215,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Shoreline cleaned","value":6400,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 6,400 kilometres' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Additional shoreline planned in the 2024 round","value":1900,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"17 projects funded with $8 million (ref 2)."},{"name":"Total Clean Coast, Clean Waters funding","value":49.83,"unit":"million CAD","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cleanups support coastal First Nations and small-business employment (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Cumulative removal totals are reported, but no measure of debris arriving per year is cited."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks","role":"Funds the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund","contact":"https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management/zero-waste/plastics/actions/clean-coast-clean-waters"}],"public_contact":"Province of British Columbia Ministry media relations (listed on the release).","corrective_actions":["$8 million for 17 new projects in 2024 to clean 1,900 km, remove 31 vessels and six aquaculture sites (ref 2).","$25 million investment announced May 2023 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Clean Coast, Clean Waters","publisher":"Province of British Columbia","date":"2025-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management/zero-waste/plastics/actions/clean-coast-clean-waters","basis":"Government page (last updated date shown)"},{"ref":2,"title":"New projects underway to clean up another 1,900 km of B.C. shoreline","publisher":"BC Gov News","date":"2024-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024ENV0035-001302","basis":"Government news release"},{"ref":3,"title":"New coastline cleanup projects underway across B.C.","publisher":"BC Gov News","date":"2023-11-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023ENV0065-001829","basis":"Government news release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The government figures are cumulative since 2020 and do not show tonnes per year or a 2025 total."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-DOMOICACID-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Domoic acid closes razor clam, rock crab and anchovy harvests along California's north and central coast","description":"California's recreational razor clam fishery has been closed in Humboldt County since May 2024 because of domoic acid, Del Norte County closed on 9 October 2026 after clams exceeded the 20 ppm federal action level, and northern anchovy harvest for human consumption was restricted in Monterey Bay on 11 September 2026. A commercial rock crab closure also covers waters off Humboldt County.","location":{"name":"North coast and Monterey Bay, California","type":"Coastal harmful algal bloom toxin closures","sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Del Norte and Humboldt counties and Monterey Bay (Pigeon Point to Point Lobos), California.","points":[{"lat":36.8,"lon":-121.95,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1,"role":"Monterey Bay anchovy closure"}],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":41.76,"lon":-124.2,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A marine algal bloom toxin contaminating shellfish and fish.","secondary_drivers":["Pseudo-nitzschia algal bloom","Warm-water conditions (general CDFW statement)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Samples from Crescent Beach in late September 2026 exceeded the federal action level of 20 ppm domoic acid, and CDFW warns the toxin can cause memory loss, seizures and death (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The recreational razor clam fishery is closed in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, northern anchovy cannot be taken for food in Monterey Bay and a commercial rock crab closure applies off Humboldt (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"Closures span the north coast and Monterey Bay, hundreds of kilometres apart (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Humboldt razor clam closure has lasted since May 2024, more than two years (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The CDFW Director enacted fishery closures on 11 September and 9 October 2026 on state health agency recommendations (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Razor clams from Crescent Beach in Del Norte County exceeded the federal domoic acid action level of 20 ppm or more; Humboldt razor clam closure in effect since 2 May 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Federal action level for domoic acid in shellfish","value":20,"unit":"ppm","status":"Reported","note":"Del Norte clams exceeded it in late September 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Duration of Humboldt County razor clam closure","value":29,"unit":"months","status":"Estimated","note":"From 2 May 2024 to 9 October 2026, computed from dates in refs 2 and 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Commercial anchovy and rock crab take is restricted, and anchovy sold only as bait (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A new anchovy restriction (11 Sept 2026) and a Del Norte razor clam closure (9 Oct 2026) were added to the Humboldt closure that has run since May 2024 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","role":"Implements fishery closures","contact":"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Health-Advisories"},{"name":"California Department of Public Health","role":"Biotoxin monitoring and consumption warnings","contact":"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DRSEM/Pages/EMB/Shellfish/Domoic-Acid.aspx"}],"public_contact":"CDFW Domoic Acid Fishery Closure Information Line (831) 649-2883 and CDPH Biotoxin Information Line (800) 553-4133, published on the CDFW advisories page.","corrective_actions":["Closures and take restrictions enacted by CDFW on recommendation of CDPH and OEHHA (refs 1, 2, 3).","CDPH warns against eating Del Norte razor clams and sport-harvested bivalves from Monterey County (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Commercial and recreational take restrictions in place for northern anchovy in Monterey Bay due to public health hazard","publisher":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","date":"2026-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/commercial-and-recreational-take-restrictions-in-place-for-northern-anchovy-in-monterey-bay-due-to-public-health-hazard","basis":"Agency news release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Del Norte County recreational razor clam fishery closes due to public health hazard","publisher":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/del-norte-county-recreational-razor-clam-fishery-closes-due-to-public-health-hazard","basis":"Agency news release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Health Advisories and Closures for California Finfish, Shellfish and Crustaceans","publisher":"California Department of Fish and Wildlife","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Health-Advisories","basis":"Agency page (undated; latest item 9 Oct 2026)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Oregon and Washington toxin closures were not researched, so this record covers California only.","Crescent City coordinates are approximate for the Del Norte closure."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-DOMOICSEALIONS-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-HUMBOLDT-WINDPORT-2025","title":"Federal grant of $426.7 million for the Humboldt Bay offshore wind port withdrawn in 2025","description":"In September 2025 the US Department of Transportation withdrew a $426,719,810 grant awarded in January 2024 to the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District for onshore offshore-wind port facilities, as part of a $679 million termination across 12 offshore wind projects. In October 2025 the California Energy Commission awarded the district $18.25 million of state Climate Bond funds to advance design of the terminal, which the commission reports has no declared match funding.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Humboldt Bay, northern California","type":"Port and offshore wind staging terminal","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, northern California coast; planned heavy-lift terminal in Humboldt Bay serving the Humboldt offshore wind lease areas auctioned in December 2022.","coordinates":{"lat":40.8,"lon":-124.16,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal funding decision changed the economics of the port infrastructure needed for floating offshore wind.","secondary_drivers":["Federal energy policy","Port infrastructure funding"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented in the cited sources; the issue is a funding and project-delivery risk (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"The withdrawn grant was meant to build onshore facilities for the wind port; the Humboldt district now has state funding of $18.25 million only for design, with no declared match (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The port is one terminal in one bay, Humboldt Bay (ref 2).","duration":"The grant was awarded on January 23, 2024 and withdrawn in September 2025, and the funding gap was still described in January 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The US Transportation Secretary formally terminated the award as part of a $679 million action across 12 projects (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Trump administration withdrew a $426,719,810 grant initially allocated for the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District (WJLA, September 3, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Federal port grant withdrawn","value":426.7,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"US Department of Transportation award of January 2024, withdrawn September 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Federal funding terminated across 12 offshore wind projects","value":679,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Total termination announced with the Humboldt withdrawal (ref 1)."},{"name":"California Climate Bond award to Humboldt Bay district","value":18.25,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"October 2025 CEC business meeting award, reported January 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Estimated total terminal cost, low end of range","value":1.9,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"CEC reports a 1.9 to 4.1 billion USD range (ref 3)."},{"name":"Estimated total terminal cost, high end of range","value":4.1,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Upper end of the CEC range (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The district reported no match funding in its state grant application and the federal award was withdrawn (refs 1, 3).","The CEC estimates the Humboldt terminal at 1.9 to 4.1 billion USD (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Federal funding withdrawn in September 2025; state funding for design only awarded afterwards."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Department of Transportation","role":"Grant funder that withdrew the award","contact":"https://www.transportation.gov"},{"name":"Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District","role":"Port authority and grant recipient","contact":"https://humboldtbay.org"},{"name":"California Energy Commission","role":"State funder of offshore wind port readiness","contact":"https://www.energy.ca.gov"}],"public_contact":"Humboldt Bay Harbor District and California Energy Commission general contact pages","corrective_actions":["California Energy Commission awarded $18.25 million to advance terminal design (ref 3).","The CEC plans to award about $183 million of remaining Climate Bond port funds through competitive solicitations, possibly from early 2027 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Trump administration withdraws $426.7 million grant for Humboldt Bay wind project","publisher":"WJLA (syndicated)","date":"2025-09-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/trump-administration-withdraws-4267-million-grant-for-humboldt-bay-wind-project","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Federal Grant Advances Plans for California’s First Wind Port in Humboldt","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2024-01-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/federal-grant-advances-plans-for-california-s-first-wind-port-in-humboldt","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Report to Legislature on the Use of Proposition 4 Funding for Offshore Wind Ports (CEC-700-2026-002)","publisher":"California Energy Commission","date":"2026-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-01/CEC-700-2026-002.pdf","basis":"Agency report"}],"missing_fields":["The report date of January 10, 2026 is the statutory due date stated in the report; the document itself is headed January 2026."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-OREGON-WINDAREAS-2025","title":"Federal rescission of Oregon’s Coos Bay and Brookings offshore wind energy areas","description":"On July 30, 2025 the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rescinded all designated Wind Energy Areas on the US Outer Continental Shelf, including the two Oregon areas off Coos Bay and Brookings (nearly 195,000 acres). The planned auction of the Oregon areas had already been cancelled in September 2024 for lack of bidder interest, and Oregon’s own offshore wind roadmap now has no federally designated area to plan around.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[{"lat":43.37,"lon":-124.22,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Coos Bay area (city)"},{"lat":42.05,"lon":-124.28,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Brookings area (city)"}],"name":"Coos Bay and Brookings Wind Energy Areas, Oregon","type":"Offshore wind energy area (rescinded)","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, southern Oregon coast, federal waters off Coos Bay and Brookings.","coordinates":{"lat":43.37,"lon":-124.22,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal leasing decision removed the planned siting areas for Oregon floating offshore wind.","secondary_drivers":["Federal energy policy","Tribal and fishing-community opposition"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented; the issue is the removal of designated wind areas (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The article reports no closure or restriction; local opposition from residents, fishermen and tribes is cited as a reason development was already unlikely (ref 1).","scale":"Two wind energy areas off one state’s southern coast, nearly 195,000 acres in total (ref 1).","duration":"BOEM finalised the areas in February 2024, tribes sued in September 2024, the auction was cancelled that month and the areas were rescinded in July 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"BOEM formally rescinded every Wind Energy Area nationwide on July 30, 2025 under a presidential executive order and a January 20 memorandum (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nearly 195,000 acres of Wind Energy Areas off southern Oregon were rescinded by BOEM on July 30, 2025 (OPB)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oregon Wind Energy Area acreage rescinded","value":195000,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Described as nearly 195,000 acres off southern Oregon (ref 1)."},{"name":"US Wind Energy Area acreage rescinded nationwide","value":3.5,"unit":"million acres","status":"Reported","note":"Unleased federal waters, per the OPB account of BOEM’s action (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["An Oregon state official said the decision sets back the process but does not rule out offshore wind; BOEM would need to restart siting (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"From a cancelled auction in 2024 to rescission of the areas in 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management","role":"Federal offshore leasing authority","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development","role":"State offshore wind roadmap coordinator","contact":"https://www.oregon.gov/lcd"}],"public_contact":"BOEM Pacific OCS Region and Oregon DLCD published general contact pages","corrective_actions":["Oregon’s House Bill 4080 of 2024 directs the state to develop an Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap due by mid-2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Federal government rescinds Oregon’s offshore wind energy area","publisher":"Oregon Public Broadcasting","date":"2025-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/30/oregon-wind-energy-wea-development-coos-bay-brookings/","basis":"News"}],"missing_fields":["Only one source was opened; the BOEM notice itself was not located.","The OPB article date is given as 2025-07-31 from the page text; its URL carries 2025/07/30."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-SANTABARBARA-SABLEPIPELINE-2026","title":"Sable Offshore restarts Santa Ynez oil production and pipeline under a federal order despite California court and permit disputes","description":"Sable Offshore resumed transporting Santa Ynez Unit crude through the Las Flores pipeline system in March 2026 after the US Energy Secretary issued a Defense Production Act order, while the California Coastal Commission, State Parks, Santa Barbara County and environmental groups contest the restart. In June 2026 a California appeals court upheld an injunction on the repair work, finding the Commission could enforce the Coastal Act where the county declined to act. Critics cite the 2015 Refugio spill from the same pipeline route; Sable states the repairs were completed under a federal consent decree.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Santa Ynez Unit and Las Flores pipelines, Santa Barbara","type":"Offshore oil platforms and coastal pipeline system","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, Gaviota Coast of Santa Barbara County, central California; Platforms Harmony, Heritage and Hondo offshore and Las Flores Canyon onshore, route to Pentland Station in Kern County.","coordinates":{"lat":34.47,"lon":-120.04,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A dispute between federal emergency authority and state coastal regulation over restarting an offshore oil system.","secondary_drivers":["Federal-state regulatory conflict","Legacy oil spill risk"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Testing found 22 pipeline anomalies, 18 of them in Gaviota State Park, and the state fire marshal found repairs still needed, so harm is potential; the 2015 Refugio spill released at least 100,000 gallons (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or beach closure is reported in the cited sources for the restart (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The system is a single offshore unit and one onshore pipeline route in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Kern counties (ref 1).","duration":"The Santa Ynez Unit was shut in June 2015, Sable restarted production in May 2025 and the court and permit fight runs through 2026 (refs 3, 4, 5).","significance":"A Santa Barbara court ruled against Sable in October 2025, an appeals court upheld the injunction on June 17, 2026, and the federal DPA order was signed March 13, 2026 (refs 1, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sable says it expects the Santa Ynez Unit to exceed 60,000 barrels per day once Platforms Harmony, Heritage and Hondo are all online (World Oil, March 30, 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pipeline fill rate reported by Sable","value":50000,"unit":"barrels per day","status":"Reported","note":"Sable states the system was filled at rates above 50,000 barrels per day (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pipeline anomalies found in testing","value":22,"unit":"anomalies","status":"Reported","note":"18 of 22 inside Gaviota State Park, per KEYT (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sable claimed damages against the Coastal Commission","value":347,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Sable statement of October 2025 values its claims at more than approximately 347 million USD (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Sable says the loan for its Santa Ynez purchase would have reverted if oil did not reach the market (ref 1).","Sable says it expects first sales to raise California crude supply by roughly 17% (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Restarted in 2026 under a federal order while state court rulings continue to go against Sable."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"California Coastal Commission","role":"State coastal permitting and enforcement","contact":"https://www.coastal.ca.gov"},{"name":"US Department of Energy","role":"Issued Defense Production Act order","contact":"https://www.energy.gov"},{"name":"Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement","role":"Federal offshore platform inspection","contact":"https://www.bsee.gov"},{"name":"Sable Offshore Corp.","role":"Operator","contact":"https://sableoffshore.com"}],"public_contact":"California Coastal Commission published general contact page","corrective_actions":["California Coastal Commission cease-and-desist order issued April 2025 (ref 3).","Appeals court upheld the injunction on repair work on June 17, 2026 (ref 4).","State law SB 237 requires a Coastal Commission permit to reactivate onshore pipelines idle for five years or more (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sable Offshore has restarted oil production after Trump administration order last week","publisher":"KEYT","date":"2026-03-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s-county/2026/03/16/sable-offshore-has-restarted-oil-production-after-trump-administration-order-last-week/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sable Offshore starts oil sales, targets 60,000+ bpd from Santa Ynez assets","publisher":"World Oil","date":"2026-03-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldoil.com/news/2026/3/30/sable-offshore-starts-oil-sales-targets-60-000-bpd-from-santa-ynez-assets/","basis":"News (operator statement)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sable Offshore loses bid to lift cease-and-desist on pipeline work","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-10-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/transport/sable-offshore-loses-bid-to-lift-cease-and-desist-on-pipeline-work","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"California court upholds injunction halting Sable pipeline repair work","publisher":"Pipeline & Gas Journal","date":"2026-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pgjonline.com/news/2026/june/california-court-upholds-injunction-halting-sable-pipeline-repair-work","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Statement on Coastal Commission litigation (Form 8-K exhibit 99.1)","publisher":"Sable Offshore Corp. via SEC EDGAR","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001831481/000183148125000081/a991_statementonccclitigat.htm","basis":"Operator filing"},{"ref":6,"title":"Sable Offshore: state's onshore pipelines have not been restarted, opening them up to state oversight","publisher":"KEYT","date":"2026-01-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s-county/2026/01/07/sable-offshore-states-onshore-pipelines-have-not-been-restarted-opening-them-up-to-state-oversight/","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Court continues injunction preventing restart of defective oil pipeline in Santa Barbara County","publisher":"Environmental Defense Center","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/?p=6385","basis":"Advocacy organisation statement"},{"ref":8,"title":"Judge upholds injunction against Sable Offshore","publisher":"Pacific Coast Business Times","date":"2026-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2026/04/17/judge-upholds-injunction-against-sable-offshore/","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Company can pump oil off Santa Barbara coast, judge rules","publisher":"CalCoastNews","date":"2026-08-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://calcoastnews.com/2026/08/company-can-pump-oil-off-santa-barbara-coast-judge-rules/","basis":"News"},{"ref":10,"title":"Sable Offshore slammed with $18 million fine at marathon Coastal Commission meeting in Santa Barbara","publisher":"Santa Barbara Independent","date":"2025-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.independent.com/2025/04/10/sable-offshore-slammed-with-18-million-fine-at-marathon-coastal-commission-meeting-in-santa-barbara/","basis":"News"},{"ref":11,"title":"Santa Barbara judge Sable oil pipeline","publisher":"Santa Barbara News-Press","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newspress.com/2026/02/27/santa-barbara-judge-sable-oil-pipeline/","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Sable states repairs and hydrotesting were completed in May 2025 under a federal consent decree (ref 5); the Coastal Commission says the work lacked the correct permit (ref 3); the state fire marshal reportedly found repairs still needed (ref 1)."},{"note":"CalCoastNews (22 Aug 2026) says a federal judge removed state oversight, while the Santa Barbara Superior Court injunction was upheld on 17 April 2026; how the two interact after August was not verified. It also says the federal order was issued in January under the Defense Production Act, whereas Pacific Coast Business Times says Energy Secretary Wright's restart order was dated 13 March 2026."},{"field":"merge","values":["Sable Offshore restarts Santa Ynez oil production and pipeline under a federal order despite California court and permit disputes","Sable Offshore restart of Santa Barbara oil pipeline draws record penalty and court fights over state versus federal authority"],"note":"Merged with the pollution-group record on the restart, the record penalty and the state court injunction."}],"missing_fields":["Sable press-release and court dates are as given on the pages; the filing date of ref 5 is inferred from its text (tentative ruling of October 14, 2025).","The August 2026 article does not name the federal court or judge.","Whether Sable appealed the April 2026 injunction ruling was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-OILLEASING-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-OILLEASING-2026","title":"BOEM moves toward new offshore oil and gas lease sales off Central and Southern California","description":"BOEM’s Draft Proposed 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program of November 2025 includes California areas; in January 2026 BOEM issued Calls for Information and Nominations for the Central and Southern California planning areas and in February 2026 began a programmatic environmental impact statement. BOEM’s page names the first two California lease sales as tentatively scheduled for 2027 and states that the calls are not a decision to lease. California agencies oppose new offshore leasing, and tribal and conservation voices raise spill risk to the adjacent Chumash Heritage and Channel Islands sanctuaries.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Central and Southern California OCS planning areas","type":"Federal offshore oil and gas planning area","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, federal waters off Central and Southern California; the PEIS also covers the Northern California planning area.","coordinates":null,"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal leasing programme decision about opening Pacific waters to new oil and gas development.","secondary_drivers":["Federal energy policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No lease has been issued; the harm cited is potential, since advocates say spills outside the sanctuary boundary could reach sea turtles, sea otters and humpback whales (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported; the BOEM page states the calls do not constitute a decision to lease (ref 1).","scale":"Three California planning areas spanning the state’s federal waters are covered by the PEIS (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The draft programme was published on November 20, 2025 and the process was still open in July 2026, about eight months of activity (refs 1, 3).","significance":"BOEM published formal Calls for Information and Nominations on January 26, 2026 and a PEIS scoping notice on February 26, 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"BOEM’s page names the first two proposed Pacific lease sales, both tentatively scheduled for 2027, one for each Call area (Central and Southern California)."},"measures":[{"name":"Calls for Information and Nominations issued","value":2,"unit":"calls","status":"Reported","note":"Central and Southern California, January 26, 2026, comments closed February 26, 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"California planning areas in the PEIS","value":3,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Northern, Central and Southern California (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["A USC energy-business researcher cited by Inside Climate News supports increased production for economic benefit, while the California State Lands Commission opposes new offshore oil and gas development (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The leasing programme was still a draft in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Pacific OCS Region","role":"Federal leasing authority","contact":"https://www.boem.gov/regions/pacific-ocs-region"},{"name":"California State Lands Commission","role":"State agency opposing new offshore leasing","contact":"https://www.slc.ca.gov"}],"public_contact":"BOEM Pacific OCS Region published general contact page","corrective_actions":["A 30-day PEIS comment period closed March 30, 2026 and BOEM is reviewing comments (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"California Oil and Gas Leasing Activities","publisher":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.boem.gov/regions/pacific-ocs-region/california-oil-and-gas-leasing-activities","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Oil and Gas Leases (project overview)","publisher":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.boem.gov/regions/pacific-ocs-region/programmatic-environmental-impact-statement-proposed-oil-and-gas-leases","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"California Marine Sanctuaries Face Threats of New Trump-Backed Offshore Oil Leases","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27072026/california-marine-sanctuaries-offshore-oil-leases/","basis":"News"}],"missing_fields":["BOEM pages show no publication date; the latest dated item on them is March 30, 2026.","The final programme and any sale notice had not been published in the sources opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-SANTABARBARA-SABLEPIPELINE-2026","OC-NEPAC-CHUMASH-SANCTUARY-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-SALISH-VESSELNOISE-2026","title":"Voluntary ship slowdowns cut vessel noise for Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea, with partial participation","description":"Vessel noise is a major threat to endangered Southern Resident killer whales. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s ECHO Program runs voluntary slowdowns and a route change in Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, Swiftsure Bank and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Quiet Sound runs one in Admiralty Inlet, Washington. Quiet Sound’s August 2026 report estimates the 2025-26 slowdown cut underwater noise by about 1 dB with 64% participation of piloted transits.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Haro Strait, Boundary Pass and Admiralty Inlet, Salish Sea","type":"Shipping lanes in orca critical habitat","countries":["CA","US"],"detail":"Transboundary Salish Sea between British Columbia and Washington State, including Swiftsure Bank and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.","coordinates":{"lat":48.5,"lon":-123.2,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Underwater radiated noise from commercial shipping is a pollutant affecting endangered whales.","secondary_drivers":["Prey scarcity","Vessel traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Quiet Sound states noise pollution from large commercial vessels is one of the major threats to Southern Resident killer whales; no mortality is attributed to noise in the cited reports (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Shipping is asked to slow to 11 or 14.5 knots in defined zones, a voluntary restriction; Quiet Sound reports minimal impact on maritime trade (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The measures span a regional sea across two countries, about 86 nautical miles of ECHO-managed waters (ref 2).","duration":"Quiet Sound’s 2025-26 slowdown was its fourth season and ECHO’s 2025 season was its ninth, so the measures recur annually (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The programmes are formal voluntary measures run with government, tribal and port partners, not regulations (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Reports cite whale counts of 74 to 76 (see the salmon treaty record); no human population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Compared to a within-year baseline period, the 2025-26 slowdown reduced underwater noise by an estimated 1 dB across all vessel types, representing a 20% less noisy landscape (Quiet Sound, August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Admiralty Inlet slowdown participation, piloted transits","value":64,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Quiet Sound 2025-26 season (ref 1)."},{"name":"Transits meeting suggested speed targets","value":56,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"595 of 1,067 transits (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated underwater noise reduction","value":1,"unit":"dB","status":"Estimated","note":"SMRU Consulting estimate against a within-year baseline (ref 1)."},{"name":"Haro Strait spring 2026 trial participation","value":83,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of eligible transits, as reported by BC Coast Pilots (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Quiet Sound reports the slowdown has no impact on maritime safety and minimal impact on maritime trade (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Participation in Haro Strait and Admiralty Inlet slowdowns is repeated each season; no multi-year trend in noise is reported in the cited pages."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, ECHO Program","role":"Canadian slowdown programme","contact":"https://www.portvancouver.com/environmental-protection-at-the-port-of-vancouver/maritime-activities-air-land-and-sea/echo-program/"},{"name":"Quiet Sound (Maritime Blue)","role":"Washington slowdown programme","contact":"https://www.quietsound.org"}],"public_contact":"ECHO Program and Quiet Sound published general contact pages","corrective_actions":["More than 70 marine transportation organizations joined the 2025 ECHO measures, including an expanded Swiftsure Bank slowdown (ref 2).","ECHO ran a March 2026 spring slowdown trial in Haro Strait and Boundary Pass (ref 3).","Quiet Sound’s Admiralty Inlet slowdown for 2026 was announced to begin September 4, 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Results of 2025-2026 Voluntary Commercial Vessel Slowdown in Washington Waters for the Protection of Southern Resident Killer Whales","publisher":"Quiet Sound / Maritime Blue","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritimeblue.org/2025-26-quiet-sound-voluntary-slowdown-final-report/","basis":"Programme report (dated August 2026 on its cover)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Protecting B.C. southern resident killer whales: ships slow down","publisher":"Global News","date":"2025-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/11208757/protecting-bc-southern-resident-killer-whales-ships-slow-down","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"A successful new springtime slowdown trial for the ECHO Program","publisher":"Green Marine","date":"2026-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://green-marine.org/stayinformed/news/a-successful-new-springtime-slowdown-trial-for-the-echo-program/","basis":"Industry programme news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Quiet Sound home page (2026 Admiralty Inlet Voluntary Slowdown announcement)","publisher":"Quiet Sound / Maritime Blue","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.quietsound.org/","basis":"Programme web page"}],"missing_fields":["The Quiet Sound report shows only \"August 2026\" on its cover, so its source date is null.","ECHO’s own pages returned an access error; its 2025 results are not cited."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-SALISH-SRKW-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-SOUTHEASTAK-TRANSBOUNDARYMINES-2025","title":"Southeast Alaska tribes press British Columbia over mines in the Stikine, Taku and Unuk headwaters","description":"The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission, representing 14 tribal nations, and Earthjustice delivered nearly 30,000 messages to British Columbia lawmakers in November 2025 asking the province to pause mine permitting in the headwaters of the Stikine, Taku and Unuk rivers until downstream tribes give free, prior and informed consent. British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Office counts seven permitted mines in the area and says it will consult US tribes where aboriginal rights are affected; the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said in 2023 that BC may be violating the tribes’ rights.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Stikine, Taku and Unuk river watersheds, Southeast Alaska","type":"Transboundary river watersheds draining to the coast","countries":["US","CA"],"detail":"Northwestern British Columbia mine sites upstream of Southeast Alaska coastal waters near Wrangell and the Stikine River mouth.","coordinates":{"lat":56.47,"lon":-132.38,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An unresolved cross-border consultation dispute over upstream mining that affects Alaska salmon waters.","secondary_drivers":["Mine tailings risk","Indigenous consultation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Earthjustice says the Unuk supports salmon and eulachon central to Indigenous food security and the Eskay Creek design would place tailings in natural lakes; harm is potential and no contamination above a standard is cited (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure is reported; the tribes’ concern is food security and cultural use of salmon and eulachon (ref 1).","scale":"Three river systems and at least eight proposed and operating mines span a regional coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The tribal complaint was filed in 2020 and the Inter-American Commission reached its view in 2023, with the pause request made in November 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"BC’s Environmental Assessment Office has formally permitted seven mines and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights gave a 2023 view; no court ruling is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":14,"status":"Reported","note":"Fourteen tribal nations are represented by the commission downstream of the mines (ref 1); this is a count of nations, not people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nearly 30,000 messages were delivered to BC lawmakers in Victoria on November 6, 2025 (Earthjustice)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mines of concern in the transboundary area","value":8,"unit":"mines","status":"Reported","note":"At least eight proposed and operating mines per the groups (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Mines permitted, per BC Environmental Assessment Office","value":7,"unit":"mines","status":"Reported","note":"Two operating (Premier, Brucejack) and five permitted for exploration or limited construction (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The tribes’ concern centres on salmon and eulachon food security and culture (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Permitting and consultation continue; no resolution in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office","role":"Provincial mine assessor","contact":"https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca"},{"name":"Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission","role":"Tribal consortium","contact":"https://www.seitc.org"}],"public_contact":"BC Environmental Assessment Office published general contact page","corrective_actions":["BC says it will consult US tribes when mining practices affect aboriginal rights (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Southeast Alaska Tribes Deliver 30,000 Letters to BC Officials on Mining","publisher":"Earthjustice","date":"2025-11-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/press/2025/southeast-alaska-tribes-deliver-30000-letters-to-bc-officials-on-mining","basis":"Advocacy group press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"30,000 messages urge British Columbia to address transboundary mining","publisher":"KTOO (Alaska public media)","date":"2025-11-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ktoo.org/2025/11/19/30000-messages-urge-british-columbia-to-address-transboundary-mining/","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Earthjustice says Eskay Creek would place tailings in natural lakes and a decision was expected by November 26 (ref 1); KTOO reports no decision timeline (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The Alaska Beacon article of August 31, 2026 on Canadian support for the mines returned an access error and is not cited.","Scope note: this is a freshwater-headwater dispute with marine salmon effects; the coordinator may judge it better placed on water.exposed."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-SALISH-SALMONTREATY-2026","title":"Revised Canadian catch data raises pressure on Pacific Salmon Treaty renegotiation over Puget Sound Chinook and orca prey","description":"The Pacific Salmon Treaty between the United States and Canada, renewed in 2019 for ten years, is being renegotiated. A June 2026 Earth911 report, citing Wild Fish Conservancy, says Canada’s revised data through the Pacific Salmon Commission show ocean fisheries intercepted far more ESA-listed Puget Sound Chinook than previously reported, after British Columbia changed an accounting method used for about 20 years. Chinook are the main prey of Southern Resident killer whales, counted at 74 in NOAA’s July 2025 census.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Pacific Salmon Treaty waters, Puget Sound to Alaska","type":"Transboundary salmon treaty regime","countries":["US","CA"],"detail":"Ocean salmon fisheries off British Columbia and Southeast Alaska that intercept Puget Sound Chinook, affecting the Salish Sea and Southern Resident orca habitat.","coordinates":{"lat":48.5,"lon":-123,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A treaty governing shared salmon catches is under renegotiation after a data revision.","secondary_drivers":["Chinook decline","Catch accounting"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Earth911 reports Alaska and BC fisheries intercepted more than 60% of returning adult Chinook in the Nooksack, Skagit and Stillaguamish watersheds before they reached Puget Sound, and the orcas number 74 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"In 2025 the Stillaguamish Tribe reported a Chinook ceremonial harvest of only 26 fish (ref 1).","scale":"The treaty covers a transboundary regional coast from Puget Sound to Alaska (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The 2019 agreement runs ten years and the undercount dates back about two decades (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The revised data were released by Canada through the Pacific Salmon Commission during renegotiation, a formal treaty process (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":74,"status":"Reported","note":"Southern Resident killer whales per NOAA’s July 2025 census as cited by Earth911; Wild Fish Conservancy put it at 76 in mid-2026 (ref 1). This is the orca population, not people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In several Central and North Puget Sound watersheds, including the Nooksack, Skagit and Stillaguamish, Alaska and BC fisheries intercepted more than 60% of returning adult Chinook before they reached Puget Sound (Earth911, June 25, 2026, citing Wild Fish Conservancy)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of returning adult Chinook intercepted by Alaska and BC fisheries in several Puget Sound watersheds","value":60,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Attributed by Earth911 to revised data and Wild Fish Conservancy analysis (ref 1)."},{"name":"Southern Resident killer whales, NOAA July 2025 census","value":74,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Wild Fish Conservancy gave 76 in mid-2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Tribal harvest in the Stillaguamish watershed was a 26-fish ceremonial harvest in 2025 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The revised data and the renegotiation are new in 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Salmon Commission","role":"Treaty body","contact":"https://www.psc.org"},{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","role":"Canadian fisheries manager and data provider","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"US salmon and orca manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"Pacific Salmon Commission published general contact page","corrective_actions":["Washington State’s Recreation and Conservation Office funded Chinook habitat and hatchery projects through the treaty’s 2019-era grant programme (ref 2, 2020)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pacific Salmon Treaty and Puget Sound Chinook (Earth Watch)","publisher":"Earth911","date":"2026-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earth911.com/earth-watch/366541/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Salmon recovery grants tied to the Pacific Salmon Treaty (Washington Recreation and Conservation Office release)","publisher":"Islands’ Sounder","date":"2020-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.islandssounder.com/?p=35482","basis":"News (agency release)"}],"missing_fields":["Only one 2026 source was opened, and it is a news report relaying advocacy-group analysis; the revised Canadian data and the treaty text were not opened.","The Pacific Fishery Management Council treaty briefing (March 2026) returned an access error.","The title of source 1 is paraphrased because the page title was not captured."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-VANCOUVERISLAND-ZIMKINGSTON-2024","title":"ZIM Kingston container loss and fire off Vancouver Island: 109 containers lost, 105 never found, safety board report in 2024","description":"On October 21, 2021 the container ship ZIM Kingston lost 109 containers off the west coast of Vancouver Island in a storm, then suffered a multi-day fire in a container anchored off Victoria. Only four containers were recovered and debris kept washing up on BC beaches; Canada’s Transportation Safety Board released its investigation report on July 31, 2024, and a 2022 House of Commons committee report said governments were not operationally prepared for marine container spills.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"West Vancouver Island and Victoria anchorage, BC","type":"Container ship casualty and debris field","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Canada, containers lost off the west coast of Vancouver Island; fire while anchored south of Victoria.","coordinates":{"lat":48.43,"lon":-123.37,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["plastics-marine-debris","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A shipping casualty released containers and debris into the sea and onto beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Severe storm","Dangerous goods in cargo"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Debris from refrigerators to inflatable unicorns kept washing up on BC beaches, and the 105 unrecovered containers are believed to have sunk (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or port closure is reported; the province monitored Greater Victoria air quality and reported no public health concern during the fire (ref 2).","scale":"The debris affected the west coast of Vancouver Island, a regional coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The loss occurred in October 2021 and debris was still washing ashore at the time of the July 2024 report (ref 1).","significance":"The Transportation Safety Board released a formal investigation report on July 31, 2024 and a House of Commons committee issued 29 recommendations in 2022 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In October 2021, 109 containers fell from the MV Zim Kingston; only four were recovered (Canadian Press, July 31, 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Containers lost overboard","value":109,"unit":"containers","status":"Reported","note":"Canadian Press, July 2024 (ref 1); the first coast guard briefing in 2021 reported about 40 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Containers recovered","value":4,"unit":"containers","status":"Reported","note":"Canadian Press (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The investigation report was released in 2024; no later monitoring of debris is in the cited pages."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Transportation Safety Board of Canada","role":"Marine accident investigator","contact":"https://www.tsb.gc.ca"},{"name":"Canadian Coast Guard","role":"Marine emergency response","contact":"https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca"}],"public_contact":"Transportation Safety Board of Canada published general contact page","corrective_actions":["The House of Commons standing committee made 29 recommendations in 2022 on preparedness for container spills (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"TSB to release report on ship fire and containers lost off B.C.’s coast","publisher":"The Canadian Press via RDNewsNow","date":"2024-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://rdnewsnow.com/2024/07/31/tsb-to-release-report-on-ship-fire-and-containers-lost-off-b-c-s-coast/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Zim Kingston update: containers could wash ashore, fire continues","publisher":"Global News","date":"2021-10-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/8327377/zim-kingston-update-containers-shore","basis":"News"}],"missing_fields":["The Transportation Safety Board investigation page (M21P0297) returned an access error, so the report’s findings are not summarised.","The source 2 title is paraphrased from the page content."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-LOSANGELES-SHIPWAIVERS-2026","title":"EPA treats California clean-ship waivers as repealable rules, threatening at-berth shore power requirements at Los Angeles and Long Beach","description":"In July 2026 the EPA sent Congress two more California Clean Air Act waivers, for ocean-going vessels at berth and commercial harbor craft, for possible repeal under the Congressional Review Act. Environmental and community groups say this would undercut shore power and harbor-craft rules affecting the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland; California has sued over related EPA actions. CARB’s estimates of health benefits are cited by the groups, and no EPA or industry statement appears in the cited article.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California","type":"Container ports (air emissions from ships at berth)","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, San Pedro Bay, California; the rules also apply at Oakland and other California ports.","coordinates":{"lat":33.73,"lon":-118.26,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Regulation of ship air emissions in port is at issue, with federal repeal of state authority.","secondary_drivers":["Federal-state regulatory conflict","Shore power"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The groups cite CARB’s analysis that the At Berth rule cuts portside cancer risk by about 60%, so repeal risks health harm; no exceedance is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The groups warn of stranded assets for ports and terminals that invested in shore power; no closure is reported (ref 1).","scale":"The waivers cover California’s ports, a national-coastline scale (ref 1).","duration":"California sought an injunction in June 2026 and EPA sent the waivers to Congress in July 2026, a matter of months (ref 1).","significance":"EPA formally submitted the waivers to Congress for review and California filed suit, as reported on July 28, 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":10000000,"status":"Reported","note":"Groups say over 10 million Californians live near freight facilities (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"CARB’s initial analysis, as cited by the groups, estimates the At Berth rule would save 230 lives statewide, with health benefits valued at $2.31 billion (AJOT, July 28, 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Portside cancer risk reduction from At Berth rule, per CARB initial analysis","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"About 60%, cited by advocacy groups (ref 1)."},{"name":"Lives saved statewide by At Berth rule, per CARB initial analysis","value":230,"unit":"lives","status":"Estimated","note":"CARB estimate relayed by advocacy groups (ref 1)."},{"name":"Port of Los Angeles Clean Ports Program shore power funding","value":15,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"For Wallenius Wilhelmsen Auto Terminal (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Groups warn repeal could create stranded assets after investment in shore power and retrofits (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The EPA submission was in July 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Environmental Protection Agency","role":"Federal air regulator","contact":"https://www.epa.gov"},{"name":"California Air Resources Board","role":"State air regulator","contact":"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov"},{"name":"Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach","role":"Port authorities","contact":"https://www.portoflosangeles.org"}],"public_contact":"CARB and EPA published general contact pages","corrective_actions":["California’s Attorney General, Governor and CARB sought a preliminary injunction in June 2026 and sued over EPA’s latest action (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Groups slam federal attack on clean shipping waivers","publisher":"AJOT (American Journal of Transportation)","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ajot.com/news/groups-slam-federal-attack-on-clean-shipping-waivers","basis":"News (reports advocacy-group statements)"}],"missing_fields":["The article quotes only opponents; no EPA statement or the Federal Register notice was opened.","The Sierra Club and Hellenic Shipping News versions of the story returned access errors."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NEPAC-CHUMASH-SANCTUARY-2026","title":"Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary designated in 2024; tribal leaders raise offshore leasing and pipeline concerns","description":"NOAA designated the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, about 4,543 square miles and 116 miles of central California coast, effective November 30, 2024. A July 2026 Inside Climate News report says the sanctuary’s boundary excludes an area reserved for offshore wind, that the National Marine Sanctuaries Act bars leasing inside it, and that tribal and conservation advocates fear spills from nearby leasing and the Sable pipeline, which runs through the sanctuary’s waters.","location":{"sea":"NEPAC","seas":["NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[],"name":"Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, CA","type":"National marine sanctuary","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States, central California coast off San Luis Obispo County and the Morro Bay area; NOAA office in San Luis Obispo.","coordinates":{"lat":35.37,"lon":-120.86,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A new protected area whose management is under pressure from federal energy policy.","secondary_drivers":["Federal energy policy","Oil spill risk"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Advocates say spills from platforms and pipelines outside the boundary could reach sea turtles, sea otters, humpback whales and brown pelicans; no spill is documented (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One sanctuary covering about 116 miles of coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The sanctuary was nominated in 2015 and designated in 2024, and the leasing concerns persisted into July 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NOAA formally designated the sanctuary, effective November 30, 2024 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The sanctuary covers about 4,543 square miles and about 116 miles of coastline (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sanctuary area","value":4543,"unit":"square miles","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA sanctuary page (ref 1); confirmed by Inside Climate News (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sanctuary coastline length","value":116,"unit":"miles","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA sanctuary page (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Designation in 2024; no enforcement or policy change documented in the opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries","role":"Sanctuary manager","contact":"https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/chumash-heritage/"},{"name":"Northern Chumash Tribal Council","role":"Sanctuary nominator and advocate","contact":"https://www.northernchumash.org"}],"public_contact":"Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary office, San Luis Obispo, per NOAA page","corrective_actions":["The National Marine Sanctuaries Act bars oil and gas leasing inside the boundary, per Inside Climate News (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary","publisher":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/chumash-heritage/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"California Marine Sanctuaries Face Threats of New Trump-Backed Offshore Oil Leases","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27072026/california-marine-sanctuaries-offshore-oil-leases/","basis":"News"}],"missing_fields":["NOAA page shows no date; the Federal Register designation notice was not opened.","NOAA did not respond to the publication’s request for comment (ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-OILLEASING-2026","OC-NEPAC-SANTABARBARA-SABLEPIPELINE-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GULFMAINE-WARMING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Maine surface warming continues: three marine heatwaves in 2025 and warming nearly triple the global ocean rate","description":"The Gulf of Maine Research Institute's 2025 temperature report ranks 2025 as the 15th-warmest year on record for sea-surface temperature (51.3 F, 0.74 F above the 1991-2020 normal), with three surface marine heatwaves between July and October while bottom water stayed cool. Surface warming since 1982 runs at 0.84 F per decade, which the report calls nearly triple the global ocean average. The report also cites a Casco Bay survey in which nearshore catch indices for Atlantic herring, Atlantic silverside and green crab have fallen to time-series lows.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Maine","type":"Semi-enclosed gulf and large marine ecosystem","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US","CA"],"detail":"Gulf of Maine between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia waters","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sustained surface warming and recurring marine heatwaves are a physical ocean change.","secondary_drivers":["Climate change","Marine heatwave","Water-column stratification"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"GMRI cites Casco Bay survey catch indices for Atlantic herring, Atlantic silverside and green crab at time-series lows and links warming to declines in cold-adapted species, but documents no mass mortality itself (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The sources describe fisheries productivity and economic viability as affected in general terms but report no closure, quota cut or advisory tied to the 2025 heat (ref 1).","scale":"The report covers the whole Gulf of Maine Ecological Production Unit, a regional sea shared by the US and Canada (ref 1).","duration":"Surface warming of 0.84 F per decade is measured across 1982-2025, and Maine Public reported three marine heatwaves in 2023 including a 113-day event (refs 1, 4).","significance":"These are research-institute monitoring reports with no regulatory notice, listing or enforcement attached (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea-surface temperature has warmed 0.84 F per decade from 1982 to 2025, which GMRI calls nearly triple the global ocean average of 0.31 F per decade."},"measures":[{"name":"Annual mean sea-surface temperature 2025","value":51.3,"unit":"F","status":"Reported","note":"15th-warmest year on record, 0.74 F above the 1991-2020 normal (ref 1)."},{"name":"Surface warming rate 1982-2025","value":0.84,"unit":"F per decade","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA OISST-based trend quoted by GMRI (ref 1)."},{"name":"Surface marine heatwave events in 2025","value":3,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"July 15-19, August 12-17 and September 17-October 1 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bottom temperature anomaly 2025","value":-0.38,"unit":"F","status":"Reported","note":"Eleventh-coolest bottom year on record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Longest 2023 marine heatwave","value":113,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"January to May 2023, per GMRI as reported by Maine Public (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Nearshore catch indices for Atlantic herring, Atlantic silverside and green crab at time-series lows in the Casco Bay Ecosystem Monitoring Survey (ref 1).","GMRI associates warming with declines in cold-adapted species and altered recruitment affecting fisheries productivity (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Long-term surface warming continues, though 2025 ranked 15th, below the record years 2021 and 2022 that Maine Public cites (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Gulf of Maine Research Institute","role":"Monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://gmri.org/"},{"name":"Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment","role":"Regional council","contact":"https://gulfofmaine.org/"}],"public_contact":"GMRI's published contact page at gmri.org","corrective_actions":["GMRI publishes seasonal Gulf of Maine warming updates and an annual temperature report to inform fisheries and coastal planning (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025 Gulf of Maine Temperature Report","publisher":"Gulf of Maine Research Institute","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gmri.org/stories/2025-gulf-of-maine-temperature-report/","basis":"Research institute report"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 Gulf of Maine temperature report now available","publisher":"Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment","date":"2026-03-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfofmaine.org/2025-gulf-of-maine-temperature-report-now-available/","basis":"Regional council notice"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of Maine Warming Update: Summer 2025","publisher":"Gulf of Maine Research Institute","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gmri.org/stories/gulf-of-maine-warming-update-summer-2025/","basis":"Research institute report"},{"ref":4,"title":"The Gulf of Maine is continuing to warm. 2023 was the 5th hottest year on record","publisher":"Maine Public","date":"2024-04-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2024-04-12/the-gulf-of-maine-is-continuing-to-warm-2023-was-the-5th-hottest-year-on-record","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"GMRI's summer 2025 update (ref 3) reports no marine heatwave between June and August 2025, while the 2025 annual report (ref 1) lists heatwaves on July 15-19 and August 12-17; the sources do not explain the difference."}],"missing_fields":["Coordinates omitted: whole-sea issue."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-STLAWRENCE-HYPOXIA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"St. Lawrence Estuary deep water stays at record-low oxygen and record-low pH","description":"Canada Water Agency, citing Fisheries and Oceans Canada monitoring, reports that deep-water oxygen in the St. Lawrence Estuary hit its lowest recorded values in 2022 (mean saturation 10.8%) and stayed near them in 2023 and 2024, while pH reached a record low of 7.50 in 2023. A 2023 Biogeosciences study found the hypoxic zone had grown to 9,400 square kilometres by 2021 and extended well into the western Gulf of St. Lawrence. A DFO technical report for 2024 records record-low oxygen saturation at 200 m in the Estuary and northwest Gulf.","location":{"name":"St. Lawrence Estuary and northwest Gulf","type":"Estuary and deep channel (Laurentian Channel)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Quebec: Lower St. Lawrence Estuary and northwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence","coordinates":{"lat":48.6,"lon":-61.4,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Deep-water oxygen loss and acidification are chemical changes to the ocean driven by warming water masses and CO2.","secondary_drivers":["Changing water-mass inflow (warm Gulf Stream-origin water)","Anthropogenic CO2","Organic-matter decomposition"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Deep-estuary saturation has been below the 20% severe-hypoxia level since the mid-1980s and fell to 10.8% in 2022, and pH hit a record 7.50 in 2023 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe threats to deep-water marine life in general terms and report no fishery closure or restriction (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The 2021 hypoxic area of 9,400 km2 spans the estuary and extends into the western Gulf of St. Lawrence, a sub-regional sea (ref 2).","duration":"Oxygen has been monitored since the early 1970s, with near-permanent severe hypoxia since the mid-1980s and 'Poor' status every year 2020-2024 (ref 1).","significance":"Federal monitoring rates oxygen and pH indices 'Poor' for 2020-2024 on a Canada Water Agency page prepared by DFO scientists, which is a formal agency status rating but no regulatory action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mean annual deep-water oxygen saturation in the estuary fell from about 15% in 2021 to 10.8% in 2022 and has stayed near 11% since, against a 20% severe-hypoxia threshold."},"measures":[{"name":"Mean annual deep-water oxygen saturation, Estuary, 2022","value":10.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Lowest recorded; about 11% since (ref 1)."},{"name":"Deep-water pH, Estuary, 2023","value":7.5,"unit":"pH","status":"Reported","note":"Record low of 7.50; early-1930s pH was about 7.8-7.9 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hypoxic bottom-water area, 2021","value":9400,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Up from an estimated 1,300 km2 earlier; the area extends into the western Gulf (ref 2)."},{"name":"Minimum bottom-water oxygen, 2020","value":35,"unit":"umol per L","status":"Reported","note":"Minimum levels had stayed at or below 62.5 umol per L during 1984-2019 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Bottom-water temperature, 2021","value":7,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Described as 'nearly 7 C' versus about 3 C in the 1930s (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Sources report no fishery or economic impact figure for the estuary hypoxia (refs 1, 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Status moved from Moderate-Poor in 2015-2019 to Poor in 2020-2024; the page expects continued deterioration (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Maurice Lamontagne Institute)","role":"Monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/"},{"name":"Canada Water Agency","role":"Publisher of the St. Lawrence indicator page","contact":"https://www.canada.ca/en/canada-water-agency.html"}],"public_contact":"Canada Water Agency and DFO general enquiry channels published on canada.ca","corrective_actions":["DFO monitors deep-water oxygen and pH in the Estuary and Gulf under the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Deoxygenation and Acidification in the St. Lawrence Estuary","publisher":"Canada Water Agency (prepared by DFO Maurice Lamontagne Institute)","date":"2025-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canada.ca/en/canada-water-agency/freshwater-ecosystem-initiatives/st-lawrence-river/publications/deoxygenation-acidification-st-lawrence-estuary.html","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Temporal and spatial evolution of bottom-water hypoxia in the St Lawrence estuarine system","publisher":"Biogeosciences (Jutras, Mucci, Chaillou, Nesbitt, Wallace)","date":"2023-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/20/839/2023/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chemical and biological oceanographic conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during 2024","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Technical Report 405","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.954918/marcXml.html?MODS=1","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Oceanographic conditions in the Atlantic zone in 2024","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.952478/marcXml.html?MODS=1","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":5,"title":"Gulf of St. Lawrence (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_St._Lawrence","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Biogeosciences abstract dates the first 1,300 km2 hypoxic-area estimate to 1993 while its body text says 2003 (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Point coordinates for the hypoxic core not in the cited sources; Gulf-level centre point used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-OUTERBANKS-HOUSECOLLAPSE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Oceanfront houses keep collapsing into the surf at Rodanthe and Buxton on Cape Hatteras National Seashore","description":"Erosion along Hatteras Island has dropped unoccupied oceanfront houses into the Atlantic repeatedly: ten in the four years to September 2024 by the Park Service count, then eight collapses between September 30 and October 3, 2025 after Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, and four more in Buxton from February 1, 2026. ABC News reported more than two dozen private homes had collapsed since 2020. The National Park Service closes beaches and warns of nail-studded debris after each collapse and knew of no injuries as of the afternoon of September 30, 2025.","location":{"name":"Rodanthe and Buxton, Hatteras Island","type":"Eroding oceanfront village shoreline","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Dare County, North Carolina Outer Banks","coordinates":{"lat":35.26777778,"lon":-75.5425,"precision":"city","source_ref":7},"points":[{"lat":35.26777778,"lon":-75.5425,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"Buxton, most 2025-26 collapses"},{"lat":35.59333333,"lon":-75.46777778,"precision":"city","source_ref":8,"role":"Rodanthe, 2024 and Oct 2025 collapses"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Shoreline retreat from waves and storm surge physically removes the land under coastal houses.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Storm swell from offshore hurricanes","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Houses were unoccupied and the Park Service reported no bodily injuries on September 30, 2025, but nail-studded debris prompted swimmer and visitor warnings after the 2024 and 2025 collapses (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"The beach in front of Buxton was closed in February 2026 and a Rodanthe to Waves stretch was closed after the September 2024 collapse (refs 3, 5, 6).","scale":"All collapses are on a few miles of Hatteras Island oceanfront (refs 1, 2, 4).","duration":"Collapses recur from 2020: ten in four years to September 2024, sixteen between September 16, 2025 and late October, and more in February 2026 (refs 2, 4, 5).","significance":"The Park Service issued formal news releases, area closures and a threatened-structures notice after each event (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than two dozen privately owned homes along Cape Hatteras National Seashore have collapsed since 2020, sixteen of them since September 16, 2025 (ABC News, October 29, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Homes collapsed on the seashore since 2020","value":24,"unit":"houses","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as 'more than two dozen' by ABC News on 2025-10-29; value is the lower bound (ref 4)."},{"name":"Houses collapsed Sept 30 - Oct 3, 2025","value":8,"unit":"houses","status":"Reported","note":"Five fell within 45 minutes on Sept 30 (ref 2); ABC News counts eight in the period after Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda (ref 4); the Rodanthe collapse on Oct 3 is in ref 1."},{"name":"Houses collapsed in 2025 per seashore count","value":16,"unit":"houses","status":"Reported","note":"Eight of them on Tower Circle Road (ref 5)."},{"name":"Houses collapsed in Buxton Feb 1-2, 2026","value":4,"unit":"houses","status":"Reported","note":"Tower Circle Road and Old Lighthouse Road (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Private oceanfront property lost and beach sections closed (refs 3, 5).","ABC News notes beach nourishment and jetty repairs scheduled for 2026 (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ten collapses in four years to September 2024, then more than a dozen within weeks in autumn 2025 and four more in February 2026 (refs 3, 4, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Park Service, Cape Hatteras National Seashore","role":"Land manager","contact":"https://www.nps.gov/caha/"},{"name":"Dare County, North Carolina","role":"Local government","contact":"https://www.darenc.gov/"}],"public_contact":"Cape Hatteras National Seashore public information office (contact on nps.gov/caha)","corrective_actions":["The Park Service closes beaches, posts debris warnings and coordinates cleanup with owners and contractors after each collapse (refs 1, 3, 5).","Beach nourishment and jetty repairs are scheduled for 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Unoccupied house collapses in Rodanthe (news release)","publisher":"National Park Service, Cape Hatteras National Seashore","date":"2025-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/news/unoccupied-house-collapses-in-rodanthe.htm","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"5 Buxton houses collapse, Park Service advises caution","publisher":"Coastal Review","date":"2025-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://coastalreview.org/2025/09/5-buxton-houses-collapse-park-service-advises-caution/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Third house collapses on G A Kohler Court in Rodanthe (news release)","publisher":"National Park Service, Cape Hatteras National Seashore","date":"2024-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/news/third-house-collapse-on-ga-kohler-court-in-rodanthe.htm","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"More beachfront homes in the Outer Banks have fallen into the Atlantic","publisher":"ABC News via Yahoo News","date":"2025-10-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/more-beachfront-homes-outer-banks-174733842.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"UPDATE: Three more homes in Buxton collapse since Sunday","publisher":"WWBT 12 On Your Side","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.12onyourside.com/2026/02/02/update-three-more-homes-buxton-collapse-since-sunday/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"House collapses on the Outer Banks, first for 2026","publisher":"WITN","date":"2026-02-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.witn.com/2026/02/01/house-collapses-outer-banks-first-2026","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Buxton, North Carolina (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxton%2C_North_Carolina","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Rodanthe, North Carolina (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodanthe%2C_North_Carolina","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Counts differ by date: Coastal Review (Oct 2, 2025) says 17 houses since 2020 including the Sept 30 five; ABC News (Oct 29, 2025) says more than two dozen; the Feb 2026 local reports say 16 collapsed in 2025 (refs 2, 4, 5)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-OUTERBANKS-NC12OVERWASH-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-OUTERBANKS-NC12OVERWASH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ocean overwash repeatedly cuts NC Highway 12: Hurricane Erin in 2025 and a 500-foot Pea Island washout in 2026","description":"Hurricane Erin stayed offshore in August 2025 but its surge and overwash made parts of Highway 12 on Hatteras Island impassable for days, forced about 80,000 people to evacuate Hatteras Island and damaged 56 residential and 4 commercial structures in Buxton, per the National Weather Service. In the late-September 2026 nor'easter, waves broke through dunes near the Pea Island Visitor Center and left about 500 feet of the highway undermined or broken. An Ocracoke Observer editorial counts $105.2 million of NCDOT repairs on NC 12 over 2005-2025.","location":{"name":"NC Highway 12, Hatteras and Ocracoke islands","type":"Barrier-island highway","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Outer Banks, Dare and Hyde counties, North Carolina: Pea Island, Buxton, Hatteras Village and north Ocracoke","coordinates":{"lat":35.71666667,"lon":-75.5,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm-driven overwash and dune breaching on a barrier island is a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge and swell from offshore storms","Beach and dune erosion","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Erin damaged 56 residential and 4 commercial structures in Buxton with no injuries or deaths recorded in Dare and Hyde counties (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Highway 12 on Hatteras Island was impassable for multiple days from August 20 until noon on August 23, 2025 and on Ocracoke until August 25 (ref 1).","scale":"Impacts cluster on a few miles of road at Pea Island, Buxton, Hatteras Village and north Ocracoke (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The editorial totals NCDOT repair spending of $24.7 million on Ocracoke and $80.5 million on Hatteras over 2005-2025, and the road failed again in September 2026 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The NWS issued a formal county impact narrative and Dare and Hyde counties ordered the first mandatory evacuation for a named storm since Dorian in 2019 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 80,000 visitors and residents evacuated Hatteras Island before Hurricane Erin, and Highway 12 on Hatteras Island did not fully reopen until noon on August 23, 2025 (NWS)."},"measures":[{"name":"People evacuated by road from Hatteras Island before Erin","value":80000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"NWS county impact narrative, Dare County (ref 1)."},{"name":"Residents and visitors evacuated from Ocracoke by ferry","value":1206,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Per NCDOT as quoted by the NWS (ref 1)."},{"name":"Buxton structures damaged by Erin","value":60,"unit":"structures","status":"Reported","note":"56 residential plus 4 commercial, preliminary county assessment (ref 1)."},{"name":"NC 12 undermined or broken at Pea Island, Sept 2026","value":500,"unit":"feet","status":"Reported","note":"Late-September 2026 nor'easter (ref 3)."},{"name":"NCDOT NC 12 repair spending 2005-2025","value":105.2,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Sum of $24.7M Ocracoke and $80.5M Hatteras quoted in an editorial (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["NC 12 on Hatteras Island was impassable for multiple days (ref 1).","The editorial warns a major breach could make the Hatteras Inlet ferry terminal inoperable, an economic blow to Ocracoke (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Overwash closed the road in August 2025 and again in September 2026; Ocracoke sandbags grew from about 500 feet in 2015 to 7,000 feet by February 2024 (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"North Carolina Department of Transportation","role":"Highway owner and repair","contact":"https://www.ncdot.gov/"},{"name":"National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City","role":"Forecast and impact assessment","contact":"https://www.weather.gov/mhx/"}],"public_contact":"NCDOT and Dare County Emergency Management published public information channels","corrective_actions":["NCDOT cleared sand between tides and reopened Hatteras Island on August 23, 2025 (refs 1, 2).","A 2022 NC 12 Task Force named Ocracoke and the Canal Zone top-priority critical areas, and UNC researchers presented adaptation findings in September 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"County Impacts Associated with Hurricane Erin (2025)","publisher":"National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.weather.gov/media/mhx/TropicalEventSummary/PSHMHX_2025AL05_Erin_ImpactNarrative.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hurricane Erin's road rage (editorial)","publisher":"Ocracoke Observer","date":"2025-09-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ocracokeobserver.com/2025/09/07/hurricane-erins-road-rage/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nor'easter Aftermath: What the East Coast Storm Left Behind","publisher":"WeatherBug","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.weatherbug.com/news/Noreaster-Aftermath-What-the-East-Coast-Storm-Left-Behind","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_Island_National_Wildlife_Refuge","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Erin impact narrative is an NWS summary; surge heights were not stated in the opened text."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-OUTERBANKS-HOUSECOLLAPSE-2025","OC-NWATL-JERSEYSHORE-NOREASTER-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-JERSEYSHORE-NOREASTER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"September 2026 nor'easter causes the worst Jersey Shore erosion and flooding since Sandy","description":"A rare September nor'easter on September 26-28, 2026 flooded New Jersey beach towns over four consecutive high tides and stripped dunes and beaches. PhillyVoice reported the worst erosion and flooding since Superstorm Sandy in 2012, with Atlantic City's water peaking nearly 8 feet above low tide, about a foot below Sandy, and Brigantine's mayor saying about half the beach was gone. New Jersey declared a state of emergency in eight counties and more than 100,000 customers lost power across the region.","location":{"name":"Jersey Shore, Atlantic City and Brigantine","type":"Barrier-island and beach coastline","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"New Jersey coast with impacts to Delaware, Long Island and eastern Massachusetts","coordinates":{"lat":39.3625,"lon":-74.425,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge, breaking waves and high tides eroded beaches and flooded a coastline, a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Nor'easter storm surge","Successive high tides","Dune and beach erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"About half the dunes remain in affected Atlantic City areas with steep drop-offs near Steel Pier, and Brigantine lost about half its beach (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Atlantic City beaches were closed from Friday, some residents were told to evacuate, more than 200 flights were cancelled and island ferries were disrupted (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The storm affected the coast from New Jersey and Delaware to eastern Massachusetts, with 1.04 million homes at moderate or greater surge risk across five states per Cotality (refs 3, 4).","duration":"The event ran over roughly three days, September 26-28, 2026, with four consecutive high tides of flooding (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency in eight New Jersey counties and the NWS issued a Coastal Flood Warning for the New Jersey and Delaware coast (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Atlantic City's water peaked nearly 8 feet above low-tide level, about a foot below Sandy's peak, in the worst Jersey Shore erosion and flooding since 2012 (PhillyVoice, September 28, 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Atlantic City peak water level above low tide","value":8,"unit":"feet","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 8 feet', about a foot below Sandy (ref 2); value is approximate."},{"name":"New Jersey counties under state of emergency","value":8,"unit":"counties","status":"Reported","note":"Issued Friday September 25 and still in effect September 28 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Customers without power at Sunday peak","value":100000,"unit":"customers","status":"Reported","note":"Cotality: 'well over 100,000', mostly coastal counties New Jersey to Connecticut; WeatherBug cites more than 130,000 (refs 3, 4)."},{"name":"Peak wind gust at Montauk Point","value":81,"unit":"mph","status":"Reported","note":"Described as hurricane-force (ref 3)."},{"name":"Homes at moderate or greater surge risk, five states","value":1040000,"unit":"homes","status":"Estimated","note":"Cotality modelled exposure, about $518 billion reconstruction value; not a damage count (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Beach closures at Atlantic City and damaged dunes ahead of future storms (refs 2, 3).","Cotality notes weakened beaches and dunes could make future nor'easters more damaging for repetitive-loss properties on the Jersey Shore and Long Island (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single event documented over September 25-28, 2026; no post-storm survey in the sources (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"State of New Jersey, Office of the Governor and Department of Environmental Protection","role":"Emergency declaration and beach assessment","contact":"https://www.nj.gov/"},{"name":"National Weather Service","role":"Coastal flood warnings","contact":"https://www.weather.gov/"}],"public_contact":"New Jersey Office of Emergency Management published public information channels","corrective_actions":["A state of emergency covering eight counties was declared and the NJ DEP assessed water treatment facilities, dams and beaches before the storm (ref 2).","A voluntary evacuation was issued for low-lying areas of Manasquan and the Sea Bright mayor urged residents to leave (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Roads flood in New Jersey, inundate some homes, as first major signs of nor'easter take shape","publisher":"NPR / Associated Press via KUNC","date":"2026-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kunc.org/npr-news/2026-09-25/roads-flood-in-new-jersey-inundate-some-homes-as-first-major-signs-of-noreaster-take-shape","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Jersey Shore grapples with heavy erosion, flooding as nor'easter begins moving out","publisher":"PhillyVoice","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.phillyvoice.com/noreaster-flooding-erosion-jersey-shore-september-2026/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Early-season nor'easter floods the Northeast coast","publisher":"Cotality","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cotality.com/hazard-hq/early-season-noreaster-floods-the-northeast-coast","basis":"Industry report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nor'easter Aftermath: What the East Coast Storm Left Behind","publisher":"WeatherBug","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.weatherbug.com/news/Noreaster-Aftermath-What-the-East-Coast-Storm-Left-Behind","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Atlantic City, New Jersey (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_City%2C_New_Jersey","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Power-outage figures differ: more than 100,000 (Cotality) versus more than 130,000 (WeatherBug), both for Sunday September 27 (refs 3, 4)."}],"missing_fields":["Post-storm damage totals and official dune-loss surveys not in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-OUTERBANKS-NC12OVERWASH-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-HAMPTONROADS-SUBSIDENCE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hampton Roads land sinks about twice as fast as the sea rises, and Norfolk high-tide flood days keep climbing","description":"A Virginia Tech satellite study reported by WHRO found land in parts of Hampton Roads sinking by up to 6 mm per year on top of roughly 3.3 mm per year of global sea-level rise, more than 9 mm of annual land loss relative to the water. NOAA recorded 23 high-tide flood days at Sewells Point (Norfolk) in 2023-24, a station record, and 17 in 2025-26, and projects up to 27 days at Sewells Point for 2026-27.","location":{"name":"Hampton Roads and Norfolk","type":"Subsiding urban coastal region and tide-gauge location","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southeast Virginia: Norfolk, Chesapeake Bay mouth and Hampton Roads cities","coordinates":{"lat":36.84694444,"lon":-76.28527778,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Relative sea-level rise from subsidence plus global rise is a physical change in coastal water levels.","secondary_drivers":["Land subsidence","Global sea-level rise","El Nino-driven water-level anomalies"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The study maps hazard rather than loss: WHRO says land now above water could be submerged within a few decades and gives no flood damage figures (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Sewells Point logged 23 high-tide flood days in 2023-24 and 17 in 2025-26, each a day when water exceeded NOAA's flood threshold (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The findings centre on one metropolitan coast and the Sewells Point gauge, though the study covers the US Atlantic coast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The subsidence data cover 2007-2020 and NOAA flood-day counts are recorded every year, with a station record in 2023-24 and a projection of up to 27 days in 2026-27 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"NOAA's Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook is a formal federal projection naming Sewells Point at up to 27 days for 2026-27 (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Land in parts of Hampton Roads is sinking up to 6 mm per year, so the region sees more than 9 mm of annual land loss relative to the water, about twice the rate waters are rising (WHRO, May 2, 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sewells Point high-tide flood days, 2023-24","value":23,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Set or tied a station record; NOAA outlook (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sewells Point high-tide flood days, 2025-26","value":17,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Mid-Atlantic median was 9 days (ref 3)."},{"name":"Projected maximum flood days at Sewells Point, 2026-27","value":27,"unit":"days","status":"Estimated","note":"NOAA predicts 'up to 27 days' (ref 3)."},{"name":"Land subsidence in parts of Hampton Roads","value":6,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Plus about 3.3 mm per year global sea-level rise gives more than 9 mm relative change (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["A coastal metro region facing relative sea-level rise of more than 9 mm a year (ref 1).","More than 75% of Mid-Atlantic stations are predicted to meet or exceed their flood-day records in 2026-27 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Flood days rose from 13 in the year before 2022 to 23 in 2023-24 and a 2026-27 prediction of up to 27 (refs 2, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services","role":"Tide-gauge monitoring and flood outlook","contact":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/high-tide-flooding/annual-outlook"},{"name":"City of Norfolk","role":"Local government","contact":"https://www.norfolk.gov/"}],"public_contact":"NOAA CO-OPS and City of Norfolk published public information channels","corrective_actions":["NOAA issues an annual high tide flooding outlook so communities can plan (refs 3, 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A hidden vulnerability: land in Hampton Roads is sinking twice as fast as sea levels are rising","publisher":"WHRO Public Media","date":"2023-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://whro.org/news/38012-a-hidden-vulnerability-land-in-hampton-roads-is-sinking-twice-as-fast-as-sea-levels-are-rising","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2024-2025-Annual-High-Tide-Flooding-Outlook.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook (2026-2027 page)","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/high-tide-flooding/annual-outlook","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"High tides could flood Hampton Roads almost one-third of the year by 2050, NOAA warns","publisher":"VPM News","date":"2022-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vpm.org/news/articles/34604/high-tides-could-flood-hampton-roads-almost-a-third-of-the-year-by-2050-noaa","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Norfolk, Virginia (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk%2C_Virginia","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Virginia Mercury 2025 sea-level report card could not be opened (blocked), so no 2025 local report card figures are used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-CHARLESTON-TIDALFLOOD-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Charleston Harbor reaches flood stage 54 times in 2024 as NOAA records a record 17 high-tide flood days","description":"The Post and Courier counted 54 flood-stage tides at Charleston Harbor in 2024, the calmest year since 2021 yet seventh on the National Weather Service's flood database, with three major floods. NOAA's outlook records a record 17 high-tide flood days at Charleston in the 2023-24 year, and the city's Water Plan projects up to 170 flood events a year by 2050.","location":{"name":"Charleston Harbor","type":"Tidal harbor and low-lying city","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Charleston, South Carolina coast","coordinates":{"lat":32.81388889,"lon":-79.93194444,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Rising relative sea level and perigean tides flood a coastal city, a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Perigean spring tides","Land subsidence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Three of the 2024 floods were major (8 feet or higher) at the harbor gauge, but the sources give no loss or casualty figures (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Floods of 7 feet or more occurred 54 times in 2024, and NOAA's outlook shows a perigean-tide flood on East Bay Street in front of an elementary school (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The counts are for one tide gauge and one city (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Ocean levels are up about a foot in a century and 71 percent of major tidal floods occurred in the last nine years (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA's formal annual outlook records a station record of 17 flood days in 2023-24 and the city's Water Plan sets projections of up to 170 flood events a year by 2050 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Charleston Harbor reached flood stage (7 feet or higher) 54 times in 2024, and NOAA recorded a station-record 17 high-tide flood days in 2023-24."},"measures":[{"name":"Flood-stage tides at Charleston Harbor, 2024","value":54,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Seventh on the NWS Coastal Flood Events Database (ref 1)."},{"name":"Major floods (8 feet or higher), 2024","value":3,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Post and Courier flood report card (ref 1)."},{"name":"NOAA high-tide flood days, Charleston, 2023-24","value":17,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Station record (ref 2)."},{"name":"Projected flood events per year by 2050","value":170,"unit":"events","status":"Estimated","note":"City of Charleston Water Plan projection quoted by the paper; about 30 major floods a year (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Repeated street flooding in the downtown and harbor area (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Charleston had more tidal floods in 2024 than in all of late 1921 to 1958, though 2024 was the calmest year since 2021 as Pacific conditions shifted from El Nino to La Nina (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"City of Charleston","role":"Local government and Water Plan","contact":"https://www.charleston-sc.gov/"},{"name":"NOAA CO-OPS","role":"Flood outlook and gauge","contact":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/high-tide-flooding/annual-outlook"}],"public_contact":"City of Charleston and NOAA CO-OPS published public information channels","corrective_actions":["The city's Water Plan sets flood-reduction projections and projects, and NOAA publishes an annual outlook (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Charleston's 2024 flood report card: Another year, another step into the Atlantic Ocean","publisher":"The Post and Courier","date":"2025-01-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.postandcourier.com/rising-waters/charleston-flooding-south-carolina-climate-change/article_6719c8d2-c915-11ef-a8d1-5f9e55c1a5b6.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2024-2025-Annual-High-Tide-Flooding-Outlook.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Charleston, South Carolina (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston%2C_South_Carolina","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Post and Courier counts calendar-year 2024 flood-stage events (54) while NOAA counts meteorological-year high-tide flood days (17); the figures measure different things (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-MIDATLANTICBIGHT-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Modelling shows ocean acidification could cut sea scallop larval settlement and connectivity in the Mid-Atlantic Bight","description":"A 2025 peer-reviewed meta-analysis and dispersal model in Estuaries and Coasts projects that acidification-sensitive Atlantic sea scallop larvae would have 17% lower settlement success and over 50% less larval passage between major Mid-Atlantic Bight fishery habitats than insensitive larvae. The authors note no published studies existed on sea scallop larval response to acidification before this work. A Rutgers glider project funded by NJ Sea Grant (2018-2021) was set up to map pH and aragonite saturation in the Bight for sea scallops and surf clams.","location":{"name":"Mid-Atlantic Bight","type":"Continental shelf fishing grounds","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"US Atlantic shelf between Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras, scallop and surf clam fishery habitats","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Declining aragonite saturation is a chemical change to shelf seawater affecting shell-building larvae.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean acidification","Warming","Larval dispersal"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The model projects 17% lower settlement for acidification-sensitive larvae, a potential rather than observed harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The paper calls the scallop fishery economically vital but reports no closure, advisory or landings loss (ref 1).","scale":"The dispersal model covers connectivity between major fishery habitats across the Mid-Atlantic Bight (ref 1).","duration":"The Rutgers project period was August 2018 to July 2021 and the sources report no multi-year trend result (ref 2).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study and a Sea Grant project are informal for regulatory purposes and no agency notice or listing is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Acidification-sensitive sea scallop larvae had a 17% lower settlement success rate and over 50% less larval passage between major Mid-Atlantic Bight fishery habitats than insensitive larvae in the model."},"measures":[{"name":"Settlement success reduction, acidification-sensitive larvae","value":17,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Modelled result of an individual-based dispersal model (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reduction in larval passage between fishery habitats","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Reported as 'over 50%' in the abstract; value is the lower bound (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Atlantic sea scallops are described as economically vital in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The sources provide a model projection and a 2018-2021 glider mapping project without a measured trend (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center","role":"Project partner and stock assessment","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic"},{"name":"Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership","role":"Researchers","contact":"https://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/"}],"public_contact":"Rutgers COOL and NOAA NEFSC published contact channels","corrective_actions":["The Rutgers project aims to identify when and where scallops and surf clams face high acidification risk and to inform environmentally based fishery management (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Meta-Analysis of Larval Bivalve Growth in Response to Ocean Acidification and its Application to Sea Scallop Larval Dispersal in the Mid-Atlantic Bight","publisher":"Estuaries and Coasts, vol. 48 no. 2 (via NOAA Institutional Repository)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/66978","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Assessing the susceptibility of Atlantic sea scallops and surf clams to ocean acidification using glider-based coastal modeling and larval transport models","publisher":"Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/assessing-the-susceptibility-of-atlantic-sea-scallops-and-surf-clams-to-ocean-acidification-using-glider-based-coastal-modeling-and-larval-transport-models/","basis":"Research project page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No pH or aragonite-saturation measurements are reported on the opened pages; Springer page was behind a login redirect."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-SCOTIANSHELF-WARMWATER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Warm Gulf Stream-origin water displaces Labrador water on the Scotian Shelf and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; Gulf ice hits a record low in 2024","description":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada's 2024 Atlantic zone summary reports Gulf of St. Lawrence sea ice at a record low and sea-surface temperatures overall second highest since 1982. It says that since about 2010 warmer, saltier water has increasingly replaced cold, fresh Labrador Water, affecting deep-water temperature and oxygen on the Scotian Shelf and in the Gulf, with the influence peaking in 2022. The Canada Water Agency links recent Estuary oxygen declines to more warm, oxygen-poor water at depth carrying a Gulf Stream signature.","location":{"name":"Scotian Shelf and Gulf of St. Lawrence","type":"Continental shelf and gulf (Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program area)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador waters","coordinates":{"lat":48.6,"lon":-61.4,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A shift in water masses and record-warm surface conditions are physical ocean changes.","secondary_drivers":["Shift in Gulf Stream and Labrador Current water supply","Climate warming","Reduced sea ice"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"DFO reports acidification indicators with overall deterioration and nutrient and zooplankton shifts in 2024, but no mass mortality or contamination (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"The opened DFO summaries describe no fishery closure or restriction tied to the warming (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The 2024 summary covers the whole Atlantic zone including the Scotian Shelf and the Gulf of St. Lawrence (ref 1).","duration":"DFO says the water-mass shift has run since about 2010 and peaked in 2022 (ref 1).","significance":"These are DFO technical and monitoring reports with no regulatory notice (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea-surface temperatures in the Atlantic zone were overall second highest since 1982 in 2024 and Gulf of St. Lawrence sea ice was at a record low (DFO)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rank of 2024 Atlantic zone sea-surface temperature since 1982","value":2,"unit":"rank (1 = highest)","status":"Reported","note":"'Overall second highest' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Year the Labrador-water displacement influence peaked","value":2022,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Warmer, saltier water replacing cold, fresh Labrador Water since about 2010 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The opened DFO summaries give no economic figure for the warm-water shift (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"DFO says the influence of warm water peaked in 2022, while 2024 had record-low ice and second-highest surface temperatures (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","role":"Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/"}],"public_contact":"DFO general enquiry channel on dfo-mpo.gc.ca","corrective_actions":["DFO publishes annual Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program summaries tracking physical, chemical and biological conditions (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oceanographic conditions in the Atlantic zone in 2024","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.952478/marcXml.html?MODS=1","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Deoxygenation and Acidification in the St. Lawrence Estuary","publisher":"Canada Water Agency (prepared by DFO Maurice Lamontagne Institute)","date":"2025-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canada.ca/en/canada-water-agency/freshwater-ecosystem-initiatives/st-lawrence-river/publications/deoxygenation-acidification-st-lawrence-estuary.html","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chemical and biological oceanographic conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during 2024","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Technical Report 405","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.954918/marcXml.html?MODS=1","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gulf of St. Lawrence (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_St._Lawrence","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["DFO 2025 Scotian Shelf report (Technical Report 421) could not be opened; no 2025 shelf figures used."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-STLAWRENCE-HYPOXIA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-RIGHTWHALE-UME-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North Atlantic right whale unusual mortality event now covers 176 whales, with about 380 left","description":"NOAA Fisheries reports that since 2017 elevated numbers of North Atlantic right whales in US and Canadian waters have died (43), been seriously injured (41) or shown sublethal injury or illness (92). The main documented cause is entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. The population estimate rose slightly to 384 at the start of 2024 and 23 calves were born in the 2026 season, but the species remains endangered.","location":{"name":"Western North Atlantic right whale range","type":"Marine mammal population range","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US","CA"],"detail":"US east coast from the Southeast calving grounds to the Gulf of Maine, and Canadian waters including the Gulf of St. Lawrence","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A protected marine mammal population is declining under human-caused mortality.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear entanglement","Vessel strikes"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA counts 43 dead, 41 seriously injured and 92 sublethally injured or ill right whales in the event, more than 20 percent of the population (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Canada closes fishing grids when right whales are detected, covering snow crab, lobster and other fisheries, which restricts harvesters (ref 4).","scale":"The whales range across US and Canadian waters from Florida to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"The event began in 2017 and the NOAA page was still being updated in July 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA declared and maintains a formal Unusual Mortality Event under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The UME covers 176 individual right whales: 43 dead, 41 seriously injured and 92 with sublethal injury or illness; about 380 whales remain, including roughly 70 reproductively active females (NOAA Fisheries, July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Right whales in the UME","value":176,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA UME page updated 2026-07-14 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dead whales in the UME","value":43,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1; NOAA notes only about one-third of right whale deaths are documented."},{"name":"Seriously injured whales in the UME","value":41,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Population at start of 2024","value":384,"unit":"whales","status":"Estimated","note":"Median, +10/-9 range of error, as cited by the New England Aquarium (ref 2)."},{"name":"Calves born, 2026 season","value":23,"unit":"calves","status":"Reported","note":"Highest since 2009, NOAA (ref 3)."},{"name":"Entanglements detected in 2024","value":16,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Ten carried gear; New England Aquarium report card (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Canadian fisheries including snow crab, lobster and whelk are closed by grid when right whales are detected (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Population estimate rose from 376 (2023, recalculated) to 384 (2024) and 2026 calving was the best since 2009, but injuries and the UME continue (refs 1 to 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"US marine mammal and Endangered Species Act manager","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/2017-2025-north-atlantic-right-whale-unusual-mortality-event"},{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","role":"Canadian fisheries and right whale management","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/commercial-commerciale/atl-arc/narw-bnan/index-eng.html"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries publishes stranding and entanglement hotlines for the Greater Atlantic and Southeast regions on its UME page; Canadian response lines are listed there too.","corrective_actions":["NOAA and partners run aerial and vessel surveys and disentanglement response (refs 1, 3).","Canada closes fishing grids when whales are detected (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2017-2026 North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Event","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/2017-2025-north-atlantic-right-whale-unusual-mortality-event","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Protections for Right Whales Remain Essential to Continue Population’s Gradual Increase","publisher":"New England Aquarium","date":"2025-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.neaq.org/right-whale-population-estimate-2025/","basis":"Research consortium report card press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"By the Numbers: 2026 North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/numbers-2026-north-atlantic-right-whale-calving-season","basis":"Agency feature"},{"ref":4,"title":"North Atlantic Right Whale: Notice to revoke all prohibited fishing grid(s) in the Gulf of St Lawrence","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2025-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/commercial-commerciale/atl-arc/narw-bnan/2025/right-whale-baleine-noires-1114-eng.html","basis":"Agency notice"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-USEAST-WHALESPEEDRULE-2025","OC-NWATL-GULFSTLAWRENCE-RIGHTWHALEGRIDS-2025","OC-NWATL-GOM-RIGHTWHALE-LOBSTERRULES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GULFSTLAWRENCE-RIGHTWHALEGRIDS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Canada closes Gulf of St. Lawrence fishing grids when right whales are detected, lifting all 2025 closures in November","description":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada runs grid-based fishing closures triggered by right whale detections in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, covering snow crab, lobster, whelk and other fisheries. On 2025-11-14 it announced that all prohibited grids would be revoked for the 2025 season, effective 2025-11-15 if no new detections occurred; the measures had been in force since April.","location":{"name":"Gulf of St. Lawrence fishing grids","type":"Fishery closure zones","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, Gulf and Newfoundland and Labrador regions of Atlantic Canada","coordinates":{"lat":48.6,"lon":-61.4,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fishery restrictions designed to cut entanglement risk to an endangered whale.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear entanglement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The closures exist to reduce entanglement risk; the notice cites no new death or injury in 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Snow crab, toad crab, rock crab, lobster, whelk and fixed-gear fisheries are prohibited in closed grids, with time to retrieve gear (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The closures apply across the Gulf of St. Lawrence plus Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador regions, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Measures were in effect from April and revoked on 2025-11-15, about seven months (ref 1).","significance":"DFO issues the grid closures and revocations as formal fisheries notices recorded in its Orders Registry (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"DFO revoked all prohibited fishing grids in the Gulf of St. Lawrence for the 2025 season, effective 2025-11-15 at 17:00 ADT if no new right whale detections occurred."},"measures":[{"name":"Date all Gulf grids revoked for 2025","value":null,"unit":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Notice dated 2025-11-14, effective 2025-11-15 (ref 1); a date, not a numeric measure."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Closures can affect snow crab, lobster, whelk and herring harvesters in closed grids (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2025 season and DFO’s running notice list for 2026 were opened (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","role":"Fishery manager","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/commercial-commerciale/atl-arc/narw-bnan/index-eng.html"}],"public_contact":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada publishes right whale notices and reporting resources on its North Atlantic right whale page.","corrective_actions":["Grids close on the date a whale is detected by hydrophone or visual sighting (ref 2).","Closures revoked 2025-11-15 absent new detections (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"North Atlantic Right Whale: Notice to revoke all prohibited fishing grid(s) in the Gulf of St Lawrence","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2025-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/commercial-commerciale/atl-arc/narw-bnan/2025/right-whale-baleine-noires-1114-eng.html","basis":"Agency notice"},{"ref":2,"title":"North Atlantic right whale: fisheries management notices","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/commercial-commerciale/atl-arc/narw-bnan/index-eng.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of St. Lawrence (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_St._Lawrence","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The original April 2025 announcement of the management measures was not opened; the revocation notice describes it."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-RIGHTWHALE-UME-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-HUMPBACK-UME-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Humpback whale unusual mortality event reaches 270 dead along the US Atlantic coast","description":"NOAA Fisheries lists 270 dead humpback whales from Maine to Florida since January 2016, with 37 in 2023, 31 in 2024 and 19 in 2025. About 45 percent of the 129 whales examined as of July 2025 showed evidence of vessel strike or entanglement; the cause overall has not been settled and the investigation continues.","location":{"name":"US Atlantic coast, Maine to Florida","type":"Marine mammal stranding range","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Highest state totals are Massachusetts (82), New York (62), New Jersey (50), Virginia (48) and North Carolina (46)","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Elevated deaths of a marine mammal population along a whole coastline.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel strikes","Fishing gear entanglement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A total of 270 humpback whales were found dead from January 2016 to the October 2026 update (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited NOAA pages describe no fishery or port closure tied to the event (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Strandings span the coast from Maine through Florida, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The event has run since January 2016, ten years of annual strandings (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA declared a formal Unusual Mortality Event in April 2017 and still lists the investigation as ongoing (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Humpback whale UME: 270 dead whales from Maine through Florida since January 2016; about 45 percent of 129 examined showed vessel strike or entanglement (NOAA, October 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dead humpbacks in the UME","value":270,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Since January 2016 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dead humpbacks first observed in 2023","value":37,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Dead humpbacks first observed in 2025","value":19,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Examined whales with human-interaction evidence","value":45,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of 129 examined as of July 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Annual counts peaked at 37 in 2023 and fell to 19 in 2025 and 8 so far in 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"UME lead and stranding network coordinator","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/2016-2026-humpback-whale-unusual-mortality-event-along-atlantic-coast"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries stranding network hotlines are listed on its UME page.","corrective_actions":["NOAA and partners necropsy about half of the dead whales to investigate cause (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2016-2026 Humpback Whale Unusual Mortality Event Along the Atlantic Coast","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/2016-2026-humpback-whale-unusual-mortality-event-along-atlantic-coast","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Frequent Questions: 2016-2026 Humpback Whale Atlantic Coast Unusual Mortality Event","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/frequent-questions-2016-2026-humpback-whale-atlantic-coast-unusual","basis":"Agency FAQ"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-RIGHTWHALE-UME-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NECANYONS-MONUMENT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Commercial fishing reopened in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument","description":"Presidential Proclamation 11009 of 2026-02-06 revoked the 2021 ban on commercial fishing in the 4,913 square mile monument off New England. NOAA Fisheries published a conforming rule on 2026-04-06; bottom-tending gear remains barred where the monument overlaps the Georges Bank Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area, about 82 percent of the monument.","location":{"name":"Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Monument","type":"Marine national monument (deep-sea canyons and seamounts)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Atlantic shelf edge south of Georges Bank; Oceanographer, Gilbert and Lydonia canyons and the Bear, Mytilus, Physalia and Retriever seamounts","coordinates":{"lat":40.36,"lon":-67.92,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Protection of a deep-sea coral and canyon habitat is weakened by a change in allowed uses.","secondary_drivers":["Commercial fishing access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The proclamation finds managed commercial fishing would not put the monument’s objects at risk, but bottom-tending gear remains a potential coral threat, which is why a coral protection area still applies (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Fishing is newly allowed rather than restricted, so no loss of access to a fishery is documented (ref 2).","scale":"The monument covers about 4,913 square miles, a single protected area (ref 1).","duration":"The reopening dates from 2026-02-06 and is under eight months old at the access date (ref 1).","significance":"A presidential proclamation and a final NOAA rule changed the legal status of the monument (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Proclamation 11009 (2026-02-06) removed commercial fishing from the monument’s prohibited activities; bottom-tending gear is barred only where the monument overlaps the Georges Bank Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area (about 82 percent)."},"measures":[{"name":"Monument area","value":4913,"unit":"square miles","status":"Reported","note":"Proclamation 11009 text (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share overlapping the Georges Bank Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area","value":82,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Bottom-tending gear is restricted there (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Red crab and Atlantic pelagic fisheries may fish anywhere in the monument under the April 2026 rule (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Fishing restrictions in place since 2021 were rolled back in February 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"Monument fishing regulations","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/commercial-fishing-allowed-northeast-canyons-and-seamounts-marine-national-monument"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region (contact details on the cited bulletin page).","corrective_actions":["NOAA Fisheries published a final rule conforming US fishing regulations to the proclamation on 2026-04-06 (ref 2).","The New England council’s coral amendment still limits bottom-tending gear in the overlap area (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Proclamation 11009 of February 6, 2026: Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Atlantic","publisher":"Federal Register","date":"2026-02-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2026/02/11/2026-02812.html","basis":"Government proclamation"},{"ref":2,"title":"Commercial Fishing Allowed in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-04-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/bulletin/commercial-fishing-allowed-northeast-canyons-and-seamounts-marine-national-monument","basis":"Agency bulletin"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["A May 2026 lawsuit by conservation groups was reported in a search listing, but the court filing and the NRDC and CLF pages could not be opened (HTTP 403), so it is not recorded here.","Coordinates are the centre of the four canyon-unit corner points on the NOAA page; the seamount unit lies further south-east."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-FLORIDAREEF-ACROPORA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Florida’s elkhorn and staghorn corals declared functionally extinct after the 2023 marine heatwave","description":"A Science paper by 47 authors, published 2025-10-23, found that the record 2023 heatwave caused the ninth mass bleaching event on Florida’s Coral Reef and the functional extinction of elkhorn and staghorn coral there. Divers surveyed more than 52,000 colonies at 391 sites: 97.8 to 100 percent died in the Keys and Dry Tortugas, and 37.9 percent offshore southeast Florida.","location":{"name":"Florida’s Coral Reef (Acropora habitat)","type":"Coral reef tract","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL","GOM"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southeast Florida offshore reefs plus the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas; the Keys and Dry Tortugas lie in the Gulf of Mexico sea","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of the main reef-building coral species through thermal stress.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Disease and earlier stressors"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Between 97.8 and 100 percent of Acropora colonies died in the Keys and Dry Tortugas and 37.9 percent offshore southeast Florida (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no closure or loss of a fishery or tourism operation, only ecological impact (refs 1 to 3).","scale":"The loss spans the whole of Florida’s Coral Reef from southeast Florida to the Dry Tortugas, a regional scale (ref 1).","duration":"The paper notes Acropora had been declining since the late 1970s before the 2023 event finished them as functional reef builders (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed Science paper describes both species as critically endangered; this is a formal assessment, not an enforcement action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Heat exposure in 2023 was 2.2 to 4 times higher than any earlier year; 97.8 to 100 percent of elkhorn and staghorn colonies died in the Keys and Dry Tortugas and 37.9 percent offshore southeast Florida."},"measures":[{"name":"Acropora colony mortality, Keys and Dry Tortugas","value":100,"unit":"% (upper bound of 97.8 to 100)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 97.8 to 100 percent (ref 1)."},{"name":"Acropora colony mortality, offshore southeast Florida","value":37.9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Authors attribute the lower figure to cooler temperatures (ref 1)."},{"name":"Colonies surveyed","value":52000,"unit":"colonies","status":"Reported","note":"More than 52,000 colonies at 391 sites (ref 2)."},{"name":"Average days at or above 31 C","value":40.7,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Sea-surface temperature, 2023 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The paper concludes the 2023 heatwave marks functional extinction of both species on Florida’s Coral Reef (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","role":"State reef and coral management","contact":"https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/coral/news/bleaching/"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries and the US Geological Survey","role":"Federal coral research and listing","contact":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70273765"}],"public_contact":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission coral program (myfwc.com).","corrective_actions":["Authors and partners call for urgent restoration and conservation action (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Heat-driven functional extinction of Caribbean Acropora corals from Florida’s Coral Reef","publisher":"US Geological Survey (Science 390:361-366)","date":"2025-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70273765","basis":"Peer-reviewed paper record"},{"ref":2,"title":"New study documents functional extinction of two critically endangered coral species following record heatwave in Florida","publisher":"University of Miami Rosenstiel School","date":"2025-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.miami.edu/rosenstiel/stories/2025/10/new-study-documents-functional-extinction-of-two-critically-endangered-coral-species-following-record-heatwave-in-florida.html","basis":"University press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Coral bleaching in Florida","publisher":"Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/coral/news/bleaching/","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Science paper itself was not opened; its figures come from the USGS record and the university release. Neither gives separate Broward or Miami-Dade figures."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-SEFLORIDA-SCTLD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-SEFLORIDA-SCTLD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Stony coral tissue loss disease has affected over half of Florida’s reef since 2014, including the southeast Florida tract","description":"Stony coral tissue loss disease was first seen off Miami-Dade in 2014, reached Pompano Beach to Biscayne National Park by 2015, Palm Beach County in 2016 and St. Lucie Inlet in 2017. Florida DEP says it has affected more than 96,000 acres, over half of Florida’s reef, and 22 species including five listed under the Endangered Species Act, and its cause is still under investigation.","location":{"name":"Southeast Florida reef tract, Martin to Miami-Dade","type":"Coral reef tract","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Atlantic reef tract from St. Lucie Inlet south through Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties; the disease also affects the Florida Keys, which belong to the Gulf of Mexico sea","coordinates":{"lat":26.235,"lon":-80.126,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease-driven mortality of reef-building corals.","secondary_drivers":["Coral disease","Water quality"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Some species show disease in 66 to 100 of every 100 surveyed colonies, and infected colonies die within weeks to months (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no closure or lost fishery or tourism operation (refs 1 to 3).","scale":"DEP says the disease has affected more than 96,000 acres, over half of Florida’s reef (ref 1).","duration":"First reported in 2014 and still under investigation in the June 2026 DEP page, over a decade (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Five affected species are ESA-listed and the state and NOAA run a formal response with nine coordinating teams (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Florida DEP: the outbreak, first reported in 2014 off Miami-Dade, has affected more than 96,000 acres (over half of Florida’s reef) and 20-plus of about 45 reef-building species."},"measures":[{"name":"Area affected","value":96000,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Florida-wide, \"more than 96,000 acres\" (ref 1)."},{"name":"Species affected","value":22,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA lists 22 affected species, five ESA-listed (ref 2). DEP says 20-plus (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The pages give no dated 2023 to 2026 prevalence figures for southeast Florida (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Florida Department of Environmental Protection","role":"Coral disease response lead","contact":"https://floridadep.gov/rcp/coral/content/stony-coral-tissue-loss-disease-response"},{"name":"NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary","role":"Federal partner","contact":"https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/coral-disease/disease.html"}],"public_contact":"Florida DEP Coral Reef Conservation Program (floridadep.gov).","corrective_actions":["Over 100 funded research projects, about 100 researchers and nine coordinating teams run the response (ref 1).","Intervention trials, land-based coral rescue and restoration trials continue (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Response","publisher":"Florida Department of Environmental Protection","date":"2026-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://floridadep.gov/rcp/coral/content/stony-coral-tissue-loss-disease-response","basis":"Agency page (last modified date)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Florida’s Coral Reef Disease Outbreak: Disease","publisher":"NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/coral-disease/disease.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Coral disease plaguing reef tract from Martin County to Florida Keys","publisher":"WPTV","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wptv.com/news/protecting-paradise/coral-disease-plaguing-reef-tract-from-martin-county-to-florida-keys","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pompano Beach, Florida (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompano_Beach,_Florida","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Neither agency page shows its original publication date; the DEP date is its last-modified stamp. No county-level 2023 to 2026 prevalence data were found."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-FLORIDAREEF-ACROPORA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-DELAWAREBAY-REDKNOT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Delaware Bay red knots remain a fraction of 1980s numbers as horseshoe crab egg supply stays low","description":"Red knots stopping in Delaware Bay to eat horseshoe crab eggs fell about 75 percent from the 1980s to the 2000s, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service as reported by WHYY. A USGS estimate put the 2025 passage population at 54,043 birds, only the second year above 50,000 since 2011, while egg availability is about a fifth of historic highs and managers still debate horseshoe crab harvest.","location":{"name":"Delaware Bay shorebird stopover","type":"Shorebird stopover and horseshoe crab spawning beaches","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Delaware Bay shores of New Jersey and Delaware","coordinates":{"lat":39.1,"lon":-75.2,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A migratory shorebird depends on a horseshoe crab egg supply reduced by harvest.","secondary_drivers":["Horseshoe crab harvest","Habitat loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Red knot numbers fell about 75 percent from the 1980s to the 2000s and are still roughly a third of former levels (ref 1).","livelihoods":"New Jersey bans horseshoe crab bait harvest and Delaware allows only a male-only quota, restricting the bait fishery (ref 1).","scale":"The problem centres on a single bay, though the birds migrate about 9,000 miles (ref 1).","duration":"Intensive harvest in the 1990s contributed to the decline and estimates remained between 39,361 and 54,043 in 2023 to 2025 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission sets formal harvest recommendations under its adaptive resource management framework (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"USGS estimated 54,043 red knots (95% interval 47,926 to 61,928) passing through Delaware Bay in 2025, about 17 percent above 2024 but with overlapping intervals indicating a stable stopover population."},"measures":[{"name":"Red knot passage population, 2025","value":54043,"unit":"birds","status":"Estimated","note":"USGS mark-resight model, 95% credible interval 47,926 to 61,928 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Red knot estimate used in ARM, 2024","value":46127,"unit":"birds","status":"Estimated","note":"ASMFC call summary, September 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Red knot estimate, 2023","value":39361,"unit":"birds","status":"Estimated","note":"ASMFC call summary (ref 3)."},{"name":"Decline from 1980s to 2000s","value":75,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"US Fish and Wildlife Service figure as reported by WHYY (ref 1)."},{"name":"ARM 2026 harvest recommendation, females","value":175000,"unit":"crabs","status":"Reported","note":"Recommendation to the Commission board; males 500,000 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Bait harvesters for eel and whelk and the biomedical bleeding industry are both affected by harvest limits (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Estimates moved from 39,361 (2023) to 46,127 (2024) to 54,043 (2025), with overlapping credible intervals (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission","role":"Horseshoe crab fishery manager","contact":"https://asmfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/TC_HSC_ARM_DBETC_Summary_Sept2025.pdf"}],"public_contact":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (asmfc.org).","corrective_actions":["The Adaptive Resource Management framework adopted in 2013 links horseshoe crab harvest to red knot recovery (ref 2).","Delaware limits commercial harvest to males (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Red knot populations improve slightly along Delaware Bay, but remain fraction of historic levels","publisher":"WHYY","date":"2026-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-bay-red-knot-bird-populations/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Stopover population estimate and migration ecology of Red Knots C. c. rufa at Delaware Bay, USA, 2025","publisher":"US Geological Survey (J. Lyons)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70275649","basis":"Agency research report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Horseshoe Crab ARM Subcommittee and Delaware Bay Ecosystem Technical Committee call summary","publisher":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission","date":"2025-09-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asmfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/TC_HSC_ARM_DBETC_Summary_Sept2025.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body document"},{"ref":4,"title":"Delaware Bay (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The ASMFC summary labels 54,044 birds as the 2024 estimate in one paragraph and 46,127 as the 2024 estimate in another; USGS gives 54,043 for 2025. This record uses USGS for 2025 and the ASMFC ARM figure for 2024."}],"missing_fields":["The USGS report shows only the year 2026, not a full publication date."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GREATBAY-EELGRASS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Great Bay estuary eelgrass falls 80 percent in one year","description":"The Conservation Law Foundation reported on 2026-04-15 that eelgrass in the Great Bay estuary in New Hampshire fell from more than 1,000 acres in 2024 to 211 acres in 2025, with Great Bay itself down 98 percent. It lists sediment, nutrients, invasive green crabs and warming water as contributing factors.","location":{"name":"Great Bay estuary, New Hampshire","type":"Eelgrass estuary","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Great Bay and the Piscataqua estuary, New Hampshire, Gulf of Maine","coordinates":{"lat":43.067,"lon":-70.869,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of a seagrass habitat from combined nutrient, sediment, invasive species and warming stress.","secondary_drivers":["Nutrient and sediment runoff","Invasive green crab","Warming water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Estuary-wide eelgrass fell from more than 1,000 acres to 211 acres, an 80 percent drop, and Great Bay itself fell 98 percent (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The source describes the loss as a threat to fisheries but gives no closure or loss figure, so none is scored (ref 1).","scale":"The loss is in one estuary system (ref 1).","duration":"The decline was measured between the 2024 and 2025 surveys, about a year (ref 1).","significance":"The report comes from an advocacy organisation; no regulator action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Estuary-wide eelgrass fell from over 1,000 acres in 2024 to 211 acres in 2025, an 80 percent drop (Conservation Law Foundation, 2026-04-15)."},"measures":[{"name":"Eelgrass extent, 2025","value":211,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Estuary-wide, down from over 1,000 acres in 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Decline in Great Bay proper","value":98,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"2024 to 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Eelgrass fell 80 percent between 2024 and 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper (Conservation Law Foundation)","role":"Reporting advocacy organisation","contact":"https://www.clf.org/newsroom/great-bay-eelgrass-collapse-threatens-wildlife-fisheries-and-coastal-ecosystem/"}],"public_contact":"Conservation Law Foundation (clf.org).","corrective_actions":["CLF urges stricter Clean Water Act permits, better stormwater control and funded restoration (ref 1).","The Portsmouth wastewater upgrade at Peirce Island may have helped water quality at the estuary mouth (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Great Bay Eelgrass Collapse Threatens Wildlife, Fisheries, and Coastal Ecosystem","publisher":"Conservation Law Foundation","date":"2026-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.clf.org/newsroom/great-bay-eelgrass-collapse-threatens-wildlife-fisheries-and-coastal-ecosystem/","basis":"Advocacy organisation release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Great Bay (New Hampshire) (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bay_(New_Hampshire)","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single advocacy source; the underlying state or PREP eelgrass survey could not be opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-PECONIC-EELGRASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Peconic Estuary eelgrass down to 785.5 acres from about 8,700 in the 1930s","description":"A monitoring plan prepared for the Peconic Estuary Partnership on 2025-04-24 reports that 2024 aerial mapping found 785.5 acres of eelgrass on eastern Long Island, 7.6 percent less than the 849.7 acres mapped in 2014 and far below roughly 8,700 acres in the 1930s. The author links earlier loss to poor water clarity and says rising water temperatures are now a key driver.","location":{"name":"Peconic Estuary, Long Island","type":"Eelgrass estuary","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Peconic Estuary, eastern Long Island, New York","coordinates":{"lat":40.964,"lon":-72.467,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Long-term seagrass loss driven by water clarity and warming.","secondary_drivers":["Declining water clarity","Rising water temperature"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Eelgrass dropped to 785.5 acres in 2024 from about 8,700 acres in the 1930s (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The plan documents habitat extent only and cites no fishery or access restriction (ref 1).","scale":"The estuary is one water body on eastern Long Island (ref 1).","duration":"The loss spans from the 1930s to the 2024 mapping, still declining after sewage treatment improvements (ref 1).","significance":"The plan is a technical recommendation to a partnership, not an enforcement or listing action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Aerial mapping in 2024 found 785.5 acres of eelgrass in the Peconic Estuary, down 7.6 percent from 849.7 acres in 2014 and from about 8,700 acres in the 1930s."},"measures":[{"name":"Eelgrass extent, 2024","value":785.5,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Aerial mapping (ref 1)."},{"name":"Eelgrass extent, 2014","value":849.7,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Previous survey (ref 1)."},{"name":"Eelgrass extent, 1930s","value":8700,"unit":"acres","status":"Estimated","note":"Approximate historical figure given in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Extent fell 7.6 percent between 2014 and 2024 despite sewage treatment improvements (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Peconic Estuary Partnership","role":"Estuary management programme","contact":"https://www.peconicestuary.org/"}],"public_contact":"Peconic Estuary Partnership (peconicestuary.org).","corrective_actions":["The plan recommends a comprehensive seagrass monitoring programme for the estuary (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Recommendations for a Comprehensive Seagrass Monitoring Plan for the Peconic Estuary","publisher":"University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science for the Peconic Estuary Partnership","date":"2025-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://data.gss.stonybrook.edu/dataset/9cae35ec-03d0-403b-a006-f880734a0808/resource/c9e05c86-ed48-4b99-b151-d52ac48387fb/download/2025-04-25-pep-seagrass-monitoring-plan-.pdf","basis":"Technical report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Peconic Bay (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peconic_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single technical report; the Peconic Estuary Partnership home page opened did not mention eelgrass."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-PELHAMBAY-SALTMARSH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"About 65 percent of Turtle Cove salt marsh in New York City lost since 1974","description":"A 2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science study of Turtle Cove in Pelham Bay Park, New York City, found that about 65 percent of a roughly 10-hectare marsh disappeared between 1974 and 2018. The authors attribute the loss to accelerating relative sea-level rise, blocked landward migration, hardened shorelines and tidal restrictions, and report that erosion released old carbon and lead into Long Island Sound.","location":{"name":"Turtle Cove, Pelham Bay Park, New York City","type":"Salt marsh","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Pelham Bay Park, the Bronx, on western Long Island Sound","coordinates":{"lat":40.866,"lon":-73.808,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Salt marsh loss from sea-level rise and coastal development.","secondary_drivers":["Relative sea-level rise","Shoreline hardening","Tidal restriction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"About 65 percent of the roughly 10-hectare marsh disappeared between 1974 and 2018, about 800 square metres a year (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The study reports habitat and contamination findings only, with no closure or lost livelihood (ref 1).","scale":"The study covers one marsh, though it sits in a regional pattern of New York City marsh loss (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The loss was measured over 44 years, 1974 to 2018 (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study recommends adaptive management; no regulatory action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 65 percent of the 10-hectare Turtle Cove marsh disappeared between 1974 and 2018, a rate of 1.5 percent a year (about 800 square metres a year)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marsh area lost, 1974 to 2018","value":65,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of roughly 10 hectares (ref 1)."},{"name":"Relative sea-level rise rate, 1999 to 2024","value":6.7,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 3.5 mm per year in 1958 to 1975 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Sea-level rise accelerated from 3.5 to 6.7 mm per year and marsh loss was continuous over 1974 to 2018 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"New York City Department of Parks and Recreation","role":"Pelham Bay Park manager (not named in the study)","contact":"https://www.nycgovparks.org/"}],"public_contact":"New York City Parks (nycgovparks.org).","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend adaptive management of the marsh (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sediment stratigraphy in NYC salt marsh reveals extensive wetland loss, heavy metal pollution and blue carbon release","publisher":"Frontiers in Environmental Science (Goetz et al., vol. 13)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1688420/text","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Urbanization is Cutting Off Life Support to NYC’s Wetlands","publisher":"Columbia University (PNAS study on Jamaica Bay marshes)","date":"2018-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://science.fas.columbia.edu/news/urbanization-is-cutting-off-life-support-to-nycs-wetlands","basis":"University news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pelham Bay Park (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelham_Bay_Park","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Frontiers page shows the year 2025 only, not a full publication date. Ref 2 concerns Jamaica Bay and is regional context, not Turtle Cove.","Park coordinates are the park centroid; the study gives no coordinates for Turtle Cove."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-CAPECOD-TURTLECOLDSTUN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cape Cod Bay cold-stun season passes 667 endangered sea turtles, mostly Kemp’s ridleys","description":"Mass Audubon reported that rescuers had recovered 667 cold-stunned sea turtles from Cape Cod Bay beaches by 2025-12-18, including 573 Kemp’s ridleys, 67 green turtles and 27 loggerheads, with over 75 percent alive. A PLOS One study cited by Inside Climate News links rising strandings to a warming Gulf of Maine and projects more than 2,300 juvenile Kemp’s ridleys a year by 2031.","location":{"name":"Cape Cod Bay beaches, Massachusetts","type":"Sea turtle stranding beaches","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Wellfleet and Truro bayside beaches and others on Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts","coordinates":{"lat":41.9,"lon":-70.3,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mass stranding of endangered sea turtles linked to a warming Gulf of Maine.","secondary_drivers":["Gulf of Maine warming","Cold stunning"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Rescuers recovered 667 turtles by 2025-12-18 and over 75 percent were alive, so deaths are not tallied in the source (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The sources describe volunteer and aquarium rescue work and no closure or lost livelihood (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The strandings are concentrated in one bay although the turtles come from across the western Atlantic (ref 1).","duration":"Strandings have risen since the 1970s, with about 100 a season thirty years ago against 667 in 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The reports are from a sanctuary and a news outlet, with no formal notice or listing action cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"As of 2025-12-18, 667 cold-stunned sea turtles were recovered from Cape Cod Bay beaches (573 Kemp’s ridley, 67 green, 27 loggerhead); the peak day was 73 turtles on 2025-11-29."},"measures":[{"name":"Cold-stunned turtles recovered, 2025 season to 18 December","value":667,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Beach patrols continued into January 2026 so the total may be higher (ref 1)."},{"name":"Kemp’s ridleys among them","value":573,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Share alive when recovered","value":75,"unit":"% (lower bound)","status":"Reported","note":"Over 75 percent (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected juvenile Kemp’s ridley strandings per year by 2031","value":2300,"unit":"turtles","status":"Estimated","note":"More than 2,300, projection cited by Inside Climate News (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Strandings rose from about 100 a season thirty years ago to 667 by mid-December 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary","role":"Sea turtle rescue and research programme","contact":"https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/wellfleet-bay/news/cold-stunned-sea-turtles-the-2025-rescue-season-in-review"},{"name":"New England Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital","role":"Rehabilitation","contact":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13122025/sea-turtles-freezing-in-cape-cod/"}],"public_contact":"Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (massaudubon.org).","corrective_actions":["Over 200 volunteers patrol beaches and turtles go to the New England Aquarium hospital, then to Florida rehabilitation centres by volunteer pilots (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles: The 2025 Rescue Season in Review","publisher":"Mass Audubon","date":"2025-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/wellfleet-bay/news/cold-stunned-sea-turtles-the-2025-rescue-season-in-review","basis":"Wildlife sanctuary report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hundreds of Sea Turtles Are Freezing in Cape Cod","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2025-12-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13122025/sea-turtles-freezing-in-cape-cod/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cape Cod Bay (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Final 2025 totals and the number of turtles that died were not in the cited pages."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-STLAWRENCE-BELUGA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"St. Lawrence Estuary belugas stay endangered at about 1,850 whales with poor calf survival","description":"The Canada Water Agency summary, dated 2026-05-26, puts the endangered St. Lawrence Estuary beluga population at 1,530 to 2,180 in 2022, with the decline since about 2000 having tapered off but status rated moderate to poor. Newborn mortality exceeded 1983-2007 peak levels in 16 of the last 18 years and unusually many juveniles were found dead in 2023 and 2025.","location":{"name":"St. Lawrence Estuary beluga habitat","type":"Marine mammal critical habitat","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"St. Lawrence Estuary and Saguenay confluence, Quebec","coordinates":{"lat":48.07,"lon":-69.66,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An endangered whale population with poor recruitment under noise, contaminant and warming stress.","secondary_drivers":["Underwater noise and vessel traffic","Contaminants","Warming and reduced ice"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Newborn mortality exceeded the highest 1983-2007 levels in 16 of the last 18 years and many juveniles died in 2023 and 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages list noise management but report no closure or lost fishery (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The population lives in one estuary (ref 1).","duration":"The decline began around 2000 and recruitment problems have persisted for over a decade (ref 1).","significance":"The population is listed Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act and has a proposed action plan (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Population estimated at 1,530 to 2,180 belugas in 2022; the Canada Water Agency rates status \"moderate to poor\" with a slight deterioration since 2018-2023."},"measures":[{"name":"Population, 2022","value":1850,"unit":"whales","status":"Estimated","note":"Central estimate, 95% interval 1,500 to 2,200 (ref 2); the Agency summary gives 1,530 to 2,180 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Median dead belugas found per year since 1983","value":15,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Recovery goal","value":7070,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"70 percent of historical size (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Numbers appear to have stabilised since 2018 but status shows slight deterioration since 2018-2023 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada","role":"Species at Risk Act recovery","contact":"https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/action-plans/beluga-2024.html"}],"public_contact":"Species at Risk Public Registry (canada.ca).","corrective_actions":["A proposed action plan sets 47 measures and an interim target of at least 1 percent annual growth (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga Whale","publisher":"Canada Water Agency (Government of Canada)","date":"2026-05-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canada.ca/en/canada-water-agency/freshwater-ecosystem-initiatives/st-lawrence-river/publications/st-lawrence-estuary-beluga-whale.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) St. Lawrence Estuary population: action plan (proposed)","publisher":"Species at Risk Public Registry (Government of Canada)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/action-plans/beluga-2024.html","basis":"Agency action plan"},{"ref":3,"title":"Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguenay%E2%80%93St._Lawrence_Marine_Park","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 aerial survey results mentioned in the agency summary were not found.","Coordinates are the marine park centre, not named in the cited agency pages."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-FUNDIANCHANNEL-CORALMPA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fundian Channel-Browns Bank deep-coral area still not designated as a marine protected area","description":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada identified the 7,200 square kilometre Fundian Channel-Browns Bank Area of Interest off Nova Scotia in March 2018. It holds the densest known large gorgonian coral concentrations in Atlantic Canada, yet in a letter dated 2026-06-04 civil society groups said there had been no advancement toward designation.","location":{"name":"Fundian Channel-Browns Bank Area of Interest","type":"Proposed marine protected area (deep-sea coral)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"South of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Scotian Shelf bioregion, including the Northeast Channel Coral Conservation Area","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A deep-sea coral habitat remains without full marine protected area status.","secondary_drivers":["Delayed protection","Fishing pressure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No damage is documented; DFO names the coral and sponge concentrations as conservation priorities at potential risk (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction applies yet; a no-take zone that would exclude commercial fishing is a key topic in consultations (ref 1).","scale":"The area covers about 7,200 square kilometres, 0.12 percent of Canada’s ocean (ref 1).","duration":"The area was identified in March 2018 and was still undesignated in June 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"It is a formal Area of Interest under the Oceans Act, with part already a marine refuge (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"DFO: the Northeast Channel part holds the densest known large gorgonian coral concentrations in Atlantic Canada; the area was identified in March 2018 and is not yet a designated MPA."},"measures":[{"name":"Area of Interest size","value":7200,"unit":"square kilometres","status":"Reported","note":"About 0.12 percent of Canada’s ocean territory (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["DFO is working with the fishing industry on a no-take zone design (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"DFO lists no designation date and the 2026 letter reports no advancement (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","role":"Oceans Act MPA process lead","contact":"https://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/aoi-si/fundian-fundy-browns-eng.html"}],"public_contact":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada Maritimes Region (contact via the cited DFO page).","corrective_actions":["DFO continues consultation, boundary and zoning work before draft regulations in the Canada Gazette (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fundian Channel-Browns Bank Area of Interest (AOI)","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2023-11-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/aoi-si/fundian-fundy-browns-eng.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Recommendations for advancing action on marine conservation in Atlantic Canada: a joint letter","publisher":"Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ecology Action Centre, East Coast Environmental Law and others","date":"2026-06-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.conservationcouncil.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Recommendations-for-advancing-action-on-marine-conservation-in-Atlantic-Canada-A-Joint-Letter.pdf","basis":"Civil society letter to ministers"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2026 letter says the Marine Protected Area plan was finalised in 2024 and blames provincial opposition; the DFO page (2023) gives no designation date and says the process is ongoing."}],"missing_fields":["No coordinates are published on the DFO page; it directs readers to the regional office."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-INDIANRIVERLAGOON-SEAGRASS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Indian River Lagoon seagrass rebounds after the die-off that starved manatees, but 119 died in Brevard in 2025","description":"The St. Johns River Water Management District reported on 2026-05-12 that 2025 aerial imagery shows seagrass up by more than 7,000 hectares since 2023, after a historic loss that triggered a manatee starvation event with over 1,200 deaths on Florida’s Atlantic coast in 2020 to 2022. Brevard County still recorded 119 manatee deaths in 2025, including 51 calves.","location":{"name":"Indian River Lagoon, Florida","type":"Seagrass lagoon","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Indian River Lagoon, Brevard and Indian River counties, Atlantic coast of Florida","coordinates":{"lat":28.055,"lon":-80.576,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Seagrass loss from nutrient over-enrichment and its recovery.","secondary_drivers":["Nutrient pollution","Algal blooms"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A historic seagrass loss led to a manatee starvation event in which more than 1,200 manatees died on Florida’s Atlantic coast in 2020 to 2022 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages report no fishery or access closure (refs 1 to 3).","scale":"The lagoon is one estuarine system (ref 1).","duration":"Seagrass loss and manatee deaths ran from 2020 and Brevard recorded 119 manatee deaths in 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Inside Climate News reports that in April 2025 a federal judge ordered Florida to develop a plan for nutrient pollution, finding an Endangered Species Act violation; the state appealed (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Seagrass coverage grew by more than 7,000 hectares (over 17,000 acres) from 2023 to 2025 per aerial imagery, while Brevard County recorded 119 manatee deaths in 2025, including 51 calves."},"measures":[{"name":"Seagrass gain, 2023 to 2025","value":7000,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"More than 7,000 hectares, SJRWMD aerial imagery (ref 1)."},{"name":"Manatee deaths in Brevard County, 2025","value":119,"unit":"manatees","status":"Reported","note":"Including 51 calves (ref 3)."},{"name":"Manatee deaths statewide through 7 November 2025","value":587,"unit":"manatees","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 565 in 2024 and 555 in 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Seagrass planted in Brevard, 2025","value":23,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"At two sites (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Brevard County will stop collecting its half-cent tax funding muck dredging after 2026 unless renewed (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Seagrass expanded between 2023 and 2025 while manatee deaths statewide rose slightly from 2024 to 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"St. Johns River Water Management District","role":"Lagoon seagrass mapping and restoration","contact":"https://www.cfpublic.org/environment/2026-05-12/water-regulators-say-more-seagrass-is-growing-in-the-indian-river-lagoon"}],"public_contact":"St. Johns River Water Management District (sjrwmd.com).","corrective_actions":["Brevard County runs a half-cent-tax muck dredging project and seagrass planting (refs 1, 3).","A federal court ordered a nutrient plan; Florida DEP has appealed (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Water regulators say more seagrass is growing in the Indian River Lagoon","publisher":"Central Florida Public Media","date":"2026-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cfpublic.org/environment/2026-05-12/water-regulators-say-more-seagrass-is-growing-in-the-indian-river-lagoon","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"In Florida, Manatee Deaths Edge Up Slightly in 2025","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2025-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18112025/florida-manatee-deaths-2025/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Local waters proved safer for manatees last year with fewer deaths","publisher":"Vero Beach 32963","date":"2026-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vb32963online.com/STORIES%202026/JANUARY%202026/VB32963_Local_Waters_Proved_Safer_For_Manatees_Last_Year_With_Fewer_Deaths_Issue4_012226.html","basis":"Local news (date is the page last-updated stamp)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Indian River Lagoon (place coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_River_Lagoon","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The April 2025 court order is reported by Inside Climate News only; the court record was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-INDIANRIVERLAGOON-MANATEE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GOM-LOBSTER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank lobster stock down 34% from its 2018 peak with overfishing occurring; southern New England stock at record low","description":"The 2025 ASMFC benchmark stock assessment found the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank American lobster stock not depleted but down about 34% from its 2018 peak, with overfishing occurring, and the Southern New England stock significantly depleted at its lowest recorded abundance. Maine reported preliminary 2025 landings of about 78.8 million pounds, roughly 7 million pounds below 2024, though dock value stayed above $600 million.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank lobster stock","type":"Fishery stock unit","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"United States waters of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, with the Southern New England stock to the south, as assessed by ASMFC.","coordinates":{"lat":43,"lon":-68.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A commercial stock under fishing mortality above its threshold, so a living-resource issue.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing mortality above threshold"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Southern New England abundance averaged about 6 million lobsters in 2021-2023 against an 18 million threshold, the lowest on record, and the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank stock is down about 34% from 2018 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Maine landings fell to about 78.8 million lb in 2025 with more than 21,000 fewer trips, and the state cites inflation, tariffs and a late molt; no closure was imposed (ref 2).","scale":"The finding covers two stock units spanning the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England waters of several US states (ref 1).","duration":"Abundance has fallen since the 2018 peak and Maine landings were down again in 2025 after the 2010s boom, a multi-year decline (refs 1, 2).","significance":"ASMFC accepted the benchmark assessment for management use and its overfishing determination is a formal status finding, but no enforcement order has been issued (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank stock is not depleted but abundance has fallen about 34% from its 2018 peak and overfishing is occurring; Southern New England is significantly depleted at record-low abundance."},"measures":[{"name":"GOM/GBK abundance change from 2018 peak","value":34,"unit":"% decline","status":"Reported","note":"ASMFC 2025 benchmark assessment (ref 1)."},{"name":"GOM/GBK abundance, 2021-2023 average","value":202,"unit":"million lobsters","status":"Reported","note":"Above the limit reference point, below the fishery target (ref 1)."},{"name":"SNE abundance, 2021-2023 average","value":6,"unit":"million lobsters","status":"Reported","note":"Threshold is 18 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maine lobster landings, 2025 (preliminary)","value":78.8,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"About 7 million lb less than 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Maine harvesters made more than 21,000 fewer trips in 2025 and the 2025 dock value of $619 million matches 2008 levels after inflation (ref 2).","The assessment peer review cautioned against overemphasizing environmental effects relative to fishing impacts, so management action on fishing effort remains possible (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Abundance down from the 2018 peak; Maine landings declining (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)","role":"Interstate fishery management commission","contact":"https://asmfc.org"},{"name":"Maine Department of Marine Resources","role":"State fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.maine.gov/dmr"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (Greater Atlantic Region)","role":"Federal fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"ASMFC publishes its general contact details on asmfc.org; Maine DMR on maine.gov/dmr.","corrective_actions":["ASMFC American Lobster Management Board received the benchmark assessment and accepted it for management use (ref 1).","The Stock Assessment Subcommittee advised that significant management action would offer the best chance of stabilizing Southern New England abundance (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Finds GOM/GBK Stock Not Depleted but Experiencing Overfishing, SNE Stock Significantly Depleted","publisher":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asmfc.org/news/press-releases/american-lobster-benchmark-stock-assessment-finds-gom-gbk-stock-not-depleted-but-experiencing-overfishing-sne-stock-significantly-depleted-but-not-experiencing-overfishing/","basis":"Agency press release (page shows only \"October 2025\")"},{"ref":2,"title":"Maine lobster landings down again after 2010s boom","publisher":"Maine Public","date":"2026-03-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2026-03-09/maine-lobster-landings-down-again-after-2010s-boom","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["ASMFC page shows month only, so the source date is null; industry rebuttals were not opened (publisher sites returned 403)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GOM-HERRING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Atlantic herring catch limits cut to record lows as spawning stock stays near a quarter of its target","description":"The New England council set the 2025 Atlantic herring catch limit at 2,710 metric tons, the lowest in the plan's history, with spawning biomass at 26% of target and rebuilding behind schedule. NMFS finalized a 2026 limit of 9,134 metric tons, 64% above the adjusted 2025 limit but still far below earlier years, and the inshore Gulf of Maine area has a 2,640 metric ton sub-limit.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank herring management areas","type":"Fishery management areas","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Atlantic herring Areas 1A, 1B, 2 and 3 off New England; Area 1A is the inshore Gulf of Maine.","coordinates":{"lat":43,"lon":-68.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A depleted forage stock under a rebuilding plan, so a living-resource issue.","secondary_drivers":["Poor recruitment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Spawning stock biomass was 26% of its target level, and the federal rule describes the herring stock as overfished and being rebuilt (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The council said the 2025 limits will not support a directed commercial fishery, and the 2026 Area 1A sub-ACL of 2,401 mt is split into two short seasons with landing-day controls (refs 1, 3).","scale":"One stock managed across four herring management areas; the cited sources treat it as a single stock (ref 2).","duration":"Rebuilding to 2031 is described as behind schedule, and limits have been cut across 2025 and 2026 specifications (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NMFS issued a final rule on 23 December 2025 setting the 2026 specifications, an enforceable regulatory order (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2025 Atlantic herring catch limit of 2,710 mt was the lowest in the fishery management plan's history; the 2026 limit is 9,134 mt, 64% higher than the adjusted 2025 limit."},"measures":[{"name":"Spawning stock biomass vs target","value":26,"unit":"% of target","status":"Reported","note":"New England council figure quoted by the Maine Lobstermen's Community Alliance (ref 1)."},{"name":"2025 annual catch limit set by council","value":2710,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Compared with 19,141 mt in 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"2026 annual catch limit","value":9134,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Federal rule, 64% above the adjusted 2025 limit of 5,556 mt (ref 2)."},{"name":"2026 Area 1A sub-ACL","value":2640,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Federal rule table; ASMFC lists a 2026 Area 1A sub-ACL of 2,401 mt (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["The council said the revised limits will not support a directed commercial herring fishery (ref 1).","Area 1A fishing runs in two seasons with 1,748 mt and 653 mt, five landing days a week and a 240,000 lb weekly cap per vessel (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Catch limit rose in 2026 from a record-low 2025 but biomass remained at a fraction of target (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"New England Fishery Management Council","role":"Federal fishery management council","contact":"https://www.nefmc.org"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (Greater Atlantic Region)","role":"Federal fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)","role":"Interstate fishery management commission","contact":"https://asmfc.org"}],"public_contact":"NEFMC and NOAA Fisheries publish general contact details on nefmc.org and fisheries.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["NMFS finalized the 2026 specifications to prevent overfishing and help rebuild an overfished stock (ref 2).","ASMFC set 2026 Area 1A effort controls with two seasons and landing-day limits (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025 herring quota will hit historic low","publisher":"Maine Lobstermen's Community Alliance","date":"2024-11-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mlcalliance.org/post/2025-herring-quota-will-hit-historic-low","basis":"Industry/NGO article"},{"ref":2,"title":"Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; 2026 Atlantic Herring Fishery Specifications (final rule)","publisher":"NOAA / National Marine Fisheries Service, Federal Register","date":"2025-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-23/pdf/2025-23796.pdf","basis":"Federal Register final rule"},{"ref":3,"title":"Atlantic Herring Area 1A Effort Controls 2026","publisher":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission","date":"2026-04-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asmfc.org/?p=22603","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The council figure for the 2025 limit (2,710 mt, described as an 89% cut from 2024 by ref 1) implies about an 86% cut against the 19,141 mt cited in the same article, and the federal rule gives an adjusted 2025 limit of 5,556 mt; the record uses each figure as the source states it."}],"missing_fields":["No 2026 stock assessment result was found; the Mass.gov quota outlook pages returned 403."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-ATLCANADA-MACKEREL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Atlantic mackerel commercial fishery stays closed in Canada as the stock remains in the critical zone","description":"The Atlantic mackerel stock has been in the critical zone since 2011, with spawning biomass at 35% of the limit reference point in 2024, and the commercial fishery has been closed since 2022. DFO kept the closure for 2025 and 2026 with a small bait and personal-use catch, while harvesters' unions dispute the science and ask for a commercial fishery.","location":{"name":"Atlantic mackerel fishery, Atlantic Canada and Quebec","type":"Fish stock and fishery","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"The management plan applies across all four DFO regions in Atlantic Canada and Quebec; the point marks the Gulf of St. Lawrence.","coordinates":{"lat":47.5,"lon":-62,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A collapsed stock under a rebuilding plan and a closed commercial fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Low recruitment","Predation pressure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Spawning stock biomass was estimated at 32% of the limit reference point in 2023 and 35% in 2024, with a probability above 95% of being in the critical zone (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The commercial mackerel fishery has been closed since 2022 and only a 500 t bait and personal-use quota remains, which Newfoundland harvesters say they barely use (refs 1, 4).","scale":"The closure applies across all four DFO regions of Atlantic Canada and Quebec (ref 1).","duration":"The stock has been in the critical zone since 2011 and the commercial fishery has been closed since 2022 (refs 2, 4).","significance":"The Minister ordered the commercial closure to continue for 2025 and 2026 through the management plan, an enforceable decision (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Spawning stock biomass was 35% of the limit reference point in 2024 and the stock has been in the critical zone since 2011; the commercial fishery remains closed for 2025 and 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Spawning stock biomass vs limit reference point, 2024","value":35,"unit":"% of LRP","status":"Reported","note":"DFO question period note, 32% in 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Total allowable catch in management plan, per season","value":500,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Includes 440 t personal-use bait (ref 1); the union reports a later increase to 1,500 t (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The FFAW-Unifor union said Newfoundland harvesters took only 2% and 5% of the bait quota in the last two years (ref 4).","The union says the United States set a 2026 mackerel quota of 11,237 tonnes while Canada's commercial fishery stays closed (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"DFO describes spawning biomass as relatively stable in the critical zone for 2023 and 2024 (ref 2); Oceana reports only slight improvement in June 2026 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)","role":"Federal fishery and aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"}],"public_contact":"DFO publishes regional contact details at dfo-mpo.gc.ca.","corrective_actions":["Commercial fishery closed for 2025 and 2026; TAC limited to 500 t per season for bait, personal use and bycatch (ref 1).","Next assessment is due in March 2027 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025-2026 Atlantic Mackerel Management Plan","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Gulf Region","date":"2025-06-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/en/node/20445","basis":"Agency management plan"},{"ref":2,"title":"Question Period Note: Atlantic Mackerel Consumption by Predators","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada (open.canada.ca)","date":"2026-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/record/dfo-mpo%2CDFO-2026-QP-00004","basis":"Agency briefing note"},{"ref":3,"title":"New Assessment Confirms Atlantic Mackerel Remains Collapsed","publisher":"Oceana Canada","date":"2026-06-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceana.ca/en/press-releases/new-assessment-confirms-atlantic-mackerel-remains-collapsed/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"2026 mackerel decision falls short for NL harvesters","publisher":"FFAW-Unifor","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ffaw.ca/2026-mackerel-decision-falls-short-for-nl-harvesters/","basis":"Union press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":9,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"DFO's plan and question period note give a 500 t TAC for 2025 and 2026, while the union's 8 July 2026 release says the Minister raised it to 1,500 t including 1,400 t for bait; the DFO announcement itself was not opened."},{"note":"Oceana describes only slight improvement since 2024, whereas the union says the stock grew nearly 50% year over year; both agree it remains in the critical zone."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-STRIPEDBASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Striped bass remain overfished as the commission rejects a 12% cut and rebuilding by 2029 looks unlikely","description":"Atlantic striped bass have been overfished since 2019, and the 2024 assessment projected the stock would not rebuild by 2029 without at least a 12% cut in removals. In October 2025 the ASMFC board rejected the coastwide reduction and kept 2026 measures unchanged, citing severe economic consequences, while starting a work group on post-2029 challenges and seven straight years of low Chesapeake Bay recruitment.","location":{"name":"Atlantic coast striped bass stock","type":"Migratory fish stock","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Coastal states from Maine to North Carolina; the Chesapeake Bay is the main spawning area.","coordinates":{"lat":38.5,"lon":-74.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An overfished stock whose rebuilding plan is at risk, so a living-resource issue.","secondary_drivers":["Low Chesapeake Bay recruitment","Recreational and commercial removals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"ASMFC states the stock was declared overfished in 2019 and remains overfished, with seven consecutive years of low Chesapeake Bay recruitment (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Existing recreational measures and commercial quotas continue, and the board cited severe economic consequences for not adding a 12% cut (ref 1).","scale":"The stock migrates along the Atlantic coast and is managed by coastal states from Maine to North Carolina; a vote of 16 jurisdictions decided the outcome (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Overfished since 2019 with a rebuilding deadline of 2029, so a multi-year, recurring problem (ref 1).","significance":"The board formally approved Addendum III in October 2025 but rejected the reduction, so this is a formal management action rather than an enforcement order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The ASMFC board voted in October 2025 against a coastwide 12% reduction; a 12% cut would give only a 50% probability of rebuilding by 2029 and without action the probability is below 50%."},"measures":[{"name":"Reduction rejected by board","value":12,"unit":"% of removals","status":"Reported","note":"Draft Addendum III option removed at the October 2025 board meeting (ref 1)."},{"name":"Probability of rebuilding by 2029 with a 12% cut","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"ASMFC page (ref 1)."},{"name":"Votes supporting the 12% cut","value":5,"unit":"of 16 votes","status":"Reported","note":"Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and North Carolina (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The board cited severe economic consequences for coastal fisheries when keeping measures (ref 1).","CBF says its Bay surveys point to a looming disaster for the fish (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"No longer experiencing overfishing per the 2024 update but still overfished (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)","role":"Interstate fishery management commission","contact":"https://asmfc.org"}],"public_contact":"ASMFC publishes its general contact details on asmfc.org.","corrective_actions":["Board approved a work group on stock challenges beyond 2029 and commercial tagging at first point of landing by 2028 (ref 1).","Board adopted a standard total-length measurement, with states required to adopt it by 1 January 2027 (ref 1).","A benchmark stock assessment is expected in spring 2027 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Atlantic Striped Bass Draft Addendum III: 2026 Measures to Support Rebuilding","publisher":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asmfc.org/actions/atlantic-striped-bass-draft-addendum-iii-2026-measures-to-support-rebuilding/","basis":"Agency page (undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Despite red flags, striped bass once again see no action from fisheries managers","publisher":"Chesapeake Bay Foundation","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbf.org/news/despite-red-flags-striped-bass-once-again-see-no-action-from-fisheries-managers","basis":"NGO press statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ASMFC page carries no date; vote tallies come from the NGO statement only."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-CHESAPEAKE-MENHADEN-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-CHESAPEAKE-MENHADEN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Menhaden quota cut 20% and Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery cap under review","description":"In October 2025 the ASMFC menhaden board cut the 2026 coastwide catch by 20% to 186,840 metric tons and started an addendum to reduce the 51,000 metric ton Chesapeake Bay cap held by the reduction fishery. In August 2026 the draft addendum advanced to public review with cap cuts of 10% to 50% proposed, a final decision is planned for November, and the operator warns of job losses.","location":{"name":"Chesapeake Bay menhaden reduction fishery","type":"Estuarine fishery","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Virginia's Chesapeake Bay purse-seine reduction fishery, operating out of Northumberland County, with effects on Maryland bait and pound-net fisheries.","coordinates":{"lat":37.8,"lon":-76.2,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Concentrated harvest of a key forage fish and its effects on predators and other fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Forage fish harvest","Predator food supply"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"ASMFC found the stock not overfished but fishing mortality above the ecological target, and VIMS calls the science on Bay-specific effects \"woefully inadequate\"; osprey chicks are starving in parts of the Bay (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Maryland harvested under 10% of its quota in 2024 and bait costs strain its blue crab watermen, while Ocean Harvesters warns of up to 176 jobs at risk in Northumberland County (refs 2, 4).","scale":"The dispute centers on a single bay and its purse-seine fleet, though the quota cut applies coastwide (refs 1, 4).","duration":"Maryland has struggled to fill its quota since 2017 and the Bay cap debate runs from the October 2025 vote to a November 2026 decision (refs 2, 4).","significance":"ASMFC formally cut the 2026 quota and initiated an addendum, which is a formal management process but not yet an enforcement outcome for the Bay (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The board cut the 2026 coastwide menhaden quota 20% to 186,840 mt and advanced an addendum that could cut the 51,000 mt Chesapeake Bay cap by 10% to 50%."},"measures":[{"name":"2026 coastwide TAC","value":186840,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Down 20% from 233,550 mt (ref 1)."},{"name":"Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery cap","value":51000,"unit":"mt per year","status":"Reported","note":"Draft Addendum II would reduce it by 10% to 50% (refs 1, 4)."},{"name":"Northumberland County jobs at risk per operator","value":176,"unit":"jobs","status":"Reported","note":"Includes 98 direct jobs; Ocean Harvesters claim (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Maine's lobster bait supply is affected: its menhaden quota falls from over 24 million lb to under 20 million lb (ref 3).","Ocean Harvesters says eliminating Bay harvest could cost up to 176 jobs (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Quota cut in 2026 with a further Bay cap decision pending (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)","role":"Interstate fishery management commission","contact":"https://asmfc.org"},{"name":"Maine Department of Marine Resources","role":"State fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.maine.gov/dmr"},{"name":"Virginia Marine Resources Commission","role":"State fishery regulator for the Bay cap","contact":"https://www.mrc.virginia.gov"}],"public_contact":"ASMFC publishes its general contact details on asmfc.org.","corrective_actions":["Coastwide 2026 TAC cut by 20% (ref 1).","Addendum to reduce the Bay cap by up to 50% and spread harvest across the season advanced to public review through October 2026 (ref 4).","The 2027-2029 TAC will be set at the 2026 annual meeting (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ASMFC Atlantic Menhaden Board Reduces 2026 TAC by 20% and Initiates Addendum for Chesapeake Bay Cap","publisher":"Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asmfc.org/news/press-releases/asmfc-atlantic-menhaden-board-reduces-2026-tac-by-20-and-initiates-addendum-for-chesapeake-bay-cap/","basis":"Agency press release (page shows only \"October 2025\")"},{"ref":2,"title":"Menhaden management meeting results in lackluster coastwide catch reductions","publisher":"Chesapeake Bay Foundation","date":"2025-10-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbf.org/news/menhaden-management-meeting-results-in-lackluster-coastwide-catch-reductions","basis":"NGO press statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"Message from DMR Commissioner: ASMFC Menhaden Board Approves 20 Percent Menhaden Quota Reduction","publisher":"Maine Department of Marine Resources","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maine.gov/dmr/news/thu-10302025-1200-message-dmr-commissioner-asmfc-menhaden-board-approves-20-percent-menhaden","basis":"State agency statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Potential cuts to Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery advance for public review","publisher":"Williamsburg Yorktown Daily","date":"2026-08-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wydaily.com/latest/2026/08/09/potential-cuts-to-chesapeake-bay-menhaden-fishery-advance-for-public-review/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ASMFC page shows month only; Virginia Mercury coverage returned 403."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-STRIPEDBASS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NL-NORTHERNCOD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"DFO raises northern cod quota 55% to 59,000 tonnes after the stock reaches the healthy zone, with conservation groups warning the recovery is fragile","description":"Northern cod (2J3KL) has entered the healthy zone of DFO's precautionary framework for the first time since the 1992 moratorium, and DFO raised the 2026-27 commercial total allowable catch from 38,000 to 59,000 tonnes. Oceans North says total removals will rise about 55% above 2025 and had urged holding them near 42,867 tonnes because of model uncertainty and weak recreational monitoring.","location":{"name":"Northern cod stock (NAFO 2J3KL)","type":"Fish stock management unit","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, NAFO divisions 2J3KL.","coordinates":{"lat":49.5,"lon":-52,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A recovering stock where higher catch limits carry a risk to the rebuilding.","secondary_drivers":["Capelin prey levels","Unmonitored recreational catch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Oceans North calls the recovery fragile and cites assessment uncertainty and capelin well below historical levels, a potential rather than documented harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The 2026 decision expands the inshore, offshore and Indigenous allocations and recreational fishing to seven days a week, so no restriction applies (ref 2).","scale":"The finding concerns one stock off Newfoundland and Labrador (ref 2).","duration":"The risk dates from the 2026-27 season decision and the March 2026 assessment, a matter of months (refs 1, 3).","significance":"DFO made a formal management decision, referenced in the 2026 decision register, but it is a quota increase rather than a violation or order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2026-27 northern cod TAC rises from 38,000 to 59,000 tonnes, and total removals are expected to increase about 55% over 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Northern cod commercial TAC, 2026-27","value":59000,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 38,000 t (ref 2)."},{"name":"Total removals vs 2025","value":55,"unit":"% increase","status":"Reported","note":"Oceans North estimate including recreational expansion (ref 1)."},{"name":"Removals recommended by Oceans North","value":42867,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Submission to DFO (ref 1)."},{"name":"Capelin TAC held unchanged","value":14533,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Capelin is northern cod's main prey (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The inshore fleet allocation rises to 41,300 t from 30,400 t (ref 2).","FFAW-Unifor reported strong catch rates and welcomed the healthy-zone result (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Stock moved into the healthy zone; the risk is the pace of the quota increase (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)","role":"Federal fishery and aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"},{"name":"Oceans North","role":"NGO commenting on the decision","contact":"https://oceansnorth.org"}],"public_contact":"DFO publishes regional contact details at dfo-mpo.gc.ca.","corrective_actions":["DFO set the 2026-27 TAC at 59,000 t and kept the capelin TAC at 2025 levels (ref 1).","Northern Gulf cod (3Pn4RS) remains in the critical zone with no directed commercial fishery through 2028-29 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Northern cod quota 2026","publisher":"Oceans North","date":"2026-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceansnorth.org/2026/06/12/northern-cod-quota-2026/","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Northern Cod Enters Healthy Zone for First Time Since 1992 Moratorium","publisher":"EcoMagazine","date":"2026-06-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecomagazine.com/news/fisheries-aquaculture/northern-cod-enters-healthy-zone-for-first-time-since-1992-moratorium/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Northern Cod Assessment Shows Stock in Healthy Zone","publisher":"FFAW-Unifor","date":"2026-04-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ffaw.ca/?p=14263","basis":"Union press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["DFO's science advisory report was not opened; the stock status probability (at least 60% healthy) comes from the Oceans North page."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GOM-COD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod remain overfished, with 2026 catch limits proposed at tens to hundreds of tonnes","description":"NOAA says both Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank Atlantic cod are overfished and subject to overfishing based on the 2021 assessment, with rebuilding targets of 2033 and 2026. A March 2026 proposed rule splits cod into four stocks and sets 2026 US catch limits of 39 mt for Eastern Gulf of Maine, 460 mt for Western Gulf of Maine and 106 mt for Georges Bank, with Southern New England retention prohibited.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod stocks","type":"Fish stock management units","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"US waters of the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England managed under the Northeast Multispecies plan.","coordinates":{"lat":42.5,"lon":-68.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Overfished groundfish stocks under rebuilding plans.","secondary_drivers":["Persistent overfishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA lists both the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank stocks as overfished and subject to overfishing from the 2021 assessment (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The proposed rule limits common pool possession to 25 or 50 lb per day or trip, a one-fish recreational limit, and bans retention of Southern New England cod (ref 2).","scale":"Four stock areas across the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England are covered by the rule (ref 2).","duration":"The Georges Bank rebuilding date is 2026 and the Gulf of Maine date 2033, and the stocks are still overfished, a multi-year recurring problem (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA published a proposed rule on 18 March 2026 with comments open to 17 April 2026, a formal regulatory notice (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA says Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod are overfished and subject to overfishing; the proposed 2026 US catch limit for Georges Bank cod is 106 mt and for Eastern Gulf of Maine cod 39 mt."},"measures":[{"name":"Georges Bank cod, US ABC 2026","value":106,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Proposed rule table (ref 2)."},{"name":"Western Gulf of Maine cod, US ABC 2026","value":460,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Proposed rule table (ref 2)."},{"name":"Eastern Gulf of Maine cod, US ABC 2026","value":39,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Proposed rule table (ref 2)."},{"name":"Southern New England cod, US ABC 2026","value":36,"unit":"mt","status":"Reported","note":"Proposed rule table (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Common pool trips are limited to 25 lb (Eastern Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank) or 50 lb (Western Gulf of Maine) of cod per day (ref 2).","Southern New England cod retention is prohibited for common pool and recreational anglers (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Both sources report current status only; no new assessment result was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (Greater Atlantic Region)","role":"Federal fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"},{"name":"New England Fishery Management Council","role":"Federal fishery management council","contact":"https://www.nefmc.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries publishes regional contact details at fisheries.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["Rebuilding plans are in place with 2033 (Gulf of Maine) and 2026 (Georges Bank) target dates (ref 1).","Proposed rule would create four cod stock units with numeric status criteria and limits (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Atlantic Cod","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-08-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-cod","basis":"Agency species page (last updated date shown)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Northeast Fishery Gets New Rules to Save Cod Populations (Federal Register proposed rule 2026-05250)","publisher":"PolicyRisk summary of the NOAA proposed rule","date":"2026-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-05250","basis":"Federal Register proposed rule summary"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The proposed rule was read through an aggregator summary, not the Federal Register itself; the summary does not state each stock's current status."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GOM-RIGHTWHALE-LOBSTERRULES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"US House votes to extend the pause on new right whale rules for Maine lobster gear from 2028 to 2035","description":"A 2022 spending law barred NMFS from issuing new right whale entanglement rules for the lobster fishery until 2028, and a House bill sponsored by Reps. Golden and Lawler would extend the pause to 2035. The bill passed the House with mostly Republican support and goes to the Senate, while conservation groups say the delay puts whales at risk.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Maine lobster and Jonah crab fisheries","type":"Fishery regulation area","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"US Atlantic waters, centered on Maine and the Gulf of Maine, where right whales feed.","coordinates":{"lat":43.5,"lon":-68.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A fishery gear regulation dispute affecting an endangered whale and a major fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear entanglement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A whale tangled in Maine-linked rope washed up dead on Martha's Vineyard in 2024 and a young whale was freed from rope in January, but the sources give no mortality total (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Pending rules could change closures, vertical rope use and Jonah crab requirements for fishermen, though none is in force during the pause (ref 1).","scale":"The rules cover US Atlantic lobster and Jonah crab fisheries, a national coastline issue (ref 1).","duration":"The pause has run since the December 2022 spending law and would continue to 2035 under the bill (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Congress legislated the pause and a D.C. Circuit opinion in 2023 vacated the biological opinion for these fisheries; the House vote adds a further legislative step (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The House voted to extend the pause on new federal right whale rules for the lobster fishery from 2028 to 2035; the bill now goes to the Senate."},"measures":[{"name":"Pause end date, current law","value":2028,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Set by the December 2022 spending law (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Pause end date, House-passed bill","value":2035,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Golden-Lawler bill (ref 1)."},{"name":"Right whale calves in latest season","value":23,"unit":"births","status":"Reported","note":"Most since 2009 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Maine governor's office supports extending the pause (ref 1).","Pending rules could affect lobster and Jonah crab gear requirements (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Modest right whale recovery alongside continued entanglement risk (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (Greater Atlantic Region)","role":"Federal fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team","role":"Advisory team under NOAA Fisheries","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries publishes regional contact details at fisheries.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["The Phase One rule remains deemed sufficient through 31 December 2028 under a 2022 law (ref 3).","Opponents propose seasonal and area closures in federal waters with subsidized ropeless gear (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Lobstermen gear right whales legislation","publisher":"Boston Globe","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/02/science/lobstermen-gear-right-whales-legislation/","basis":"News (date taken from the URL; page text says only \"Tuesday evening\")"},{"ref":2,"title":"6-year pause on new lobster rules is enough","publisher":"Bangor Daily News (opinion by Bill McWeeny, Maine Coalition for North Atlantic Right Whales)","date":"2026-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/06/11/opinion/6-year-pause-on-new-lobster-rules-is-enough-joam40zk0w/","basis":"Opinion piece by an advocacy group chair"},{"ref":3,"title":"Maine Lobstermen's Association wins big in appeals court","publisher":"Bar Harbor Story","date":"2023-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://barharborstory.substack.com/p/maine-lobstermens-association-wins","basis":"News (earlier court ruling, context)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["House vote date and tally not stated in the article; no Senate action found."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-RIGHTWHALE-UME-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-MARITIMES-ELVER-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Illegal elver fishing leads Canada to close the 2024 Maritimes elver fishery, with 169 arrests and 37 charges","description":"Canada's fisheries minister closed the 2024 commercial elver fishery in the Maritimes on 11 March 2024, citing an immediate threat to public safety and illegal harvesting. DFO arrested 169 people in 2024 and seized 396.3 kg of elvers, including five people from Maine, and 37 people had been charged by December 2024. Maine, by contrast, allocates a fixed 9,688 lb elver quota for 2026.","location":{"name":"Meteghan River area, Digby County, Nova Scotia","type":"Estuary and river mouth fishery","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA","US"],"detail":"Elver rivers in southwestern Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; Maine's licensed elver fishery is the regulated comparison.","coordinates":{"lat":44.19,"lon":-66.15,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Illegal harvest of a high-value juvenile eel fishery and the resulting enforcement and closure.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal fishing","High export prices"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Illegal harvest of live elvers continued in rivers during the closure, though the sources give no population or mortality figures (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The minister closed the 2024 commercial elver fishery for the season, a restriction on licensed harvesters in the Maritimes (ref 1).","scale":"Enforcement spanned Nova Scotia and New Brunswick rivers, with Maine residents among those arrested (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The closure and enforcement covered one 2024 season, with prosecutions continuing months later (ref 2).","significance":"The minister ordered the closure under public safety grounds and DFO's 169 arrests led to 37 charges, an enforcement action with prosecutions (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"DFO arrested 169 people and seized 396.3 kg of elvers in 2024 and 37 people had been charged by December 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Arrests for illegal elver fishing, 2024","value":169,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"DFO figure reported by Undercurrent News (ref 2)."},{"name":"Elvers seized, 2024","value":396.3,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"DFO (ref 2)."},{"name":"People charged by December 2024","value":37,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Charges require prosecution service approval (ref 2)."},{"name":"Maine 2026 elver total allowable catch","value":9688,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Maine DMR adoption notice for the 2026 season; 7,566 lb and 2,122 lb split (ref 3)."},{"name":"Maine elver landings value, 2025 (preliminary)","value":6.9,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Sixth most valuable Maine fishery (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Elver prices reached up to $5,000 per kg in 2022 (ref 1).","Combined Nova Scotia and New Brunswick quota is about 9,860 kg a year, now closed (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2024 season is documented in the opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)","role":"Federal fishery and aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"},{"name":"Maine Department of Marine Resources","role":"State fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.maine.gov/dmr"}],"public_contact":"DFO and Maine DMR publish general contact details at dfo-mpo.gc.ca and maine.gov/dmr.","corrective_actions":["Fisheries Minister closed the 2024 commercial elver fishery on 11 March 2024 (ref 1).","DFO investigations continue and may lead to further charges (ref 2).","Maine fixed its 2026 quota at 9,688 lb and adjusted the Passamaquoddy share for their 2025 overage (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Five people from Maine arrested in Nova Scotia for illegal elver fishing (Canadian Press)","publisher":"Global News","date":"2024-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/10447500/maine-nova-scotia-illegal-elvers-baby-eel-fishing","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"DFO confirms 37 people charged with elver poaching in 2024","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2024-12-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://undercurrentnews.com/2024/12/24/dfo-confirms-37-people-charged-with-elver-poaching-in-2024","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chapter 32 Elver Quota System for the 2026 Season (Notice of Agency Rulemaking Adoption)","publisher":"Maine Department of Marine Resources","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maine.gov/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/regulations-2026-03/MAPA-4 CH 32 3.4.26 for DMR AC.pdf","basis":"State rulemaking filing (date from file metadata; effective date blank)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Maine lobster landings down again after 2010s boom","publisher":"Maine Public","date":"2026-03-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2026-03-09/maine-lobster-landings-down-again-after-2010s-boom","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["American eel population status was not stated in any opened source; 2025 and 2026 Canadian enforcement figures not found; CBC coverage returned 403."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NL-SALMONMORTALITY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mowi reports mass salmon mortality at Newfoundland south coast farms in 2025, including about 400,000 deaths in Harbour Breton Bay","description":"Mowi Canada East reported abnormal mortality above 10% at three Harbour Breton Bay sites on 31 August 2025, with about 400,000 fish reported dead from about 1.7 million affected, after a 20 July loss of about 17,600 fish at Little Burdock Cove linked to warm, low-oxygen water. In December 2025 it reported 24,696 deaths at Friar Cove linked to residual effects of a fall sea lice infestation, and its managing director called 2025 his worst year ever.","location":{"name":"Harbour Breton Bay salmon farms, south coast Newfoundland","type":"Marine salmon farm sites","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Harvey Hill East, Harvey Hill South and Broad Cove in Harbour Breton Bay, plus Little Burdock Cove and Friar Cove sites on the south coast.","coordinates":{"lat":47.48,"lon":-55.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mass farmed-fish mortality from environmental stress and parasites.","secondary_drivers":["Warm low-oxygen water","Sea lice","Storms"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Mowi reported about 400,000 salmon dead across three sites in August 2025, about 17,600 at Little Burdock Cove in July and 24,696 at Friar Cove in December (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Dead fish were removed and some remaining fish slaughtered early during the investigation, and the managing director called 2025 his worst year ever (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The events occurred at a handful of farm sites in bays on one stretch of the south coast (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Losses recurred from July to December 2025 and the operator has reported such events since a 2.6 million fish die-off in 2019 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The events were reported under the province's mandatory 10% mortality disclosure rule, with the provincial fisheries department supervising the investigation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mowi reported an abnormal mortality event above 10% at three Harbour Breton Bay sites on 31 August 2025, with about 400,000 salmon reported dead."},"measures":[{"name":"Salmon reported dead, Harbour Breton Bay, August 2025","value":400000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Mowi communications director; SalmonBusiness reports about 1.7 million fish affected (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Salmon lost at Little Burdock Cove, July 2025","value":17600,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"More than 10% of site stock (ref 2)."},{"name":"Salmon deaths at Friar Cove, December 2025","value":24696,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Just over 10% of site stock, cumulative (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The managing director said 2025 was his worst experience in 40 years in the industry (ref 3).","He criticised the 10% mortality disclosure rule as discouraging investment (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Three reported events between July and December 2025 (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture","role":"Provincial aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/"},{"name":"Mowi Canada East","role":"Operator","contact":"https://mowi.com"}],"public_contact":"The provincial department publishes its general contact details at gov.nl.ca/ffa.","corrective_actions":["Dead fish removed and disposed of, some remaining fish harvested, under provincial supervision (ref 1).","Mandatory public reporting when a production unit reaches 10% mortality remains in place (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mowi reports mass mortality at three Newfoundland sites, 1.7 million fish affected","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2025-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/mowi-reports-mass-mortality-at-three-newfoundland-sites-1-7-million-fish-affected/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"400,000 salmon died at Mowi sites in Newfoundland","publisher":"Fish Farming Expert","date":"2025-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishfarmingexpert.com/mowi-mowi-canada-mowi-canada-east/400000-salmon-died-at-mowi-sites-in-newfoundland/1989537","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mowi reports December salmon deaths as Canada head calls 2025 dreadful","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2026-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/mowi-reports-december-salmon-deaths-as-canada-head-calls-2025-dreadful/?amp=1","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"About 400,000 salmon dead across three fish farms in Newfoundland","publisher":"CTV News (Canadian Press)","date":"2025-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/newfoundland-and-labrador/article/about-400000-salmon-dead-across-three-fish-farms-in-newfoundland/","basis":"News (headline only; page body not available)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"SalmonBusiness reports about 1.7 million fish affected while Mowi's communications director said about 400,000 died; the record keeps both."},{"note":"No confirmed cause was published for the August event; investigations were ongoing (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Cause of the August 2025 mortality; provincial investigation outcome not found; CBC coverage returned 403."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-MAINE-COOKECWA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Conservation group sues Cooke Aquaculture over alleged Clean Water Act violations at 13 Maine salmon farm sites","description":"In November 2024 the Conservation Law Foundation served a notice of intent to sue Cooke Aquaculture over alleged Clean Water Act violations at its 13 active Maine salmon net-pen sites, and it filed a complaint in US District Court in Maine in January 2025. The group alleges discharges of fish waste, dead fish, chemicals and trash and risks from sea lice, disease and escapes; Cooke denies the allegations.","location":{"name":"Cooke Aquaculture net-pen sites, coastal Maine","type":"Marine salmon net-pen sites","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"13 active Cooke salmon farm sites with about 150 cages along the Maine coast, in bays with significant lobster fishing.","coordinates":{"lat":44.6,"lon":-67.9,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Alleged discharge of waste and parasites from fish farms into coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Fish farm discharges"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"CLF alleges waste from cages settles on the seafloor and spreads disease and parasites to wild fish, allegations Cooke denies and that are unproven (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The AP report says the pens are in bays where lobster fishing is a key industry, but no closure or disruption is documented (ref 2).","scale":"The notice covers 13 active sites spread along the Maine coast (ref 1).","duration":"CLF describes chronic violations, with the notice in November 2024 and a complaint filed 14 January 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"A formal notice of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act and a federal complaint, not a finding of violation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"CLF alleges chronic Clean Water Act violations at Cooke's 13 active Maine salmon farm sites and filed suit in federal court on 14 January 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Cooke active sites named in the notice","value":13,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"CLF press release (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cages at those sites","value":150,"unit":"cages","status":"Reported","note":"CLF press release (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Maine Aquaculture Association called the notice a surprise and questioned the group's motives (ref 2).","Cooke says its farms are routinely inspected by state regulators (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Litigation pending; no outcome found in opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Maine Department of Environmental Protection","role":"Discharge permit regulator","contact":"https://www.maine.gov/dep"},{"name":"Maine Department of Marine Resources","role":"State fishery regulator","contact":"https://www.maine.gov/dmr"},{"name":"Cooke Aquaculture","role":"Operator (defendant)","contact":"https://cookeaqua.com"}],"public_contact":"Maine DEP and DMR publish general contact details on maine.gov.","corrective_actions":["CLF filed a complaint in US District Court in Maine on 14 January 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"CLF to Sue One of World's Largest Salmon Producers for Ocean Pollution","publisher":"Conservation Law Foundation","date":"2024-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://clf.org/newsroom/clf-to-sue-one-of-worlds-largest-salmon-producers-for-ocean-pollution/","basis":"NGO press release (with 14 January 2025 update)"},{"ref":2,"title":"An environmental group files intent to sue a salmon farmer for pollution off Maine's coast","publisher":"WABI (Associated Press)","date":"2024-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wabi.tv/2024/11/17/an-environmental-group-files-intent-sue-salmon-farmer-pollution-off-maines-coast/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["A court ruling allowing the case to proceed was seen only in search results and not opened (SeafoodSource returned 403), so no court outcome is stated; specific bays and permit numbers not in opened sources."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-BELFAST-NORDICAQUAFARMS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Nordic Aquafarms abandons its planned land-based salmon farm in Belfast, Maine after years of legal challenges","description":"Nordic Aquafarms announced on 17 January 2025 that it was dropping its proposed land-based salmon farm at Belfast, Maine, saying legal challenges by opponents blocked the project after seven years despite receiving all required permits. The company said it would pursue its US aquaculture work through a smaller yellowtail facility in California.","location":{"name":"Belfast, Penobscot Bay, Maine","type":"Proposed land-based aquaculture site","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"A 57-acre site in Belfast, Maine, where the company held local, state and federal permits.","coordinates":{"lat":44.43,"lon":-69.01,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A contested aquaculture siting decision that ended in project cancellation.","secondary_drivers":["Litigation over siting"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental damage is documented; the project was cancelled before construction (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The company said the project would have created jobs and expanded Belfast's tax base, which are now lost, but no existing livelihood was disrupted (ref 2).","scale":"The dispute concerned one proposed site in Belfast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The project followed seven years of planning, permitting and litigation (ref 1).","significance":"The company held local, state and federal permits but litigation by opponents stopped it; the sources describe legal challenges without naming rulings (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nordic Aquafarms dropped the Belfast project on 17 January 2025 after seven years of planning, permitting and legal challenges."},"measures":[{"name":"Years of planning, permitting and litigation","value":7,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"SalmonBusiness (ref 1)."},{"name":"Site area","value":57,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Other reports give 53.9 or 54 acres (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The company called the decision a sad day for Maine's economy and said it would shift to a California yellowtail facility (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Project abandoned; no further activity reported in opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Nordic Aquafarms","role":"Project developer","contact":"https://nordicaquafarms.com"},{"name":"City of Belfast, Maine","role":"Local permitting authority","contact":"https://www.cityofbelfast.org"}],"public_contact":"Nordic Aquafarms publishes a contact page at nordicaquafarms.com.","corrective_actions":["Developer withdrew the proposal in January 2025 (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Nordic Aquafarms' $100 million land-based project killed by legal challenges","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2025-01-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/nordic-aquafarms-100-million-land-based-project-killed-by-legal-challenges/?amp=1","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Legal challenges lead Nordic Aquafarms to quit on Maine","publisher":"We Are Aquaculture","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weareaquaculture.com/news/aquaculture/legal-challenges-lead-nordic-aquafarms-to-quit-on-maine","basis":"Trade news (page shows no date)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The earlier Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruling on the intertidal land was seen only in search results and is not cited; SeafoodSource, Mainebiz and Intrafish pages could not be opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-CHESAPEAKE-HYPOXIA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chesapeake Bay summer dead zone above its long-term average in 2025 after record-wet May","description":"Maryland DNR and Old Dominion University monitoring put the 2025 seasonal low-oxygen volume in the Maryland and Virginia mainstem Bay at 1.28 cubic miles, against a 1985-2024 average of 0.94. Hypoxia lasted about 60 days and peaked in early July, after a very wet May raised river flow and nutrient runoff. Conditions eased after cool mid-to-late August weather.","location":{"name":"Chesapeake Bay mainstem (Maryland and Virginia)","type":"Estuarine dead zone","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Mid-Atlantic coast, United States; tidal Chesapeake Bay between Maryland and Virginia","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":38.5,"lon":-76.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient runoff drives algal blooms whose decay strips oxygen from bottom water.","secondary_drivers":["Heavy May rainfall","Summer heat"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Seasonal hypoxic volume of 1.28 cubic miles, above the 0.94 average, kept bottom water below the oxygen level crabs, fish and oysters need (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no fishery closure or restriction tied to the 2025 dead zone (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The dead zone is confined to the Chesapeake mainstem, a single estuary (ref 1).","duration":"Hypoxia lasted 60 days in 2025 and the season record spans 41 years of annual dead zones (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Maryland DNR published a formal seasonal monitoring summary on 3 December 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Seasonal hypoxic volume of 1.28 cubic miles in 2025, against a 1985-2024 average of 0.94 (Maryland DNR, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Seasonal hypoxic volume, Maryland and Virginia mainstem","value":1.28,"unit":"cubic miles","status":"Reported","note":"Year-end average, 1985-2024 average 0.94 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Early-July peak cruise","value":2.29,"unit":"cubic miles","status":"Reported","note":"Average for that cruise 1.59 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hypoxia duration","value":60,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Chesapeake Bay Program summary (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Sources note crabs, fish and oysters depend on dissolved oxygen but give no fishery loss figure (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Volume was above average but the season was shorter than typical and the September figure was likely underestimated because lower-Bay stations went unsampled (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Maryland Department of Natural Resources","role":"Monitoring agency","contact":"https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/"},{"name":"Chesapeake Bay Program","role":"Restoration partnership","contact":"https://www.chesapeakebay.net"}],"public_contact":"Chesapeake Bay Program and Maryland DNR publish contacts on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Bay partners continue nutrient reductions under the Bay TMDL framework (see related record)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Shows Hypoxia Conditions Near Average for 2025","publisher":"Maryland Department of Natural Resources","date":"2025-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2025/12/03/chesapeake-bay-monitoring-shows-hypoxia-conditions-near-average-for-2025/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cool August temperatures lead to a shorter-than-average dead zone in 2025","publisher":"Chesapeake Bay Program","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/cool-august-temperatures-lead-to-a-shorter-than-average-dead-zone-in-2025","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Maryland DNR text calls 2025 the 11th largest season of 41 while its table lists 31st of 41 (lowest to highest); these agree. The Bay Program subtitle says slightly above average, its body says close to the long-term average."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-CHESAPEAKE-TMDL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-CHESAPEAKE-TMDL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chesapeake Bay misses its 2025 nutrient-reduction deadline as partners approve a slimmer watershed agreement","description":"The 2025 nutrient goals under the Bay TMDL were acknowledged as out of reach, with states at about 59 percent of nitrogen and 67 percent of phosphorus reduction targets as of 2023. On 2 December 2025 the Chesapeake Executive Council approved a revised Watershed Agreement with four goals and 21 outcomes, replacing ten goals and 31 outcomes; critics said the draft left nitrogen and phosphorus targets blank.","location":{"name":"Chesapeake Bay watershed (Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania)","type":"Estuary and tributary watershed","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Mid-Atlantic coast, United States; six-state Chesapeake Bay watershed and the tidal Bay","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":38.5,"lon":-76.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Delayed nutrient reductions keep the Bay's oxygen-depleted waters and algal blooms in place.","secondary_drivers":["Agricultural runoff","Stormwater runoff","Heavier rainfall"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A University of Maryland analyst says Bay water quality and tributaries remain degraded (ref 1) and the 2025 report card fell from C+ to C (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited sources describe no closure or restriction attributed to the missed target (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The issue concerns one estuary and its six-state watershed (ref 3).","duration":"EPA and partners conceded in late 2022 that the 2025 target was out of reach, and states were still at 59 and 67 percent in 2023 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Executive Council formally approved a revised agreement on 2 December 2025; EPA Region 3 said its TMDL oversight role is unchanged (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"As of 2023 states had met about 59 percent of nitrogen and 67 percent of phosphorus reduction targets (Inside Climate News, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nitrogen reduction target achieved (2023)","value":59,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as of 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Phosphorus reduction target achieved (2023)","value":67,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as of 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Agreement outcomes after revision","value":21,"unit":"outcomes","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 31 outcomes across 10 goals (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Management strategies for each outcome were still being developed after approval (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Chesapeake Executive Council","role":"Approves the Watershed Agreement","contact":"https://www.chesapeakebay.net"},{"name":"U.S. EPA Region 3","role":"Bay TMDL oversight","contact":"https://www.epa.gov"}],"public_contact":"Chesapeake Bay Program publishes contacts at chesapeakebay.net.","corrective_actions":["Council approved the revised agreement on 2 December 2025 and tasked partners with management strategies for each outcome (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Chesapeake Bay Program Isn't Likely to Hit Its 2025 Cleanup Goals. What Happens Next?","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2024-06-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26062024/chesapeake-bay-program-flunked-2025-cleanup-goals/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Experts Slam Chesapeake Bay Draft Plan Over Lack of Pollution Targets and Accountability","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2025-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/04082025/chesapeake-bay-draft-plan-lacks-accountability/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chesapeake Executive Council Approves Revised Watershed Agreement, Ushering in the Next Era of Bay Restoration","publisher":"Chesapeake Bay Program","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/pressrelease/chesapeake-executive-council-approves-revised-watershed-agreement-ushering-in-the-next-era-of-bay-restoration","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The press release page shows no publication date; the approval date (2 December 2025) is taken from its text.","Final nutrient targets in the revised agreement were not stated on the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-CHESAPEAKE-HYPOXIA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-INDIANRIVERLAGOON-MANATEE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Federal court finds Florida's wastewater rules harm manatees in the Indian River Lagoon, orders septic moratorium","description":"On 11 April 2025 a federal judge ruled that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection violates the Endangered Species Act through wastewater rules that allow nutrient pollution in the northern Indian River Lagoon. A May injunction set a septic-system moratorium and manatee feeding and health programs; the 11th Circuit refused a stay in June 2025 while the state's appeal continues.","location":{"name":"Northern Indian River Lagoon, Brevard County, Florida","type":"Estuarine lagoon","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Atlantic coast of Florida; northern Indian River Lagoon and Banana River, mostly Brevard County","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":28.4,"lon":-80.7,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient loading from sewage and septic systems fuels algal blooms that destroyed the lagoon's seagrass.","secondary_drivers":["Septic system nitrogen","Wastewater discharges","Seagrass loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Trial evidence cited seagrass loss of up to 99 percent over 50 years and Florida recorded 587 manatee deaths in 2025 through 7 November (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"The injunction bars new septic construction and installation in a northern lagoon watershed, which the state said would hinder development (ref 2).","scale":"The ruling covers the northern lagoon, one lagoon system (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The suit was filed in 2022 and the lagoon's seagrass decline spans decades; a 2023 study found worsening blooms years after fertilizer bans (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Judge Mendoza's ESA ruling and May injunction were upheld against a stay request by a 2-1 11th Circuit panel in June 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A federal judge ruled on 11 April 2025 that Florida is violating the Endangered Species Act in the northern Indian River Lagoon (Inside Climate News, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Florida manatee deaths 2023","value":555,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"FWC data cited by Inside Climate News (ref 4)."},{"name":"Florida manatee deaths 2024","value":565,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 4."},{"name":"Florida manatee deaths 2025 (through 7 Nov)","value":587,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"Partial year (ref 4)."},{"name":"Nitrogen load from septic systems","value":79,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Current loading estimates, residential fertilizer 21 percent (FAU study, ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The state cites about $747 million in lagoon projects and independent estimates put full restoration near $6 billion (ref 1).","The septic moratorium was challenged by the state as a brake on development (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"State reports more than 5,000 net acres of seagrass regrowth from 2021 to 2023 (ref 1) while the court says discharges will keep harming manatees during recovery."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Florida Department of Environmental Protection","role":"Defendant, wastewater regulator","contact":"https://floridadep.gov"},{"name":"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service","role":"Incidental take permit authority","contact":"https://www.fws.gov"}],"public_contact":"Florida DEP and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publish contacts on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Court ordered FDEP to seek an incidental take permit with a Habitat Conservation Plan (ref 1).","Biomedical assessment and supplemental feeding programs for manatees ordered by injunction (ref 2).","State has appealed; the merits outcome was not found."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Federal Judge Orders Florida to Address Pollution That Led to Manatee Deaths","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2025-04-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18042025/judge-orders-florida-to-address-pollution-that-led-to-manatee-deaths/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Court refuses to halt Florida manatee requirements","publisher":"CBS News Miami","date":"2025-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/court-refuses-to-halt-florida-manatee-requirements","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sewage, Not Fertilizer Fueling Nitrogen Surge in Indian River Lagoon","publisher":"Florida Atlantic University","date":"2023-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/lagoon-fertilizer-ban-study","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (university release)"},{"ref":4,"title":"In Florida, Manatee Deaths Edge Up Slightly in 2025","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2025-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18112025/florida-manatee-deaths-2025/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the state's appeal to the 11th Circuit was not found.","Separate Indian River Lagoon manatee death count not given; the counts are statewide."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-INDIANRIVERLAGOON-SEAGRASS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-LONGISLANDSOUND-HYPOXIA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Long Island Sound hypoxia shrinks to 18 square miles in 2025 as nitrogen controls take hold","description":"Connecticut's 2025 Council on Environmental Quality report shows the maximum hypoxic area in Long Island Sound fell from 43.4 square miles in 2024 to 18.3 square miles in 2025, about 80 percent below the ten-year average, while duration rose from 38 to 40 days. Nitrogen discharged by Connecticut treatment plants fell about 22 percent, helped by upgrades and warmer, drier weather.","location":{"name":"Long Island Sound (Connecticut and New York)","type":"Estuarine hypoxic zone","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Northeastern United States; bottom waters of Long Island Sound between Connecticut and New York","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":41,"lon":-73.1,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nitrogen from wastewater, septic and runoff drives algal growth and bottom-water oxygen depletion.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater nitrogen","Stormwater runoff","Weather variability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Hypoxic bottom water covered a maximum 18.3 square miles in 2025, down from 43.4 in 2024 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The sources describe no closure or restriction linked to the 2025 hypoxia (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The hypoxic zone is confined to one sound with a state goal of measurable reduction by 2035 (ref 1).","duration":"Hypoxia lasted 40 days in 2025 and 38 in 2024, and is described as an annual summer problem (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Connecticut's Nitrogen Control Program and a reported TMDL nitrogen target frame the response (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Maximum hypoxic area 18.3 square miles in 2025, down from 43.4 in 2024 and about 80 percent below the previous ten-year average (CT CEQ, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum hypoxic area 2025","value":18.3,"unit":"square miles","status":"Reported","note":"2024 value 43.4 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hypoxia duration 2025","value":40,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"2024: 38 days (ref 1)."},{"name":"Treatment-plant nitrogen discharge 2025","value":6331,"unit":"pounds per day","status":"Reported","note":"22 percent below 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Area fell 58 percent year on year; duration rose slightly (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection","role":"Monitoring and nitrogen control","contact":"https://portal.ct.gov/deep"},{"name":"Interstate Environmental Commission","role":"Western Sound monitoring","contact":"https://www.iec-nynjct.org"}],"public_contact":"Connecticut DEEP and the Interstate Environmental Commission publish contacts on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Connecticut Nitrogen Control Program and treatment-plant upgrades (ref 1).","DEEP summer hypoxia surveys at 30 stations plus 17 year-round stations (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Water of Long Island Sound (2025 Annual Report)","publisher":"Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/ceq/ar-25-gold/2025-ceq-annual-report-ebook/water---rivers-lakes-and-estuaries/the-water-of-long-island-sound","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hypoxia Maps - Summer 2025","publisher":"Connecticut DEEP","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/deep/water/lis-monitoring/hypoxia-maps---summer-2025","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Western Long Island Sound Hypoxia in Summer 2025 - Time-Lapse Videos","publisher":"Interstate Environmental Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iec-nynjct.org/node/395","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source pages carry no publication date (DEEP page says content last updated March 2026).","Area figures are Connecticut DEEP survey results and may not cover all of the Sound."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NEWYORKHARBOR-SEWAGE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"New York City still fights a court order to promptly notify the public of sewage overflows into harbour waters","description":"New York City discharged an estimated 20.25 billion gallons of combined sewer overflow into local waterways in 2024, according to state DEC data cited by Inside Climate News. In 2024 a judge ordered the city's environmental protection department to promptly notify the public of untreated sewage discharges; the department has appealed twice and is asking the New York Court of Appeals to take the case.","location":{"name":"New York City tidal waterways and harbour","type":"Urban estuary and harbour","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Mid-Atlantic coast, United States; East River, Newtown Creek, Gowanus Canal and New York Harbor","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":40.7,"lon":-74,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Sewage overflows add nutrients and organic load that deplete oxygen in tidal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Combined sewer overflows","Heavy rain"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A large algal bloom and oxygen-starved fish were reported in Gowanus Canal after heavy rain, and Newtown Creek is a Superfund site (ref 1).","livelihoods":"DEP issues advisories only when water quality violates state standards, and paddling groups say they must be extremely cautious using the waterways (ref 1).","scale":"The overflows affect the city's tidal waterways, roughly 60 percent of the city drains to combined sewers (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The notification lawsuit dates to 2020 and the city operates about 700 combined sewer outfalls on a continuing basis (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A 2024 court order requires prompt public notice of discharges, under appeal to the Court of Appeals (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An estimated 20.25 billion gallons of combined sewer overflow entered city waterways in 2024 (DEC data via Inside Climate News, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Combined sewer overflow volume 2024","value":20.25,"unit":"billion gallons","status":"Estimated","note":"State DEC estimate cited in ref 1."},{"name":"Share of city with combined sewers","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"NYC DEP page (ref 2)."},{"name":"Combined sewer outfalls","value":700,"unit":"outfalls","status":"Reported","note":"NYC DEP page (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Recreational paddling on the waterways is constrained by uncertainty about discharges (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2024 volume is cited."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NYC Department of Environmental Protection","role":"Sewer operator and defendant","contact":"https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep"},{"name":"New York State DEC","role":"Regulator, CSO data","contact":"https://dec.ny.gov"}],"public_contact":"NYC DEP and NYS DEC publish contacts on their websites; 311 accepts reports of dry-weather discharges.","corrective_actions":["City is developing green and grey infrastructure under its CSO Long Term Control Program (ref 2).","Court-ordered notification of discharges is under appeal (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"As More New Yorkers Use the City's Waterways for Recreation, Officials Fight Sewage Notification Order","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2026-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/05082026/new-york-city-fights-sewage-discharge-notifications/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Combined Sewer Overflows","publisher":"NYC Department of Environmental Protection","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/water/combined-sewer-overflows.page","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Court name, case number and judge not stated in the sources opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-HALIFAX-SEWAGEBYPASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Halifax Water diverts millions of cubic metres of screened untreated sewage into the harbour and Bedford Basin","description":"From late April to 31 May 2025 Halifax Water bypassed its Halifax and Dartmouth treatment facilities while replacing ultraviolet disinfection equipment, releasing about two million cubic metres from Halifax and about four million from Dartmouth into Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. Residents were asked to avoid swimming and cut water use; the utility said it would report to Environment and Climate Change Canada.","location":{"name":"Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin","type":"Urban harbour and basin","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Nova Scotia, Canada; Halifax and Dartmouth waterfront and Bedford Basin","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":44.65,"lon":-63.57,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Raw screened sewage adds nutrients and pathogens to a semi-enclosed harbour.","secondary_drivers":["Treatment plant maintenance","Utility design without retention"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Screened, untreated effluent combined with stormwater went to harbour overflow points; no sampling results were published in the sources opened (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Halifax Water advised people to avoid swimming during the maintenance window (ref 1).","scale":"The discharge affected one harbour and basin (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Diversions ran 21 April to 1 May at Halifax and 28 April to 31 May at Dartmouth, about six weeks in total (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The bypass needed a temporary authorization application to ECCC, with volumes tracked and reported (ref 3)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About two million cubic metres from Halifax and four million from Dartmouth diverted to the harbour and Bedford Basin (Canadian Press, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Wastewater diverted at Halifax facility","value":2,"unit":"million cubic metres","status":"Reported","note":"Spokesperson figure (ref 1)."},{"name":"Wastewater diverted at Dartmouth facility","value":4,"unit":"million cubic metres","status":"Reported","note":"Spokesperson figure (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Facilities returned to normal operations by 2 June 2025 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Halifax Water","role":"Utility","contact":"https://halifaxwater.ca"},{"name":"Environment and Climate Change Canada","role":"Bypass authorization and reporting","contact":"https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.html"}],"public_contact":"Halifax Water publishes its customer contacts at halifaxwater.ca.","corrective_actions":["Utility committed to a final report to ECCC and to publish sampling results (ref 2).","Residents asked to reduce water use during the work (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Halifax Water to divert millions of cubic metres of wastewater into Halifax harbour","publisher":"Canadian Press via Global News","date":"2025-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/11141471/halifax-wastewater-harbour-basin","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Halifax completes maintenance work after diverting wastewater into harbour","publisher":"CBC News","date":"2025-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbc.ca/1.7549959","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Wastewater system maintenance","publisher":"Halifax Water","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://halifaxwater.ca/wastewater-system-maintenance","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":4,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["ECCC decision on the bypass application and sampling results were not found.","Volumes are planned figures, not measured discharges."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-ATLANTICCANADA-GHOSTGEAR-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Atlantic Canada clears 695 tonnes of lost fishing gear after Storm Fiona as Ottawa builds a ghost gear plan","description":"Canada said in April 2024 that 695 metric tons of lost fishing gear had been removed in Atlantic Canada after post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022, funded in part from a C$30 million post-storm fund. Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Ghost Gear Action Plan reports over 2,470 tonnes of gear and 925 km of rope retrieved in Phase 1 (2019-2024), and mandatory lost-gear reporting for commercial fisheries.","location":{"name":"Atlantic Canada coastal waters","type":"National waters, fishing grounds","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Atlantic Canada waters and coasts affected by post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Lost nets and rope are persistent plastic debris that keep catching marine life.","secondary_drivers":["Extreme storm","Lost fishing gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Global Ghost Gear Initiative says lost gear is made to capture and kill marine life and keeps doing so (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The minister said ghost gear threatens fishery sustainability, but no closure or income loss is documented in the sources (ref 1).","scale":"Cleanup spanned Atlantic Canada's storm-hit coasts, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Gear lost in September 2022 was still being removed in 2024, and Canada's plan runs through further phases (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Lost-gear reporting became mandatory for commercial fisheries and a federal action plan is in place (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"695 metric tons of lost fishing gear removed in Atlantic Canada after Storm Fiona (Reuters, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Lost gear removed after Storm Fiona","value":695,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"Announced 22 April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gear retrieved in Phase 1, Canada and abroad","value":2470,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Over 2,470 tonnes, 2019-2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The fisheries minister links ghost gear to coastal economic prosperity (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Removal and mandatory reporting are in place, but no recovery rate against gear lost is given (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","role":"Ghost Gear Action Plan lead","contact":"https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca"}],"public_contact":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada publishes contacts at dfo-mpo.gc.ca.","corrective_actions":["Federal C$30 million post-Fiona fund used to pay for removal (ref 1).","Ghost Gear Action Plan Phase 2 developing best practices and regulations (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Canada cleans up nearly 700 metric tons of lost fishing gear from 2022 storm Fiona","publisher":"Reuters (via WSAU)","date":"2024-04-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wsau.com/2024/04/22/canada-cleans-up-nearly-700-metric-tons-of-lost-fishing-gear-from-2022-storm-fiona/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ghost Gear Action Plan","publisher":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","date":"2025-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/about-notre-sujet/publications/infographics-infographies/ghost-gear-action-plan-action-engins-phantomes-eng.html","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The DFO page carries no Atlantic-specific figures; the Reuters piece does not break gear into plastic and non-plastic."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NEWARKBAY-PASSAIC-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay Superfund cleanup advances with $125 million consent decree","description":"On 10 September 2026 EPA and the Justice Department proposed a roughly $125 million settlement for an upland processing facility and sampling of the lower 8.3 river miles, the next step before in-river dredging and capping. A federal court approved a separate $150 million settlement with 82 parties in December 2024, which OxyChem and Nokia asked the Third Circuit to reverse in July 2025.","location":{"name":"Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay, New Jersey","type":"Superfund tidal river and bay","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"New Jersey, United States; Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, lower 17 miles of the Passaic River and Newark Bay","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":40.72,"lon":-74.13,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Legacy dioxin, PCB and mercury contamination sits in tidal river and bay sediments.","secondary_drivers":["Legacy industrial releases","Contaminated sediment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Historic releases left dioxins and furans, PCBs, PAHs, pesticides, mercury, copper and lead in the river, with dioxin the most toxic contaminant (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited sources describe no fishery or port restriction (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The cleanup covers the lower 8.3 miles, a 17-mile study area and Newark Bay (ref 1).","duration":"The site has been on the National Priorities List since 1984 (ref 2).","significance":"A federal court approved a consent decree in December 2024 and EPA announced another proposed decree in September 2026; an appeal is pending (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Proposed consent decree for work estimated at about $125 million to enable in-river dredging and capping (EPA, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Proposed consent decree work value","value":125,"unit":"million USD","status":"Estimated","note":"EPA estimate (ref 1)."},{"name":"Court-approved cash-out settlement","value":150,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"82 parties, approved 18 December 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Remedy cost when completed","value":2000,"unit":"million USD","status":"Estimated","note":"Up to $2 billion per ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Remedy may cost up to $2 billion when completed (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"In-river work has not yet begun per the proposed decree (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. EPA Region 2","role":"Superfund lead","contact":"https://www.epa.gov"},{"name":"U.S. Department of Justice","role":"Consent decree party","contact":"https://www.justice.gov"}],"public_contact":"EPA Region 2 publishes contacts on epa.gov.","corrective_actions":["2016 cleanup plan for the lower 8.3 miles and 2021 interim plan for the upper 9 miles (ref 1).","Consent decree for upland processing facilities proposed in September 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EPA proposed settlement agreement provides critical work advancing Lower Passaic River cleanup","publisher":"U.S. EPA","date":"2026-09-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposed-settlement-agreement-provides-critical-work-advancing-lower-passaic-river","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Court Approves EPA Settlement with 82 Passaic River Potentially Responsible Parties","publisher":"ACOEL","date":"2025-01-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://acoel.org/blog/court-approves-epa-settlement-with-82-passaic-river-potentially-responsible-parties/","basis":"Legal analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"OxyChem, Nokia Tell 3rd Circ. Passaic Cleanup Deal Is Unfair","publisher":"Law360 UK","date":"2025-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.law360.co.uk/articles/2370425","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the Third Circuit appeal was not found; the Law360 page was a paywalled teaser."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-PICTOU-BOATHARBOUR-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Federal approval clears $425 million Boat Harbour cleanup of decades of pulp-mill effluent in Nova Scotia","description":"Canada's environment minister approved Nova Scotia's plan to remediate Boat Harbour, a former tidal estuary near Pictou Landing First Nation that received Northern Pulp effluent for decades, on 24 January 2025. The plan carries a $425 million budget estimate and would expand an on-site hazardous waste cell from 220,000 to almost 1.1 million cubic metres, which the First Nation opposes.","location":{"name":"Boat Harbour, Pictou Landing, Nova Scotia","type":"Former tidal estuary effluent basin","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Nova Scotia, Canada; Northumberland Strait coast near Pictou Landing First Nation","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":45.62,"lon":-62.7,"precision":"site","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Legacy pulp-mill effluent left hazardous waste-bearing sediment in a former tidal estuary.","secondary_drivers":["Pulp mill effluent","Contaminated sludge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The assessment page refers to hazardous waste-bearing sediment in the former effluent facility, with toxic materials built up for over half a century (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Pictou Landing First Nation says its community endured environmental, health and cultural harm, and the 2019 announcement cites protecting Mi'kmaq fishing lands (refs 1, 3).","scale":"A single former estuary basin is involved (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The mill dates to the 1960s, ceased production in 2020 and remediation is expected to take four to seven years once a contract is awarded (ref 1).","significance":"The Minister of Environment issued an Environmental Assessment Decision Statement on 24 January 2025 with binding conditions (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Build Nova Scotia's remediation budget estimate is $425 million, with a four to seven year construction timeline (CBC, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Remediation budget estimate","value":425,"unit":"million CAD","status":"Estimated","note":"Build Nova Scotia estimate (ref 1)."},{"name":"Containment cell capacity after expansion","value":1.1,"unit":"million cubic metres","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 220,000 cubic metres; page states up to 1,074,000 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Effluent ceased in 2020 and the project has federal approval; construction has not begun (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Impact Assessment Agency of Canada","role":"Environmental assessment","contact":"https://www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca"}],"public_contact":"Impact Assessment Agency of Canada publishes project contacts on its registry page.","corrective_actions":["Independent and Indigenous monitors required (ref 1).","Advisory committee to examine alternative sludge sites, co-led by Pictou Landing First Nation (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Federal minister signs off on province's Boat Harbour cleanup plan","publisher":"CBC News","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cbc.ca/1.7443083","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Boat Harbour Remediation Project","publisher":"Impact Assessment Agency of Canada","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/80164","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Boat Harbour 100 million cleanup","publisher":"Global News","date":"2019-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/5306631/boat-harbour-100-million","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coordinates are approximate for the Pictou Landing area and were not read from a source page.","Sludge volume to be removed was not stated."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-RIOFFSHORE-REVWINDHALT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Revolution Wind construction halted twice by federal stop-work orders, then allowed to resume by court injunctions","description":"Revolution Wind, a 704 MW, 65-turbine wind farm off Rhode Island, received a federal stop-work order in August 2025 and a second 90-day suspension on 22 December 2025 that the Interior Department attributed to national security. A federal judge granted injunctions against both orders, the second on 12 January 2026, so construction could resume while the lawsuits continue.","location":{"name":"Revolution Wind lease area, off Rhode Island","type":"Offshore wind farm (under construction)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"US Outer Continental Shelf south of Rhode Island and Connecticut; developer Orsted and Skyborn Renewables; the cited reports place it off Rhode Island without naming coordinates, so the point is approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":41.1,"lon":-71.2,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regulatory and legal dispute over whether an under-construction energy project may proceed.","secondary_drivers":["Federal policy reversal","Defense radar concerns cited by the government"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human-health harm is described in the court-ruling coverage; the disputed point is the stop-work order itself (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Construction was suspended on a project that Orsted described as about 87% complete, with 58 of 65 turbines installed (ref 4).","scale":"A single wind farm lease area off Rhode Island (ref 1).","duration":"Two separate orders, in August 2025 and December 2025, with litigation still proceeding after the January 2026 injunction (refs 3, 5).","significance":"Judge Royce Lamberth stayed and preliminarily enjoined the 22 December 2025 order on 12 January 2026 (ref 2), after an earlier injunction in September 2025 (ref 5)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Judge Royce Lamberth of the US District Court for the District of Columbia preliminarily enjoined the Interior Department's 22 December 2025 suspension of Revolution Wind on 12 January 2026 (Spencer Fane, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Project capacity","value":704,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Revolution Wind, ref 5."},{"name":"Turbines installed","value":58,"unit":"turbines","status":"Reported","note":"58 of 65 turbines, about 87% complete, SWZ Maritime 14 January 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Suspension period ordered 22 December 2025","value":90,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Second stop-work order (ref 2)."},{"name":"Project cost","value":6.2,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Figure given by developer in ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The project carries a reported cost of about USD 6.2 billion and had been described as nearly 90% complete when halted (ref 3).","It holds 20-year power purchase agreements for 400 MW in Rhode Island and 304 MW in Connecticut (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Stop-work orders in August and December 2025 were each followed by a court injunction; the merits of the cases were not resolved in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Department of the Interior","role":"Issuer of the stop-work orders and lease regulator","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"Orsted and Skyborn Renewables (Revolution Wind LLC)","role":"Developer and plaintiff","contact":"https://us.orsted.com"}],"public_contact":"BOEM publishes a general contact form on boem.gov.","corrective_actions":["Court injunctions let construction resume while the lawsuits by the developer and by Rhode Island and Connecticut continue (refs 2, 5).","The Interior Department said it continues to investigate national security and other conflicts (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"U.S. Court Allows Orsted, GIP's $5 Billion Offshore Wind Project to Restart After Halt Ordered by Trump Administration","publisher":"ESG Today","date":"2026-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.esgtoday.com/u-s-court-allows-orsted-gips-5-billion-offshore-wind-project-to-restart-after-halt-ordered-by-trump-administration/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Revolution Wind May Proceed With its Offshore Wind Energy Project: The Trump Administration Loses Another Court Battle","publisher":"Spencer Fane LLP","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.spencerfane.com/insight/revolution-wind-may-proceed-with-its-offshore-wind-energy-project-the-trump-administration-loses-another-court-battle/","basis":"Law firm analysis of court order"},{"ref":3,"title":"Judge blocks Trump's latest pause on a major offshore wind farm","publisher":"DredgeWire","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dredgewire.com/judge-blocks-trumps-latest-pause-on-a-major-offshore-wind-farm/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Orsted to resume US offshore wind project after court win","publisher":"SWZ Maritime","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://swzmaritime.nl/news/2026/01/14/orsted-to-resume-us-offshore-wind-project-after-court-win/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"US federal court allows Orsted to restart 704 MW Revolution Wind project works","publisher":"Enerdata","date":"2025-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/us-federal-court-allows-orsted-restart-704-mw-revolution-wind-project-works.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the merits case after January 2026 was not verified in a cited source.","The text of the stop-work orders and court opinions was not opened; facts rest on news and law-firm summaries."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-NYBIGHT-EMPIREWINDHALT-2025","OC-NWATL-VABEACH-CVOWHALT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NYBIGHT-EMPIREWINDHALT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Empire Wind 1 off New York suspended by the Interior Department on 22 December 2025, then allowed to resume by court","description":"The Interior Department suspended Empire Wind 1, the Equinor wind farm south of Long Island that was about 60% complete, on 22 December 2025, citing confidential Pentagon research on radar interference. On 15 January 2026 Judge Carl Nichols granted a preliminary injunction so construction could continue while the lawsuit proceeds.","location":{"name":"Empire Wind 1 lease area, south of Long Island","type":"Offshore wind farm (under construction)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"US Outer Continental Shelf in the New York Bight south of Long Island; supported from the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal; developer Equinor. Coordinates are approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":40.3,"lon":-73.3,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regulatory suspension and court challenge over an energy project in federal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Federal policy reversal","Defense radar concerns cited by the government"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The cited coverage describes no ecological or human-health harm; the dispute is over the suspension order itself (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Equinor said construction, which had employed nearly 4,000 people, was threatened by the suspension and that it could end the project if work did not resume (refs 2, 3).","scale":"One wind farm lease area south of Long Island (ref 1).","duration":"The order of 22 December 2025 was enjoined on 15 January 2026, about three weeks later (refs 1, 2); later developments were not verified.","significance":"Judge Carl Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Columbia granted a preliminary injunction on 15 January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Judge Carl Nichols granted a preliminary injunction on 15 January 2026 allowing Empire Wind 1, about 60% complete, to continue construction while the case proceeds (E&E News, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Construction progress when suspended","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"More than 60% complete per Empire Wind release dated 2 January 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Equinor investment to date","value":4,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"More than USD 4 billion invested, USD 2.7 billion drawn under project financing (ref 3)."},{"name":"Homes the project is expected to supply","value":500000,"unit":"homes","status":"Reported","note":"Company projection under the NYSERDA contract (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Equinor said in court filings that the order could end the project if work did not resume (ref 2).","Equinor reported more than USD 4 billion invested, with USD 2.7 billion drawn under project financing (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the December 2025 order and the January 2026 injunction were verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Department of the Interior","role":"Issuer of the suspension order and lease regulator","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"Equinor (Empire Offshore Wind LLC)","role":"Developer and plaintiff","contact":"https://www.empirewind.com"}],"public_contact":"BOEM publishes a general contact form on boem.gov.","corrective_actions":["A preliminary injunction on 15 January 2026 let construction continue while the case is decided (refs 1, 2).","The judge said the court would expedite a decision on the underlying case (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Empire Wind Gets Court-Ordered Injunction Against U.S. to Resume Work","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/empire-wind-gets-court-ordered-injunction-against-u-s-to-resume-work","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Judge rejects Trump's stop-work order for Empire Wind","publisher":"E&E News by POLITICO","date":"2026-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eenews.net/articles/judge-rejects-trumps-stop-work-order-for-empire-wind/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Empire to file preliminary injunction against lease suspension order","publisher":"Empire Wind (Equinor)","date":"2026-01-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.empirewind.com/2026/01/02/empire-files-preliminary-injunction/","basis":"Company press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the merits case after January 2026 was not verified.","Project capacity in MW is not given in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-RIOFFSHORE-REVWINDHALT-2025","OC-NWATL-VABEACH-CVOWHALT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-VABEACH-CVOWHALT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind stop-work order of 22 December 2025 blocked by federal court","description":"The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ordered a stop to work on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project on 22 December 2025, citing national security. Dominion Energy Virginia sued, and on 16 January 2026 Judge Jamar Walker of the Eastern District of Virginia granted a preliminary injunction from the bench.","location":{"name":"Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind lease area, off Virginia","type":"Offshore wind farm (under construction)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"US Outer Continental Shelf off Virginia; developer Dominion Energy Virginia. The cited pages give no coordinates, so the point is approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":36.9,"lon":-75.5,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal suspension of a utility energy project and the resulting court challenge.","secondary_drivers":["Federal policy reversal","Defense radar concerns cited by the government"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports describe no ecological or human-health harm from the project or the order (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Work on a project of 176 turbines and 2.6 GW, about 60% complete, was ordered stopped (ref 1).","scale":"One wind farm lease area off Virginia (ref 1).","duration":"The order dated 22 December 2025 was enjoined on 16 January 2026, under a month later (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted a preliminary injunction on 16 January 2026 in case 2:25-cv-00830 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Eastern District of Virginia granted a preliminary injunction on 16 January 2026 against the 22 December 2025 stop-work order for the 176-turbine, 2.6 GW project, which was about 60% complete (The Maritime Executive, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned turbines","value":176,"unit":"turbines","status":"Reported","note":"The Maritime Executive, 16 January 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned capacity","value":2.6,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"The Maritime Executive, 16 January 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Construction progress","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Approximate figure stated in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Dominion Energy Virginia filed suit on 23 December 2025, the day after the order (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the December 2025 order and the January 2026 injunction were verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Department of the Interior","role":"Issuer of the stop-work order","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"Dominion Energy Virginia","role":"Developer and plaintiff","contact":"https://www.dominionenergy.com"}],"public_contact":"BOEM publishes a general contact form on boem.gov.","corrective_actions":["The court enjoined enforcement of the order while the case proceeds (refs 1, 2).","The judge called the order too broad (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Dominion Energy Received Injunction Against Offshore Wind Stop-Work Order","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/dominion-energy-received-injunction-against-offshore-wind-stop-work-order","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Virginia Electric & Power Co. v. U.S. Department of the Interior","publisher":"Climate Change Litigation Databases (Sabin Center)","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climatecasechart.com/document/virginia-electric-power-co-v-u-s-department-of-the-interior_6992","basis":"Court record summary"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the merits case after January 2026 was not verified.","Exact lease coordinates were not in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-RIOFFSHORE-REVWINDHALT-2025","OC-NWATL-NYBIGHT-EMPIREWINDHALT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NJLBI-ATLSHORES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Atlantic Shores offshore wind approvals sent back for reconsideration while the developer exits its New Jersey contract","description":"The 2.8 GW Atlantic Shores project off Long Beach Island, New Jersey, had its Clean Air Act permit remanded in March 2025, its state offshore wind credit order vacated in August 2025, and its federal construction and operations plan sent back to BOEM by Judge Jia Cobb on 10 August 2026. The Justice Department had asked for the remand in a suit by the group Save Long Beach Island.","location":{"name":"Atlantic Shores lease area, off Long Beach Island NJ","type":"Offshore wind lease area (planned)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"New York Bight off Long Beach Island and Brigantine, New Jersey, as close as 8.7 miles from shore; developed by EDF Renewables and, until 2025, Shell.","coordinates":{"lat":39.6,"lon":-74,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Permit remands and a court order that reopen approvals of an energy project.","secondary_drivers":["Federal policy reversal","Cost and financing pressures cited by the developer"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The sources describe procedural reconsideration; plaintiffs argued marine mammal and other effects were not adequately considered, but no harm is documented (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities vacated the project's 2021 offshore wind credit order, ending its status as a qualified project (ref 3).","scale":"One planned wind farm of up to 197 turbines off New Jersey (ref 2).","duration":"The sequence runs from the February 2025 EPA remand request to the August 2026 court order, about eighteen months (refs 1, 5).","significance":"Judge Jia Cobb granted BOEM's request to reconsider the October 2024 approval on 10 August 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On 10 August 2026 Judge Jia Cobb granted BOEM's request to reconsider its October 2024 approval of the 2.8 GW Atlantic Shores construction and operations plan (WorkBoat, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned capacity","value":2.8,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 197 turbines, ref 2."},{"name":"Planned turbines","value":197,"unit":"turbines","status":"Reported","note":"Maximum, ref 2."},{"name":"Shell write-down on its investment","value":996,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Shell withdrew as equity partner in January 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Shell wrote down its investment by USD 996 million after withdrawing in January 2025 (ref 1).","The project's New Jersey offshore wind credit order was terminated at the developer's request in 2025 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Approvals moved from remand of the air permit (March 2025) to vacated state credit order (August 2025) to remand of the federal approval (August 2026)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)","role":"Federal approving agency, now reconsidering","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"US EPA Region 2 and Environmental Appeals Board","role":"Air permit authority","contact":"https://www.epa.gov"},{"name":"New Jersey Board of Public Utilities","role":"State regulator of the offshore wind credit order","contact":"https://www.nj.gov/bpu"}],"public_contact":"BOEM and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities publish general contact forms on their sites.","corrective_actions":["The Environmental Appeals Board remanded the OCS air permit on 14 March 2025 (ref 4).","The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities vacated the 2021 credit order in 2025 (ref 3).","The federal court remanded the construction and operations plan to BOEM for reconsideration on 10 August 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court order could threaten permits for surviving US wind projects","publisher":"WorkBoat","date":"2026-08-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.workboat.com/wind/court-order-could-threaten-permits-for-surviving-us-wind-projects","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Trump administration moves to scrap Atlantic Shores wind project approvals","publisher":"DredgeWire","date":"2025-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dredgewire.com/trump-administration-moves-to-scrap-atlantic-shores-wind-project-approvals/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project OREC approval terminated by New Jersey Board","publisher":"Windtech International","date":"2025-08-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.windtech-international.com/projects-and-contracts/atlantic-shores-offshore-wind-project-orec-approval-terminated-by-new-jersey-board","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Trump's EPA Withdraws Permit from Proposed NJ Offshore Wind Farm","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/trump-s-epa-withdraws-permit-from-proposed-nj-offshore-wind-farm","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"EPA Environmental Appeals Board Halts Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project","publisher":"Jones Walker LLP","date":"2025-04-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://joneswalker.com/en/insights/epa-environmental-appeals-board-halts-atlantic-shores-offshore-wind-project.html","basis":"Law firm analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Some headlines call the March 2025 EPA action a permit withdrawal; the Environmental Appeals Board granted a remand for reconsideration (refs 4, 5). The record uses remand."}],"missing_fields":["The court order of 10 August 2026 and the EAB decision were not opened; facts rest on news and law-firm summaries."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-NANTUCKET-VINEYARDBLADE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vineyard Wind turbine blade failure scatters fiberglass debris on Nantucket beaches and triggers federal suspension","description":"On 13 July 2024 a GE Vernova blade on a Vineyard Wind turbine about 15 miles southwest of Nantucket failed during testing, and foam and fiberglass debris reached Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard beaches. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement halted power production and new installation. As of July 2025 its investigation had no completion timetable.","location":{"name":"Vineyard Wind 1, south of Nantucket","type":"Offshore wind farm (operating, under construction)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Lease area south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts; debris reached Nantucket's south shore from Madaket to Tom Nevers.","coordinates":{"lat":41.1,"lon":-70.6,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Blade fragments and fiberglass debris were released into the sea and onto beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Turbine manufacturing defect"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Thousands of fiberglass and foam pieces washed up on Nantucket's south shore, and a study of the environmental harm ordered in September 2024 was still incomplete in July 2025 (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Nantucket closed its south shore beaches to swimming for debris, and the town announced a USD 10.5 million settlement with GE Vernova to compensate island businesses (refs 3, 2).","scale":"The debris affected the south shore of Nantucket and pieces reached Martha's Vineyard (ref 2).","duration":"BSEE's investigation was still incomplete one year after the July 2024 failure (ref 3).","significance":"BSEE issued a suspension order halting power production and new turbine installation, and a preservation order for evidence (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"BSEE's suspension order halted power production from all Vineyard Wind turbines until it could be determined whether other turbines were affected (Offshore Magazine, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Debris removed by the developer","value":17,"unit":"cubic yards","status":"Reported","note":"About 17 cubic yards, more than six truckloads, as of 21 July 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Settlement with GE Vernova for island businesses","value":10.5,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Announced by the town of Nantucket (ref 3)."},{"name":"Water depth where the blade section sank","value":150,"unit":"feet","status":"Reported","note":"Per nautical charts cited by The New Bedford Light (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The town announced a USD 10.5 million settlement with GE Vernova to compensate island businesses (ref 3).","BSEE lifted its suspension earlier in 2025 on condition that more than 60 defective blades be removed (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The suspension was lifted in 2025 on conditions, but the BSEE investigation and the environmental study were still open in July 2025 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)","role":"Investigating agency and suspension authority","contact":"https://www.bsee.gov"},{"name":"Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova","role":"Developer and blade manufacturer","contact":"https://www.vineyardwind.com"},{"name":"Town of Nantucket","role":"Local government, beach closures and settlement","contact":"https://www.nantucket-ma.gov"}],"public_contact":"BSEE publishes a general contact form on bsee.gov; Vineyard Wind posted a debris hotline, 833-609-5768, in July 2024 (ref 2).","corrective_actions":["Vineyard Wind removed debris and ran beach patrols (ref 1).","BSEE lifted the suspension on condition that more than 60 defective blades be removed (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Feds shut down Vineyard Wind project following turbine blade failure","publisher":"Offshore Magazine","date":"2024-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-mag.com/renewable-energy/article/55127394/feds-shut-down-vineyard-wind-project-following-turbine-blade-failure","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":2,"title":"Massive Vineyard Wind blade section sinks to ocean floor","publisher":"The New Bedford Light","date":"2024-07-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://newbedfordlight.org/massive-vineyard-wind-blade-section-sinks-to-ocean-floor/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"One Year Later, Vineyard Wind Blade Failure Still Unfolding","publisher":"Nantucket Current","date":"2025-07-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nantucketcurrent.com/news/one-year-later-vineyard-wind-blade-failure-still-unfolding","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Offshore Magazine puts the blade failure about 20 meters from the root and the turbine about 15 miles southwest of Nantucket; The New Bedford Light reports about 300 feet of the roughly 350-foot blade fell on 18 July. Both are as reported."}],"missing_fields":["The final BSEE investigation report and the environmental harm study were not published as of the cited sources.","The BSEE order text was not opened.","Whether Vineyard Wind 1 was affected by the 22 December 2025 federal suspension was not verified."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GOMAINE-MERA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Maine floating wind research array delayed, with the research plan not expected until 2029","description":"Maine holds the first US floating offshore wind research lease, about 35 miles off the coast, for up to 12 turbines and 144 MW. In its February 2026 report to BOEM the state said the operator did no further surveys or monitoring \"due to market conditions\" and expects to submit the research activities plan in 2029.","location":{"name":"Maine Research Array lease OCS-A 0553","type":"Offshore wind research lease area","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Gulf of Maine, about 35 miles from shore in 150 to 200 m of water; lease area about 14,945 acres. Coordinates are approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":43,"lon":-69.3,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A state-led energy research lease whose schedule depends on federal approval and market conditions.","secondary_drivers":["Market conditions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The progress report describes surveys and monitoring plans and reports no harm to marine life (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No disruption to fishing or other users is reported; the report describes fisheries communication plans (ref 1).","scale":"A single lease area of about 14,945 acres (ref 1).","duration":"The lease was executed in August 2024 and the research activities plan is anticipated in 2029 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The State of Maine files a formal semi-annual progress report with BOEM under Research Lease OCS-A 0553, dated 27 February 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The State of Maine anticipates submitting the Research Activities Plan for its Gulf of Maine floating wind research array in 2029 (Maine Department of Energy Resources, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum planned turbines","value":12,"unit":"turbines","status":"Reported","note":"\"12 or fewer wind turbines\" (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maximum planned capacity","value":144,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"No more than 144 MW (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seafloor mapped by Maine DMR with consortium funding","value":777,"unit":"square nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"337 in 2024 and 440 in 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The operator did no additional wind or seabed surveys in the reporting period \"due to market conditions\" (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Reporting period 1 September 2025 to 28 February 2026; no deployment is expected before the research plan in 2029 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Maine Department of Energy Resources","role":"Lead state agency and lessee","contact":"https://www.maine.gov/energy/"},{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)","role":"Lease issuer and reviewer of the research plan","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"Pine Tree Offshore Wind","role":"Designated operator","contact":"https://www.maine.gov/energy/initiatives/offshorewind/researcharray"}],"public_contact":"Maine Department of Energy Resources publishes contact details at maine.gov/energy.","corrective_actions":["State-funded seafloor surveys by the Maine Department of Marine Resources continue (ref 1).","Monthly update meetings are held with BOEM (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Maine Research Array Semi-Annual Progress Report, Research Lease OCS-A 0553","publisher":"Maine Department of Energy Resources","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maine.gov/energy/sites/maine.gov.energy/files/inline-files/FINAL_MeRA%20Progress%20Report%20Draft_Feb_2026%20%281%29.pdf","basis":"Official state report to BOEM"},{"ref":2,"title":"Maine gets floating offshore wind research lease from BOEM","publisher":"Utility Dive","date":"2024-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.utilitydive.com/news/boem-maine-lease-floating-offshore-wind-energy/724639/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Utility Dive places the lease about 28 nautical miles offshore and the state report about 35 miles; both are as reported.","A report in the search results of a suspended contract negotiation with the Maine Public Utilities Commission was not opened and is not used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-FIVEYEARPLAN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Draft 2026-2031 federal offshore leasing program proposes no Atlantic oil and gas sales","description":"The Interior Department's draft proposed program released on 24 November 2025 lists up to 34 lease sales, none in the Atlantic. The Congressional Research Service reported in July 2026 that the draft remained the latest stage, and that earlier presidential withdrawals cover waters off Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina through June 2032.","location":{"name":"US Atlantic outer continental shelf planning areas","type":"Federal offshore leasing planning areas","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"US Atlantic OCS from Florida to Maine; the cited sources do not name individual Atlantic planning areas.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal planning decision about whether Atlantic waters are offered for oil and gas leasing.","secondary_drivers":["Federal energy policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No drilling is proposed in the Atlantic under the draft, and no harm is documented (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported; the draft contains no Atlantic sales (ref 1).","scale":"The question covers the Atlantic coast of the United States as a region (ref 2).","duration":"The draft was released in November 2025 and its comment period closed on 23 January 2026; it remained the latest stage in the July 2026 CRS report (ref 2).","significance":"A draft proposed program is a formal notice published for public comment, and the first of three proposals before final approval (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Congressional Research Service stated that \"No sales for the Atlantic region are proposed in the DPP\" (CRS R44692, updated 29 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Lease sales in the draft proposed program","value":34,"unit":"sales (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"Across 21 of 27 planning areas; none in the Atlantic (ref 1)."},{"name":"Atlantic lease sales proposed","value":0,"unit":"sales","status":"Reported","note":"Per ref 1 and ref 2."},{"name":"Comment period close","value":null,"unit":"date","status":"Not reported","note":"The comment period closed 23 January 2026 (ref 2); not a numeric measure."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited sources do not quantify economic effects for Atlantic coastal economies."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"No Atlantic sales in the draft, and no later proposed program was reported in the July 2026 CRS update (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Department of the Interior","role":"Prepares the National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"}],"public_contact":"BOEM publishes a general contact form on boem.gov.","corrective_actions":["A 60-day public comment period on the draft proposed program closed on 23 January 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Offshore drilling proposal comment period opens Monday","publisher":"Coastal Review","date":"2025-11-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://coastalreview.org/2025/11/offshore-drilling-proposal-comment-period-opens-monday/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Five-Year Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program: Status and Issues in Brief (CRS R44692)","publisher":"Congressional Research Service","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-07-29_R44692_7bcd0ae75b84cdeef2b9a99352383bb0c55ba257.html","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Federal Register notice and BOEM program documents were not opened.","The CRS page describes the withdrawal period as \"July 2022 through June 2032\" for the first-term withdrawals; that wording is as reported and was not checked against the presidential memorandum.","Whether a later proposed program has been issued since July 2026 was not verified."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-USEAST-WHALESPEEDRULE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"NOAA withdrew the expanded right whale vessel speed rule in January 2025 and opened a review of the current rule in March 2026","description":"NOAA Fisheries withdrew its August 2022 proposal to expand the North Atlantic right whale vessel speed rule on 15 January 2025, citing the volume of comments and limited time. On 4 March 2026 it issued an advance notice seeking input on replacing seasonal speed limits with alternative management areas and technology-based strike avoidance. About 380 right whales remain.","location":{"name":"US East Coast seasonal management areas","type":"Vessel speed regulation zones (right whale habitat)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Atlantic coast shipping lanes and seasonal management areas, where vessels of 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in season under 50 CFR 224.105.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Vessel strikes are a leading documented cause of death for a critically endangered whale.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel strikes","Regulatory rollback"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"IFAW states that vessel strikes account for 58% of documented North Atlantic right whale mortalities over nine years, in a population of about 380 (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The existing rule restricts vessels of 65 feet or longer to 10 knots in seasonal management areas, and NOAA says its review aims to cut unnecessary economic burdens (ref 2).","scale":"The rule applies along the US East Coast (ref 2).","duration":"The rule dates from 2008, the amendment was proposed in 2022, withdrawn in January 2025 and reopened for input in March 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NOAA formally withdrew a proposed rule on 15 January 2025 and issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on 4 March 2026 with comments due 2 June 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA Fisheries states that about 380 North Atlantic right whales remain, with only about 70 reproductively active females (NOAA Fisheries, 4 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"North Atlantic right whale population","value":380,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"About 380, up roughly 20 since 2020 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of documented mortalities from vessel strikes (nine years)","value":58,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"As stated by IFAW (ref 3)."},{"name":"Comments received on the 2022 proposal","value":90000,"unit":"comments","status":"Reported","note":"About 90,000, per gCaptain (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["NOAA says the review aims to cut unnecessary regulatory and economic burdens on industry (ref 2).","The withdrawn 2022 proposal would have required recreational boats over 35 feet to travel at 10 knots or less for up to seven months a year (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Population up about 20 since 2020, while mandatory speed rules were withdrawn in 2025 and are under review in 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources","role":"Rule maker and Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act authority","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries lists regional office contacts at fisheries.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["The 2008 speed rule remains in force for vessels of 65 feet or longer (ref 1).","NOAA opened an advance notice of proposed rulemaking with comments due 2 June 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NOAA withdraws critical right whale protection rule changes","publisher":"gCaptain","date":"2025-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/noaa-withdraws-critical-right-whale-protection-rule-changes/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"NOAA seeks information to support improvements to vessel speed regulations","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-seeks-information-support-improvements-vessel-speed-regulations","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"IFAW response to proposed amendments to North Atlantic right whale speed rule","publisher":"International Fund for Animal Welfare","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ifaw.org/uk/press-releases/ifaw-response-proposed-amendments-north-atlantic-right-whale-speed-rule","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOAA considers changes to North Atlantic right whale vessel speed rule","publisher":"WTOC","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wistv.com/2026/03/04/noaa-considers-changes-north-atlantic-right-whale-vessel-speed-rule","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"NOAA withdraws proposed speed rule","publisher":"Marine Fabricator","date":"2025-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marinefabricatormag.com/2025/01/23/noaa-withdraws-proposed-speed-rule/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":6,"title":"NOAA withdraws proposed right whale protection rule requiring ships to slow down","publisher":"KUTV (Associated Press)","date":"2025-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kutv.com/news/nation-world/noaa-withdraws-proposed-right-whale-protection-rule-requiring-ships-to-slow-down-maine-north-atlantic","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Elation and frustration as NOAA withdraws controversial North Atlantic whale speed rule","publisher":"Marine Industry News","date":"2025-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/elation-and-frustration-as-noaa-withdraws-controversial-north-atlantic-whale-speed-rule","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking To Amend the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule","publisher":"Federal Register (NMFS)","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/04/2026-04260/advance-notice-of-proposed-rulemaking-to-amend-the-north-atlantic-right-whale-vessel-strike","basis":"Government notice"},{"ref":9,"title":"Listing Endangered or Threatened Species; 90-Day Finding on a Petition to Revise the Critical Habitat Designation for the North Atlantic Right Whale","publisher":"Federal Register (NMFS)","date":"2026-07-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/22/2026-14777/listing-endangered-or-threatened-species-90-day-finding-on-a-petition-to-revise-the-critical-habitat","basis":"Government notice"},{"ref":10,"title":"Reducing Vessel Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-09-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-vessel-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"merge","values":["NOAA withdrew the expanded right whale vessel speed rule in January 2025 and opened a review of the current rule in March 2026","US withdraws wider right whale vessel speed rule and weighs loosening the existing one"],"note":"Merged with the wildlife-group record on the same rule withdrawal and review."}],"missing_fields":["The Federal Register notices were not opened (the Federal Register blocked automated access).","Statements by industry groups seen only in search snippets were not opened and are not used.","The January 2025 Federal Register withdrawal notice itself was not opened; details come from two news reports."],"related_ids":["OC-NWATL-ATLCOAST-RIGHTWHALE-UME-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-BALTIMORE-DALIKEYBRIDGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Container ship Dali strikes Baltimore's Key Bridge, closing the Patapsco shipping channel for about 11 weeks","description":"On 26 March 2024 the containership Dali lost power and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Patapsco River at Baltimore, collapsing it and killing six highway workers. The federal shipping channel was fully or partially closed for about 11 weeks while crews removed about 50,000 tons of debris. The NTSB tied the blackout to a loose signal wire in its final report.","location":{"name":"Francis Scott Key Bridge and Fort McHenry channel, Baltimore","type":"Port shipping channel and bridge collapse site","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Patapsco River, Baltimore Harbor, Maryland, in the Chesapeake Bay system; the vessel struck Pier 17. Coordinates are approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":39.217,"lon":-76.529,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A vessel casualty that closed a major port channel and disrupted trade.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel power failure","Crew and equipment practices found by investigators"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Six highway workers died in the collapse, per the NTSB investigation page (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The 700-foot-wide federal channel was fully or partially closed for about 11 weeks, ships were diverted to other ports and longshore workers had no ships to work (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The impact centered on one port channel in Baltimore Harbor (ref 2).","duration":"The bridge was not rebuilt, with reopening targeted for fall 2028 and over 34,000 vehicles a day detoured (refs 3, 1).","significance":"The NTSB completed its investigation, with a board meeting on 18 November 2025 identifying the probable cause (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The NTSB attributed the Dali's loss of propulsion to a loose signal wire connection at a terminal block caused by improper wire-label banding (NTSB investigation page, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Highway workers killed","value":6,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"NTSB investigation page (ref 1)."},{"name":"Channel closure, full or partial","value":11,"unit":"weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Closed from 26 March 2024, fully open on 10 June 2024 (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Debris removed from the Patapsco River","value":50000,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Steel and concrete, per US Army Corps of Engineers as reported (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Federal salvage cost to reopen the channel","value":100,"unit":"USD million","status":"Estimated","note":"About USD 100 million per White House officials; Army Corps invoices about USD 75 million and Coast Guard about USD 24 million (ref 3)."},{"name":"Preliminary bridge rebuild estimate","value":1.7,"unit":"USD billion (low end)","status":"Estimated","note":"Range USD 1.7 to 1.9 billion (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Ships were diverted to other ports and longshore workers lost work during the closure (ref 2).","The bridge is estimated to cost USD 1.7 to 1.9 billion to replace (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The channel reopened in June 2024; bridge reconstruction continues, with reopening targeted for fall 2028 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Transportation Safety Board","role":"Accident investigator","contact":"https://www.ntsb.gov"},{"name":"US Army Corps of Engineers and US Coast Guard (Unified Command)","role":"Channel clearance and reopening","contact":"https://www.usace.army.mil"},{"name":"Maryland Transportation Authority","role":"Bridge owner and rebuilder","contact":"https://mdta.maryland.gov"}],"public_contact":"The NTSB publishes a public affairs line on ntsb.gov.","corrective_actions":["Unified Command reopened the federal channel to its original dimensions on 10 June 2024 (ref 3).","The NTSB released findings and recommendations at its 18 November 2025 board meeting (refs 1, 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Contact of Containership Dali with Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore, Maryland","publisher":"National Transportation Safety Board","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA24MM031.aspx","basis":"Agency investigation page"},{"ref":2,"title":"As Baltimore shipping channel reopens, DOT estimates at least $1.7B to rebuild bridge","publisher":"ABC7 News","date":"2024-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://abc7news.com/post/francis-scott-key-bridge-collapse-baltimore-shipping-channel/14939470/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Key Bridge cleanup cost $100 million, but more costs still to come","publisher":"WYPR","date":"2024-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2024-06-12/key-bridge-cleanup-cost-100-million-but-more-costs-still-to-come","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"NTSB ends 20-month investigation by releasing final report on Key Bridge collapse","publisher":"WBFF (Fox 45 Baltimore)","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://katv.com/news/nation-world/ntsp-dali-key-bridge-collaspe-loose-wire-final-report","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The opened sources do not describe pollution or marine ecological effects, so harm is scored on human deaths only.","The NTSB investigation page shows no publication date, and the final report document was not opened.","Coordinates are approximate for the bridge and were not on the opened pages."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-FLEMISH-BAYDUNORD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bay du Nord deepwater oil project off Newfoundland moves toward a 2027 investment decision as Shell takes a 30% stake","description":"Equinor's Bay du Nord project in the Flemish Pass, about 500 km east of St. John's, is in front-end engineering. Equinor bought out bp in July 2026 and agreed on 9 October 2026 to sell Shell 30%; a final investment decision is targeted for early 2027. The regulator also plans a November 2026 call for bids in nearby basins.","location":{"name":"Bay du Nord, Flemish Pass","type":"Planned deepwater oil development (floating production)","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Flemish Pass Basin, about 500 km east of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; coordinates are approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":47,"lon":-46.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A planned offshore oil development and its licensing and investment process.","secondary_drivers":["Fossil fuel expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports describe commercial and regulatory steps and document no environmental harm so far (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No restriction on fishing or other users is described in the opened pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One development in the Flemish Pass Basin (ref 2).","duration":"Discovered in 2013 and not yet sanctioned; the final investment decision is targeted for early 2027 (ref 2).","significance":"The regulator, now the C-NLOER, announced a 2026 call for bids closing in November 2026, a formal licensing notice (ref 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The initial phase is expected to recover more than 400 million barrels of oil, with an investment of about CAD 14 billion and a final investment decision targeted for early 2027 (gCaptain, 7 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Expected recovery, initial phase","value":400,"unit":"million barrels (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"gCaptain, 7 July 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Investment","value":14,"unit":"CAD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate, ref 2."},{"name":"Shell interest agreed 9 October 2026","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Equinor keeps 70% and remains operator (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Newfoundland and Labrador premier called the Equinor buy-out of bp a positive step for the offshore industry (ref 3).","Equinor is targeting a final investment decision in early 2027 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Ownership changed twice in 2026; no decision to proceed has been taken as of the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Equinor Canada","role":"Operator","contact":"https://www.equinor.com"},{"name":"Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator (C-NLOER)","role":"Offshore regulator and licensing authority","contact":"https://www.cnlopb.ca"}],"public_contact":"The regulator publishes general contact details at cnlopb.ca.","corrective_actions":["Equinor is finalizing front-end engineering and design (ref 1).","The regulator plans calls for bids in the east Orphan, Flemish Pass and Jeanne d'Arc basins, closing in November 2026 subject to approvals (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Shell Acquires 30% Stake in Equinor's Bay du Nord FPSO Project","publisher":"Offshore Source","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://offshoresource.com/news/oil-gas/shell-acquires-30-stake-in-equinors-bay-du-nord-fpso-project/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":2,"title":"Equinor Takes Full Ownership of Bay du Nord Oil Project Offshore Canada","publisher":"gCaptain","date":"2026-07-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/equinor-takes-full-ownership-of-bay-du-nord-oil-project-offshore-canada/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":3,"title":"Statement from Premier Wakeham","publisher":"Government of Newfoundland and Labrador","date":"2026-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.nl.ca/releases/?p=61531","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Canada: C-NLOER provides update on 2026 Call for Bids","publisher":"Energy-Pedia","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.energy-pedia.com/news/canada/c-nloer-provides-update-on-2026-call-for-bids-203278","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The federal environmental assessment decision and any emissions or ecological assessment were not opened.","Results of earlier calls for bids were not verified."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-GEORGESBANK-DRILLBAN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Georges Bank oil and gas prohibition off Nova Scotia runs to 2032 and was briefly questioned in January 2025","description":"A joint federal-provincial notice prohibits petroleum exploration, drilling and production on the Canadian part of Georges Bank from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2032. In January 2025 Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said the topic could be discussed, then wrote to the fishing industry that his government would respect the moratorium.","location":{"name":"Georges Bank, Nova Scotia offshore","type":"Offshore fishing bank with petroleum prohibition","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Canadian portion of Georges Bank, offshore southwest Nova Scotia, in the area described by Schedule IV of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act. Coordinates are approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":41.7,"lon":-66.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A government prohibition on petroleum activity protecting fishing grounds, and the political debate over it.","secondary_drivers":["Fossil fuel interest"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No drilling is occurring; the sources describe a prohibition and a political debate, not harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance, representing over 200 seafood producers, welcomed Houston's clarification that fishing would not be put at risk (ref 2).","scale":"The prohibition covers the Canadian part of one fishing bank (ref 1).","duration":"The prohibition has been renewed for decades and now runs from 2023 to the end of 2032 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The prohibition is a joint notice registered as SOR/2022-82 on 13 April 2022 under the Accord Implementation Acts (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The joint notice prohibits petroleum exploration, drilling and production on Georges Bank from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2032 (SOR/2022-82, Justice Laws Website)."},"measures":[{"name":"Prohibition period","value":10,"unit":"years (2023 to 2032)","status":"Reported","note":"1 January 2023 to 31 December 2032 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Producers represented by the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance","value":200,"unit":"producers (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Per Undercurrent News (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Georges Bank is described as a lucrative fishing area for cod, haddock and scallops (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The prohibition remained in force, and the Premier said in January 2025 his government would respect it (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Canada and Government of Nova Scotia (joint notice)","role":"Prohibition authority under the Accord Implementation Acts","contact":"https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2022-82/FullText.html"}],"public_contact":"Contacts are via the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and the federal Department of Natural Resources websites.","corrective_actions":["The joint notice extending the prohibition to 2032 was registered on 13 April 2022 (ref 1).","Premier Houston wrote to fishing industry representatives that the government would respect the moratorium (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Joint Notice Extending the Prohibition Period for Certain Activities on Georges Bank (SOR/2022-82)","publisher":"Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada","date":"2022-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2022-82/FullText.html","basis":"Government regulation"},{"ref":2,"title":"Canadian provincial leader faces criticism, clarifies position on George's Bank oil, gas development","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://undercurrentnews.com/2025/01/28/canadian-provincial-leader-faces-criticism-clarifies-position-on-georges-bank-oil-gas-development","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The US portion of Georges Bank was not researched.","A CBC article on the 2022 extension returned an access error and is not used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NWATL-HUDSONCANYON-SANCTUARY-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary still awaiting draft designation documents","description":"NOAA began the designation process for a national marine sanctuary at Hudson Canyon, the largest submarine canyon on the Atlantic coast about 100 miles southeast of New York City, on 8 June 2022 and received over 17,000 comments. A September 2024 NOAA presentation planned draft documents in 2025; NOAA's page still lists draft documents as being prepared.","location":{"name":"Hudson Canyon, off New York and New Jersey","type":"Submarine canyon, proposed national marine sanctuary","sea":"NWATL","seas":["NWATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["US"],"detail":"Canyon about 100 miles southeast of New York City, up to 7.5 miles wide and 2.5 miles deep; boundaries are not yet proposed. Coordinates are approximate.","coordinates":{"lat":39.4,"lon":-72.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A marine protected area designation process that has not yet reached draft documents.","secondary_drivers":["Slow designation process"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The canyon is described as an ecological hotspot for sperm whales, sea turtles and deep-sea corals, but no harm is documented in the cited pages (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction exists yet; fishing regulations would be developed with the councils later in the process (ref 2).","scale":"One submarine canyon (ref 1).","duration":"WCS nominated the site in 2016 and NOAA began designation in June 2022, with the process expected to take 3 to 5 years (refs 2, 1).","significance":"NOAA published a notice of intent on 8 June 2022 and received over 17,000 comments (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA received over 17,000 comments during the 8 June to 8 August 2022 scoping period for the proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries)."},"measures":[{"name":"Scoping comments received","value":17000,"unit":"comments (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"June to August 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Canyon depth","value":2.5,"unit":"miles (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Canyon width","value":7.5,"unit":"miles (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The nomination states a sanctuary could preclude oil, gas and mineral extraction while supporting sustainable uses including fishing (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The NOAA page shows no dated update after the 2022 scoping; a September 2024 presentation planned draft documents for 2025 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries","role":"Designating agency","contact":"https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/hudson-canyon"}],"public_contact":"NOAA lists the Eastern Regional Office contacts on the Hudson Canyon page.","corrective_actions":["NOAA established a pre-designation Sanctuary Advisory Council in May 2023 (ref 2).","A summer 2025 scientific research cruise and draft designation documents were planned (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hudson Canyon","publisher":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/hudson-canyon","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Proposed Designation of a National Marine Sanctuary in Hudson Canyon","publisher":"NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (presentation to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://safmc.net/documents/fc1_a3_status-update_hudson-canyon_202409-pdf","basis":"Agency presentation"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hudson Canyon Added to U.S. Government's Inventory For Potential National Marine Sanctuary Sites","publisher":"Wildlife Conservation Society","date":"2017-02-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9879/Hudson-Canyon-Added-to-US-Governments-Inventory-For-Potential-National-Marine-Sanctuary-Sites.aspx","basis":"NGO press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NWATL in-depth pass, category group E)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The NOAA page is undated, so whether draft documents have since been released was not verified.","The September 2024 presentation shows only the month, so its source date is left null."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-CORALSEA-HEATWAVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record Coral Sea heat in January to March 2024, the warmest in 400 years","description":"A peer-reviewed reconstruction found that the January to March 2024 sea-surface temperature in the Coral Sea was the warmest in the 1618 to 2024 record, about 1.73 C above the 1618 to 1899 average. The Bureau of Meteorology reported record-high monthly sea-surface temperatures across the Coral Sea in January and April 2024 and Australian-region waters at their warmest annual average on record. The heat drove the fifth mass bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef in the past ten years.","location":{"name":"Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef","type":"Marine heatwave region","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Coral Sea off Queensland, Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park","coordinates":{"lat":-18,"lon":158,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Record sea-surface heat is a physical climate extreme measured in the water column of the Coral Sea.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Climate change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Bureau of Meteorology's State of the Climate 2024 lists 2024 as the fifth mass coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef in ten years and says accumulated thermal stress in 2024 was higher than in 2016 (ref 3); AIMS surveys reported the largest single-year coral cover declines on record in the north and south (ref 4).","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources documents a closure, restriction or lost income tied to the 2024 heat itself, so no disruption is scored.","scale":"The warmest-in-400-years finding covers the Coral Sea region off Queensland rather than a single reef, so it is scored at the regional-sea level (ref 1).","duration":"The reconstructed extreme covers the January to March 2024 window and the Bureau reports record monthly values in January and April, a few months in total (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Bureau of Meteorology issued the record as a formal Annual Climate Statement on 6 February 2025 (ref 2) and the finding was published in Nature (ref 1), but no enforcement or emergency action is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"January to March 2024 Coral Sea heat extreme was the warmest in 400 years, about 1.73 C above the 1618 to 1899 reconstructed average (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral Sea Jan-Mar 2024 SST anomaly vs 1618-1899 reconstruction","value":1.73,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Henley et al., Nature, 2024 (ref 1); value read from the paper's results text."},{"name":"Australian-region annual SST anomaly 2024 vs 1961-1990","value":0.89,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Warmest on record for the region; Bureau of Meteorology annual statement (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Great Barrier Reef underpins reef tourism and fisheries, but the cited sources do not quantify economic losses from the 2024 heat (refs 3, 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The study reports Coral Sea warming of about 0.09 C per decade over 1900 to 2024 and 0.12 C per decade over 1960 to 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Meteorology","role":"National weather, climate and ocean monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.bom.gov.au"},{"name":"Australian Institute of Marine Science","role":"Reef monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.aims.gov.au"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Bureau of Meteorology: published general enquiries channel on bom.gov.au","corrective_actions":["The Reef Authority, AIMS and CSIRO publish annual end-of-summer Reef Snapshots tracking heat stress (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Highest ocean heat in four centuries places Great Barrier Reef in danger","publisher":"Nature (Henley et al.)","date":"2024-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07672-x","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Annual climate statement 2024","publisher":"Bureau of Meteorology","date":"2025-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/2024/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"State of the Climate 2024: Oceans","publisher":"Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bom.gov.au/weather-and-climate/past-weather-and-climate/state-of-the-climate-2024/oceans","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Australia's Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching as oceans warm","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2025-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/6/australias-great-barrier-reef-hit-by-record-bleaching-as-oceans-warm","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Coral Sea (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Sea","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":6,"title":"Reef Snapshot: Summer 2024-25","publisher":"GBRMPA, AIMS and CSIRO","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/bitstreams/c9f6e1df-4ac5-4163-b8d5-fba7c74562bf/download","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Degree heating weeks and Alert Level values for summer 2023-24 were not retrieved; the AIMS and GBRMPA web pages were unreachable (HTTP 503)."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2025","OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2026","OC-CORAL-GBR-BLEACH-2024"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Second consecutive marine heatwave on the Great Barrier Reef in summer 2024-25","description":"The Reef Authority, AIMS and CSIRO reported that prolonged above-average water temperatures (marine heatwaves) in December 2024 to March 2025 caused regional coral bleaching in the Far Northern and Northern regions, the sixth mass bleaching event since 2016. Heat stress in the Southern region did not reach levels that warranted aerial bleaching surveys. AAP later reported that Australia's oceans had their warmest 12 months on record in 2024-25.","location":{"name":"Far Northern and Northern Great Barrier Reef","type":"Marine heatwave region","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park off Queensland, Australia, mainly Cooktown to Cape York","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Prolonged above-average sea temperatures are a physical climate hazard measured against heat stress thresholds.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Climate change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Reef Snapshot reports regional coral bleaching in the Far Northern and Northern regions with 41 per cent of 162 inshore and mid-shelf reefs surveyed showing medium to high bleaching, and AIMS reported record annual coral cover declines (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"The snapshot and news coverage cited do not document tourism closures, fishery restrictions or lost income, so none is scored.","scale":"Bleaching spanned two of the four Marine Park management regions, a regional-sea scale rather than one reef (ref 1).","duration":"The event followed the 2023-24 mass bleaching, making the Reef's second back-to-back event, with heat stress accumulating from December 2024 to March 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"The Reef Authority, AIMS and CSIRO issued a formal end-of-summer Reef Snapshot classifying it as the sixth mass bleaching event since 2016 (ref 1), but no enforcement or emergency declaration is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Prolonged exposure to higher-than-average water temperatures (marine heatwaves) this summer has caused regional coral bleaching in the Far Northern and Northern regions of the Reef (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Inshore and mid-shelf reefs with medium to high bleaching prevalence","value":41,"unit":"% of 162 reefs surveyed","status":"Reported","note":"Aerial surveys by AIMS and the Reef Authority, March 2025 (ref 1); bleaching outcome used to document heat impact."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Reef tourism and fisheries depend on reef condition, but the cited sources give no economic loss estimate (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Back-to-back events in 2023-24 and 2024-25 followed by a smaller 2025-26 event (refs 1, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"},{"name":"Australian Institute of Marine Science","role":"Reef monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.aims.gov.au"},{"name":"Bureau of Meteorology","role":"National weather, climate and ocean monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.bom.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority: general enquiries channel published on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["The Reef Authority, AIMS and CSIRO run aerial and in-water bleaching response surveys and publish annual Reef Snapshots (ref 1).","Forecast marine heatwave outlooks from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO are briefed to fishers, aquaculture and marine protection agencies (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Reef Snapshot: Summer 2024-25","publisher":"GBRMPA, AIMS and CSIRO","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/bitstreams/c9f6e1df-4ac5-4163-b8d5-fba7c74562bf/download","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Great Barrier Reef Snapshot for Summer 2024-2025 Released","publisher":"Environmental Science and Engineering Magazine","date":"2025-04-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecomagazine.com/news/coastal/great-barrier-reef-snapshot-for-summer-2024-2025-released/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Australia's Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching as oceans warm","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2025-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/6/australias-great-barrier-reef-hit-by-record-bleaching-as-oceans-warm","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Summer heatwave conditions predicted for barrier reef","publisher":"InDaily Queensland (AAP)","date":"2025-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailyqld.com.au/news/just-in/2025/12/12/summer-heatwave-conditions-predicted-for-barrier-reef","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Reef Snapshot: Summer 2025-26","publisher":"GBRMPA, AIMS and CSIRO","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/bitstreams/d1ce36a1-7695-43c9-b6a5-87ff0bc7fda5/download","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Degree heating weeks values for summer 2024-25 are shown only as a map in the snapshot and were not extracted as figures."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-CORALSEA-HEATWAVE-2024","OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2026","OC-CORAL-GBR-BLEACH-2024"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Third summer of marine heatwave on the Great Barrier Reef with Northern region bleaching in 2026","description":"The April 2026 Reef Snapshot reported that prolonged above-average sea-surface temperatures (marine heatwaves) in December 2025 to March 2026 contributed to a regional coral bleaching event in the Northern region and low-level bleaching elsewhere. The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO had forecast moderate marine heatwave conditions for the northern reef over the summer. Assessment of the consequences is continuing.","location":{"name":"Northern Great Barrier Reef","type":"Marine heatwave region","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Northern management region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Queensland, Australia","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Prolonged above-average sea temperatures are a physical climate hazard recorded as a marine heatwave.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Climate change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"In-water surveys up to 16 March 2026 recorded prevalent bleaching on 28 of 79 surveyed reefs in the Northern region, but mortality is not yet confirmed and the snapshot says the assessment is ongoing (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither the snapshot nor the December 2025 forecast article reports closures, restrictions or lost income, so no disruption is scored.","scale":"A regional bleaching event in one of four management regions plus localised bleaching in three others is a regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"The snapshot notes consecutive mass bleaching events across the past two summers and a third summer of prolonged heat exposure (ref 1).","significance":"The Reef Authority, AIMS and CSIRO published a formal end-of-summer snapshot dated April 2026 (ref 1), and a forecast was issued by the Bureau and CSIRO in December 2025 (ref 2); no emergency declaration is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Prolonged exposure to above average sea surface temperatures (marine heatwaves) this summer has contributed to a regional coral bleaching event in the Northern region (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Surveyed Northern region reefs with prevalent bleaching","value":28,"unit":"reefs of 79 surveyed","status":"Reported","note":"Reef Snapshot Summer 2025-26, surveys to 16 March 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Bureau and CSIRO briefed fishers and aquaculture operators on the forecast heatwave (ref 2); no losses are quantified in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Back-to-back mass events in 2023-24 and 2024-25, then a regional event in the Northern region only in 2025-26 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"},{"name":"Australian Institute of Marine Science","role":"Reef monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.aims.gov.au"},{"name":"Bureau of Meteorology","role":"National weather, climate and ocean monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.bom.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority: general enquiries channel published on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["A Reef Joint Field Management Program voyage was planned for April 2026 to assess impacts in the Far Northern region (ref 1).","Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO marine heatwave forecasts were briefed to fishers, aquaculture and marine protection agencies (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Reef Snapshot: Summer 2025-26","publisher":"GBRMPA, AIMS and CSIRO","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elibrary.gbrmpa.gov.au/bitstreams/d1ce36a1-7695-43c9-b6a5-87ff0bc7fda5/download","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Summer heatwave conditions predicted for barrier reef","publisher":"InDaily Queensland (AAP)","date":"2025-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailyqld.com.au/news/just-in/2025/12/12/summer-heatwave-conditions-predicted-for-barrier-reef","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Exact day of the April 2026 snapshot release not shown on the document; the AIMS condition summary and GBRMPA news page returned HTTP 503. Mortality outcomes not yet reported.","The snapshot's heat stress map values (degree heating weeks) were not extracted as figures."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2025","OC-CORAL-CORALSEA-HEATWAVE-2024","OC-CORAL-GBR-COVER-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-SAIBAI-KINGTIDE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"King tide breaches Saibai Island sea walls and floods homes in February 2026","description":"AAP reported that king tides in early February 2026 pushed water on Saibai Island in the Torres Strait about 3.7 metres above average, breaching sea walls, flooding houses and roads and covering the cemetery. Residents said the flooding was more severe than the previous year, and that salt water is seeping into soil and making food harder to grow. The Bureau of Meteorology reports that sea level rise to the north of Australia has been significantly higher than the global average since 1993.","location":{"name":"Saibai Island, Torres Strait","type":"Low-lying island community","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Saibai Island, northern Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia, near the Papua New Guinea coast","coordinates":{"lat":-9.3969,"lon":142.6988,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":-9.2594,"lon":142.2127,"precision":"site","source_ref":4,"role":"Boigu Island, also affected"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal flooding from high tides and sea level rise is a physical climate hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","King tide"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"AAP reported water on Saibai about 3.7 metres above average during the king tides, with sea walls breached, water in houses and on roads, and the cemetery underwater (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Residents told AAP that salt water is seeping into soil, making it hard to grow food, that seafood is harder to catch and that communication blackouts add isolation, which are restrictions on food and services rather than displacement (ref 1).","scale":"The documented flooding is at a single island community, Saibai, with Boigu named alongside it (ref 1).","duration":"The article says monsoon-season king tides recur yearly and are becoming higher each year, and a resident called this year more severe than the last (ref 1).","significance":"The cited material is a news report quoting residents with no formal notice, listing or order issued for this specific event (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Water on Saibai reportedly reached 3.7 metres above average during king tides last weekend, high enough to breach sea walls (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"King tide water level on Saibai","value":3.7,"unit":"m above average","status":"Reported","note":"Reported in AAP article dated 7 February 2026 (ref 1); measurement basis is not stated."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Barge-supplied goods already make living costs high and salt water in soil reduces food growing (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Residents said flooding was more severe than the previous year and the article says high tides are becoming higher each year as sea levels rise (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Torres Strait Regional Authority","role":"Regional Indigenous authority for the Torres Strait","contact":"https://www.tsra.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Torres Strait Regional Authority: general enquiries channel published on tsra.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Sea walls protect large stretches of Saibai coastline but were breached in this event (ref 1).","Elders asked state and federal politicians to visit the islands and act on climate change (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"From inconvenience to crisis, islands battle king tides","publisher":"Merimbula News Weekly (AAP)","date":"2026-02-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.merimbulanewsweekly.com.au/story/9169961/from-inconvenience-to-crisis-islands-battle-king-tides","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"State of the Climate 2024: Oceans (sea level)","publisher":"Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bom.gov.au/weather-and-climate/past-weather-and-climate/state-of-the-climate-2024/oceans","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Saibai Island (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saibai_Island","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":4,"title":"Boigu Island (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boigu_Island","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The AAP article gives no precise date for the king tides beyond 'last weekend'; the water-level datum was not stated.","No Torres Strait Regional Authority or Bureau tide-gauge report for this event was retrieved."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-TORRES-PABAI-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-TORRES-PABAI-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Federal Court rejects Torres Strait Islanders' sea-level climate claim; appeal listed for July 2026","description":"On 15 July 2025 the Federal Court of Australia held that the Commonwealth owes Torres Strait Islanders no duty of care over climate change, in Pabai v Commonwealth (No 2) [2025] FCA 796, while accepting that the islanders have suffered and will continue to suffer from sea level rise and extreme events. The applicants' case rested on projected marine inundation and erosion of low-lying islands such as Saibai and Boigu. The applicants appealed, and the Full Federal Court was listed to hear the appeal in Melbourne over four days from 28 July 2026.","location":{"name":"Torres Strait Islands (Saibai and Boigu)","type":"Island group under court challenge","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia; lead applicants from Saibai and Boigu islands","coordinates":{"lat":-9.3969,"lon":142.6988,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[{"lat":-9.2594,"lon":142.2127,"precision":"site","source_ref":6,"role":"Boigu Island"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"The case concerns exposure of low-lying islands to rising seas, a physical climate impact.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Climate policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Justice Wigney accepted that Torres Strait Islanders have suffered and will continue to suffer from sea level rise and extreme events if greater action is not taken (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The claim cited coastal erosion, flooding, freshwater contamination and decline in traditional food sources, and the court declined to recognise loss of fulfilment of Ailan Kastom as compensable (ref 1).","scale":"The class action is brought for Torres Strait Islanders across the Zenadth Kes island group, a regional rather than single-site claim (ref 1).","duration":"The class action was commenced in March 2022, judgment was given in July 2025 and the appeal was listed for hearing from 28 July 2026, so the dispute spans several years (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A Federal Court judgment of 15 July 2025 is a court ruling, and the applicants filed an appeal to the Full Federal Court (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On 15 July 2025 the Federal Court found the Commonwealth does not owe Torres Strait Islanders a duty of care to protect them from the impacts of climate change (ref 1)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The applicants' alternative case sought predictable funding for seawalls against marine inundation and erosion, which the court also rejected as core government policy (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The appeal was listed for hearing from 28 July 2026 and no Full Federal Court judgment was found in the cited sources (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Court of Australia","role":"Court hearing the case and appeal","contact":"https://www.fedcourt.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Federal Court of Australia: registry contact published on fedcourt.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Applicants appealed to the Full Federal Court (Chief Justice Mortimer, Justices Colvin and Owens), with a four-day hearing in Melbourne from 28 July 2026 (ref 3).","Justice Wigney noted the law could change through appellate decisions or legislation (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pabai v Commonwealth of Australia (No 2) [2025] FCA 796 (15 July 2025): case summary","publisher":"Human Rights Law Centre","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hrlc.org.au/case-summaries/federal-court-finds-commonwealth-owes-no-doc-tsislanders-climate-change/","basis":"Legal commentary"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pabai climate change case fails: where to from here?","publisher":"Monash University Lens","date":"2025-07-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://lens.monash.edu/2025/07/16/1387713/pabai-climate-change-case-fails-where-to-from-here?amp=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Federal Court appeal tests the legal limits of climate responsibility","publisher":"Capital Brief","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.capitalbrief.com/article/federal-court-appeal-tests-the-legal-limits-of-climate-responsibility-29faf3e0-db9a-482f-9012-0f708e50e3fa/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"From inconvenience to crisis, islands battle king tides","publisher":"Merimbula News Weekly (AAP)","date":"2026-02-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.merimbulanewsweekly.com.au/story/9169961/from-inconvenience-to-crisis-islands-battle-king-tides","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Saibai Island (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saibai_Island","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":6,"title":"Boigu Island (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boigu_Island","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Date the notice of appeal was filed: the Human Rights Law Centre summary says 11 November 2025, while a search result for the Federal Court case page indicated 11 December 2025; the court page returned HTTP 403 and was not verified."}],"missing_fields":["Federal Court judgment text and case page returned HTTP 403 and were not opened; findings rely on the HRLC summary and news. The Full Federal Court outcome was not found."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-SAIBAI-KINGTIDE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-WALANDE-RELOCATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Walande community in South Malaita relocated to the mainland after king tides; seawall failing","description":"Human Rights Watch reported in March 2025 that the roughly 800 people of Walande, South Malaita, Solomon Islands, moved from an artificial island to the mainland after repeated cyclone and king tide damage, largely at their own expense. Seawater now breaches the 2021 seawall at the new site and is destroying swamp taro land, and some residents are considering moving again. The government adopted Planned Relocation Guidelines in 2022 but has not fully operationalised them.","location":{"name":"Walande, South Malaita","type":"Relocated coastal community","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["SB"],"detail":"Walande, south coast of Malaita, Solomon Islands (map point is the centre of Malaita Island, not the village)","coordinates":{"lat":-9.0175,"lon":160.95389,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea level rise and king tides are driving physical inundation of a coastal community.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","King tide","Cyclones"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"HRW reports king tides in 2009 destroyed 16 houses and inundated three quarters of the old island, satellite imagery shows about five hectares near the new site submerged between 2010 and 2024, and the island is now fully submerged (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The whole community of about 800 people was displaced from its island and sea level rise threatens the viability of the swamp taro land it depends on (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The documented impacts concern one village community, Walande, rather than a coastline (ref 1).","duration":"HRW traces displacement events from Cyclone Namu in 1986 through 2005 and 2009 to the 2021 seawall, partly toppled by September 2024 (ref 1).","significance":"The source is an NGO report; the government's 2022 Planned Relocation Guidelines are a policy, not a notice or order about Walande, so no formal action is scored (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":800,"status":"Reported","note":"About 800 people, Human Rights Watch (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Walande, a community of about 800 people, relocated to the mainland after devastating king tides in 2009 and seawater is now breaching protective seawalls at the new site (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Land submerged near the relocation site, 2010-2024","value":5,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Satellite imagery analysis cited in the HRW report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Solomon Islands sea level rise since 1994 (low end of range)","value":7,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"HRW reports about 7 to 10 mm per year since 1994 versus about 3 mm per year since 1950 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Seawall repairs are estimated at about US$25,000 with no government funding provided, and swamp taro land is shrinking (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"HRW reports the 2021 seawall partly toppled by September 2024 and some residents considering another move (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Solomon Islands","role":"National government responsible for planned relocation guidelines","contact":null},{"name":"Malaita Provincial Government","role":"Provincial government","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Human Rights Watch report lists recommendations to the Solomon Islands government; no government channel was retrieved.","corrective_actions":["National Planned Relocation Guidelines were launched in 2022 with IOM support; Standard Operating Procedures are still under development (ref 1).","A 2021 seawall was built with a US$50,000 grant from the GEF Small Grants Programme (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"\"There's Just No More Land\": Community-Led Planned Relocation as a Last Resort Adaptation","publisher":"Human Rights Watch","date":"2025-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/03/17/theres-just-no-more-land/community-led-planned-relocation-last-resort-adaptation","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Rising seas force relocation in Solomon Islands","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association","date":"2025-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2025/03/18/rising-seas-force-relocation-in-solomon-islands/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Solomon Islands: Rising Seas Force Relocation","publisher":"Human Rights Watch","date":"2025-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/17/solomon-islands-rising-seas-force-relocation","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Malaita (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaita","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Exact coordinates of Walande were not found in any opened source; the point shown is the centre of Malaita Island.","The Solomon Islands government and the Taro and Choiseul relocation were not covered in sources I could open."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-SEQLD-ALFREDEROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cyclone Alfred swell strips beaches and dunes along South East Queensland in March 2025","description":"The Bureau of Meteorology reported that Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a long-lived Coral Sea system, produced large swell that caused significant coastal erosion along south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, with an estimated millions of cubic metres of sand scoured and dune escarpments up to 6 metres high. A coastal scientist reported storm surge of up to 0.5 metres above the high tide mark on the Gold Coast, which exposed a buried seawall. Much of the sand sits on offshore sandbars and dunes may take years to recover. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred eroded about 6 million cubic metres of sand from Gold Coast beaches in March 2025, leaving some sand cliffs about 6 metres high; the mayor said 80% of the beach had gone into the ocean. The council used offshore dredging and dune sand to rebuild beaches. Queensland and the Australian Government later funded a $74 million environmental recovery program that includes beach replenishment.","location":{"name":"Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast beaches","type":"Eroded sandy coastline","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL","TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"South East Queensland coast from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast, Australia (northern New South Wales also affected)","coordinates":{"lat":-27.9983,"lon":153.3344,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge and swell erosion of beaches is a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone","Storm surge","High tide"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Bureau of Meteorology estimates millions of cubic metres of sand were scoured, with dune escarpments up to 6 metres high and significant wave heights of 5 to 8 metres from Brisbane to northern New South Wales (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or lost income is documented in the cited pages; the Conversation notes only a risk of financial losses if tourists stay away, so none is scored (ref 2).","scale":"Erosion extended along the south-east Queensland coast and into northern New South Wales, a national-coastline-scale impact (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Conversation says beaches may replenish over months while dunes may take years to recover, so damage persists beyond the weeks of the event (ref 2).","significance":"The Bureau of Meteorology issued a formal tropical cyclone report listing severe coastal erosion as a major impact (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"It is estimated that millions of cubic metres of sand were scoured from beaches leaving escarpments up to 6 metres high in some dunes (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Offshore significant wave height at Tweed Heads","value":7.9,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Recorded 7 March 2025, Bureau of Meteorology (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gold Coast storm surge above high tide mark","value":0.5,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 0.5 m, Conversation article by a University of the Sunshine Coast scientist (ref 2)."},{"name":"Peregian Beach width lost","value":30,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 30 m lost, same article (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Conversation notes experts warned of financial losses if tourists stayed away before Easter, a quoted concern and not a measured loss (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Recovery of beaches and dunes was still expected to take months to years in the March 2025 reporting (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Gold Coast City Council","role":"Local coastal manager","contact":"https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au"},{"name":"Bureau of Meteorology","role":"National weather, climate and ocean monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.bom.gov.au"},{"name":"Queensland Reconstruction Authority","role":"Environmental Recovery Program administrator","contact":"https://www.qra.qld.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Gold Coast City Council: general enquiries channel published on goldcoast.qld.gov.au","corrective_actions":["No official corrective programme was found in the cited sources; the Conversation expects natural sand return from offshore sandbars over months (ref 2).","Rainbow dredging pumps sand back onto the beach and bulldozers move dune sand (ref 1).","A $74 million Environmental Recovery Program funds beach replenishment and national park recovery (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred (22U)","publisher":"Bureau of Meteorology","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/Alfred2025.shtml","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Beloved beaches were washed offshore by Cyclone Alfred, but most of this sand will return","publisher":"The Conversation (Javier Leon, University of the Sunshine Coast)","date":"2025-03-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theconversation.com/beloved-beaches-were-washed-offshore-by-cyclone-alfred-but-most-of-this-sand-will-return-251599","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gold Coast, Queensland (location reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast,_Queensland","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gold Coast council work to restore cyclone-hit beaches by Easter","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2025-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-12/gold-coast-council-work-restore-cyclone-beaches-by-easter/105036706","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Environmental Recovery Program: 2025 Tropical Cyclone Alfred and associated rainfall and flooding","publisher":"Queensland Reconstruction Authority","date":"2026-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/funding-programs/event-specific-exceptional-circumstances-assistance/2025-tropical-cyclone-alfred-exceptional-circumstances/environmental-recovery-program-2025-tropical-cyclone-alfred-and-associated-rainfall-and-flooding","basis":"Agency page (last updated date)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Surfers Paradise (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfers_Paradise,_Queensland","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Merged with research record OC-CORAL-GOLDCOAST-ALFRED-2025 (Cyclone Alfred strips about 6 million cubic metres of sand from Gold Coast beaches and dunes): Gold Coast sand-loss figures for the same cyclone"}],"missing_fields":["The BoM Alfred page shows no issue date; the University of the Sunshine Coast republication redirected and was not opened.","Surge heights were taken from the Conversation author's account; no tide-gauge storm tide record was retrieved.","Alfred also affected northern New South Wales on the Tasman side, which belongs to TASMAN.","No source opened reports seagrass or mangrove damage from Alfred; none was found."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-QLD-SHARKCTRL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-BLEACH-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mass coral bleaching strikes the Great Barrier Reef in 2024 and again in 2025","description":"Aerial surveys in March 2024 confirmed a mass bleaching event, the fifth in eight years, across more than 300 reefs covering about two-thirds of the World Heritage Area. AIMS later reported that the 2024 event had the largest spatial footprint of any bleaching on record, and a smaller event followed in 2025 with medium to high bleaching on 41% of surveyed inshore and mid-shelf reefs in the north and centre. Some reefs have since recovered, for example about 90% of bleached coral at Lady Elliot Island after Cyclone Alfred cooled the water.","location":{"name":"Great Barrier Reef (Marine Park and World Heritage Area)","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland, Australia. 2024 surveys ran from Cape Melville in the north to Bundaberg in the south.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss from repeated thermal stress on a reef system.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AIMS reported high to extreme bleaching in all three regions in 2024 and mortality that its lead researcher called \"substantial\" (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no closures or lost tourism or fishing income from the bleaching itself.","scale":"GBRMPA aerial surveys covered about two-thirds of the World Heritage Area and over 300 reefs in 2024 (ref 1).","duration":"Two consecutive events (2024 and 2025) and five mass bleachings in eight years show a recurring pattern (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Reef Authority formally confirmed that a widespread mass bleaching event was unfolding (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Aerial surveys in 2024 covered more than 300 reefs, about two-thirds of the World Heritage Area; in 2025, 41% of surveyed inshore and mid-shelf reefs in the north and centre showed medium to high bleaching."},"measures":[{"name":"Reefs covered by the 2024 aerial surveys","value":300,"unit":"reefs","status":"Reported","note":"More than 300 inshore, midshelf and offshore reefs (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mass bleaching events in eight years","value":5,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"WWF-Australia statement quoted in ref 1 for the period to 2024."},{"name":"2025: inshore and mid-shelf reefs with medium to high bleaching (north and centre)","value":41,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Initial aerial surveys, as reported by AIMS via GCRMN (ref 2)."},{"name":"Lady Elliot Island bleached coral returned to good health","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by ABC in August 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No tourism or fishery loss figures for the bleaching are given in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cover fell sharply in 2024-25, then partly recovered in 2025-26 in the north and centre (see related record)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"},{"name":"Australian Institute of Marine Science","role":"Long-term reef monitoring","contact":"https://www.aims.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority general enquiries through the contact page on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["The Reef Authority and AIMS run aerial and in-water surveys to assess bleaching severity (ref 1).","A late summer monsoon and Cyclone Alfred cooled the water and eased heat stress in 2025 and 2026 (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Another summer, another mass coral bleaching event hits GBR","publisher":"Australian Geographic","date":"2024-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/?p=354141","basis":"News (quotes GBRMPA and WWF-Australia)"},{"ref":2,"title":"GBR monitoring 2024 (AIMS Long-Term Monitoring Program summary)","publisher":"GCRMN","date":"2025-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/2025/08/06/gbr-monitoring-2024/","basis":"Monitoring network summary of AIMS report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cyclone's cool water revives 90 per cent of reef island's bleached coral","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-01/lady-elliot-island-bleached-coral-recovers-cyclone-alfred/106949612","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (infobox coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-COVER-2025","OC-CORAL-GBR-UNESCODECISIONS-2026","OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2025","OC-CORAL-CORALSEA-HEATWAVE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-COVER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"AIMS records the largest annual coral cover declines on record in the northern and southern Great Barrier Reef","description":"AIMS long-term monitoring of 124 reefs found hard coral cover fell from 39.8% to 30.0% in the northern region and from 38.9% to 26.9% in the southern region in 2024-25, the largest annual decline recorded for each. The central region fell from 33.2% to 28.6%. The 2025-26 report shows partial recovery in the north (35.1%) and centre (31.6%), while the south slipped to 26.4%.","location":{"name":"Great Barrier Reef: northern, central and southern regions","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland, Australia. AIMS Long-Term Monitoring Program, 124 reefs surveyed between August 2024 and May 2025.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Documented loss of living coral cover on a reef system.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Cyclones and flooding","Crown-of-thorns starfish"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Regional cover losses of 14% to 30% and single-reef losses of up to 70.8% were recorded in 2024-25 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited monitoring reports document coral cover only and do not report closures or income losses.","scale":"All three regions of the Great Barrier Reef were surveyed, 124 reefs in total (ref 1).","duration":"Cover swung between large declines and partial recovery over 15 years of repeated disturbances (ref 2).","significance":"AIMS published the result in its formal annual summary report used by Reef Authority management (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Northern region hard coral cover fell from 39.8% to 30.0% and southern from 38.9% to 26.9% in 2024-25, the largest annual declines recorded for each region."},"measures":[{"name":"Northern region hard coral cover, 2025","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 39.8% in 2024; largest annual decline for the region (ref 1). Rose to 35.1% in 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Central region hard coral cover, 2025","value":28.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 33.2% in 2024 (ref 1). Rose to 31.6% in 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Southern region hard coral cover, 2025","value":26.9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 38.9% in 2024; largest annual decline for the region (ref 1). Fell slightly to 26.4% in 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Surveyed reefs with declining cover, 2024-25","value":48,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of 124 reefs, 42% showed no net change and 10% increased (ref 1)."},{"name":"Largest single-reef cover loss, 2024-25","value":70.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Maximum loss at an individual reef (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited reports give no tourism or fishery loss figures."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Sharp 2024-25 declines were followed by partial recovery in the north and centre in 2025-26 and a slight further fall in the south (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Institute of Marine Science","role":"Long-term reef monitoring","contact":"https://www.aims.gov.au"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority general enquiries through the contact page on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["AIMS continues annual long-term monitoring and reports to the Reef Authority (ref 2).","Crown-of-thorns control continues on priority reefs (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"GBR monitoring 2024 (AIMS Long-Term Monitoring Program summary)","publisher":"GCRMN","date":"2025-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/2025/08/06/gbr-monitoring-2024/","basis":"Monitoring network summary of AIMS report"},{"ref":2,"title":"AIMS Long Term Monitoring Program Annual Summary Report 2025-26 released","publisher":"GCRMN","date":"2026-08-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/2026/08/11/aims-ltm-25-26/","basis":"Monitoring network summary of AIMS report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Small but promising signs of recovery on Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-08-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-11/great-barrier-reef-small-signs-recovery/107025118","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Cyclone's cool water revives 90 per cent of reef island's bleached coral","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-01/lady-elliot-island-bleached-coral-recovers-cyclone-alfred/106949612","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (infobox coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The AIMS annual report pages (aims.gov.au) returned HTTP 503 to the research tool, so figures come from the GCRMN summaries of the AIMS reports and ABC."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-BLEACH-2024","OC-CORAL-GBR-HEATWAVE-2026","OC-CORAL-GBR-UNESCODECISIONS-2026","OC-CORAL-LIZARD-COTS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-LIZARD-COTS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fifth crown-of-thorns starfish wave emerging between Cairns and Lizard Island","description":"A new crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak is building along a roughly 240 km stretch of the northern Great Barrier Reef between Cairns and Lizard Island while the fourth outbreak, which began around 2010, is still being suppressed. The Reef Authority chief scientist warns of a build-up of adult starfish and says control would need to double to keep pace. AIMS monitoring links the starfish to up to 40% of coral loss over four decades.","location":{"name":"Cairns to Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef","type":"Coral reef outbreak zone","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland, Australia. Most affected: Irene Reef to Lizard Island, including Startle Reef.","coordinates":{"lat":-14.66889,"lon":145.45944,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A predator outbreak destroying living coral on a reef system.","secondary_drivers":["Crown-of-thorns starfish"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AIMS monitoring links the starfish to up to 40% of coral loss over four decades, and a build-up of adults is under way (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closures are reported; culling crews work from dedicated vessels while tourism continues (ref 1).","scale":"The outbreak zone is a 240 km section of one reef system between Cairns and Lizard Island (ref 1).","duration":"The fourth outbreak since the 1960s began in 2010 and is still being managed, and a fifth wave is overlapping it (ref 1).","significance":"A Reef Authority health report quoted by Newsport says the most severe outbreaks remain in this area, and the control program was stepped up in January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Scientists warn the new outbreak could be one of the worst in 60 years; the program culled about 74,000 starfish over about 11,700 hectares in 2024-25."},"measures":[{"name":"Starfish culled, 2024-25","value":74000,"unit":"starfish","status":"Reported","note":"About 74,000 starfish culled (Newsport, ref 2)."},{"name":"Reef habitat covered by control, 2024-25","value":11700,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"About 11,700 hectares (ref 2)."},{"name":"Reefs targeted, 2024-25","value":234,"unit":"reefs","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by Newsport (ref 2)."},{"name":"Control program cost","value":25,"unit":"million AUD per year","status":"Reported","note":"Federally funded; six vessels (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Coral loss attributed to starfish over four decades","value":40,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"AIMS long-term monitoring, quoted by ABC (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Tourism contributes about $9 billion a year to the local economy (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A fifth wave is emerging while the fourth is still being suppressed; control would need to double to keep pace (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Reef and Rainforest Research Centre","role":"Control program partners","contact":"https://www.barrierreef.org"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority general enquiries through the contact page on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Six dedicated vessels cull starfish by injection (cow bile or vinegar) on priority reefs (ref 1).","An extra $1.4 million was announced by the Environment Minister in late 2025 (ref 1).","CSIRO and AIMS modelling credits 2004 zoning and fisheries rules with fewer outbreaks (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak on Great Barrier Reef could be worst in decades","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-01-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-24/crown-of-thorns-starfish-outbreak-great-barrier-reef/106252468","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Waging a new war on crown-of-thorns starfish","publisher":"Newsport","date":"2026-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://archive.newsport.com.au/2026/january/waging-a-new-war-on-crown-of-thorns-starfish","basis":"News (last updated date)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Major conservation effort shields Great Barrier Reef from crown of thorns starfish threat","publisher":"CSIRO","date":"2025-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/News/2025/December/Major-conservation-effort-shields-Great-Barrier-Reef-from-crown-of-thorns-starfish-threat","basis":"Agency news release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Lizard Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard_Island","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Reef Authority COTS control program pages (gbrmpa.gov.au) returned HTTP 503, so program figures come from ABC and Newsport."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-COVER-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-LADYELLIOT-DRUPELLA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coral-eating Drupella snail outbreaks at Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave islands","description":"Tourism operators at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef have removed more than 420,000 coral-eating Drupella snails since 2022 from the lagoons at Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave islands. Scientists say agricultural runoff may be helping both the snails and crown-of-thorns starfish. Lady Elliot Island has moved to a maintenance phase to prevent large outbreaks.","location":{"name":"Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave islands lagoons","type":"Coral reef lagoon","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Southern Great Barrier Reef, off Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.","coordinates":{"lat":-24.117,"lon":152.717,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":-23.90833,"lon":152.39417,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"Lady Musgrave Island"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A native coral-eating snail outbreak affecting living coral on southern reefs.","secondary_drivers":["Drupella snail outbreak","Agricultural runoff (suspected)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Drupella feed on live coral tissue and have reached outbreak numbers, but the article gives no coral mortality figure (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Tourism operators are carrying out the culls themselves and no closures are reported (ref 1).","scale":"The outbreak is described at two island lagoons off Bundaberg (ref 1).","duration":"Culls have run since 2022 and have been fortnightly at Lady Elliot Island for about two years (ref 1).","significance":"Culling runs under a Reef Authority collection permit, but the article cites no formal notice or listing (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 420,000 Drupella snails have been removed since 2022; 1,500 were removed in one two-hour dive off Lady Musgrave Island."},"measures":[{"name":"Drupella snails removed since 2022","value":420000,"unit":"snails (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Tourism Reef Protection Initiative operators (ref 1)."},{"name":"Snails removed in one two-hour dive, Lady Musgrave","value":1500,"unit":"snails","status":"Reported","note":"Single scuba session (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tourism operators in the monitoring program","value":26,"unit":"operators","status":"Reported","note":"Managing more than 270 reef sites (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Tourism operators bear the cost and effort of fortnightly culls (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Lady Elliot Island has moved to a maintenance phase to prevent large outbreaks (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"},{"name":"Tourism Reef Protection Initiative operators","role":"Monitoring and culling under permit","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority general enquiries through the contact page on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Operators monitor and remove snails by hand with tweezers under a Reef Authority permit (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"It doesn't look dangerous, but this sneaky snail causes enormous damage","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-09-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-06/coral-killing-drupella-snails-culled-from-great-barrier-reef/107102814","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Lady Elliot Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Elliot_Island","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Lady Musgrave Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Musgrave_Island","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one news article was available; no agency page or study on Drupella numbers or coral mortality was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-LIZARD-COTS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-KEPPEL-RESTORE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Great Barrier Reef coral seeding pilot reaches about 40,000 devices, with scale still unproven","description":"A three-year Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program pilot placed about 40,000 coral seeding devices on reefs off the Keppel Islands, Cairns and Port Douglas in 2026. Researchers say aquaculture alone cannot restock the reef and are still assessing what scale is achievable next year. The article does not state the area covered or the cost.","location":{"name":"Keppel Islands, Cairns and Port Douglas reef sites","type":"Coral restoration pilot sites","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia; Woppaburra Traditional Owners deploy devices at the Keppels.","coordinates":{"lat":-23.1977,"lon":150.9441,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Restoration intervention on degraded living coral habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Coral decline after bleaching"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The pilot responds to coral loss, but the article gives no measured benefit and says the scale achievable is still being worked out (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closures or restrictions are tied to the pilot; tourism operators and aquarists are being trained (ref 1).","scale":"Pilot deployments are at reef sites off three coastal areas, not reef-wide (ref 1).","duration":"The pilot is a three-year program that began the year before and sits within a program formed in 2020 (ref 1).","significance":"The article cites no formal notice or listing, only a program pilot (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 40,000 coral seeding devices were produced and deployed this year; a researcher says aquaculture alone cannot restock the reef."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral seeding devices produced and deployed in 2026","value":40000,"unit":"devices","status":"Reported","note":"The article treats devices and baby corals as the same figure (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The article reports no cost or economic risk figures."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Pilot results and next-year scale were still being assessed (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (AIMS, CSIRO, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Queensland universities)","role":"Restoration program","contact":"https://www.barrierreef.org"}],"public_contact":"Great Barrier Reef Foundation general contact page at barrierreef.org","corrective_actions":["Corals were grown on land and settled onto ceramic devices or collected from wild spawn slicks (ref 1).","Partners are assessing deployment results and the achievable scale for next year (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"40,000 hand-raised baby corals bring hope of restoring Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-03-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-30/thousands-of-baby-corals-transplanted-onto-great-barrier-reef/106502008","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Keppel Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keppel_Islands","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single news source; the scale relative to reef area and the program cost were not found."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-COVER-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-RAINE-TURTLE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Raine Island green turtles: warm sand skews hatchlings female as egg relocation scales up","description":"Raine Island, the world's largest green turtle rookery, is producing almost entirely female hatchlings because the sand is too warm for males; a 2018 Current Biology study found 99.1% of juveniles and 86.8% of the whole northern population were female. In summer 2024-25 about 3,000 eggs were moved to the Sir Charles Hardy Islands, and in the following season almost 9,000 eggs were relocated under shade structures that cool the sand by about 1.5 C, with 82% hatching and reaching the sea. Researchers have not yet shown whether relocated hatchlings are as fit as those from untouched nests.","location":{"name":"Raine Island and Sir Charles Hardy Islands","type":"Sea turtle rookery","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Northern Great Barrier Reef and Cape York, Queensland, Australia; eggs moved about 80 km to Sir Charles Hardy Islands (Wuthathi National Park).","coordinates":{"lat":-11.5911,"lon":144.0369,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":-11.918,"lon":143.481,"precision":"site","source_ref":5,"role":"Sir Charles Hardy Islands (relocation site)"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Climate-driven skew in the sex ratio of an iconic turtle population.","secondary_drivers":["Warm nesting sand","Sea level rise (nest flooding)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The 2018 study found 99.1% of juveniles and 99.8% of subadults were female, and the shortage of males persists (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The sources report no closures or income loss; the project is a conservation program (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The finding concerns one rookery and the northern Great Barrier Reef green turtle stock (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The northern rookeries have produced mainly females for more than two decades (ref 1).","significance":"The sources cite a recovery project and funding, but no formal notice, listing or enforcement (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Almost 9,000 eggs from over 100 nests were relocated in the latest season; 82% hatched and reached the water, and shade lowered sand temperature by about 1.5 C."},"measures":[{"name":"Juvenile green turtles that were female (northern population, 2018 study)","value":99.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Current Biology study reported by Smithsonian (ref 1)."},{"name":"Whole northern population that was female (2018 study)","value":86.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same study (ref 1)."},{"name":"Eggs relocated in the latest season","value":9000,"unit":"eggs (almost)","status":"Reported","note":"From more than 100 nests (ref 3)."},{"name":"Relocated eggs that hatched and reached the sea","value":82,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"ABC, June 2026; the earlier trial had about 70% (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Sand cooling under shade structures","value":1.5,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Custom shade structure over reburied eggs (ref 3)."},{"name":"Egg relocation project cost","value":3.5,"unit":"million AUD","status":"Reported","note":"Described as the project cost, funded through the Saving Native Species program (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The sources report no fishery or tourism impact for the rookery."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No new sex-ratio measurement was found; hatchling fitness testing by James Cook University is pending (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"},{"name":"Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service","role":"Joint field management and egg relocation","contact":"https://parks.qld.gov.au"},{"name":"Wuthathi and Meriam Nation Traditional Owners","role":"Project partners","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority general enquiries through the contact page on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Eggs are collected, vacuum-bagged and moved about 80 km to Sir Charles Hardy Islands and reburied under shade (refs 2, 3).","Beach reprofiling at Raine Island reduced tidal flooding of nests (ref 2).","James Cook University is testing the fitness of relocated hatchlings (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Climate change is producing too many female sea turtles","publisher":"Smithsonian Magazine","date":"2018-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/climate-change-producing-too-many-female-sea-turtles-180967780/","basis":"News (reports Current Biology study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Green turtle egg relocation from Raine Island hatches hope","publisher":"Cape York Weekly","date":"2025-11-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://capeyorkweekly.com.au/green-turtle-egg-relocation-from-raine-island-hatches-hope/19913/","basis":"News (agency project release)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Thousands of baby green sea turtles head to sea after successful egg relocation","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-06-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-01/green-sea-turtle-babies-hatch-/106739118","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Raine Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raine_Island","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Sir Charles Hardy Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Charles_Hardy_Islands","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The earlier relocation trial is dated \"2024\" by ABC and \"last summer\" (2024-25) by Cape York Weekly; both describe about 3,000 eggs and a 70% hatch rate."}],"missing_fields":["No sex-ratio figure newer than the 2018 study was found; GBRMPA pages returned HTTP 503."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-HERVEY-DUGONG-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dugong numbers falling along the southern Great Barrier Reef, with few calves and a tentative Hervey Bay rebound","description":"James Cook University aerial surveys show dugongs declining by about 2.3% a year since 2005 along 1,200 km of coast from Mission Beach to Bundaberg, and by about 5.7% a year in Hervey Bay, where floods in 2022 destroyed most seagrass. Only two mother-calf pairs were seen near Gladstone. A 2024 survey of Hervey Bay counted about 109 dugongs against 103 in 2022, but only three calves against nine.","location":{"name":"Mission Beach to Bundaberg, incl. Hervey Bay","type":"Dugong habitat and seagrass coast","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Southern Great Barrier Reef coast, Queensland, Australia, including Hervey Bay and Gladstone.","coordinates":{"lat":-25.29,"lon":152.84,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Decline of a seagrass-dependent marine mammal population.","secondary_drivers":["Seagrass loss after floods","Gillnet entanglement","Water quality"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Surveys found a long-term decline, very few calves and seagrass largely lost after the 2022 floods in Hervey Bay (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Governments announced a A$160 million package to phase out gillnet fishing, a restriction on fishers (ref 2).","scale":"The decline spans about 1,200 km of the Queensland coast, about half the Reef (ref 1).","duration":"The decline is measured as an annual rate since 2005 and calves remained scarce in 2024 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The sources cite research surveys and a funding package but no listing, enforcement order or ruling."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Dugongs are declining about 2.3% a year since 2005 from Mission Beach to Bundaberg, and about 5.7% a year in Hervey Bay."},"measures":[{"name":"Annual decline, Mission Beach to Bundaberg (since 2005)","value":2.3,"unit":"% per year","status":"Reported","note":"JCU aerial surveys of 2022 reported by AAP (ref 1)."},{"name":"Annual decline, Hervey Bay (since 2005)","value":5.7,"unit":"% per year","status":"Reported","note":"May be skewed by 2022 flooding (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mother-calf pairs seen near Gladstone, 2022","value":2,"unit":"pairs","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Dugongs counted in Hervey Bay aerial survey, 2024 (raw count)","value":109,"unit":"dugongs","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 103 in 2022; not a corrected abundance estimate (ref 3)."},{"name":"Calves counted in Hervey Bay, 2024","value":3,"unit":"calves","status":"Reported","note":"Down from nine in 2022 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The gillnet phase-out is due to complete in mid-2027 and affects fishers (refs 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Long-term decline, but Hervey Bay counts edged up in 2024 as seagrass recovered; calves fell (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"James Cook University TropWATER","role":"Aerial survey research","contact":"https://www.jcu.edu.au/tropwater"},{"name":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries","role":"Gillnet phase-out and fisheries management","contact":"https://www.daf.qld.gov.au"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority general enquiries through the contact page on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Australian and Queensland governments announced a A$160 million gillnet phase-out package (ref 2).","JCU is seeking funding for a 2027 aerial survey from the southern Great Barrier Reef to Moreton Bay (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Surveys confirm long-term decline of Reef's dugongs","publisher":"Australian Geographic (AAP)","date":"2023-09-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/nature-wildlife/2023/09/surveys-confirm-long-term-decline-of-reefs-dugongs/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Dugong populations are declining in the Great Barrier Reef, study finds","publisher":"Smithsonian Magazine","date":"2023-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dugong-populations-are-declining-in-the-great-barrier-reef-study-finds-180982992/","basis":"News (reports JCU report)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hervey Bay's dugongs make positive start on slow road to recovery","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-24/hervey-bay-dugongs-show-positive-population-growth-queensland/107186454","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Hervey Bay (town centre coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hervey_Bay","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The JCU report itself was not opened; figures come from news coverage of it. Two of three sources predate the window start (September 2023) but the decline is unresolved."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-BYCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-BYCATCH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Threatened sharks, sawfish and sea snakes caught in Great Barrier Reef gillnet and trawl fisheries as a gillnet ban nears","description":"Queensland data cited by ABC show 188 fatal interactions with scalloped hammerhead sharks and seven narrow sawfish deaths in the east coast gillnet fishery since February 2024. A gillnet ban in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park takes effect on 1 July 2027, and fishers have funded a review seeking to overturn it. Separately, a mandatory camera rollout on trawlers begins in June 2026, with about 4,000 sea snakes a year reported as trawl bycatch by the Australian Marine Conservation Society.","location":{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park fisheries","type":"Marine park fishery","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland east coast, Australia; east coast inshore gillnet fishery and otter trawl fishery.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Bycatch mortality of threatened marine wildlife in commercial fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Gillnet bycatch","Trawl bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Queensland data show 188 fatal interactions with scalloped hammerheads and seven narrow sawfish deaths since February 2024 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Gillnet licences in the Marine Park have fallen from over 200 to 25 and a ban takes effect on 1 July 2027 (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The gillnet ban and the trawl camera rule apply along the Marine Park coast (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Temporary licences since 2024 and a 2023 phase-out agreement mean the bycatch has run for years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal phase-out is legislated, with temporary licences expiring 30 June 2027, and cameras are mandated for trawlers (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Since February 2024, 188 fatal interactions with scalloped hammerhead sharks and seven narrow sawfish deaths were recorded; the gillnet ban starts 1 July 2027."},"measures":[{"name":"Scalloped hammerhead fatal interactions since February 2024","value":188,"unit":"interactions","status":"Reported","note":"Queensland data cited by ABC (ref 1)."},{"name":"Narrow sawfish deaths since February 2024","value":7,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Gillnet licences in the Marine Park","value":25,"unit":"licences","status":"Reported","note":"Down from over 200 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea snakes reported as trawl bycatch each year","value":4000,"unit":"sea snakes (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Figure from the Australian Marine Conservation Society (ref 3)."},{"name":"Trawlers to be fitted with cameras","value":160,"unit":"trawlers (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Rollout over six years, $44 million (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The east coast inshore fishery produces 200 to 300 tonnes a year and shop owners fear closing (refs 1, 2).","The trawl camera program costs $44 million (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Licences are shrinking toward the 2027 ban, but fishers are contesting it and alternative gear has not been delivered (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.daf.qld.gov.au"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"},{"name":"Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia)","role":"Federal partner in the phase-out","contact":"https://www.dcceew.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Reef Authority general enquiries through the contact page on gbrmpa.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Gillnets are to be removed from the Marine Park from 1 July 2027 (ref 2).","Electronic camera monitoring is mandatory on 90% of east coast trawlers, rolled out from June 2026 (ref 3).","The Queensland minister will review the fishers' industry-commissioned report (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fishers fund review in last-ditch effort to overturn gillnet ban","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-16/gillnet-fishers-independent-review-great-barrier-reef-fishery/107154774","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Seafood shop owners fear being forced to close due to gillnet ban","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-08/regional-fishing-towns-prepare-for-impact-of-gillnet-ban/107238342","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mandatory camera monitoring for trawlers working Great Barrier Reef Marine Park","publisher":"ABC Rural","date":"2026-02-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2026-02-11/electronic-camera-monitoring-bycatch-trawlers-seafood/106307306","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (infobox coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Queensland interaction data was read through ABC only; the official dataset pages (data.gov.au, daf.qld.gov.au) returned HTTP 403."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-HERVEY-DUGONG-2023","OC-CORAL-GBR-GILLNET-2023","OC-CORAL-QLD-SHARKCTRL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-QLD-SHARKCTRL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Queensland Shark Control Program nets and drumlines catch whales, turtles and other non-target animals","description":"RSPCA Queensland reports that the Shark Control Program's nets and drumlines captured 1,639 marine animals in 2024, more than 980 of which died, and that the state plans to expand the program. Sea Shepherd cites 7,808 non-target animals caught from 2014 to 2023, 734 of them protected species, and humpback whales have repeatedly been entangled during the winter migration. These are advocacy-group figures; in 2022 the Fisheries Minister said nets would stay unless replacements were proven safe for swimmers.","location":{"name":"Queensland shark nets and drumlines, Gold Coast and beyond","type":"Shark control gear on beaches","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL","TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland east coast, Australia; 86 beaches have nets and drumlines according to a 2022 report. Kirra Beach, Gold Coast is a documented entanglement site.","coordinates":{"lat":-28.1675,"lon":153.5325,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mortality of non-target marine wildlife caused by shark control gear.","secondary_drivers":["Shark nets and drumlines","Humpback migration route"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"RSPCA Queensland reports 1,639 animals captured in 2024 with more than 980 dead (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closures or income loss are reported; the gear is in place for beach safety (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The program covers beaches along the Queensland coast, with 86 beaches in 2022 (ref 3).","duration":"The program has run for over 60 years and entanglements recur each migration (ref 2).","significance":"The cited sources are NGO and news reports; none shows a formal notice, ruling or listing against the program."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"RSPCA Queensland: nets and drumlines captured 1,639 marine animals in 2024 and more than 980 died."},"measures":[{"name":"Animals captured by the program, 2024","value":1639,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"RSPCA Queensland; more than 980 died (ref 1)."},{"name":"Non-target animals caught 2014 to 2023","value":7808,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Sea Shepherd Australia; 734 were protected species (ref 2)."},{"name":"Humpback entanglements since 2013 (to July 2022)","value":57,"unit":"entanglements","status":"Reported","note":"AAP report; 55 whales released alive (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The sources report no fishery or tourism loss; the program protects beach tourism and swimmers."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The state is expanding the program despite the review findings reported by RSPCA (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries (Shark Control Program)","role":"Program manager","contact":"https://www.daf.qld.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries general enquiries via daf.qld.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Trials of drones, smart drumlines and acoustic pingers were under way in 2022, and the minister then said nets would stay unless alternatives were proven safe (ref 3); RSPCA reports drone trials showed benefits and limitations (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Remove shark nets","publisher":"RSPCA Queensland","date":"2025-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/blog/wildlife-conservation/remove-shark-nets","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Urgent plea: whale entanglement in Queensland shark nets","publisher":"Sea Shepherd Australia","date":"2024-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seashepherd.org.au/latest-news/urgent-plea-whale-entanglement-qld-shark-nets/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Qld shark net debate as third whale saved","publisher":"The Canberra Times (AAP)","date":"2022-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7811811/qld-shark-net-debate-as-third-whale-saved/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kirra (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirra,_Queensland","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass, reefs, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The RSPCA page mentions an independent review but does not name its author, so the review was not identified."}],"missing_fields":["No Queensland Government page or dataset could be opened (daf.qld.gov.au and data.gov.au returned HTTP 403), so all figures are NGO or news figures."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-BYCATCH-2026","OC-CORAL-SEQLD-ALFREDEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-GILLNET-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gillnet fishing to be phased out across the Great Barrier Reef by mid-2027, with a funded buyout","description":"The Queensland and Australian governments announced in November 2023 that gillnet fishing in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area will end by mid-2027, backed by a A$185 million package that includes about A$90 million in structural adjustment for licence holders. The government says nets entangle threatened dugongs, turtles, dolphins and sawfish. The seafood industry body opposed the decision, and later funding stages for skippers, crew and a gillnet buy-back ran through 2024 and January 2025.","location":{"name":"Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area","type":"Marine park and World Heritage Area","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland east coast, plus Gulf of Carpentaria and Great Sandy Marine Park net-free zones","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"site","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regulatory phase-out of a fishing method with compensation, so the governance and economic layer.","secondary_drivers":["Bycatch of threatened species","Policy and compensation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Queensland Government says dugongs, dolphins, turtles and sawfish can become entangled in gillnets, a potential harm that is stated but not quantified in the page (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Licences are to be rescinded, with $60,000 offered for an N2 licence and about $90 million for eligible fishers and supply-chain businesses; the industry body called it a starving-out of fishers (refs 2, 4).","scale":"The phase-out covers the whole Great Barrier Reef, about 344,400 square kilometres, plus Gulf of Carpentaria and Great Sandy zones (ref 1).","duration":"A three-and-a-half-year transition from December 2023 to mid-2027, with funding stages still open to January 2025 (refs 1, 5).","significance":"A formally announced, funded government program following all recommendations of the Future Fishing Taskforce, tied to Queensland's commitments to UNESCO (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Entire Reef gillnet-free by mid-2027, under a A$185 million joint commitment; gillnetting is 2.6% of the east coast wild-caught seafood harvest (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Structural adjustment package, total","value":185,"unit":"million AUD","status":"Reported","note":"Joint Queensland and Australian governments commitment (refs 2, 5)."},{"name":"Gillnet share of east coast wild-caught seafood harvest","value":2.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Queensland Government page updated 7 March 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Funding available in Stage 2 (May 2024)","value":15.9,"unit":"million AUD","status":"Reported","note":"Ministerial statement of 17 May 2024; almost $35 million already paid (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Industry body engaged a lawyer to review options and says licences are property rights (ref 2).","Government temporary NX licences (28) issued to maintain wild-caught barramundi supply (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Latest dated source is July 2024; progress toward the mid-2027 deadline is not confirmed in sources opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/coasts-waterways/reef/gill-net-fishing-phase-out"},{"name":"QRIDA","role":"Administers structural adjustment payments","contact":"https://www.qrida.qld.gov.au/"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Queensland Government general enquiries channel via the qld.gov.au page; QRIDA phone 1800 623 946 (ref 5).","corrective_actions":["Gillnet-free zone across the northern third of the Reef from end of December 2023, whole Reef by mid-2027 (ref 1).","Structural adjustment payments, buy-back and boat refit grants through QRIDA (refs 3, 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Great Barrier Reef gillnet fishing phase out","publisher":"Queensland Government","date":"2024-03-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/coasts-waterways/reef/gill-net-fishing-phase-out","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"We will fight this: seafood industry slams government compensation","publisher":"North Queensland Register","date":"2023-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.northqueenslandregister.com.au/story/8426511/we-will-fight-this-seafood-industry-slams-government-compensation/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"More adjustment packages available for net-free fishing zones","publisher":"Queensland Government ministerial media statement","date":"2024-05-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/100337","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gillnet fishing ban to protect Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"AAP News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/gillnet-fishing-ban-to-protect-great-barrier-reef","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Gillnet fishers given more time to apply for share of payments","publisher":"QRIDA","date":"2024-07-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.qrida.qld.gov.au/news/gillnet-fishers-given-more-time-apply-share-payments","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":6,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Progress against the mid-2027 deadline after July 2024 was not found in pages opened; the Queensland DPI Future Fishing pages returned HTTP 403."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-QLD-SPANISHMACKEREL-2025","OC-CORAL-GBR-BYCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-QLD-SPANISHMACKEREL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"East coast Spanish mackerel: stock listed depleted in 2023, then Queensland raises catch limits in 2026","description":"The 2023 national status report classed the east coast Spanish mackerel stock as depleted at about 17% of unfished biomass, and Queensland cut the commercial catch limit from 578 to 165 tonnes in 2022-23. A 2025 Queensland assessment put the stock at about 34% of unfished levels, and the government lifted the commercial limit to 250 tonnes from 1 February 2026 and doubled the recreational boat limit. The Australian Marine Conservation Society called the changes short-sighted and risky.","location":{"name":"East coast Queensland, Great Barrier Reef","type":"Fish stock (east coast fishery)","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland east coast within and beside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":7}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A depleted fish stock and the rebuild or relaxation of its harvest limits.","secondary_drivers":["Harvest strategy change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2023 status report found the stock depleted at 17% (+/-4%) of unfished spawning biomass against a 20% limit reference point and recruitment impaired (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The commercial total allowable catch was cut from 578 to 165 tonnes with two three-week closed seasons and a one-fish-per-person limit; the industry body said many fishers left (refs 1, 5).","scale":"The stock spans the Queensland east coast, a national coastline, and the assessment is by east coast stock (ref 1).","duration":"Assessed depleted in 2021, cut in 2022-23, and still only at 34% of unfished in 2025, below the 48% target set in January 2026 (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"Listed 'Depleted' in the national Status of Australian Fish Stocks report and changed by Queensland ministerial statement and legislation in January 2026 (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2025 assessment: population likely 34% of unfished biomass; commercial limit raised from 165 to 250 tonnes from 1 February 2026 (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Spawning biomass relative to unfished, 2019-20 base case","value":17,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Tanimoto et al. 2021 as cited in the 2023 status report; range 14% to 57%; limit reference point 20% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Biomass relative to unfished, 2025 assessment","value":34,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Queensland ministerial statement, January 2026; the August 2025 statement gives the stock assessment publication date as 7 May 2025 (refs 3, 4)."},{"name":"Commercial annual catch limit before 2022","value":578,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Cut to 165 tonnes in 2022-23 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Commercial annual catch limit from 1 February 2026","value":250,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"51.5% increase from 165 tonnes (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Commercial limit modelled to add about $3.5 million gross value of production (ref 4).","Queensland Seafood Industry Association welcomed the change and said many fishers left after the cuts (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Government assessment shows recovery from 17% to 34%, but conservation groups say loosening is premature (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/"},{"name":"Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Expert Panel","role":"Advises on stock management","contact":"https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/103271"}],"public_contact":"Queensland Government general enquiries via the department website.","corrective_actions":["Commercial limit raised to 250 tonnes and recreational boat limit raised to four fish from 2026 (ref 4).","Biomass target changed from 60% to 48% of unfished (refs 3, 4).","Existing spawning closures retained pending the next stock assessment (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Spanish Mackerel (2023), Status of Australian Fish Stocks","publisher":"Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (fish.gov.au)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fish.gov.au/report/393-Spanish-Mackerel-2023?jurisdictionId=4","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spanish mackerel proposal: conservationists and biologists fear changes premature","publisher":"Mackay and Whitsunday Life","date":"2025-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mackayandwhitsundaylife.com/article/88spanish-mackerel","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"New Spanish mackerel assessment shows sustainable populations","publisher":"Queensland Government ministerial media statement","date":"2025-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/103271","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Spanish mackerel legislative changes in effect","publisher":"Queensland Government ministerial media statement","date":"2026-01-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/104371","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":5,"title":"New Spanish mackerel fishing limits in Queensland","publisher":"North Queensland Register","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.northqueenslandregister.com.au/story/9162659/new-spanish-mackerel-fishing-limits-in-queensland/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"More chances to bag a Spanish mackerel after law changes","publisher":"Newsport","date":"2026-01-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://archive.newsport.com.au/2026/january/more-chances-to-bag-a-spanish-mackerel-after-law-changes","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Queensland government calls the 2021 assessment flawed; the 2023 national report and conservation groups treat the depleted status as peer-reviewed. The 2023 status report lists the stock as depleted while the 2025 assessment reports 34%."}],"missing_fields":["The 2025 stock assessment document itself was not opened; its figures come from the ministerial statements."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-GILLNET-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-SADDLETAILSNAPPER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Saddletail snapper in the Reef Line Fishery estimated at 28% of unfished biomass in 2026 assessment","description":"A 2026 Queensland Department of Primary Industries stock assessment of saddletail snapper, targeted by the Reef Line Fishery mostly inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, estimates biomass at the start of 2026 at 19% to 42% of unfished levels, median 28%. The 2021 assessment gave 13% to 73%, most likely 23%, and the 2023 national status report noted that the assessment called for rebuilding but management had not changed. Recreational fishers take about 70% of the harvest.","location":{"name":"Reef Line Fishery, east coast Queensland","type":"Fish stock (reef line fishery)","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and adjoining Queensland waters, Cape York to south of Brisbane","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Stock biomass below management target in a reef fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational and commercial harvest","Depredation mortality"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2026 ensemble of twelve model scenarios puts biomass at 19% to 42% of unfished with a median of 28%, a limited-harm indicator rather than a collapse (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or limit change tied to the new estimate was reported; one blog expects possible bag-limit cuts but reports no rule change yet (ref 3).","scale":"A single biological stock on the east coast, assessed as one fishery unit (ref 1).","duration":"The 2021 assessment already estimated 23% (13% to 73%) and the 2023 report said management had not changed, so the concern spans several years (ref 2).","significance":"A formal Queensland technical report of 2026 on the stock, though the national 2023 report still classed it sustainable (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Biomass at the start of 2026 was 19% to 42% of unfished levels, median 28% (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Biomass relative to unfished, start of 2026 (median)","value":28,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 19% to 42% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Biomass relative to unfished, 2020 (2021 assessment)","value":23,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 13% to 73% (ref 2)."},{"name":"Recreational share of annual harvest","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"About 162 tonnes a year from 2019-20 survey data (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Commercial catch of 74 tonnes in 2021-22, about half the 1997-98 to 2002-03 peak (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two assessments, 2021 and 2026, with overlapping uncertainty ranges."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries)","role":"Fisheries regulator and stock assessor","contact":"https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Queensland Government general enquiries via the department website.","corrective_actions":["Commercial catch limited by a multi-species total allowable commercial catch; recreational combined possession limit of nine fish with crimson snapper (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Stock assessment of saddletail snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) in east coast, Queensland, Australia, with data to June 2025","publisher":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries (technical report, Fox and Sumpter)","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://era.dpi.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/15593/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Saddletail Snapper (2023), Status of Australian Fish Stocks","publisher":"Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (fish.gov.au)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fish.gov.au/report/356-Saddletail-Snapper-2020","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Saddletail snapper stock assessment commentary","publisher":"Ryan Moody Fishing","date":"2026-04-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ryanmoodyfishing.com/?p=134398","basis":"News and commentary"},{"ref":4,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ERA entry date (23 March 2026) is the archive date shown; the technical report PDF itself was not opened. The 60% Queensland target is quoted only by the blog."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-QLD-SPANISHMACKEREL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-QLD-SNAPPERPEARLPERCH-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Queensland east coast snapper and pearl perch both classed depleted in national status reports","description":"The 2023 Status of Australian Fish Stocks reports classify east coast snapper (10% to 23% of unfished spawning biomass in Queensland line-fishery scenarios) and eastern Australia pearl perch (22% in the base case) as depleted, with recruitment impaired. Queensland has limited both to line fishing with a snapper commercial catch limit of 42 tonnes, but the reports say the measures do not appear to have halted the decline. Queensland commercial snapper harvest fell about 75% between 2015-16 and 2021-22.","location":{"name":"Southern Queensland offshore reefs (Fraser Offshore)","type":"Fish stocks (line fishery)","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL","TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Rockhampton south to Fraser coast; stocks extend into New South Wales","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":-25.24,"lon":153.15,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Two long-lived demersal fish stocks depleted by past overfishing.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational and commercial line fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Snapper spawning biomass 10% to 23% of unfished with 51 of 55 scenarios below the 20% limit, and pearl perch spawning biomass 22%, both classed depleted and recruitment impaired (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"A 42 tonne commercial snapper limit and July to August closure apply; Queensland commercial snapper harvest fell from 61 tonnes in 2015-16 to 11 tonnes in 2021-22 (ref 1).","scale":"Both stocks span the Queensland and New South Wales east coast, a national coastline rather than a single site (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Snapper was declared overfished around 2010 and measures since 2019 have not halted decline; pearl perch has declined consistently since 2005 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Both listed 'Depleted' in the national status reports; the snapper report says holding harvest at 2016 levels will not rebuild Queensland stocks (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"East coast snapper: 10% to 23% of unfished spawning biomass in Queensland scenarios; pearl perch: 22% (range 14% to 46%) (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pearl perch spawning biomass relative to unfished","value":22,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Base case, range 14% to 46%; assessment by Lovett et al. 2022 with data to 2019 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Queensland commercial snapper harvest, 2021-22","value":11,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 61 tonnes in 2015-16 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pearl perch combined Queensland and NSW harvest, 2021-22","value":45,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Maximum sustainable yield estimated at 74 tonnes; harvest historically low (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Commercial snapper harvest down about 75% in six years (ref 1).","Pearl perch commercial fishery shifted north as traditional grounds declined (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Snapper catch rates fell further between 2016 and 2018; pearl perch biomass declining since 2005, with no evidence of recovery (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/"},{"name":"NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Fisheries)","role":"Co-manager of shared stocks","contact":"https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Queensland Government general enquiries via the department website.","corrective_actions":["Snapper line-caught only since September 2019, commercial catch limit 42 tonnes, July to August closure; pearl perch recreational limit and size limit increases (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Snapper (2023), Status of Australian Fish Stocks","publisher":"Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (fish.gov.au)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fish.gov.au/report/365-Snapper-2023?jurisdictionId=4","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pearl Perch (2023), Status of Australian Fish Stocks","publisher":"Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (fish.gov.au)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fish.gov.au/Archived-Reports/2023/Pearl%20Perch%20(2023).pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fraser Island (K'gari) coordinates","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Island","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The snapper report lists the 2013-14 recreational harvest as 74 tonnes in text but 85 tonnes in the table."}],"missing_fields":["Both reports are dated June 2023 on the pages; no day was given so date is null. No 2024 to 2026 stock update was found. The coordinate is K'gari as a proxy for Fraser Offshore grounds."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-PNG-SEACUCUMBER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Papua New Guinea beche-de-mer season closed 31 December 2025 under a revised management plan after past overfishing","description":"The National Fisheries Authority ended the 2025 beche-de-mer harvest on 31 December 2025 and set deadlines for buying, transport and storage, warning of fines, licence cancellation and confiscation. A revised national plan ratified in 2024 aims to allow longer open seasons, after earlier closures in 14 maritime provinces were imposed in 2009 because of overfishing and low stocks. Alotau in Milne Bay is one of the major producing centres.","location":{"name":"Alotau, Milne Bay Province","type":"Sea cucumber fishery (national, maritime provinces)","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PG"],"detail":"Southeast Papua New Guinea; fishery spans 14 maritime provinces","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":-10.317,"lon":150.433,"precision":"city","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An invertebrate fishery managed by seasons and closures because of overfishing.","secondary_drivers":["Export demand","Seasonal enforcement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A 2018 NFA notice cites overfishing and a 2019 NFA statement says stock levels were low, but no current stock figure was found (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"Harvest ended 31 December 2025, buying until 16 January and transport until 26 January 2026, with product removed from villages (ref 1).","scale":"The management plan covers all 14 maritime provinces of Papua New Guinea (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Closures date from 2009, extended to 2018 and a skipped 2019 season, and seasons still end by notice in 2025 (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"A formal NFA notice with penalties and a ratified revised national plan (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Harvesting officially ended on 31 December 2025; exports allowed for licence holders until 17 October under the management plan (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maritime provinces covered by the original closure","value":14,"unit":"provinces","status":"Reported","note":"Ban imposed in 2009 to replenish stocks (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Industry has shifted to sandfish farming and hatchery plans to enable longer seasons (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No stock series found; seasons repeatedly shortened or closed."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Fisheries Authority (PNG)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://nfapng.fisheries.gov.pg/"}],"public_contact":"NFA published contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Revised National Beche-de-mer Fishery Management Plan finalised and ratified in 2024 (ref 2).","Surveillance and monitoring teams active in participating provinces (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"BDM season 2025 winds down","publisher":"National Broadcasting Corporation PNG","date":"2026-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nbc.com.pg/post/31490/bdm-season-2025-winds-down-in-milne-bay","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"NFA revised national beche-de-mer fishery management plan","publisher":"EMTV","date":"2024-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://emtv.com.pg/?p=226242","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Beche-de-mer fishery closure","publisher":"The National (PNG)","date":"2018-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenational.com.pg/?p=202288","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fishery ban may continue, says Kasu","publisher":"The National (PNG)","date":"2019-12-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenational.com.pg/?p=280708","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Alotau coordinates","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alotau","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2026 season status and any current stock assessment were not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-SLB-HUASHENG1-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chinese-chartered vessel detained at Indispensable Reef, Solomon Islands, for breaching beche-de-mer licence conditions","description":"On 24 October 2025 a Royal Solomon Islands Police Force patrol boarded MV Hua Sheng 1 at Indispensable Reef during Operation Kurukuru 2025 and found it in breach of its sea cucumber licence, having harvested several reef fish species during their spawning period. The vessel, with over 60 local divers and 13 small boats, was escorted to Honiara and detained for 72 hours pending a joint investigation. No outcome of the investigation was found.","location":{"name":"Indispensable Reef, Rennell and Bellona Province","type":"Coral atoll and licensed fishing ground","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["SB"],"detail":"Southern Solomon Islands EEZ, about 50 km south of Rennell Island","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-12.667,"lon":160.417,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A licence-breach enforcement case in a provincial fishery.","secondary_drivers":["IUU enforcement","Spawning aggregation fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The inspection found the vessel harvesting several reef fish species during their spawning period, a potential harm that is stated but not quantified (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or livelihood loss was reported; the vessel employed more than 60 local divers from Rennell and Bellona and Honiara (ref 1).","scale":"One vessel at one reef system, with a second vessel boarded and found compliant (ref 2).","duration":"A single boarding on 24 October 2025 and a 72 hour detention (ref 1).","significance":"A formal boarding, breach finding under the Fisheries Act and detention, though no charge or penalty was reported (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"MV Hua Sheng 1 was found in breach of licence conditions and detained for 72 hours at Aola Patrol Boat Base pending a joint investigation (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Local divers engaged","value":60,"unit":"divers","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 60' divers from Rennell and Bellona and Honiara (ref 1)."},{"name":"Small outboard boats operated","value":13,"unit":"boats","status":"Reported","note":"Supporting the fishing operation (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Vessel chartered by a Chinese company under an arrangement with the Rennell and Bellona Provincial Government (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single enforcement event."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://solomons.gov.sb/"},{"name":"Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Maritime Division","role":"Maritime enforcement","contact":"https://rsipf.gov.sb/"}],"public_contact":"Government of Solomon Islands website contact pages.","corrective_actions":["Vessel detained and escorted to Honiara; Solomon Islands Maritime Authority notified for a seaworthiness survey (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Maritime police detain a foreign, locally registered vessel for breaching its license conditions","publisher":"Solomon Islands Government (RSIPF release)","date":"2025-11-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://solomons.gov.sb/maritime-police-detain-a-foreign-locally-registered-vessel-for-breaching-its-license-conditions/","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Chinese-chartered vessel detained by Solomons maritime police for breaching beche-de-mer license conditions","publisher":"In-Depth Solomons","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://indepthsolomons.com.sb/chinese-chartered-vessel-detained-by-solomons-maritime-police-for-breaching-beche-de-mer-license-conditions/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Indispensable Reefs (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indispensable_Reefs","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Investigation outcome, charges and fines were not found. The government page shows 03/11/2025 on the post (read as 3 November 2025); the police release is reported as 31 October 2025."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-QLD-PRAWNFARMPROSERPINE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Proserpine prawn farm expansion beside Edgecumbe Bay would add 210 hectares of ponds, pending federal approval","description":"Tassal's subsidiary De Costi Seafoods proposed a stage four expansion of the Proserpine prawn farm in the Whitsundays, adding about 210 hectares of production ponds and 59 hectares of water treatment ponds, to lift output from about 3,000 to 5,350 tonnes of black tiger prawns a year. Queensland and local approvals had been obtained and Commonwealth approval was expected in early 2024. The cited articles describe no environmental impacts, and the final federal decision was not found.","location":{"name":"Proserpine prawn farm, Edgecumbe Bay","type":"Coastal pond aquaculture farm","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Whitsunday Region, between the Gregory River and Eden Lassie Creek, adjoining the Great Barrier Reef catchment","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-20.114,"lon":148.39,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Expansion of coastal aquaculture needing Commonwealth environmental approval.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal pond expansion","Discharge to reef waters"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Neither article documents an environmental impact or contamination from the farm or its expansion (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No disruption reported; the project would create 60 extra on-site jobs (ref 2).","scale":"A single farm site, though it already produces a large share of Queensland's farmed prawns (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Planning and approvals ran from a stage 4a start planned for July 2022 to federal approval expected in early 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A referral under Commonwealth environmental law awaiting a decision, which is a formal process but not a violation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Stage four adds about 210 hectares of production ponds and 59 hectares of treatment ponds, raising output toward 5,350 tonnes a year (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Additional production ponds","value":210,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Plus about 59 hectares of water treatment ponds (ref 1)."},{"name":"Expected added output","value":3650,"unit":"tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Queensland farmed prawn output was 8,728 tonnes the previous year (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The expanded farm would produce almost half of Queensland's farmed prawns (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No dated source after September 2023."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Commonwealth)","role":"Environmental approvals under national law","contact":"https://www.dcceew.gov.au/"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Agency published general enquiry channels.","corrective_actions":["Existing intake and discharge infrastructure reused, with water treatment ponds proposed (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Prawn farm expands","publisher":"Mackay and Whitsunday Life","date":"2023-09-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mackayandwhitsundaylife.com/article/prawn-farm-expands","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"It's all about the prawns","publisher":"Mackay and Whitsunday Life","date":"2023-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mackayandwhitsundaylife.com/article/its-all-about-the-prawns","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Edgecumbe Bay (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgecumbe_Bay","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Commonwealth approval decision, any discharge conditions and any reef water-quality objections were not found. The coordinate is Edgecumbe Bay, not the farm itself."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-PNG-ILLEGALFISHING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Twenty-four Indonesian fishermen jailed in Papua New Guinea for fishing without permits, vessels forfeited","description":"A Papua New Guinea magistrate sentenced 24 Indonesian fishermen from the vessel KMN Benazir Jaya 01 to five years each in March 2025 for fishing without permits, and ordered two seized vessels forfeited to the state. The Defence Force had detected the vessel by radar and apprehended it on 22 October 2024, finding yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna and shark fins. In August 2026 a regional operation again detained vessels in PNG among other Pacific states.","location":{"name":"Papua New Guinea exclusive economic zone","type":"National exclusive economic zone","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PG"],"detail":"Apprehension location within PNG waters is not specified in the sources; filed under the Coral Sea for PNG waters generally","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An illegal fishing prosecution under national law.","secondary_drivers":["IUU fishing","Shark finning"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Authorities found yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, shark fins and other marine products aboard, a potential harm that was not quantified (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or local livelihood loss was reported in the case (ref 1).","scale":"One vessel case, though a 2026 regional operation shows PNG as one of three states with detentions (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Apprehension on 22 October 2024 and sentencing on 4 March 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"A court sentenced 24 fishermen to five years each and ordered two vessels forfeited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"24 Indonesian fishermen sentenced to five years each; two vessels forfeited to the state (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishermen sentenced","value":24,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Five years' imprisonment each, March 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessels detained in regional operation, August 2026","value":4,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Across Kiribati, Palau and Papua New Guinea, 3 to 14 August 2026; PNG's share not stated (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two dated enforcement events, October 2024 and August 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Fisheries Authority (PNG)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://nfapng.fisheries.gov.pg/"},{"name":"Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency","role":"Regional surveillance coordination","contact":"https://www.ffa.int/"}],"public_contact":"NFA published contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Vessels forfeited to the state and crew sentenced (ref 1).","Regional surveillance operation 3 to 14 August 2026 boarded over 100 vessels (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Magistrate sentences 24 foreign fishermen to five years for illegal fishing in PNG waters","publisher":"EMTV","date":"2025-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://emtv.com.pg/?p=229267","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pacific nations detain Chinese, Indonesian boats for illegal fishing","publisher":"The Standard (Hong Kong)","date":"2026-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestandard.com.hk/china/article/340606/Pacific-nations-detain-Chinese-Indonesian-boats-for-illegal-fishing","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The location of the apprehension within PNG waters, and whether it was in the Coral Sea, was not stated in either article; no sea or coordinates are given. The article also mentions a K90,000 fine in the charges."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-REPORTCARD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Reef Water Quality Report Card 2023-2025 shows progress on sediment and nitrogen but rising pesticide risk and poor inshore seagrass and water quality","description":"The joint Australian and Queensland Reef Water Quality Report Card for 2023-2025, released on 13 August 2026, reports progress towards all water quality targets and a met particulate phosphorus target. Press coverage of the card adds that pesticide risk rose slightly from its 2021 result and that inshore seagrass and marine water quality were rated poor. The card is the final one under the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan, which is replaced by a Catchment Water Quality Strategy, and Australia must report to UNESCO on water pollution by the end of 2028.","location":{"name":"Great Barrier Reef catchments and inshore reef","type":"Reef catchment runoff zone","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland east coast: river catchments from Cape York to the Fitzroy flowing to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, and the inshore reef they affect.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"sea","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Land-sourced nutrients, fine sediment and pesticides entering the reef lagoon degrade inshore water quality and seagrass.","secondary_drivers":["Agricultural runoff (sugarcane, grazing, bananas, grain)","Fine sediment from gullies and streambanks"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Marine water quality and seagrass condition fell and were both rated poor in the 2023-2025 card, and pesticide risk rose slightly from 2021 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism restriction is cited; the Queensland statement describes the reef as supporting about 77,000 jobs and A$9 billion a year without reporting disruption (ref 1).","scale":"The card covers all Great Barrier Reef catchments and the inshore marine park, a national coastline rather than a single site (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Marine Monitoring Program reported years of deteriorating inshore water quality trends before improving in 2022-2023, and some indicators still miss guideline values (ref 4); pollution is chronic.","significance":"A formal government report card is issued under the Reef 2050 plan and Australia has until end of 2028 to report water pollution progress to UNESCO's World Heritage Committee (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Reef Water Quality Report Card 2023-2025 shows progress towards all water quality targets and met the particulate phosphorus target, but pesticide risk rose slightly since 2021 and seagrass and marine water quality were rated poor."},"measures":[{"name":"Water quality investment committed by Australian and Queensland governments to 2030","value":2,"unit":"billion AUD","status":"Reported","note":"'More than $2 billion' committed to 2030 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dissolved inorganic nitrogen reduction, July 2020 to June 2022 (previous card)","value":0.7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Report Card 2021-2022 modelling, 'very poor' progress against target (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sediment reduction, July 2020 to June 2022 (previous card)","value":0.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Report Card 2021-2022 modelling, 'poor' progress (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Reef tourism is described as contributing A$9 billion a year and about 77,000 jobs (ref 1).","UNESCO World Heritage 'in danger' risk remains tied to water quality reporting through 2028 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Pollutant loads fell on several measures but pesticide risk, seagrass and marine water quality worsened (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation","role":"Reef Water Quality Program partner and regulator","contact":"https://www.reefplan.qld.gov.au/tracking-progress/reef-report-card/2023-25"},{"name":"Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water","role":"Reef Trust funder and joint plan partner"}],"public_contact":"Queensland and Australian Government environment departments publish contact channels on their websites; the Reef Plan site hosts the report card.","corrective_actions":["Governments committed more than A$2 billion to 2030 for water quality improvement (ref 1).","Gully and streambank restoration and industry practice programmes continue (ref 1).","Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy replaces three-yearly report cards (refs 1, 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Reef Water Quality Report Card shows progress towards a healthier reef","publisher":"Queensland Government Ministerial Media Statements","date":"2026-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/105848","basis":"Government media statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Progress and poor marks: Reef earns a mixed report card","publisher":"AAP via Shepparton News","date":"2026-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sheppnews.com.au/?p=324452","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Progress towards Great Barrier Reef water quality targets","publisher":"Queensland Government Ministerial Media Statements","date":"2024-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/100439","basis":"Government media statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Recent report reveals water quality and seagrass trends in the Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"JCU TropWATER","date":"2024-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tropwater.com/news-1/recent-report-reveals-water-quality-and-seagrass-trends-in-the-great-barrier-reef","basis":"Research institution report"},{"ref":5,"title":"Official reports tell different story on reef health to anti-beef activism campaigns","publisher":"Beef Central","date":"2026-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.beefcentral.com/news/official-reports-tell-different-story-on-reef-health-to-anti-beef-activism-campaigns/","basis":"News (agricultural trade press)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The report card itself (reefplan.qld.gov.au) returned a bot-check page and was not opened; grades and figures for 2023-2025 rest on the Queensland statement and AAP coverage."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-NQLD-FERTILISER-2026","OC-CORAL-NQLD-JASPERPLUME-2023","OC-CORAL-GBR-UNESCODECISIONS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-NQLD-JASPERPLUME-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cyclone Jasper and Kirrily flood plumes smother inshore reefs, seagrass and mangroves along 700 km of the Great Barrier Reef coast","description":"Record rain from Cyclone Jasper (landfall 13 December 2023) and Cyclone Kirrily sent flood plumes more than 700 km along the Great Barrier Reef coast, carrying sediment, nutrients and pesticides. A year later James Cook University surveys found every observed intertidal fringing reef smothered by mud and severe mangrove damage, and the Wet Tropics report card recorded all coral lost on the southern reef at Snapper Island.","location":{"name":"Wet Tropics and Cape York inshore reefs","type":"Flood plume impact zone","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Far North Queensland coast from about Cairns to Cooktown and the Bloomfield and Daintree estuaries, with plumes reaching south to Ingham and north to Cape York.","coordinates":{"lat":-15.9459,"lon":145.3186,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Flood plumes delivered sediment, nutrients and pesticides to inshore reefs and seagrass, a land-sourced pollution pulse.","secondary_drivers":["Extreme rainfall after tropical cyclones","Land runoff of fertiliser and pesticide at the end of cane crushing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"JCU surveyed over 250 km of coast and found all intertidal fringing coral reefs observed were smothered under mud, and the Wet Tropics report card recorded all coral lost on the southern reef at Snapper Island (refs 4, 5).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or tourism restriction from the plumes is cited in the sources; impacts described are ecological (refs 1, 3).","scale":"Plumes stretched more than 700 km along the coastline and reached some mid and outer reefs, around 20,000 GL of freshwater (ref 3).","duration":"Mud still smothered inshore reefs a year after landfall, with scientists expecting recovery to take years and mangrove sediment release over five to six years (ref 4).","significance":"Evidence is scientific monitoring and a regional report card, with no enforcement or notice cited (refs 3, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Flood plumes from Cyclone Jasper and Kirrily stretched more than 700 km along the Great Barrier Reef coastline, discharging about 20,000 GL of freshwater (JCU TropWATER, 14 June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Freshwater discharged to northern Great Barrier Reef by Cyclone Jasper","value":20000,"unit":"GL","status":"Reported","note":"'In the order of 20,000 GL', about 40 Sydney Harbours (ref 3)."},{"name":"Plume length along coast","value":700,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Satellite and monitoring observations (ref 3)."},{"name":"Average coral cover, northern Snapper Island reef","value":21,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 51 per cent; all coral on the southern reef lost, 2023-24 (ref 5)."},{"name":"Coastline surveyed for flood damage","value":250,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"About 40 km south of Cairns to Cooktown, over 600 inshore sites by helicopter (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Inshore ecosystems are nurseries for fish and habitat for dugongs and turtles, and tourism areas (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Recovery is expected to take years; further surveys of deeper reefs were planned for 2025 (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Marine Monitoring Program coordinator and reef manager"},{"name":"James Cook University TropWATER","role":"Flood plume monitoring and reef surveys","contact":"https://www.tropwater.com/"}],"public_contact":"TropWATER and the Marine Park Authority publish contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Marine Monitoring Program sampling of Barron, Russell-Mulgrave and Tully flood waters (ref 3).","Survey and restoration-site mapping with Traditional Owner groups (ref 4).","Wet Tropics Waterways report card records the event for regional management (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Scientists brace for possibility of 'severe' damage to Great Barrier Reef from ex-Cyclone Jasper","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2023-12-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/20/scientists-brace-for-possibility-of-severe-damage-to-great-barrier-reef-from-ex-cyclone-jasper","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fears back-to-back cyclones may have damaged Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2024-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/30/great-barrier-reef-cyclone-damage-health-marine-life","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Back-to-back cyclones and flood plume impacts on the Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"JCU TropWATER","date":"2024-06-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tropwater.com/news-1/back-to-back-cyclones-and-flood-plume-impacts-on-the-great-barrier-reef","basis":"Research institution release"},{"ref":4,"title":"One year on: Mud from Cyclone Jasper's floods still smothers inshore reefs and mangroves","publisher":"JCU TropWATER","date":"2025-01-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tropwater.com/news-1/one-year-on%3A-mud-from-cyclone-jasper%E2%80%99s-floods-still-smothers-inshore-reefs-and-mangroves","basis":"Research institution release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Report card captures Jasper's waterways impact","publisher":"Newsport (Wet Tropics Waterways report card)","date":"2025-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newsport.com.au/2025/august/report-card-captures-jaspers-waterways-impact","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Wujal Wujal (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wujal_Wujal,_Queensland","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["JCU's own release pages returned a bot-check; the identical TropWATER-hosted copies were opened instead."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-NQLD-FLOODPLUME-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-NQLD-FLOODPLUME-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"February 2025 north Queensland floods send a 50,000 km2 plume over inshore, mid-shelf and outer reefs from Cairns to Mackay","description":"After the early-February 2025 monsoon floods around Townsville and Ingham, satellite analysis showed flood plumes from more than 10 river basins covering about 50,000 km2 of the Great Barrier Reef between Cairns and Mackay, extending more than 700 km along the coast and 100 km offshore. The Burdekin River recorded its largest peak flood discharge since 2009, and scientists said the sediment can stay active for months.","location":{"name":"Cairns to Mackay shelf waters","type":"Flood plume impact zone","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Central Great Barrier Reef: Burdekin, Haughton, Ross, Black, Herbert, Murray, Tully, Johnstone and Russell-Mulgrave river plumes spreading across the shelf.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Floodwater carried sediment, nutrients and contaminants from catchments to reef waters.","secondary_drivers":["Extreme monsoon rainfall and river flooding"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Scientists say plumes cut light to coral and seagrass and can raise macroalgae and bleaching risk, but detailed reef and seagrass assessments were still to come (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report crop losses in the Ingham region from the floods but no marine closure or restriction (ref 1).","scale":"About 50,000 km2 of reef from Cairns to Mackay was covered, with plumes extending 700 km along the coast and 100 km offshore (ref 1).","duration":"Burdekin discharge stayed elevated for over a week and sediment can remain active for months after the flood (ref 1).","significance":"No notice, order or formal listing is cited; the evidence is a university release and a weather report (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Flood plumes covered about 50,000 km2 of the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns to Mackay and the Burdekin River discharged 15.6 million ML in 14 days (JCU TropWATER, 28 March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reef area covered by flood plumes","value":50000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Satellite analysis, Cairns to Mackay (ref 1)."},{"name":"Burdekin River discharge in 14 days","value":15.6,"unit":"million ML","status":"Reported","note":"Peak near 1.6 million ML per day, highest since 2009 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Townsville airport 3-day rainfall to 9am 3 February 2025","value":709.6,"unit":"mm","status":"Reported","note":"Weather report quoted by Extreme Storms (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Entire crops in the Ingham region were significantly impacted by the floods (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Impact assessments by TropWATER and AIMS were still pending at the time of the release (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Marine Monitoring Program coordinator"},{"name":"James Cook University TropWATER","role":"Flood plume monitoring","contact":"https://www.tropwater.com/"}],"public_contact":"TropWATER and the Marine Park Authority publish contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Marine Monitoring Program flood sampling and satellite tracking (ref 1).","Detailed seagrass and coral impact assessments by JCU TropWATER and AIMS planned (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Flood plume reaches offshore reefs in Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"JCU TropWATER","date":"2025-03-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tropwater.com/news-1/flood-plume-reaches-offshore-reefs-in-great-barrier-reef","basis":"Research institution release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Major flooding and tree damage in pictures, Townsville NE Queensland, 2 and 3 February 2025","publisher":"Extreme Storms","date":"2025-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://extremestorms.com.au/major-flooding-and-tree-damage-in-pictures-townsville-ne-queensland-sunday-and-monday-2-and-3-february-2025","basis":"News (weather)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The page's own date is 28 March 2025; JCU's release was found listed as February 2025 but the JCU page returned a bot-check, so the TropWATER-hosted copy date is used.","Outcome of the follow-up reef and seagrass assessments was not found."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-NQLD-JASPERPLUME-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-NQLD-FERTILISER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Reef catchment fertiliser use falls and end-of-catchment nitrogen declines, but many cane and grain growers still doubt the science behind the reef regulations","description":"A 2026 pair of CSIRO and James Cook University studies found synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser use fell by up to 25 to 50 per cent across most Great Barrier Reef catchments over one to two decades, and water quality improved at 75 per cent of nine monitored sites over about 40 years. A government review of the 2019 Reef protection regulations, reported in March 2024, found improving compliance but that 40 per cent of surveyed farmers rated the evidence for the rules as weak.","location":{"name":"Sugarcane and grazing catchments of the Great Barrier Reef","type":"Reef catchment runoff zone","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland reef catchments from Cape York to Burnett-Mary; dissolved inorganic nitrogen from cane land is a driver of inshore reef water quality.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fertiliser nitrogen and phosphorus runoff drives nutrient enrichment of reef waters, and the finding tracks both the load and the regulation.","secondary_drivers":["Sugarcane fertiliser application","Regulation compliance and grower scepticism"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Excess nutrients from catchment runoff are linked to algal growth that stresses inshore coral and seagrass, but the sources show improving, not damaging, trends (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction on reef users is cited; the regulations restrict farm practices rather than reef use (ref 2).","scale":"The studies cover all Great Barrier Reef river catchments, an area about the size of New Zealand (ref 1).","duration":"Fertiliser records span 100 years and water quality records almost 40 years, and the Reef regulations have been in force since 2019 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Queensland's Reef protection regulations are enforceable law and a formal review of them was published in March 2024 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fertiliser use fell by up to 25 to 50 per cent across most Great Barrier Reef catchments over the past one to two decades, and 75 per cent of nine monitored sites showed improved water quality over about 40 years (ABC, 27 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Monitored river sites with improved water quality","value":75,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Nine sites, about 40-year record, CSIRO and JCU (ref 1)."},{"name":"Synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser reduction (upper end of range)","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported range 25 to 50 per cent across most basins over one to two decades (ref 1)."},{"name":"Surveyed farmers rating evidence for Reef regulations as weak","value":40,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Government review of the regulations, reported March 2024; a further 7 per cent said there was no evidence (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Sugarcane is the largest agricultural industry along the reef coast and farmers report cost and record-keeping burdens from the rules (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Fertiliser use and end-of-catchment dissolved inorganic nitrogen are declining (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation","role":"Reef protection regulator"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Marine Monitoring Program"}],"public_contact":"Queensland and federal environment departments publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Growers shifting fertiliser timing and using cover crops such as sunn hemp (ref 1).","Government changed its compliance programme after the 2024 review of the Reef regulations (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Farming changes linked to improved water quality across Great Barrier Reef catchments","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-27/reduced-fertiliser-use-improving-water-quality-reef-catchments/107078816","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Almost half of cane growers sceptical of science behind laws protecting Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2024-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/12/great-barrier-reef-protection-conservation-queensland-government-cane-farmers-regulations","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The underlying journal papers and the 2024 Reef regulations review were not opened; figures come from news reports of them."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-REPORTCARD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-WHITSUNDAY-SCRUBBER-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Whitsunday groups say cruise ship scrubber washwater and grey water are not restricted inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park","description":"In December 2024 the Whitsunday Conservation Council and local tourism operators said the 1970s definition of waste used to prevent marine discharge does not restrict sulphur scrubber washwater, and that ships with grade A sewage systems may discharge grey water near sensitive reef environments. The Marine Park Authority said scrubbers have minimal effect and discharge dilutes quickly, but acknowledged that assessments of the hazard have not been specific to the reef.","location":{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Whitsunday region)","type":"Marine park shipping corridor","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Cruise ship anchorages and routes in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area off the Whitsunday coast, Queensland.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Scrubber washwater and grey water are chemical and sewage discharges from ships into reef waters.","secondary_drivers":["Cruise ship growth","Scrubber washwater and grey water discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Authority acknowledges that assessments of scrubber washwater hazard have not been specific to the reef and sensitive habitats, and a 2021 study found scrubber effluent more toxic than crude oil (ref 1); no harm at the reef is documented.","livelihoods":"No cruise restriction is cited; the authority says ships must stay 500 m from reefs outside designated shipping areas (ref 1).","scale":"The concern applies across the marine park, where cruise ship permissions have increased since 2018 (ref 1).","duration":"The discharge rules date from the 1970s and cruise visits have grown for years, so the exposure is chronic (ref 1).","significance":"Only stakeholder calls for stricter rules are reported and the regulator says existing rules apply, so there is no notice or violation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Marine Park Authority says scrubbers have 'minimal effect' and discharge is quickly diluted, but acknowledges assessments 'have not been specific to the context of the reef and sensitive habitats' (The Guardian, 1 December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Minimum distance cruise ships must keep from reefs outside designated shipping areas","value":500,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Authority statement (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Whitsunday tourism operators and the conservation council are calling for holding-tank requirements while in the marine park (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single report; no later regulatory change was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Marine park regulator of ship discharge permissions"},{"name":"Australian Maritime Safety Authority","role":"Ship pollution regulation under MARPOL"}],"public_contact":"The Marine Park Authority and AMSA publish public contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Conservationists call for ships to hold grey water and scrubber effluent in tanks while in the marine park (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cruise ships urged to 'clean up their act' amid concerns toxic effluent being dumped on Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2024-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/01/cruise-ships-urged-to-clean-up-their-act-amid-concerns-toxic-effluent-being-dumped-on-great-barrier-reef","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one dated article was opened; GBRMPA and AMSA sites could not be reached to confirm the rules or any later change."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-RENNELL-SOLOMONTRADER-2019","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Solomon Trader oil spill off East Rennell still unpaid, with a joint High Court compensation claim filed in January 2025","description":"In February 2019 the bulk carrier MV Solomon Trader ran aground on a reef in Kangava Bay, East Rennell, spilling more than 300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil during bauxite loading. On 31 January 2025 Kangava landowners and the Solomon Islands Government filed a joint compensation claim in the Honiara High Court against the ship owner, its insurer, the miner and others; as of May 2025 no compensation had been paid and a full damage assessment report was still awaited.","location":{"name":"Kangava Bay, East Rennell","type":"Oil spill coast","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["SB"],"detail":"East Rennell, Rennell and Bellona Province, Solomon Islands, just outside the East Rennell World Heritage area. Coordinates are those of East Rennell, not of the grounding point.","coordinates":{"lat":-11.6833,"lon":160.3333,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Heavy fuel oil from a grounded bulk carrier polluted a reef, lagoon and water supplies.","secondary_drivers":["Cyclone-driven vessel grounding while loading bauxite","Compensation delay (Solomon Islands not party to the Bunkers Convention at the time)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"An independent report found oil polluted water and damaged the reef up to 3 km from the vessel, with recovery up to 130 years, and more than 300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil spilled (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Local people had water supplies contaminated and say they do not know if fish are safe to eat after six years (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The damage is concentrated in Kangava Bay and a nearby lagoon on one island (ref 1).","duration":"The spill was in February 2019 and the claim was still before the High Court in May 2025, more than six years later (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A civil claim was filed in the High Court of Solomon Islands on 31 January 2025 and the country has acceded to the Bunkers Convention (refs 1, 2); no ruling is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil spilled; a USD 35 million compensation claim was before the Solomon Islands High Court in May 2025 (In-depth Solomons, 12 May 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Heavy fuel oil spilled","value":300,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 300 tonnes' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Compensation claim before High Court","value":35,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Figure as reported by In-depth Solomons (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reef damage distance from grounded vessel","value":3,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Independent report cited in ref 1."},{"name":"Estimated reef recovery time","value":130,"unit":"years","status":"Estimated","note":"'Up to 130 years' per the independent report cited in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Landowners have received no compensation after six years (ref 2).","Spill damaged fishing grounds and water supplies used by the Kangava community (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"No change in ground conditions reported; the legal process is the only movement (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology","role":"Environmental damage assessment and co-claimant government"},{"name":"Solomon Islands Maritime Authority","role":"Maritime regulator involved in 2019 response"}],"public_contact":"The ministry and the High Court of Solomon Islands publish contact channels; the claimants' lawyers are named in ref 2.","corrective_actions":["High Court claim filed 31 January 2025 by landowners with the Solomon Islands Government as co-claimant (refs 1, 2).","Solomon Islands acceded to the Bunkers Convention to enable compensation (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"USD$35M Compensation Claim Over Rennell Oil Spill Before High Court","publisher":"In-depth Solomons","date":"2025-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://indepthsolomons.com.sb/usd35m-compensation-claim-over-rennell-oil-spill-before-high-court/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Landowners Seek Oil Spill Compensation (Compensation Claim Filed for Biggest Environmental Disaster in Solomon Island's History)","publisher":"Tavuli News (Pacific Legal Network statement)","date":"2025-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tavulinews.com.sb/?p=10644","basis":"News (claimant statement)"},{"ref":3,"title":"East Rennell (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Rennell","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Other outlets' headlines in search listings suggested a figure near USD 38 million; those pages were not opened or could not be reached, so only the USD 35 million figure is used.","The full environmental damage assessment phase 2 report was still pending and was not seen."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-PRONY-PLANTSPILLS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Prony Resources nickel plant spills ore pulp, sulphur-basin sediment and heavy fuel oil near Baie Nord and Prony Bay, New Caledonia","description":"The Prony Resources nickel and cobalt plant in southern New Caledonia had three reported spills in about two and a half years: roughly 7 m3 of sediment from the sulphur basin toward Baie Nord creek in November 2023, a thickened ore pulp spill into the same creek on 20 February 2025, and tens of litres of heavy fuel oil into Prony Bay on 3 March 2026. After the February 2025 spill the Southern Province ordered additional measures including six months of creek water-quality monitoring, and for the March 2026 spill it said it would inspect and could set reinforced measures.","location":{"name":"Prony Resources plant, Baie Nord and Prony Bay","type":"Industrial outfall and bay","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NC"],"detail":"Southern Province, New Caledonia: Baie Nord creek in Mont-Dore and the cargo quay in Prony Bay, with sheen seen as far as Casy islet.","coordinates":{"lat":-22.36,"lon":166.86,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Industrial process material and fuel oil escaped from a hydrometallurgical nickel plant into a creek and bay.","secondary_drivers":["Ageing equipment (2007 expansion joint) and absent maintenance strategy","Heavy fuel oil pipeline leak"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Southern Province order says the pulp is not ecotoxic but heavy sludge on the creek banks and particles in the water can limit oxygenation and affect fauna and flora (ref 1); the 2026 oil sheen was only tens of litres (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishing or bathing restriction is cited in any of the three sources (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"All incidents were at one plant and one bay and creek system (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Spills were reported in November 2023, February 2025 and March 2026, a recurring pattern (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Southern Province order 1938-2025/ARR/DIMENC of 4 May 2025 imposed additional measures and monitoring on the operator (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A 20 February 2025 thickened ore pulp spill reached Baie Nord creek and a 3 March 2026 leak put several tens of litres of heavy fuel oil into Prony Bay (Province Sud order, 4 May 2025; Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes, 4 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sediment spilled from sulphur-basin pipe, November 2023","value":7,"unit":"m3","status":"Estimated","note":"'Près de sept mètres cubes', estimated by the newspaper's sources (ref 3)."},{"name":"Heavy fuel oil released to Prony Bay, 3 March 2026","value":null,"unit":"litres","status":"Not reported","note":"'Several tens of litres' estimated; leak rate estimated at 0.2 litre per minute, duration undetermined (ref 2)."},{"name":"Minimum creek water-quality monitoring period ordered","value":6,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Continuous turbidity, pH, conductivity and sampling for metals at station U7 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["No fishery, tourism or port loss from the spills is cited in the sources (refs 1, 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Three separate spills in 2023, 2025 and 2026; the province set tighter measures after the second (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Province Sud (Southern Province) and the Direction de l'Industrie, des Mines et de l'Energie (DIMENC)","role":"Classified-installation regulator and inspection","contact":"https://www.province-sud.nc"},{"name":"Prony Resources New Caledonia","role":"Plant operator"}],"public_contact":"Province Sud publishes its general contact channels on province-sud.nc.","corrective_actions":["Order of 4 May 2025: spill-response tool, maintenance of expansion joints, updated hazard study, basin clearing and 6-month creek monitoring (ref 1).","Floating boom, drone surveys and inspection by DIMENC after the March 2026 leak (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Arrete n 1938-2025/ARR/DIMENC du 4 mai 2025 fixant a la societe Prony Resources New Caledonia des mesures complementaires (Journal officiel de la Nouvelle-Caledonie, 12 June 2025; French official text)","publisher":"Province Sud / Journal officiel de la Nouvelle-Caledonie","date":"2025-05-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.province-sud.nc/logicweb/logic/document/Ressource/8a8186bb977e68a10197801c99980e23","basis":"Government order (French)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Du fioul lourd se deverse en mer apres une fuite a Prony Resources (French)","publisher":"Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lnc.nc/article/sud/yate/goro/mines/nickel/environnement/du-fioul-lourd-se-deverse-en-mer-apres-une-fuite-a-prony-resources","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Une rupture de canalisation de l'usine du Sud provoque le deversement de sediments dans l'environnement (French)","publisher":"Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes","date":"2023-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lnc.nc/article/mines/nickel/grand-noumea/mont-dore/une-rupture-de-canalisation-de-l-usine-du-sud-provoque-le-deversement-de-sediments-dans-l-environnement","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Prony Bay (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prony_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Sources are in French (an official order and a regional newspaper). The outcome of DIMENC's inspection of the March 2026 spill and any measured impact on Prony Bay were not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-CAPEYORK-DEBRIS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Remote eastern Cape York beaches keep collecting tonnes of imported marine debris and lost fishing gear","description":"Tangaroa Blue Foundation clean-ups on eastern Cape York removed about 2.5 tonnes of rubbish from Chilli Beach between 27 July and 2 August 2024, including large nets, a fish aggregating device and six GPS tracker buoys. A 2023 helicopter-supported clean-up on Wuthathi Country removed 10.8 tonnes from 2.8 km of coast, and the foundation says rubbish constantly washes up from offshore sources so repeated clean-ups are needed.","location":{"name":"Chilli Beach and Wuthathi coast, eastern Cape York","type":"Remote beach debris coast","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Cape York Peninsula east coast, Queensland. Chilli Beach is in the Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park area; Wuthathi Country surrounds Shelburne Bay. Coordinates are for the national park, not the beach.","coordinates":{"lat":-12.6597,"lon":143.3475,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic and discarded fishing gear wash ashore on remote beaches from offshore and distant sources.","secondary_drivers":["Lost and abandoned fishing gear","Imported plastic carried by ocean currents"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Wuthathi Healthy Country Plan lists marine debris as a major threat to marine totems, islands, reefs and seagrass beds, and fishing litter dominates the debris (ref 2); no mortality figure is cited.","livelihoods":"No beach closure or fishery restriction is cited (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The documented hauls are individual beaches of about 2.8 km or less, though the foundation reports a continuing stream along remote coasts (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Tangaroa Blue says it has worked with Cape York communities on clean-ups for over 12 years because rubbish keeps arriving (ref 1).","significance":"Only volunteer and NGO reports are cited, with no notice or enforcement (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Volunteers and rangers removed about 2.5 tonnes of marine debris from Chilli Beach on eastern Cape York between 27 July and 2 August 2024 (Cape York Weekly, 27 August 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Debris removed from Chilli Beach, 27 July to 2 August 2024","value":2.5,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Includes large nets, a fish aggregating device and six GPS tracker buoys (ref 1)."},{"name":"Debris removed from Wuthathi coast, June 2023","value":10.8,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"From 2.8 km of coast; over 300,000 items, 1.3 tonnes of net and rope (ref 2). Predates the 2023-10-13 window start, cited as background."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Clean-ups are repeated annually because debris keeps arriving (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tangaroa Blue Foundation","role":"Clean-up coordinator and debris database (Australian Marine Debris Initiative)"},{"name":"Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service","role":"Protected area manager supporting clean-ups"}],"public_contact":"Tangaroa Blue and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Annual beach clean-ups with Traditional Owner rangers, funded in part by the Federal Government's Reef Trust (ref 1).","Project ReCon repurposes recovered GPS buoys to track and recover ghost nets (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Volunteers rid Chilli Beach of 'staggering' 2.5t of rubbish","publisher":"Cape York Weekly","date":"2024-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://capeyorkweekly.com.au/volunteers-rid-chilli-beach-of-staggering-2-5t-of-rubbish/11331/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"A Record-Breaking Cleanup in Wuthathi","publisher":"Tangaroa Blue Foundation","date":"2023-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tangaroablue.org/?p=34025","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Range_National_Park","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Mapoon and Napranum clean-ups in the same coverage are on Cape York's west coast (Gulf of Carpentaria) and were left out."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-VANUATU-PLASTICBAN-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vanuatu's single-use plastic ban cut banned items from 35% to under 2% of waste, but plastic still chokes Erakor lagoon","description":"Vanuatu banned single-use plastic bags and straws in 2018 and added seven more items in 2020; banned items fell from 35 per cent of waste to under 2 per cent. The Guardian reported in June 2024 that plastic waste, now mostly noodle, rice and biscuit packaging, still pollutes Erakor lagoon near Port Vila, where swimming is no longer allowed, and that enforcement is hampered by the environment department's very low capacity.","location":{"name":"Erakor lagoon, Efate","type":"Lagoon and coastal waters","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VU"],"detail":"Erakor village lagoon on Efate, Vanuatu; coordinates are for Efate island.","coordinates":{"lat":-17.6667,"lon":168.4167,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic waste and packaging entering a lagoon and coastal waters of a Pacific island nation.","secondary_drivers":["Imported packaged food","Low enforcement capacity","Ocean currents delivering plastic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A local chief described plastic forming 'a small island' in Erakor lagoon, which is shrinking but still polluted, and the Guardian cites no mortality figure (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Swimming is no longer allowed in Erakor lagoon due to pollution (ref 1).","scale":"The ban and waste problem are national, with island-wide imported-plastic pressure (ref 1).","duration":"The ban began in 2018 and plastic persists six years later (ref 1).","significance":"Single-use plastic bans carry fines of at least 20,000 vatu, a formal regulation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Banned plastic items made up 35% of Vanuatu's waste before the ban and now make up less than 2% (The Guardian, 20 June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of waste made up by banned plastic items, after ban","value":2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Less than 2%', previously 35% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Minimum fine for flouting the ban","value":20000,"unit":"vatu","status":"Reported","note":"About GBP 130 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Bags and straws are rarely seen but packaging waste persists (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vanuatu Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation","role":"Enforcement of single-use plastic ban"},{"name":"Municipal authorities and customs","role":"Support enforcement"}],"public_contact":"The department and municipal councils publish contact channels; the Guardian cites the minister about low enforcement capacity.","corrective_actions":["Single-use plastic ban from 2018 expanded in 2020 (ref 1).","Youth association recycles litter dredged from the lagoon (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2024-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/20/how-the-small-pacific-island-nation-of-vanuatu-drastically-cut-plastic-pollution","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Efate (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efate","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one dated article was opened; no official Vanuatu source was reached."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-FORRESTBEACH-ROCKETDEBRIS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Suspected rocket tanks with possible toxic fuel wash up on Forrest Beach north of Townsville","description":"In early July 2026 six large spherical objects washed up on beaches around Forrest Beach in north Queensland, suspected to be rocket pressure vessels that may contain residual hydrazine. Police said there was no danger to the community, the Queensland Fire Department secured five in drums and rendered the sixth safe, and the Australian Space Agency was working to determine their nature and origin.","location":{"name":"Forrest Beach, north of Townsville","type":"Beach debris site","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Forrest Beach area, Hinchinbrook coast north of Townsville, Queensland.","coordinates":{"lat":-18.7177,"lon":146.2852,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["plastics-marine-debris"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Suspected hazardous-chemical debris came ashore from the sea; the origin and contents are unconfirmed.","secondary_drivers":["Unconfirmed origin (possible rocket stage or marine item)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Police said the objects were suspected of containing hazardous chemicals and a space-debris expert said hydrazine, a highly toxic fuel, could remain, but contents were not confirmed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No beach closure is cited; police said there was no danger to the community (ref 1).","scale":"Six objects were found at beaches in one locality (ref 1).","duration":"The report covers the first days after discovery, so duration is days (ref 1).","significance":"The Queensland Fire Department and Australian Space Agency formally responded and the Fire Department said more debris may turn up (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Six suspected space-debris objects washed up on beaches in the Forrest Beach area; five were secured in drums and a sixth was being rendered safe (The Guardian, 5 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Suspected space-debris objects found","value":6,"unit":"objects","status":"Reported","note":"Queensland Fire Department, as quoted by the Guardian (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single early report; the origin determination was pending."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Space Agency","role":"Determining nature and origin of debris"},{"name":"Queensland Fire Department","role":"Securing the objects"}],"public_contact":"The Australian Space Agency and Queensland Fire Department publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Objects secured in drums and made safe by Queensland Fire Department (ref 1).","Residents told to follow Australian Space Agency information (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mysterious debris found on Queensland beaches could be 'space balls' and may contain toxic rocket fuel","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2026-07-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/05/mysterious-debris-found-on-queensland-beaches-could-be-space-balls-and-may-contain-toxic-rocket-fuel","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Forrest Beach, Queensland (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Beach,_Queensland","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Origin and contents were unconfirmed in the only article opened; no follow-up was found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-GBR-UNESCODECISIONS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"World Heritage Committee keeps Great Barrier Reef off the In Danger list in 2026 but sets new conditions after 2025 'utmost concern'","description":"At its 2025 session the World Heritage Committee noted with utmost concern the Reef's continued deterioration due largely to climate change and regretted that 2025 water quality targets were missed. At its 2026 session in Busan it again did not list the property as In Danger, but asked Australia for further water quality, gillnet-phase-out, dredge-spoil and climate actions, with progress reports due in 2028 and 2029. The Queensland Government says it has delivered UNESCO's recommendations since 2022. In July 2025 the World Heritage Committee ordered a full review of Great Barrier Reef management, with a State of Conservation report due in early 2026. A draft decision released on 3 July 2026 recommends against an 'in danger' listing and credits Australia's work on water quality and other pressures, but expresses 'utmost concern' about declining coral cover after the 2024 and 2025 bleaching events. Progress reports are due in December 2028 and 2029.","location":{"name":"Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area","type":"World Heritage marine property","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Queensland east coast, Australia; managed jointly by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Reef 2050 Plan","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":-16.4,"lon":145.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":10}},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding is a treaty-body review of how the World Heritage Convention is being met for the reef.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Catchment runoff","Gillnet fishing","Maintenance dredging"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Decision 47 COM 7B.2 notes with utmost concern continued deterioration of the property due largely to climate change, citing mass bleaching including the 2023/2024 event (ref 1); decision 48 COM 7B.69 notes with utmost concern declining hard coral cover (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or loss of income is cited in the decisions; the Queensland statement says the Reef supports around 77,000 jobs and A$9 billion a year, which the In Danger question puts at reputational risk rather than disruption (ref 3).","scale":"The decisions concern the whole property, which runs along the Queensland coast, so the scale is a coastline-wide protected area rather than one reef (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Committee has reviewed the property repeatedly (decisions 45 COM 7B.13, 46 COM 7B.62, 47 COM 7B.2 and 48 COM 7B.69) and sets reporting dates to 1 December 2029 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Two Committee decisions in 2025 and 2026 set formal requests and deadlines (1 February 2026, 1 December 2028, 1 December 2029) and the 2026 session decided not to list the property In Danger (refs 1, 2, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Decision 48 COM 7B.69 asks Australia for a progress report on the Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy by 1 December 2028 and an updated state of conservation report by 1 December 2029."},"measures":[{"name":"Gillnet-free deadline","value":null,"unit":"date","status":"Reported","note":"Committee asks that the property be fully gillnet-free by mid-2027 (refs 1, 2).","text":"mid-2027"},{"name":"Water quality strategy target year","value":2032,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Decision 48 COM 7B.69 para 5 asks for targets to be met by 2032 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Queensland reef water quality funding, 2026-27 Budget","value":330.5,"unit":"A$ million over five years","status":"Reported","note":"Queensland Government statement of 24 July 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Queensland says the Reef supports around 77,000 jobs and A$9 billion a year to the Australian economy (ref 3).","Australia's government had worried that a threatened label could hurt tourism (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 2025 decision expressed utmost concern; the 2026 decision did not list the property In Danger and asked for further reporting."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNESCO World Heritage Committee","role":"Treaty body deciding on state of conservation","contact":"https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154/"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Marine park manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation","role":"State reef policy and funding","contact":"https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/coasts-waterways/reef"},{"name":"Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia)","role":"State party to the World Heritage Convention","contact":"https://www.dcceew.gov.au"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority)","role":"Reef manager","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority publish general contact pages on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Australia asked to accelerate Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy implementation by 2032 with sustained funding (ref 2).","Queensland committed A$330.5 million over five years in its 2026-27 Budget for reef water quality (ref 3).","Progress report due 1 December 2028 and updated state of conservation report due 1 December 2029 (ref 2).","Australia must deliver a progress report on water quality by December 2028 and a State of Conservation report in 2029 (ref 1).","The draft asks for a full assessment of the latest bleaching event as soon as it is available (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Decision 47 COM 7B.2: Great Barrier Reef (Australia)","publisher":"UNESCO World Heritage Centre","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/8726","basis":"Treaty body decision; page shows session year (2025) but no day"},{"ref":2,"title":"Decision 48 COM 7B.69: Great Barrier Reef (Australia)","publisher":"UNESCO World Heritage Centre","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/9108","basis":"Treaty body decision; page shows session (Busan, 2026) but no day"},{"ref":3,"title":"UNESCO decision highlights Queensland's commitment to the Reef","publisher":"Queensland Government ministerial statements","date":"2026-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/105650","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"UNESCO makes decision on potential new endangered World Heritage site","publisher":"The Brussels Times (with Belga)","date":"2026-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/2214215/unesco-makes-decision-on-potential-new-endangered-world-heritage-site","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"World Heritage Committee orders review of Great Barrier Reef management","publisher":"InDaily","date":"2025-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailyqld.com.au/news/just-in/2025/07/11/world-heritage-committee-orders-review-of-great-barrier-reef-management","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Great Barrier Reef avoids World Heritage 'in danger' listing","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-04/great-barrier-reef-avoids-in-danger-heritage-status/106879512","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Great Barrier Reef again avoids in-danger label (DW)","publisher":"Times of Oman","date":"2026-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://timesofoman.com/article/173923-great-barrier-reef-again-avoids-in-danger-label","basis":"News (DW wire copy)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Reef UNESCO draft decision coverage, 10 July 2026","publisher":"PS News","date":"2026-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://psnews.com.au/?p=181620","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"World Heritage Committee orders review of Great Barrier Reef management","publisher":"InDaily","date":"2025-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/07/11/world-heritage-committee-orders-review-of-great-barrier-reef-management","basis":"News"},{"ref":10,"title":"Great Barrier Reef (infobox coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef","basis":"Public reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"InDaily (ref 5) describes the 2025 outcome as a 'full review'; decision 47 COM 7B.2 itself requests an updated state of conservation report by 1 February 2026 and does not mention a review or the In Danger list."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-CORAL-GBR-UNESCO-2026 (UNESCO draft decision keeps the Great Barrier Reef off the 'in danger' list but voices utmost concern): reef-condition angle on the same World Heritage Committee decisions"}],"missing_fields":["Exact 2026 decision date is not shown on the UNESCO decision page; the Brussels Times item of 4 July 2026 is a draft-decision report and the Queensland statement is dated 24 July 2026.","The final committee decision after the July 2026 draft was not found in the pages opened; unesco.org returned HTTP 403 and gbrmpa.gov.au returned 503."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-GBR-BLEACH-2024","OC-CORAL-GBR-COVER-2025","OC-CORAL-GBR-REPORTCARD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-HYDROGRAPHERS-PILOTAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Compulsory pilotage lapses in Hydrographers Passage: 2022 near-grounding report and a June 2025 bulk carrier entry without a pilot","description":"The ATSB's report on the 2022 Rosco Poplar near-grounding (released July 2024) found the ship came within 200 m of Bond Reef after a GPS fault and that the check pilot system did not reliably assure pilot competency. On 8 June 2025 Maritime Safety Queensland reported that the bulk carrier Leyla Aksoy entered the Hydrographers Passage compulsory pilotage area without a pilot; the vessel was turned back, detained by AMSA and its master was prosecuted by GBRMPA, according to the state agency.","location":{"name":"Hydrographers Passage, Great Barrier Reef","type":"Compulsory pilotage shipping route","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"About 130 km off Mackay, Queensland, in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; ships bound for Queensland ports","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Navigation-safety compliance and regulator oversight of a shipping route through a protected marine park.","secondary_drivers":["Bulk carrier traffic","GPS failure","Pilot competency assurance"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The 225 m Rosco Poplar came within 200 m of Bond Reef, where normal clearance was about 1,500 m, but no grounding is reported (ref 2); the 2025 vessel was kept 'well clear' of the outer edge of the reef (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The 2025 ship was ordered out of the compulsory pilotage area, later detained in Townsville by AMSA, and admitted only after embarking a pilot (ref 1).","scale":"Both events concern a single passage, Hydrographers Passage, rather than a sea-wide problem (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The two events are three years apart (4 May 2022 and 8 June 2025), and AMSA is reviewing coastal pilotage (ref 2).","significance":"The ATSB issued a safety recommendation to AMSA on its check pilot framework (ref 2), and MSQ says GBRMPA successfully prosecuted the ship's master in the Federal Court (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rosco Poplar came within 200 m of Bond Reef; Leyla Aksoy entered the compulsory pilotage area on 8 June 2025 without a marine pilot (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Closest approach to Bond Reef, Rosco Poplar","value":200,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"ATSB final report as summarised by Baird Maritime, 4 May 2022 event (ref 2)."},{"name":"Normal clearance from Bond Reef","value":1500,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Leyla Aksoy length","value":200,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Maritime Safety Queensland statement of 4 July 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Reef's Queensland coal and bulk ports depend on bulk carrier traffic through compulsory pilotage areas; no delay costs are reported in the sources (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Maritime Safety Queensland (REEFVTS)","role":"Vessel traffic monitoring","contact":"https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/"},{"name":"Australian Maritime Safety Authority","role":"Port state control and pilotage regulator","contact":"https://www.amsa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority","role":"Marine park manager and prosecutor","contact":"https://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Maritime Safety Queensland and AMSA publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["REEFVTS instructed the 2025 vessel to alter course and return to a safe position outside the area (ref 1).","AMSA detained the vessel in Townsville and GBRMPA prosecuted the master (ref 1).","ATSB recommended AMSA address limits to its check pilot framework; AMSA says a review of coastal pilotage is underway (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Serious breach of marine safety by a large cargo ship on the Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (Maritime Safety Queensland)","date":"2025-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/_/media/aboutus/newsmedia/2025/ms---serious-breach-of-marine-safety-by-a-large-cargo-ship-on-the-great-barrier-reef.pdf","basis":"Agency media alert"},{"ref":2,"title":"Probe reveals GPS failure nearly caused ship grounding in Great Barrier Reef in 2022","publisher":"Baird Maritime (reporting the ATSB final report)","date":"2024-07-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/incidents/accidents/probe-reveals-gps-failure-nearly-caused-ship-grounding-in-great-barrier-reef-in-2022","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pilotage Concerns Raised After Near Grounding in Great Barrier Reef","publisher":"MarineLink","date":"2024-07-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinelink.com/archive/20240725","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ATSB report page itself (atsb.gov.au/node/12355) returned HTTP 503 and was not opened; the 2022 facts rest on Baird Maritime and MarineLink coverage.","The court outcome and penalty for the Leyla Aksoy master are stated only in the MSQ alert; no court record was opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-CATOREEF-SWIFTHANGZHOU-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Laden bulk carrier Swift Hangzhou loses engine power near Cato Reef in the Coral Sea; 24-day AMSA response","description":"After leaving Gladstone on 31 January 2026 the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Swift Hangzhou reported engine problems and drifted in the Coral Sea about 500 km off the Queensland coast, near Cato Reef. AMSA activated an incident management team, deployed emergency towage vessels to keep it clear of reef systems and later detained the ship at Gladstone for seaworthiness.","location":{"name":"Cato Reef, Coral Sea","type":"Open-water reef bank and shipping lane","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Coral Sea about 500 km east of the central Queensland coast; ship returned to Gladstone anchorage","coordinates":{"lat":-23.25,"lon":155.54,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"The risk is a laden vessel drifting toward reef systems with fuel and cargo aboard.","secondary_drivers":["Engine failure","Laden bulk carrier"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"AMSA assessed the situation as high risk and tugs were deployed to prevent the ship drifting into sensitive reef and marine park areas; no grounding or spill is reported (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No port or route closure is reported; the ship was moved to Gladstone anchorage and held there (refs 1, 3).","scale":"One vessel near one reef bank in the Coral Sea is involved (refs 1, 4).","duration":"The response ran 24 days, from about 1 February to 24 February 2026 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"AMSA detained the vessel on seaworthiness grounds and it cannot leave until deficiencies are fixed (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The operation lasted 24 days; the ship was safely at anchorage in Gladstone as of 24 February 2026 and detained for seaworthiness."},"measures":[{"name":"Duration of AMSA response","value":24,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Maritime Executive, 27 February 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Emergency towage vessels tasked","value":4,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Daily Cargo News listed SL Lulu, Beltana, Reef Keeper and a stand-by tug, Svitzer Glenrock (ref 3); Maritime Executive reports four vessels (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ship deadweight","value":79343,"unit":"dwt","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic effect on ports or fisheries is reported in the sources (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Maritime Safety Authority","role":"Casualty response and port state control","contact":"https://www.amsa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Maritime Safety Queensland","role":"State marine safety agency","contact":"https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"AMSA publishes general contact and media channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["AMSA tasked emergency towage vessels, placed a maritime casualty officer aboard and monitored position and weather around the clock (refs 2, 3).","AMSA detained the ship for seaworthiness until repairs are shown (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Australia detains bulker after 24-day response to engine problem","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/australia-detains-bulker-after-24-day-response-to-engine-problem","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"AMSA detains vessel following 24-day response to Swift Hangzhou engine failure in the Coral Sea","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/?p=1885491","basis":"News reproducing the AMSA release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Stricken bulker now under detention","publisher":"Daily Cargo News","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedcn.com.au/news/stricken-bulker-now-under-detention","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Cato Reef","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato_Reef","basis":"Reference page for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":3,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Maritime Executive gives no distance from the reef and says four tugs; Marine Insight dates engine failure to 1 February 2026 and the Daily Cargo News report of 12 February names the tugs."}],"missing_fields":["AMSA's own media release pages returned HTTP 503 and were not opened; AMSA facts come from trade-press reproductions.","The Cato Reef Wikipedia page's date is not shown in the fetched text; set to null if unverified."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-PORTVILA-CRUISEQUAKE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Port Vila cruise berth out of use after December 2024 earthquake; tender-only calls resume in mid-2025","description":"A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in December 2024 damaged Port Vila's wharf and cruise facilities and cruise lines stopped calling for about six to eight months. Vanuatu's government arranged a temporary tendering point at the Port Vila seafront, the first call came in June 2025, and Carnival Adventure's 8 August 2025 call was described as the first cruise visit in eight months. The main docking facilities were still under repair in August 2025.","location":{"name":"Port Vila cruise terminal, Efate","type":"Cruise port","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VU"],"detail":"Port Vila waterfront, Efate Island, Vanuatu; Vanuatu Public Works Department and Ministry of Infrastructure","points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding concerns port infrastructure capacity and cruise-driven coastal economy.","secondary_drivers":["Earthquake damage","Cruise tourism dependence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No marine ecological harm is documented in the cited sources, which concern infrastructure damage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Cruise ships stopped visiting for about eight months and the wharf was out of use; the first call by Carnival Adventure was scheduled for 8 June 2025 and the 8 August 2025 call was 'the first cruise ship visit in 8 months' (refs 1, 3).","scale":"One port is affected (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Calls were suspended from December 2024 and tendering was still the arrangement in August 2025 while the wharf was repaired (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The sources record a government six-month agreement for a temporary berth, not a ruling or violation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Carnival Adventure's 8 August 2025 call was described as the first cruise ship visit in 8 months."},"measures":[{"name":"Time without cruise calls","value":8,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"CruiseMapper, 18 August 2025 (ref 3); the 13 May 2025 report gives about six months at that date (ref 1)."},{"name":"Temporary berth agreement","value":6,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities agreement reported in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The Vanuatu Tourism Office says cruise ships bring benefits to the country and communities (ref 2).","Port Vila is a tender port, so ships anchor offshore and ferry passengers ashore (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Cruise calls resumed from June to August 2025 by tender while the wharf was still under repair."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vanuatu Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities","role":"Port and wharf owner","contact":"https://mipu.gov.vu/"},{"name":"Vanuatu Tourism Office","role":"Cruise tourism promotion","contact":"https://www.vanuatu.travel/"}],"public_contact":"Vanuatu Tourism Office and the Ministry publish general channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Six-month agreement for a temporary cruise berth at the Port Vila seafront (ref 1).","Interim tender-boat service set up by Carnival (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cruise ships set to return to recovering Port Vila - here's how they'll do it","publisher":"Cruise Passenger","date":"2025-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cruisepassenger.com.au/?p=196178","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cruise Port Reopens for Regular Calls Following Major Earthquake","publisher":"Cruise Hive","date":"2025-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cruisehive.com/cruise-port-reopens-for-regular-calls-following-major-earthquake/181169","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"CCL's ship Carnival Adventure returns to revitalize Port Vila after earthquake","publisher":"CruiseMapper","date":"2025-08-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/15160-carnival-adventure-returns-port-vila","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sources give the earthquake date as 16 December 2024 (Cruise Hive) and 17 December 2024 (CruiseMapper)."}],"missing_fields":["No official Vanuatu government page was opened; all three sources are cruise trade press.","No coordinates from an opened source."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-SOLWARA1-DSMREVIVAL-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Solwara 1 seabed mining licences revived by Deep Sea Mining Finance in PNG's Bismarck Sea; Melanesian leaders adopt moratorium","description":"In August 2023 PNG's Mining Minister told parliament that Nautilus Minerals was extending its three Solwara 1 licences and planned to return; the project's owner, Deep Sea Mining Finance, said it holds full rights. Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders adopted a moratorium on deep-sea mining in their territorial waters on 24 August 2023, and PNG's Prime Minister said on 28 August that Solwara 1 cannot go ahead until technology and studies show it can be done sensitively. A US Congressional Research Service note updated August 2025 reports DSMF exploratory work near Solwara 1 in August 2024.","location":{"name":"Solwara 1 site, Bismarck Sea","type":"Seabed mining licence area","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PG"],"detail":"Hydrothermal vent deposit in the Bismarck Sea, about 25 km off New Ireland, Papua New Guinea (north of the Coral Sea region)","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A seabed mining licence and revival attempt governed by national policy and a regional moratorium.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed mining","Licence extension"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Mongabay reports leaders said more research is needed on whether mining below 200 m can be done without damaging ecosystems and fisheries; no mining damage is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community closure is reported in the sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single licence area in the Bismarck Sea is involved (ref 1).","duration":"Nautilus received its licence in 2011, went bankrupt in 2019 and the revival was reported in 2023 and again as exploratory work in August 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Melanesian Spearhead Group adopted a moratorium in the Udaune Declaration on 24 August 2023 and PNG's Prime Minister said on 28 August 2023 PNG would follow the Pacific majority (ref 1); no PNG law specific to seabed mining existed per MP Allan Marat (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Marape said on 28 August 2023 that Solwara 1 cannot go ahead 'until technology and studies show that it can be done in an environmentally sensitive manner'."},"measures":[{"name":"Solwara 1 licences being extended","value":3,"unit":"licences","status":"Reported","note":"Mining Minister Ano Pala to parliament, 1 August 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"PNG government reported loss on Solwara 1","value":100,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"CRS In Focus IF12974, updated 13 August 2025 ('reportedly', ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The CRS note says the PNG government reportedly lost about US$100 million on Solwara 1 and that at least one provincial official supported reviving it (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Licence extension and DSMF exploratory work (2023, 2024) alongside a moratorium statement by the Prime Minister (2023, reiterated June 2025 per ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Papua New Guinea Mineral Resources Authority","role":"Licensing authority","contact":"https://www.mra.gov.pg/"},{"name":"Melanesian Spearhead Group","role":"Regional leaders' moratorium","contact":"https://www.msgsec.info/"}],"public_contact":"PNG Mineral Resources Authority and the MSG Secretariat publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["MSG leaders adopted a moratorium on deep-sea mining in member territorial waters and called for a Pacific-wide moratorium (ref 1).","PNG Prime Minister reaffirmed commitment to a seabed mining ban in June 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pacific alliance adopts moratorium on deep-sea mining, halting resurgent PNG project","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2023-09-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/09/pacific-alliance-adopts-moratorium-on-deep-sea-mining-halting-resurgent-png-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Seabed Mining Interests Across the Pacific Islands (IF12974)","publisher":"US Congressional Research Service","date":"2025-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2025-08-13_IF12974_e945f48557035bf7fcda6aeceecd24a39e9449b5.html","basis":"Government research report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No PNG government source or 2026 update on DSMF or Solwara 1 licence status was found; the August 2023 events precede the 2023-10-13 window start and are included because the revival question was still open in the August 2025 CRS note.","No coordinates from an opened source; Bismarck Sea sits north of the Coral Sea proper and is included on the brief's instruction."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-SOLOMONS-DSMMORATORIUM-2025"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-SOLOMONS-DSMMORATORIUM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Solomon Islands announces moratorium on deep sea prospecting and mining; legislation still awaited","description":"At the UN Oceans Conference in Nice on 9 June 2025 Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele announced a moratorium on deep sea prospecting and mining, aligned with the Melanesian Spearhead Group position, according to the Solomon Islands Government. In September 2025 the government was reported to be expected to table a bill to give the moratorium legal form, and Greenpeace Pacific called for it to be legislated.","location":{"name":"Solomon Islands waters","type":"National EEZ seabed policy","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["SB"],"detail":"Solomon Islands exclusive economic zone, Melanesia","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national policy decision on seabed mining.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed mining interest","Policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The government cites risks of environmental degradation and threats to marine biodiversity and limited scientific knowledge (ref 1); no mining harm is documented.","livelihoods":"No restriction on existing fisheries or communities is reported (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The moratorium applies to the country's ocean jurisdiction (ref 1).","duration":"Announced 9 June 2025 and still described as awaiting a bill on 12 September 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal government announcement at the UN Oceans Conference; no enacted law is reported (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Solomon Islands government announced a moratorium on deep sea prospecting and mining on 9 June 2025."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No licence holder or economic loss is named in the cited sources (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Solomon Islands (Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet)","role":"Announcing authority","contact":"https://solomons.gov.sb/"},{"name":"Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification","role":"Mining regulator","contact":"https://solomons.gov.sb/"}],"public_contact":"Solomon Islands Government publishes general contact details on solomons.gov.sb.","corrective_actions":["Moratorium announced at the UN Oceans Conference (ref 1).","A bill to establish the moratorium was expected to go to Parliament (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Solomon Islands Announces Moratorium on Deep Sea Mining to Safeguard Ocean Health","publisher":"Solomon Islands Government","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://solomons.gov.sb/?p=51863","basis":"Government media release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Greenpeace praises Solomon Islands' approach to deep-sea mining","publisher":"FBC News","date":"2025-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/?p=743653","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No source found on whether the bill was tabled or passed after September 2025.","The release page is dated 10 June 2025 and describes the announcement as at the Nice conference; the date in the text is June 2025."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-SOLWARA1-DSMREVIVAL-2023"]},{"id":"OC-CORAL-VANUATU-MARITIMEZONES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vanuatu moves to secure maritime zones against sea-level rise after the ICJ climate opinion and the Forum's 2021 declaration","description":"In August 2021 Pacific Islands Forum leaders declared that maritime zones notified to the UN would be maintained without reduction notwithstanding climate change-related sea-level rise. After the International Court of Justice delivered its climate advisory opinion in July 2025, following a Vanuatu-led initiative, Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister said at the Forum Leaders Meeting in September 2025 that Vanuatu would secure maritime zones 'so that rising seas cannot erase them' and fold the opinion into its NDC.","location":{"name":"Vanuatu and Pacific island maritime zones","type":"Maritime boundary and treaty process","sea":"CORAL","seas":["CORAL","SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["VU"],"detail":"Vanuatu EEZ and Forum member states; ICJ advisory opinion at The Hague","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A legal and diplomatic process on maritime entitlements under sea-level rise.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Maritime boundaries"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The minister frames sea-level rise as a threat that could erase maritime zones; no loss of an entitlement is documented (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No closure or displacement tied to maritime zones is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The 2021 declaration was signed by 18 Forum members and territories per PINA, so the issue spans a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The Forum declaration dates from August 2021 and Vanuatu's follow-through continued in September 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The ICJ delivered a climate advisory opinion in July 2025 (ref 2); the opinion is non-binding but Forum leaders issued a formal declaration in 2021 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Forum leaders: 'We intend to maintain these zones without reduction, notwithstanding climate change-related sea level rise.'"},"measures":[{"name":"Forum members and territories signing the 2021 declaration","value":18,"unit":"members","status":"Reported","note":"PINA, 12 August 2021 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic figure for maritime zones is given in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat","role":"Regional declaration","contact":"https://www.forumsec.org/"},{"name":"Government of Vanuatu, Ministry of Climate Change","role":"ICJ initiative and NDC implementation","contact":"https://www.vanuatu.gov.vu/"}],"public_contact":"The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and Vanuatu Government publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Vanuatu plans to secure maritime zones and integrate the ICJ opinion into its NDC (ref 3).","Vanuatu to take the opinion to the UN General Assembly (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pacific Forum leaders set permanent maritime borders, as rising seas shrink islands","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2021-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2021/08/12/pacific-forum-leaders-set-permanent-maritime-borders-as-rising-seas-shrink-islands/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Historic ICJ climate ruling 'just the beginning', says Vanuatu's Regenvanu","publisher":"Asia Pacific Report","date":"2025-07-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asiapacificreport.nz/?p=117784","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"ICJ climate ruling is a blueprint for action: Vanuatu climate change minister","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2025-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2025/09/12/icj-climate-ruling-is-a-blueprint-for-action-vanuatu-climate-change-minister/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (CORAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Asia Pacific Report says the ruling was delivered on a Tuesday; the opinion's exact date (23 July 2025 per other reporting not opened) is not confirmed from an opened page."}],"missing_fields":["The Forum Secretariat's declaration text returned HTTP 404 and the ICJ opinion PDF returned 403; both were not opened. The Asia Pacific Report article does not itself mention maritime zones.","No coordinates from an opened source."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BAYOFBENGAL-MARINEHEATWAVE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Marine heatwave alerts over the Bay of Bengal and Andaman waters, strongest around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands","description":"India's ocean information service INCOIS issued a marine heatwave alert in April 2026 covering six Indian Ocean basins; as of 20 April about 19% of the Bay of Bengal was under Watch and 3% under Alert, with the strongest warming around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands toward Myanmar and Thailand. A peer-reviewed analysis of 1982 to 2021 satellite data found marine heatwave events in the central bay are becoming more frequent, with more than five a year in the last decade.","location":{"name":"Bay of Bengal and Andaman waters","type":"Regional sea marine heatwave area","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN","MM","TH","BD","LK"],"detail":"Whole Bay of Bengal with the strongest warming around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, reaching toward Myanmar and Thailand","extent":"regional_sea","points":[]},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-surface temperatures above the 90th-percentile threshold are a physical ocean-warming signal.","secondary_drivers":["Climate change","Anticyclonic eddies and net surface heat flux"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"INCOIS flagged coral bleaching, shifts in pelagic fisheries and reduced productivity as risks, but the article documents no mortality yet (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Down To Earth report names tuna migration routes and fisheries as at risk but records no closure or restriction (ref 1).","scale":"About 19% of the Bay of Bengal was under Watch and 3% under Alert on 20 April 2026, a regional-sea footprint (ref 1).","duration":"The Scientific Reports analysis counted 107 events in 1982 to 2021 and more than five a year in the last decade, a recurring pattern (ref 2).","significance":"INCOIS, a national agency, issued a formal marine heatwave alert across six basins (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"As of 20 April 2026, about 19% of the Bay of Bengal was under Watch and 3% under Alert, with the strongest warming around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bay of Bengal area under marine heatwave Watch","value":19,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"INCOIS alert as of 20 April 2026, reported by Down To Earth (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bay of Bengal area under marine heatwave Alert","value":3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same INCOIS alert (ref 1)."},{"name":"Marine heatwave events in 1982 to 2021 (9 to 11 N, 89 to 91 E box)","value":107,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Kumar et al. 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Increase in event frequency","value":1.11,"unit":"events per decade","status":"Reported","note":"Linear trend, Kumar et al. 2023 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["INCOIS lists risks to pelagic fisheries and tuna migration routes that support food security and livelihoods (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The 1982 to 2021 analysis found a statistically significant increase of 1.11 events per decade (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)","role":"Marine heatwave monitoring and alerts","contact":"https://incois.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"INCOIS publishes contact details on incois.gov.in.","corrective_actions":["INCOIS issues Watch, Alert and Warning categories for marine heatwaves across six Indian Ocean basins (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Indian Ocean heats up to dangerous levels, putting fish, reefs and livelihoods at risk, warns watchdog","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2026-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/indian-ocean-heats-up-to-dangerous-levels-putting-fish-reefs-and-livelihoods-at-risk-warns-watchdog","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Analysis of marine heatwaves over the Bay of Bengal during 1982-2021","publisher":"Scientific Reports 13:14235 (Kumar et al.)","date":"2023-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10468509/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No INCOIS bulletin page could be opened; the alert is reported through Down To Earth."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-CORALBLEACHING-2024","OC-BEN-ANDAMANNICOBAR-CORALBLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-GHORAMARA-EROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ghoramara Island in the Sundarbans has lost about half its area to erosion and rising seas","description":"Satellite studies cited by India Water Portal show Ghoramara Island in the Hooghly estuary shrinking from about 7.2 sq km in 1972 to 3.6 sq km in 2022, with a projected 2.6 sq km by 2032, and a second study reports 8.145 sq km in 1990 falling to 3.59 sq km in 2024. Embankments around the island have repeatedly failed and relocation of residents has been ad hoc.","location":{"name":"Ghoramara Island, Sundarbans","type":"Estuarine delta island","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Lower Hooghly estuary, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India, in the western Sundarbans","extent":"site","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":21.914,"lon":88.129,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Relative sea-level rise and tidal erosion are removing the island's land.","secondary_drivers":["Shoreline erosion","Embankment failure","Land subsidence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Mean shoreline change of -10.59 m a year with sections near -36 m a year, and the island's area roughly halved from 1972 to 2022 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"About 3,000 people were displaced in 2016, and Sahapedia records a fall from about 40,000 residents to roughly 5,000 at the 2011 census (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The loss is concentrated on one island of a few square kilometres (ref 1).","duration":"Erosion is documented over five decades, 1972 to 2024, and is projected to continue to 2032 (ref 1).","significance":"The cited material is a news and policy article plus academic studies; no formal government notice or order is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":3000,"status":"Reported","note":"About 3,000 people displaced in 2016, per India Water Portal (ref 1); no current population figure given."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Island area fell from about 7.2 sq km in 1972 to 3.6 sq km in 2022 (Mondal et al. 2023, cited in ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Island area in 1972","value":7.2,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Mondal et al. 2023 as cited in ref 1."},{"name":"Island area in 2022","value":3.6,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Mondal et al. 2023 as cited in ref 1."},{"name":"Mean shoreline erosion rate","value":-10.59,"unit":"m per year","status":"Reported","note":"End Point Rate, with some sections near -36 m a year (ref 1)."},{"name":"Island area in 2024","value":3.59,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Tuli Sen 2025 as cited in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Farmland and homes on the island are lost as the shoreline retreats; embankments repeatedly fail (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Area projected to fall to about 2.6 sq km by 2032 on current trends (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of West Bengal (Sundarban Affairs and Irrigation departments)","role":"Embankment maintenance and relocation"}],"public_contact":"Contact through the West Bengal government's published department channels.","corrective_actions":["India Water Portal recommends planned retreat, legal recognition of climate-induced displacement, sediment-aware river management and mangrove restoration (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ghoramara island is disappearing and exposing India's coastal policy gaps","publisher":"India Water Portal","date":"2026-02-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indiawaterportal.org/rivers-and-lakes/displacement/ghoramara-island-is-disappearing-and-exposing-indias-coastal-policy-gaps","basis":"News and policy analysis (page shows update date; original date not shown)"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Sundarbans: Disaster, Damage and Displacement","publisher":"Sahapedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sahapedia.org/sundarbans-disaster-damage-and-displacement","basis":"Reference article (undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ghoramara (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoramara","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Island area baselines differ by source: 7.2 sq km in 1972 (ref 1) versus 8.51 sq km to 4.43 sq km (ref 2) and 8.145 sq km in 1990 (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Current population not stated in the cited sources.","Sahapedia page is undated."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-SUNDARBANS-MANGROVEEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-SATABHAYA-EROSION-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Satabhaya in Odisha: sea erosion consumed most of the village and forced the state's first erosion relocation","description":"Sea erosion in Kendrapara district, Odisha, washed away most of Satabhaya, and the state relocated 571 families to a colony at Bagapatia between 2015 and 2018, its first resettlement of people displaced by sea erosion. A 2022 analysis reports Odisha has lost 153.8 km of coastline, about 28% of the total, to seawater ingression, and that nearby Udayakani and Tandahara are also losing land.","location":{"name":"Satabhaya, Kendrapara district","type":"Eroding coastal village","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Rajnagar block, Kendrapara district, Odisha, India, near Bhitarkanika, on the Bay of Bengal coast","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":20.525,"lon":86.475,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea ingress and coastal erosion are removing land and villages.","secondary_drivers":["Shoreline erosion","Port construction effects on sediment","Mangrove loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Reported loss of sixteen revenue villages' land and Tribune records the centuries-old Panchuvarahi temple destroyed by the sea (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The state relocated 571 families to Bagapatia, and the 2023 Quint explainer says the process was not smooth (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The core loss is one village cluster, though the DTE analysis also names Udayakani and Tandahara (ref 2).","duration":"Erosion began in the early 1960s and was still destroying village structures in 2021 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A formal government resettlement programme, announced in 2008 and carried out 2015 to 2018, responded to the erosion (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":571,"status":"Reported","note":"571 families relocated to Bagapatia, per Down To Earth (ref 2) and The Quint (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Odisha has lost 153.8 km of coastline, about 28% of its total, to seawater ingression (Down To Earth, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Families relocated from Satabhaya to Bagapatia","value":571,"unit":"families","status":"Reported","note":"Resettlement 2015 to 2018 (ref 2); 2017 start in ref 1."},{"name":"Odisha coastline lost to seawater ingression","value":153.8,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"About 28% of the coastline (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Villagers report the compensation was insufficient and that the new colony lacks needed services (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The newest cited article is from May 2023; no later measurement of the shoreline was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Odisha, Special Relief Commissioner","role":"Resettlement and rehabilitation","contact":"https://srcodisha.nic.in"}],"public_contact":"Contact through the Odisha Special Relief Commissioner's published channels.","corrective_actions":["The Odisha government relocated 571 families to a rehabilitation colony at Bagapatia, about 10 to 12 km inland (refs 1, 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Odisha: the resettlement of climate refugees from Satabhaya","publisher":"The Quint","date":"2023-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thequint.com/explainers/odisha-resettlement-of-climate-refugees-satabhaya","basis":"News explainer"},{"ref":2,"title":"Going under: coastal Odisha under existential threat","publisher":"Down To Earth (Ranjan Panda)","date":"2022-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/natural-disasters/going-under-coastal-odisha-under-existential-threat-83499","basis":"News analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Giant sea waves swallow centuries-old temple in Odisha","publisher":"The Tribune","date":"2021-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/schools/giant-sea-waves-swallow-centuries-old-temple-in-odisha-292310","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kendrapara district (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendrapara_district","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Resettlement dates differ: 2015 to 2018 (ref 2) versus a 2017 start (ref 1); distance to Bagapatia given as about 10 km (ref 3) and about 12 km (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["No source from after May 2023 was opened; Statesman coverage of the temple collapse returned HTTP 403."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-KHULNA-REMALSURGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cyclone Remal storm surge breached embankments and flooded villages in the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh and West Bengal","description":"Cyclone Remal made landfall on the Bangladesh and India coast on 26 May 2024, and surge breached embankments in several places; the Water Development Board reported about 61 km of embankments partially damaged in Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat and saline water flooded hundreds of villages. AFP reported at least 10 deaths and about a million people sheltered across both countries.","location":{"name":"Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat coast with Indian Sundarbans","type":"Storm-surge flooded coastline","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD","IN"],"detail":"Southwest Bangladesh coast (Khulna division) and the West Bengal Sundarbans, northern Bay of Bengal","extent":"regional_sea","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":22.8255,"lon":89.5555,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Cyclone storm surge over low-lying delta coast flooded land and breached sea defences.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone","Embankment failure","Saltwater intrusion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AFP reported at least 10 deaths, more than 123,000 homes damaged in Barisal division and saltwater in freshwater ponds in the Sundarbans (ref 2).","livelihoods":"At least 400,000 people in 68 unions of Khulna were affected and saline water flooded hundreds of villages in Koyra, Paikgachha and Dacope (ref 1).","scale":"Both the Bangladesh coastline and West Bengal's Sundarbans were hit (ref 2).","duration":"The surge was a days-long event, though villagers were still repairing breached embankments on 27 May 2024 (ref 1).","significance":"Bangladesh's disaster management secretary confirmed embankments were breached or submerged, and over 200,000 people were moved to 604 cyclone centres in Khulna (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":400000,"status":"Reported","note":"At least 400,000 people in 68 unions of nine Khulna upazilas affected, per a district relief official quoted by Prothom Alo (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 61 km of embankments in Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat were partially damaged, per the Water Development Board (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Embankments partially damaged","value":61,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Water Development Board, Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat (ref 1)."},{"name":"People affected in Khulna","value":400000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"68 unions in nine upazilas (ref 1)."},{"name":"Deaths reported by AFP","value":10,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"At least; Prothom Alo reports no deaths in Khulna's own tally, so counts differ by source and area (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Saline water entered through breached embankments and Mongla Port operations were disrupted before resuming (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single event; no later follow-up on embankment repair was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bangladesh Water Development Board","role":"Coastal embankment owner and repair"},{"name":"Bangladesh Department of Disaster Management","role":"Cyclone preparedness and relief"}],"public_contact":"Contact through the Bangladesh Water Development Board's published channels.","corrective_actions":["Villagers repaired breached embankments, and over 200,000 people were evacuated to 604 cyclone centres in Khulna before landfall (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cyclone Remal: 400,000 people affected, 50,000 houses destroyed in Khulna","publisher":"Prothom Alo (English)","date":"2024-05-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/jp819n30yr","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ten dead after Cyclone Remal batters Bangladesh and India","publisher":"Gulf News (AFP)","date":"2024-05-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/ten-dead-after-cyclone-remal-batters-bangladesh-and-india-1.1716780679422","basis":"News wire"},{"ref":3,"title":"Khulna District (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khulna_District","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Prothom Alo reports no deaths in Khulna while AFP reports at least 10 deaths overall, seven in Barisal (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Headline says 50,000 houses destroyed; the article text says damaged (ref 1)."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-SUNDARBANS-MANGROVEEROSION-2025","OC-BEN-BGD-SHRIMP-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BHITARKANIKA-DANASURGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cyclone Dana storm surge of about two metres flooded the Bhitarkanika coast of Odisha","description":"Severe cyclonic storm Dana crossed the Odisha coast between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in the early hours of 25 October 2024. The India Meteorological Department had warned of a 1.0 to 2.0 m surge over Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore, and The Hitavada reported tidal surges of about two metres with seawater flooding near Bhitarkanika National Park.","location":{"name":"Bhitarkanika and Dhamara coast","type":"Storm-surge flooded mangrove coast","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts, Odisha, India, between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara on the northwest Bay of Bengal","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":20.823333,"lon":86.962778,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Cyclone storm surge inundated low-lying coast.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Seawater flooded areas near Bhitarkanika National Park and thousands of trees were uprooted; one death was reported in West Bengal (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Roughly 6 lakh people were evacuated in Odisha before landfall (ref 2).","scale":"The surge affected a stretch of coast in Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore, with lesser surge forecast for Jagatsinghpur and South 24 Parganas (ref 1).","duration":"The surge was tied to the landfall window of 25 October 2024, a matter of hours (ref 1).","significance":"IMD National Bulletin 22 formally warned of a 1.0 to 2.0 m surge above astronomical tide (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":600000,"status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 6 lakh people were evacuated in Odisha, per The Hitavada (ref 2); this is a precautionary evacuation, not a count of those flooded."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IMD forecast a storm surge of 1.0 to 2.0 m above astronomical tide for Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Forecast surge above astronomical tide, upper bound","value":2,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"IMD National Bulletin 22, 25 October 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"People evacuated in Odisha","value":600000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"About 6 lakh (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Crop and infrastructure damage reported in Odisha and West Bengal (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single event."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"India Meteorological Department","role":"Cyclone and storm surge warnings","contact":"https://mausam.imd.gov.in"},{"name":"Odisha State Disaster Management Authority","role":"Evacuation and relief","contact":"https://osdma.org"}],"public_contact":"IMD and OSDMA publish contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Odisha evacuated roughly 6 lakh people to shelters and reported a zero-casualty outcome (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"National Bulletin No. 22 (BOB/06/2024): Severe cyclonic storm Dana over north coastal Odisha","publisher":"India Meteorological Department","date":"2024-10-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rsmcnewdelhi.imd.gov.in/uploads/archive/1/1_c90ce9_22.National Bulletin No 22-25Oct2024_0530IST.pdf","basis":"Agency bulletin"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cyclone Dana causes significant damage in Odisha, WB","publisher":"The Hitavada","date":"2024-10-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2024/10/26/Cyclone-Dana-causes-significant-damage-in-Odisha-WB.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Dhamra Port (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhamra_Port","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Observed surge heights and the extent of inundation were not found in an agency post-event report."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-GAHIRMATHA-NESTINGSHIFT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-KAKINADA-MONTHASURGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cyclone Montha surge damaged the Kakinada to Uppada beach road on Andhra Pradesh's coast","description":"Severe cyclonic storm Montha crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, on the evening of 28 October 2025. All India Radio reported surge along the Krishna and Godavari river basins, an 8 km damaged beach road between Kakinada and Uppada, a fishing ban and about 76,000 people moved to relief camps.","location":{"name":"Kakinada to Uppada coast, Andhra Pradesh","type":"Storm-surge impacted coast","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Kakinada and Konaseema districts, Andhra Pradesh, India, on the western Bay of Bengal","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":16.97,"lon":82.26,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Cyclone surge and rough seas flooded and damaged coastal roads.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"An 8 km beach road between Kakinada and Uppada was damaged and several roads flooded; one death from a fallen tree was reported (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Fishing was banned, beach access restricted and danger signal seven hoisted at Kakinada port (ref 1).","scale":"Impacts ran along the Krishna and Godavari delta coast, a regional stretch but not the whole sea (ref 1).","duration":"The surge and restrictions lasted the days of the landfall, 28 to 29 October 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"State and port authorities hoisted formal warning signals and banned fishing (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":76000,"status":"Reported","note":"About 76,000 people moved to relief camps in Andhra Pradesh, per The Hitavada (ref 2); a precaution figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An 8-km beach road between Kakinada and Uppada was damaged and several roads inundated (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Damaged beach road, Kakinada to Uppada","value":8,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"News On AIR, 28 October 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"People moved to relief camps in Andhra Pradesh","value":76000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"The Hitavada, 29 October 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Standing crops on about 38,000 ha were destroyed in Andhra Pradesh (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single event."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority","role":"Cyclone response"},{"name":"India Meteorological Department","role":"Cyclone warnings","contact":"https://mausam.imd.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Contact through the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority's published channels.","corrective_actions":["The state moved people to relief camps, banned fishing and restricted beach access (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cyclone Montha brings torrential rain, flooding and high winds to Andhra Pradesh coast","publisher":"News On AIR (All India Radio)","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/cyclone-montha-brings-torrential-rain-flooding-and-high-winds-to-andhra-pradesh-coast","basis":"News (national broadcaster)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cyclone Montha makes landfall; Andhra, Odisha bear the brunt","publisher":"The Hitavada","date":"2025-10-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2025/10/29/cyclone-montha-makes-landfall-andhra-odisha-bear-the-brunt.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Kakinada district (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakinada_district","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Hitavada does not mention storm surge, while News On AIR reports surge along the Krishna and Godavari basins (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["News On AIR's text described landfall as forecast at the time of writing; no post-event surge measurement was found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-KUTUBDIA-COASTALFLOODING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh, keeps losing land and homes to tides over failing coastal embankments","description":"Prothom Alo reported in February 2024 that about 153,000 people live on Kutubdia and more than 60,000 have left after displacement, with one ward effectively gone to the sea. In July 2026 the Financial Express reported breached embankments flooding homes at high tide, with the Water Development Board listing about 2 km of the 40 km embankment as vulnerable and emergency repairs underway in 15 packages.","location":{"name":"Kutubdia Island","type":"Eroding coastal island","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Cox's Bazar district, southeast Bangladesh, northeastern Bay of Bengal","extent":"site","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":21.8167,"lon":91.8583,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Tidal flooding and shoreline erosion are removing land on a low-lying island.","secondary_drivers":["Shoreline erosion","Embankment failure","Cyclone surges","Salinity intrusion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Ward 9 Khudiaryek 'exists in paper only' after its land eroded, and 3,000 acres vanished in 1991, per Prothom Alo (ref 1).","livelihoods":"More than 60,000 people have left the island after displacement, and about 12,000 of 21,000 tube wells give saline water (ref 1).","scale":"The impact is concentrated on one island and its union wards (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Land loss runs from 1991 through the July 2026 flooding, with temporary repairs repeatedly failing (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Water Development Board has begun emergency repair contracts, and a permanent embankment awaits ECNEC approval (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":60000,"status":"Reported","note":"More than 60,000 people have left the island after displacement; about 153,000 still live there (Prothom Alo, ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 2 km of the island's 40 km coastal embankment is in a vulnerable condition, per the Bangladesh Water Development Board (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vulnerable embankment length","value":2,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Of a 40 km coastal embankment, per BWDB in Financial Express, July 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Island residents who have left after displacement","value":60000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Prothom Alo, February 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-level rise at Cox's Bazar tide gauge (older figure)","value":8,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Over 20 years, 75 km from the island, per ICSF (ref 3); the page is undated."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Salt left by receding tides damages farmland and contaminates ponds and tube-wells; fishers have lost nearby catches (refs 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Embankments broke about 18 km two years before February 2024 and homes flooded again in July 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bangladesh Water Development Board","role":"Coastal embankment owner and repair"}],"public_contact":"Contact through the Bangladesh Water Development Board's published channels.","corrective_actions":["Emergency embankment repairs in 15 packages at 10 vulnerable points, with funding sought for 5 more high-risk locations (ref 2).","A comprehensive permanent embankment project proposal has been sent to the ministry for ECNEC approval (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kutubdia shrinking, people rushing to cities","publisher":"Prothom Alo (English)","date":"2024-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/p2ai3r1v3m","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Breached embankments leave Kutubdia residents in hardship","publisher":"The Financial Express (Bangladesh)","date":"2026-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/country/coxs-bazar-district-breached-embankments-leave-kutubdia-residents-in-hardship","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"The disappearing fishing villages of Bangladesh","publisher":"ICSF","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icsf.net/?p=19850","basis":"Fisheries NGO article (undated)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kutubdia Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutubdia_Island","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Island area given only as 30 to 35 with no unit in Prothom Alo (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["ICSF article is undated and its sea-level figure is older; no tide-gauge page was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-TURTLEDEATHS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-PUDUCHERRY-PORTEROSION-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Puducherry coast erosion since the 1989 port breakwaters, with a hybrid reef-and-nourishment fix now being monitored","description":"A 2024 NIOT study states Puducherry has been strongly affected by severe erosion since its port was built in 1989, and that a 2017 steel reef and beach nourishment project restored the beach in Zone A at an average accretion of 2.92 m a year while Zone B still erodes at 0.23 m a year. The earlier NCSCM national assessment names the two breakwaters as the principal cause, and NCCR figures reported in January 2023 put 56.2% of Puducherry's coast as eroding.","location":{"name":"Puducherry shoreline","type":"Eroding urban coastline","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Puducherry Union Territory, Coromandel coast, southwest Bay of Bengal","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":11.9167,"lon":79.8167,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Port-induced sediment blockage and shoreline retreat on a sandy coast.","secondary_drivers":["Port breakwaters blocking longshore drift","Shoreline erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The NIOT study says Puducherry has been strongly affected by severe erosion since the port was built in 1989 and a beach had been lost before the 2017 restoration (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No displacement or livelihood closure appears in the cited material (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The erosion is a city shoreline of about 24 km, a single coastal stretch (ref 2).","duration":"The erosion has been recorded from 1989 and Zone B was still eroding 2016 to 2022 (ref 1).","significance":"NIOT and the Puducherry government implemented a formal hybrid restoration project in 2017 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Zone A shows average accretion of 2.92 m/yr and Zone B average erosion of -0.23 m/yr, 2016 to 2022 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Zone A average shoreline change","value":2.92,"unit":"m per year","status":"Reported","note":"Accretion after 2017 restoration, 2016 to 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Zone B average shoreline change","value":-0.23,"unit":"m per year","status":"Reported","note":"Erosion, maximum -1.63 m a year in places (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of Puducherry coast classed as eroding (NCCR)","value":56.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"NCCR figure quoted by The New Indian Express, 11 January 2023 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The beach and shoreline infrastructure are protected by seawalls and a reef costing public funds (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Zone A accreted at 2.92 m a year after the 2017 project, though Zone B still erodes (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)","role":"Beach restoration design and monitoring","contact":"https://www.niot.res.in"},{"name":"Government of Puducherry","role":"Co-implementer of the restoration","contact":"https://py.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"NIOT and the Puducherry government publish contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["NIOT and the Puducherry government deployed a steel reef and beach nourishment in 2017, with shoreline monitoring 2016 to 2022 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coastal resilience and shoreline dynamics: assessing the impact of a hybrid beach restoration strategy in Puducherry, India","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Benhur et al.)","date":"2024-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1426627/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"National Assessment of Shoreline Change: Puducherry Coast (2011)","publisher":"National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dste.py.gov.in/pczma/Pdf/Reports/NCSCM Shore line Changes Report.pdf","basis":"Agency report (publication year 2011; no day shown)"},{"ref":3,"title":"423 km of TN coastline eroding, says report","publisher":"The New Indian Express (copy hosted by NCCR)","date":"2023-01-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nccr.gov.in/sites/default/files/ie2Jan2023.pdf","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pondicherry (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pondicherry","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"NCSCM 2011 reports about 30.3% of the Puducherry coast as eroding or artificial, while the NCCR figure reported in 2023 is 56.2%; the methods and years differ (refs 2, 3)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-TAMILNADU-COASTEROSION-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"More than 42% of Tamil Nadu's mapped coastline is eroding despite hundreds of hard defences","description":"A National Centre for Coastal Research shoreline assessment, reported on 11 January 2023, found 422.94 km of Tamil Nadu's 991.47 km mapped coastline (42.7%) continues to erode, and that the state has lost 1,802 hectares to erosion between 1990 and 2018. The state has built 251 hard anti-erosion structures along 134 km, which the report says have not given the desired results.","location":{"name":"Tamil Nadu coast","type":"Eroding national coastline","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Tamil Nadu coast from Kancheepuram and Chennai south to Ramanathapuram, Coromandel coast and Gulf of Mannar edge","extent":"national_waters","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":11,"lon":79,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Shoreline erosion is removing coastal land along a long coastline.","secondary_drivers":["Shoreline erosion","Coastal hard structures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NCCR reported 1,802 ha lost to erosion between 1990 and 2018, with Ramanathapuram losing 413.37 ha (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited article records no displacement or closures (ref 1).","scale":"The assessment covers a state coastline of 991.47 km (ref 1).","duration":"The assessment spans 1990 to 2018 and says erosion continues (ref 1).","significance":"The NCCR report was released by the state Minister for Public Works at a Marine Spatial Planning workshop (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"422.94 km (42.7%) of Tamil Nadu's 991.47 km mapped coastline continues to experience erosion (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Eroding coastline","value":422.94,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"42.7% of 991.47 km mapped (ref 1)."},{"name":"Land lost to erosion, 1990 to 2018","value":1802,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"NCCR via The New Indian Express (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hard anti-erosion structures built","value":251,"unit":"structures","status":"Reported","note":"Along 134 km of coast (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Policy makers are weighing nature-based and hybrid solutions after hard structures failed to deliver (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Assessment covers 1990 to 2018 only; no later survey was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR)","role":"National Shoreline Assessment System","contact":"https://www.nccr.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"NCCR publishes contact details on nccr.gov.in.","corrective_actions":["Tamil Nadu is turning to soft and hybrid solutions such as beach nourishment, citing the Puducherry artificial reef (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"423 km of TN coastline eroding, says report","publisher":"The New Indian Express (copy hosted by NCCR)","date":"2023-01-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nccr.gov.in/sites/default/files/ie2Jan2023.pdf","basis":"News (state-level report summary)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tamil Nadu (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Nadu","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single news source; the NCCR report itself was not opened.","Article is dated before the research window; erosion is reported as continuing."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-PUDUCHERRY-PORTEROSION-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BAYOFBENGAL-ARAGONITE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"The aragonite saturation horizon is shoaling rapidly in the Bay of Bengal, putting shell-forming life at risk by mid-century","description":"A 2024 study found the shallowest aragonite saturation horizon in the tropical Indian Ocean in the Bay of Bengal, at 219 plus or minus 10 m, shoaling at 6.3 plus or minus 5 m a year over four decades. The authors link the rapid recent shoaling to anthropogenic CO2 plus river discharge and decomposition of riverine organic matter, and say aragonite-secreting organisms would be seriously affected by mid-century under business-as-usual emissions.","location":{"name":"Bay of Bengal water column","type":"Open-sea acidification zone","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN","BD","MM","LK"],"detail":"Basin-scale subsurface ocean chemistry of the Bay of Bengal, northern Indian Ocean","extent":"regional_sea","points":[]},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Carbon uptake lowers pH and raises corrosion of aragonite shells.","secondary_drivers":["Anthropogenic CO2","River discharge and organic matter decomposition"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study projects aragonite-secreting organisms will be seriously affected by mid-century but documents no mortality yet (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited papers report no fishery or livelihood disruption (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The shoaling is measured across the Bay of Bengal, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The shoaling is derived from four decades of data (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are peer-reviewed studies and a modelling paper; no formal notice or listing is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable to a subsurface chemistry finding; no population figure cited."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The aragonite saturation horizon in the Bay of Bengal sits at 219 +/- 10 m and shoaled at 6.3 +/- 5 m per year over four decades (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Aragonite saturation horizon depth","value":219,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Plus or minus 10 m, shallowest in the tropical Indian Ocean (ref 1)."},{"name":"Shoaling rate of the horizon","value":6.3,"unit":"m per year","status":"Reported","note":"Plus or minus 5 m a year, past four decades (ref 1)."},{"name":"Modelled aragonite saturation depth range","value":null,"unit":"m","status":"Not reported","note":"Singh and Dwivedi 2026 model estimate about 100 to 400 m for 2000 to 2021 (ref 2); a range, not a single value."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No fishery or aquaculture impact is quantified in the cited studies (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Rapid shoaling in recent decades compared with a steady Arabian Sea rate, per Sridevi and Sarma (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography","role":"Indian ocean chemistry research (host institution not named in the abstract)","contact":"https://www.nio.res.in"}],"public_contact":"Research authors' institutions publish contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action is cited; the authors call for monitoring of the effects on aragonite-secreting organisms (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rapid shoaling of aragonite saturation horizon in the northern Indian Ocean","publisher":"Environmental Research Communications (Sridevi and Sarma)","date":"2024-05-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad45c1","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (abstract opened via Crossref)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Analysing the distribution and variability of dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity over the Bay of Bengal region using coupled ocean biogeochemical modeling","publisher":"Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre news (Singh and Dwivedi, Continental Shelf Research 299)","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2026/03/25/analysing-the-distribution-and-variability-of-dissolved-inorganic-carbon-and-alkalinity-over-the-bay-of-bengal-region-using-the-coupled-ocean-biogeochemical-modeling/","basis":"Research summary"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The authors' host institution was not shown on the abstract page; the responsible body listed is a general Indian ocean research institute, not confirmed as the study's host."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-GODAVARI-HYPOXIA-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-GODAVARI-HYPOXIA-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Seasonal low-oxygen zone off the Godavari mouth intensifies each fall in the Bay of Bengal","description":"A 2024 Frontiers in Marine Science study using Biogeochemical-Argo floats found an intense, shallow oxygen minimum zone off the Godavari River mouth at roughly 40 to 200 m that rises toward the surface and intensifies in fall. The authors attribute it to river-delivered nutrients, coastal upwelling and decomposition of the resulting organic matter, and warn that changes in riverine input could affect the coastal ecosystem. A 2024 peer-reviewed study of Argo float data found that Godavari River discharge drives nutrient enrichment, a plankton bloom and oxygen loss that shoals an intense oxygen minimum zone at roughly 40 to 200 m depth in the western Bay of Bengal each fall. Oxygen in the upper layer of the study box fell from about 3 ml/L in May to about 0.1 ml/L in October. The authors caution that the sample of floats is small.","location":{"name":"Godavari river-mouth shelf, western Bay of Bengal","type":"Seasonal coastal oxygen minimum zone","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Offshore of the Godavari delta, Andhra Pradesh coast, western Bay of Bengal","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":16.25,"lon":83,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"River nutrients feed a seasonal oxygen-depleted zone at sea.","secondary_drivers":["River nutrient discharge","Coastal upwelling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The oxygen minimum zone intensifies in fall at roughly 40 to 200 m depth, with stronger oxygen consumption at the river-influenced site (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The paper reports no fishery closure or loss (ref 1).","scale":"The zone is tied to one river mouth and shelf area (ref 1).","duration":"The intensification recurs each fall, a seasonal pattern in float and climatology data (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study only; no agency notice or action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited study."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An intense, shallow oxygen minimum zone forms off the Godavari mouth at roughly 40 to 200 m and intensifies in fall (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Depth range of the river-influenced oxygen minimum zone","value":null,"unit":"m","status":"Not reported","note":"Roughly 40 to 200 m per the study (ref 1); a range, no dissolved oxygen concentrations were retrieved."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The authors say riverine input changes could affect coastal ecosystems and the health of the coastal Bay of Bengal (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The study describes a seasonal cycle, not a multi-year trend (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Earth Sciences, India","role":"Ocean observation programmes","contact":"https://www.moes.gov.in"},{"name":"Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)","role":"National ocean observing and advisory agency","contact":"https://incois.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Contact through the Ministry of Earth Sciences' published channels.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action is cited."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seasonal intensification of oxygen minimum zone: linking Godavari River discharge to fall hypoxia in the Bay of Bengal","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Sreejith et al.)","date":"2024-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1419953/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (date from Crossref record)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ventilation of the Bay of Bengal oxygen minimum zone by the Southwest Monsoon Current","publisher":"Ocean Science (Sheehan et al.)","date":"2025-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://os.copernicus.org/articles/21/1575/2025/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BEN-GODAVARI-HYPOXIA-2024-DUP (Intense shallow low-oxygen layer forms off the Godavari mouth each fall after monsoon river discharge): two research groups filed the same study"}],"missing_fields":["No coordinates, because the study page opened did not state them.","Single peer-reviewed source; the responsible body is general, as the paper names no managing agency.","No news or agency page on fishery impacts of this hypoxia was found.","Coordinates are the centre of the study box, not a site."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BAYOFBENGAL-ARAGONITE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMAN-SUBSIDENCE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Andaman and Nicobar coasts subsided by the 2004 earthquake are more vulnerable to sea-level rise","description":"A 2024 Geoscience Frontiers study found about 34% of coastal grid cells and over 23% of mangrove grid cells across six zones of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are highly to extremely highly vulnerable, with subsided zones more vulnerable than uplifted ones. An earlier study of Little Andaman reported 1,042 to 3,077 ha could be lost under 1 to 5 m of sea-level rise scenarios.","location":{"name":"Andaman and Nicobar Islands coast","type":"Island coastal zone","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Union Territory of India, in the Andaman Sea and eastern Bay of Bengal","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":11.68,"lon":92.72,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Earthquake-driven subsidence leaves coasts and mangroves exposed to sea-level rise.","secondary_drivers":["Tectonic subsidence","Sea-level rise","Cyclones"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"About 34% of coastal grid cells and over 23% of mangrove grid cells are highly to extremely highly vulnerable (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither study documents displacement or closures (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The assessment spans six zones across the island group (ref 1).","duration":"The subsidence dates from the 2004 earthquake and the Little Andaman analysis covers 1976 to 2018 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Peer-reviewed studies only; no formal notice or action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited studies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 34% of coastal grid cells and over 23% of mangrove grid cells across all zones are highly to extremely highly vulnerable (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coastal grid cells highly to extremely highly vulnerable","value":34,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Mondal et al., Geoscience Frontiers (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mangrove grid cells highly to extremely highly vulnerable","value":23,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Stated as over 23% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Little Andaman land subsidence range under 1 to 5 m sea-level rise","value":null,"unit":"ha","status":"Not reported","note":"1,042 to 3,077 ha, a range (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Coastal settlements and mangroves are exposed, but the studies give no economic estimate (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Vulnerability assessment uses 2022 imagery, not a time series (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Andaman and Nicobar Administration","role":"Island coastal management"}],"public_contact":"Contact through the Andaman and Nicobar Administration's published channels.","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend ongoing monitoring and mitigation for conservation and restoration (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Assessment of coastal and mangrove vulnerability in the Andaman Island, Indian Ocean","publisher":"Geoscience Frontiers (Mondal et al.)","date":"2025-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://journal.hep.com.cn/gsf/EN/1160596111046009467","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (page shows online date 23 March 2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Impact of sea level rise and shoreline changes in the tropical island ecosystem of Andaman and Nicobar region, India (Nov 2021)","publisher":"Natural Hazards (Mageswaran et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/nathaz/v109y2021i2d10.1007_s11069-021-04895-3.html","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (month shown, day not)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Andaman and Nicobar Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Geoscience Frontiers record is listed as Vol. 15, Issue 5 (2024) but the page shows online publication on 23 March 2025."}],"missing_fields":["No news or agency source on current impacts was found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-GREATNICOBAR-PORTCLEARANCE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Great Nicobar transshipment port and 130 sq km forest diversion cleared by the National Green Tribunal at the Galathea Bay leatherback nesting coast","description":"On 16 February 2026 India's National Green Tribunal dismissed the coastal-zone challenges to the Rs 80,000 crore Great Nicobar project, which includes an international container transshipment terminal at Galathea Bay, a nesting ground for giant leatherback turtles that the reports say also holds corals and mangroves. The Tribunal accepted the Zoological Survey of India's suggestion that scattered corals can be translocated and ordered full compliance with the clearance conditions. Critics say the clearance rests on deference to government reports rather than a merit review, and the case remains contested. India plans an International Container Transshipment Port at Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar Island, designed to reach 16 million TEU in its final phase. In February 2026 the National Green Tribunal's eastern zonal bench upheld the project's environmental clearance, while critics cite coral, leatherback turtle and seismic risks. A detailed project report was prepared in December 2025 and a tender was reported as likely by July 2026; this record has not confirmed that a tender was issued.","location":{"name":"Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island","type":"Coastal development site (port and nesting beach)","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Southern tip of Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Coordinates are those of Galathea National Park, which lies on the island's southern coast.","coordinates":{"lat":6.923,"lon":93.833,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","shipping-ports-noise","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Planned port, airport and township construction on a coastal forest, mangrove, coral and turtle-nesting shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Port construction","Forest clearance","Coastal development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Clearance is approved rather than completed: about 130 sq km of forest is to be diverted and the transshipment terminal sits on a leatherback nesting ground with corals and mangroves, so harm is potential but large (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Critics say the project may dispossess Nicobarese communities of ancestral land, and 39 scholars warned of risks to the Shompen, so displacement risk is raised but not yet documented as occurring (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The port site is a single bay, Galathea Bay, on one island even though the wider project covers about 166 sq km (ref 3).","duration":"The project was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021, the Galathea Bay sanctuary was denotified in 2021 and litigation over the 2022 clearance ran to the February 2026 ruling (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The National Green Tribunal dismissed the coastal-zone challenges on 16 February 2026, a court ruling that clears the project to proceed (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure for affected turtles or residents in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 130 sq km of forest land is to be diverted for the Rs 80,000 crore Great Nicobar project, with the container port at Galathea Bay (Outlook, 18 Feb 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Forest land to be diverted","value":130,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly 130 sq km of forest of a roughly 166 sq km project area (ref 3)."},{"name":"Project cost","value":80000,"unit":"Rs crore","status":"Reported","note":"Rs 80,000 crore in refs 1 and 3; Rs 81,000 crore in refs 4 and 2."},{"name":"Trees to be cut (official estimate)","value":1000000,"unit":"trees","status":"Reported","note":"Close to one million per ref 3; ref 2 says tree felling may exceed 10 million."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Strategic port project of Rs 80,000 crore; coastal-zone and ecology challenges expected to continue in higher courts (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Clearance upheld in February 2026 after the 2023 High-Powered Committee review; appeal before the Calcutta High Court on an earlier ruling remains pending (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (India)","role":"Clearance authority","contact":"https://moef.gov.in"},{"name":"National Green Tribunal","role":"Appellate tribunal","contact":"https://www.greentribunal.gov.in"},{"name":"Zoological Survey of India","role":"Coral and wildlife advisor to the clearance","contact":"https://zsi.gov.in"},{"name":"Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways","role":"Project owner","contact":"https://shipmin.gov.in"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change","role":"Environmental clearance authority","contact":"https://moef.gov.in"},{"name":"National Green Tribunal, Eastern Zonal Bench","role":"Appellate environmental tribunal","contact":"https://greentribunal.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, published public grievance channel","corrective_actions":["The Tribunal ordered full compliance with the environmental clearance conditions and directed coral protection, regeneration and translocation (refs 1, 2, 3).","The Tribunal directed that foreshore construction must not cause erosion or loss of sandy beaches (ref 3).","NGT ordered strict enforcement of clearance conditions (ref 1).","Biodiversity committee under ANIIDCO reportedly publishes minutes on coral translocation (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"In clearing Great Nicobar project, NGT continues its streak of failed merit review","publisher":"Newslaundry (with The News Minute)","date":"2026-02-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newslaundry.com/amp/story/2026%2F02%2F18%2Fin-clearing-great-nicobar-project-ngt-continues-its-streak-of-failed-merit-review","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"NGT Approved Great Nicobar Project","publisher":"Drishti IAS (daily news analysis)","date":"2026-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ngt-approved-great-nicobar-project/print_manually","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Outlook explainer: Green court clearance and the future of Great Nicobar","publisher":"Outlook India","date":"2026-02-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.outlookindia.com/amp/story/national/outlook-explainer-green-court-clearance-and-the-future-of-great-nicobar","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"The largest living sea turtle (Species File)","publisher":"Mongabay-India","date":"2026-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/the-largest-living-sea-turtle/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Galathea National Park","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galathea_National_Park","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"},{"ref":6,"title":"NGT clears Great Nicobar infrastructure project, says adequate safeguards provided","publisher":"ETV Bharat (PTI)","date":"2026-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/amp/en/bharat/ngt-clears-great-nicobar-infrastructure-project-says-adequate-safeguards-provided-enn26021702212","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"DPR prepared for International Container Transshipment Terminal Project at Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar","publisher":"Indian Infrastructure","date":"2025-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://indianinfrastructure.com/2025/12/08/dpr-prepared-for-international-container-transshipment-terminal-project-at-galathea-bay-in-great-nicobar/","basis":"News (trade press)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Why is India pushing ahead with Great Nicobar project despite disastrous environmental costs?","publisher":"Scroll.in (C. P. Rajendran, The India Forum)","date":"2025-11-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://scroll.in/article/1088741/why-is-india-pushing-ahead-with-great-nicobar-project-despite-disastrous-environmental-costs","basis":"Opinion/analysis"},{"ref":9,"title":"Great Nicobar Project: Coral Translocation and the Development-vs-Ecology Debate","publisher":"Anantam IAS (current-affairs explainer)","date":"2026-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://anantamias.com/current-affairs/great-nicobar-coral-translocation-2026/?pdf=1","basis":"Secondary explainer"},{"ref":10,"title":"Great Nicobar Island (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Nicobar_Island","basis":"Reference (island coordinates)"},{"ref":11,"title":"Tribal council calls recognition of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island 'false'","publisher":"Mongabay India","date":"2026-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Tree-felling estimates differ: Outlook gives close to one million trees, Drishti IAS says felling may exceed 10 million. Project cost is given as Rs 80,000 crore (Newslaundry, Outlook) and Rs 81,000 crore (Drishti, Mongabay-India)."},{"note":"Project cost is reported variously: Rs 443.13 billion in the DPR report (ref 2) versus Rs 810 billion for the wider island project in Mongabay India (see OC-BEN-GREATNICOBAR-FRA-2026)."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BEN-GREATNICOBAR-PORT-2026 (Great Nicobar transshipment port at Galathea Bay cleared by tribunal but still awaiting construction tender): port and shipping angle on the same National Green Tribunal clearance"}],"missing_fields":["port capacity","mangrove area affected","nest counts at Galathea Bay","primary NGT order text","Construction tender outcome after July 2026 not found.","Primary clearance documents not opened; coral figure from a secondary explainer."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-GREATNICOBAR-FRA-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHENNAI-OLIVERIDLEYDEATHS-2025","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"More than 1,000 dead olive ridley turtles wash ashore on Chennai's beaches in January 2025","description":"Over 1,000 dead olive ridley turtles washed up along Chennai's coast over several weeks of January 2025, including 346 recorded by volunteers on the 13 km between Neelankarai and Marina Beach, the highest monthly toll for the city. Conservationists pointed to drowning in trawler nets and trawlers working inside the five nautical mile limit; the official post-mortem had not been released at the time of reporting. The National Green Tribunal's southern bench warned of a complete trawling ban in the nesting season and the Fisheries Department mandated turtle excluder devices.","location":{"name":"Neelankarai to Marina Beach, Chennai","type":"Sea turtle nesting coast","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Chennai coast, Tamil Nadu, India. Coordinates are those of Marina Beach, Chennai.","coordinates":{"lat":13.0542,"lon":80.2837,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Mass mortality of a protected sea turtle linked to fishing gear on its nesting coast.","secondary_drivers":["Trawler bycatch","Illegal trawling inside the coastal limit"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"More than 1,000 olive ridley carcasses washed up on the Chennai coast within weeks, 346 of them on one 13 km stretch in January 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Fisheries Department mandated turtle excluder devices for trawlers and began patrols inside five nautical miles, and fishers said enforcement and subsidy withdrawal hit them (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The deaths were counted along the Chennai coastline, with the volunteer count covering a 13 km stretch (ref 1).","duration":"The die-off was concentrated in a few weeks of January 2025, though experts note olive ridleys die every year and only about 20 percent of dead turtles wash ashore (ref 1).","significance":"The National Green Tribunal's southern bench took up the deaths and warned of a complete trawling ban during nesting season, a formal notice rather than a ruling (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; wildlife mortality."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 1,000 dead olive ridleys washed ashore on Chennai's coast over several weeks; 346 on a 13 km stretch in January 2025 (Mongabay-India, 30 Jan 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dead olive ridleys recorded on Neelankarai to Marina Beach stretch","value":346,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Volunteer network count for January 2025, the highest monthly figure for Chennai (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dead olive ridleys washed ashore on the Chennai coast","value":1000,"unit":"turtles (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as more than 1,000 over several weeks (ref 1); The Wire repeats more than 1,000 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Trawler enforcement, licence cancellations and subsidy withdrawal for violators (ref 2).","Fishers dispute that fishing, rather than pollution, is the main cause (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single January 2025 episode; the Tamil Nadu coast sees recurring strandings each nesting season (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Chennai Wildlife Warden","role":"Wildlife protection and post-mortems","contact":null},{"name":"Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department","role":"Trawler regulation and turtle excluder device mandate","contact":null},{"name":"National Green Tribunal, Southern Bench","role":"Tribunal that took up the deaths","contact":"https://www.greentribunal.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Tamil Nadu Forest Department, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["A task force with the Wildlife Wing, Coast Guard, Fisheries Department and Coastal Security Group was formed for joint patrols and weekly enforcement reports (ref 1).","Turtle excluder devices were made mandatory for trawlers, and the Fisheries Department patrolled within five nautical miles and withdrew subsidies from 100 fishers in February (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mass death of olive ridley turtles raises urgent call for action","publisher":"Mongabay-India","date":"2025-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/mass-death-of-olive-ridley-turtles-raises-urgent-call-for-action/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 saw the biggest mass nesting of turtles in Odisha's Rushikulya in at least 20 years","publisher":"The Wire","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thewire.in/environment/odisha-rushikulya-nesting-turtles-olive-ridley","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marina Beach","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Beach","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Chennai Wildlife Warden\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["official post-mortem result","final official death count"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-RUSHIKULYA-ARRIBADA-2025","OC-BEN-ODISHA-TURTLEBAN-2025","OC-BEN-ENNORE-CPCLOILSPILL-2023"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-RUSHIKULYA-ARRIBADA-2025","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Record olive ridley arribada of about 700,000 turtles at Rushikulya in February 2025","description":"Odisha forest officials counted 698,718 olive ridley turtles nesting at Rushikulya between 16 and 23 February 2025, surpassing the 637,000 recorded in 2023, and scientists who have monitored the site for 20 years called it the biggest arribada they have documented. The beach is not a protected area and was guarded by forest staff and villagers, and scientists said the population appears healthy, while noting coastal erosion and development as continuing concerns. The site had no arribada in 2024.","location":{"name":"Rushikulya rookery, Ganjam, Odisha","type":"Sea turtle mass-nesting beach","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Rushikulya river mouth beach, Ganjam district, Odisha, India. Coordinates are the Rushikulya river article's main point, near the nesting site.","coordinates":{"lat":19.917,"lon":84.133,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Monitoring of a recovering sea turtle mass-nesting site on an unprotected Odisha beach.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Beach protection dependence on forest staff"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No harm is documented: the Forest Department counted a record 698,718 nesting turtles and egg predators such as dogs, boars, birds and jackals were the only threats named (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The reports describe fencing and patrols of the beach by forest staff and villagers but no fishery or livelihood restriction (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The arribada occurred on a single 5 km beach at Rushikulya, spreading over about nine km in 2025 (ref 1).","duration":"The mass nesting ran about eight days from 16 to 23 February, with hatching expected about 45 days later (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are agency counts and scientist comments; no notice, listing or order was issued, and the beach is not a protected area (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; wildlife count."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 698,718 olive ridley turtles nested at Rushikulya between 16 and 23 February 2025, a record (Down To Earth, 24 Feb 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nesting olive ridleys at Rushikulya","value":698718,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Official count by the Berhampur divisional forest officer, 16 to 23 February 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Previous record at Rushikulya (2023)","value":637000,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as about 637,000 in ref 1 and 6.3 lakh in ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Arribadas of 550,317 in 2022, about 637,000 in 2023, none in 2024 and about 700,000 in 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Odisha Forest Department, Berhampur Forest Division","role":"Nesting beach monitoring and protection","contact":null},{"name":"Zoological Survey of India","role":"Turtle tagging and research","contact":"https://zsi.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Odisha Forest Department, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["Forest staff fenced the nesting area with nets, divided it into 50 segments and patrolled with volunteers and villagers (ref 1).","The Forest Department guards the nests until hatching because the beach is not a protected area (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Happy nesting: olive ridley turtles swim to Rushikulya beach in record numbers for arribada","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/happy-nesting-olive-ridley-turtles-swim-to-rushikulya-beach-in-record-numbers-for-arribada","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 saw the biggest mass nesting of turtles in Odisha's Rushikulya in at least 20 years","publisher":"The Wire","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thewire.in/environment/odisha-rushikulya-nesting-turtles-olive-ridley","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rushikulya","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rushikulya","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Odisha Forest Department, Berhampur Forest Division\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Down To Earth reports the arribada ran 16 to 23 February and The Wire reports 16 to 26 February; The Wire gives a scientist count of 4.5 to 5 lakh on a 2.5 to 2.7 km stretch alongside the forest officer's 6.98 lakh."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-GAHIRMATHA-NESTINGSHIFT-2026","OC-BEN-ODISHA-TURTLEBAN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-GAHIRMATHA-NESTINGSHIFT-2026","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Gahirmatha mass nesting fails in 2026 as erosion pushes the olive ridley rookery 14 km north","description":"Gahirmatha beach in Odisha, described as the world's largest olive ridley rookery, saw no synchronised mass nesting in the 2026 season, with only sporadic nesting reported between the Devi and Dhamra river mouths. A satellite study of 1990 to 2022 found the nesting ground has shifted about 14 km northwards because of coastal erosion, with the highest erosion in 2020-21 coinciding with a roughly 50 percent fall in mass nesting. Experts quoted attribute the 2026 absence to changing ecological conditions and climate change, and the cause has not been established.","location":{"name":"Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, Odisha","type":"Sea turtle mass-nesting beach","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Kendrapara district coast between the Dhamra and Brahmani river mouths, Odisha, India.","coordinates":{"lat":20.57,"lon":86.84,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of nesting beach quality through shoreline erosion alters the use of a sea turtle rookery.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Sea-level rise","Climate variability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A 1990 to 2022 satellite study found the nesting ground shifted about 14 km north through erosion, and no mass nesting occurred in 2026 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Fishing and motorised boating are restricted within 20 km of the coast from Dhamra to the Devi river each year from 1 November to 31 May (ref 1).","scale":"The affected area is one rookery, the Gahirmatha beach and adjacent shore in Kendrapara district (ref 1).","duration":"The erosion study spans 1990 to 2022 and mass nesting was low in 2023 and 2024 as well, at 31,115 and 66,933 turtles per the Forest Department figures cited (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Gahirmatha was declared a marine sanctuary in 1997 and carries the annual fishing restriction, a formal protected-area regime in place (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; wildlife nesting."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"No synchronised mass nesting at Gahirmatha in 2026; the nesting ground has shifted about 14 km northwards over three decades (ETV Bharat, 24 May 2026; ICSF, 11 Apr 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Northward shift of the nesting ground","value":14,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Satellite study of shoreline change 1990 to 2022 as reported in ref 2."},{"name":"Transects eroding in 2020-21","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Peak erosion year in the 92 km study segment, coinciding with about 50 percent lower mass nesting (ref 2)."},{"name":"Odisha coastline eroding","value":28.3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of 564.14 km, from the NCCR 1990 to 2022 assessment as relayed by Insights on India (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Nesting-season fishing restriction affects coastal fishers within 20 km of shore (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Mass nesting skipped in 2002, 2008 and 2014 per ref 2; low in 2023 and 2024; none in 2026; Rushikulya recorded a record in 2025 (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Odisha Forest Department, Wildlife Wing","role":"Sanctuary manager","contact":null},{"name":"National Centre for Coastal Research","role":"Shoreline change assessment","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Odisha Forest Department, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["The annual fishing and motorised boating restriction within 20 km of the coast, 1 November to 31 May, is in force (ref 1).","The study authors called for conservation measures to expand northwards as the nesting ground moves (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"No mass nesting of rare olive ridley turtles at Odisha's Gahirmatha this year","publisher":"ETV Bharat","date":"2026-05-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/no-mass-nesting-of-rare-olive-ridley-turtles-at-odisha-gahirmatha-this-year-enn26052402713","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Odisha: Coastal erosion displaces turtles; the world's largest olive ridley nesting ground shifts 14km","publisher":"ICSF (relaying The Telegraph)","date":"2024-04-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icsf.net/?p=117872","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Odisha Coastal Erosion","publisher":"Insights on India (citing Indian Express)","date":"2026-08-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.insightsonindia.com/2026/08/18/odisha-coastal-erosion/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Happy nesting: olive ridley turtles swim to Rushikulya beach in record numbers for arribada","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/happy-nesting-olive-ridley-turtles-swim-to-rushikulya-beach-in-record-numbers-for-arribada","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gahirmatha_Marine_Sanctuary","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Odisha Forest Department, Wildlife Wing\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"National Centre for Coastal Research\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ETV Bharat labels its Forest Department series inconsistently (the 4,53,236 figure and the 6.82 lakh figure are not clearly tied to a year), so only the 2023 and 2024 values are used. Causes of the 2026 absence are opinion (climate change, ecological conditions); the erosion study itself says the causal link is not conclusive."}],"missing_fields":["official Forest Department statement for 2026","primary study text (abstract only via secondary report)"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-RUSHIKULYA-ARRIBADA-2025","OC-BEN-BHITARKANIKA-DANASURGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-CORALBLEACHING-2024","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Coral bleaching across Thailand's Andaman marine parks closes Phi Phi dive and snorkel sites for almost a year","description":"Thailand's Department of National Parks reported coral bleaching in 19 marine park areas between 2 April and 8 May 2024, 11 of them on the Andaman Sea coast including Similan, Surin, Phi Phi, Lanta and Phetra, with more than 80 percent bleaching at Pling Island in Sirinat National Park. The Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park closed several dive and snorkel sites on 13 May 2024 and reopened ten sites in April 2025 after assessments showed strong recovery, while the west side of Koh Gai stayed closed.","location":{"name":"Andaman marine national parks, Thailand","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TH"],"detail":"Marine national parks of Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun, Andaman coast of Thailand. Coordinates are the Phi Phi national park point.","coordinates":{"lat":7.7333,"lon":98.7667,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-driven bleaching of reefs in Thai marine parks.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Tourism pressure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Bleaching affected more than 80 percent of the area at Pling Island in Sirinat National Park and several other park areas, as the Department of National Parks surveys found (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Phi Phi park closed several popular dive and snorkel sites from 13 May 2024 until April 2025 to limit activity that could worsen bleaching (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Eleven of the 19 affected park areas lie on the Andaman Sea coast, spanning the Thai Andaman coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The Phi Phi sites were closed from 13 May 2024 to mid-April 2025, about eleven months (ref 2).","significance":"The Department of National Parks issued formal survey findings and site closures, an advisory-level notice rather than a court or enforcement order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bleaching was detected in 19 marine park areas, 11 on the Andaman coast; Pling Island over 80 percent affected (Khaosod English, 10 May 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine park areas with bleaching, total","value":19,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Surveys 2 April to 8 May 2024; 8 Gulf and 11 Andaman coast areas per ref 1."},{"name":"Pling Island area affected","value":80,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Sirinat National Park, closed as a temporary measure (ref 1)."},{"name":"Phi Phi sites reopened April 2025","value":10,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Reopened after about eleven months; Koh Gai west side stays closed (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Dive and snorkel sites closed in Phi Phi park for nearly a year, a core tourism product (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Ten of the closed Phi Phi sites reopened in April 2025 on signs of strong coral recovery (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (Thailand)","role":"Marine national park authority","contact":"https://www.dnp.go.th"},{"name":"Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park","role":"Park manager","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Department of National Parks, published public contact channel","corrective_actions":["Pling Island and other park areas were closed temporarily, and Phi Phi sites closed on 13 May 2024 to reduce tourist activity during bleaching (refs 1, 2).","Ten Phi Phi dive and snorkel sites reopened in April 2025; the west side of Koh Gai remains closed (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coral bleaching detected in 19 national parks along Thai Gulf and Andaman Sea coasts","publisher":"Khaosod English","date":"2024-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/05/10/coral-bleaching-detected-in-19-national-parks-along-thai-gulf-and-andaman-sea-coasts/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Phi Phi Islands reopen 10 dive sites after year-long closure due to coral bleaching","publisher":"The Nation Thailand","date":"2025-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nationthailand.com/news/tourism/40048876","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hat_Noppharat_Thara%E2%80%93Mu_Ko_Phi_Phi_National_Park","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Khaosod counts 11 Andaman coast areas but names only 10 parks (Mu Ko Ranong, Laem Son, Mu Ko Surin, Mu Ko Similan, Sirinat, Ao Phang Nga, Than Bok Khorani-Phi Phi, Mu Ko Lanta, Tarutao, Mu Ko Phetra)."}],"missing_fields":["Department of National Parks primary notice (Thai-language)","bleaching percentage for Phi Phi sites"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BAYOFBENGAL-MARINEHEATWAVE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-DUGONGSEAGRASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dugongs die as seagrass collapses on Thailand's Andaman coast, with starvation behind at least 40 percent of 2024 deaths","description":"Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources recorded an average of 42 dugong deaths a year in 2023 and 2024, more than double the 2019 to 2022 rate, and autopsies indicated at least 40 percent of 2024 deaths were likely starvation. Seagrass cover at Hat Chao Mai National Park and Koh Libong in Trang, which held over 75 percent of the Andaman population in 2017, fell by up to 70 percent between 2020 and 2024. A WWF Thailand and department fact-finding mission took place on 19 to 25 January 2025 and the department adopted an emergency strategy including supplemental feeding.","location":{"name":"Hat Chao Mai and Koh Libong seagrass, Trang","type":"Seagrass meadow and dugong habitat","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TH"],"detail":"Trang, Krabi, Phuket and Phang Nga provinces, Andaman coast of Thailand; Trang is the worst-hit area. Coordinates are Hat Chao Mai National Park.","coordinates":{"lat":7.397,"lon":99.33,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Seagrass habitat loss leading to dugong starvation and population decline.","secondary_drivers":["Seagrass die-off","Sedimentation and dredging","Unusually low tides and high sea temperatures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Dugong deaths averaged 42 a year in 2023 and 2024 and seagrass at the Trang sites fell by up to 70 percent between 2020 and 2024 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism closure is documented; the department prefers co-management with fishers and tour operators over forbidden zones, with go-slow zones only proposed (ref 1).","scale":"Losses span the Andaman coast provinces of Trang, Krabi, Phuket and Phang Nga, a national coastline, which held an estimated 273 Thai dugongs in 2022 (ref 1).","duration":"Seagrass decline runs from 2020 to 2024 and deaths remained elevated in 2025, with 12 recorded by 9 April (ref 1).","significance":"A formal WWF Thailand and department fact-finding mission on 19 to 25 January 2025 and a department emergency strategy followed (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":273,"status":"Reported","note":"Estimated Thai dugong population in 2022, about 90 percent on the Andaman coast (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Dugong deaths averaged 42 a year in 2023 and 2024, more than double the 2019 to 2022 level; seagrass at Trang sites fell up to 70 percent in 2020 to 2024 (Mongabay, 10 Apr 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Average annual dugong deaths 2023 and 2024","value":42,"unit":"deaths per year","status":"Reported","note":"Department of Marine and Coastal Resources data via ref 1."},{"name":"Seagrass cover decline at Hat Chao Mai and Koh Libong","value":70,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"2020 to 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of 2024 dugong deaths likely from starvation","value":40,"unit":"% (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Autopsy data (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Dugong tourism and fisher co-management are central to the response; no revenue figure given (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Deaths averaged 42 a year in 2023 and 2024 versus a much lower 2019 to 2022 baseline, with 12 deaths by 9 April 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (Thailand)","role":"Dugong and seagrass authority","contact":"https://www.dmcr.go.th"},{"name":"WWF Thailand","role":"Convener of the fact-finding mission","contact":"https://www.wwfthai.org"}],"public_contact":"Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, published public contact channel","corrective_actions":["Emergency strategy: population monitoring, temporary protected areas around feeding sites, drone surveys and a necropsy programme (ref 1).","Supplemental feeding of kale, cabbage and water spinach, described by experts as a stopgap (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Dugong numbers plummet amid seagrass decline in Thailand's Andaman Sea","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/dugong-numbers-plummet-amid-seagrass-decline-in-thailands-andaman-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Seagrass and dugongs as indicators of ecosystem health on the Andaman coast of Thailand: key findings","publisher":"Zenodo (Marsh and McKenzie, for WWF Thailand)","date":"2025-03-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://zenodo.org/records/14997358","basis":"Expert mission report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hat Chao Mai National Park","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hat_Chao_Mai_National_Park","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["full mission report text (only the record page was opened)","official 2025 year-end death total"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-GHOSTGEAR-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-SAINTMARTINS-TOURISMCORAL-2026","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Bangladesh limits visitors to Saint Martin's Island, then bars tourist vessels for nine months in 2026 to protect its coral","description":"Bangladesh's government announced in October 2024 that tourism to Saint Martin's Island, the country's only coral island, would be limited because visitor pressure was polluting the island and stressing its coral, citing that only 41 percent of coral remains. On 1 February 2026 tourist vessels were barred for nine months after a shortened 2025-26 season. The Department of Environment reported healthier reefs, returning sea turtles and more sea snails in 2025, while tour operators and residents warned of lost income.","location":{"name":"Saint Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar","type":"Coral island","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Teknaf upazila, Cox's Bazar district, southernmost point of Bangladesh in the northeastern Bay of Bengal.","coordinates":{"lat":20.6131,"lon":92.3267,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Tourism pressure degrading coral and island habitat, answered by visitor limits and a ban.","secondary_drivers":["Tourism pressure","Plastic and waste pollution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The government said only 41 percent of the island's coral remains and that tourist numbers were polluting the island (ref 1).","livelihoods":"From 1 February 2026 tourist vessels are barred for nine months, and the hotel owners' association said the absence of tourists will increase hardship for island residents (ref 2).","scale":"The restrictions apply to a single island of about 11,000 residents in Teknaf upazila (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Visitor limits were announced on 22 October 2024 and the vessel ban began on 1 February 2026, so controls run beyond a year (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Council of Advisers decided the limits and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change imposed the nine-month ban, government orders in force (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":11000,"status":"Reported","note":"Island population of roughly 11,000, many dependent on fishing and tourism (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Only 41 percent of the island's coral remains, the government said when limiting tourism (Prothom Alo/BSS, 22 Oct 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coral remaining on the island","value":41,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Government statement quoted in ref 1; baseline not stated."},{"name":"Daily visitor cap in December and January","value":2000,"unit":"visitors per day","status":"Reported","note":"Cap announced in October 2024 for the 2024-25 season (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tourist vessel ban duration","value":9,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"From 1 February 2026; end date not given in ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Hotel owners and tour operators report seasonal losses (refs 2, 3).","The island's roughly 11,000 residents rely on fishing and tourism (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The Department of Environment reported healthier coral, returning turtles and more sea snails in June 2025 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Bangladesh)","role":"Ordered the visitor limits and ban","contact":null},{"name":"Department of Environment (Bangladesh)","role":"Monitoring coral, turtles and sea snails","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Department of Environment (Bangladesh), published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["Visitor caps and overnight-stay limits introduced for the 2024-25 season, with a clean-up month in February (ref 1).","Nine-month ban on tourist vessels from 1 February 2026 (ref 2).","Single-use plastic banned on the island (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Govt decides to limit tourists in St Martin's Island for four months","publisher":"Prothom Alo (BSS)","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/4jf6yzfptp","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"St Martin's closed to visitors for nine months for environmental protection","publisher":"Bonik Barta","date":"2026-02-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.bonikbarta.com/environment/Kv4ijWtzUJlyMl9r/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"St Martin's Island springs back amid tourism clampdown","publisher":"The Financial Express (Bangladesh)","date":"2025-06-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/environment/st-martins-island-springs-back-amid-tourism-clampdown","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Saint Martin's Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Martin%27s_Island","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Bangladesh)\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Department of Environment (Bangladesh)\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Financial Express article (June 2025) describes a tourism ban from 1 February to 30 November without naming the year, which is ambiguous against the Bonik Barta report of a nine-month ban from 1 February 2026; the record follows the dated Bonik Barta report for the ban."}],"missing_fields":["coral cover baseline for the 41 percent figure","end date of the 2026 vessel ban"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-STMARTINS-PLASTIC-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-TURTLEDEATHS-2026","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Sea turtle deaths along the Cox's Bazar to Teknaf coast nearly triple in 2025, with dolphins also washing ashore","description":"A Department of Environment official in Cox's Bazar said turtle deaths in 2025 nearly tripled compared with 2024, a researcher counted over 200 dead turtles recovered in 2025, and at least 70 had been found in the two months before March 2026. Reports link the deaths to net entanglement and collisions with trawlers; in February 2024 researchers also logged turtles, dolphins and a porpoise washing ashore. The Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute reports a steady yearly rise in turtle mortality.","location":{"name":"Cox's Bazar to Saint Martin's coast","type":"Sea turtle and dolphin coast","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Cox's Bazar, Sonadia, Teknaf and Saint Martin's Island, southeastern Bangladesh. Coordinates are the city of Cox's Bazar.","coordinates":{"lat":21.4272,"lon":92.005,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fishing-gear and vessel mortality of protected sea turtles and dolphins.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing net entanglement","Vessel collisions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"A researcher counted over 200 dead turtles recovered in 2025 and the Department of Environment said deaths nearly tripled against 2024 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited reports record no fishery closure or restriction on fishers for these deaths (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Carcasses were recorded along the Cox's Bazar, Sonadia, Teknaf and Saint Martin's shoreline, a local stretch of the Bangladesh coast (ref 2).","duration":"Strandings were logged in February 2024 and again through the 2025 and early 2026 nesting seasons, with the oceanographic institute noting a yearly rise (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Only informal reports, volunteer and researcher counts and official comments exist; forensic reports from 2024 had not been published at the time (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; wildlife mortality."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Turtle deaths in 2025 have nearly tripled compared to 2024; over 200 dead turtles recovered in 2025 (The Financial Express, 8 Mar 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dead turtles recovered in 2025","value":200,"unit":"turtles (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Researcher's figure, ref 2."},{"name":"Dead turtles found in two months to March 2026","value":70,"unit":"turtles (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"The newspaper's own count, ref 2; fishers claimed more."},{"name":"Sea turtles washed ashore in February 2024 report","value":28,"unit":"turtles (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Across Cox's Bazar, Ramu, Ukhiya, Teknaf, Saint Martin's and Sonadia (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Deaths nearly tripled from 2024 to 2025 per the Department of Environment; hatchery plans for 2026-27 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Environment, Cox's Bazar office","role":"Wildlife authority","contact":null},{"name":"Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute","role":"Strandings research","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Department of Environment, Cox's Bazar office, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["Authorities plan to establish several turtle hatcheries in the 2026-27 fiscal year (ref 2).","Forensic samples were collected from stranded animals in February 2024; results were pending in the report (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Marine animal carcasses washing ashore in Cox's Bazar","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2024-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/amp/story/bangladesh/zm34735k2w","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Dead turtles continue to wash up in Cox's Bazar","publisher":"The Financial Express (Bangladesh)","date":"2026-03-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/environment/dead-turtles-continue-to-wash-up-in-coxs-bazar","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cox's Bazar","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox%27s_Bazar","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Department of Environment, Cox's Bazar office\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"A fisherman told the newspaper more than 100 turtles were seen floating in a week; this is an unverified claim and not used in the measures."}],"missing_fields":["official post-mortem results","Department of Environment annual totals"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-SAINTMARTINS-TOURISMCORAL-2026","OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-MICROPLASTICS-2023","OC-BEN-KUTUBDIA-COASTALFLOODING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-SUNDARBANS-MANGROVEEROSION-2025","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Erosion shrinks Bangladesh's Sundarbans mangrove forest at nine forest-office sites while modelling projects up to 80 percent loss in the Indian part","description":"A March 2025 report found erosion damaging nine sites in the East Sundarbans Division of Bangladesh, taking jetties, patrol posts, cyclone shelters and freshwater ponds, with geo-bag protection failing to stop it and budget limits blocking work elsewhere. A World Bank figure cited in the report puts the combined Sundarbans area at 11,506 sq km in 2016 against 11,904 sq km in 1904 to 1924. A 2023 modelling study projects the Indian Sundarbans could lose 42 to 80 percent of its mangrove area by 2100 under current management.","location":{"name":"East Sundarbans Division, Bangladesh","type":"Mangrove forest (World Heritage and Ramsar site)","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD","IN"],"detail":"Mangrove delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bangladesh and India coast. Coordinates are the Sundarbans overall point.","coordinates":{"lat":21.75,"lon":88.75,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Shoreline erosion and sea-level rise removing mangrove habitat in the world's largest mangrove forest.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Sea-level rise and subsidence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Erosion is destroying forest land and infrastructure at nine East Sundarbans sites, and combined area fell from 11,904 sq km to 11,506 sq km between 1904 to 1924 and 2016 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The report lists lost forest-office jetties, ponds and cyclone shelters but no fishery or community closure (ref 1).","scale":"The Sundarbans straddles the Bangladesh and India coastline, with modelled losses for the Indian part (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The area record spans 1904 to 2016 and the Bangladesh forest division asked for erosion control in September 2024, with damage continuing in March 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"The East Sundarbans Division formally asked the Water Development Board in September 2024 to curb erosion at nine locations (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Combined Sundarbans area was 11,506 sq km in 2016 against 11,904 sq km in 1904 to 1924 (World Bank, cited by UNB, 14 Mar 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sundarbans area, 2016","value":11506,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"World Bank 2020 figure for both countries, cited in ref 1."},{"name":"Sundarbans area, 1904 to 1924","value":11904,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Same source (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected loss of Indian Sundarbans mangrove area by 2100","value":42,"unit":"% (lower bound; upper bound 80)","status":"Estimated","note":"SLAMM and shoreline-erosion modelling under current management (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Erosion at nine sites continued after geo-bag placement in September and October 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"East Sundarbans Division, Bangladesh Forest Department","role":"Forest manager","contact":null},{"name":"Bangladesh Water Development Board, Bagerhat","role":"Erosion control","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Bangladesh Forest Department, East Sundarbans Division, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["BWDB placed sand-filled geo bags at Bogi Forest Station in September and October 2024, which officials say have not stopped the erosion (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sundarbans at stake as erosion shrinks forest land","publisher":"United News of Bangladesh","date":"2025-03-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://unb.com.bd/category/Special/sundarbans-at-stake-as-erosion-shrinks-forest-land/155461","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Exploratory modelling of the impacts of sea-level rise on the Sundarbans mangrove forest, West Bengal, India (Science of the Total Environment, vol. 903)","publisher":"University of East Anglia repository","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/92939","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sundarbans","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundarbans","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"East Sundarbans Division, Bangladesh Forest Department\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Bangladesh Water Development Board, Bagerhat\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The UNB article gives the area figures in sq km from a 2020 World Bank report; the article itself reports no hectare loss. The repository page shows a deposit date of 29 August 2023 rather than the journal issue date, so the date is left null."}],"missing_fields":["hectares of mangrove lost","Indian-side observed loss figure"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-KHULNA-REMALSURGE-2024","OC-BEN-GHORAMARA-EROSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHILIKA-IRRAWADDYDOLPHIN-2026","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Chilika's Irrawaddy dolphin count stays flat at 159 in the January 2026 census","description":"The Odisha Forest Department's 20 January 2026 census counted 765 dolphins of six species along the state's coast, but only 159 Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika Lake, a number reporters describe as flat for two years. Experts attribute the stagnation to slow breeding and habitat stress from large prawn gheries and nylon fishing nets. Chilika hosts the largest known single-habitat Irrawaddy dolphin population in the world.","location":{"name":"Chilika Lake, Odisha","type":"Coastal lagoon and dolphin habitat","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Brackish coastal lagoon connected to the Bay of Bengal, Odisha, India; a Ramsar site.","coordinates":{"lat":19.717,"lon":85.317,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Stalled recovery of a lagoon dolphin population under fishing and aquaculture pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Prawn gheries and aquaculture structures","Nylon fishing nets"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Irrawaddy count of 159 shows no growth, and prawn gheries and nylon nets are named as habitat stress, but no mass mortality is documented (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery restriction is described in the cited census reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The population sits in one lagoon, Chilika Lake (ref 2).","duration":"The count was 154 Irrawaddy dolphins in the January 2023 survey and 159 in 2026, so the population has been stagnant over several years (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The Irrawaddy dolphin is listed Endangered by the IUCN according to the lake's reference entry, and the Forest Department runs an annual formal census (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":159,"status":"Reported","note":"Irrawaddy dolphins counted in Chilika on 20 January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"159 Irrawaddy dolphins counted in Chilika in the 20 January 2026 census; the population is described as stable with no significant growth (ClimateFactChecks, 13 Feb 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika, 2026 census","value":159,"unit":"dolphins","status":"Reported","note":"Census of 20 January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika, 2023 count","value":154,"unit":"dolphins","status":"Reported","note":"Last year's count as stated in the January 2024 census report (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Prawn gheries and net fishing in the lake overlap with dolphin habitat (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Count flat for two years at 159 per ref 1; 154 Irrawaddy dolphins in the 2023 count per ref 3."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Odisha Forest Department, Wildlife Wing","role":"Census and protection","contact":null},{"name":"Chilika Development Authority","role":"Lake manager","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Odisha Forest Department, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["An annual three-day census with trained teams covers Chilika and the Gahirmatha sanctuary (ref 3).","Officials credit conservation policy, monitoring and community involvement for the statewide dolphin increase to 765 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"There are 765 dolphins of six species along Odisha's coast, latest census reveals","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2026-02-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/there-are-765-dolphins-of-six-species-along-odishas-coast-latest-census-reveals","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Signs of recovery: Odisha records highest dolphin count in half a decade","publisher":"ClimateFactChecks","date":"2026-02-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climatefactchecks.org/signs-of-recovery-odisha-records-highest-dolphin-count-in-half-a-decade/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Dolphin census in progress in Odisha's Chilika Lake, Gahirmatha sanctuary","publisher":"OdishaBytes","date":"2024-01-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://odishabytes.com/dolphin-census-in-progress-in-odishas-chilika-lake-gahirmatha-sanctuary/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Chilika Lake","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilika_Lake","basis":"Reference page (coordinates, IUCN status)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Odisha Forest Department, Wildlife Wing\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Chilika Development Authority\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Down To Earth treats 159 as a 2025 estimate that the 2026 census repeats, while ClimateFactChecks calls it the 2026 census figure; its statewide Irrawaddy series also differs from ClimateFactChecks' 208."}],"missing_fields":["official Forest Department census release","Chilika-specific mortality data"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ODISHACOAST-HORSESHOECRAB-2026","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Horseshoe crab spawning sites on Odisha's coast decline, with a scientist warning of local extinction within 8 to 10 years","description":"Scientists wrote to the central and Odisha governments in 2023 that horseshoe crab breeding grounds on the Balasore and Kendrapara coast were shrinking, with one estuary falling from about 8,000 sq m to 25 to 30 sq m. In June 2026 a former National Institute of Oceanography scientist warned the Odisha population could vanish within 8 to 10 years, citing a 73 percent decline between 1988 and 2006 and threats from coastal development, pollution, beach modification and net capture. The species is protected under Schedule IV of India's Wildlife Protection Act and no concrete ground action was reported in 2023.","location":{"name":"Balasore and Kendrapara coast, Odisha","type":"Horseshoe crab spawning beaches and estuaries","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Northeast Odisha coast, India, including the Balaramgadi area near Chandipur in Balasore district.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of beach and estuary spawning habitat and bycatch of a protected marine arthropod.","secondary_drivers":["Destructive fishing and bycatch","Shoreline alteration","Pollution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A fall from about 8,000 sq m to 25 to 30 sq m of good breeding estuary was reported, and a 73 percent decline from 1988 to 2006 is cited (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The scientist urges community-based conservation rather than blanket fishing bans, and no restriction on fishers is described (ref 2).","scale":"The reports concern spawning sites along the Balasore and Kendrapara coast of Odisha (ref 1).","duration":"Decline is documented from 1988 to 2006, scientists reported shrinking sites in 2023 and a new warning came in 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The species has been in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act since 2009 but scientists' letters of March and July 2023 received no reported action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; wildlife population."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Odisha could lose its horseshoe crab population within eight to ten years if present trends continue; a 73 percent decline was estimated from 1988 to 2006 (Orissa Post, June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated decline of Odisha horseshoe crabs, 1988 to 2006","value":73,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Long-term studies cited by a former CSIR scientist (ref 2); two decades old."},{"name":"Good breeding estuary area, early 2000s to now","value":30,"unit":"sq m (from about 8,000)","status":"Reported","note":"Account of a Fakir Mohan University researcher; reported as 25 to 30 sq m (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Hardly any crabs seen at sites that held about 40 specimens per 200 sq m in the early 2000s (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Odisha Forest Department","role":"Wildlife regulator","contact":null},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (India)","role":"Schedule IV listing authority","contact":"https://moef.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Odisha Forest Department, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["Scientists asked for a species recovery plan, undisturbed breeding grounds and a conservation reserve at a new Balasore breeding site (ref 1).","The Orissa Post piece calls for community-based conservation, habitat protection and long-term monitoring (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Horseshoe crab decline sparks urgent conservation plea","publisher":"Mongabay-India","date":"2023-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://india.mongabay.com/2023/11/horseshoe-crab-decline-sparks-urgent-conservation-plea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Horseshoe crabs may become extinct in Odisha soon, warns former CSIR scientist","publisher":"Orissa Post","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.orissapost.com/horseshoe-crabs-may-become-extinct-in-odisha-soon-warns-former-csir-scientist/amp/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Odisha Forest Department\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Orissa Post page shows no explicit date; it refers to a Friday ahead of International Horseshoe Crab Day (20 June) and the page shows an image uploaded in June 2026, so the date is left null. The Mongabay article does not name Chandipur or Balaramgadi."}],"missing_fields":["current population count","coordinates for a named spawning site"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMANNICOBAR-CORALBLEACHING-2024","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Small-scale 2023-24 coral bleaching hits South Andaman reefs during the fourth global bleaching event","description":"India's Ministry of Earth Sciences told Parliament on 4 December 2024 that the fourth global coral bleaching event affected the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with small-scale bleaching observed in the Andaman region only, especially South Andaman, and put 2023-24 bleaching at 15 to 18 percent in the South Andaman Islands. It attributed the bleaching to higher sea surface temperature linked to El Nino and said most reefs recovered, with studies continuing. The Zoological Survey of India has mapped 143.46 sq km of Andaman reefs outside protected areas.","location":{"name":"South Andaman reefs, Andaman Islands","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"South Andaman Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Coordinates are South Andaman Island's centre point.","coordinates":{"lat":11.7833,"lon":92.65,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Thermal-stress bleaching of reefs during the 2023 to 2025 global event.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino marine heat","Sea surface temperature rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The ministry reported small-scale bleaching of 15 to 18 percent in South Andaman Islands only, and said most reefs recovered (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The parliamentary answer describes no closure or restriction for Andaman reefs (ref 1).","scale":"Bleaching was limited to the South Andaman region and not the Nicobar group (ref 1).","duration":"The ministry's table covers the 2023-24 bleaching season and notes studies continuing on recovery (ref 1).","significance":"A formal written statement of the Ministry of Earth Sciences to Parliament on 4 December 2024 records the event, with no enforcement action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bleaching of 15 to 18 percent in the South Andaman Islands only in 2023-24, with most reefs recovered (Ministry of Earth Sciences, 4 Dec 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bleaching in South Andaman Islands, 2023-24","value":18,"unit":"% (upper end of 15 to 18)","status":"Reported","note":"Ministry of Earth Sciences table, 4 December 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Andaman reef mapped outside protected areas by ZSI","value":143.46,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Zoological Survey of India mapping (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Most reefs had recovered by the time of the December 2024 statement, studies ongoing (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Earth Sciences (India)","role":"Reporting ministry; National Centre for Coastal Research monitors bleaching","contact":null},{"name":"Zoological Survey of India","role":"Reef monitoring, restoration and transplantation","contact":"https://zsi.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Earth Sciences, published public enquiry channel","corrective_actions":["Marine protected areas have been established and expanded to limit human activity and support reef recovery (ref 1).","NCCR Chennai is monitoring bleaching and recovery in the Andaman Islands, and ZSI runs long-term monitoring and coral transplantation (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Parliament Question: Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event","publisher":"Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Earth Sciences)","date":"2024-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2080596","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event","publisher":"Plutus IAS","date":"2024-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://plutusias.com/?p=148751","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"South Andaman Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Andaman_Island","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Ministry of Earth Sciences (India)\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"A June 2024 exam-prep summary described widespread bleaching across Indian reefs including the Andamans, broader than the ministry's small-scale description; only the ministry's statement was opened and used."}],"missing_fields":["independent survey of 2024 Andaman bleaching","Nicobar group status"],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-CORALBLEACHING-2024","OC-BEN-BAYOFBENGAL-MARINEHEATWAVE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BGD-HILSA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bangladesh hilsa output falls for a second year as bans, blocked migration routes and overfishing fail to rebuild the stock","description":"Bangladesh's national hilsa production fell from 571,000 tonnes in FY2022-23 to 529,000 tonnes in FY2023-24, and the July to August 2025 catch was 29,519 tonnes against 40,291 tonnes a year earlier. The Department of Fisheries found hilsa migration blocked at 17 points in the Meghna-Tentulia estuary system, and the government ran a 22-day brood-fish ban in October 2025 and an eight-month ban on juvenile hilsa from 1 November 2025. Officials and researchers cite overfishing, fine-mesh nets, siltation, pollution and low rainfall.","location":{"name":"Bangladesh hilsa grounds, Meghna estuary","type":"Fish stock and estuarine spawning grounds","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Northern Bay of Bengal, Meghna-Tentulia estuary, Barguna and Kalapara coast, Bangladesh","extent":"national_waters","points":[]},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A single commercially central fish stock is declining under harvest pressure and habitat change.","secondary_drivers":["Fine-mesh and illegal nets","Siltation and shallower estuaries","Industrial pollution","Low monsoon rainfall"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Production fell from 571,000 t to 529,000 t and the July-August 2025 catch dropped by about 27 percent year on year; no formal stock assessment is cited, so harm is scored as limited (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Catching, selling and storing hilsa is banned for 22 days in October and juvenile hilsa under 25 cm are banned for eight months, with penalties of up to two years in prison (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The reports describe one species, hilsa, in Bangladesh's rivers, estuaries and coastal waters (ref 1).","duration":"Output has fallen since the FY2022-23 peak and the juvenile ban runs 1 November 2025 to 30 June 2026, with brood-fish bans around the Ashwin full and new moons since 2008 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock press release set the juvenile ban under the Protection and Conservation of Fish (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited articles give no count of hilsa fishers affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Hilsa catch in July-August 2025 was 29,519 tonnes, down from 40,291 tonnes in the same months of 2024 (Prothom Alo)."},"measures":[{"name":"Hilsa catch, July-August 2025","value":29519,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Prothom Alo, 4 Oct 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hilsa catch, July-August 2024","value":40291,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Same period a year earlier (ref 1)."},{"name":"National hilsa production FY2023-24","value":529000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 571,000 tonnes in FY2022-23 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hilsa export approved to India for Durga Puja 2025","value":1200,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Half of the 2,420 tonnes finally approved in 2024 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Hilsa retail price reported at Tk 3,000-3,500 per kg in 2025 against Tk 789 in 2019 (ref 1).","Government allowed a conditional 1,200 tonne export to India at a minimum US$12.50 per kg (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Production fell in FY2023-24 and 2025 peak-season catches were lower again (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh","role":"Fisheries regulator and ban enforcer","contact":"https://fisheries.gov.bd"},{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh","role":"Issues the hilsa ban notices","contact":"https://mofl.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["22-day nationwide brood-hilsa ban, 4 to 25 October 2025 (ref 1).","Eight-month ban on catching hilsa under 25 cm, 1 November 2025 to 30 June 2026 (ref 2).","Export to India limited to 1,200 tonnes with a price floor and non-transferable permits (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Why hilsa is disappearing from Bangladeshi plates: Pollution, overfishing and low rainfall","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2025-10-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/aygx2bu26v","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Eight-month nationwide ban on juvenile hilsa fishing begins","publisher":"Bonik Barta","date":"2025-11-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.bonikbarta.com/environment/JMj7gfP0vflAX5qs","basis":"News citing a Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bangladesh to export hilsa to India at a minimum rate of Tk 1,520 per kg","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2025-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/business/local/cigk04qwto","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Bangladesh sees decline, India and Myanmar see rise","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2025-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/business/local/wo5icoro4m","basis":"News citing Department of Fisheries data"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Prothom Alo says projections indicate a further decline in FY2024-25; no official FY2024-25 figure was found on an opened page, and a Jagonews report on it could not be opened."}],"missing_fields":["No scientific stock assessment for hilsa was cited in the opened sources.","FY2024-25 national production not confirmed from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BGD-SEABAN-2025","OC-BEN-BGD-TRAWL-2025","OC-BEN-SUNDARBANS-MICROPLASTICS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BGD-SEABAN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bangladesh moves its Bay of Bengal fishing ban to 15 April to 11 June, shortening it to 58 days to match India's closure","description":"From April 2025 Bangladesh replaced its 65-day marine ban (20 May to 23 July, in place since 2015) with a 58-day ban, 15 April to 11 June, after fishing communities asked to align it with India's closure so Indian trawlers could not fish while Bangladeshi boats were barred. The same window was repeated in 2026, with rice relief for registered fishers and calls for stronger patrols against foreign vessels.","location":{"name":"Bangladesh marine fishing waters","type":"Seasonal fishery closure (national waters)","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Bangladesh's Bay of Bengal waters, enforced from coastal districts including Bhola and Barishal","extent":"national_waters","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":22.69,"lon":90.6525,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A seasonal closure and its relief scheme are a fisheries-management and livelihood measure.","secondary_drivers":["Cross-border fishing during closures","Fisher relief and aid timing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The ban aims to protect breeding of marine fish, particularly hilsa, but the cited reports give no measured stock harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"All marine fishing in Bangladeshi waters stops for 58 days; Barishal's fisheries office requested rice aid for 2,869 registered fishers and in 2026 Bhola fishers asked for aid in the first week and a pause on NGO loan repayments (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The closure covers all of Bangladesh's Bay of Bengal waters, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The earlier 65-day ban ran annually since 2015 and the 15 April to 11 June window was repeated in 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal ministry closure notice with a joint enforcement push by the Fisheries Department and local administrations (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":63954,"status":"Reported","note":"Registered fishers receiving rice in seven Bhola upazilas in 2026, not a national total (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A 58-day ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal began at midnight on 14 April 2025 and ran to 11 June, replacing the 65-day ban of 20 May to 23 July."},"measures":[{"name":"Ban length","value":58,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"15 April to 11 June, replacing a 65-day ban (ref 1)."},{"name":"Registered fishers to get rice in Bhola upazilas, 2026","value":63954,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"77 kg of VGF rice each (ref 2)."},{"name":"Registered fishers for which Barishal district requested aid, 2025","value":2869,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Barishal district fisheries officer (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers say aid amounts and timing are inadequate (ref 1).","Bhola fishers asked for NGO loan repayments to be paused during the ban (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Same dates used in 2025 and 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh","role":"Enforces the closure with local administrations","contact":"https://fisheries.gov.bd"},{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh","role":"Sets the ban window","contact":"https://mofl.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Ban window moved to 15 April to 11 June to align with India's closure (ref 1).","VGF rice relief of 77 kg per registered fisher in Bhola for 2026 (ref 2).","Fishers asked for stronger sea patrols against foreign fishers (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"58-day ban on fishing in the Bay begins today","publisher":"The Daily Star","date":"2025-04-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/58-day-ban-fishing-the-bay-begins-today-3871306","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"58-day fishing ban begins in Bay of Bengal","publisher":"The Financial Express (BSS)","date":"2026-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/58-day-fishing-ban-begins-in-bay-of-bengal","basis":"News agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bhola District","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhola_District","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The gazette notification itself was not opened; the legal basis is not stated in the opened reports.","No national count of fishers receiving relief in 2025."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BGD-HILSA-2025","OC-BEN-BGD-TRAWL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BGD-TRAWL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bangladesh's 2025 Nansen survey and falling sea catch point to overfishing by industrial trawlers in the Bay of Bengal","description":"Preliminary results of the August to September 2025 RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen survey showed an overall decrease in fish stocks in Bangladesh's waters, which the fisheries adviser attributed to overfishing, illegal fishing and harmful nets. Department of Fisheries data show sea fish production fell from 706,000 tonnes in 2021-22 to 628,000 tonnes in 2023-24, with shrimp down almost 44 percent. The government has frozen new shrimp trawler licences and is piloting satellite trackers.","location":{"name":"Bangladesh Bay of Bengal EEZ","type":"Marine capture fishery (national waters)","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Bangladesh's Bay of Bengal waters; Cox's Bazar fishing boats are among those affected","extent":"national_waters","points":[]},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Declining fish stocks from harvest pressure and destructive gear are a living-resource problem.","secondary_drivers":["Industrial trawling","Illegal nets and fishing in no-trawl zones","Warming seas and jellyfish increase"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2025 Nansen survey's preliminary findings showed an overall decrease in fish stocks, and sea fish production fell by about 78,000 t between 2021-22 and 2023-24 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No new shrimp trawler licences will be issued and existing ones are not renewed until 2028; fishers report six to seven months of poor harvest and mounting debt (ref 2).","scale":"The survey and production data cover Bangladesh's whole marine fishery, a national coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Production has fallen in each year from 2021-22 to 2023-24 and shrimp harvests have declined since 2019 per a fisher quoted (ref 2).","significance":"The fisheries adviser presented the survey to the public and announced tighter trawler licensing and tracker pilots (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No fisher count is given; Cox's Bazar has more than 5,000 wooden boats (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea fish production fell to 628,000 tonnes in 2023-24 from 706,000 tonnes in 2021-22; the Nansen survey showed an overall decrease in fish stocks."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea fish production 2023-24","value":628000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 7.5 percent below 2022-23 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sea fish production 2021-22","value":706000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Department of Fisheries (ref 2)."},{"name":"Shrimp harvest change 2023-24","value":-44,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Almost 44 percent lower than the previous year (ref 2)."},{"name":"Industrial trawlers","value":273,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"72 equipped with sonar, per the adviser (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["A week-long trip costs 2 to 3 lakh taka and fishers report mounting debt (ref 2).","Shrimp harvest down almost 44 percent in 2023-24 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Production fell in successive years and the 2025 survey recorded lower abundance (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh","role":"Trawler licensing and marine stock management","contact":"https://fisheries.gov.bd"},{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh","role":"Fisheries policy","contact":"https://mofl.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["No new shrimp trawler licences; existing ones not renewed until 2028 (ref 2).","Satellite trackers piloted on five trawlers (ref 2).","Stricter limits on industrial trawler licensing proposed after the final survey report (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Marine fish stocks declining due to overfishing, harmful nets: Adviser","publisher":"The Business Standard","date":"2025-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/marine-fish-stocks-declining-due-overfishing-harmful-nets-adviser-1299326","basis":"News report of a government briefing"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bangladesh sees decline, India and Myanmar see rise","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2025-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/business/local/wo5icoro4m","basis":"News citing Department of Fisheries data"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bay of Bengal's slow death threatens our future","publisher":"The Daily Star","date":"2025-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/bay-bengals-slow-death-threatens-our-future-4049131","basis":"Opinion article"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Trawler numbers differ: 273 industrial trawlers (adviser, ref 1) against 265 (Prothom Alo, ref 2)."},{"note":"An opinion piece (ref 3) says nearly four-fifths of pelagic fish vanished in seven years; it cites a news report and no stock assessment, so the figure is not used as a measure."}],"missing_fields":["The final Nansen survey report with abundance figures was not found; only preliminary statements were opened.","2024-25 production was described as lower but not yet officially released (ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BGD-HILSA-2025","OC-BEN-BGD-SEABAN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-TEKNAF-NAFFLEET-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Armed-group seizures of Bangladeshi fishers and trawlers off Teknaf idle part of the Bay of Bengal fleet","description":"Bangladeshi boat owners and the Border Guard Bangladesh report that the Myanmar-based Arakan Army has allegedly abducted hundreds of fishers and seized trawlers in the Naf River estuary and nearby Bay of Bengal waters since December 2024. In June 2025 more than 400 Teknaf deep-sea boats stayed in port, and by April 2026 about 190 Bangladeshis and 30 vessels were reported still held in Rakhine State.","location":{"name":"Naf River estuary and Teknaf coast","type":"Estuary and coastal fishing ground","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD","MM"],"detail":"Naf River mouth between Teknaf, Bangladesh and Rakhine State, Myanmar","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":20.71666667,"lon":92.36666667,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Armed interference with access to fishing grounds is a security and livelihood problem for the fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict in Rakhine State","Unresolved cross-border access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Trawler owners and the BGB report 328 fishers abducted from the Naf River and Bay of Bengal in 11 months, with about 190 still held in Rakhine jails (ref 2).","livelihoods":"More than 400 Teknaf deep-sea boats stayed in port for about nine days from 14 June 2025 and a union member said fishing in the river had become impossible (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The incidents cluster on the Naf estuary and adjacent waters near Teknaf (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Seizures were reported in February, March, May and June 2025 and again in April 2026, since December 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"BGB officers confirmed negotiated returns of 189 fishers and 27 boats, an official acknowledgement short of an enforcement order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":328,"status":"Reported","note":"Fishers abducted in 11 months, per trawler owners and BGB; allegations are not independently verified (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"328 fishermen abducted from the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal in 11 months; 30 vessels and 190 Bangladeshis still held in Rakhine State jails (trawler owners and BGB, April 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishers abducted in 11 months to April 2026","value":328,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Per trawler owners and BGB (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fishers and trawlers recovered by BGB","value":189,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Along with 27 trawlers, through talks (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Teknaf deep-sea boats idle in June 2025","value":400,"unit":"boats","status":"Reported","note":"More than 400, idle for about nine days (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Daily fish truck shipments of 15 to 25 loads from Kayukkhali ghat stopped (ref 1).","Trawler owners report loss of boats and crews held in Rakhine (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Seizures continued from early 2025 to April 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Border Guard Bangladesh","role":"Negotiates returns of detained fishers","contact":"https://www.bgb.gov.bd"},{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://fisheries.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Border Guard Bangladesh: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["BGB-mediated returns of 189 fishers and 27 trawlers (refs 1, 2).","BGB investigation of the 13 June 2025 incident announced (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Prothom Alo report from Teknaf by Gias Uddin on idle deep-sea fishing boats (headline not shown by the fetch)","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2025-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/amp/story/business/local/rnv91v2h3r","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Arakan Army captures seven more Bangladeshi fishermen, two trawlers amid abduction spree","publisher":"The Financial Express","date":"2026-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/arakan-army-captures-seven-more-bangladeshi-fishermen-two-trawlers-amid-abduction-spree","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Naf River","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naf_River","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Figures come from Bangladeshi trawler owners and BGB officers; no statement from the Arakan Army was found. Counts of abductees differ between periods reported."}],"missing_fields":["The Prothom Alo source title is descriptive because the opened page gave the byline and text but no headline."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-ANDAMANSEA-ROHINGYABOATS-2026","OC-BEN-KYAUKPHYU-PORT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BGD-IMBL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"India and Bangladesh detain each other's fishers across the northern Bay of Bengal boundary, with court cases in Bagerhat","description":"Bangladesh's navy detained 14 and then 9 Indian fishers with two trawlers in October 2025; a Bagerhat court acquitted all 23 on 20 January 2026 and they were released on 27 January for handover at the maritime boundary. In December 2025 the Indian Coast Guard detained 35 Bangladeshi fishers on two trawlers in the Bay of Bengal, part of a two-month pattern of such detentions.","location":{"name":"Northern Bay of Bengal maritime boundary","type":"Bilateral maritime boundary fishing area","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD","IN"],"detail":"Bay of Bengal waters between Bangladesh (Mongla and Bagerhat) and India's West Bengal; Bangladeshi detainees landed at Fraserganj","extent":"regional_sea","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":21.5851,"lon":88.2585,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Detentions for fishing across a boundary are a fisheries enforcement and bilateral-management matter.","secondary_drivers":["Boundary crossing by small trawlers","Closed-season fishing pressure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers were detained on charges of illegal entry and fishing, and Bangladesh's adviser said Indian fishers must be kept out of its waters; no ecological harm is measured (refs 1, 2, 4).","livelihoods":"Trawlers were seized and 23 Indian fishers spent about three months in jail before acquittal; 47 more were freed on 7 December 2025 (ref 1).","scale":"The detentions involve the navies and coast guards of two states in their shared Bay of Bengal waters (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Indian Coast Guard detentions were described as a two-month pattern to December 2025 and Bangladesh's cases ran October 2025 to January 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A Bagerhat court acquitted all 23 on 20 January 2026 of charges filed under the Marine Fisheries Act, and the Home Ministry ordered repatriation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":58,"status":"Reported","note":"23 Indian fishers (ref 1) plus 35 Bangladeshi fishers (ref 2) in the two incidents described; not a total for either country."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"23 Indian fishers detained in October 2025 were acquitted on 20 January 2026; the Indian Coast Guard detained 35 Bangladeshi fishers and two trawlers in December 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Indian fishers acquitted and released from Bagerhat jail","value":23,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Arrested in two phases in October 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bangladeshi fishers detained by Indian Coast Guard","value":35,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Two trawlers, about 17 December 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Trawlers and crews held for months before release (ref 1).","Fisheries adviser calls for preventing Indian fishers entering Bangladeshi waters (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Releases in December 2025 and January 2026 alongside new detentions in December (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard","role":"Detain vessels in Bangladeshi waters","contact":"https://www.coastguard.gov.bd"},{"name":"Indian Coast Guard","role":"Detains vessels in Indian waters","contact":"https://indiancoastguard.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Bangladesh Coast Guard and Indian Coast Guard: published general channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Court acquittal and Home Ministry repatriation order, 25 January 2026 (ref 1).","Handover of released fishers at the maritime midpoint (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"23 Indian fishermen freed from Bagerhat jail","publisher":"UNB","date":"2026-01-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/23-indian-fishermen-freed-from-bagerhat-jail/178240","basis":"News agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Indian Coast Guard detains 35 Bangladeshi fishermen for illegal entry into Indian waters","publisher":"News On AIR (All India Radio)","date":"2025-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newsonair.gov.in/indian-coast-guard-detains-35-bangladeshi-fishermen-for-illegal-entry-into-indian-waters","basis":"Public broadcaster report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fraserganj","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraserganj","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"},{"ref":4,"title":"Bangladesh sees decline, India and Myanmar see rise","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2025-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/business/local/wo5icoro4m","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Indian detention date (17 December 2025) is inferred from 'yesterday' in a report dated 18 December."}],"missing_fields":["Reports of a July 2025 detention of 34 Indian fishers by Bangladesh could not be opened (access blocked) and are not used."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BGD-SEABAN-2025","OC-BEN-PALK-ARRESTS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-PALK-ARRESTS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sri Lankan navy arrests of Tamil Nadu fishers in the Palk Strait continue, with 346 detained in 2025 and bottom trawling at the centre of the dispute","description":"Sri Lanka's navy said it arrested 346 Indian fishers and seized 44 trawlers in 2025, and further arrests followed in 2026. Rameswaram fishers struck in February 2025 after 32 were detained on 23 February; northern Sri Lankan fishers say Indian bottom trawlers scrape the seabed in their waters. A Joint Working Group on fisheries has not delivered a settlement. The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 10 Indian fishermen off Delft Island in January 2026, and by April 102 fishermen and 15 trawlers had been arrested that year, according to the Navy as reported by PTI. A further nine were arrested on 22 July 2026. The Navy said it arrested about 346 Indian fishermen and seized 44 trawlers in 2025; the arrests are a long-standing India-Sri Lanka dispute over a shared fishing ground.","location":{"name":"Palk Strait, Rameswaram to Jaffna","type":"Strait fishing ground and bilateral boundary","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN","LK"],"detail":"Northern Palk Strait between Tamil Nadu (Rameswaram, Pamban) and Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula and Mannar coast; arrests reported off Kovilan","extent":"local","points":[{"lat":9.66472222,"lon":80.01666667,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"Jaffna, where detained fishers are processed"}],"coordinates":{"lat":9.288,"lon":79.313,"precision":"city","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A bilateral fishing-access and bottom-trawling dispute with arrests and seizures.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling","Boundary crossing in search of catch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Northern Sri Lankan fishers say Indian bottom trawlers scrape the seabed and destroy habitat; no seabed survey is cited (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"About 700 Rameswaram boats stayed ashore on 24 February 2025, idling roughly 10,000 fishers at a loss of at least Rs 1 crore a day, and 128 Tamil Nadu fishers were in custody in November 2025 (refs 1, 5).","scale":"The reports concern one strait and bay between two states, the Palk Strait (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Arrests are described as a recurring affair for decades, with incidents from January 2025 to January 2026 (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"Sri Lankan courts remanded the 32 fishers to 7 March 2025 and the navy reports 346 apprehensions and 44 trawlers seized in 2025 (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":10000,"status":"Reported","note":"Rameswaram fishers affected by the February 2025 strike (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In 2025 the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 346 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching and seized 44 trawlers (navy statement reported by PTI)."},"measures":[{"name":"Indian fishers apprehended by Sri Lanka Navy, 2025","value":346,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Navy statement via PTI, January 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Trawlers seized, 2025","value":44,"unit":"boats","status":"Reported","note":"Same statement (ref 4)."},{"name":"Arrests 1 January to 23 February 2025","value":119,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Eight incidents, 16 boats impounded (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tamil Nadu fishers in Sri Lankan custody, November 2025","value":128,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"From an editorial summary (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Loss of at least Rs 1 crore a day during the February 2025 strike (ref 1).","Seized boats are auctioned, according to the Rameswaram association president (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Arrests continued from 2025 into 2026 with periodic releases (refs 1, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Sri Lanka Navy","role":"Apprehends vessels in Sri Lankan waters","contact":"https://www.navy.lk"},{"name":"Ministry of External Affairs, India","role":"Joint Working Group on fisheries with Sri Lanka","contact":"https://www.mea.gov.in"},{"name":"High Commission of India, Colombo","role":"Consular support for detained fishermen","contact":"https://hci.gov.in/colombo/"}],"public_contact":"Sri Lanka Navy and India's Ministry of External Affairs: published general channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Sri Lanka's fisheries ministry renewed its focus on halting bottom trawling and told the navy to step up surveillance (ref 2).","Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister asked India's external affairs minister to convene a Joint Working Group (refs 1, 3).","Thirty Indian fishermen were repatriated on 7 April 2026 (ref 2).","Detained crews handed to Fisheries Inspectors for court proceedings (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rameswaram fishermen launch indefinite strike to protest against attack by Sri Lankan Navy","publisher":"Deccan Herald","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/india%2Ftamil-nadu%2Frameswaram-fishermen-launch-indefinite-strike-to-protest-attack-by-sri-lankan-navy-3418989","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Northern fishers to meet in Colombo over Indian poaching","publisher":"Newsfirst (Sri Lanka)","date":"2025-06-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://newsfirst.lk/2025/06/03/northern-fishers-to-meet-in-colombo-over-indian-poaching","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sri Lankan Navy arrests 14 Indian fishermen from Pamban for fishing across border","publisher":"The Tribune (ANI)","date":"2025-03-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/sri-lankan-navy-arrests-14-indian-fishermen-from-pamban-for-fishing-across-border","basis":"News agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"7 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka Navy for alleged poaching","publisher":"ETV Bharat (PTI)","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/en/international/several-indian-fishermen-arrested-by-sri-lanka-navy-for-alleged-poaching-enn26012302968","basis":"News agency report quoting a navy statement"},{"ref":5,"title":"Fishing troubles: On India, Sri Lanka, the Palk Bay fishing issue","publisher":"Vision IAS (summary of a The Hindu editorial)","date":"2025-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://visionias.in/current-affairs/upsc-daily-news-summary/article/2025-11-12/the-hindu/international-relations/fishing-troubles-on-india-sri-lanka-the-palk-bay-fishing-issue","basis":"Secondary summary of a newspaper editorial"},{"ref":6,"title":"Rameswaram","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rameswaram","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"},{"ref":7,"title":"Jaffna","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffna","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"},{"ref":8,"title":"10 Indian Fishermen Arrested By Sri Lankan Navy For Alleged Poaching","publisher":"ETV Bharat (PTI)","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/en/international/several-indian-fishermen-arrested-by-sri-lankan-navy-for-alleged-poaching-enn26011403043","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"30 Indian Fishermen Repatriated From Sri Lanka Return Home","publisher":"ETV Bharat (PTI)","date":"2026-04-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/amp/en/international/indian-fishermen-repatriated-from-sri-lanka-return-home-enn26040702967","basis":"News"},{"ref":10,"title":"Sri Lankan Navy Arrests Nine Indian Fishermen","publisher":"ETV Bharat (PTI)","date":"2026-07-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/amp/en/international/sri-lankan-navy-arrests-several-indian-fishermen-enn26072301110","basis":"News"},{"ref":11,"title":"Palk Strait (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palk_Strait","basis":"Reference (strait coordinates)"},{"ref":12,"title":"Delft Island (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft_Island","basis":"Reference (island coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 346 and 44 totals are a Sri Lankan Navy statement reported by PTI; no independent count was opened."},{"note":"The 128 in custody figure comes from a secondary summary of a The Hindu editorial (ref 5)."},{"note":"Year-to-date totals differ: 102 fishermen and 15 trawlers to April (Navy, ref 2) versus 128 and 18 as of 15 April (ref 3); the July article also mixes 'Colombo's waters' with Mannar-area locations."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BEN-PALKSTRAIT-ARRESTS-2026 (Sri Lanka Navy keeps arresting Indian trawler crews in the Palk Strait in 2026): governance angle and 2026 arrest counts for the same dispute"}],"missing_fields":["The Hindu editorial itself was not opened; Vision IAS's summary is cited instead.","No seabed or stock survey of the Palk Strait was cited for the bottom-trawling claim.","Indian government position and any court rulings not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BGD-IMBL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ODISHA-TURTLEBAN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Odisha's seven-month fishing ban around Olive Ridley nesting beaches leaves about 11,000 fishing families on one-time aid, with enforcement gaps","description":"Odisha bans sea fishing within 20 km of the Dhamra, Devi and Rushikulya river mouths from 1 November to 31 May, and year-round in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, to protect nesting Olive Ridley turtles. About 11,000 families get a one-time Rs 15,000 payment that their union calls too low. The Orissa High Court earlier directed the state to enforce the ban after observing turtles dying in trawler nets and from propellers.","location":{"name":"Gahirmatha, Devi and Rushikulya coast","type":"Marine sanctuary and turtle nesting coast","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Odisha coast in Kendrapara, Puri and Ganjam districts, Bay of Bengal, India","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":20.744188,"lon":87.000282,"precision":"site","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A fishery closure and trawler bycatch control protecting a threatened species' nesting coast.","secondary_drivers":["Trawler bycatch and propeller strikes","Illegal trawling in protected zones"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Orissa High Court observed incidental turtle killing by suffocation in trawler nets and propeller injuries; no 2025-26 mortality count is cited (refs 4, 1).","livelihoods":"About 11,000 fishing families are affected by the 1 November to 31 May ban in a 20 km zone and receive Rs 15,000 once; the union asks for Rs 30,000 and a five-month ban (ref 1).","scale":"The ban covers roughly 120 km of Odisha's 480 km coast around three river mouths and a sanctuary (refs 3, 1).","duration":"The ban recurs every season; 2024-25 ran 1 November 2024 to 30 May 2025 and the 2025-26 ban began 1 November 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A High Court division bench directed enforcement of the trawler ban, marine police involvement and no-fishing zones (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":11000,"status":"Reported","note":"Fishing families affected by the 2025-26 ban (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 11,000 fishing families are affected by Odisha's seven-month ban and will get one-time assistance of Rs 15,000 each (ETV Bharat, 1 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishing families affected by 2025-26 ban","value":11000,"unit":"families","status":"Reported","note":"One-time aid Rs 15,000 per family (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ban length","value":7,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"1 November to 31 May within 20 km of three river mouths (ref 1)."},{"name":"Registered fishing vessels in Odisha","value":21832,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Including 1,741 trawlers, per a 2023 Down To Earth report (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers' union says Rs 15,000 is insufficient and wants Rs 30,000 and a five-month ban (ref 1).","Aid was Rs 7,500 until it doubled in 2022-23 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The same seasonal ban and one-time aid repeat each year (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department, Odisha","role":"Marine fishing regulator","contact":"https://fard.odisha.gov.in"},{"name":"Orissa High Court","role":"Hears the Olive Ridley PIL","contact":"https://www.orissahighcourt.nic.in"}],"public_contact":"Odisha Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Patrols from 61 on-shore and five off-shore camps with five high-speed boats and 13 trawlers (ref 1).","One-time Rs 15,000 livelihood support per affected family (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Odisha imposes 7-month long fishing ban as part of turtle conservation programme","publisher":"ETV Bharat","date":"2025-11-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/odisha-imposes-7-month-long-fishing-ban-as-part-of-turtle-conservation-programme-enn25110103260","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Odisha fishing ban lifted","publisher":"UNI (via UNI India)","date":"2025-06-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://test.uniindia.com/news/east/odisha-fishing-ban-lifted/3491805.html","basis":"News agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Aid to Odisha fisherfolk doubled for fishing ban to save turtles; Is it enough?","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2023-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/aid-to-odisha-fisherfolk-doubled-for-fishing-ban-to-save-turtles-is-it-enough--88075","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Enforce prohibition on fishing around turtle nesting sites, HC tells Odisha","publisher":"The Wire Science (PTI)","date":"2021-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://science.thewire.in/environment/enforce-prohibition-on-fishing-around-turtle-nesting-sites-hc-tells-odisha/","basis":"News report of a High Court order"},{"ref":5,"title":"Gahirmatha Beach","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gahirmatha_Beach","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The UNI report gives two windows for the 2024-25 ban: 1 November 2024 to 30 May 2025 under the OMFRA and 15 April 2024 to 14 June 2025 under the Wildlife Protection Act; the second window as printed appears garbled (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["No 2025-26 turtle mortality count was found in the opened sources.","The High Court order text was not opened; the 2021 order is described through a PTI report."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-CHENNAI-OLIVERIDLEYDEATHS-2025","OC-BEN-RUSHIKULYA-ARRIBADA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDHRA-SHRIMPTARIFF-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"US tariffs of about 58 percent hit Andhra Pradesh's farmed shrimp sector in 2025, before a February 2026 cut to 18 percent","description":"After the US raised duties on Indian shrimp in 2025, effective tariffs reached about 58 to 60 percent, and Crisil projected a 15 to 18 percent fall in India's shrimp export volume. Andhra Pradesh, which supplies about 60 percent of India's shrimp export volume, reported processing unit closures and procurement price cuts of 10 to 20 percent. A February 2026 trade deal cut the reciprocal tariff on Indian shrimp from 25 to 18 percent and removed a 25 percent penalty tariff.","location":{"name":"Andhra Pradesh shrimp farming coast","type":"Coastal shrimp aquaculture and processing region","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Coastal Andhra Pradesh on the Bay of Bengal, including West Godavari; Visakhapatnam is India's top seafood export port","extent":"national_waters","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":17.69388889,"lon":83.29222222,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A trade measure disrupting an aquaculture export economy.","secondary_drivers":["US import tariffs and anti-dumping duties","Competition from lower-tariff exporters"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or health harm is cited; the reports are about export revenue, farm investment and jobs (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Dozens of processing units shut, each employing about 400 workers, and some farmers switched to other crops or poultry (ref 2).","scale":"The sector is concentrated in Andhra Pradesh but the duties apply to national shrimp exports to the US, which took 311,948 t in 2024-25 (ref 1).","duration":"Duties of about 50 percent or more were in force from late August 2025 until the 2 February 2026 trade deal, several months in all (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A US tariff order and later bilateral trade deal changed the duty rate, with Indian GST relief from 22 September 2025 (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":250000,"status":"Reported","note":"About 2.5 lakh farmer families said to be at risk, per the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Effective US tariffs on Indian shrimp reached 59.72 percent with anti-dumping duties; the February 2026 deal cut the reciprocal tariff from 25 to 18 percent."},"measures":[{"name":"Effective US tariff on Indian shrimp, September 2025","value":59.72,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Including anti-dumping duties, per the South First report (ref 2)."},{"name":"Indian shrimp exports to the US in August 2025","value":-43,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Quoted by the SAP president (ref 3)."},{"name":"Projected fall in India's shrimp export volume FY2025-26","value":17,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Crisil projected 15 to 18 percent; midpoint shown (ref 1)."},{"name":"US share of India's shrimp exports 2024-25","value":311948,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"MPEDA data via Deccan Herald (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Chief Minister warned of a Rs 25,000 crore business loss (ref 2).","Exporters cut procurement prices by 10 to 20 percent (ref 2).","Crisil expects operating margins to fall to a decadal low of 5.0 to 5.5 percent (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The February 2026 deal cut the tariff to 18 percent and exporters expected a rebound (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)","role":"India's seafood export regulator","contact":"https://mpeda.gov.in"},{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Government of India","role":"National fisheries ministry arm","contact":"https://dof.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"MPEDA: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["GST on fisheries across the value chain cut to 5 percent from 22 September 2025 (ref 2).","US-India trade deal cut the shrimp tariff to 18 percent in February 2026 (ref 3).","Andhra Pradesh sought 240-day interest moratorium and higher working-capital limits (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"India's shrimp exports to drop 15-18% amid US tariffs, upending lives of crores","publisher":"Deccan Herald","date":"2025-08-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.deccanherald.com/amp/story/business%2Feconomy%2Findias-shrimp-exports-set-to-plunge-15-18-as-us-slaps-58-tariff-crisil-3702934","basis":"News citing a Crisil report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Trump's tariffs hit Andhra Pradesh aquaculture; GST relief brings little respite","publisher":"The South First","date":"2025-09-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/news/trumps-tariffs-hit-andhra-pradesh-aquaculture-gst-relief-brings-little-respite/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Latest: US tariffs for Indian shrimp revised to 18%","publisher":"Aqua Asia Pacific","date":"2026-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aquaasiapac.com/2026/02/03/latest-us-tariffs-for-indian-shrimp-revised-to-18/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":4,"title":"Visakhapatnam","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visakhapatnam","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Tariff totals differ by source and by which duties are counted: about 65 percent (Crisil via Deccan Herald), 58.26 percent (Aqua Asia Pacific) and 59.72 percent (South First)."}],"missing_fields":["No Andhra Pradesh farm-level production or price series was opened.","The post-deal tariff status after February 2026 was not re-checked."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-ANDHRA-SHRIMPDRUG-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDHRA-SHRIMPDRUG-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Banned antibiotic residues in Indian shrimp exports are traced mainly to Andhra Pradesh farms, with a 43 percent rejection rate in 2025","description":"India's seafood export authority MPEDA reported in January 2026 that antibiotic residues in export consignments were traced to more than 40 farms in four states, 74 percent of them in Andhra Pradesh. The drugs controller wrote to all states on 3 June 2026 asking how the ban on chloramphenicol and nitrofurans is enforced, citing a 43 percent rejection rate in 2025 by the EU, USA and Japan. US FDA recorded 93 shrimp refusals tied to veterinary drug residues in 2025.","location":{"name":"Andhra Pradesh and Odisha shrimp farms","type":"Coastal shrimp aquaculture farms","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Bay of Bengal coast of India: Andhra Pradesh (74 percent of traced farms), Odisha, West Bengal and Gujarat","extent":"national_waters","points":[]},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Banned veterinary drug residues in farmed seafood above import limits.","secondary_drivers":["Banned antibiotics used as growth promoters and prophylactics","Weak enforcement at veterinary shops"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Chloramphenicol and nitrofuran residues were detected in export consignments, and a DCGI scientist noted bone-marrow suppression and carcinogenicity concerns (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Consignments were rejected in the EU, US and Japan at a 43 percent rate in 2025, a market restriction on exporters (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Traced farms span four states, with Andhra Pradesh 74 percent, Odisha 13 percent, West Bengal 8.7 percent and Gujarat 4.3 percent (ref 1).","duration":"MPEDA first flagged the issue in May 2023 and residues were still detected in 2025 and 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"The Drugs Consultative Committee ratified a ban in January 2024 and the DCGI issued an enforcement directive on 3 June 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of affected farmers or consumers in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A 43 percent rejection rate in 2025 by the EU, USA and Japan, linked to chloramphenicol and nitrofurans (DCGI letter, 3 June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rejection rate of Indian shrimp consignments, 2025","value":43,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"EU, USA and Japan, per the DCGI letter (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Share of implicated farms in Andhra Pradesh","value":74,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"MPEDA communication of January 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"US FDA shrimp refusals tied to veterinary drug residues, 2025","value":93,"unit":"refusals","status":"Reported","note":"Southern Shrimp Alliance analysis of FDA data (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["US FDA refusals: five of seven antibiotic-related shrimp refusals in March 2026 involved Indian shipments (ref 1).","85.7 percent of antibiotic-related refusals in Q1 2026 came from Best Aquaculture Practices certified facilities (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Residues continued to be detected after the ban, per the June 2026 letter (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)","role":"Traced residues to farms","contact":"https://mpeda.gov.in"},{"name":"Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)","role":"Drug control and veterinary-shop inspections","contact":"https://cdsco.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"MPEDA and CDSCO: published general channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["DCGI letter of 3 June 2026 to all state drug controllers on inspections and punitive action (refs 1, 2).","Sales of the two drugs restricted to licensed manufacturers and premises with reconciliation records (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Andhra farms drove 74% of India's antibiotic shrimp rejections; Centre seeks answers from states","publisher":"The South First","date":"2026-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/health/andhra-farms-drove-74-of-indias-antibiotic-shrimp-rejections-centre-seeks-answers-from-states/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"CDSCO tightens vigil on banned antibiotics in food animals amid export rejections","publisher":"Outlook India","date":"2026-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.outlookindia.com/amp/story/healthcare-spotlight/cdsco-tightens-vigil-on-banned-antibiotics-in-food-animals-amid-export-rejections","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The date of the national ban on chloramphenicol and nitrofurans in food-producing animals differs: South First cites notification S.O. 1158(E) of 12 March 2025, while Outlook says the Union Health Ministry prohibited them on 12 March 2026."}],"missing_fields":["The DCGI letter, MPEDA communication and the notification were not opened; figures are as reported by two news outlets.","Rejection numbers by farm or district not available."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-ANDHRA-SHRIMPTARIFF-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-THA-FISHACT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Thailand's Fisheries Act amendments would reopen night fishing with fine-mesh nets and ease at-sea transshipment while Andaman stocks recover","description":"A bill amending Thailand's 2015 fisheries ordinance would allow night fishing with nets of mesh below 2.5 cm beyond 12 nautical miles, and, according to the Environmental Justice Foundation, change rules on transferring catch between boats at sea. The Thai Sea Watch Association and the Environmental Justice Foundation warn it risks another EU yellow card, issued in 2015 and lifted in 2019, and fishers say it would undo the recovery of stocks including in the Andaman Sea. The Department of Fisheries says it would raise catches of anchovies, whose Andaman season runs May to July.","location":{"name":"Thailand fisheries law, Andaman coast","type":"National fisheries law affecting Andaman Sea fishing grounds","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TH"],"detail":"Thai waters including the Andaman Sea coast and the Gulf of Thailand; the law applies nationally","extent":"national_waters","points":[]},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A legal change that could weaken anti-IUU and gear rules is a fisheries-governance risk.","secondary_drivers":["Fine-mesh nets and night fishing","At-sea transshipment","EU IUU scrutiny"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Critics warn fine-mesh nets under 2.5 cm catch larvae and juveniles; no measured damage is cited because the opened sources do not show the bill in force (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or loss is reported; fishers' federations protested outside parliament on 27 January and 7 February 2025 (ref 2).","scale":"The bill is national and covers Thai waters, with the Andaman Sea named as one recovering area (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The lower house passed the bill, the Senate accepted it in principle on 13 January 2025 and a special committee was studying it in February and March 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal bill in the Senate that senators said the EU was watching, per the committee chair Tawat Suraban (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The Department of Fisheries cited over two million jobs in 2,500 fishing villages as of 2018, not an affected-population count (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Section 69 would allow night fishing with nets of mesh smaller than 2.5 cm beyond 12 nautical miles from shore (Bangkok Post, 1 February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Thai trawlers after the 2015 law","value":8954,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 10,000, per Bangkok Post (ref 1)."},{"name":"Anchovy maximum sustainable yield used by Thailand","value":221459,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Last year's catch was only about 90,000 tonnes, per the Department of Fisheries (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Dialogue Earth reports the changes risk resource losses costing hundreds of billions of baht annually (ref 2).","EU yellow card of 2015 to 2019 is cited as precedent (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Bill under legislative debate in early 2025; final outcome not confirmed from an opened page (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Thailand","role":"Fisheries regulator proposing the changes","contact":"https://www.fisheries.go.th"}],"public_contact":"Department of Fisheries, Thailand: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Department of Fisheries says extra obligations would apply to fine-mesh use, including 175 licensed anchovy trawlers with 15-minute VMS reporting (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fishing change risks new yellow card","publisher":"Bangkok Post","date":"2025-02-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2952111/fishing-change-risks-new-yellow-card","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Thailand's legal reforms could bring back 'bad old days' for fishing","publisher":"Dialogue Earth (via The Maritime Executive)","date":"2025-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/thailand-s-legal-reforms-could-bring-back-bad-old-days-for-fishing","basis":"News feature"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Final passage and royal approval were not confirmed: a SeafoodSource report on September Senate and House votes could not be opened (access blocked).","The Bangkok Post page text was delivered in obfuscated form and was reversed to read it.","No Andaman-specific stock data were cited."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-RANONG-LANDBRIDGE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BGD-SHRIMP-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bangladesh's coastal shrimp sector shrinks as salinity and viral outbreaks push southwest farmers out and processors run on 7 percent of supply","description":"Shrimp production in five southwestern districts fell by over 7 percent between 2018-19 and 2022-23, with farmed area down nearly 5 percent, as repeated viral outbreaks and rising soil and water salinity pushed farmers back to crops. The Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association says 30 factories in Khulna and 18 in Chattogram still operate out of 109 registered, and that they receive about 7 percent of the shrimp they need.","location":{"name":"Southwest Bangladesh shrimp farms","type":"Coastal brackish-water shrimp farming area","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat districts on the northern Bay of Bengal coast, near the Sundarbans","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":22.35,"lon":89.08,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease and salinity are degrading a coastal aquaculture system and its land base.","secondary_drivers":["Viral disease outbreaks","Soil and water salinity","Cyclones Aila, Amphan and Yaas","Heat and shifting tides"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Repeated viral outbreaks hit shrimp farms and one Khulna farmer recovered only half of the US$705 he invested (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Farmers abandoned shrimp for rice and vegetables, and about 25 processing factories closed in a decade (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The reports describe the southwest coast and processing hubs in Khulna and Chattogram, a national coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Production fell between 2018-19 and 2022-23 and factory closures cover the last decade (refs 1, 2).","significance":"These are trade-association and news reports; no regulatory or court action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":6000000,"status":"Reported","note":"Around 60 lakh people said to depend directly or indirectly on the industry, per the exporters' association (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Of 109 registered shrimp processing factories, 30 in Khulna and 18 in Chattogram still operate, and they receive only 7 percent of the shrimp they need (BFFEA, March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Shrimp factories still operating","value":48,"unit":"factories","status":"Reported","note":"30 in Khulna and 18 in Chattogram of 109 registered (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fall in shrimp production in five southwest districts, 2018-19 to 2022-23","value":-7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"From about 30,000 tonnes; 'over 7 percent' (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fall in farmed area, same period","value":-5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 5 percent' (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Processors borrow at 13 to 14 percent interest and run far below capacity (ref 1).","Exports have roughly halved over seven years (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Production, farmed area and factory numbers fell over the reported periods (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh","role":"Aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://fisheries.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["No commercial vannamei farming has been approved; the Department of Fisheries cites biodiversity concerns (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Most shrimp factories shut as exports from Bangladesh halve in 7 years","publisher":"The Daily Star","date":"2025-03-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/shrimp-processing-units-close-exports-halve-7-years-3839046","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coastal towns in Bangladesh give up shrimp farming for agriculture to combat salinity","publisher":"Mongabay via Eco-Business","date":"2024-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eco-business.com/news/coastal-towns-in-bangladesh-give-up-shrimp-farming-for-agriculture-to-combat-salinity/","basis":"News feature"},{"ref":3,"title":"Satkhira District","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satkhira_District","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Daily Star reports 'about 25 factories closed in the last decade' while 109 registered and 48 operating implies a larger gap; registration may include long-closed units."}],"missing_fields":["Some freshwater (golda) prawn supply is included in the factory figures and falls under water.exposed scope.","No export tonnage figures in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-KHULNA-REMALSURGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-MMR-IUU-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Myanmar's fisheries department lists weak patrol capacity, at-sea transshipment and unlicensed fishing as barriers to stopping illegal fishing","description":"A March 2026 presentation by Myanmar's Department of Fisheries says it lacks enough patrol vessels, surveillance equipment and trained staff to monitor its waters, that illegal vessels transfer catch to carriers at sea, and that fishing without a licence, with prohibited gears, small mesh and removed tracking devices persists. It reports that no new vessels may be built and that it has implemented over 85 percent of its 2015 national plan against illegal fishing.","location":{"name":"Myanmar marine waters","type":"National fisheries management area (Myanmar EEZ)","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MM"],"detail":"Myanmar's Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal waters, 486,000 square km of fishing ground and 2,832 km of coast","extent":"national_waters","points":[]},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Enforcement gaps against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing are a fisheries-governance problem.","secondary_drivers":["Limited surveillance capacity","Transshipment at sea","Fishing without licence and with illegal gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The department lists explosives, poisons and illegal gears among practices that harm marine life, but gives no measured stock damage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery loss is reported in the opened sources, and Myanmar's recorded sea harvest rose to 3.414 million tonnes in 2023-24 (ref 2).","scale":"The agency describes national waters of 486,000 square km of fishing ground (ref 1).","duration":"The national plan dates from 2015 and the vessel tracking system from 2019-20, with challenges described as continuing in March 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"An official agency presentation to a regional IUU forum in March 2026, with penalty Directive 3/2023 cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of fishers or vessels affected is given in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Myanmar's fisheries department states that it has implemented over 85 percent of the 122 recommendations in its 2015 national plan of action against illegal fishing, while naming enforcement-capacity gaps (March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Myanmar sea fish harvest 2023-24","value":3.414,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 3.295 million tonnes in 2020-21, per Prothom Alo citing Myanmar's Department of Fisheries (ref 2)."},{"name":"Recommendations in the national IUU plan implemented","value":85,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 85 %' of 122 recommendations (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Myanmar exports to the EU and US under catch-certificate rules (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single 2026 official presentation; no time series on illegal fishing is cited (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Myanmar","role":"Fisheries regulator and IUU control","contact":"https://www.seafdec.or.th"}],"public_contact":"Department of Fisheries, Nay Pyi Taw: contact details are in the cited presentation.","corrective_actions":["Vessel monitoring system mandatory on offshore vessels since 2019 to 2020 (ref 1).","Penalty directive based on vessel tracking records, Directive 3/2023 (ref 1).","No new fishing vessels may be built; registration renewed yearly (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fishing Vessels Management and Combating IUU Fishing in Myanmar (presentation)","publisher":"Myanmar Department of Fisheries at a SEAFDEC regional IUU event","date":"2026-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seafdec.or.th/iuu-events/combat-iuu-indo-pacific-2026/downloads/presentations/pdf/Session-1_5_MM_Combating_IUU_Fishing.pdf","basis":"Official agency presentation (English)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bangladesh sees decline, India and Myanmar see rise","publisher":"Prothom Alo","date":"2025-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/business/local/wo5icoro4m","basis":"News citing Myanmar Department of Fisheries data"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Myanmar's recorded sea harvest rose from 2020-21 to 2023-24 (ref 2), which does not by itself show a stock decline, and the department's own account is a self-assessment."}],"missing_fields":["No independent 2024 to 2026 reporting on foreign or unlicensed vessels in Myanmar's waters was opened; older Rakhine and Myeik reports were undated or pre-window and are not used.","The presentation's contact URL is the SEAFDEC event site, not a Department of Fisheries site."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-TNADU-BANSEASON-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Tamil Nadu fishers report outside boats breaching the 61-day east-coast breeding ban and press for higher relief","description":"Tamil Nadu's 61-day ban on mechanised boats ran from 15 April to 14 June 2025, with about 1,500 vessels anchored. Fishers' associations in Thoothukudi reported boats from Kanniyakumari and Kerala fishing in their waters during the ban and asked for coastguard patrols, while the state paid Rs 8,000 per registered fisher and fishers asked for more. Officials also warned Tamil Nadu country boats to stay out of Andhra Pradesh waters, where the ban includes traditional craft.","location":{"name":"Tamil Nadu east coast","type":"Seasonal fishery closure (state waters)","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Tamil Nadu coast from Chennai to Thoothukudi; Andhra Pradesh applies a ban covering traditional craft too","extent":"national_waters","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":13.0825,"lon":80.275,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A seasonal closure and its enforcement and compensation are fisheries-management measures.","secondary_drivers":["Breaches of the closed season","Inconsistent rules between states"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers say intrusions during the breeding-season ban threaten marine resources; no stock measurement is cited (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Mechanised boats and trawlers are barred for 61 days, nearly 1,500 vessels were anchored and fishers asked for more than the Rs 8,000 relief (ref 1).","scale":"The ban applies along the Tamil Nadu coast, and Andhra Pradesh bans even traditional craft in its waters (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The closure is annual under the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1983 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A statutory ban with intensified fisheries department patrols and penalties in Thoothukudi (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Registered fishers receiving relief are not counted in the cited reports."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nearly 1,500 mechanised vessels were anchored under Tamil Nadu's 61-day ban, 809 of them in Chennai (Ramanathapuram district administration, April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mechanised vessels anchored in Tamil Nadu during the 2025 ban","value":1500,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 1,500', including 809 in Chennai (ref 1)."},{"name":"Relief paid per registered fisher","value":8000,"unit":"rupees","status":"Reported","note":"Tamil Nadu government (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mechanised vessels anchored in Thoothukudi district harbours","value":550,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"More than 550, per the fisheries department (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishermen's leaders demand higher compensation citing inflation (ref 1).","Fish prices surged in Chennai markets before the ban (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Annual closure with the same demands repeated (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tamil Nadu Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare","role":"Enforces the ban","contact":"https://www.fisheries.tn.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Tamil Nadu Department of Fisheries: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Intensified patrols in Thoothukudi with fisheries officials, coastal security and fishermen representatives (ref 2).","Rs 8,000 financial relief per registered fisher (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"61-day fishing ban begins in TN; fishermen urge vigilance against illegal trawling","publisher":"Siasat Daily (PTI)","date":"2025-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.siasat.com/61-day-fishing-ban-begins-in-tn-fishermen-urge-vigilance-against-illegal-trawling-3207519/amp/","basis":"News agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"TN Fisheries Dept steps up coastal patrols to tackle illegal fishing amid 61-day ban period","publisher":"Siasat Daily (IANS)","date":"2025-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.siasat.com/tn-fisheries-dept-steps-up-coastal-patrols-to-tackle-illegal-fishing-amid-61-day-ban-period-3216836/amp/","basis":"News agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chennai","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Thoothukudi lies on the Gulf of Mannar side; the record covers the Tamil Nadu east-coast ban as a whole and Chennai is on the Bay of Bengal."}],"missing_fields":["No stock or breach count was found; the reports quote association complaints only.","No 2026 update was opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-PALK-SEAWEED-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Palk Bay seaweed growers and gatherers in Ramanathapuram face cyclones, shrinking areas and disease-prone Kappaphycus","description":"A Mongabay-India report republished in January 2024 describes women seaweed gatherers and farmers on Rameswaram Island whose working days have fallen as cyclones increased, whose access to the Gulf of Mannar islands is now restricted and who depend on Kappaphycus, which is vulnerable to ice-ice disease. India is building a Rs 127.7 crore integrated seaweed park at Thondi to expand production.","location":{"name":"Rameswaram Island, Palk Bay","type":"Seaweed farming and gathering area","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, on the Palk Bay side near Olaikuda","extent":"local","points":[],"coordinates":{"lat":9.28333333,"lon":79.2,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Climate-linked disease and space limits affect a small-scale coastal seaweed culture.","secondary_drivers":["More frequent cyclones","Warming and ice-ice disease","Protected-area access limits"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Kappaphycus is vulnerable to ice-ice disease that bleaches it, and its poorer quality lowers prices (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Working days per lunar cycle fell by six and women who once reached all 21 Gulf of Mannar islands are now limited to the Palk Bay side, leaving about seven reliable months a year (ref 1).","scale":"The report concerns Rameswaram Island and the Palk Bay side, a single bay (ref 1).","duration":"Tamil Nadu saw more cyclones in 2002-2021 than in 1982-2001 and the changes are described as multi-year (ref 1).","significance":"A feature report with no formal notice or enforcement; the park is a government investment (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The report gives personal accounts, not a count of seaweed workers."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Dried seaweed sells for Rs 110 to 115 per kg and women have only about seven reliable working months a year (Mongabay-India feature, January 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Investment in the Thondi integrated seaweed park","value":127.7,"unit":"crore rupees","status":"Reported","note":"Construction began on 2 September (year by inference 2023) (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Poorer seaweed quality lowers prices and incomes for small producers (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single 2024 feature; no later report was opened (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tamil Nadu Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare","role":"Seaweed farming schemes","contact":"https://www.fisheries.tn.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Tamil Nadu Department of Fisheries: published general channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Integrated Seaweed Park at Thondi, Ramanathapuram, under construction (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Press Institute of India Grassroots report on Ramanathapuram seaweed gatherers (by Almaas Masood, from Mongabay-India; headline not shown by the fetch)","publisher":"Press Institute of India","date":"2024-01-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pressinstitute.in/?p=27060","basis":"News feature republished from Mongabay-India"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pamban","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamban","basis":"Reference gazetteer, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one dated report was opened; the source title is descriptive because the fetch did not show the headline.","The report concerns both wild gathering and farming of seaweed; separate farm statistics were not found."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-PALK-ARRESTS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ENNORE-CPCLOILSPILL-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Refinery oil from Cyclone Michaung floods reached Ennore Creek and the Bay of Bengal; Rs 73.68 crore compensation order under challenge","description":"Floodwater from Cyclone Michaung on 3 to 4 December 2023 carried oil from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation (CPCL) refinery area into the Buckingham Canal and Ennore Creek, and oil reached coastal waters and the Pulicat backwaters. The Indian Coast Guard put the slick at about 20 sq km, and an IIT Madras assessment filed with the National Green Tribunal estimated 517 tonnes of oil in the environment after clean-up, plus 393 tonnes removed by CPCL. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ordered CPCL to pay Rs 73.68 crore environmental compensation in February 2025, and the Tribunal granted an interim stay in March 2025 on condition CPCL deposits half; CPCL disputes the assessment.","location":{"name":"Ennore Creek and Kosasthalaiyar mouth, Chennai","type":"Tidal creek and river mouth","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"North Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India: Manali refinery belt, Buckingham Canal, Ennore Creek and Kosasthalaiyar river mouth on the Bay of Bengal coast, with tar balls reported north at Pulicat.","coordinates":{"lat":13.23,"lon":80.33,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Petroleum released from an industrial site into a tidal creek and coastal waters, damaging mangroves and fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Extreme rainfall and flooding (Cyclone Michaung)","Refinery storm-water drainage and storage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"IIT Madras measured sediment total petroleum hydrocarbons of 13.6 to 120 g/kg against a CPCB limit of 5 to 10 g/kg and saw dead fish, crabs and oil-coated birds (ref 4).","livelihoods":"Tamil Nadu counted 2,301 fisher families affected and 787 boats damaged and fixed Rs 8.68 crore relief, with fishing in eight villages disrupted (refs 1, 5).","scale":"The Coast Guard put the slick at about 20 sq km around one creek and river mouth, a single local system (ref 2).","duration":"Oil was still being assessed in the sediments in March 2024 and the compensation case was in a tribunal in March 2025, so the issue has run well over a year (refs 4, 6).","significance":"The National Green Tribunal took suo motu cognisance, TNPCB ordered Rs 73.68 crore compensation on 27 Feb 2025 and the Tribunal granted a conditional interim stay on 19 Mar 2025 (ref 6)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IIT Madras estimated about 517 tonnes of oil in the soil, sediment and water after clean-up, plus 393 tonnes of oily sludge removed by CPCL; the Coast Guard estimated about 10 tonnes over about 20 sq km."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil in environment after clean-up (IIT Madras)","value":517,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"IIT Madras assessment, March 2024, filed with the NGT by TNPCB (ref 4); the report also gives a most conservative total of 576 tonnes."},{"name":"Oily sludge removed by CPCL","value":393,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Figure cited in the IIT Madras report from media reports (ref 4)."},{"name":"Coast Guard slick extent","value":20,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Coast Guard statement of 17 December 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Environmental compensation levied on CPCL","value":73.68,"unit":"Rs crore","status":"Reported","note":"Rs 73,68,00,906 per CPCL stock exchange disclosures (ref 6)."},{"name":"Fisher families affected","value":2301,"unit":"families","status":"Reported","note":"Tamil Nadu figure told to the NGT (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["787 boats damaged and Rs 8.68 crore relief fixed, of which CPCL pays Rs 7.53 crore (ref 5).","Fish that previously sold for Rs 1,000 reportedly fetched only Rs 200 after the spill (ref 1).","CPCL faces a Rs 73.68 crore compensation order, half to be deposited under the interim stay (ref 6)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"No new release reported in the cited sources; a researcher quoted in January 2026 said slicks lingered up to six months and compensation remains contested (ref 7)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board","role":"State pollution regulator, issued the compensation order","contact":"https://tnpcb.gov.in"},{"name":"National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone, Chennai","role":"Tribunal hearing the suo motu case (OA 180 of 2023)","contact":"https://greentribunal.gov.in"},{"name":"Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited","role":"Refinery operator named as responsible party","contact":"https://cpcl.co.in"},{"name":"Indian Coast Guard","role":"Oil spill response coordination","contact":"https://indiancoastguard.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and National Green Tribunal Southern Zone publish general contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Tamil Nadu fixed Rs 8.68 crore relief for fisher families and boats, with CPCL paying Rs 7.53 crore (ref 5).","The NGT ordered CPCL to finish clean-up by 17 December 2023 (ref 8) and the state engaged the National Institute of Oceanography for mangrove remediation (ref 3).","TNPCB ordered Rs 73.68 crore environmental compensation; the NGT granted an interim stay on condition of a 50% deposit (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Chennai oil spill threatens livelihoods of 20,000 people, habitats of migrant birds","publisher":"Newslaundry (from The News Minute)","date":"2023-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newslaundry.com/2024/01/08/2023/12/15/chennai-oil-spill-threatens-livelihoods-of-20000-people-habitats-of-migrant-birds","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ennore oil spill: oil trapped inside Chennai Ennore Creek area, says Coast Guard","publisher":"The South First","date":"2023-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/tamilnadu/ennore-oil-spill-oil-trapped-inside-chennais-ennore-creek-area-says-coast-guard/","basis":"News reporting an agency statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"Oil spill: Nano technology to remediate lost mangroves in Ennore","publisher":"DT Next","date":"2023-12-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dtnext.in/news/chennai/oil-spill-nano-technology-to-remediate-lost-mangroves-in-ennore-755948","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Assessment of Ennore oil spill during Michaung cyclone (IIT Madras, filed by TNPCB in OA 180 of 2023)","publisher":"Indian Institute of Technology Madras / Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board","date":"2024-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greentribunal.gov.in/sites/default/files/news_updates/OA 180 of 2023 Report by TNPCB_0.pdf","basis":"Court record (technical report filed with the National Green Tribunal; report dated March 2024)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Relief fund of Rs 8.68 crore for Ennore oil spill-affected families and boats","publisher":"ICSF, reproducing The Hindu","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icsf.net/?p=108574","basis":"News (page shows no date)"},{"ref":6,"title":"CPCL disclosure under SEBI Regulation 30: NGT interim stay on TNPCB order (with earlier disclosures of 28 Feb 2025 and 23 Nov 2024)","publisher":"Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited via NSE","date":"2025-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/CHENNPETRO_20032025153533_Reg30.pdf","basis":"Operator regulatory filing"},{"ref":7,"title":"Oil spills are pushing Indian fishers to the brink","publisher":"New Lines Magazine","date":"2026-01-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/oil-spills-are-pushing-indian-fishers-to-the-brink/","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Assessment of environmental quality of oil spill contaminated sites in and around Buckingham Canal to the Ennore Creek (TERI report filed by CPCL in OA 180 of 2023)","publisher":"TERI for Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited / National Green Tribunal","date":"2024-07-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greentribunal.gov.in/sites/default/files/news_updates/OA 180 of 2023 Report by R7.pdf","basis":"Court record (operator-commissioned report filed with the NGT)"},{"ref":8,"title":"File report on biodiversity loss due to oil spill: NGT tells government","publisher":"DT Next","date":"2023-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dtnext.in/news/chennai/file-report-on-biodiversity-loss-due-to-oil-spill-ngt-tells-government-755268","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"Spilled or released oil quantity","values":["About 10 tonnes (Coast Guard, ref 2)","517 tonnes in the environment plus 393 tonnes removed (IIT Madras, ref 4)"],"note":"Estimates differ by two orders of magnitude; the Coast Guard figure used a standard slick-volume method on the sea-facing slick while IIT Madras mapped soil, sediment and water inland."},{"field":"Extent of contamination","values":["CPCL-commissioned TERI study of 28 to 29 December 2023 found no significant oil slick and no petroleum hydrocarbon accumulation, attributing pollution to domestic wastewater (TERI report of 23 July 2024 filed in the NGT by CPCL, ref 9)","IIT Madras found TPH well above CPCB limits in sediments (ref 4)"],"note":"CPCL has said it will contest the IIT Madras report and the TNPCB compensation. Described here as a dispute, not resolved."}],"missing_fields":["Final NGT ruling on the compensation order was not found; the latest document opened is CPCL's 20 March 2025 disclosure.","The ICSF page (ref 5) shows no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-CHENNAI-OLIVERIDLEYDEATHS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-PHUKET-SEALLOYDARC-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sunken cargo ship Sealloyd Arc leaks fuel oil and loses containers off Phuket, tar balls reach beaches","description":"The Panama-flagged cargo ship Sealloyd Arc sank on 7 February 2026 in about 60 m of water off Phuket in the Andaman Sea while bound for Chattogram. Thai authorities reported about 1,700 litres of oil leaking, tar balls reached Ya Nui Beach and Koh Hey, and part of the deck cargo broke loose, including containers listed as hazardous. All 16 crew were rescued.","location":{"name":"Off Koh Kaeo Noi, Phuket, Andaman Sea","type":"Shipwreck site","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TH"],"detail":"Wreck about 60 m deep southwest of Koh Kaeo Noi off Phuket, Thailand; oil residue on Ya Nui Beach and Koh Hey (Banana Beach).","coordinates":{"lat":7.77,"lon":98.3,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":7.73,"lon":98.37,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Koh Hey (Banana Beach), oil residue reported"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil and possibly hazardous cargo released into coastal waters from a wreck.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel sinking (water ingress and listing)","Container loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Thai authorities reported about 1,700 litres of oil leaking and tar balls on Ya Nui Beach and part of Koh Hey, while officials called the impact minimal (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Booms were laid to protect Rawai and Kata beaches and the public was told to keep 50 m from washed-up containers (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Oil residue was reported along a stretch of about 80 to 100 m of Banana Beach and at Ya Nui, a local shoreline (ref 1).","duration":"The sources cover 7 to 27 February 2026, about three weeks, with oil still washing ashore at the end and no sealing of the wreck reported (ref 1).","significance":"The Pollution Control Department issued an urgent public alert and the navy said it was preparing to declare the wreck site a disaster zone, which was not confirmed as done (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 1,700 litres of oil leaked, according to Thai authorities."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil leaked","value":1700,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"Thai authorities as reported by Marine Insight, 27 Feb 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Containers on board","value":229,"unit":"containers","status":"Reported","note":"Baird Maritime, 9 Feb 2026; 14 listed as hazardous (ref 3). Pattaya Mail gave 297 containers (ref 2)."},{"name":"Wreck depth","value":60,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Marine Insight (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Booms placed to protect Rawai and Kata beaches, which are tourist beaches (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Latest cited report is 27 February 2026; later status of the leak and salvage was not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Royal Thai Navy","role":"Spill response and salvage coordination","contact":"https://www.navy.mi.th"},{"name":"Pollution Control Department, Thailand","role":"Public alerts on hazardous debris","contact":"https://www.pcd.go.th"},{"name":"Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand","role":"Oil sampling and coastal monitoring","contact":"https://www.dmcr.go.th"}],"public_contact":"Thailand Pollution Control Department and DMCR publish hotline details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The Royal Thai Navy deployed dispersants and booms and used sonar to track the wreck (ref 2).","Local teams removed oil from the beaches by hand and a dive team was preparing to seal the leaking hull (ref 1).","Mariners were asked to report drifting containers (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil spill from sunken cargo ship washes up on Phuket beaches two weeks after sinking","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/oil-spill-from-sunken-cargo-ship-washes-up-on-phuket-beaches-two-weeks-after-sinking/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Navy battles oil spill as sunken cargo ship scatters containers off Phuket","publisher":"Pattaya Mail (citing Thai News Agency)","date":"2026-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/navy-battles-oil-spill-as-sunken-cargo-ship-scatters-containers-off-phuket-535544","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cargo ship spills oil and containers after sinking off Phuket, Thailand; all 16 crew rescued","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2026-02-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/incidents/accidents/cargo-ship-spills-oil-and-containers-after-sinking-off-phuket-thailand-all-16-crew-rescued","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"Containers on board","values":["229 (Baird Maritime, ref 3)","297 (Pattaya Mail, ref 2)"],"note":"Reports differ; the Pattaya Mail figure includes 97 deck containers believed to have broken loose."}],"missing_fields":["Coordinates are the named beach (Ya Nui), not the wreck position, which no source gave.","Outcome of the leak sealing and salvage after 27 February 2026 was not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-SITAKUNDA-SHIPBREAKING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Beach shipbreaking at Sitakunda leaks leftover oil into the Bay of Bengal and handles asbestos-laden ships","description":"Bangladesh scrapped 170 of the 446 ships dismantled worldwide in 2023, and 159 were built before the 2002 IMO asbestos ban. Inside Climate News (February 2026) reported that leftover oil leaks into the Bay of Bengal, that studies found lower reproductive rates in sea snails and fish, and that an estimated 60,000 mangrove trees were cut for yards. The Hong Kong Convention took effect in June 2025, but Bangladesh and its shipbreakers are disputing Basel Convention requirements, and no Chattogram yard is on the EU approved list.","location":{"name":"Sitakunda shipbreaking coast, Chattogram","type":"Shipbreaking coast","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"About 11 miles of beached shipbreaking yards on the Chattogram coast, Bangladesh, at the head of the Bay of Bengal.","coordinates":{"lat":22.43,"lon":91.75,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Oil, asbestos and other hazardous material from end-of-life ships released on an intertidal coast.","secondary_drivers":["Beaching of end-of-life ships","Missing hazardous waste treatment facility"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Studies cited by Inside Climate News found lower reproductive rates in sea snails and fish and some species wiped out near the yards, with oil leaking to the Bay (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Mongabay reports severe marine pollution has contributed to declining fish stocks and cost local fishers their livelihoods (ref 2).","scale":"The yards stretch about 11 miles of coast at Sitakunda, a local stretch of the Bay of Bengal shore (ref 1).","duration":"Shipbreaking at Sitakunda began in the 1960s and 447 workers had died in the yards since 2009 by early 2024, so the pressure is chronic (refs 3, 4).","significance":"The Hong Kong Convention entered into force in June 2025 and Bangladesh told the Basel Secretariat in November 2025 it cannot replace Basel procedures, which is a formal treaty position (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"170 of 446 ships scrapped worldwide in 2023 went to Chattogram beaches, 159 of them built before the 2002 IMO asbestos ban."},"measures":[{"name":"Ships scrapped at Chattogram in 2023","value":170,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"Daily Star report of 2 Feb 2024, republished by Asia News Network (ref 3)."},{"name":"Of which built before the 2002 asbestos ban","value":159,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"Same source (ref 3)."},{"name":"Mangrove trees cut for yards (estimate)","value":60000,"unit":"trees","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimate stated in Inside Climate News, method not given (ref 1)."},{"name":"Chattogram yards holding Hong Kong Convention certification","value":23,"unit":"yards","status":"Reported","note":"Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association figure in Mongabay (ref 2); Inside Climate News gave 17 approved yards (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["None of the Chattogram yards is on the EU approved ship recycling list, limiting EU-flag ships (refs 2, 3).","Shipbreakers warn that Basel requirements could raise costs and close the industry (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Hong Kong Convention in force since June 2025 and yards certified, while the Basel dispute and worker deaths continue (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Environment, Bangladesh","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://doe.gov.bd"},{"name":"Ministry of Industries, Bangladesh","role":"Shipbreaking and recycling policy","contact":"https://moind.gov.bd"},{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"Hong Kong Convention under review","contact":"https://www.imo.org"}],"public_contact":"Bangladesh Department of Environment lists its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Bangladesh ratified the Hong Kong Convention in 2023 and it took effect in June 2025 (ref 2).","Bangladesh approved or certified yards under the convention (17 per ref 1, 23 per ref 2).","The IMO is reviewing the convention (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Toxic Colonialism on the Bay of Bengal","publisher":"Inside Climate News","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02022026/toxic-colonialism-on-the-bay-of-bengal/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bangladesh shipbreakers push back against stricter environmental standards","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/bangladesh-shipbreakers-push-back-against-stricter-environmental-standards/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bangladesh a dumping ground for toxic ships","publisher":"Asia News Network (from The Daily Star)","date":"2024-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=133095","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Waste treatment plant still a long way off","publisher":"The Daily Star","date":"2022-12-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedailystar.net/chattogram/news/waste-treatment-plant-still-long-way-3201281","basis":"News (older; shows the legal requirement for a treatment facility still unmet at that date)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"Yards approved or certified under the Hong Kong Convention","values":["17 (Inside Climate News, ref 1)","23 (BSBRA via Mongabay, ref 2)"],"note":"Different counting bodies and dates."}],"missing_fields":["No measured oil or asbestos concentration for coastal water was found in the pages opened.","The Daily Star page (ref 4) is from 2022 and is cited for the unmet treatment facility mandate only; its status in 2026 was not confirmed."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-CHATTOGRAM-SHIPBREAKING-2026","OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-MICROPLASTICS-2023"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-TAMILNADU-FISHINGGEAR-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Tamil Nadu coast survey finds about half of shoreline litter is discarded fishing gear","description":"A Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board baseline survey of beaches in 52 fishing villages found about 1.61 lakh items of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear weighing about 6,466 kg. The board says such gear keeps entangling fish and turtles and breaks down into microplastics. A collection centre at Kasimedu, Chennai, gathered 11,189 kg between August 2024 and January 2025, over 97% HDPE fishnets, and the board identified 12 sites for more centres.","location":{"name":"Tamil Nadu coast, 52 surveyed villages","type":"Coastline","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Tamil Nadu, India, 1,076 km coast on the Bay of Bengal; Kasimedu fishing harbour, Chennai hosts the pilot collection centre.","coordinates":{"lat":13.12,"lon":80.3,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic fishing gear and debris on a national coastline.","secondary_drivers":["Abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear","Domestic waste at coastal dumps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"TNPCB warns discarded nets continue to entrap fish and turtles and break into microplastics, but no mortality count is given (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or loss of fishery is reported; fishers are instead paid for returned nets (ref 1).","scale":"The survey covered 52 villages along the state coast of 1,076 km, a regional stretch of the Bay of Bengal shore (ref 1).","duration":"The baseline reflects accumulated gear and the Kasimedu pilot ran six months from August 2024, showing a chronic stock (ref 1).","significance":"TNPCB published the study and launched a formal Tamil Nadu Fishnet Initiative with 12 identified centre sites (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 1.61 lakh discarded fishing-gear items weighing about 6,466 kg were found on beaches in 52 villages, and about 50% of waste collected from the state's shorelines is abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear."},"measures":[{"name":"Discarded fishing-gear items surveyed","value":161000,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"About 1.61 lakh items, TNPCB baseline (ref 1)."},{"name":"Weight of discarded fishing gear","value":6466,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"TNPCB baseline (ref 1)."},{"name":"Marine litter collected at Kasimedu centre, Aug 2024 to Jan 2025","value":11189,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Over 97% HDPE fishnets; 10,710 kg sent for recycling (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers are paid market rates for discarded nets, with close to Rs 4.50 lakh paid at Kasimedu (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Baseline survey; no repeat survey reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board","role":"Coastal marine litter survey and Fishnet Initiative","contact":"https://tnpcb.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"TNPCB lists its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["TNPCB identified 12 coastal sites for collection and recycling centres under the Tamil Nadu Fishnet Initiative (ref 1).","Incentive payments to fishers for discarded nets and marine waste (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Beach to bin: Tamil Nadu to open centres to collect, recycle discarded fishing nets","publisher":"DT Next","date":"2025-03-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dtnext.in/news/chennai/beach-to-bin-tamil-nadu-to-open-centres-to-collect-recycle-discarded-fishing-nets","basis":"News reporting a state regulator study (page shows \"Updated on 03 Mar 2025\")"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The TNPCB report itself (222 pages per a search listing) could not be opened; figures come from the DT Next article.","Coordinates are the Kasimedu pilot centre, not the whole coast."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-VISAKHAPATNAM-SEWAGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Untreated sewage and industrial effluent discharged into the Bay of Bengal at Visakhapatnam, under High Court review","description":"A public interest petition before the Andhra Pradesh High Court alleges that untreated sewage and industrial waste is released into the Bay of Bengal at Lawson's Bay and Parawada, harming marine life and fishing communities. The petitioner puts effluent in the Visakhapatnam area at about 300 million litres a day against about 176 million litres a day of working treatment capacity. In March 2024 the State told the court existing treatment plants were at 90% capacity and that it had issued tenders for a new shore plant, and the court asked for a fuller affidavit.","location":{"name":"Lawson's Bay and Parawada, Visakhapatnam","type":"Coastal sewage and effluent outfalls","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, India: city drains at Lawson's Bay and the Parawada pharma industrial area.","coordinates":{"lat":17.73,"lon":83.33,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":17.6,"lon":83.07,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Parawada industrial discharge point"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Sewage and effluent released to coastal waters beyond treatment capacity.","secondary_drivers":["Sewage treatment shortfall","Industrial effluent from red-category units"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The petitioner claims harm to marine flora and fauna from about 300 MLD of effluent against 176 MLD treatment capacity, and the State conceded sewage was not effectively treated (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishing communities at Peda Jalari Peta are named as affected, but no closure or catch loss is documented in the report (ref 1).","scale":"Two discharge points on the Visakhapatnam coast are in question, a local coastal area (ref 1).","duration":"The petition was filed in 2020 and was still before the court in March 2024, with a new plant needing at least two years (ref 1).","significance":"The High Court bench identified three issues and directed a better State affidavit, short of a final ruling (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Effluent in the Visakhapatnam area is about 300 million litres per day while functioning treatment plants handle about 176 million litres per day (petitioner figures)."},"measures":[{"name":"Effluent generated","value":300,"unit":"million litres per day","status":"Reported","note":"Petitioner submission, LiveLaw 20 Mar 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Treatment capacity functioning","value":176,"unit":"million litres per day","status":"Reported","note":"Petitioner submission (ref 1)."},{"name":"Households needing connection to sewage plants (amicus)","value":60000,"unit":"households","status":"Reported","note":"Amicus curiae submission (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One hearing report (March 2024); later hearings not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Andhra Pradesh High Court","role":"Court hearing WP(PIL) 248/2020","contact":"https://aphc.gov.in"},{"name":"Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation","role":"City sewage and drainage","contact":"https://gvmc.gov.in"},{"name":"Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board","role":"Industrial effluent regulator","contact":"https://pcb.ap.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board lists its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["The State issued tenders on 16 March 2024 for a new shore sewage treatment plant (ref 1).","Steel grid gates are being installed at drain exits to catch solid waste (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Andhra Pradesh High Court: untreated waste into Bay of Bengal, PIL, fishermen community drain connection","publisher":"LiveLaw","date":"2024-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.livelaw.in/amp/high-court/andhra-pradesh-high-court/andhra-pradesh-high-court-untreated-waste-bay-of-bengal-pil-fishermen-community-drain-connection-252901","basis":"News reporting a court hearing"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one hearing report was opened; the court order itself and any later hearings were not found.","Coordinates are approximate named places (Lawson's Bay, Parawada), not outfall positions."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-GHOSTGEAR-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic and discarded fishing gear affect at least 30% of endangered marine life in Thailand's upper Andaman Sea","description":"Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources estimated that the share of endangered marine life affected by plastic pollution in the upper Andaman Sea rose from 20% in 2021 to at least 30% in 2023. Reuters reported in April 2024 that volunteer divers and about 500 fishermen were collecting abandoned nets off Phuket, and that experts said the lack of a coordinated national strategy and uniform data hinders management.","location":{"name":"Upper Andaman Sea off Phuket, Thailand","type":"Coastal waters and reefs","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TH"],"detail":"Thailand's Andaman coast, Phuket and neighbouring provinces.","coordinates":{"lat":7.88,"lon":98.39,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic waste and lost fishing gear harming marine animals.","secondary_drivers":["Abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear","Land-based plastic waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"DMCR estimates at least 30% of endangered marine life in the upper Andaman Sea is affected by plastic, and the Phuket marine rescue centre calls plastic a main cause of stranded endangered animals (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or catch loss is reported; around 500 fishermen are helping collect nets (ref 1).","scale":"The estimate covers the upper Andaman Sea off Thailand, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The affected share rose between 2021 and 2023, a multi-year pattern (ref 1).","significance":"Reuters reports no new specific rules; the evidence is an agency estimate and expert comment (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The share of endangered marine life affected by plastic pollution in the upper Andaman Sea rose from 20% in 2021 to at least 30% in 2023 (Thai DMCR estimate)."},"measures":[{"name":"Endangered marine life affected by plastic, 2023","value":30,"unit":"% (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"DMCR estimate reported by Reuters, 19 Apr 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishing equipment collected by EJF with coastal communities","value":130,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Environmental Justice Foundation figure (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Share affected rose from 20% (2021) to at least 30% (2023) per DMCR (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand","role":"National marine resource agency","contact":"https://www.dmcr.go.th"}],"public_contact":"DMCR publishes its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Volunteer divers and fishermen collect abandoned nets, with several Thai agencies involved (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Thai divers seek to take on ghost gear threatening marine life","publisher":"Reuters (via KFGO)","date":"2024-04-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kfgo.com/2024/04/19/thai-divers-seek-to-take-on-ghost-gear-threatening-marine-life/","basis":"News reporting an agency estimate"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The DMCR estimate was not seen on a DMCR page; it is reported by Reuters only.","Date of the source is the republication time stamp; no second source was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-DUGONGSEAGRASS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-MICROPLASTICS-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Microplastics on all seven sampled beaches from Kumira to Teknaf, highest at the shipbreaking beach","description":"A peer-reviewed study of seven beaches along about 240 km of Bangladesh's southeast coast found microplastics at every site, averaging 242.86 particles per kg of dry sediment. Kumira, beside the shipbreaking yards, had the most particles and remote Shamlapur the fewest, and tourist and commercial beaches were more polluted. Polypropylene and polyethylene were the commonest polymers, and the authors link the pollution to urbanisation, industry and tourism.","location":{"name":"Kumira to Teknaf beaches, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar","type":"Sandy beach coastline","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Seven beaches along about 240 km of the Bay of Bengal coast in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar districts, Bangladesh; sampled September 2019 and February 2020.","coordinates":{"lat":21.43,"lon":91.98,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":22.46,"lon":91.72,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Kumira, highest microplastic count"},{"lat":20.86,"lon":92.3,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Teknaf fishing beach"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Microplastic contamination of beach sediments from land and tourism sources.","secondary_drivers":["Tourism","Shipbreaking and industry","Urban waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Microplastics averaged 242.86 particles per kg dry weight, rated moderate against other global studies, with no organism harm measured (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The study reports no beach closure or fishery restriction (ref 1).","scale":"Seven beaches along about 240 km of the Bangladeshi coast were sampled, a national coastline stretch (ref 1).","duration":"Two seasons of sampling (monsoon 2019, winter 2020) showed a persistent presence, with winter 57% of particles (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study offering baseline data only, with no regulatory action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Average 242.86 microplastic particles per kg dry sediment across seven beaches (winter 277.14, monsoon 208.57)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mean microplastic abundance","value":242.86,"unit":"particles per kg dry weight","status":"Reported","note":"Tasnim et al., Heliyon, 17 Nov 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Particles under 1 mm","value":48.5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same study (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cox's Bazar and Chattogram beaches are the main tourist beaches studied (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One study, two sampling seasons."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Environment, Bangladesh","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://doe.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Bangladesh Department of Environment lists its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend more frequent sampling, rigorous beach cleaning in winter and recycling incentives (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Spatiotemporal distribution of microplastic debris in the surface beach sediment of the southeastern coast of Bangladesh","publisher":"Heliyon (Tasnim et al.), via PubMed Central","date":"2023-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10695837/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The December 2025 MDPI full-coastline assessment of Cox's Bazar could not be opened (HTTP 403), so it is not cited.","Sampling was in 2019 and 2020; no 2024 to 2026 sampling was verified."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-SITAKUNDA-SHIPBREAKING-2026","OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-TURTLEDEATHS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-STMARTINS-PLASTIC-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic bottles apparently from Myanmar and Thailand wash up on St Martin's Island","description":"In October 2026 residents and Bangladesh's Department of Environment reported large amounts of plastic bottles and polythene on the southern tip of St Martin's Island, many with labels from Myanmar and Thailand. The DoE's Cox's Bazar deputy director called it a serious concern and warned plastic may be accumulating on the seabed and harming coral. In 2023 a nonprofit estimated tourists left about 3,000 kg of single-use plastic a day on the island in peak season.","location":{"name":"St Martin's Island, Cox's Bazar","type":"Coral island","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Bangladesh's only coral island, about 9 km off the Teknaf coast; waste concentrated at Chhera Dwip, the southern tip; origin suspected to include Myanmar and Thailand but not confirmed.","coordinates":{"lat":20.62,"lon":92.32,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Marine litter from tourism and apparently from other countries on a coral island.","secondary_drivers":["Monsoon currents and winds","Tourist single-use plastic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The DoE warned of possible plastic accumulation on the seabed that could damage coral, but no coral damage is documented yet (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Tourism limits are mentioned as existing measures but no new closure is reported in the October 2026 article (ref 1).","scale":"The reported waste is at one island, with the southern tip the main site (ref 1).","duration":"A 2023 estimate of daily tourist waste and the October 2026 washed-up waste show a recurring problem over three years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Only official comment from a DoE deputy director and an NGO estimate; no formal notice or order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 3,000 kg of single-use plastic left by tourists daily in peak season (The Earth, 2023); BRAC volunteers collect about one tonne of waste daily from residential areas."},"measures":[{"name":"Tourist single-use plastic, peak season","value":3000,"unit":"kg per day","status":"Reported","note":"The Earth, a nonprofit, at a Bangladesh Tourism Board panel (ref 2)."},{"name":"Waste collected by BRAC volunteers","value":1,"unit":"tonnes per day","status":"Reported","note":"Residential areas only (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Island tourism of 2,000 to 4,000 visitors a day in peak season depends on clean beaches (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"New transboundary waste reported in October 2026 on top of tourist waste (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Environment, Cox's Bazar","role":"Regional environment office","contact":"https://doe.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Bangladesh Department of Environment lists its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Existing measures: limiting tourism, beach-cleaning campaigns and better waste management; the DoE called for a source assessment and a plan on transboundary pollution (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Myanmar, Thailand-labelled trash found on Bangladesh's St Martin's Island","publisher":"Asia News Network (from The Daily Star)","date":"2026-10-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=305550","basis":"News reporting an agency official"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tourists daily dump 3,000kg of plastic waste in Saint Martin's","publisher":"The Daily Star","date":"2023-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://online91.thedailystar.net/business/news/tourists-daily-dump-3000kg-plastic-waste-saint-martins-3430976","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"Origin of the waste","values":["Residents and the DoE suspect Myanmar and Thailand from labels (ref 1)"],"note":"Origin is not confirmed; labels and a logo search are the only evidence reported."}],"missing_fields":["No quantity of the foreign-labelled waste was given.","Island visitor numbers differ between sources (3,500 to 4,000 versus about 2,000 per day)."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-SAINTMARTINS-TOURISMCORAL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-SUNDARBANS-MICROPLASTICS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Microplastics reported in hilsa and in Sundarbans estuary waters","description":"A June 2025 Daily Star editorial reported a study that found microplastic particles in hilsa intestines, liver and muscle, alongside heavy metals; editorials linked from that page cite a 2022 study finding microplastics in 17 fish species and three shellfish species from three Sundarbans rivers. An April 2026 report on an IISER Kolkata study in the Mooriganga estuary near Sagar Island said microplastic levels rose by about 40% in the monsoon and may weaken the Sundarbans as a carbon sink.","location":{"name":"Sundarbans delta estuaries","type":"Mangrove delta estuaries","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD","IN"],"detail":"Sundarbans mangrove delta shared by Bangladesh and India, including the Mooriganga estuary near Sagar Island; hilsa sampling location is not stated in the editorial.","coordinates":{"lat":21.65,"lon":88.08,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Microplastic contamination of estuarine mangrove waters and a key food fish.","secondary_drivers":["Urban and river-borne plastic waste","Monsoon runoff"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Microplastics were found in hilsa tissues and in 17 fish species from Sundarbans rivers, with food-safety concern but no illness reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or sales ban is reported in the opened pages (ref 1).","scale":"The reports span two countries' delta waters at the head of the Bay of Bengal (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Findings stretch from a 2022 study to a 2025 and a 2026 report, but the surveys are snapshots rather than a monitored series (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Academic studies and an editorial only; no regulatory notice (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastics found in 17 fish species and three shellfish species from three Sundarbans rivers (2022 study, cited in a 2025 editorial); microplastic levels rose by roughly 40% in the monsoon in the Mooriganga estuary."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish species with microplastics, Sundarbans rivers","value":17,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"2022 study cited in editorials linked from the Daily Star page, not in the hilsa editorial body (ref 1)."},{"name":"Monsoon rise in microplastic levels, Mooriganga estuary","value":40,"unit":"% (approx.)","status":"Reported","note":"IISER Kolkata study as reported by Drishti IAS, 21 Apr 2026 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Hilsa is widely eaten in Bangladesh and the editorial flags food safety concern (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Snapshot studies; no repeated monitoring cited."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://fisheries.gov.bd"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India","role":"National environment ministry","contact":"https://moef.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"The Bangladesh Department of Fisheries lists its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Microplastic contamination of hilsa was inevitable","publisher":"The Daily Star (editorial)","date":"2025-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/editorial/news/microplastic-contamination-hilsa-was-inevitable-3919986","basis":"News (editorial citing studies)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sundarbans under microplastics threat","publisher":"Drishti IAS (news summary of an IISER Kolkata study)","date":"2026-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sundarbans-under-microplastics-threat/print_manually","basis":"News summary (secondary)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass, pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The underlying IISER Kolkata and hilsa papers were not opened, only secondary reports of them.","Coordinates are for Sagar Island area, named in the report, not a sampling site.","Particle concentrations were not given in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-BGD-HILSA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-GREATNICOBAR-FRA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Calcutta High Court hears forest-rights challenges to the Great Nicobar port and township project","description":"A Divisional Bench of the Calcutta High Court at Port Blair is hearing three public interest petitions that contest how forest rights were settled when the Great Nicobar project, which includes a transshipment port, was cleared. In July 2026 members of the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar asked the Union Tribal Affairs Minister to withdraw an August 2022 forest-rights certificate, calling it false. The government says Forest Rights Act procedures were followed; no ruling on the merits was found.","location":{"name":"Great Nicobar Island project area","type":"Contested port, airport and township project","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands; court case at the Calcutta High Court's Port Blair bench","coordinates":{"lat":7.03,"lon":93.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The dispute is about legal process and community consent for the approvals behind a coastal port project.","secondary_drivers":["Forest diversion","Indigenous consent dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The project-affected area includes about 130 sq km of forest with close to one million trees to be removed, according to Mongabay India (ref 2); harm is potential, not yet measured.","livelihoods":"Tribal leaders alleged in January 2026 that the administration pressed them to sign certificates surrendering ancestral land, and the Tribal Council withdrew its consent in 2022 (ref 1).","scale":"The dispute concerns one island's project area (ref 2).","duration":"The certificate dates from 18 August 2022 and the dispute was still live in the June 2026 letter and 23 June hearing listing, about four years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The High Court Bench rejected the government's plea to dismiss the petitions on 12 May 2026 but has issued no merits ruling (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Three PILs by former IFS officer Meena Gupta are before the Calcutta High Court Divisional Bench at Port Blair, next listed 23 June 2026 (Mongabay India, 12 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"PILs before the High Court","value":3,"unit":"petitions","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Forest land in project-affected area","value":130,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay India, 17 Jul 2026; the 12 Aug 2022 gram sabha resolution cited 166 sq km (ref 2)."},{"name":"Project cost (wider island project)","value":810,"unit":"billion INR","status":"Reported","note":"Rs 81,000 crore as stated by Mongabay India (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Litigation risk to the transshipment port, airport and township package (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Hearing outcome after 23 June 2026 not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Calcutta High Court, Divisional Bench at Port Blair","role":"Court hearing the PILs","contact":"https://calcuttahighcourt.gov.in"},{"name":"Ministry of Tribal Affairs","role":"Forest Rights Act nodal ministry"},{"name":"Andaman and Nicobar Administration","role":"Issued the 2022 forest-rights certificate"}],"public_contact":"Andaman and Nicobar Administration (no public channel verified)","corrective_actions":["Court refused to dismiss the PILs and listed them for hearing (ref 1).","Tribal Council asked for the 2022 certificate to be withdrawn (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"High Court bench to hear PILs challenging Great Nicobar clearance","publisher":"Mongabay India","date":"2026-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/high-court-bench-to-hear-pils-challenging-great-nicobar-clearance/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tribal council calls recognition of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island 'false'","publisher":"Mongabay India","date":"2026-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/tribal-council-calls-recognition-of-forest-rights-on-great-nicobar-island-false/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"NGT clears Great Nicobar infrastructure project, says adequate safeguards provided","publisher":"ETV Bharat (PTI)","date":"2026-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.etvbharat.com/amp/en/bharat/ngt-clears-great-nicobar-infrastructure-project-says-adequate-safeguards-provided-enn26021702212","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Great Nicobar Island (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Nicobar_Island","basis":"Reference (island coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Forest area differs: about 130 sq km of forest in the affected area versus 166 sq km in the August 2022 gram sabha resolution; the source does not reconcile them (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the 23 June 2026 hearing not found."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-GREATNICOBAR-PORTCLEARANCE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-RANONG-LANDBRIDGE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Thailand's Andaman land bridge project recommended for scrapping over weak economics and Ranong environmental risks","description":"Thailand's proposed trillion-baht land bridge would link the Andaman Sea at Ranong with the Gulf of Thailand across southern Thailand. The Nation reported in May 2026 that experts warned of damage to mangroves, reefs and the Richelieu Rock dive site and that a 90-day review was under way. In late July 2026 The Star reported that a government committee recommended ending the project, citing weak economics and significant environmental risk; the recommendation was still to go to the Cabinet.","location":{"name":"Ranong coast, Thai Andaman Sea","type":"Proposed land-bridge port corridor","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TH"],"detail":"Ranong (Andaman side) to Chumphon (Gulf side), southern Thailand; Ranong biosphere reserve and wetlands","coordinates":{"lat":9.9619,"lon":98.6389,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed port and shipping corridor with a government review that weighs economic and environmental risk.","secondary_drivers":["Port construction","Increased shipping traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Star reports the study found the project could damage sensitive areas including Ranong's biosphere reserve and wetlands and threaten marine tourism sites; no damage has occurred because construction has not started (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Ministers state no land was acquired and construction has not started, so no fisheries or tourism disruption is documented (ref 1).","scale":"The proposal concerns one coastal corridor, 90 km of transport line (ref 2).","duration":"Sources opened date from May to July 2026 and describe a review of about three months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A government committee formally recommended terminating the project, pending Cabinet approval (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A government study found the project 'is no longer economically viable and poses significant environmental risks' (The Star, 27 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Project cost estimate","value":1,"unit":"trillion THB","status":"Reported","note":"About 1 trillion baht (US$29.7 billion) per ref 1."},{"name":"Expected financial return","value":4.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 8% in the earlier study, per ref 1."},{"name":"Transport line length","value":90,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Roads, rail and pipelines, per ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cargo volumes may be up to 16% lower than estimated and nine of the ten largest shipping lines have invested in competing projects (ref 1).","Government says it will upgrade Ranong Port and build a rail link instead (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"From active promotion in May 2026 to a recommendation to scrap in July 2026; Cabinet decision not confirmed."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Thai Ministry of Transport","role":"Project sponsor","contact":"https://www.mot.go.th"},{"name":"Thai Cabinet / Prime Minister's Office","role":"Final decision on the committee's recommendation"}],"public_contact":"Thai Ministry of Transport, published channels at mot.go.th","corrective_actions":["Government committee recommended terminating the project (ref 1).","Plan to upgrade Ranong Port and add a rail link to the Andaman coast (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Thailand to scrap US$30bil landbridge project","publisher":"The Star (Malaysia)","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2026/07/27/thailand-to-scrap-us30bil-landbridge-project","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Thailand's mega project 'Land Bridge' comes at environmental cost","publisher":"The Nation Thailand","date":"2026-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40066402","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ranong (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranong","basis":"Reference (city coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Nation (19 May 2026) describes the project as proceeding under review, while The Star (27 Jul 2026) reports a recommendation to scrap it; The Star's page showed related stories dated October 2026, so its date display may be unreliable."}],"missing_fields":["Cabinet decision on the committee recommendation not confirmed."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-THA-FISHACT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHATTOGRAM-NCT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chattogram port terminal lease to DP World sparks strikes that stranded ships at the outer anchorage","description":"Bangladesh's interim government moved to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram Port to DP World. The High Court split on a challenge in December 2025 and dismissed a writ petition on 29 January 2026, after which worker strikes paralysed the main terminals from 5 February and outer anchorage operations were suspended on 8 February with more than 50 vessels stranded, per Bonik Barta. Signing was reported as unlikely during the interim government's term.","location":{"name":"New Mooring Container Terminal, Chattogram Port","type":"Container terminal under concession dispute","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Chattogram Port on the Karnaphuli River, Bangladesh's main seaport","coordinates":{"lat":22.313,"lon":91.8,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A dispute over who operates Bangladesh's busiest container terminal and its effect on shipping.","secondary_drivers":["Labour action","Port privatisation dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or physical harm is reported in the port-lease coverage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Outer anchorage operations were suspended on 8 February 2026 with more than 50 vessels stranded and export groups appealing for intervention (ref 2).","scale":"The disruption is limited to one port, although it is Bangladesh's main seaport (ref 2).","duration":"Strikes and protests ran from late January to at least 9 February 2026, a matter of weeks to months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The High Court dismissed the writ petition on 29 January 2026 after a split verdict on 4 December 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Outer anchorage operations were suspended on 8 February 2026 with more than 50 vessels stranded (Bonik Barta, 9 February 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessels stranded at outer anchorage","value":50,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 50' per ref 2, 8 Feb 2026."},{"name":"Proposed lease term","value":15,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Prothom Alo states a 15-year lease to DP World; Bonik Barta does not state a term (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA and EuroCham Bangladesh called for government intervention (ref 2).","The terminal is described as the most profitable at Chattogram Port (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Strike suspended 8 Feb to 15 Feb 2026 with next steps due 16 Feb; later outcome not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Chittagong Port Authority","role":"Port operator and lessor","contact":"https://cpa.gov.bd"},{"name":"Public Private Partnership Authority (Bangladesh)","role":"Concession negotiator","contact":"https://www.pppo.gov.bd"}],"public_contact":"Chittagong Port Authority, published channels at cpa.gov.bd","corrective_actions":["PPP Authority said no signing during the interim government's term (ref 2).","Strike suspended 9 to 15 February 2026 pending talks (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Port authority to take disciplinary action, protestors warn of escalated movement","publisher":"Prothom Alo (English)","date":"2026-01-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/amp/story/bangladesh/xz0maaapcj","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"DP World seeks more time, no NCT deal signing during interim govt's tenure","publisher":"Bonik Barta","date":"2026-02-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.bonikbarta.com/bangladesh/VlSxQBNnrSQtcMSX","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Port of Chittagong (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Chittagong","basis":"Reference (port coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Lease term and terminal cost differ: Prothom Alo gives Tk 27.12 billion and 15 years; Bonik Barta gives about Tk 30 billion and no term."}],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the Appellate Division appeal and later strike actions not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHATTOGRAM-SHIPBREAKING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Nine workers die at a Hong Kong Convention-certified shipbreaking yard in Chattogram","description":"Nine workers, including a 17-year-old, died on 14 August 2026 after exposure to toxic gas inside the LNG carrier MT Rasi at the Ferdous Steel yard in Chattogram, according to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. The group, citing The Daily Star, reports 84 accidents at Bangladeshi yards since the Hong Kong Convention took effect in June 2025, with 15 deaths and 81 injuries. The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association issued a legal notice seeking an independent investigation and the yard's closure.","location":{"name":"Sitakunda shipbreaking yards, Chattogram","type":"Beach shipbreaking coast","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Sitakunda coast north of Chattogram, Bangladesh; ships are dismantled on the beach","coordinates":{"lat":22.6167,"lon":91.6617,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Ship dismantling on beaches exposes workers and the shoreline to hazardous materials and toxic gas.","secondary_drivers":["Hazardous materials in end-of-life ships","Occupational safety failures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Nine workers died from toxic gas inside the MT Rasi on 14 August 2026, and 15 workers have died at Bangladeshi yards since June 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure of a fishery or route is documented in the cited reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The accidents are concentrated at the Chattogram yards on one coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Unions said in May 2026 that conditions were unchanged after mandatory implementation began on 26 June 2025, a year of recurring accidents (ref 2).","significance":"The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments took legal action against the yard a month earlier and BELA issued a legal notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":9,"status":"Reported","note":"Workers killed in the 14 August 2026 incident (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"84 accidents, 15 deaths and 81 injuries at Bangladeshi yards since the Hong Kong Convention entered into force in June 2025, citing The Daily Star (NGO Shipbreaking Platform, 17 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Workers killed at Ferdous Steel","value":9,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"14 Aug 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Yard accidents since HKC entry into force","value":84,"unit":"accidents","status":"Reported","note":"Per The Daily Star as cited in ref 1."},{"name":"Deaths in first four months of 2026","value":3,"unit":"workers","status":"Reported","note":"At least three, per labour leaders (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["European Commission is considering approving beaching yards on the updated EU list (ref 1).","Bangladesh acceded to the Hong Kong Convention on 26 June 2023 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"At least three deaths in Jan to Apr 2026 (ref 2), followed by nine on 14 Aug 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments","role":"Workplace safety regulator","contact":"https://dife.gov.bd"},{"name":"Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)","role":"Legal complainant","contact":"https://belabangla.org"}],"public_contact":"Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, published channels at dife.gov.bd","corrective_actions":["NGO calls for an independent investigation, unannounced inspections and enforcement (ref 1).","DIFE took legal action against the yard about a month before the deaths (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Press Release: Nine shipbreaking workers killed in Bangladesh","publisher":"NGO Shipbreaking Platform","date":"2026-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://shipbreakingplatform.org/nine-shipbreaking-workers-killed-in-bangladesh/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Safety risks persist in shipbreaking sector despite global compliance push: Labour leaders","publisher":"The Business Standard","date":"2026-05-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tbsnews.net/node/1429496","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sitakunda Upazila (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitakunda_Upazila","basis":"Reference (upazila coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ref 1 does not say whether the nine deaths are included in the 15 deaths since June 2025."}],"missing_fields":["Yard's own account and any government investigation result not found.","Advocacy source for the main facts; no official statement opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-SITAKUNDA-SHIPBREAKING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-BANGLADESH-OFFSHORE-ROUND-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bangladesh opens its 2026 offshore oil and gas bidding round for Bay of Bengal blocks","description":"Petrobangla launched the Offshore Bidding Round 2026 on 24 May 2026, offering Bay of Bengal blocks under a revised production sharing contract, with bids due on 30 November 2026. The reports differ on the block count, 27 or 26, and on the shallow-water split. Earlier rounds drew limited investor interest and exploration is expected to begin by end 2027, according to UNB.","location":{"name":"Bangladesh offshore blocks, Bay of Bengal","type":"Offshore licensing round","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD"],"detail":"Shallow and deep-water blocks in Bangladesh's Bay of Bengal waters","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national licensing round that opens new Bay of Bengal acreage to hydrocarbon exploration.","secondary_drivers":["Hydrocarbon exploration","LNG import dependence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No spill, survey damage or ecological harm is reported in the round announcements (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishing or shipping restriction is reported in the round coverage (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The blocks span Bangladesh's national waters in shallow and deep areas (ref 1).","duration":"The round opened 24 May 2026 and closes 30 November 2026, about six months (ref 2).","significance":"Petrobangla issued a formal bidding round with a model PSC for 2026 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bids are due by 1:00 pm on 30 November 2026 for 26 blocks (Financial Express) or 27 blocks (UNB)."},"measures":[{"name":"Blocks offered (Financial Express)","value":26,"unit":"blocks","status":"Reported","note":"11 shallow and 15 deep (ref 2)."},{"name":"Blocks offered (UNB)","value":27,"unit":"blocks","status":"Reported","note":"12 shallow and 15 deep (ref 1)."},{"name":"Exploration period","value":9,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Six years extendable by three (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Total gas supply was about 2.74 bcfd on 24 May 2026, with demand projected at 8 bcfd by 2041 (ref 2).","Offshore exploration is expected to begin by end 2027 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Round still open; outcome not yet known."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petrobangla","role":"National oil and gas company, round organiser","contact":"https://www.petrobangla.org.bd"},{"name":"BAPEX","role":"State exploration company with a mandatory 10% stake in shallow blocks","contact":"https://www.bapex.com.bd"}],"public_contact":"Petrobangla, published channels at petrobangla.org.bd","corrective_actions":["Revised Offshore Model PSC with a cut in the workers' profit participation contribution to 1.5% (ref 1).","Bid documents on sale from 1 June 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bangladesh launches offshore oil and gas bidding round for 27 Bay blocks","publisher":"UNB","date":"2026-05-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/bangladesh-launches-offshore-oil-and-gas-bidding-round-for-27-bay-blocks/186709","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Offshore bid docs go on sale today","publisher":"The Financial Express (Bangladesh)","date":"2026-06-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/offshore-bid-docs-go-on-sale-today","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Block count differs: UNB reports 27 blocks (12 shallow, 15 deep) while The Financial Express reports 26 blocks (11 shallow, 15 deep)."}],"missing_fields":["Environmental assessment requirements for the round not found.","Bid outcome pending."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMAN-GASDISCOVERY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Oil India reports natural gas in a second Andaman offshore well, widening deepwater drilling off the islands","description":"Oil India reported gas in its Vijayapuram-2 well in block AN-OSHP-2018/1 off the Andaman Islands in September 2025 and in Vijayapuram-3 in June 2026, in 355 metres of water about 15 km off the east coast. Appraisal drilling and reservoir studies are next, and commercial production could be years away. ONGC began drilling an ultra-deepwater well in the Andaman offshore in March 2025 without disclosing results.","location":{"name":"Block AN-OSHP-2018/1, east of Andaman Islands","type":"Offshore exploration block","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Andaman Sea, about 15 km off the east coast of the Andaman Islands (India)","coordinates":{"lat":12.5,"lon":92.75,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"New hydrocarbon exploration in a previously little-drilled Andaman Sea basin.","secondary_drivers":["Hydrocarbon exploration drilling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No spill, discharge or ecological harm is reported in the discovery announcements (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or shipping restriction is mentioned in the reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The wells sit within a single block close to the island coast (ref 2).","duration":"Gas was reported in September 2025 and again in June 2026, about nine months apart, with appraisal still pending (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Oil Minister publicly gave the methane content of the first discovery in September 2025 and a second discovery was reported in June 2026, both formal announcements (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Vijayapuram-3 in 355 m of water about 15 km off the Andaman east coast confirmed natural gas (BusinessToday, 5 June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Methane content (Vijayapuram-2)","value":87,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Per the Oil Minister (ref 1)."},{"name":"Water depth (Vijayapuram-3)","value":355,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Distance from east coast (Vijayapuram-3)","value":15,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Commercial production may take several years, sometimes close to a decade, from discovery (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Second reported discovery; reserves not yet sized."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Oil India Limited","role":"Block operator","contact":"https://www.oil-india.com"},{"name":"Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas","role":"Regulatory ministry","contact":"https://mopng.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Oil India Limited, published channels at oil-india.com","corrective_actions":["Appraisal drilling, reservoir studies and commercial viability assessment planned (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil India Discovers Natural Gas in Andaman Shallow Offshore Block","publisher":"Outlook Business (PTI)","date":"2025-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.outlookbusiness.com/industry/oil-india-discovers-natural-gas-in-andaman-shallow-offshore-block","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Andaman gas discovery: Is India's new offshore find a game changer for energy security?","publisher":"Business Today","date":"2026-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.businesstoday.in/amp/india/story/andaman-gas-discovery-is-indias-new-offshore-find-a-game-changer-for-energy-security-535219-2026-06-05","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Andaman Islands (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_Islands","basis":"Reference (island chain coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The first Vijayapuram-2 article puts the well about 17 km offshore in 295 m of water, while Vijayapuram-3 is reported at 15 km and 355 m; they are separate wells."}],"missing_fields":["No environmental assessment or fisheries consultation opened.","ONGC ANE-E well result not found.","An earlier dry well and a November 2024 start date appear only in a search summary and are not used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMANSEA-ROHINGYABOATS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Rohingya sea crossings in 2025 were the deadliest on record in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal","description":"UNHCR said nearly 900 Rohingya were reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal in 2025, the deadliest year on record, with about one in seven of an estimated 6,500 people attempting the crossing lost. In April 2026 UNHCR and IOM said about 250 people were missing after a boat that left Teknaf capsized; nine survivors were rescued near the Andaman Islands. UNHCR is a refugee agency rather than an ocean body, so this is recorded as a maritime safety issue.","location":{"name":"Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal sea routes","type":"Irregular migration sea route","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["BD","MM","IN"],"detail":"Boats leave Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh or Rakhine State in Myanmar, bound for Malaysia or Indonesia","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Maritime safety and search-and-rescue failures along a refugee sea route rather than an environmental harm.","secondary_drivers":["Conflict and displacement","Human smuggling and trafficking"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Nearly 900 Rohingya were reported missing or dead at sea in 2025, UNHCR's highest on record (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or port closure is documented in the sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The route spans the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Crossings continued into 2026 with more than 2,800 people at sea by 13 April 2026 after a deadly 2025 (ref 1).","significance":"UNHCR and IOM issued public statements and figures in April 2026, a formal agency notice (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":900,"status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 900' Rohingya missing or dead at sea in 2025, UNHCR (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than one in seven of the estimated 6,500 Rohingya who attempted the sea crossing in 2025 were reported missing or dead, the highest mortality rate worldwide for refugee and migrant sea journeys (UNHCR via Reuters, 17 April 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rohingya reported missing or dead at sea, 2025","value":900,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 900' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rohingya attempting sea crossings, 2025","value":6500,"unit":"people","status":"Estimated","note":"'Estimated 6,500' by UNHCR (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea journeys, 1 Jan to 13 Apr 2026","value":2800,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 2,800' (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Missing after March 2026 capsizing","value":250,"unit":"people","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimated by UNHCR and IOM (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"UNHCR calls 2025 the deadliest year on record and crossings continued into 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNHCR","role":"UN refugee agency reporting the figures","contact":"https://www.unhcr.org"},{"name":"IOM","role":"UN migration agency","contact":"https://www.iom.int"}],"public_contact":"UNHCR, published channels at unhcr.org","corrective_actions":["UNHCR and IOM issued public statements on the March 2026 capsizing (ref 1).","Nine survivors were rescued on 9 April 2026 near the Andaman Islands (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025 records highest Rohingya death toll at sea: UN agency","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2026-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/incidents/piracy/2025-records-highest-rohingya-death-toll-at-sea-un-agency","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 was deadliest year yet for maritime movements of Rohingya refugees: UNHCR","publisher":"Prothom Alo (English)","date":"2026-04-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.prothomalo.com/international/2yh1vwjhoe","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["UNHCR press release page returned 403 and was not opened; figures are from Reuters and Prothom Alo reports."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-TEKNAF-NAFFLEET-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-KYAUKPHYU-PORT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Kyaukphyu deep-sea port push continues in Myanmar's Rakhine while fighting surrounds the site","description":"China and Myanmar's military government agreed on 17 June 2026 to speed up the Kyaukphyu Deep-Sea Port, with a first phase of about US$1.3 billion and CITIC Consortium holding 70%. Reports from Burma News International and Development Media Group say fighting between junta forces and the Arakan Army continues in Kyaukphyu Township, including near a naval base and a gas storage facility. These are mostly local outlets and the Arakan Army's and junta's claims are unverified.","location":{"name":"Kyaukphyu Deep-Sea Port, Rakhine State","type":"Planned deep-sea port in a conflict zone","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MM"],"detail":"Maday and neighbouring islands, Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine (Arakan) State, Myanmar","coordinates":{"lat":19.425,"lon":93.5315,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A strategic port project whose delivery depends on control of land and sea access amid armed conflict.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Foreign state investment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Daily drone and artillery attacks and naval artillery and airstrikes hit villages around Kyaukphyu according to BNI in September 2025, but there is no documented harm to the marine environment (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Daily attacks are driving residents to flee, and DMG describes broken transport and collapsing livelihoods across Arakan (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The project area is one township, though the corridor concept extends across Myanmar (ref 1).","duration":"Fighting around Kyaukphyu was reported in September 2025 and still in June 2026, about nine months apart (refs 3, 1, 2).","significance":"A China-Myanmar joint statement on 17 June 2026 committed both sides to accelerate the port (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The initial phase is expected to cost about US$1.3 billion, with China's CITIC Consortium holding 70% and Myanmar 30% (BNI, 19 June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Initial phase cost","value":1.3,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1 and ref 2."},{"name":"CITIC Consortium stake","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The port and existing pipelines give China a route to the Bay of Bengal that avoids the Malacca Strait (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Fighting reported in September 2025 and again in June 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Myanmar State Administration Council (military government)","role":"Counterparty to the port concession"},{"name":"Arakan Army / United League of Arakan","role":"Armed group controlling much of Rakhine"}],"public_contact":"No public channel found in the sources opened","corrective_actions":["China and Myanmar agreed on 17 June 2026 to push ahead (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China, junta agree to push ahead with Kyaukphyu Deep-Sea Port Project","publisher":"Burma News International","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bnionline.net/en/node/115665","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"China's Kyaukphyu Push and the Reality of War in Arakan","publisher":"Development Media Group","date":"2026-06-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dmediag.com/review/ckpat.html","basis":"Analysis (local outlet)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Junta launches preemptive strike on AA to avert loss of Sittwe and Kyaukphyu","publisher":"Burma News International (DMG)","date":"2025-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bnionline.net/en/node/111076","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kyaukphyu (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyaukphyu","basis":"Reference (town coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Local outlets report front-line control differently from the junta; Arakan Army and junta claims are not independently verified."}],"missing_fields":["No international or agency source opened; the ports side is not covered in the September 2025 article beyond the cities."],"related_ids":["OC-BEN-TEKNAF-NAFFLEET-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BEN-CARNICOBAR-CABLEFAULT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Undersea fibre cable fault cuts Nancowry and Great Nicobar off from the network in September 2025","description":"A fault on the Car Nicobar to Kamorta segment of the Chennai to Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI) submarine cable, about 1.06 km from the Car Nicobar beach manhole, began on 20 September 2025 and cut Nancowry and Great Nicobar to limited satellite bandwidth. The repair ship ASEAN Restorer was reported heading from Chennai to Car Nicobar on 17 October 2025, with services not yet restored. The cause was not stated.","location":{"name":"CANI cable, Car Nicobar to Kamorta segment","type":"Submarine telecommunications cable","sea":"BEN","seas":["BEN"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"About 1.06 km off Car Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India","coordinates":{"lat":9.17,"lon":92.78,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Damage to a single undersea cable that supplies island connectivity, not an environmental harm.","secondary_drivers":["Single cable dependence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or physical harm other than the cable fault is reported (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Mobile, internet, government and UPI payment services were disrupted in Nancowry and Great Nicobar, with priority given to voice, banking and administration (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The outage affected two island groups served by one cable segment (ref 1).","duration":"The fault began on 20 September 2025 and was still unrepaired on 17 October 2025, almost four weeks (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Only BSNL and administration statements are reported; no formal notice or enforcement action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fault located about 1.06 km from the Beach Manhole at Car Nicobar on 20 September 2025 (Nicobar Times, 25 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fault distance from Car Nicobar manhole","value":1.06,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Days since fault at repair-ship departure","value":27,"unit":"days","status":"Estimated","note":"20 Sep to 17 Oct 2025 per refs 1, 2; computed by this record."},{"name":"Annual O&M cost borne by A&N Administration","value":46.8,"unit":"crore INR","status":"Reported","note":"Per ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Traders were hit during the festive season (ref 2).","Local representatives called for a backup submarine link (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Repair completion not confirmed in the sources opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)","role":"Cable maintenance agency","contact":"https://www.bsnl.co.in"},{"name":"Andaman and Nicobar Administration","role":"Cable owner party to the tripartite agreement"}],"public_contact":"BSNL, published channels at bsnl.co.in","corrective_actions":["ASEAN Restorer mobilised from Chennai for the repair under the SEAIOCMA agreement (ref 2).","Limited satellite bandwidth prioritised for voice, banking and administration (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"CANI Submarine OFC Fault Forces Nancowry and Great Nicobar to Switch to Satellite","publisher":"Nicobar Times","date":"2025-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nicobartimes.com/?p=21622","basis":"News (local)"},{"ref":2,"title":"ASEAN Restorer Underway from Chennai to Car Nicobar to Repair CANI Submarine Cable Fault","publisher":"Nicobar Times","date":"2025-10-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nicobartimes.com/?p=22241","basis":"News (local)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Car Nicobar (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Nicobar","basis":"Reference (island coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (BEN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Repair completion date and cause not found.","Single local outlet; no agency or BSNL release opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NWSHELF-MHW-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record June 2023 marine heatwave across the North Sea and northwest European shelf","description":"A Met Office-led study found the northwest European shelf average ran 2.9 C above the June norm for 16 days, its longest recorded category II marine heatwave, with local anomalies up to 5 C in the central North Sea. A University of Exeter, Met Office and Cefas study reports that the event disrupted phytoplankton blooms and that the annual chance of such an event in the central North Sea rose from 0.7% to 9.8% between 1993 and recent years.","location":{"name":"North Sea and northwest European shelf","type":"Regional sea (shelf marine heatwave)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA","NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","IE"],"detail":"Shelf-wide event around the UK and Ireland; peak week 19-26 June 2023 with local +5 C anomalies in the central and western North Sea (ref 3).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Physical ocean warming event driven by high pressure and long-term shelf warming.","secondary_drivers":["Anticyclonic weather","Long-term sea-surface warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Exeter reports the event significantly disrupted phytoplankton blooms, but its full effect on the ecosystem is still being assessed (ref 1); no mortality is documented, so potential or limited harm.","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources reports a fishery closure or other restriction tied to the June 2023 event (refs 1-3).","scale":"The shelf-wide average, including the North Sea, was +2.9 C above the June climatology (ref 3), a regional-sea event.","duration":"The shelf average stayed in category II for 16 days (ref 3), days to weeks.","significance":"NOAA declared a category IV marine heatwave for parts of the shelf on 17 June 2023 (ref 3) and the Met Office led the peer-reviewed analysis (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The shelf average underwent its longest recorded category II marine heatwave, 16 days at +2.9 C above the June average, with local anomalies up to +5 C (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Shelf-average anomaly, June 2023","value":2.9,"unit":"C above June climatology","status":"Reported","note":"OSTIA satellite analysis in the peer-reviewed study (ref 3)."},{"name":"Duration of category II event","value":16,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Longest recorded category II event on the shelf average (ref 3)."},{"name":"Local peak anomaly","value":5,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Central North Sea and Irish shelf, week of 19-26 June (ref 3)."},{"name":"Annual chance of such an event, central North Sea","value":9.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Rose from 0.7% in 1993 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No fishery or aquaculture loss tied to this event appears in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Exeter reports the chance of such an event in the central North Sea rose from 0.7% to 9.8% a year (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Met Office","role":"National meteorological service (lead analysis)","contact":"https://www.metoffice.gov.uk"},{"name":"Cefas","role":"Marine science advisor to UK government","contact":"https://www.cefas.co.uk"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The studies recommend continued monitoring; no management response is described in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2023 ocean heatwave \"unprecedented but not unexpected\"","publisher":"University of Exeter","date":"2025-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.exeter.ac.uk/?p=23183","basis":"University press release on a peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"June 2023 marine heatwave caused by high pressure","publisher":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory","date":"2024-05-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pml.ac.uk/News/June-2023-marine-heatwave-caused-by-high-pressure","basis":"Research institute news story"},{"ref":3,"title":"Exceptional atmospheric conditions in June 2023 generated a northwest European marine heatwave which contributed to breaking land temperature records","publisher":"Communications Earth & Environment (Berthou et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/537630/1/s43247-024-01413-8.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (accepted 23 April 2024; page shows no publication date)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Ecosystem and fishery impacts of the event are still being assessed (ref 1)."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NORTHSEA-RECORDSST-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NORTHSEA-RECORDSST-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North Sea sets record spring, summer and annual temperatures in 2025 and runs hot again in 2026","description":"The German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) reported the warmest North Sea spring (8.7 C), summer (15.7 C) and year (11.6 C) since its series began, with every month of 2025 above the long-term average. BSH says marine heatwaves are becoming longer and more frequent, and a September 2026 BSH-based report counts 66 marine heatwave days at its Helgoland station by early September 2026.","location":{"name":"North Sea (German Bight to Norway and the Channel)","type":"Regional sea (sea-surface temperature record)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE","DK","NO","GB"],"detail":"BSH basin-wide analysis; largest anomalies off Norway and Denmark in spring, and in the western and southwestern North Sea up to the English Channel in summer (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Record basin-wide sea temperatures are a physical climate signal.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Climate change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BSH says marine heatwaves add pressure on marine ecosystems (ref 3) and NOC observed intense southern North Sea blooms in May 2025 (ref 5), but no mortality is documented, so potential harm.","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources reports a fishery or tourism restriction from the 2025 North Sea warmth (refs 1-5).","scale":"The BSH records cover the whole North Sea, a regional sea (refs 1-3).","duration":"Every month of 2025 was above the long-term average and the annual mean set a record (ref 3); a further heatwave is counted in 2026 (ref 4).","significance":"BSH, the German national agency, formally reported the records and the 11.6 C annual mean as the warmest since 1969 (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"North Sea annual surface temperature 11.6 C in 2025, the warmest since BSH measurements began in 1969, with June and December setting monthly records (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Annual mean surface temperature 2025","value":11.6,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"0.9 C above the 1997-2021 average (ref 3)."},{"name":"Summer (Jun-Aug) mean 2025","value":15.7,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Preliminary BSH figure, warmest since 1969 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Spring mean 2025","value":8.7,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"0.9 C above the long-term average, warmest since analyses began in 1997 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Marine heatwave days at Helgoland-RM, to early Sept 2026","value":66,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Reported in a BSH-based article dated 23 September 2026 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic loss figure appears in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Record in 2025 and, per ref 4, summer 2026 stayed well above the long-term average with 66 heatwave days by early September."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH)","role":"National marine monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.bsh.de"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["BSH continues routine North Sea temperature monitoring and annual reporting (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Water temperatures in North and Baltic seas hit record highs in spring 2025","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire (reporting BSH data)","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/water-temperatures-north-and-baltic-seas-hit-record-highs-spring-2025","basis":"News reporting an agency release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Germany's North Sea hits record temperatures in summer 2025","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire (reporting BSH data)","date":"2025-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germanys-north-sea-hits-record-temperatures-summer-2025","basis":"News reporting an agency release"},{"ref":3,"title":"North Sea temperatures reach record high in 2025; second-warmest year for Baltic Sea","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire (reporting BSH data)","date":"2026-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/north-sea-temperatures-reach-record-high-2025-second-warmest-year-baltic-sea","basis":"News reporting an agency release"},{"ref":4,"title":"A warmer North Sea, higher water levels: what the BSH data for 2026 reveal","publisher":"yacht.de","date":"2026-09-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yacht.de/en/sailing-knowledge/meteorology/a-warmer-north-sea-higher-water-levels-what-the-bsh-data-for-2026-reveal/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Rolling updates: NOC scientist tracks unfolding UK marine heatwave","publisher":"National Oceanography Centre","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.noc.ac.uk/news/rolling-updates-noc-scientist-tracks-unfolding-uk-marine-heatwave","basis":"Research institute rolling report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"BSH figures for summer 2025 were labelled preliminary in ref 2; the later annual figure in ref 3 is the final one."}],"missing_fields":["The BSH original releases were not opened; figures are as reported by Clean Energy Wire."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-SKAGERRAK-MHW-2025","OC-NSEA-NWSHELF-MHW-2023"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-SKAGERRAK-MHW-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Skagerrak marine heatwave in July 2025 equals the temperature record while kelp retreats along the coast","description":"The Norwegian Meteorological Institute reported sea temperatures of 22-23 C, at least 5 C above normal, from Trondelag to Sweden and Denmark in July 2025. The Institute of Marine Research recorded 23.8 C at its Skagerrak station on 24 July, matching the 2008 record, while the Norwegian Environment Agency reported in October 2025 that kelp and large algae now grow at least 3 m shallower at over 40% of monitored Skagerrak stations.","location":{"name":"Skagerrak coast of southern Norway","type":"Coastal sea strait (marine heatwave and kelp decline)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NO","SE","DK"],"detail":"Norwegian Skagerrak coast with the warm anomaly extending to Sweden and Denmark (ref 1); kelp monitoring covers Norwegian Okokyst stations (ref 2).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Heat extremes and warming-linked habitat decline on a coastal sea.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Increased rainfall and runoff","Reduced light"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Okokyst monitoring found kelp and large algae growing at least 3 m shallower at over 40% of Skagerrak stations and algal condition worse in 60% of areas (ref 2); heat is one of several drivers named.","livelihoods":"No fishery or aquaculture restriction on the Skagerrak coast is reported; only a warning of stress to fish and a 2024 lice surge in northern Norway (ref 1).","scale":"The warm water ran from the Trondelag coast to Sweden and Denmark (ref 1) and the kelp decline spans the Skagerrak coast (ref 2), a regional sea.","duration":"The algae decline covers 2021-2024 (ref 2) and the heat event came in summer 2025 (ref 1), so recurring over years.","significance":"The Norwegian Environment Agency published the monitoring finding as a formal agency report and plans a 2025-summer impact analysis (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Institute of Marine Research logged a Skagerrak average of 22 C from June to 26 July 2025 and 23.8 C on 24 July, matching the 2008 record; typical is about 16 C (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak daily temperature, IMR Skagerrak station (24 July 2025)","value":23.8,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Matches the 2008 record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Stations where kelp grows at least 3 m shallower","value":40,"unit":"% (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Okokyst monitoring 2021-2024 vs the survey 2-3 years earlier (ref 2)."},{"name":"Areas with worse algal ecological condition","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Okokyst report summarised by the agency (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Shrinking kelp beds reduce spawning and nursery areas for fish (ref 2).","The Meteorological Institute warned of stress and higher mortality among fish and marine life (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Kelp depth limit retreated at over 40% of stations between surveys, and summer 2025 set a record-equalling temperature (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljodirektoratet)","role":"Okokyst coastal monitoring programme","contact":"https://www.miljodirektoratet.no"},{"name":"Institute of Marine Research (IMR)","role":"Marine temperature monitoring","contact":"https://www.hi.no"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The Environment Agency plans next year an analysis of how the hot 2025 summer affected Norwegian coastal environments (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Unusually warm sea: \"This affects all of Scandinavia. It's extreme\"","publisher":"ScienceNorway","date":"2025-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sciencenorway.no/a/2536244","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Skagerrakkysten blir stadig hardare ramma av klimaendringar","publisher":"Miljodirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency)","date":"2025-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/aktuelt/nyheter/2025/oktober-2025/skagerrakkysten-rammes-stadig-hardere-av-klimaendringer/","basis":"Agency news item (Norwegian-language official source)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Page is in Norwegian (ref 2).","Kelp decline is attributed mainly to runoff, lower salinity and poorer light as well as heat (ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NORTHSEA-RECORDSST-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-HEMSBY-EROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hemsby cliff-top homes demolished as erosion takes half of a 30-year forecast in one winter","description":"Great Yarmouth Borough Council warned owners of 14 homes on The Marrams and Fakes Road in January 2026 that they could collapse onto the beach and advised residents to vacate. An April 2026 report says 32 properties had been demolished at Hemsby since December and roughly half of the erosion predicted for the next 30 years happened over the winter.","location":{"name":"Hemsby, Norfolk coast","type":"Eroding sand-dune coast","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"The Marrams and Fakes Road, Hemsby, Norfolk, England; Great Yarmouth Borough Council area (ref 1).","coordinates":{"lat":52.69764,"lon":1.69115,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal erosion and storm exposure on a retreating shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Storm waves","Dune erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Thirty-two properties were demolished since December 2025 after erosion made them unsafe, and the council cited a clear risk to life and property (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Residents were told to vacate and the council had housed seven households by 9 January 2026 (ref 2), displacement of a community.","scale":"The documented losses are at one village frontage on The Marrams and Fakes Road (refs 1-3), a single site.","duration":"More than 10 m of land was lost in just over a year and about 100 m of dunes since the 1940s (ref 3); erosion is chronic.","significance":"The council formally wrote to the owners of 14 properties and advised them to vacate (refs 1, 2), a formal notice though not a statutory order."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":14,"status":"Reported","note":"Homes at immediate risk of collapse in January 2026 (ref 1); not a count of people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Roughly half the erosion predicted for the next 30 years happened over the last winter; 32 properties demolished at Hemsby since December 2025 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Properties demolished since December 2025","value":32,"unit":"properties","status":"Reported","note":"Report dated 27 April 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Properties the council wrote to as at risk","value":14,"unit":"properties","status":"Reported","note":"The Marrams and Fakes Road, January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Land lost in just over a year","value":10,"unit":"m (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Homeowners face demolition and loss of homes; the council said it lacks statutory powers to force residents to leave (ref 2).","Local campaign group says defended and undefended sections are being chosen (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ref 3 reports about half of the 30-year predicted erosion occurred in one winter."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Great Yarmouth Borough Council","role":"Local authority and coastal erosion manager","contact":"https://www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Council housing team based in Hemsby advises affected owners and offered accommodation (refs 1, 2).","Demolition of unsafe homes continued into April 2026 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hemsby homes face imminent risk of collapse due to erosion and Storm Goretti","publisher":"Greatest Hits Radio","date":"2026-01-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits-radio-80s/uk/news/hemsby-homes-risk-collapse-due-to-erosion-storm-goretti","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Speed of coastal erosion described as 'frightening' as more homes demolished","publisher":"PA Media via Irish News","date":"2026-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ie.irishnews.com/news/uk/speed-of-coastal-erosion-described-as-frightening-as-more-homes-demolished-7OP5XF4KTZJB3PK6CQI3EKSCIY","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Three homes in Hemsby to be demolished after more erosion","publisher":"Greatest Hits Radio","date":"2026-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/norfolk/news/three-homes-hemsby-demolished-more-erosion","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Hemsby (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemsby","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Council primary notice and Environment Agency figures were not opened; reporting is from regional and national news."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-SKIPSEA-EROSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-SKIPSEA-EROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Skipsea residents on Holderness coast lose homes to up to 4.5 m a year of erosion","description":"East Riding Council said in July 2026 that East Yorkshire has some of the fastest eroding coastline in Europe, with some areas losing up to 4.5 m a year, and that residents of Green Lane, Skipsea face losing their homes while some households have already moved away. A GBP 3.1 million social-rent scheme at Church Farm, about a mile inland, gives priority to those who have lost or risk losing homes.","location":{"name":"Skipsea, Holderness coast","type":"Eroding boulder-clay cliff coast","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Green Lane, Skipsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England; Changing Coasts East Riding project area (ref 1).","coordinates":{"lat":53.97778,"lon":-0.22,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Chronic coastal erosion of a retreating shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The council says residents of Green Lane face losing their homes to the sea and some households have already been forced to move away (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Households have been displaced and priority rehousing was built inland at Church Farm (ref 1).","scale":"The documented case is the Skipsea frontage within a wider eroding coast (ref 1); scored as a single site.","duration":"Erosion of up to 4.5 m a year on a coast described as among the fastest eroding in Europe (ref 1) is chronic.","significance":"East Riding Council secured GBP 15 million of Defra funding via the Environment Agency in 2022 for Changing Coasts East Riding (ref 1), a formal programme."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Some areas of the East Yorkshire coast lose up to 4.5 metres a year (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum erosion rate, East Yorkshire coast","value":4.5,"unit":"m per year","status":"Reported","note":"Council statement quoted by the Holderness Gazette (ref 1)."},{"name":"Social-rent homes at Church Farm","value":9,"unit":"homes","status":"Reported","note":"Five bungalows and four houses, GBP 3.1 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Changing Coasts East Riding funding","value":15,"unit":"GBP million","status":"Reported","note":"Secured 2022 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Residents lose homes; rehousing needs a GBP 3.1 million scheme part-funded by Homes England (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Ref 1 gives a current maximum rate but no comparison over time."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"East Riding of Yorkshire Council","role":"Local authority; Changing Coasts East Riding","contact":"https://www.eastriding.gov.uk"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Nine affordable homes at Church Farm, with priority for residents who lost or risk losing homes (ref 1).","Changing Coasts East Riding support for coastal communities (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Skipsea Church Farm affordable homes for residents affected by coastal erosion","publisher":"Holderness Gazette","date":"2026-07-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://holderness-gazette.co.uk/?p=10556","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Skipsea (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skipsea","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Number of homes lost since 2023 was not found in an opened page.","Page title for ref 1 is descriptive."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-HEMSBY-EROSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-SYLT-SANDEROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sylt loses about 1.2 million cubic metres of sand a year, prompting a 39 million euro replenishment programme to 2028","description":"Schleswig-Holstein approved about EUR 39 million in February 2025 for around 5.6 million cubic metres of sand on Sylt in 2025-2028, because the west coast loses about 1 million cubic metres a year and storm surges are increasing the strain. The state coastal agency says the island loses about 1.2 million cubic metres a year and placed 1.3 million cubic metres in 2026 at a cost of about EUR 9.2 million.","location":{"name":"Sylt west coast","type":"Barrier island sandy coast","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE"],"detail":"West coast of Sylt, North Frisia, Schleswig-Holstein; Hörnum, Rantum, Wenningstedt/Kampen, List (ref 3).","coordinates":{"lat":54.9,"lon":8.333,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Chronic coastal erosion and storm-surge exposure on a barrier island.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surges","Sea level rise","Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Sylt master plan calculates about 1 million cubic metres of sand lost a year on the west coast (ref 1); no damage count is given, so limited harm.","livelihoods":"None of the opened sources reports a closure or displacement; the sand is placed to prevent loss (refs 1-3).","scale":"The documented programme covers Sylt beaches and its foreshore (ref 3), a single island.","duration":"Replenishment has run since 1972 and the loss is about 1.2 million cubic metres every year (ref 3), a chronic problem.","significance":"The Schleswig-Holstein cabinet approved about EUR 39 million for 2025-2028 on 18 February 2025 (ref 1), a formal funding decision."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The island loses about 1.2 million cubic metres of sand a year, so regular replenishment has taken place since 1972 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned sand replenishment 2025-2028","value":5.6,"unit":"million m3","status":"Reported","note":"About 3.9 million m3 on the west coast beach and about 1 million m3 on the foreshore sandbank (ref 1)."},{"name":"Programme cost 2025-2028","value":39,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"State cabinet decision, 18 Feb 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sand placed in 2026 season","value":1.3,"unit":"million m3","status":"Reported","note":"About EUR 9.2 million, 8.15 km of beach (ref 3)."},{"name":"Relative sea level rise over about a century","value":20,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"State press release, March 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Recurring public spending of about EUR 8.6-9.2 million a year on sand (refs 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The agency called the 2025-26 storm-surge season calmer than the one before (ref 3); the annual loss stays near 1.2 million m3."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"LKN.SH (Schleswig-Holstein coastal protection agency)","role":"Coastal protection operator","contact":"https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/LKN"},{"name":"Schleswig-Holstein state government","role":"Funder","contact":"https://www.schleswig-holstein.de"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["About 5.6 million m3 of sand planned for 2025-2028 (ref 1).","Reinforcement of the Frischwassertal revetment, about EUR 14.8 million (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sandvorspulungen auf Sylt (cabinet decision)","publisher":"Government of Schleswig-Holstein","date":"2025-02-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/V/Presse/PI/2025/02/250218_Sandvorsp%C3%BClungen","basis":"Government press release (German-language official source)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sylt sand replenishment 2024 press release","publisher":"Government of Schleswig-Holstein","date":"2024-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/V/Presse/PI/2024/03/240318_Sylt","basis":"Government press release (German-language official source)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sandaufspulung Sylt 2026","publisher":"LKN.SH","date":"2026-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/LKN/Presse/Pressemeldungen/2026/MeldungSandaufspuelungSylt_04-2026","basis":"Agency press release (German-language official source)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Sylt (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylt","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Pages are in German; titles for refs 1-3 are descriptive."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-EASTFRISIA-SURGEEROSION-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-EASTFRISIA-SURGEEROSION-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Storm surges strip beaches on the East Frisian Islands in winter 2023-24 and autumn 2024","description":"A dpa survey of island municipalities after the 2023-24 storm surges found about 80,000 cubic metres of sand missing on Wangerooge and 60,000 on Baltrum, boardwalk washed away on Borkum, and Norderney unable to operate its main beach for tourism without new sand. In November 2024 Wangerooge again reported sand cliffs up to 2 m high and about 20% of the protective sand washed away.","location":{"name":"East Frisian Islands, Lower Saxony","type":"Barrier island beaches and dunes","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE"],"detail":"Wangerooge, Baltrum, Norderney, Borkum, Langeoog and neighbouring North Frisian islands; Hamburg Fischmarkt flooded in the January 2024 surge (ref 3).","coordinates":{"lat":53.733,"lon":7.417,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm-surge erosion of island beaches and dunes.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surges","Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Wangerooge main beach was nearly washed away with about 80,000 m3 missing and parts of the Borkum boardwalk were destroyed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Norderney cannot run its Weisse Dune for summer tourism without new sand and a section on Amrum was temporarily closed (ref 1).","scale":"Losses were reported across most East and North Frisian islands (ref 1), a national coastline segment.","duration":"Damage was reported after winter 2023-24 (ref 1) and again in November 2024 (ref 2), repeated over two storm seasons, with repairs each spring.","significance":"Lower Saxony set aside EUR 700,000 for beach restoration, a formal public response (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 80,000 m3 of sand is missing on Wangerooge and about 60,000 m3 on Baltrum after the 2023-24 surges (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sand missing, Wangerooge (2023-24 season)","value":80000,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"dpa survey of island municipalities (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sand missing, Baltrum","value":60000,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"Estimate by the mayor (ref 1)."},{"name":"Protective sand lost, Wangerooge NE beaches (Nov 2024)","value":20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"State funds for beach restoration","value":700000,"unit":"EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Lower Saxony economics ministry (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hamburg peak, January 2024 surge","value":2,"unit":"m above mean high water (just under)","status":"Reported","note":"Fischmarkt flooded (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Island tourism beaches at risk; Wangerooge estimated EUR 400,000 for trucked sand (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Heavy losses in 2023-24 and again in autumn 2024 (refs 1, 2); a Schleswig-Holstein source calls 2025-26 calmer on Sylt but no East Frisian comparison was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NLWKN (Lower Saxony coastal protection agency)","role":"Responsible coastal authority","contact":"https://www.nlwkn.niedersachsen.de"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Trucked sand deliveries to Wangerooge and Baltrum in spring 2024 (ref 1).","Island municipality seeks beach replenishment by pumped sand-water mix (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sand fehlt: Sturmflut-Saison sorgt fur erhebliche Probleme auf den Ostfriesischen Inseln","publisher":"leinetal24 (dpa)","date":"2024-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.leinetal24.de/niedersachsen/sturmflut-saison-inseln-norderney-baltrum-wangerooge-92897984.html","basis":"News (German-language wire report)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sturm bedroht Nordsee-Insel: Dunen in Gefahr","publisher":"leinetal24","date":"2024-11-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.leinetal24.de/niedersachsen/sturm-bedroht-nordsee-insel-duenen-in-gefahr-niedersachsen-wattenmeer-93425591.html","basis":"News (German-language)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sturmflut trifft deutsche Nordseekuste","publisher":"wetter.at","date":"2024-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wetter.at/wetter/news/sturmflut-trifft-deutsche-nordseekueste/581995633","basis":"News (German-language)"},{"ref":4,"title":"East Frisian Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Frisian_Islands","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates of the island group"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Pages are in German and titles for refs 2 and 3 are approximate.","No official NLWKN damage report was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-SYLT-SANDEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-TIDALFLATS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"German Wadden Sea tidal basins found no longer to keep pace with sea level rise","description":"A Hereon study published in Communications Earth & Environment found that of 24 German Bight tidal basins only 9 gained height faster than relative sea level rose in 1998-2022, and only 4 in the past decade. The authors say earlier elevation data overstated sediment build-up and that coastal protection needs are likely greater than assessed.","location":{"name":"German Bight tidal basins (Wadden Sea)","type":"Tidal flat system","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE","NL"],"detail":"German Wadden Sea tidal basins (24 basins analysed); an NCK abstract compares Dutch and German basins (ref 3).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Physical response of tidal flats to relative sea level rise.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Reduced sediment supply"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Fewer than half of the basins keep pace with sea level rise after correction, a potential risk of tidal flat drowning rather than documented loss (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No restriction or closure is reported; the authors say coastal protection needs are likely greater than assessed (ref 2).","scale":"The analysis covers 24 German Bight basins along a national Wadden Sea coast (ref 1).","duration":"The data run 1998-2022 and the shortfall persists in the past decade (ref 1), a chronic trend.","significance":"A peer-reviewed study and institutional press release, not a regulator notice or enforcement action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Of 24 German Bight tidal basins, only 9 gained height faster than relative sea level rose from 1998 to 2022, and only 4 in the past decade (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Basins keeping pace with sea level rise, 1998-2022","value":9,"unit":"of 24 basins","status":"Reported","note":"Hereon press release (ref 1)."},{"name":"Basins keeping pace, last decade","value":4,"unit":"of 24 basins","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Corrected tidal flat growth range","value":null,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Not reported","note":"Corrected growth 0.2 to 6.8 mm/yr versus 0.7 to 19.3 mm/yr in original data (ref 2); range, not one value."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The authors say coastal protection needs are likely greater than previously assessed (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Fewer basins kept pace in the past decade (4) than over 1998-2022 (9) (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute of Coastal Systems","role":"Research institute","contact":"https://www.hereon.de"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Researchers plan to investigate why sedimentation declined (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hereon press release on sediment supply in German Bight tidal basins","publisher":"Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon via idw","date":"2025-11-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://idw-online.de/de/news862003","basis":"Research institution press release (German-language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Wadden Sea more vulnerable to sea level rise than previously thought","publisher":"Climate Change Post","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climatechangepost.com/news/wadden-sea-more-vulnerable-to-sea-level-rise-than-previously-thought/","basis":"News summary of peer-reviewed study (Miao et al. 2025)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Are the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea drowning?","publisher":"Netherlands Centre for Coastal Research (NCK) Book of Abstracts 2026","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nck-web.org/boa-2026/are-the-tidal-flats-of-the-wadden-sea-drowning","basis":"Conference abstract (preliminary results; no date shown)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"NCK abstract (ref 3, preliminary) says German basins accrete faster than current sea level rise on a volume basis while Dutch basins are slower; results depend on method, which the authors say explains differing studies."}],"missing_fields":["Original journal page was not opened; figures come from the Hereon release and a news summary."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026","OC-NSEA-NETHERLANDS-SEALEVEL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NETHERLANDS-SEALEVEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dutch Sea Level Rise Knowledge Programme concludes coast can hold to 3 m but freshwater shortages begin at 0.5 m","description":"The six-year Sea Level Rise Knowledge Programme published its final report on 23 June 2026. It finds the current strategy of sand nourishment, dikes and storm surge barriers can technically handle up to 3 m of sea level rise, probably 5 m, but salt intrusion is already increasing and 0.5 m of rise would double the freshwater needed to flush polders.","location":{"name":"Dutch North Sea coast","type":"National coastline (sea level rise planning)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NL"],"detail":"Netherlands national coastal defence strategy under the Delta Programme; final report of the Sea Level Rise Knowledge Programme (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Long-term physical sea level planning for a national coast.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Salt intrusion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Salt intrusion is already increasing and will intensify with sea level rise, a documented but not yet damaging trend (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction yet; at 0.5 m of rise polder flushing needs twice the freshwater and a national shortage develops (ref 1).","scale":"The programme assesses the whole Dutch coast and the Rhine and Meuse supply (ref 1), a national coastline.","duration":"The programme ran six years and addresses multi-decade rise (refs 1, 2), a chronic long-term issue.","significance":"Rijkswaterstaat published the programme final report on 23 June 2026 with a statement from the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management (ref 1), a formal government publication rather than an enforcement step."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The current protection strategy could technically handle up to 3 m of sea level rise and probably up to 5 m, but at 1 m the Rhine and Meuse would not meet freshwater demand (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea level rise at which polder flushing demand doubles","value":0.5,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Sea level rise at which river inflow cannot meet freshwater demand","value":1,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Rhine and Meuse (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rise the current protection strategy can technically handle","value":3,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Probably up to 5 m (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The strategy requires sufficient funding, personnel, reserved space for dikes and nearby sand and clay (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ref 1 says salt intrusion is already increasing and storm surge barriers will close more often as seas rise."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Rijkswaterstaat","role":"Coastal and water management agency","contact":"https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl"},{"name":"Delta Programme (Deltaprogramma)","role":"National flood and freshwater planning programme","contact":"https://www.deltaprogramma.nl"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The programme final report and studies are published on the Delta Programme website (ref 2); the strategy requires funding, personnel and reserved space for dike reinforcement (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kennisprogramma Zeespiegelstijging komt met resultaten","publisher":"Rijkswaterstaat","date":"2026-06-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/nieuws/archief/2026/06/kennisprogramma-zeespiegelstijging-komt-met-resultaten","basis":"Agency news item (Dutch-language official source)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Kennisprogramma Zeespiegelstijging komt met resultaten","publisher":"IPLO (Information Point for the Living Environment)","date":"2026-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iplo.nl/thema/water/nieuws-water/2026/kennisprogramma-zeespiegelstijging-komt-resultaten/","basis":"Government information portal (Dutch-language official source)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The full final report and the ministerial letter were not opened; use of the results in the Delta Programme recalibration was seen only in a search snippet and is not claimed."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-TIDALFLATS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-FLANDERS-COASTALSAFETY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Flemish Coastal Safety Master Plan only partly delivered and over its 300 million euro budget, Belgian auditors find","description":"A Belgian Court of Audit presentation of October 2025 reports that the 2011 Coastal Safety Master Plan is only partially realised, the 1-in-1,000-year storm standard is not yet achieved, and the original budget of EUR 300 million is exceeded. It was based on a 30 cm sea level rise by 2050; the follow-on Coastal Vision studies up to 3 m by 2100 and its preferred alternatives are not yet approved.","location":{"name":"Flemish coast (Belgium)","type":"National coastline (coastal flood defence)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BE"],"detail":"67 km Belgian coast (ref 2); the point marks Ostend (ref 3).","coordinates":{"lat":51.22583,"lon":2.91944,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Governance gap in flood defence against sea level rise and storm surge.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The audit says the safety standard against a 1,000-year storm and sea level rise is not yet achieved, a potential flood risk with no flood damage reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported; the audit covers delivery and cost (ref 1).","scale":"The plan covers the 67 km Belgian coast (ref 2), a national coastline.","duration":"The master plan dates from 2011 and the Coastal Vision project from 2017 and is still unfinished (ref 1).","significance":"A national audit institution presented findings (not yet published) to the EUROSAI working group in October 2025 (ref 1), a formal oversight step."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The audit finds the Masterplan only partially realised, the 1000-year storm standard not yet achieved, and the EUR 300 million original budget already exceeded (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Original Masterplan budget","value":300,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"Audit says already exceeded; additional financing unclear (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastline length","value":67,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Flemish government page (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sea level rise assumed by the Masterplan","value":30,"unit":"cm by 2050","status":"Reported","note":"The audit calls this a rather optimistic scenario (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Budget overrun and unclear additional financing (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The audit findings were pre-publication in October 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works and Maritime Services and Coast Agency","role":"Plan owner","contact":"https://www.vlaanderen.be/departement-mobiliteit-en-openbare-werken"},{"name":"Belgian Court of Audit","role":"Auditor","contact":"https://www.ccrek.be"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Coastal Vision project drafting a post-2050 strategy for up to 3 m of sea level rise; a preferred alternative per beach zone exists but is not yet approved by the Flemish Government (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coastal protection in Flanders (audit pre-publication phase), SAI Belgium, EUROSAI WGEA, October 2025","publisher":"Belgian Court of Audit (SAI Belgium)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eurosaiwgea.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/S3_02_Belgium_Coastal-protection-in-Flanders-2025_SAI-Belgium.pdf","basis":"Audit institution presentation (shows October 2025, no day)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Voorbereid op zeespiegelstijging en stormen","publisher":"Flemish Government (Kustvisie)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.vlaanderen.be/kustvisie/over-kustvisie/voorbereid-op-zeespiegelstijging-en-stormen","basis":"Government page (Dutch-language, no date shown)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ostend (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostend","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Audit findings were marked not yet published; the final report was not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-JUTLAND-COASTPROTECT-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Danish west coast between Lodbjerg and Nymindegab retreats up to 8 m a year without annual sand nourishment","description":"The Danish Coastal Authority plan of October 2024 says the 116 km coast between Lodbjerg and Nymindegab is almost entirely a retreating coast: without yearly protection it would retreat 6-8 m a year north of Thorsminde and 1-4 m a year elsewhere, and about 10,000 properties worth about DKK 13.6 billion would be threatened by erosion and flooding within 25 years. The state nourishes about 4.4 million cubic metres of sand a year.","location":{"name":"Jutland west coast, Lodbjerg to Nymindegab","type":"Retreating dune coast (state coastal protection)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK"],"detail":"Dune barrier protecting Nissum Fjord and Ringkobing Fjord hinterland; highest safety standard at Thyborøn/Harboøre Tange (ref 1).","coordinates":{"lat":56.61944,"lon":8.17889,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal retreat and flood risk managed through state sand nourishment.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Storm surge","Sea level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The plan describes risk without protection, about 10,000 properties threatened within 25 years (ref 1); no loss under current protection is reported.","livelihoods":"No closure is reported; the nourishment keeps the coastline in place (ref 1).","scale":"The 116 km stretch is a national coastline segment (ref 1).","duration":"The joint protection agreements date from 1983 and the plan covers continuing annual nourishment (ref 1), chronic.","significance":"The Danish Coastal Authority set formal safety requirements: 1,000-year storm at Thyborøn and 100-year elsewhere, with dune width and height rising with climate change (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Without annual protection the coast north of Thorsminde would retreat 6-8 m a year and about 10,000 properties worth about DKK 13.6 billion would be threatened within 25 years (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Retreat without protection, north of Thorsminde","value":8,"unit":"m per year (upper end of 6-8)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Properties threatened within 25 years without protection","value":10000,"unit":"properties","status":"Reported","note":"About DKK 13.6 billion at 2021 prices (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average annual nourishment","value":4.4,"unit":"million m3 per year","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["About DKK 13.6 billion of property would be threatened without the programme (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The plan describes a continuing annual nourishment effort holding the shoreline (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Danish Coastal Authority (Kystdirektoratet)","role":"State coastal protection authority","contact":"https://www.kyst.dk"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Annual sand nourishment of about 4.4 million m3, 40% on the beach and 60% nearshore (ref 1).","Maintenance of 83 groynes, 27 km of slope protection and 92 breakwaters (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kystdirektoratets plan for kystbeskyttelse, Lodbjerg - Nymindegab","publisher":"Kystdirektoratet (Danish Coastal Authority)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mst.dk/media/v1xbpmop/kystdirektoratets-plan-for-kystbeskyttelse-lodbjerg-nymindegab.pdf","basis":"Agency plan (Danish-language official source; shows October 2024, no day)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Harboore (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harboøre","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Plan is in Danish and dated October 2024 (day not shown, so the source date is null).","A March 2026 Coastal Authority item on nourishment was not opened (blocked)."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NORTHSEA-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Acidification documented across the OSPAR area incl. the Greater North Sea, with shelf bottom waters projected corrosive by 2030","description":"OSPAR Quality Status Report 2023 states acidification has been observed in all OSPAR regions, with pH declining faster in shallow coastal regions than the open ocean. A February 2025 MCCIP update led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory projects that bottom waters on the northwest European shelf could become corrosive to aragonite as early as 2030 under high emissions, and up to 90% of these shelf seas could be undersaturated for at least one month a year by 2100.","location":{"name":"Greater North Sea and northwest European shelf","type":"Regional sea (ocean acidification)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA","NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","NL","DE","DK","NO","BE"],"detail":"OSPAR Region II (Greater North Sea) within the whole OSPAR maritime area; MCCIP projections cover northwest European shelf seas (refs 1-3).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Chemical change in seawater carbon system driven by CO2 uptake.","secondary_drivers":["Atmospheric CO2 uptake"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"PML reports acidification observed in all OSPAR regions (ref 2) and the QSR synthesis says it particularly harms calcareous or shelled organisms (ref 4); projections of corrosive bottom water are potential, not yet documented harm (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or shellfish restriction tied to North Sea acidification is reported in the cited sources (refs 1-3).","scale":"The OSPAR assessment covers all five regions including the Greater North Sea (ref 1), and the MCCIP projection covers the shelf seas (ref 3).","duration":"Acidification is an ongoing multi-decade trend projected to continue to 2050 and beyond (refs 2, 3).","significance":"OSPAR is the regional sea convention and its QSR 2023 is an agreed formal assessment (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Acidification has been observed in all OSPAR regions and pH is declining at faster rates in shallow coastal regions than in the open ocean (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Year bottom waters on the NW European shelf could become aragonite-corrosive (high emissions)","value":2030,"unit":"year","status":"Estimated","note":"Model projection in the MCCIP update (ref 3)."},{"name":"Share of shelf seas undersaturated in calcium carbonate at least one month a year by 2100","value":90,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Estimated","note":"Model projection (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Shellfish and plankton shell formation are named as at risk (ref 3); no loss figure is given."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"OSPAR and MCCIP project continued pH decline (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"OSPAR Commission","role":"Regional sea convention","contact":"https://www.ospar.org"},{"name":"MCCIP (Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership), led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory","role":"Rolling evidence update","contact":"https://pml.ac.uk"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["OSPAR monitoring and assessment under its ocean acidification work (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"OSPAR's Quality Status Report 2023 is live","publisher":"OSPAR Commission","date":"2023-09-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ospar.org/news/ospars-quality-status-report-2023-is-live","basis":"Regional sea convention news item"},{"ref":2,"title":"How healthy is the North-East Atlantic? Findings from the OSPAR Quality Status Report","publisher":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory","date":"2023-09-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pml.ac.uk/news/how-healthy-is-the-north-east-atlantic-findings-fr/","basis":"Research institute summary of QSR 2023"},{"ref":3,"title":"UK waters facing accelerated ocean acidification, new PML-led study reveals","publisher":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory (MCCIP Rolling Evidence Update)","date":"2025-02-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pml.ac.uk/news/uk-waters-facing-accelerated-ocean-acidification-new-pml-led-study-reveals/","basis":"Research institute news on MCCIP update"},{"ref":4,"title":"OSPAR QSR 2023 synthesis report, chapter 9: Climate change and ocean acidification","publisher":"OSPAR Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oap.ospar.org/en/ospar-assessments/quality-status-reports/qsr-2023/synthesis-report/considering-cc-oa/","basis":"Regional sea convention assessment (no date shown on page)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["North Sea-specific pH values were not found in the opened pages; the OSPAR Greater North Sea assessment page was not opened.","Ref 3 covers UK and northwest European shelf seas, not the North Sea alone."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-SKAGERRAK-OXYGEN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Seabed oxygen depletion shrinks in the North Sea and Skagerrak but Kattegat bottom waters stay hypoxic in 2025","description":"DTU Aqua reported in September 2024 that the seabed area negatively affected by oxygen depletion in the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat fell from 3% in 2014-2016 to 1% in 2017-2022, while several Kattegat seabed habitats remain affected. SMHI's late-summer 2025 cruise found open Skagerrak water generally well oxygenated with one hypoxic coastal station, and most Kattegat bottom water hypoxic.","location":{"name":"North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat bottom waters","type":"Regional sea (seabed oxygen depletion)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","SE"],"detail":"Danish waters of the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat (ref 1); Swedish Skagerrak and Kattegat monitoring (ref 2). The Kattegat borders the Baltic, so part of this record may sit with BAL.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Oxygen loss in bottom water is a physical-chemical change affecting seabed habitats.","secondary_drivers":[],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"DTU Aqua says several Kattegat seabed habitats are negatively affected by oxygen depletion (ref 1) and SMHI found acute hypoxia (below 2 ml/l) in Skalderviken in 2025 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure is reported in either source (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The assessment spans Danish North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat waters (ref 1), a regional sea.","duration":"The DTU comparison covers 2014-2016 and 2017-2022 and SMHI found hypoxia in both 2024 and 2025 summers (refs 1, 2), recurring across seasons.","significance":"DTU Aqua prepared the analysis to support the national marine strategy descriptor 6 status (ref 1), a formal assessment input."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The seabed area negatively affected by oxygen depletion fell from 3% in 2014-2016 to 1% in 2017-2022 across the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Seabed area affected by oxygen depletion, 2014-2016","value":3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat combined (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seabed area affected by oxygen depletion, 2017-2022","value":1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same area (ref 1)."},{"name":"Lowest Kattegat bottom oxygen, Skalderviken, Aug-Sept 2025","value":2,"unit":"ml/l (below)","status":"Reported","note":"Below the acute hypoxia limit; most benthic animals negatively affected (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic signal in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Affected area fell from 3% to 1% (ref 1), but Kattegat hypoxia continued in 2025 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"DTU Aqua (National Institute of Aquatic Resources)","role":"Danish marine strategy analysis","contact":"https://www.aqua.dtu.dk"},{"name":"SMHI","role":"Swedish marine monitoring","contact":"https://www.smhi.se"}],"public_contact":"The body's published general enquiries channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Continued national monitoring under the marine strategy and SMHI cruise surveys (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oxygen loss and fishing put pressure on the seas around Denmark","publisher":"DTU Aqua","date":"2024-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aqua.dtu.dk/en/english/news-archive/2024/09/oxygen-loss-and-fishing-put-pressure-on-the-seas-around-denmark","basis":"Research institute news (report to support marine strategy)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cruise report from R/V Svea, week 34-35 2025","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2025-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/en/publications-from-smhi/publications/2025-09-05-cruise-report-from-r-v-svea-week-34-35-2025","basis":"Agency monitoring cruise report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, climate and physical group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The German Bight oxygen deficiency was searched but no 2023-2026 report was found; not covered.","Kattegat may be assigned to BAL by the coordinator."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-SKAGERRAK-SOLE-2025","OC-BAL-DK-HYPOXIA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-BASSROCK-GANNETHPAI-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bass Rock gannet colony still about 30% below its pre-avian-flu size three years after the 2022 outbreak","description":"Highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed on the Bass Rock in June 2022 and drone images on 30 June 2022 identified 5,035 dead birds. A full-colony drone survey on 3 July 2025 counted 52,459 apparently occupied sites, about 22,800 fewer than the last complete pre-outbreak count in 2014. The survey authors describe the colony as relatively stable but see no evidence of a major recovery.","location":{"name":"Bass Rock gannet colony, Firth of Forth","type":"Seabird breeding colony","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Island in the Firth of Forth off North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland, one of the largest northern gannet colonies","coordinates":{"lat":56.07778,"lon":-2.64028,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease-driven loss of a breeding seabird population at a major colony.","secondary_drivers":["Highly pathogenic avian influenza","Warming seas and prey availability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Drone images from 30 June 2022 identified 5,035 dead birds and the 2025 count remains about 22,800 sites (30%) below 2014 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited sources document no closure, fishery restriction or economic disruption linked to the colony decline.","scale":"The finding concerns one island colony, although the survey authors rank it among the largest gannet colonies known (ref 1).","duration":"Counts in June 2023, July 2024 and July 2025 all sit well below the 2014 baseline, so the deficit has lasted over three breeding seasons (refs 1, 3).","significance":"JNCC's official seabird statistic published 19 March 2026 names HPAI as a driver of rapid decline in Gannet (ref 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 3 July 2025 drone survey counted 52,459 apparently occupied sites (AOS), about 30% (22,800 AOS) below the last complete pre-HPAI count in 2014 (Scottish Seabird Centre survey report)."},"measures":[{"name":"AOS, 2025 drone survey (3 July)","value":52459,"unit":"AOS","status":"Reported","note":"Approximately 100% coverage; ref 1."},{"name":"AOS, 2024 drone survey (29 July)","value":46045,"unit":"AOS","status":"Estimated","note":"About 97% coverage, adjusted for the unseen portion; ref 3."},{"name":"AOS, 2023 drone survey (27 June)","value":51844,"unit":"AOS","status":"Estimated","note":"About 85% coverage; 31% below equivalent areas counted in 2014; ref 1."},{"name":"Pre-HPAI 2014 count","value":75000,"unit":"AOS","status":"Reported","note":"Lower bound: described as over 75,000 AOS on the colony counts page; ref 2."},{"name":"Dead birds identified in drone images, 30 June 2022","value":5035,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The 2023 and 2025 counts agree closely, but the 2025 total is still about 30% below 2014 and the authors see no evidence of a major recovery (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Scottish Seabird Centre","role":"Colony monitoring partner and survey lead","contact":"https://seabird.org/conservation/bass-rock-colony-counts"},{"name":"NatureScot","role":"Statutory nature conservation body for Scotland","contact":"https://www.nature.scot/"}],"public_contact":"The Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick publishes its colony counts and survey reports at the contact page listed.","corrective_actions":["Annual drone surveys with the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier University track the colony (refs 1, 3).","The 2025 report recommends boat-based cliff imagery on survey day and more productivity monitoring (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Count of Northern Gannets on the Bass Rock in July 2025","publisher":"Scottish Seabird Centre / University of Edinburgh / Edinburgh Napier University / UKCEH","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seabird.org/uploads/store/mediaupload/3109/file/Count%20of%20Northern%20Gannets%20on%20the%20Bass%20Rock%20in%202025.pdf","basis":"Survey report (PDF; carries no printed date)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bass Rock Colony Counts","publisher":"Scottish Seabird Centre","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seabird.org/conservation/bass-rock-colony-counts","basis":"NGO monitoring page"},{"ref":3,"title":"A Bird's-Eye View: What 2024's Drone Survey Tells Us About Bass Rock's Gannets","publisher":"Scottish Seabird Centre","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seabird.org/blog/2024-bass-rock-survey","basis":"NGO report summary"},{"ref":4,"title":"Official statistic on seabird breeding population changes (Seabird population changes in the UK: 1986-2024)","publisher":"JNCC","date":"2026-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/official-statistic-on-seabird-breeding-population-changes/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Bass Rock","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Rock","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The survey report and colony page carry no printed publication date, so their source dates are null; the 2024 blog post is dated."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-FARNEISLANDS-SEABIRDHPAI-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-FARNEISLANDS-SEABIRDHPAI-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Avian flu killed nearly 10,000 seabirds on the Farne Islands in 2022 and 2023; fewer than ten cases in 2025","description":"National Trust rangers collected over 6,000 dead birds on the Farne Islands in 2022 and more than 3,500 in 2023 during the avian influenza outbreak, and the islands were closed to visitors. The Trust reported the islands clear of bird flu in 2024 and fewer than ten confirmed cases in 2025, which a ranger said suggests things may be improving while staff stay cautious.","location":{"name":"Farne Islands seabird colonies, Northumberland","type":"Seabird breeding colonies and National Nature Reserve","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"28-island archipelago off the Northumberland coast, England, home to about 200,000 seabirds including puffins, Arctic terns and kittiwakes","coordinates":{"lat":55.622,"lon":-1.628,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease mortality in breeding seabirds at a protected island group.","secondary_drivers":["Highly pathogenic avian influenza"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Rangers collected over 6,000 dead birds in 2022 and more than 3,500 in 2023, nearly 10,000 across the two years (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The National Trust closed the islands to visitors during the outbreak, interrupting boat-trip and landing access (ref 1).","scale":"The cases concern one archipelago nature reserve, a single site scale (ref 1).","duration":"Mortality ran across the 2022 and 2023 breeding seasons and a few cases were still confirmed in 2025 (ref 2).","significance":"The evidence is National Trust ranger reporting relayed by news outlets, with no formal notice or order cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rangers recorded over 6,000 dead birds in 2022 and more than 3,500 in 2023, against fewer than ten confirmed avian flu cases in 2025 (National Trust, via LBC, 6 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dead birds collected, 2022","value":6000,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as over 6,000; ref 2."},{"name":"Dead birds collected, 2023","value":3500,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as more than 3,500; ref 2."},{"name":"Confirmed bird flu cases, 2025","value":10,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as fewer than ten, so the value is an upper bound; ref 2."},{"name":"Seabirds breeding on the islands","value":200000,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate figure given by Countryfile; ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The islands were closed to visitors during the outbreak, interrupting seasonal tourism (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The islands were reported clear of bird flu in 2024 and fewer than ten cases were confirmed in 2025, against thousands of deaths in 2022 and 2023 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Trust (Farne Islands)","role":"Landowner and nature reserve manager","contact":"https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/"}],"public_contact":"The National Trust publishes general contact routes on its website.","corrective_actions":["National Trust rangers collect and record dead birds and monitor for new cases (refs 1, 2).","Visitor landings reopened in April 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"First puffins spotted back on the Farne Islands after spending the winter 'rafting' at sea","publisher":"Countryfile","date":"2025-04-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.countryfile.com/wildlife/birds/puffins-return-farne-islands","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"'Puffin cams' to livestream the antics of Farne Islands seabirds with plans for a UK tour","publisher":"LBC","date":"2026-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/puffin-cams-farne-islands-seabirds-5HjdYmP_2/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Farne Islands","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farne_Islands","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The National Trust's own page for the 2025 case count was not opened; the 2025 figure comes from one news report."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-BASSROCK-GANNETHPAI-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-UKNORTHSEA-KITTIWAKESANDEEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"UK kittiwakes and puffins keep declining as the North Sea sandeel closure awaits a seabird response","description":"UK kittiwake numbers have fallen 43% and about one in four UK puffins has been lost since 2000, with 62% of UK breeding seabird species declining in the Seabirds Count census. The UK and Scottish governments closed industrial sandeel fishing in English North Sea and all Scottish waters in 2024 on the evidence that seabird abundance could increase within 10 years of full closure. JNCC's March 2026 statistic still shows significant kittiwake declines in the UK and Scotland.","location":{"name":"UK North Sea coast seabird colonies","type":"Seabird breeding range and sandeel foraging grounds","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"East coast of Scotland and England from the Firth of Forth to the Humber, where kittiwakes and puffins depend on sandeel in the North Sea","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Declining breeding seabirds whose food supply is a closed fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Sandeel prey availability","Warming seas","Highly pathogenic avian influenza"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"UK kittiwake populations have declined by 43% and 62% of UK seabird species have declined, rising to 70% in Scotland (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Industrial sandeel fishing was closed in English North Sea waters and all Scottish waters, ending a fishery for those fleets (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The declines span the UK east coast and national seabird populations rather than one site (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The 1986 to 2024 monitoring series shows significant kittiwake decline over both the long term and the last 24 years (ref 2).","significance":"An international arbitration panel under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement found in May 2025 that the UK may close the fishery, according to the RSPB (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"UK kittiwake populations have declined by 43%, and 62% of UK seabird species declined in the Seabirds Count census, rising to 70% in Scotland (joint NGO statement, 30 April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"UK kittiwake decline","value":43,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Stated in the joint NGO statement of 30 April 2024; ref 1."},{"name":"UK breeding seabird species declining","value":62,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Seabirds Count census, as cited in ref 1; Scotland 70%."},{"name":"UK puffin loss since 2000","value":25,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"RSPB: around one in four puffins lost in the UK since 2000 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Seabird species with confident trends that fell more than 10%","value":11,"unit":"of 21 species","status":"Reported","note":"JNCC Seabirds Count, published 16 November 2023 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The EU Commission challenged the closure in April 2024 and an arbitration panel ruled for the UK in May 2025 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"JNCC's 2026 statistic shows significant kittiwake declines in the UK and Scotland over 1986 to 2024 and 2000 to 2024, and the closure's benefit is expected over about 10 years (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK Government","role":"Closed sandeel fishing in English North Sea waters","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/"},{"name":"Scottish Government","role":"Closed sandeel fishing in Scottish waters","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"Joint Nature Conservation Committee","role":"Seabird monitoring and advice","contact":"https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/seabirds-count/"}],"public_contact":"JNCC and the RSPB publish general enquiry routes on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Industrial sandeel fishing closed in the English waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters in 2024 (refs 1, 3).","The arbitration panel found in May 2025 that the UK has the right to stop the fishing, after a small procedural error in the English closure was remedied (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NGOs join forces in support of UK and Scottish Governments' decision to close industrial sandeel fishing (joint statement)","publisher":"RSPB and partner NGOs","date":"2024-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rspb.org.uk/media-centre/sandeel-closures-eu-challenge","basis":"NGO joint statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Official statistic on seabird breeding population changes (Seabird population changes in the UK: 1986-2024)","publisher":"JNCC","date":"2026-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/official-statistic-on-seabird-breeding-population-changes/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"The closure of sandeel fisheries: our legacy of campaigning","publisher":"RSPB","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/the-closure-of-sandeel-fisheries","basis":"NGO page (undated; describes events to May 2025)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Seabirds Count - the fourth Breeding Seabird Census","publisher":"JNCC","date":"2023-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/seabirds-count/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Sandeel fishing to end in the North Sea to support seabirds and marine biodiversity","publisher":"Suffolk Wildlife Trust","date":"2024-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/node/10114","basis":"NGO statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 43% kittiwake and 25% puffin figures come from NGO pages citing the JNCC census; the JNCC species table with UK percentages was not readable (interactive table), so it is not quoted. The closure orders themselves were not opened.","The 2024 date for the closures is taken from the joint statement; the legal instruments were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-BASSROCK-GANNETHPAI-2025","OC-NSEA-UKWATERS-SANDEEL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NLBELGIUM-PORPOISEBYCATCH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Net bycatch was the likely cause of death for 9 of 52 harbour porpoises examined from the Dutch coast in 2025","description":"Utrecht University's 2025 post-mortem programme, reported to the Dutch agriculture ministry, examined 52 stranded harbour porpoises and judged bycatch the most likely cause of death for nine (17.3%), all with net marks. Infectious disease killed 13 and grey seal attacks three. Belgium recorded only 36 stranded porpoises in 2024 and reported few probable bycatch cases in 2025.","location":{"name":"Dutch and Belgian North Sea coast","type":"Coastline and national waters","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NL","BE"],"detail":"Strandings mostly in Noord-Holland (6 of the 9 bycatch cases), Zuid-Holland (2) and Zeeland (1), Netherlands; Belgian coast for context","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Human-caused deaths in a protected small cetacean.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing net bycatch","Infectious disease","Grey seal predation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Nine of 52 examined porpoises (17.3%) most likely died as bycatch, all with net marks, several with haemorrhages (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no fishery closure or restriction tied to these deaths.","scale":"The cases span the Dutch coastline, with Belgian strandings reported as context for the southern North Sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The post-mortem programme has run since December 2008 and reports bycatch as a recurring cause each year (ref 1).","significance":"The findings are reported under the ASCOBANS agreement and the Dutch ministry's statutory research task (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In 2025, 52 harbour porpoises were examined: bycatch was the most likely cause of death for nine (17.3%), infectious disease for 13 (25%) (WOT-technical report 304, July 2026, Dutch)."},"measures":[{"name":"Porpoises examined, Netherlands 2025","value":52,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"26 adults, 12 juveniles, 14 neonates; ref 1."},{"name":"Bycatch as most likely cause of death","value":9,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"17.3% of examined animals; ref 1."},{"name":"Infectious disease as most likely cause","value":13,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"25%; ref 1."},{"name":"Harbour porpoises stranded, Belgium 2024","value":36,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Second-lowest total in 22 years after 26 in 2023; ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 2025 report states stranding trends cannot reliably be assessed because Stranding.nl registrations are incomplete (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN)","role":"Commissions the statutory porpoise monitoring","contact":"https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-landbouw-visserij-voedselzekerheid-en-natuur"},{"name":"Utrecht University Veterinary Pathology (strandings research)","role":"Post-mortem examinations","contact":"https://www.uu.nl/strandingsonderzoek"},{"name":"Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (OD Nature)","role":"Belgian marine mammal stranding scheme","contact":"https://odnaturenews.naturalsciences.be/"}],"public_contact":"Utrecht University lists a stranding-team contact on its strandings research page; the ministry publishes general enquiry routes.","corrective_actions":["Dutch post-mortem examinations quantify human-caused deaths under the Harbour Porpoise Monitoring task (ref 1).","Belgium collects and necropsies all fresh porpoises and reports bycatch to ASCOBANS (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Postmortaal onderzoek van bruinvissen (Phocoena phocoena) uit Nederlandse wateren, 2025 (WOT-technical report 304)","publisher":"Wageningen University & Research / Utrecht University","date":"2026-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.uu.nl/sites/default/files/WOT-technical%20report%20304%20webversie.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Dutch; the cover gives 'Wageningen, juli 2026')"},{"ref":2,"title":"Washed ashore. Marine mammals in Belgium in 2024","publisher":"Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (OD Nature News)","date":"2025-06-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://odnaturenews.naturalsciences.be/?p=3341","basis":"Agency news"},{"ref":3,"title":"2025 ASCOBANS National Report: Belgium (AC30/NR.9)","publisher":"ASCOBANS Secretariat / Belgium","date":"2026-06-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ascobans.org/sites/default/files/document/2026-06/ascobans_ac30_nr9_belgium.pdf","basis":"Treaty body national report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source 1 is in Dutch and its cover gives only 'juli 2026', so 2026-07-01 is a month-level date.","Dutch fleet bycatch effort and 2024 comparison figures were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-PORPOISE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"World Heritage Committee asks Wadden Sea states for stronger cumulative-impact assessment and a 2027 monitoring mission","description":"On 24 July 2026 the World Heritage Committee asked Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands to strengthen assessment of cumulative impacts from climate change, extraction and renewable energy, to prioritise the joint Strategic Environmental Assessment, and to invite a joint World Heritage Centre and IUCN mission in 2027. IUCN's 2025 Conservation Outlook rates the site Good with some concerns, lists climate change as a very high threat, and notes pure sublittoral mussel beds no longer occur north of the Elbe.","location":{"name":"Wadden Sea World Heritage Site","type":"World Heritage tidal flat system","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","DE","NL"],"detail":"Largest unbroken tidal flat system in the world along the Danish, German and Dutch North Sea coasts","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Tidal flat, mussel bed and salt marsh habitats under cumulative human and climate pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Climate change","Offshore wind and cables","Fishing","Invasive species","Shipping and harbour development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"IUCN says pure sublittoral mussel beds no longer occur north of the Elbe and the plan goal for mussel beds and Sabellaria reefs is still quite far from being reached (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The cited sources document no closure or restriction affecting fisheries or tourism.","scale":"The site spans the Danish, German and Dutch coasts, a regional-sea scale (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The Committee has issued successive requests in July 2025 and July 2026, with a state-party response due February 2027 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The World Heritage Committee adopted decisions on the Wadden Sea on 9 July 2025 and 24 July 2026, including a request for a 2027 reactive monitoring mission (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Committee requested stronger assessment of cumulative and long-term impacts, completion of the joint Strategic Environmental Assessment and a joint World Heritage Centre and IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission in 2027 (24 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reactive monitoring mission requested for year","value":2027,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Decision of 24 July 2026; the joint state-party report is due by February 2027; ref 1."},{"name":"Salt-marsh area change since first survey (1995/2001)","value":6000,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"IUCN notes an increase of roughly 6,000 ha, though some mainland marshes are in poor shape; ref 3."},{"name":"Migratory bird species with long-term decline","value":14,"unit":"of 35 species","status":"Reported","note":"36-year trends; IUCN rates the value High Concern and Deteriorating; ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["IUCN lists shipping, offshore wind, fishing and oil and gas outside the site as high threats (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"IUCN rates current state Low Concern and Stable overall, but flags deteriorating migratory bird trends, mussel-bed shortfalls and a very high climate threat (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation / Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","role":"Joint management and World Heritage reporting","contact":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/"},{"name":"UNESCO World Heritage Committee and IUCN","role":"Decision-making and advisory body","contact":"https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/node/1110"}],"public_contact":"The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat lists its contact route on its website.","corrective_actions":["The three states are completing a joint Strategic Environmental Assessment on cumulative impacts (refs 1, 2).","A joint response to the Committee is due by February 2027 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"World Heritage Committee Adopts Decision Regarding the Wadden Sea (48th session)","publisher":"Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","date":"2026-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news/world-heritage-committee-adopts-decision-regarding-wadden-sea-0","basis":"Treaty body news"},{"ref":2,"title":"World Heritage Committee adopts decision regarding the Wadden Sea (47th session, WHC/25/47.COM/7B.22)","publisher":"Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","date":"2025-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news/world-heritage-committee-adopts-decision-regarding-wadden-sea","basis":"Treaty body news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Wadden Sea: 2025 IUCN World Heritage Outlook assessment","publisher":"IUCN","date":"2025-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/node/1110","basis":"Agency assessment"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["UNESCO's own decision documents returned HTTP 403 and were not opened; the decisions are quoted from the Secretariat's summaries.","The last 23,000 characters of the IUCN page were not read."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-COASTALBIRDS-2026","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-HARBOURSEAL-2025","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-PORPOISE-2025","OC-NSEA-TERNAARD-WADDENGAS-2025","OC-NSEA-BORKUM-N05AGAS-2025","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-TIDALFLATS-2025","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-SANDBANKLITTER-2025","OC-NSEA-SOUTHEASTNSEA-EUTROPHICATION-2023"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-COASTALBIRDS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Wadden Sea breeding birds keep declining: 19 of 31 species down since 1991 and shellfish-eating waders falling","description":"The trilateral Expert Group Breeding Birds reported on 17 February 2026 that 19 of 31 coastal breeding bird species (61%) show significant long-term declines since 1991, and that 11 species declined against five increasing over 2012 to 2023. A September 2025 trend report found long-term declines continuing for Common Eider, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Pied Avocet, linked to shellfish-eating species in the German Wadden Sea.","location":{"name":"Wadden Sea coastal and migratory birds","type":"Tidal flat bird populations","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","DE","NL"],"detail":"Breeding and migratory bird populations of the Wadden Sea along the Danish, German and Dutch coasts, monitored through the Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Programme","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Declining coastal bird populations tied to intertidal food supply and breeding conditions.","secondary_drivers":["Predation","Nest flooding","Reduced food availability","Habitat degradation and disturbance"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"19 of 31 breeding species (61%) show significant long-term declines since 1991, including Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Oystercatcher and Avocet (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no closure or restriction on human activity.","scale":"The monitoring covers the Danish, German and Dutch Wadden Sea, a regional-sea scale (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The breeding bird declines run from 1991 to 2023 and the migratory series from 1987/88 to 2022/23 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"IUCN's 2025 outlook rates the migratory bird value High Concern with a Deteriorating trend, a formal rating (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"61% of species (19 of 31) show significant long-term declines since 1991; in 2012 to 2023, 11 species declined and only five increased (Expert Group Breeding Birds, 17 February 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Breeding species with significant long-term decline","value":19,"unit":"of 31 species","status":"Reported","note":"Trend 1991 to 2023; ref 1."},{"name":"Breeding species declining 2012 to 2023","value":11,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"Five species increased over the same period; ref 1."},{"name":"Migratory species declining, long-term","value":14,"unit":"of 35 species","status":"Reported","note":"36-year trends per IUCN; ref 3."},{"name":"Migratory species declining, short-term","value":11,"unit":"of 35 species","status":"Reported","note":"Ten-year trends per IUCN; ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The report says long-term declines are continuing and in some regions accelerating, while a few colonial species increase (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Trilateral Expert Group Breeding Birds and Expert Group Migratory Birds (Common Wadden Sea Secretariat)","role":"Monitoring and assessment","contact":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news"}],"public_contact":"The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat lists its contact route on its website.","corrective_actions":["The three states are updating the Breeding Bird Action Plan, with a workshop on 26 to 27 January 2026 (listed on the Secretariat's news page).","Experts discussed predation management to protect breeding birds (Secretariat news page)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"New Report Shows Continued Declines in Wadden Sea Breeding Birds","publisher":"Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","date":"2026-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news/new-report-shows-continued-declines-wadden-sea-breeding-birds","basis":"Treaty body news on expert group report"},{"ref":2,"title":"New report reveals latest population trends for key migratory waterbirds","publisher":"Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","date":"2025-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news/new-report-reveals-latest-population-trends-key-migratory-waterbirds","basis":"Treaty body news on expert group report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Wadden Sea: 2025 IUCN World Heritage Outlook assessment","publisher":"IUCN","date":"2025-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/node/1110","basis":"Agency assessment"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The underlying Sovon trend reports were not opened; figures come from the Secretariat's summaries.","The report itself does not attribute causes; the Secretariat's summary lists predation, nest flooding and limited food as likely contributors."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-HARBOURSEAL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Wadden Sea harbour seal counts remain below every 2012 to 2021 level even as pup numbers rebound and grey seals grow","description":"The 2025 trilateral survey counted 23,954 moulting harbour seals, up 1% on 2024 but below every count from 2012 to 2021, and 10,044 pups, the second-highest on record. Researchers call the divergence between falling adults and high pup production puzzling and offer hypotheses of higher pup mortality or changed haul-out behaviour. Grey seals in the same area keep growing, with 12,497 moulting animals and 3,385 pups in 2025-2026.","location":{"name":"Wadden Sea and Helgoland harbour seals","type":"Marine mammal population","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","DE","NL"],"detail":"Harbour seal haul-outs in the Danish, German (including Helgoland) and Dutch Wadden Sea","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Marine predator population stabilising at lower abundance.","secondary_drivers":["Unexplained adult decline","Possible pup mortality"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The 2025 moult count of 23,954 harbour seals is below every count from 2012 to 2021, indicating stabilisation at lower abundance (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no closure or restriction.","scale":"The count covers the three-country Wadden Sea and Helgoland (ref 1).","duration":"Researchers describe abundance declining over the last decade (ref 1).","significance":"The report is a monitoring product of the trilateral cooperation with no listing, order or formal notice cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A total of 23,954 harbour seals were counted in August 2025, a 1% increase on 2024 but below all counts from 2012 to 2021; 10,044 pups were counted, up 22% (Trilateral Cooperation, 14 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Moulting harbour seals, August 2025","value":23954,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"Up 1% on 2024; ref 1."},{"name":"Harbour seal pups, June 2025","value":10044,"unit":"pups","status":"Reported","note":"Up 22% on 2024; second-highest count; ref 1."},{"name":"Denmark moulting count change 2024 to 2025","value":-20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"To 1,721 seals; ref 1."},{"name":"Grey seals counted in 2026 moulting season","value":12497,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"Up 3.6% on 2025; pups 3,385, up 11%; ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Adult counts declined over the last decade and have stabilised at lower levels while 2025 pup production was exceptionally high (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Trilateral Expert Group on Marine Mammals (Common Wadden Sea Secretariat)","role":"Coordinates counts under the Wadden Sea Seal Agreement","contact":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news/high-numbers-harbour-seal-pup-wadden-sea-despite-long-term-population-decline"}],"public_contact":"The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat lists its contact route on its website.","corrective_actions":["Annual trilateral aerial surveys under the Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea (CMS) track both species (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"High numbers of harbour seal pup in the Wadden Sea despite long-term population decline","publisher":"Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","date":"2025-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news/high-numbers-harbour-seal-pup-wadden-sea-despite-long-term-population-decline","basis":"Treaty body news on survey report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Grey seal numbers in the Wadden Sea continue to grow","publisher":"Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","date":"2026-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/news/grey-seal-numbers-wadden-sea-continue-grow","basis":"Treaty body news on survey report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Wadden Sea: 2025 IUCN World Heritage Outlook assessment","publisher":"IUCN","date":"2025-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/node/1110","basis":"Agency assessment"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The full survey reports were not opened; figures come from the Secretariat's news summaries. No cause for the adult decline is established."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-PORPOISE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-PORPOISE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Wadden Sea harbour porpoise stock viability cannot be assessed and counts have fallen north of Sylt","description":"IUCN's 2025 World Heritage assessment says it is not currently possible to judge whether the Wadden Sea holds a viable harbour porpoise stock, citing a decrease north of Sylt and an increase between Borkum and the Elbe estuary. A 2024 study of 1990 to 2020 data across the three countries found monitoring methods, frequency and coverage differ between Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands and recommended changes to meet the site's conservation aims.","location":{"name":"Wadden Sea harbour porpoise habitat","type":"Marine mammal habitat in a World Heritage site","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","DE","NL"],"detail":"Wadden Sea and adjoining North Sea waters, including the Sylt Outer Reef and the Whale Sanctuary off Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Species forming part of the site's outstanding universal value with an unassessed stock.","secondary_drivers":["Bycatch","Underwater noise","Pollution","Monitoring gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"IUCN reports a decrease in porpoise numbers north of Sylt and says viability cannot be assessed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources document no closure or restriction.","scale":"The assessment covers the three-country Wadden Sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The study analyses 1990 to 2020 data and describes density in the northern German Bight decreasing over the last decade (ref 2).","significance":"IUCN's World Heritage Outlook, a formal assessment for the UNESCO site, records the gap (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IUCN's 2025 outlook says it is not currently possible to assess whether a viable harbour porpoise stock exists in the Wadden Sea; a trend analysis showed a decrease north of Sylt and an increase between Borkum and the Elbe."},"measures":[{"name":"Years of data analysed in the trilateral study","value":31,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"1990 to 2020; telemetry, aerial surveys, strandings and passive acoustic monitoring; ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Regional trends diverge between north and south and no overall population count is given (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation","role":"Sets and monitors the porpoise conservation targets","contact":"https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/"}],"public_contact":"The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat lists its contact route on its website.","corrective_actions":["The 2024 study recommends harmonised trilateral monitoring to assess the species against the Wadden Sea Plan targets (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Wadden Sea: 2025 IUCN World Heritage Outlook assessment","publisher":"IUCN","date":"2025-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/node/1110","basis":"Agency assessment"},{"ref":2,"title":"Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site and requirements for trilateral monitoring (Marine Biodiversity 54:42)","publisher":"Scheidat et al., Wageningen Marine Research and partners","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://edepot.wur.nl/656520","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (accepted 10 March 2024; no publication date printed)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The IUCN page cites Nachtsheim et al. 2021 for the trend; that paper was not opened. Source 2's publication date is not printed on the PDF."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NLBELGIUM-PORPOISEBYCATCH-2025","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-HARBOURSEAL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-DOGGERBANK-BOTTOMTRAWLING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bottom trawling continues in German Dogger Bank protected waters while the English sector has been closed since 2022","description":"A June 2022 byelaw closed the English Dogger Bank MPA to bottom-towed fishing and the Marine Conservation Society recorded a 98% fall in such fishing there, from an average 623 hours between June and October in 2015 to 2019 to 13 hours in 2022. In the German sector BUND objected in January 2024, the government rejected the objection about nine months later, and BUND sued, saying annual fishing authorisations lacked the required impact assessment.","location":{"name":"Dogger Bank sandbank protected areas","type":"Offshore sandbank protected area","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","DE","NL"],"detail":"Central North Sea sandbank about 120 km east of Hull, England, with protected sectors in UK, German and Dutch waters","coordinates":{"lat":54.71666667,"lon":2.76666667,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Seabed habitat in a protected sandbank affected by towed fishing gear.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom-towed fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BUND says bottom trawling causes continuous destruction of protected habitats on the Dogger Bank and reports 730,000 hours of bottom-towed fishing in German Natura 2000 sites from 2015 to 2023 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The English byelaw prohibits bottom-towed fishing in the MPA, cutting hours from 623 to 13 in June to October 2022 (ref 3).","scale":"The bank is one protected area, although it straddles three national sectors (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Seabed fishing in the German sector was still permitted in 2024 after the English ban of 2022, and the lawsuit followed in late 2024 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A formal objection was rejected by the German government and BUND filed a lawsuit, which is a legal challenge but no ruling is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bottom-towed fishing in the English Dogger Bank MPA fell from an average 623 hours (June to October, 2015 to 2019) to 13 hours in 2022, a 98% decrease (Marine Conservation Society, via Oceanographic, 14 December 2022)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bottom-towed fishing hours, English Dogger Bank MPA, June to October 2022","value":13,"unit":"hours","status":"Reported","note":"Against an average 623 hours in 2015 to 2019; ref 3."},{"name":"Decrease in bottom-towed fishing after the byelaw","value":98,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Marine Conservation Society analysis; ref 3."},{"name":"Bottom-towed fishing in German Natura 2000 sites, 2015 to 2023","value":730000,"unit":"hours","status":"Reported","note":"NGO figure; ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Seas at Risk says Dogger Bank bottom-trawling limits were left out of the 2023 EU measures because of Brexit complications (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"English waters are closed with a 98% drop in fishing, while the German and Dutch sectors lacked bottom-trawling limits in 2023 and 2024 (refs 1 to 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Management Organisation (England)","role":"Fisheries byelaw authority","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/marine-management-organisation"},{"name":"German federal government","role":"Issues fishing authorisations in German Natura 2000 sites","contact":"https://www.bundesregierung.de/"}],"public_contact":"The Marine Management Organisation and the German federal government publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["England banned bottom-towed fishing in four offshore MPAs including the Dogger Bank from June 2022 (ref 3).","BUND, supported by Seas at Risk, sued to stop bottom trawling in the German Dogger Bank sector (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Germany faces Dogger Bank bottom trawling lawsuit","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":"2024-11-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/germany-faces-dogger-bank-bottom-trawling-lawsuit/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fisheries measures against bottom trawling and gillnets improve marine protection in German and Dutch marine protected areas","publisher":"Seas at Risk","date":"2023-03-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seas-at-risk.org/general-news/fisheries-measures-against-bottom-trawling-and-gillnets-improve-marine-protection-in-german-and-dutch-marine-protected-areas/","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"New research shows 98% decrease in bottom-towed fishing in Dogger Bank MPA since ban","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":"2022-12-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/new-research-shows-98-decrease-in-bottom-towed-fishing-in-dogger-bank-mpa-since-ban/","basis":"News on NGO analysis"},{"ref":4,"title":"EU General Court Upholds Ban on Bottom Trawling in German North Sea Protected Areas","publisher":"ORCA","date":"2025-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://orca.org.uk/news-blog/eu-general-court-upholds-ban-on-bottom-trawling-in-german-north-sea-protected-areas","basis":"NGO news on court ruling"},{"ref":5,"title":"Dogger Bank","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogger_Bank","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ORCA (23 May 2025) lists the Dogger Bank among four German sites covered by the Commission restrictions upheld by the EU General Court, while Seas at Risk (8 March 2023) says Dogger Bank bottom-trawling limits were left out of the final measures. This record relies on the Seas at Risk account and does not use the ruling as evidence for the Dogger Bank."}],"missing_fields":["No habitat-condition survey (sandbank recovery) was found, so habitat outcomes of the ban are not documented here. The Marine Conservation Society original and the court judgment were not opened. The 98% figure compares summer 2022 against a 2015 to 2019 baseline."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-DOGGER-BOTTOMTRAWL-2026","OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-MPATRAWL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-HUMBER-OUTSTRAYSREALIGNMENT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Humber Estuary: 175 hectares of intertidal habitat created at Outstrays as compensation for habitat lost to flood defence and ports","description":"The Environment Agency and Associated British Ports completed the Outstrays managed realignment on the north bank of the Humber, creating 250 hectares including 175 hectares of saltmarsh and mudflat. The agency describes much of the new habitat as compensation for intertidal areas lost to flood risk management and port development elsewhere in the estuary. The scheme cost over £45 million and also improves tidal defences for more than 100,000 people.","location":{"name":"Outstrays managed realignment, Humber Estuary","type":"Managed realignment intertidal site","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"North bank of the Humber Estuary near Skeffling and Winestead, East Riding of Yorkshire, England","coordinates":{"lat":53.653476,"lon":0.073939,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Intertidal habitat loss under flood defence and port development, offset by a new realigned site.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal squeeze","Flood risk management","Port development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The agency states the 175 ha of new saltmarsh and mudflat is largely compensatory habitat for intertidal areas lost elsewhere in the estuary (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources document no fishery or access restriction from the habitat loss.","scale":"The realignment is one site on the Humber, although the compensation concerns estuary-wide losses (ref 1).","duration":"England's saltmarsh inventory shows decades of historical loss and Humber habitat creation spanning 2006 to 2019 mapping periods, so the pressure is chronic (ref 2).","significance":"The habitat is delivered as compensatory habitat, a formal obligation linked to consented flood and port works (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Outstrays scheme created 250 hectares, including 175 hectares of intertidal habitat (saltmarsh and mudflats) and 75 hectares of freshwater wet grassland (Environment Agency, 11 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Intertidal habitat created","value":175,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Saltmarsh and mudflats; ref 1."},{"name":"Total area of scheme","value":250,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Includes 75 ha freshwater wet grassland; ref 1."},{"name":"Environment Agency funding","value":35.5,"unit":"GBP million","status":"Reported","note":"ABP funded a further £9.8 million; ref 1."},{"name":"Net saltmarsh gain, Humber region 2006-09 to 2016-19","value":630.61,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Environment Agency inventory, 36.15% increase; ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Mapped saltmarsh in the Humber region rose by 630 ha between the 2006 to 2009 and 2016 to 2019 inventories and Outstrays adds a further 175 ha of intertidal habitat (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environment Agency","role":"Scheme delivery and flood risk management","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency"},{"name":"Associated British Ports","role":"Port operator and funding partner","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/250ha-of-intertidal-habitat-created-by-embankment-realignment"}],"public_contact":"The Environment Agency publishes a general enquiries line on its gov.uk page.","corrective_actions":["A 5.5 km flood embankment and a breach in the old defence let tidal water into the new basin (ref 1).","Replacement pumping stations at Skeffling and Winestead Outstrays are due in 2026 and 2027 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"250ha of intertidal habitat created by embankment realignment","publisher":"Environment Agency (GOV.UK)","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/250ha-of-intertidal-habitat-created-by-embankment-realignment","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"The extent and zonation of saltmarsh in England: 2016-2019","publisher":"Environment Agency","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1097875/The_extent_and_zonation_of_saltmarsh_in_England_2016-2019_-_report.pdf","basis":"Agency report (August 2022)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Skeffling","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeffling","basis":"Reference (village coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coordinates are those of Skeffling village near the scheme, not a surveyed site boundary. The saltmarsh report carries 'August 2022' without a day, so its date is null. The Outstrays total cost is the sum of the agency's stated £35.5 million and ABP's £9.8 million, plus £11 million for pumping stations, per the press release."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NSHELF-COD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Northern Shelf cod: zero-catch advice for 2026 and again for 2027, with the southern substock below its critical limit since 2017","description":"ICES advised zero catch of Northern Shelf cod (North Sea, Skagerrak, eastern Channel and west of Scotland) for 2026, and has now advised zero catch again for 2027. The UK, EU and Norway nevertheless set a 2026 total allowable catch of 14,034 tonnes, 44% below 2025, with new seasonal closures and southern North Sea limits. ICES says the Southern substock has been below its biomass limit since 2017 and the Northwestern substock is now also below it.","location":{"name":"Northern Shelf cod stock area (North Sea)","type":"Fish stock management area","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA","NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","NO","DK","NL","DE","BE","FR","SE"],"detail":"ICES Subarea 4, Division 6.a, Division 7.d and Subdivision 20 (North Sea, west of Scotland, eastern English Channel, Skagerrak); managed jointly by the UK, the EU and Norway.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A commercially important stock is below its biomass limit and is being fished under a negotiated catch limit.","secondary_drivers":["Mixed demersal fishery with substocks caught together","Stock-structure uncertainty","Discarding"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"ICES reports the Southern substock has been below its critical biomass limit (Blim) since 2017 and the Northwestern substock is forecast below Blim in 2026 and 2027 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The 2026 TAC was cut 44% against 2025, and UK fishers face a 'hard economic hit' according to the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee chair (refs 6, 7).","scale":"The stock spans the whole North Sea, Skagerrak and eastern Channel plus Division 6.a, managed in four TAC areas (ref 2).","duration":"The Southern substock has been under Blim for nine years and ICES has now given zero-catch advice in two consecutive years (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The UK, EU and Norway signed a trilateral agreed record on 5 December 2025 setting a TAC, new closures and a multi-year recovery approach (refs 2, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES advised zero catch for 2027 after zero-catch advice for 2026; the parties set the 2026 TAC at 14,034 tonnes, a 44% decrease on 2025 (refs 1, 2, 6)."},"measures":[{"name":"2026 TAC, whole Northern Shelf cod stock","value":14034,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Agreed record, ref 2; Subarea 4 share 11,164 t, Skagerrak 1,596 t, Division 7.d 650 t, Division 6.a 625 t."},{"name":"2025 TAC, whole stock","value":25028,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Quoted by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research representative in ref 3."},{"name":"ICES alternative 2026 catch scenario, Northwestern plus Viking substocks","value":12280,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"8,670 t Northwestern + 3,610 t Viking + 0 t Southern; the headline ICES advice was 0 t (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Discards and below-minimum-size landings, share of total catch 2024","value":18,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"ICES estimate recorded in the agreed record (ref 2)."},{"name":"Decline of Southern substock since 2016","value":52,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Figure attributed to ICES assessments by Blue Marine Foundation (ref 4); not checked against the ICES advice sheet."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishing News reported fishers 'reluctantly resigned' to the cut and questioning the science (ref 7).","Defra put the UK share of jointly managed 2026 stocks at 290,000 t worth about 380 million pounds (ref 7)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"ICES's September 2023 explainer described the Northwestern substock as above MSY Btrigger; the latest assessment places it below Blim (refs 1, 9)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ICES Advisory Committee","role":"Scientific advice","contact":"https://www.ices.dk/"},{"name":"UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Scottish Government Marine Directorate","role":"UK fisheries managers","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries management","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"},{"name":"Institute of Marine Research (Norway)","role":"Norwegian scientific adviser","contact":"https://www.hi.no/en"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen V, tel +45 3338 6700 (published on the ICES site).","corrective_actions":["New and expanded seasonal spawning closures in EU, UK and Norwegian waters from 1 January 2026 (ref 2).","Real-time closure trigger levels updated; EU cod-targeting cap of 1,500 t and UK cap of 250 t in Divisions 4.b and 4.c; 7.d cod bycatch only (ref 2).","ICES Tiger Team review-level benchmark completed (ref 1); ICES genetic-sampling advice for the substocks was issued on 20 February 2026 (not a cited source; see missing_fields).","Parties committed to a longer-term joint plan and an LTMS request to ICES in 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Advice explainer: Assessing Northern Shelf cod","publisher":"ICES","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ices.dk/news-and-events/news-archive/news/Pages/202610-NScodTigerTeam.aspx","basis":"Agency report (scientific advice body)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cod - European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026","publisher":"Scottish Government (agreed record text)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/european-union-norway-and-the-united-kingdom-fisheries-consultations-agreed-records-2026/pages/cod/","basis":"Official agreed record"},{"ref":3,"title":"ICES gives two-part advice for North Sea cod","publisher":"Fish Focus (Institute of Marine Research)","date":"2025-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishfocus.co.uk/ices-gives-two-part-advice-for-north-sea-cod/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Northern Shelf Cod Receives Zero-Catch Advice for Second Consecutive Year as Scientists Warn Recovery Remains at Risk","publisher":"Blue Marine Foundation","date":"2026-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/northern-shelf-cod-receives-zero-catch-advice-for-second-consecutive-year-as-scientists-warn-recovery-remains-at-risk/","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":5,"title":"The EU, Norway and the UK agree on fishing opportunities in the North Sea for 2026","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-norway-and-uk-agree-fishing-opportunities-north-sea-2026-2025-12-05_en","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":6,"title":"Annual fisheries negotiations concluded","publisher":"Scottish Government Marine Directorate","date":"2026-01-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blogs.gov.scot/marine-scotland/2026/01/21/annual-fisheries-negotiations-concluded/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":7,"title":"44% cut in Northern Shelf cod TAC in 2026","publisher":"Fishing News","date":"2025-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishingnews.co.uk/?p=78367","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"Tiger team tackles Northern Shelf cod challenges","publisher":"ICES","date":"2025-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ices.dk/news-and-events/news-archive/news/Pages/202512TigerTeam.aspx","basis":"Agency report (scientific advice body)"},{"ref":9,"title":"Advice explainer: Why are precautionary considerations applied to the northwestern and Viking cod substocks?","publisher":"ICES","date":"2023-09-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ices.dk/news-and-events/news-archive/news/Pages/NScod23.aspx","basis":"Agency report (scientific advice body)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ICES describes the 2026 advice as zero catch with an alternative 12,280 t scenario; the TAC (14,034 t) exceeds both, as the agreed record itself notes (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["ICES 2027 advice sheet itself was not opened; the 2027 zero-catch advice rests on ICES's explainer (ref 1) and the Blue Marine Foundation report (ref 4).","The 2027 TAC has not been set.","The ICES news item of 20 February 2026 on genetic sampling (https://www.ices.dk/news-and-events/news-archive/news/Pages/202602-NScodgenetic.aspx) was opened but is not cited."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-EASTCHANNEL-DEMERSAL-2026","OC-NSEA-NSEA-DISCARDS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-UKWATERS-SANDEEL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"UK sandeel fishing closure in the North Sea upheld in Scottish waters and partly in English waters by EU-UK arbitration","description":"On 26 March 2024 Scotland closed all its waters to sandeel fishing and the UK closed English North Sea waters through a licence condition. The EU challenged both closures under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. An arbitration tribunal ruling published on 2 May 2025 upheld the Scottish closure fully and found a procedural failure on proportionality in the English one; the UK says a new decision process completed in June 2025 resolves it and the closures remain. A three-member Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal ruled in May 2025 that the UK's full closure of sandeel fishing in English waters breached the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement because it was not proportionate for EU vessels, but rejected the EU's other three claims, including on the Scottish closure and on scientific evidence. The UK said it was not legally obliged to reverse the closure of English waters. Danish industry says the ban costs it about 40 million pounds a year.","location":{"name":"English and Scottish North Sea waters (sandeel)","type":"Fishery closure area","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","DK"],"detail":"All Scottish waters and English waters of the North Sea closed to sandeel fishing for all vessels, including EU vessels with access under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A trade-treaty dispute over a fishery closure designed to protect the marine food web.","secondary_drivers":["Seabird and predator food supply","Post-Brexit fisheries access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Scottish Government cites only potential benefits of the closure for sandeel, seabirds, marine mammals and other fish; no mortality figure is given (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The Scottish order closed all Scottish waters to sandeel fishing for all vessels, so the directed fishery there is ended (ref 2).","scale":"The closure covers the English and Scottish North Sea, a national-waters scale rather than the whole sea (ref 2).","duration":"Closures began on 26 March 2024 and remained in place after the June 2025 UK decision process (refs 1, 2).","significance":"An arbitration tribunal issued a ruling on the EU's Trade and Cooperation Agreement challenge, published 2 May 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The tribunal upheld the Scottish closure and found the UK 'did not have sufficient regard to the principle of proportionality' for the English closure during the adjustment period (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Tribunal hearing length","value":3,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Hearing held 28-30 January 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The EU requested arbitration on 25 October 2024 over the loss of access to sandeel grounds (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Both closures remain in place after the ruling and the UK's June 2025 process (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK Government (Defra and Marine Management Organisation)","role":"English closure","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/"},{"name":"Scottish Government Marine Directorate","role":"Scottish closure","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"Permanent Court of Arbitration (UK-EU TCA tribunal)","role":"Arbitral tribunal","contact":"https://pca-cpa.org"},{"name":"UK Government (Defra) and Scottish Government","role":"Closure authorities","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs"},{"name":"European Commission (DG MARE)","role":"Claimant","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"UK Government and Scottish Government publish general enquiry channels on gov.uk and gov.scot.","corrective_actions":["UK undertook a good-faith process to address the tribunal's findings and told the EU it was completed (ref 1).","The closures remain in force (ref 1).","UK to address the tribunal's findings in good faith (ref 3).","Scotland keeps its prohibition in place (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Response to arbitration tribunal final report: UK sandeel (the European Union v the United Kingdom)","publisher":"UK Government","date":"2025-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/response-to-arbitration-tribunal-final-report-uk-sandeel-the-european-union-v-the-united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and-northern-ireland","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Rural Affairs Secretary welcomes sandeel arbitration ruling","publisher":"Scottish Government Marine Directorate","date":"2025-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blogs.gov.scot/marine-scotland/2025/05/02/rural-affairs-secretary-welcomes-sandeel-arbitration-ruling/","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ban on industrial sandeel fishing upheld by Permanent Court of Arbitration","publisher":"Scottish Legal News","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/ban-on-industrial-sandeel-fishing-upheld-by-permanent-court-of-arbitration","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"EU wins landmark post-Brexit fishing row with the UK","publisher":"RTE","date":"2025-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rte.ie/b/1510784/","basis":"News (date from update stamp)"},{"ref":5,"title":"UK sandeel shutdown challenge: tribunal ruling (title from URL)","publisher":"Fiskerforum","date":"2025-05-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fiskerforum.com/uk-sandeel-shutdown-challenge/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":6,"title":"Sandeel arbitration ruling and UK response (title paraphrased)","publisher":"Fishing News","date":"2025-05-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishingnews.co.uk/?p=76900","basis":"Trade press"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"RTE says the tribunal found the UK breached its obligation to grant full access to its waters (ref 1); trade press says it found the English closure disproportionate and rejected three of the EU's four claims (refs 2, 3)."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-NSEA-UKWATERS-SANDEELARBITRATION-2025 (Arbitration tribunal finds the English sandeel closure breached the UK-EU trade deal; Scottish closure upheld): governance angle on the same arbitration outcome"}],"missing_fields":["The tribunal's full award text was not opened (the Permanent Court of Arbitration page returned an error); findings rest on the UK and Scottish government statements and one legal news report.","The English-waters finding is described by the UK Government as a procedural failure; the EU's view was not obtained from an opened source.","The PCA award itself was not opened.","UK compliance steps after May 2025 not verified from an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-UKNORTHSEA-KITTIWAKESANDEEL-2026","OC-NSEA-UKEU-ACCESS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-DOGGER-BOTTOMTRAWL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dutch court rules bottom trawling in the Dogger Bank protected area needs a permit and impact assessment","description":"The Hague District Court ruled in May 2026 that bottom trawlers can no longer fish the Dutch Dogger Bank Natura 2000 area without a permit and a prior environmental impact assessment. Four environmental groups brought the case in January 2025 against the Dutch government. They describe it as the first successful challenge forcing a European government to regulate bottom trawling in an offshore protected area.","location":{"name":"Dogger Bank Natura 2000 area (Dutch sector)","type":"Marine protected area (Natura 2000)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NL","GB","DE","DK"],"detail":"Dutch part of the Dogger Bank, the Netherlands' largest protected area at 473,500 hectares; the bank spans UK, Dutch, German and Danish waters.","coordinates":{"lat":54.717,"lon":2.767,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court case over whether fishing impacts in a protected area are regulated under EU nature law.","secondary_drivers":["Habitats Directive Article 6 permitting","Bottom-towed fishing in protected areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The area protects harbour porpoise and grey and harbour seals, and the NGOs argue bottom trawling there violated EU conservation law; no habitat-damage measurement is in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Dutch bottom trawlers now need a permit and an impact assessment before fishing the area, a restriction on the fleet (ref 1).","scale":"A single protected area, the Dutch sector of the Dogger Bank (ref 1).","duration":"The area was established in 2008, was designated in 2009 per the plaintiffs' lawyer, and the lawsuit ran from January 2025 to May 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Hague District Court issued a ruling on the Dutch government's permits (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Hague District Court held that bottom trawlers can no longer fish the Dogger Bank MPA without a permit and not before assessing environmental impact (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dutch Dogger Bank protected area","value":473500,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Area stated in ref 1."},{"name":"EU marine protected areas still exposed to bottom trawling","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Estimate by Seas At Risk and partner NGOs, EU-wide, not specific to the Dogger Bank (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The NGOs seek EU funding for a transition to alternative fishing methods to limit costs to coastal communities (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Ruling issued May 2026; Seas At Risk reported on 2 June 2026 that similar cases in Germany remain pending (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of the Netherlands (fisheries and nature ministry)","role":"Permit issuer, defendant","contact":"https://www.government.nl/"},{"name":"The Hague District Court","role":"Court","contact":"https://www.rechtspraak.nl/"}],"public_contact":"The Dutch government publishes general enquiry channels at government.nl.","corrective_actions":["Court ruling requires permits and environmental impact assessment for bottom trawling in the area (ref 1).","UK closed its part of the bank to bottom trawling four years earlier on the same legal basis (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Dutch court rules in favor of strict trawl rules for Dogger Bank MPA","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2026-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2026/05/12/dutch-court-rules-in-favor-of-strict-trawl-rules-for-dogger-bank-mpa/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Environmental groups sue Dutch gov't over Dogger Bank trawling","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2025-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://undercurrentnews.com/2025/01/09/environmental-groups-sue-dutch-govt-over-dogger-bank-trawling","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"One year after NGOs' complaint: the Commission has still not acted on bottom trawling in MPAs","publisher":"Seas At Risk","date":"2026-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seas-at-risk.org/?p=35745","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Dogger Bank (coordinates of the bank)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogger_Bank","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The court judgment text and the Dutch government's response (appeal or permit changes) were not opened.","The ruling is reported by a trade news outlet; the plaintiffs' press releases were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-DOGGERBANK-BOTTOMTRAWLING-2025","OC-NSEA-ENGLAND-MPABYELAW-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-MPATRAWL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"EU General Court rejects fishing group's challenge to bottom-trawl restrictions in German North Sea protected areas","description":"Germany and the Netherlands asked the European Commission to add stronger fishing restrictions to protected areas in the North Sea, and the Commission adopted them on 8 December 2022. A German fishing association (VDK) sought to annul the measures, and on 21 May 2025 the EU General Court rejected the challenge. NGOs say bottom trawling still occurs in most EU marine protected areas.","location":{"name":"German North Sea protected areas (EU fishing rules)","type":"Marine protected areas (Natura 2000)","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE","NL"],"detail":"Several German North Sea marine protected areas covered by the Commission's December 2022 amendment to the 2017 North Sea fishing regulation, requested by Germany and the Netherlands.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court ruling on whether EU fishing restrictions in protected areas can be annulled.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling in protected areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Sources describe bottom trawling as destructive to seabed habitats generally; no site-specific damage figure is given for the German areas (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The Commission restrictions limit fishing in several German MPAs and the VDK fishing group challenged them (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The measures cover several German North Sea MPAs, not the whole sea (ref 1).","duration":"From the Commission's adoption on 8 December 2022 to the court's May 2025 ruling is more than two years (ref 2).","significance":"The EU General Court dismissed the challenge on 21 May 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On 21 May 2025 the EU General Court denied the VDK challenge, confirming the Commission's right to ban damaging practices such as bottom trawling in vulnerable marine areas (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"EU marine protected areas exposed to bottom trawling","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"NGO estimate for the whole EU, cited in ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The VDK fishing association took legal action to overturn the rules (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Ruling May 2025; a similar case over the German sector of the Dogger Bank remained pending in June 2026 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission","role":"Adopted the fishing restrictions","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"},{"name":"General Court of the European Union","role":"Court","contact":"https://curia.europa.eu/"}],"public_contact":"The European Commission publishes general enquiry channels on europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Commission restrictions on destructive fishing in several German MPAs upheld by the General Court (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EU Court confirms Marine Protected Areas must be shielded from destructive bottom trawling","publisher":"ClientEarth","date":"2025-05-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/eu-court-confirms-marine-protected-areas-must-be-shielded-from-destructive-bottom-trawling/","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"EU Court upholds protection from bottom trawling","publisher":"Blue Marine Foundation","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/2025/05/22/eu-court-upholds-protection-from-bottom-trawling/","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"One year after NGOs' complaint: the Commission has still not acted on bottom trawling in MPAs","publisher":"Seas At Risk","date":"2026-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seas-at-risk.org/?p=35745","basis":"NGO statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The judgment itself and the names of the specific German sites were not opened; the court ruling is reported through NGO sources only.","No official or news source on the German MPAs' own national closures (for example the German federal fisheries rules) was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-DOGGERBANK-BOTTOMTRAWLING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-ENGLAND-MPABYELAW-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"English offshore MPAs: bottom-towed gear byelaws in force for 13 sites, North Sea stage-3 byelaw still undecided","description":"A Marine Management Organisation byelaw in force since 22 March 2024 bans bottom-towed gear in specific areas of 13 English offshore MPAs, including Goodwin Sands, Farnes East and Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton. The MMO had aimed to protect all 54 offshore MPAs by the end of 2024; its stage-3 proposal for 42 further MPAs, including a North Sea byelaw, was consulted on from June 2025 and no decision had been published by its last update on 30 September 2025.","location":{"name":"English offshore MPAs, North Sea and eastern Channel","type":"Marine protected area network","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"MMO bottom-towed gear byelaws in English offshore marine protected areas; stage 2 covers 13 MPAs including Goodwin Sands, Farnes East and North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reef; stage 3 proposes North Sea and Eastern Channel byelaws.","coordinates":null,"points":[{"lat":51.27361,"lon":1.50833,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"Goodwin Sands, one of the 13 protected sites"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national regulator's programme to manage fishing impacts in protected areas.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom-towed fishing in protected areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The MMO says reef habitats with pink sea fans, Ross worm reefs and fragile sponges are vulnerable to bottom-towed gear; no site damage measurement is cited (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Bottom-towed gear is prohibited over almost 4,000 square km in 13 MPAs, and the stage-3 proposal puts the annual cost to UK businesses at 530,000 pounds (refs 1, 2).","scale":"England's offshore MPA network covers North Sea and Channel areas, a national waters scale (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The first MMO byelaws date from June 2022, and the stage-3 decision was still pending after a consultation closed in autumn 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A byelaw is in force and a further 30,000 square km of prohibitions is formally proposed under MMO consultation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Byelaw in force since 22 March 2024 protects almost 4,000 sq km in 13 MPAs; the stage-3 proposal would prohibit bottom-towed gear in about 30,000 sq km across 42 MPAs (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Stage-2 byelaw area, bottom-towed gear prohibited","value":4000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"'Almost 4000 square km' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Total MMO byelaw area after stage 2","value":18000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"'Almost 18,000 square kilometres' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Stage-3 proposed bottom-towed gear prohibition","value":30000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Approximately 30,000 sq km (ref 2)."},{"name":"Potential infringements detected June 2022 to end 2023","value":17,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"MMO figure, 'as few as 17' (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["MMO estimated an annual cost to UK businesses of 530,000 pounds for the stage-3 measures (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Protected area has grown from four MPAs in 2022 to 13 more in 2024, with stage 3 proposed in 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Management Organisation","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/marine-management-organisation"},{"name":"Natural England and JNCC","role":"Statutory conservation advisers","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england"}],"public_contact":"Marine Management Organisation publishes general enquiries on GOV.UK.","corrective_actions":["13-MPA bottom-towed gear byelaw in force from 22 March 2024 (ref 1).","Sixteen-week stage-3 consultation on four regional byelaws, launched 9 June 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bottom towed fishing gear prohibited over reef habitats in 13 marine protected areas","publisher":"UK Government (MMO, Defra, Natural England)","date":"2024-03-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bottom-towed-fishing-gear-prohibited-over-reef-habitats-in-13-marine-protected-areas","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine protected areas Stage 3 Consultation","publisher":"Marine Management Organisation","date":"2025-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/marine-protected-areas-stage-3-consultation","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Goodwin Sands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwin_Sands","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The stage-3 page refers to 42 MPAs in its overview and 43 in its supporting documents, and describes the North Sea draft byelaw as covering ICES areas 4b and 4c in one place and 4a and 4b in another (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["No source opened shows whether stage-3 byelaws were made after 30 September 2025.","The MMO's 2024 target to protect all 54 offshore MPAs by end of 2024 was not met on the evidence of ref 2."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-DOGGER-BOTTOMTRAWL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NSHERRING-WBSS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North Sea herring: long-term strategy agreed while Western Baltic spring-spawning herring, below its limit since 2019, is still caught in the fishery","description":"In December 2025 the UK, EU and Norway agreed a long-term management strategy for North Sea autumn-spawning herring and set a 2026 TAC of 328,566 tonnes, a 20% lower advice than for 2025. The North Sea fishery also catches Western Baltic spring-spawning herring, which ICES estimates is below its limit and has been under zero-catch advice since 2019. The parties said further measures are needed in the North Sea, where most of those catches now occur.","location":{"name":"North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat herring fishery","type":"Fish stock management area","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA","BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","NO","DK","SE","DE"],"detail":"ICES Subarea 4, Divisions 3.a and 7.d for autumn-spawning herring; Western Baltic spring-spawning herring caught as a mixed-stock component.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A mixed-stock herring fishery catches a depleted stock component.","secondary_drivers":["Mixed-stock catches","Juvenile herring bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"ICES estimates the Western Baltic spring-spawning herring stock is below Blim and has had zero-catch advice since 2019 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The ICES advice for 2026 under the strategy is 20% lower than for 2025 and the parties plan spatial closures in Norwegian waters (ref 1).","scale":"The fishery spans the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat and the eastern Channel (ref 1).","duration":"Zero-catch advice for the Western Baltic stock has stood since 2019 and ICES has advised avoiding its catches in the North Sea fishery since 2023 (ref 1).","significance":"The UK, EU and Norway signed an agreed record on 5 December 2025 adopting a management strategy and TAC (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2026 North Sea herring TAC set at 328,566 tonnes under the new long-term management strategy; ICES advice 20% lower than for 2025 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"2026 TAC, North Sea herring (Subarea 4, Divisions 3.a and 7.d)","value":328566,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Agreed record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Change in ICES advice versus 2025","value":-20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Agreed record (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The EU secured an additional 10-year access to UK waters for Skagerrak herring fleets alongside the deal (ref 2).","Fishing News described a 'landmark agreement' after seven years of negotiation on a single TAC (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"First year of the new strategy; catches of Western Baltic herring in the North Sea fishery have been relatively stable over 10 years (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK, EU and Norway delegations to the trilateral fisheries consultations","role":"Joint managers","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries management","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"}],"public_contact":"Scottish Government Marine Directorate and the European Commission publish general enquiry channels on gov.scot and europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Long-term management strategy for North Sea herring adopted, with a special request to ICES on exceptional circumstances in early 2026 (ref 1).","Norway to consult in 2026 on spatial-temporal measures to reduce Western Baltic and juvenile herring catches in Divisions 4.a and 4.b (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Herring - European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026","publisher":"Scottish Government (agreed record text)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/european-union-norway-and-the-united-kingdom-fisheries-consultations-agreed-records-2026/pages/herring/","basis":"Official agreed record"},{"ref":2,"title":"The EU, Norway and the UK agree on fishing opportunities in the North Sea for 2026","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-norway-and-uk-agree-fishing-opportunities-north-sea-2026-2025-12-05_en","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"44% cut in Northern Shelf cod TAC in 2026","publisher":"Fishing News","date":"2025-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishingnews.co.uk/?p=78367","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ICES advice sheet for North Sea herring was not opened; ICES statements are quoted as recorded in the agreed record."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-WESTERNBALTIC-HERRING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-EASTCHANNEL-DEMERSAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Eastern English Channel cod, sole and plaice recognised as depleted, with mesh-size remedial measures agreed for 2026","description":"In the UK-EU written record for 2026 the parties recognised the depleted state of cod, sole and plaice in the Channel (ICES divisions 7d and 7e) and the urgent need to recover them. Vessels with beam trawls and seines in the eastern Channel that used less than 100 mm cod-ends must now use at least 90 mm, with otter-trawl measures to follow. The 2026 cod TAC for Division 7.d is 650 tonnes, bycatch only.","location":{"name":"Eastern English Channel (ICES 7d)","type":"Fish stock management area","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","FR","BE"],"detail":"ICES Division 7.d, the eastern English Channel between England, France and Belgium; cod, sole and plaice stocks in 7.d and 7.e.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Three demersal stocks are officially described as depleted and fishing gear rules are being tightened.","secondary_drivers":["Mixed demersal fishery","Gear selectivity"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The UK and EU delegations state the cod, sole and plaice stocks in the Channel are depleted and need urgent recovery (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Beam trawl and seine vessels must move to larger cod-end meshes, and 7.d cod is limited to bycatch only (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The measures apply to one ICES division and its neighbour, a sub-regional area (ref 1).","duration":"The depleted state spans the 2025 and 2026 consultation cycles and the measures are agreed for 2026 with more due in the first half of 2026 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The UK and EU adopted the measures in a Trade and Cooperation Agreement written record signed after the November 2025 consultations (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"UK and EU agreed for 2026 a minimum 90 mm cod-end in 7.d for beam trawls and seines previously using under 100 mm, and to add otter-trawl measures in the first half of 2026 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Minimum cod-end mesh, beam trawls and seines in 7.d (previously under 100 mm)","value":90,"unit":"mm","status":"Reported","note":"Written record (ref 1)."},{"name":"2026 cod TAC, Division 7.d","value":650,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Agreed record, bycatch only (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The UK Government said the deals came amid challenging scientific evidence showing cod, whiting, haddock, sole and plaice under significant pressure (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Measures take effect from 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs","role":"UK fisheries management","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"EU fisheries management","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"}],"public_contact":"Defra and the European Commission publish general enquiry channels on gov.uk and europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Larger minimum cod-end mesh sizes in 7.d and 7.e agreed for 2026 (ref 1).","Supplement planned for first half of 2026 for otter trawls in 7.d (ref 1).","Catches of cod in 7.d restricted to bycatch (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Written record of fisheries consultations between the United Kingdom and the European Union for 2026","publisher":"UK Defra","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69397faa5cc812f50aa41f3a/Written_record_of_fisheries_consultations_between_the_UK_and_the_EU_for_2026.pdf","basis":"Official agreed record"},{"ref":2,"title":"UK, EU, Norway and other coastal states secure access to over 80 stocks for British fishing industry","publisher":"UK Government (Defra)","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-840m-in-valuable-fishing-opportunities-for-2026","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cod - European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026","publisher":"Scottish Government (agreed record text)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/european-union-norway-and-the-united-kingdom-fisheries-consultations-agreed-records-2026/pages/cod/","basis":"Official agreed record"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No opened source shows whether the promised first-half 2026 otter-trawl measure was adopted.","ICES stock-status figures for 7.d sole and plaice were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NSHELF-COD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NSEA-DISCARDS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North Sea plaice and whiting: more than half of plaice catch and over 60% of whiting catch was discarded or unwanted in 2024","description":"ICES estimates discards and below-minimum-size landings were 55.2% of the total North Sea plaice catch by weight in 2024, and discards, such landings and industrial bycatch were 62.1% of whiting catch. The UK, EU and Norway nonetheless set 2026 TACs on ICES's MSY advice: 163,951 tonnes for plaice (down 7.2%) and 198,609 tonnes for whiting (up 5.6%). Projected 2025 rates were 51.7% for plaice and 41.2% for whiting.","location":{"name":"North Sea plaice and whiting fisheries","type":"Fish stock management area","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","NL","DK","BE","DE","NO"],"detail":"ICES Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20 (plaice), Subarea 4 and Division 7.d (whiting); mixed demersal trawl fisheries.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A large share of catch is discarded in mixed demersal fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Discarding","Industrial bycatch","Mixed fisheries"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"ICES-estimated discards and below-size landings reached 55.2% of plaice catch and 62.1% of whiting catch (including industrial bycatch) in 2024 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No livelihood impact is documented in the cited sources; the 2026 plaice and whiting TACs follow ICES MSY advice (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Both stocks are fished across the North Sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The figures are for 2024 with projections for 2025 and the rates recur across consultation years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The delegations formally recorded the ICES discard estimates in the agreed record, a formal notice but no enforcement order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES estimates discards and below-minimum-size landings at 55.2% of North Sea plaice catch by weight in 2024 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Plaice discards and below-minimum-size landings, 2024","value":55.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"ICES figure in the agreed record (ref 1); projected 51.7% for 2025."},{"name":"Whiting discards, below-size landings and industrial bycatch, 2024","value":62.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"ICES figure in the agreed record (ref 2); projected 41.2% for 2025."},{"name":"2026 TAC, plaice (Subarea 4 and Subdivision 20)","value":163951,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"A 7.2% decrease on 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"2026 TAC, whiting (Subarea 4 plus Division 7.d)","value":198609,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"ICES MSY advice, 5.6% higher than for 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["North Sea whiting TAC rose 5.6% and plaice fell 7.2% in the December 2025 deal (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"ICES projects lower 2025 rates than 2024 for both stocks (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK, EU and Norway delegations to the trilateral fisheries consultations","role":"Joint managers","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"ICES","role":"Scientific advice","contact":"https://www.ices.dk/"}],"public_contact":"Scottish Government Marine Directorate publishes general enquiries on gov.scot.","corrective_actions":["North Sea MCS Working Group workplan 2026-2027 to improve catch registration (ref 3).","Cod Management Working Group to propose measures to reduce discarding by the 2026 intersessional meeting (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Plaice - European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026","publisher":"Scottish Government (agreed record text)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/european-union-norway-and-the-united-kingdom-fisheries-consultations-agreed-records-2026/pages/plaice/","basis":"Official agreed record"},{"ref":2,"title":"Whiting - European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026","publisher":"Scottish Government (agreed record text)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/european-union-norway-and-the-united-kingdom-fisheries-consultations-agreed-records-2026/pages/whiting/","basis":"Official agreed record"},{"ref":3,"title":"44% cut in Northern Shelf cod TAC in 2026","publisher":"Fishing News","date":"2025-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishingnews.co.uk/?p=78367","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Cod - European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026","publisher":"Scottish Government (agreed record text)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/european-union-norway-and-the-united-kingdom-fisheries-consultations-agreed-records-2026/pages/cod/","basis":"Official agreed record"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Discard rates are ICES estimates reported second-hand in the agreed record; the ICES advice sheets were not opened.","Gear-selectivity or landing-obligation enforcement specific to plaice and whiting was not found."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NSHELF-COD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-SKAGERRAK-SOLE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Skagerrak-Kattegat sole TAC cut 44% for 2026, with plaice and Norway lobster quotas rolled over to protect cod and sole","description":"EU fisheries ministers agreed on 13 December 2025 to cut the 2026 sole TAC in Skagerrak-Kattegat by 44%, and described it among ailing stocks needing rebuilding. To protect cod and sole in the same waters, they rolled over rather than raised the Norway lobster and plaice TACs. The 2026 Skagerrak cod TAC was set at 1,596 tonnes in the trilateral deal.","location":{"name":"Skagerrak and Kattegat demersal fisheries","type":"Fish stock management area","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","SE","NO"],"detail":"Skagerrak (Subdivision 20) and Kattegat (Division 3.a) sole, plaice, Norway lobster and cod fisheries, shared by Denmark, Sweden and Norway.","coordinates":{"lat":58,"lon":9,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Ailing demersal stocks in the Skagerrak-Kattegat are managed through lower and held TACs.","secondary_drivers":["Mixed demersal fisheries"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Commission describes Skagerrak-Kattegat sole as an ailing stock whose TAC was cut to start rebuilding; no biomass figure is given in the cited pages (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The sole TAC fell 44% and plaice and Norway lobster TACs were held rather than raised (ref 1).","scale":"The measures apply to the Skagerrak and Kattegat, a sub-regional area (ref 1).","duration":"The measure is a one-year 2026 TAC decision; earlier-year history was not opened (ref 1).","significance":"EU ministers reached a Council agreement on the 2026 fishing opportunities on 13 December 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2026 TAC for sole in Skagerrak-Kattegat cut by 44%; plaice and Norway lobster TACs rolled over to protect cod and sole (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Change in 2026 sole TAC, Skagerrak-Kattegat","value":-44,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Council agreement (ref 1)."},{"name":"2026 cod TAC, Skagerrak (Subdivision 20)","value":1596,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Agreed record (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Council applied a prudent approach in mixed fisheries where some stocks are healthy and others ailing (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One TAC cycle documented."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the EU and European Commission","role":"EU fisheries management","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"}],"public_contact":"The European Commission DG MARE publishes general enquiries on europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Sole TAC cut 44% and plaice and Norway lobster TACs held at 2025 levels (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fisheries ministers agree on fishing opportunities for 2026, in the Atlantic and North Sea, and in the Mediterranean and Black Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-12-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/fisheries-ministers-agree-fishing-opportunities-2026-atlantic-and-north-sea-and-mediterranean-and-2025-12-13_en","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cod - European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026","publisher":"Scottish Government (agreed record text)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/european-union-norway-and-the-united-kingdom-fisheries-consultations-agreed-records-2026/pages/cod/","basis":"Official agreed record"},{"ref":3,"title":"Skagerrak (coordinates of the strait)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skagerrak","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["ICES advice and stock status for Skagerrak-Kattegat sole were not opened; the stock description rests on the Commission's wording.","Only one source describes the sole TAC cut."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NSHELF-COD-2026","OC-NSEA-SKAGERRAK-OXYGEN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-UKEU-ACCESS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"EU-UK fisheries access extended to 30 June 2038 without quota transfers","description":"At the 19 May 2025 EU-UK summit the sides noted political agreement on full reciprocal access to each other's waters until 30 June 2038. The Specialised Committee on Fisheries formalised it in a decision applying from 1 July 2026, covering quota and non-quota stocks. The arrangement covers access to shared stocks including Northern Shelf cod, for which ICES advised zero catch for 2026.","location":{"name":"UK and EU waters (North Sea and Channel access)","type":"Fisheries access treaty arrangement","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA","NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","NL","BE","DK","DE","FR"],"detail":"Reciprocal access for EU and UK vessels to each other's EEZs and territorial waters under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2038.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A bilateral fisheries access arrangement setting long-term conditions for shared stocks.","secondary_drivers":["Post-Brexit fisheries access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is documented in the cited sources for the access decision itself (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The EC says the decision gives stability for fleets on both sides and no quota transfers are included; no disruption is documented in opened sources (ref 1).","scale":"The arrangement covers UK and EU waters across the north-east Atlantic including the North Sea (ref 1).","duration":"Access runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2038, twelve years (ref 1).","significance":"The Specialised Committee on Fisheries adopted a formal decision on 19 June 2025 following the 19 May 2025 summit (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Full reciprocal access to waters until 30 June 2038, formalised by the Specialised Committee on Fisheries (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Access arrangement length (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2038)","value":12,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Decision 1/2025 period described in refs 1 and 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The 2026 UK-EU written record acknowledges the access arrangement while setting remedial measures for depleted Channel stocks (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Decision applies from 1 July 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"EU-UK Specialised Committee on Fisheries","role":"Treaty body","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"},{"name":"UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs","role":"UK party","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/"}],"public_contact":"The European Commission DG MARE and UK Defra publish general enquiries on europa.eu and gov.uk.","corrective_actions":["Decision 1/2025 of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries formalises access to 2038 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The EU and UK formalise agreement on full reciprocal access to waters until 2038","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-and-uk-formalise-agreement-full-reciprocal-access-waters-until-2038-2025-06-20_en","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding","publisher":"UK Government","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukeu-summit-key-documentation/uk-eu-summit-common-understanding-html","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"Written record of fisheries consultations between the United Kingdom and the European Union for 2026","publisher":"UK Defra","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69397faa5cc812f50aa41f3a/Written_record_of_fisheries_consultations_between_the_UK_and_the_EU_for_2026.pdf","basis":"Official agreed record"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Fishing-industry reaction to the 12-year access extension could not be sourced from an opened page (parliamentary and news pages returned errors).","The Specialised Committee decision text could not be opened (link returned 410)."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NSHELF-COD-2026","OC-NSEA-UKWATERS-SANDEEL-2024"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NSEA-HUMBER-SOLONGCOLLISION-2025","title":"Container ship Solong hit the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate off the Humber, releasing jet fuel and starting a fire that left one crew member presumed dead","description":"On 10 March 2025 the container ship Solong collided with the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate, which carried 220,204.5 barrels of aviation fuel, 14 nautical miles north-east of Spurn Head. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) interim report says the collision breached the No.7 port cargo tank, the escaping fuel ignited and the fire spread to containers on Solong; 36 crew were recovered and one Solong crew member is presumed dead. The volume of fuel that reached the sea is not stated in the interim report, and the MAIB investigation was still listed as current on 2 October 2026. On 10 March 2025 the container ship Solong, making about 16 knots, struck the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate about 14 nautical miles north-east of Spurn Head, breaching a cargo tank and igniting aviation fuel and containers. The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch's April 2025 interim report found neither ship had a dedicated lookout and that one Solong crew member is missing, presumed dead. The MAIB is also examining the use of the area as an anchorage for vessels waiting for the Humber; Wikipedia reports the Solong's master was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter in February 2026.","location":{"name":"Humber approaches, 14 nm NE of Spurn Head","type":"Ship collision and fuel spill site","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Anchorage north of the Humber light float off the East Yorkshire coast, England; MAIB places the collision 14 nautical miles north-east of Spurn Head at the entrance to the Humber Estuary. Coordinates are for Spurn Head, the named reference point, not the collision position.","coordinates":{"lat":53.576,"lon":0.1115,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","plastics-marine-debris"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Aviation fuel was released into the sea and burned after a ship collision, with hazardous and plastic cargo also involved.","secondary_drivers":["Navigation and watchkeeping (no dedicated lookout on either vessel)","Patchy visibility at an offshore anchorage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The MAIB found the collision breached Stena Immaculate's No.7 port cargo tank, releasing aviation fuel that ignited, and Able Seaman Mark Pernia is believed to have died (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Transport Minister told Parliament that 1,000 metre temporary exclusion zones were set around both vessels while Humber traffic continued (ref 3).","scale":"The incident was a single collision at one offshore anchorage about 14 nautical miles from Spurn Head (ref 1).","duration":"Salvage and a pollution evaluation were still under way when the interim report issued on 3 April 2025, and the investigation remained open in the 2 October 2026 list (refs 1, 6).","significance":"The MAIB opened a formal safety investigation as a very serious marine casualty and published an interim report (refs 1, 2, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":1,"status":"Reported","note":"One Solong crew member missing and believed dead; 36 crew from both vessels were recovered (refs 1, 4)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Stena Immaculate carried 220,204.5 barrels (35,009.7 cubic metres) of aviation fuel; the MAIB says the No.7 port cargo tank was breached and fuel was released into the sea and onto Solong's bow (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Aviation fuel cargo on Stena Immaculate","value":220204.5,"unit":"barrels","status":"Reported","note":"Cargo carried, not the amount released; the interim report gives no spill volume (ref 1)."},{"name":"Crew recovered from both vessels","value":36,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"MAIB statement of 13 March 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Temporary exclusion zone around each vessel","value":1000,"unit":"metres","status":"Reported","note":"Parliamentary statement of 11 March 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Humber Estuary shipping continued despite the 1,000 metre exclusion zones (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No later pollution assessment or final MAIB report was opened; the 2 October 2026 MAIB list still carries the interim report (ref 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)","role":"Lead safety investigator","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/maib"},{"name":"HM Coastguard, Maritime and Coastguard Agency","role":"Search, rescue and counter-pollution response","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency"},{"name":"HM Coastguard","role":"Search and rescue coordination","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency"}],"public_contact":"MAIB media enquiries by telephone: 01932 440015 in office hours, 0300 7777878 out of hours (ref 2).","corrective_actions":["MAIB investigation into navigation, watchkeeping, manning, fatigue, vessel condition and use of the offshore anchorage (ref 1).","Salvage of both vessels and a pollution evaluation were under way in April 2025 (ref 1).","MAIB investigation continuing; draft report to stakeholders for a 30-day consultation (ref 2).","Review of the offshore area as an anchorage for the Humber (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Interim report: collision between the container ship Solong and the oil/chemical tanker Stena Immaculate, 14 nautical miles north-east of Spurn Head","publisher":"Marine Accident Investigation Branch","date":"2025-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67f3dd5c53505b2ca44eff1a/Solong-StenaImmaculate-InterimReport.pdf","basis":"Agency report (date of the gov.uk release notice)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Solong and Stena Immaculate interim report published","publisher":"GOV.UK (MAIB)","date":"2025-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/solong-and-stena-immaculate-interim-report-published","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"North Sea vessel collision: oral statement to Parliament","publisher":"Department for Transport (GOV.UK)","date":"2025-03-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/north-sea-vessel-collision","basis":"Government statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Statement on the collision between Solong and Stena Immaculate","publisher":"Marine Accident Investigation Branch (GOV.UK)","date":"2025-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-the-collision-between-solong-and-stena-immaculate","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Spurn (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spurn","basis":"Reference (place coordinates only)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Marine Accident Investigation Branch: current investigations","publisher":"GOV.UK (MAIB)","date":"2026-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marine-accident-investigation-branch-current-investigations","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":7,"title":"No lookouts on Solong or Stena Immaculate during collision","publisher":"SWZ|Maritime","date":"2025-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://swzmaritime.nl/news/2025/04/04/no-lookouts-on-solong-or-stena-immaculate-during-collision/","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"Solong and Stena Immaculate collision","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Solong","basis":"Reference page (coordinates, trial outcome, pollution notes)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Marine Log reported the Solong as a tanker and the collision as 5 nm north of the Humber light float; the MAIB report says container ship and 14 nm north-east of Spurn Head (anchor position 5 miles north of the light float)."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-NSEA-HUMBER-SOLONGCOLLISION-2025-DUP (Solong and Stena Immaculate collision off the Humber: one crew member lost, no dedicated lookouts, anchorage use under review): shipping-safety angle on the same collision (crew loss, lookout findings, anchorage review)"}],"missing_fields":["MAIB final report not found.","Conviction and sentence rest on Wikipedia only; no court or news source opened.","Pollution outcomes are covered by the pollution group."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NORFOLKLINCS-SOLONGNURDLES-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NSEA-NORFOLKLINCS-SOLONGNURDLES-2025","title":"Plastic pellets and burnt plastic from the Solong collision washed up on Norfolk and Lincolnshire beaches","description":"Plastic pellets (nurdles) from containers on the Solong, partly fused into clumps by the fire, washed ashore on the north-west Norfolk coast and the Lincolnshire coast between Gibraltar Point and Mablethorpe after the 10 March 2025 collision. HM Coastguard and local councils ran clean-up operations, and the Solong's owners admitted the pellets were released because of the crash. The sources opened show clean-up in progress in March 2025 and no later survey.","location":{"name":"North Norfolk and Lincolnshire coast (The Wash)","type":"Sandy beach coastline","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Beaches reported by the sources include RSPB Titchwell Marsh in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Skegness, and the Lincolnshire coast between Gibraltar Point and Mablethorpe; monitoring also covered the Holderness Coast.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Pre-production plastic pellets and melted plastic from a ship casualty contaminated shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Ship collision and container fire"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Grimsby Live reports the pellets pose a danger to wildlife, and burnt clumps were photographed on the shoreline at RSPB Titchwell Marsh (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the opened pages reports a beach closure or fishery restriction; the Eastern IFCA notice reports debris only (ref 3).","scale":"Debris was reported on two counties' coasts, from north-west Norfolk to Lincolnshire between Gibraltar Point and Mablethorpe (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The sources cover 19 to 26 March 2025 only, so the documented clean-up spans weeks; no later survey was opened (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Coastguard counter-pollution retrieval with aerial surveillance, and councils leading shoreline response, mark a formal incident response (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Not reported","text":"No tonnage of pellets released or recovered appears in the opened sources; Eastern IFCA reports nurdles and burnt plastic between Gibraltar Point and Mablethorpe (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Lincolnshire shoreline with reported debris (Gibraltar Point to Mablethorpe)","value":null,"unit":"km","status":"Not reported","note":"Named as a span, with no length given (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No tourism or fishery loss reported in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The latest opened source is dated 26 March 2025 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"HM Coastguard (Maritime and Coastguard Agency)","role":"Counter-pollution response","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency"},{"name":"East Lindsey District Council","role":"Leads onshore clean-up in Lincolnshire","contact":"https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk"},{"name":"North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority","role":"Monitoring on the Holderness Coast","contact":"https://www.ne-ifca.gov.uk"}],"public_contact":"Report nurdles or pollution to the Humber Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, as published by HM Coastguard (ref 1).","corrective_actions":["HM Coastguard counter-pollution retrieval with daily aerial surveillance (ref 1).","Local-authority-led shoreline clean-ups in Norfolk and Lincolnshire (refs 1, 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Beach clean-up continuing and salvors able to 'fully access' Solong cargo ship","publisher":"Grimsby Live (Grimsby Telegraph)","date":"2025-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/beach-clean-up-continuing-salvors-10037858","basis":"News reporting a Chief Coastguard statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Nurdles hit coasts around The Wash","publisher":"The Voice (Spalding)","date":"2025-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://spaldingvoice.co.uk/?p=266879","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Debris in The Wash and surrounding area (update)","publisher":"Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority","date":"2025-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eastern-ifca.gov.uk/debris-in-the-wash-and-surrounding-area-update","basis":"Agency notice"},{"ref":4,"title":"19th March 2025: update on vessel collision","publisher":"North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority","date":"2025-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ne-ifca.gov.uk/Press-Releases/19th-march-2025-update-on-vessel-collision","basis":"Agency notice"},{"ref":5,"title":"Interim report: collision between the container ship Solong and the oil/chemical tanker Stena Immaculate","publisher":"Marine Accident Investigation Branch","date":"2025-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67f3dd5c53505b2ca44eff1a/Solong-StenaImmaculate-InterimReport.pdf","basis":"Agency report (context for the collision)"}],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-HUMBER-SOLONGCOLLISION-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NSEA-SCARBOROUGH-SOUTHBAYBATHING-2025","title":"Scarborough South Bay rated Poor for bathing water for a third year in 2025 as Yorkshire Water plans a 120 million pound overflow programme","description":"Scarborough South Bay was classified Poor for bathing water in 2023, 2024 and again in 2025, the lowest class under the English bathing water rules; Scarborough North Bay and Robin Hood's Bay were Sufficient in 2025. A local councillor attributes the problem to surface water and sewage mixing north of the town and flowing into the North Sea. Yorkshire Water told councillors in June 2026 of a 120 million pound programme for Scarborough in 2025 to 2030 to cut spills from storm overflows.","location":{"name":"Scarborough South Bay, North Yorkshire","type":"Designated bathing water","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Yorkshire coast, England: Scarborough South and North Bays; the 2025 national list also rates Tynemouth Cullercoats and Littlehaven Beach (South Shields) Poor on the Tyneside coast.","coordinates":{"lat":54.2825,"lon":-0.4,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Sewage and surface-water discharges degrade coastal bathing water quality.","secondary_drivers":["Combined sewer and storm overflows","Surface water mixing with sewage after heavy rain"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Defra's 2025 classification list rates Scarborough South Bay Poor, below the Sufficient standard met by Scarborough North Bay and Robin Hood's Bay (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Councillor Rich Maw called the classification a burden on the area for many years, with local politicians calling for investment (ref 2).","scale":"The Poor rating applies to one bay; neighbouring Scarborough North Bay is Sufficient and Cayton Bay Excellent (ref 1).","duration":"This is the third year in a row at Poor: 2023 and 2024 appear in the November 2024 table and 2025 in the Defra list (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Defra's annual classification is a formal listing (ref 1); separately, Ofwat proposed a 47 million pound penalty on Yorkshire Water in August 2024 over wastewater treatment works compliance (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No visitor or population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Scarborough South Bay: Poor in 2023, 2024 and 2025; Scarborough North Bay and Robin Hood's Bay: Sufficient in 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Consecutive years classified Poor (2023 to 2025)","value":3,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"2023 and 2024 from the 27 November 2024 table, 2025 from the Defra list (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Yorkshire Water Scarborough programme, 2025 to 2030","value":120,"unit":"GBP million","status":"Reported","note":"Presented to local councillors, reported 17 June 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Overflows targeted for reduced spills","value":5,"unit":"overflows","status":"Reported","note":"Five key overflows in the Scarborough area (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Councillor Rich Maw called the Poor classification a burden on the area for many years (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Poor every year from 2023 to 2025; works completed at Wheatcroft and more planned (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Yorkshire Water","role":"Sewerage undertaker operating the overflows","contact":"https://www.yorkshirewater.com"},{"name":"Environment Agency","role":"Bathing water monitoring and regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency"},{"name":"Ofwat","role":"Economic regulator of water companies","contact":"https://www.ofwat.gov.uk"}],"public_contact":"Environment Agency general enquiries and incident line, as published on GOV.UK.","corrective_actions":["Yorkshire Water 120 million pound Scarborough programme (2025 to 2030) targeting five overflows (ref 3).","Completed Wheatcroft works to reduce discharges into coastal waters (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bathing water classifications 2025","publisher":"Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (GOV.UK)","date":"2025-11-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bathing-waters-in-england-compliance-reports/bathing-water-classifications-2025","basis":"Agency publication (annual classification list)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Scarborough South Bay retains 'Poor' water quality classification","publisher":"This is the Coast","date":"2024-11-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thisisthecoast.co.uk/news/local-news/scarborough-south-bay-retains-poor-water-quality-classification","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Yorkshire Water's 120m investment to tackle Scarborough's bathing water quality","publisher":"This is the Coast","date":"2026-06-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thisisthecoast.co.uk/news/local-news/yorkshire-water-manager-exciteyorkshire-waters-120m-investment-to-tackle-scarboroughs-bathing-water-qualityd-by-120m-investment-to-tackle-scarboroughs-bathing-water-quality/","basis":"News reporting a company presentation to councillors"},{"ref":4,"title":"Three UK water companies face 168m fines for sewage spills","publisher":"The Chemical Engineer","date":"2024-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/three-uk-water-companies-face-168m-fines-for-sewage-spills/","basis":"Trade news reporting Ofwat proposals"},{"ref":5,"title":"Scarborough, North Yorkshire (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough,_North_Yorkshire","basis":"Reference (place coordinates only)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Bathing Season 2025 storm overflow EDM data analysed","publisher":"Environment Agency","date":"2025-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/04/bathing-season-2025-storm-overflow-edm-data-analysed","basis":"Agency blog (England-wide bathing season context)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NSEA-WESTERSCHELDE-PFAS3M-2025","title":"PFAS from the 3M Zwijndrecht plant polluted the Scheldt and Western Scheldt; Netherlands and 3M agreed compensation for affected businesses in December 2025","description":"PFAS discharged for years into the Scheldt from the 3M plant at Zwijndrecht, Belgium, reached the Western Scheldt estuary in Zeeland, where RIVM advised eating as little as possible of several fish, crustacean and shellfish species. The Dutch state held 3M liable in May 2023, and in December 2025 the Dutch infrastructure ministry and 3M Belgium agreed compensation for affected businesses, with the amount kept confidential. Talks on Rijkswaterstaat's own costs, such as removing contaminated sludge, had not concluded.","location":{"name":"Western Scheldt estuary and Zwijndrecht plant","type":"Estuary and chemical plant discharge","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NL","BE"],"detail":"Zeeland, Netherlands, and Antwerp province, Belgium: PFAS from the 3M plant at Zwijndrecht on the Scheldt flows into the Western Scheldt, which opens to the southern North Sea.","coordinates":{"lat":51.4,"lon":3.7167,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6},"points":[{"lat":51.2167,"lon":4.3333,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"3M plant location (Zwijndrecht)"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Persistent fluorinated chemicals from an industrial discharge contaminate estuarine water, sediment and seafood.","secondary_drivers":["Industrial PFAS discharge to the Scheldt","Persistence of PFAS in sediment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"RIVM found PFAS concentrations in several Western Scheldt fish, crustaceans and shellfish high enough to advise eating as little as possible (ref 3).","livelihoods":"DutchNews reports shrimp fishermen have been barred from fishing in the Western Scheldt for years, per Omroep Zeeland and the Dutch fishermen's association (ref 1).","scale":"The contamination is one estuary shared by Belgium and the Netherlands, not the wider sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Illegal levels came to light in 2021 and compensation was still being negotiated in December 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Dutch state formally held 3M liable in May 2023, Belgium's Council of State annulled a Flemish decree on the site in March 2025, and a compensation agreement followed in December 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3, 5)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources; 28 businesses had filed damage reports with Zeeland by May 2023 (ref 4)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"By May 2023 the province of Zeeland had 28 damage reports from businesses, mostly fishers, ranging from a few thousand euros to millions (ref 4); in December 2025 the ministry and 3M Belgium agreed compensation, amount undisclosed (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Damage reports from businesses to Zeeland province","value":28,"unit":"reports","status":"Reported","note":"As of 23 May 2023 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Flemish settlement with 3M (2022)","value":571,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"Largely for cleaning up land around Zwijndrecht, as recounted by DutchNews (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dutch compensation paid to Western Scheldt businesses","value":null,"unit":"EUR","status":"Not reported","note":"The ministry kept the amount confidential (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Shrimp fishermen barred from fishing in the Western Scheldt for years (ref 1).","Rijkswaterstaat costs for removing contaminated sludge still under negotiation (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Compensation for businesses was agreed in December 2025 but Rijkswaterstaat's costs and any remediation remain open (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and Rijkswaterstaat","role":"Held 3M liable and negotiated compensation","contact":"https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl"},{"name":"Province of Zeeland","role":"Opened a reporting point for PFAS damage in February 2023","contact":"https://www.zeeland.nl"},{"name":"3M Belgium","role":"Plant operator named as responsible party","contact":"https://www.3m.be"}],"public_contact":"Province of Zeeland's published PFAS damage reporting point for businesses (ref 4).","corrective_actions":["Confidential compensation agreement between the Dutch ministry and 3M Belgium for Western Scheldt businesses (refs 1, 2).","Separate negotiations on Rijkswaterstaat's costs, such as removing polluted sludge (ref 2)."],"missing_fields":["Dutch-language sources (VRT, NOS, Binnenlands Bestuur) are news outlets; no Dutch ministry page was opened. RIVM advice is cited as reported by NOS."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"3M to pay Westerschelde businesses over PFAS pollution","publisher":"DutchNews.nl","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dutchnews.nl/2025/12/3m-to-pay-westerschelde-businesses-over-pfas-pollution","basis":"News (page shows no date; URL path gives December 2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"3M Zwijndrecht en Nederland bereiken akkoord over PFAS-compensatie voor Westerschelde-ondernemers","publisher":"VRT NWS","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/12/22/3m-vergoeding-pfas-vervuiling-zeeland-westerschelde/","basis":"News (Dutch language, Belga)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Minister Harbers: 3M aansprakelijk voor pfas-schade in Westerschelde","publisher":"NOS Nieuws","date":"2023-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nos.nl/l/2476179","basis":"News (Dutch language)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Zeeland heeft 28 claims binnen over schade door PFAS","publisher":"Binnenlands Bestuur (ANP)","date":"2023-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.binnenlandsbestuur.nl/ruimte-en-milieu/provincie-zeeland-heeft-28-claims-binnen-over-schade-door-pfas","basis":"News (Dutch language)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Belgian Council of State annuls Flemish pollution decree at 3M site","publisher":"The Brussels Times (Belga)","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://brusselstimes.com/1474739/belgian-council-of-state-annuls-flemish-pollution-decree-at-3m-site","basis":"News reporting a court ruling"},{"ref":6,"title":"Western Scheldt (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Scheldt","basis":"Reference (place coordinates only)"},{"ref":7,"title":"Zwijndrecht, Belgium (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwijndrecht,_Belgium","basis":"Reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NSEA-SOUTHEASTNSEA-EUTROPHICATION-2023","title":"OSPAR's 2023 assessment keeps the Scheldt, Meuse, Rhine, Ems and Elbe plumes, German Bight and Danish coast classed as eutrophication problem areas","description":"OSPAR's Quality Status Report 2023, published on 13 September 2023, applied its eutrophication procedure to 2015-2020 and found eutrophic areas along the continental coast from France to Denmark. In the North Sea the Scheldt, Meuse, Rhine, Ems and Elbe plumes, German Bight Central, the outer German-Danish coastal area and the Eastern North Sea remain problem areas, with seafloor oxygen below 6 mg/l in the Eastern North Sea. Nutrient concentrations are falling, but OSPAR says its objective of no anthropogenic eutrophication has not been met.","location":{"name":"Southern and eastern North Sea river plumes and coast","type":"Eutrophic river plumes and coastal waters","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BE","NL","DE","DK"],"detail":"OSPAR assessment areas along the Belgian, Dutch, German and Danish coasts, from the Scheldt plume to the Eastern North Sea; the Wadden Sea is covered by a separate trilateral assessment.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from rivers and the air drive algal growth and low oxygen in coastal seas.","secondary_drivers":["Riverine nutrient inputs from agriculture","Atmospheric nitrogen deposition"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"OSPAR recorded near-seafloor oxygen below 6 mg/l in the Eastern North Sea and elevated chlorophyll-a in the problem areas for 2015 to 2020 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The assessment text opened reports no fishery or beach closures linked to these areas (ref 1).","scale":"The problem areas span the Belgian, Dutch, German and Danish coasts of a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Four assessments since 1990 to 2000 show persistent eutrophication in river plumes, with only gradual improvement (ref 1).","significance":"OSPAR, a regional sea convention, issued its formal fourth Common Procedure assessment in the 2023 Quality Status Report (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Eutrophic areas were identified along the continental coasts from France to Denmark/Sweden; Scheldt, Meuse, Rhine, Ems and Elbe plumes, German Bight Central, Outer coastal DEDK (German-Danish) and Eastern North Sea remain problem areas (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"River plume area not reaching non-problem status (all OSPAR regions)","value":58,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"15,555 sq km, OSPAR-wide figure for 2015-2020 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastal area not reaching non-problem status (all OSPAR regions)","value":22,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"44,861 sq km, OSPAR-wide (ref 1)."},{"name":"Assessment areas exceeding DIN thresholds","value":12,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Against four areas for DIP, indicating nitrogen needs stronger cuts (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic loss figure in the cited assessment (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"OSPAR reports gradual improvement since 2000, but chlorophyll-a has fallen only slightly despite lower winter nutrients (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"OSPAR Commission (Hazardous Substances and Eutrophication Committee)","role":"Regional sea convention running the assessment","contact":"https://www.ospar.org"}],"public_contact":"OSPAR Secretariat, London, via the contact page of ospar.org.","corrective_actions":["OSPAR Eutrophication Strategy and NEAES 2030 commitments to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus inputs (ref 2)."],"missing_fields":["Percentages in the measures are OSPAR-wide (Regions II, III and IV), not North Sea only; no North Sea-only totals were extracted."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Eutrophication Thematic Assessment, OSPAR Quality Status Report 2023","publisher":"OSPAR Commission","date":"2023-09-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oap.ospar.org/media/filer_public/ab/68/ab68bf35-107f-43db-b397-573315ef5798/p00843_qsr2023_eutrophication_ta.pdf","basis":"Regional sea convention assessment (release date from ref 3)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Eutrophication","publisher":"OSPAR Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ospar.org/work-areas/hasec/eutrophication","basis":"Regional sea convention page"},{"ref":3,"title":"How healthy is the North-East Atlantic? Findings from the 2023 OSPAR Quality Status Report","publisher":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory","date":"2023-09-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pml.ac.uk/news/how-healthy-is-the-north-east-atlantic-findings-fr/","basis":"News (research institute)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Wadden Sea Quality Status Report: Eutrophication","publisher":"Common Wadden Sea Secretariat","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://qsr.waddensea-worldheritage.org/node/52/pdf","basis":"Trilateral assessment (published 2017, context)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-SANDBANKLITTER-2025","title":"Steenplaat sandbank in the Dutch Wadden Sea recorded its highest litter count in 2025, and MSC Zoe plastic pellets are still reported on the islands","description":"Rijkswaterstaat's 2025 litter monitoring of three remote Wadden Sea sandbanks found the highest number of items on the Steenplaat since monitoring began in 2018, mostly plastic and wood, with the largest quantities on Griend. No items could be traced with certainty to the January 2019 MSC Zoe container loss, but container-related items were still found on Dutch North Sea beaches in 2025. A Rijkswaterstaat-hosted newspaper article reports that plastic pellets from MSC Zoe containers still pollute parts of the Wadden beaches.","location":{"name":"Steenplaat, Griend and Zuiderduintjes sandbanks","type":"Intertidal sandbanks in a World Heritage tidal flat","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NL"],"detail":"Dutch Wadden Sea, Netherlands: three remote sandbanks counted by Waardenburg Ecology three times a year; coordinates are for Griend, the site with the largest quantities.","coordinates":{"lat":53.2514,"lon":5.2542,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic litter and lost container cargo wash onto a protected tidal flat from sea.","secondary_drivers":["Container losses at sea (MSC Zoe, 2019)","Shipping routes and the port of Harlingen"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Steenplaat count was the highest since monitoring began, mostly plastic and wood, on a sandbank the researchers say receives only litter washed in from sea (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is reported; the sandbanks are not open to visitors (ref 1).","scale":"The monitoring covers three sandbanks within the Dutch Wadden Sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Monitoring has run since 2018 and the MSC Zoe loss of January 2019 still left items on beaches in 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Rijkswaterstaat runs the programme under the Action Plan Plastic-Free World Heritage Wadden Sea, and the Dutch Safety Board published a closed investigation of the MSC Zoe loss (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On the Steenplaat in 2025 the highest number of litter pieces since monitoring began in 2018 was found, mainly plastic and wood; Griend holds the largest quantities (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Containers lost by MSC Zoe, 1-2 January 2019","value":342,"unit":"containers","status":"Reported","note":"Dutch Safety Board investigation page (ref 3)."},{"name":"Cargo lost into the sea by MSC Zoe","value":3000000,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Dutch Safety Board (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sandbanks monitored","value":3,"unit":"sandbanks","status":"Reported","note":"Steenplaat, Griend, Zuiderduintjes (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic loss reported in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The Steenplaat reached its highest count since 2018 in 2025, but the multi-year series was not read (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Rijkswaterstaat Noord-Nederland","role":"Commissions the litter monitoring","contact":"https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl"},{"name":"Dutch Safety Board","role":"Investigated the MSC Zoe container loss","contact":"https://onderzoeksraad.nl"}],"public_contact":"Rijkswaterstaat's published information line, via rijkswaterstaat.nl.","corrective_actions":["Annual monitoring under the Action Plan Plastic-Free World Heritage Wadden Sea (ref 1).","Dutch Safety Board recommendations on safe container transport north of the Wadden Islands (ref 3)."],"missing_fields":["Item counts are in the 44 MB Waardenburg Ecology report (ref 2), which was not read; figures here are from Rijkswaterstaat's summary. Ref 4 is an undated Dutch newspaper article and the sources are in Dutch."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Meer dan plastic soep: dit spoelt aan in de Waddenzee","publisher":"Rijkswaterstaat","date":"2026-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/nieuws/archief/2026/08/meer-dan-plastic-soep-dit-spoelt-aan-in-de-waddenzee","basis":"Agency news release (Dutch language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Zwerfafvalmonitoring Waddenzee 2025","publisher":"Rijkswaterstaat Publicatie Platform (Waardenburg Ecology report 26-116)","date":"2026-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://open.rijkswaterstaat.nl/@307978/zwerfafvalmonitoring-waddenzee-2025/","basis":"Agency report record (Dutch language; PDF not read)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Safe container transport north of the Wadden Islands: lessons learned following the loss of containers from MSC ZOE","publisher":"Dutch Safety Board","date":"2020-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://onderzoeksraad.nl/en/onderzoek/safe-container-transport-north-of-the-wadden-islands-lessons-learned/","basis":"Agency investigation page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Stranden liggen nog vol met plastic korrels","publisher":"Newspaper article hosted by Rijkswaterstaat Waddenzee","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rws-waddenzee.iprox.nl/publish/pages/17115/stranden_nog_vol_met_plastic_korrels.pdf","basis":"News (Dutch language; page shows no date)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Griend (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griend","basis":"Reference (place coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-MUNITIONS-2025","title":"About 1.3 million tonnes of munitions on the German North Sea floor are releasing explosive residues that accumulate in marine life","description":"Germany's environment ministry (BMUKN) says about 1.3 million tonnes of unexploded munitions from two world wars lie in German North Sea waters, and about 1.6 million tonnes across the North and Baltic Seas combined. Explosive residues, some carcinogenic, are already accumulating in mussels and fish, and the ministry cites 25 percent more liver tumours in flatfish than in uncontaminated areas. A 100 million euro immediate action programme tested recovery technology in the Baltic in 2024 to 2025; no North Sea clearance results were opened.","location":{"name":"German North Sea munitions dumping grounds","type":"Munitions dumping grounds on the seabed","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE"],"detail":"German territorial waters and EEZ in the North Sea; the ministry's map of dumping grounds was not machine-readable and no coordinates are given.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Corroding munitions release explosive compounds, such as TNT, into sediment and marine food webs.","secondary_drivers":["Post-1945 munitions disposal at sea","Seabed corrosion of shells"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BMUKN says explosive compounds are already accumulating in mussels and fish, with 25 percent more liver tumours in flatfish species than in comparable uncontaminated areas, a figure the ministry gives for the North and Baltic Seas together (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The ministry says the munitions threaten shipping, fishing, tourism and offshore wind expansion, without reporting a closure (ref 1).","scale":"The ministry counts 1.3 million tonnes across German North Sea waters, a national coastline's seabed (ref 1).","duration":"Most munitions were sunk after 1945 and the threat is described as growing every year (ref 1).","significance":"The federal budget made 100 million euros available for a formal immediate action programme (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure; officials see no acute health risk from fish consumption at present (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"1.3 million tonnes of unexploded munitions lie in the North Sea and 300,000 tonnes in the Baltic Sea, in German waters (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Munitions in German North Sea waters","value":1.3,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"BMUKN infographic text, page last updated 11 November 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Excess liver tumours in flatfish versus uncontaminated areas","value":25,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"BMUKN (ref 1)."},{"name":"Federal funding for the immediate action programme","value":100,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"BMUKN (ref 1); Keystone-SDA reports the same figure (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Munitions endanger shipping, fishing and offshore wind construction (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The ministry says the environmental threat grows each year as shells corrode (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN)","role":"Runs the immediate action programme on unexploded munitions","contact":"https://www.bundesumweltministerium.de"}],"public_contact":"BMUKN's published citizen contact channels, via bundesumweltministerium.de.","corrective_actions":["100 million euro immediate action programme; pilot tests off the Bay of Lübeck and Mecklenburg Bay concluded in autumn 2025, with a mobile offshore disposal facility planned (ref 1)."],"missing_fields":["The pilot recovery took place in the Baltic; no North Sea recovery or measured North Sea TNT concentrations were found in the opened pages."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Unexploded munitions in the sea","publisher":"Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN)","date":"2025-11-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bmuv.de/WS7285-1","basis":"Agency page (last updated 11 November 2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Piles of ammunition rusting in the North and Baltic Seas: what to do?","publisher":"blue News Switzerland (Keystone-SDA)","date":"2025-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/international/ammunition-piles-rusting-in-the-north-and-baltic-seas-what-to-do-2748038.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-LUBECKBAY-MUNITIONS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-UKCS-ROSEBANKJACKDAW-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Scottish court finds Rosebank and Jackdaw consents unlawful over omitted downstream emissions; fresh UK decisions pending","description":"In January 2025 Scotland's Court of Session ruled that the UK consents for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields were unlawful because their environmental impact assessments left out downstream (scope 3) emissions, as the UK Supreme Court's Finch judgment requires. The quashing was suspended, so preparatory work could continue but no oil or gas can be produced until consent is re-granted. A revised Rosebank assessment estimates about 254 million tonnes CO2e over the field's life, and government consultations on the two fields ran to August 2026 with decisions still to come.","location":{"name":"Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, UK continental shelf","type":"Offshore oil and gas field","countries":["GB"],"seas":["NSEA","NEATL"],"detail":"Jackdaw is a gas and condensate field in the central North Sea; Rosebank lies west of Shetland (about 130 km north-west of Shetland per ref 1; blocks 213/26b, 213/27a, 205/1a, 205/2a per ref 3). Coordinates are the Jackdaw wellhead platform (ref 5).","coordinates":{"lat":56.9015,"lon":2.3808,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"extent":"national_waters","sea":"NSEA","basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A licensing and consenting dispute over whether new fossil-fuel field approvals must count combustion emissions.","secondary_drivers":["Fossil fuel development","Climate policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Potential, not yet realised: the operators' revised Rosebank assessment puts lifetime gross emissions at 254 million tonnes CO2e, mostly end-use combustion (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction on fishing or shipping is reported in the sources; the dispute concerns consents, not access (refs 1, 4).","scale":"Two fields in two sea areas (central North Sea and west of Shetland) under one UK consenting regime (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The consents date from 2023 and were still unresolved at the July 2026 consultation, more than three years on (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The Court of Session ruled both consents unlawful and suspended the quashing pending new decisions (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rosebank's revised assessment estimates about 254 million tonnes CO2e of gross lifetime emissions (operator's P10 high-production case)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rosebank lifetime gross GHG emissions (P10 case)","value":254,"unit":"Mt CO2e","status":"Reported","note":"Operator's scope 3 assessment submitted under a 21 July 2025 regulatory notice (ref 3)."},{"name":"Rosebank downstream scope 3 emissions (P10 case)","value":249,"unit":"Mt CO2e","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 3, section 1.6."},{"name":"Rosebank estimated oil volume","value":480,"unit":"million barrels","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 480 million barrels' per DrillOrDrop (ref 4); other sources give lower figures (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Production at Rosebank may slip from end-2026 to 2027, as reported by The Guardian and cited in ref 4.","Consent decisions for both fields remain pending after consultations (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Consents quashed in 2025, then suspended, re-assessed and put to consultation in 2026 (refs 1, 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED)","role":"Environmental regulator and consent decision-maker","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/offshore-petroleum-regulator-for-environment-and-decommissioning"},{"name":"North Sea Transition Authority","role":"Licensing and production consents","contact":"https://www.nstauthority.co.uk"}],"public_contact":"OPRED consultation representations under reference ES/2022/001, as published in the government notice cited by ref 4.","corrective_actions":["Consents suspended and reconsidered with a scope 3 assessment (refs 1, 2, 3).","Public consultation on Rosebank to 17 August 2026 and on Jackdaw to 10 August 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court: Jackdaw and Rosebank oil field approvals were unlawful","publisher":"The Chemical Engineer","date":"2025-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/court-jackdaw-and-rosebank-oil-field-approvals-were-unlawful/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Climate litigation: Scottish court quashes consents for North Sea oil and gas fields","publisher":"Slaughter and May (Sustainable Matters)","date":"2025-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sustainability.slaughterandmay.com/post/102k0dr/climate-litigation-scottish-court-quashes-consents-for-north-sea-oil-and-gas-fie","basis":"Law firm commentary on a court ruling"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rosebank: response to Requirement 1 of the Regulation 12(1) Notice, assessment of downstream scope 3 emissions","publisher":"Operator submission published by the UK government (OPRED)","date":"2025-10-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68ef61fd82670806f9d5e0a9/Rosebank_Reg_12__1__Assessment_of_Scope_3_Emissions__OPRED_131025__errors_corrected.pdf","basis":"Operator assessment to regulator (date from file title and PDF metadata)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Public consultation underway on Rosebank oil and gas field","publisher":"DrillOrDrop","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://drillordrop.com/2026/07/27/public-consultation-underway-on-rosebank-oil-and-gas-field/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Jackdaw gas field","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackdaw_gas_field","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Rosebank volume estimates differ between sources (300 million barrels in ref 1; more than 480 million barrels in ref 4)."}],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the 2026 consent decisions not found in opened sources.","Rosebank coordinates not given by an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NCS-BREIDABLIKKCASE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NORTHERNLIGHTS-CO2STORE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North Sea CO2 storage begins: Northern Lights injects its first volumes and the UK permits the Endurance store","description":"Northern Lights, owned equally by Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, reported its first CO2 stored in the Aurora reservoir about 2,600 m below the Norwegian North Sea seabed on 25 August 2025, with phase 2 to lift capacity to at least 5 million tonnes a year. In the UK, the NSTA granted the first carbon storage permit for the Endurance store, about 75 km east of Flamborough Head, on 10 December 2024, with first injection possible from 2027. The sources opened document no leak or incident; long-term monitoring and liability for these stores remain open questions.","location":{"name":"Northern Lights and Endurance CO2 stores","type":"Offshore CO2 storage site","countries":["NO","GB"],"detail":"Aurora reservoir off western Norway, fed by ship to the Oygarden terminal and a 100 km pipeline (ref 1); Endurance saline aquifer off Teesside, England (refs 2, 3). Coordinates are the Oygarden area on the Norwegian coast (ref 4), approximate for the terminal.","coordinates":{"lat":60.5486,"lon":4.8371,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"extent":"regional_sea","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A new offshore carbon storage industry and its permitting, monitoring and liability regime.","secondary_drivers":["Carbon capture and storage","Climate policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No leakage or ecological harm is reported in the Equinor release or the UK permit coverage; injection is described as safe storage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or shipping restriction is mentioned in refs 1 to 3.","scale":"Each store is a single reservoir site; phase 1 is 1.5 Mt a year and Endurance is permitted for 4 Mt a year (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Storage is intended to be permanent and Endurance is averaged over 25 years (ref 2), so any risk is long-lasting.","significance":"A formal UK storage permit was issued by the NSTA on 10 December 2024 (ref 2); Norway's injection followed its regulatory approvals (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"First CO2 volumes were injected and stored at Northern Lights on 25 August 2025, with phase 1 capacity of 1.5 million tonnes a year."},"measures":[{"name":"Northern Lights phase 1 capacity","value":1.5,"unit":"Mt CO2 per year","status":"Reported","note":"Fully booked, ref 1."},{"name":"Northern Lights phase 2 capacity (minimum)","value":5,"unit":"Mt CO2 per year","status":"Reported","note":"Final investment decision March 2025, ref 1."},{"name":"Endurance permitted injection rate","value":4,"unit":"Mt CO2 per year","status":"Reported","note":"NSTA permit, ref 2."},{"name":"Aurora reservoir depth below seabed","value":2600,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Norway's government covers about 80% of phase 1 costs (ref 1).","Endurance construction contracts worth about 4 billion GBP (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Northern Lights JV (Equinor, Shell, TotalEnergies)","role":"Storage operator","contact":"https://norlights.com"},{"name":"North Sea Transition Authority","role":"UK carbon storage permitting","contact":"https://www.nstauthority.co.uk"}],"public_contact":"Equinor and NSTA publish media contacts on their press pages.","corrective_actions":["Phase 2 expansion approved March 2025 (ref 1).","Endurance first injection targeted from 2027 (ref 2); NEP operations start 2028 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"First CO2 volumes stored at Northern Lights","publisher":"Equinor","date":"2025-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.equinor.com/news/20250825-first-co2-volumes-stored-at-northern-lights","basis":"Operator press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"NSTA awards Endurance first-ever UK carbon storage permit","publisher":"North Sea Transition Authority","date":"2024-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nstauthority.co.uk/news-publications/nsta-awards-endurance-first-ever-uk-carbon-storage-permit","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"NEP partners commit to UK's first North Sea carbon capture storage development","publisher":"Offshore magazine","date":"2024-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-mag.com/energy-transition/news/55248877/nep-partners-commit-to-uks-first-north-sea-carbon-capture-storage-development","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kollsnes","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kollsnes","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No leakage, monitoring or liability documentation found in opened sources.","Endurance 2026 status not verified."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-WINDAUCTION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Germany's August 2025 North Sea offshore wind auction draws no bids; next round moved to 2027","description":"The Federal Network Agency's August 2025 offshore wind tender received no bids, which industry association BDEW described as the first absence of bids in an offshore wind round. Industry cited higher costs, harder-to-predict price and volume risks and turbine layouts close enough to cause shadowing losses. The early-2026 round was later rescheduled to 2027, while industry estimates about 20 GW by 2030 against the 30 GW target.","location":{"name":"German North Sea offshore wind zones","type":"Offshore wind auction zone","countries":["DE"],"detail":"German exclusive economic zone of the North Sea; the sources opened do not name the individual sites or capacity of the failed round.","extent":"national_waters","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An auction-design and market-risk failure holding back planned offshore wind build-out.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore wind build-out","Auction design"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The sources report no ecological harm; the issue is a failed tender, not construction (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No access restriction is reported; the effect is delayed investment and a later 30 GW date of 2031 expected by industry (ref 1).","scale":"The whole German North Sea offshore wind programme is affected, a national coastline scale (refs 1, 3).","duration":"From the August 2025 zero-bid result to a round rescheduled to 2027 as reported in February 2026, well over a year (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A formal auction outcome with no bids, followed by a government decision to reschedule the round (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Zero bids were submitted in Germany's August 2025 offshore wind auction, the first time a round had no bids."},"measures":[{"name":"Bids received in August 2025 round","value":0,"unit":"bids","status":"Reported","note":"BDEW statement via Clean Energy Wire (ref 1)."},{"name":"Offshore wind in operation at start of 2026","value":9.7,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Clean Energy Wire factsheet (ref 3)."},{"name":"Government 2030 offshore wind target","value":30,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Industry estimates about 20 GW by 2030 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Industry asks for contracts for difference or power purchase agreements and longer licences (ref 2).","Industry expects 30 GW in 2031, one year later than planned (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Zero bids in 2025, next round moved to 2027 (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur)","role":"Offshore wind auctioneer","contact":"https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de"}],"public_contact":"Federal Network Agency's published general contact channels.","corrective_actions":["Auction round originally planned for early 2026 was rescheduled to 2027 (ref 3).","Industry proposals: CfD or PPA design and longer operating licences (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"No bids in German offshore wind auction for first time, industry association says","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire","date":"2025-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/no-bids-german-offshore-wind-auction-first-time-industry-association","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Offshore wind industry urges postponement of Germany's 2026 auctions to optimise bids","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire","date":"2025-11-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/offshore-wind-industry-urges-postponement-germanys-2026-auctions-optimise-bids","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"German offshore wind power: output, business and perspectives (factsheet)","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire","date":"2026-02-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/german-offshore-wind-power-output-business-and-perspectives","basis":"Factsheet (date as shown by the tool summary)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Site names and capacity of the failed round not stated in opened sources.","The BNetzA notice itself was not opened (agency page returned no auction news)."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NEDERWIEK-WINDTENDER-2025","OC-NSEA-NORDSOEN-WINDTENDER-2024","OC-NSEA-NORTHSEAS-HAMBURGSUMMIT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NORDSOEN-WINDTENDER-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Denmark's zero-subsidy North Sea wind tender drew no bids in 2024; CfD relaunch awarded Nordsoen Midt in 2026","description":"Denmark's 2024 tender received no bids for its three North Sea sites by the 5 December 2024 deadline, with Orsted citing an unfavourable risk-reward balance and the energy minister calling the result very disappointing. The government suspended tenders in January 2025 and relaunched with two-sided contracts for difference. On 4 August 2026 the Danish Energy Agency reported five bids for the 1 GW Nordsoen Midt site, which Vattenfall won; Nordsoen Syd has a bid deadline in October 2028.","location":{"name":"Nordsoen Midt and Nordsoen Syd wind sites","type":"Offshore wind tender area","countries":["DK"],"detail":"Danish North Sea; Nordsoen Midt about 12.5 miles offshore per ref 3. Hesselo (Kattegat) was in the same relaunched tender.","extent":"national_waters","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A tender-design failure and its repair in the allocation of North Sea wind areas.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore wind build-out","Auction design"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental harm is reported; the issue is allocation of areas (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No sectoral restriction reported; the cost is delay of about 1 GW per site (refs 1, 3).","scale":"Denmark's whole North Sea offshore programme (three sites in the failed 2024 round) is affected, a national scale (ref 1).","duration":"From the December 2024 failure through the January 2025 suspension to the August 2026 award, about twenty months (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The Danish Energy Agency formally closed the round with no bids and the government suspended tenders (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"No bids were received for any of the three Danish North Sea sites by the 5 December 2024 deadline."},"measures":[{"name":"Bids for North Sea sites, December 2024","value":0,"unit":"bids","status":"Reported","note":"Reuters via Baird Maritime (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bids for Nordsoen Midt, 2026 relaunch","value":5,"unit":"bids","status":"Reported","note":"Maritime Executive (ref 3)."},{"name":"Winning price, Nordsoen Midt","value":504,"unit":"DKK per MWh","status":"Reported","note":"Vattenfall's CfD bid (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Shell said on 4 December 2024 it was stepping back from new offshore wind investment (ref 1).","Winning CfD prices of 504 and 542 DKK/MWh for the two awarded sites (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"From zero bids in 2024 to a successful CfD award in 2026 (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Danish Energy Agency","role":"Tender authority","contact":"https://ens.dk"}],"public_contact":"Danish Energy Agency's published general contact channels.","corrective_actions":["Tenders suspended in January 2025 and relaunched with two-sided CfDs (ref 2).","Nordsoen Midt awarded to Vattenfall in August 2026; Nordsoen Syd bid deadline October 2028 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Zero bids for Danish North Sea offshore wind tender as controversial industry faces setbacks","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2024-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/renewables/offshore-wind/zero-bids-for-danish-north-sea-offshore-wind-tender-as-controversial-industry-faces-setbacks","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Danish Energy Agency running market dialogue ahead of 3 GW CfD-based offshore wind tender","publisher":"offshoreWIND.biz","date":"2025-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshorewind.biz/2025/06/02/danish-energy-agency-running-market-dialogue-ahead-of-3-gw-cfd-based-offshore-wind-tender","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":3,"title":"Denmark completes successful offshore wind farm tender using new approach","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/denmark-completes-successful-offshore-wind-farm-tender-using-new-approach","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ref 1 says the 2024 tender covered up to 10 GW across six sites; other coverage describes 6 GW."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-WINDAUCTION-2025","OC-NSEA-NEDERWIEK-WINDTENDER-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NEDERWIEK-WINDTENDER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dutch Nederwiek I-A offshore wind tender closes with no applications in October 2025","description":"The Dutch tender for the 1 GW Nederwiek I-A site, about 95 km off Texel, closed on 30 October 2025 with no applications. The outgoing climate minister told Parliament the market now depends on government support, citing higher developer costs, harder long-term power purchase agreements and slower industrial electrification. The government plans subsidised awards of 2 GW in 2026 and later CfDs, and says the 21 GW roadmap depends on the next government.","location":{"name":"Nederwiek I-A wind site","type":"Offshore wind tender area","countries":["NL"],"detail":"Dutch North Sea, about 95 km off the west coast of Texel, roughly 149 km2 including safety zones (ref 2).","extent":"national_waters","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A failed tender slowing the Dutch offshore wind roadmap.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore wind build-out","Electricity demand"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is reported; the item is a tender with no applicants (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No access restriction; the cost is delayed development of a 1 GW site (ref 2).","scale":"The 21 GW national roadmap to 2030 is affected by the failed tender (ref 2).","duration":"Roughly a year of delay since the October 2025 close, with a new round only planned for 2026 and CfDs from 2027 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal closed tender with zero applications reported to Parliament by the minister (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"No applications were submitted for the Nederwiek I-A tender, which closed on 30 October 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Applications for Nederwiek I-A","value":0,"unit":"applications","status":"Reported","note":"Tender closed 30 October 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Site capacity","value":1,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Climate Fund money reserved for 2026 subsidised round","value":948,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Minister said government support is crucial to prevent offshore wind stalling (ref 1).","Original plan of operation before 2030 is delayed (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A tender that was scaled back to one site still drew no bids (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth","role":"Tender policy owner","contact":"https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-climate-policy-and-green-growth"},{"name":"Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)","role":"Tender administrator","contact":"https://english.rvo.nl"}],"public_contact":"RVO's published general contact channels.","corrective_actions":["2 GW subsidised awards planned for 2026 (refs 1, 2).","CfDs and a PPA guarantee fund with Invest-NL to be considered from 2027 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Zero bids in 1 GW Dutch offshore wind tender","publisher":"offshoreWIND.biz","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshorewind.biz/2025/10/31/zero-bids-in-1-gw-dutch-offshore-wind-tender/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":2,"title":"No one wants to build Dutch offshore wind farm Nederwiek","publisher":"SWZ|Maritime","date":"2025-11-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://swzmaritime.nl/news/2025/11/03/no-one-wants-to-build-dutch-offshore-wind-farm-nederwiek/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["RVO notice itself returned HTTP 404 when opened; relies on trade press."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-WINDAUCTION-2025","OC-NSEA-NORDSOEN-WINDTENDER-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-OSTEND-ENERGYISLAND-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Belgium's Princess Elisabeth energy island: cost estimate rises to 7-8 billion euros and the direct-current phase is put on hold","description":"Elia put the cost of the Princess Elisabeth Island at 7 to 8 billion euros in early 2025, up from 3.6 billion in 2023, citing inflation, material costs and scarce HVDC equipment. Belgium's regulator CREG attributed at least 1.57 billion euros of the increase to Elia's own technical choices, which Elia disputes. In March 2025 Elia postponed signing the HVDC contract and the federal government postponed its decision on phase two.","location":{"name":"Princess Elisabeth Island","type":"Artificial energy island","countries":["BE"],"detail":"Belgian North Sea, about 45 km off Ostend (ref 4). Planned to connect offshore wind zones and cables to the UK and other countries.","coordinates":{"lat":51.51,"lon":2.49167,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"extent":"site","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Cost and procurement dispute over the grid infrastructure that offshore wind in Belgian waters depends on.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore grid cost","Equipment shortage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental harm is documented in refs 1 to 3; the issue is cost and schedule.","livelihoods":"No access restriction is reported; the effect is delay of later wind tenders by at least three years for the 1,400 MW farm (ref 1).","scale":"A single island and its grid connection (ref 1).","duration":"The dispute has run from the February 2025 CREG findings to at least the March 2025 postponements, with later years of delay expected (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The regulator CREG's findings and a federal government decision to postpone phase two are formal notices (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Elia's cost estimate for the island rose from about 3.6 billion euros in 2023 to 7 to 8 billion euros in 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Cost estimate, 2025","value":7.5,"unit":"billion EUR","status":"Estimated","note":"Midpoint of Elia's 7 to 8 billion range (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cost increase CREG links to Elia's technical choices","value":1.57,"unit":"billion EUR","status":"Reported","note":"Minimum, per CREG executive summary (ref 2)."},{"name":"Delay to the 1,400 MW wind farm","value":3,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"At least three years (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Elia said costs rose almost exclusively from external factors; CREG disagrees in part (refs 1, 2).","A new federal government signalled a review of the framework for later tenders (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Costs and delays rose through early 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Elia Group","role":"Transmission system operator and builder","contact":"https://www.elia.be"},{"name":"CREG (Belgian energy regulator)","role":"Regulator","contact":"https://www.creg.be"}],"public_contact":"Elia and CREG publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Elia postponed signing the HVDC contract (ref 1).","Federal government postponed its phase-two decision and planned to consult CREG, DG Energy and Elia (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Surging costs cloud outlook for Belgian Princess Elisabeth wind island","publisher":"Gas Outlook","date":"2025-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gasoutlook.com/analysis/surging-costs-cloud-outlook-for-belgian-princess-elisabeth-wind-island/","basis":"Trade press"},{"ref":2,"title":"Energy island: Elia's decisions have increased costs by 1.6 billion euros","publisher":"Brussels Times","date":"2025-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/1431044/energy-island-elias-decisions-have-increased-costs-by-e1-6-billion","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Soaring costs: Federal Government postpones phase two of energy island","publisher":"Brussels Times","date":"2025-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://www.brusselstimes.com/1513251/soaring-costs-federal-government-postpones-phase-two-of-energy-island","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Princess Elisabeth Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Elisabeth_Island","basis":"Reference page (coordinates and distance only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Gas Outlook (ref 1) gives 3.6 billion euros as the earlier estimate; Brussels Times (ref 3) gives 2.12 billion euros for 2021 and 3.6 billion for 2023."}],"missing_fields":["Status after March 2025 not verified from a dated source; the Wikipedia page mentions later events that were not corroborated."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NORTHSEAS-HAMBURGSUMMIT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-TERNAARD-WADDENGAS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dutch government pays NAM 163 million euros to drop gas drilling plan under the Wadden Sea at Ternaard","description":"NAM, owned equally by Shell and ExxonMobil, applied in 2019 and 2020 to extract gas from the Ternaard field, which lies largely under the Wadden Sea World Heritage area. A 2024 law banned new gas drilling under the Wadden Sea, and on 28 November 2025 the Dutch government announced a deal under which NAM gives up the plans in return for 163 million euros. NL Times reports the plans as permanently cancelled; the sources opened do not show the agreement's final legal formalities.","location":{"name":"Ternaard gas field, Wadden Sea","type":"Gas field under protected tidal sea","countries":["NL"],"detail":"Northern Friesland, Netherlands; the field lies largely under the Wadden Sea with a small part under the village of Ternaard (ref 1). Coordinates are the village (ref 3).","coordinates":{"lat":53.3833,"lon":5.9667,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"extent":"local","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A licensing dispute over gas extraction under a protected tidal sea, resolved by a state compensation deal.","secondary_drivers":["Gas extraction","Protected area conflict"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Potential harm only: the field sits near Natura 2000 reserves and scientists urged rejection (ref 1); no drilling took place per the cancellation (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or access restriction is reported; local residents and the municipality opposed the plan (ref 2).","scale":"One field under one part of the Wadden Sea coast (ref 1).","duration":"From NAM's 2019 application to the November 2025 deal, about six years (ref 2).","significance":"A Council of State order to decide (2024), a 2024 law banning new Wadden Sea drilling and a government cancellation deal (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The government agreed to pay NAM 163 million euros to cancel the Ternaard gas extraction plans, announced 28 November 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Compensation to NAM","value":163,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Reported","note":"About 40 million euros remains after taxes and contributions to EBN, per the ministry (ref 2)."},{"name":"Years from application to cancellation","value":6,"unit":"years","status":"Estimated","note":"2019 application to November 2025 deal (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["NAM's 2019 and 2020 permit applications are ended by the compensation deal (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Plans cancelled after a 2024 drilling ban (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth","role":"Decision-maker and negotiator","contact":"https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-climate-policy-and-green-growth"},{"name":"NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij)","role":"Permit applicant","contact":"https://www.nam.nl"}],"public_contact":"The ministry's published general contact channels.","corrective_actions":["2024 law banning new gas drilling under the Wadden Sea (ref 2).","Compensation agreement ending the applications, 28 November 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NL Times report: Council of State orders decision on Ternaard gas permits by 1 April 2024 (title paraphrased)","publisher":"NL Times","date":"2024-01-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nltimes.nl/node/70890","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"NL Times report: Cabinet agrees deal with NAM to cancel Ternaard gas drilling (title paraphrased)","publisher":"NL Times","date":"2025-11-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nltimes.nl/node/84881","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ternaard","publisher":"Wikipedia (Dutch edition)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ternaard","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Titles of refs 1 and 2 are paraphrased; no primary government notice opened.","Final legal formalities of the agreement not confirmed."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-BORKUM-N05AGAS-2025","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-BORKUM-N05AGAS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"One-Dyas N05-A gas project off Borkum: courts weigh cable and reef protection as drilling approvals stand","description":"One-Dyas's N05-A cross-border gas project off Borkum has been contested by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) in Dutch and German courts. In August 2024 and July 2025 the Oldenburg administrative court blocked the power cable permit or its laying on preliminary grounds, citing possible permanent damage to a protected stone reef. On 21 April 2026 the Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony dismissed DUH's suit against the 13 August 2024 drilling plan approval, according to the company's law firm; DUH says the Dutch case is on appeal.","location":{"name":"N05-A gas field off Borkum","type":"Offshore gas field","countries":["NL","DE"],"detail":"German-Dutch North Sea border area off Borkum, next to the Wadden Sea World Heritage area (refs 1, 2). Coordinates are Borkum island (ref 5).","coordinates":{"lat":53.5928,"lon":6.7047,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"extent":"local","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A permitting and nature-protection conflict over a gas platform and its power cable beside a protected tidal sea.","secondary_drivers":["Gas extraction","Protected reef","Cable routing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Oldenburg court found the cable could cause permanent damage to a protected biotope, one of Germany's last large stone reefs, on preliminary review (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or shipping restriction is reported in the sources opened.","scale":"One platform and one cable route beside Borkum (refs 1, 2).","duration":"DUH says it has opposed the project for more than three years (ref 4); court orders came in August 2024 and July 2025 and a judgment in April 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Administrative court orders halting the cable, and an OVG Lüneburg judgment of 21 April 2026 upholding the drilling approval (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Oldenburg court temporarily stopped laying the cable in July 2025; on 21 April 2026 the OVG Lüneburg dismissed DUH's challenge to the 13 August 2024 drilling plan approval (company counsel's report)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of German annual gas consumption the gas would cover","value":1,"unit":"% (upper bound)","status":"Reported","note":"DUH states it would cover less than 1% (ref 4); a claimant's figure."},{"name":"Tenaz Energy investment","value":244,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"As stated by DUH, autumn 2025 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["First-gas timing was repeatedly pushed back by litigation per the sources reviewed.","DUH objects to a further platform, N04-A, below the Borkum Riffgrund protected area (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cable halts in 2024 and 2025, drilling approval upheld in 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Lower Saxony State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG)","role":"German plan approval authority","contact":"https://www.lbeg.niedersachsen.de"},{"name":"Deutsche Umwelthilfe","role":"Claimant NGO","contact":"https://www.duh.de"},{"name":"ONE-Dyas","role":"Operator","contact":"https://www.one-dyas.nl"}],"public_contact":"LBEG and the Dutch ministry publish general enquiry channels.","corrective_actions":["Compensation in kind for the destroyed reef was obtained, according to DUH (ref 4).","Court-ordered pauses on the cable in 2024 and 2025 (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court bars energy firm from building power connection for gas platform in North Sea","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire","date":"2025-07-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/node/14979","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"German court stops preparation for gas drilling in Wadden Sea","publisher":"DutchNews.nl","date":"2024-08-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dutchnews.nl/2024/08/german-court-stops-preparation-for-gas-drilling-in-wadden-sea","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"One-Dyas mit CMS erfolgreich: Klage der Deutschen Umwelthilfe gegen Gasförderung vor Borkum abgewiesen (German; title from URL)","publisher":"CMS Germany (law firm for ONE-Dyas)","date":"2026-04-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cms.law/de/deu/news-information/one-dyas-mit-cms-erfolgreich-klage-der-deutschen-umwelthilfe-gegen-gasfoerderung-vor-borkum-abgewiesen","basis":"Law firm statement for a party; German language"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gas stoppen (DUH campaign page on Borkum gas drilling; German)","publisher":"Deutsche Umwelthilfe","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.duh.de/gas-stoppen/?wc=NL","basis":"NGO campaign page (a claimant; undated)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Borkum","publisher":"Wikipedia (German edition)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borkum","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The company's law firm (ref 3) and the claimant NGO (ref 4) present the litigation outcome differently."}],"missing_fields":["Court judgments not opened directly; relies on news and party statements.","Whether production has started is not confirmed.","Gas volume of the field not confirmed by an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-TERNAARD-WADDENGAS-2025","OC-NSEA-WADDENSEA-WHCONCERNS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NCS-BREIDABLIKKCASE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Norwegian courts weigh climate assessment of Breidablikk, Tyrving and Yggdrasil North Sea fields as Supreme Court hears the case","description":"Greenpeace Nordic and Nature and Youth challenged Norway's approvals of three North Sea fields because the impact assessments left out combustion (scope 3) emissions. The Oslo District Court ruled the approvals unlawful in January 2024, and the Borgarting Court of Appeal in November 2025 declared the Ministry's later decisions invalid but did not halt production; the State appealed and the Supreme Court sat in an enlarged formation from 24 August 2026, with a verdict expected later in 2026. Breidablikk and Tyrving are producing and Yggdrasil is due on stream in 2027.","location":{"name":"Breidablikk, Tyrving and Yggdrasil fields","type":"Offshore oil and gas field cluster","countries":["NO"],"detail":"Norwegian North Sea. No coordinates were given by the opened sources.","extent":"national_waters","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court contest over whether petroleum approvals must assess the climate effect of burning the oil and gas.","secondary_drivers":["Fossil fuel development","Climate policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Court of Appeal found the supplementary assessments deficient, implying unassessed climate harm from future combustion, but ordered no halt (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Courts let operations continue; no restriction on fishing or shipping is reported (refs 3, 4).","scale":"Three named fields in the Norwegian North Sea (refs 3, 4).","duration":"From the June 2023 challenge to a Supreme Court hearing in August 2026, over three years (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A District Court ruling, an EFTA Court opinion, a Court of Appeal judgment declaring decisions invalid, and a pending Supreme Court case (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Norway's Supreme Court heard the three-field climate case from 24 August 2026, with a verdict expected later in 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Fields contested","value":3,"unit":"fields","status":"Reported","note":"Breidablikk, Tyrving, Yggdrasil (refs 3, 4)."},{"name":"Judges in the Supreme Court grand chamber","value":11,"unit":"judges","status":"Reported","note":"Instead of the usual five (ref 4)."},{"name":"North Sea licences in APA 2025 round","value":31,"unit":"of 57 licences","status":"Reported","note":"Context: the January 2026 awards (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Yggdrasil, whose reserve estimates were raised, is due to start in 2027 (ref 4).","The Ministry was ordered to reconsider the applications within six months, or two months after a final judgment (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Rulings against the State at two levels, but production allowed to continue (refs 1, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Norwegian Ministry of Energy","role":"Approving authority and respondent","contact":"https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/ed/id750/"},{"name":"Supreme Court of Norway","role":"Court","contact":"https://www.domstol.no/en/supremecourt/"}],"public_contact":"The courts and ministry publish general enquiry channels.","corrective_actions":["Ministry ordered to reconsider the approvals (ref 1).","Government says its additional assessments now meet all requirements (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Greenpeace Nordic and Nature and Youth v Energy Ministry (the North Sea fields case)","publisher":"Climate Case Chart (Sabin Center)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climatecasechart.com/document/greenpeace-nordic-and-nature-youth-v-energy-ministry-the-north-sea-fields-case_52a4?cfn=oil","basis":"Court-case tracker summary (undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Norway's Supreme Court hears demand to halt oil and gas field production","publisher":"Greenpeace International","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/73524/norways-supreme-court-hears-demand-to-halt-oil-and-gas-field-production","basis":"Claimant NGO press release (undated; hearing 18-19 March, year not shown)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Three Norwegian oil fields up for Supreme Court climate case reversal bid","publisher":"Offshore Engineer (Reuters)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oedigital.com/news/542347-three-norwegian-oil-fields-up-for-supreme-court-climate-case-reversal-bid","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Top Norway court opens hearings over climate-disputed oil permits","publisher":"ARY News (Reuters)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arynews.tv/top-norway-court-opens-hearings-over-climate-disputed-oil-permits","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Norway awards 57 new NCS production licences under APA 2025","publisher":"Offshore Technology","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/norway-awards-57-new-ncs-production-licences-under-apa-2025/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Greenpeace release (ref 2) says a five-judge panel; Reuters (ref 4) reports eleven judges in the grand chamber for the 2026 hearing."}],"missing_fields":["Supreme Court verdict not yet issued.","Field coordinates not given by opened sources.","Court judgments not opened directly."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-UKCS-ROSEBANKJACKDAW-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NSEA-NORTHSEAS-HAMBURGSUMMIT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North Sea Summit in Hamburg pledges 100 GW of joint offshore wind while the 2030 target looks out of reach","description":"At the third North Sea Summit in Hamburg on 26 January 2026, nine countries signed the Hamburg Declaration, which calls for 100 GW of the 300 GW 2050 offshore wind goal set in 2023 to be delivered quickly through joint cross-border projects. Reporting notes that experts consider the intermediate 120 GW by 2030 target unlikely to be met on current trends. The sources opened do not describe nature, fishing or spatial-planning provisions.","location":{"name":"North Sea offshore energy cooperation","type":"Intergovernmental declaration (treaty process)","countries":["DE","NL","BE","DK","NO","GB","FR"],"detail":"North Sea summit process of Esbjerg 2022, Ostend 2023 and Hamburg 2026 (refs 1, 2). Countries listed are the North Sea and Channel coastal states among the participants.","extent":"regional_sea","sea":"NSEA","seas":["NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An intergovernmental commitment framework for offshore wind and grids in the North Sea.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore wind build-out","Energy security"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No harm is documented; the declarations make no environmental claims in the opened coverage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No access restrictions are reported; fishing and spatial planning are not covered in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Nine signatory countries across a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The framework runs from the 2023 Ostend goal to 2050, and experts say the 2030 step is off track (ref 1).","significance":"A formal summit declaration of heads of government and energy ministers on 26 January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Hamburg Declaration calls for 100 GW of the 300 GW target to be delivered quickly through joint offshore wind projects."},"measures":[{"name":"Joint offshore wind to be delivered quickly","value":100,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Hamburg Declaration (ref 1)."},{"name":"Offshore wind goal for 2050","value":300,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"2023 pledge restated at the summit (ref 1)."},{"name":"Intermediate goal for 2030","value":120,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Experts say it is unlikely to be met on current trends (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Auctions in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands drew no bids in 2024 and 2025 (see related records)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy","role":"Summit host","contact":"https://www.bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de"},{"name":"European Commission (DG Energy)","role":"Participant","contact":"https://energy.ec.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"The host ministry's published general contact channels.","corrective_actions":["Joint Offshore Wind Investment Pact and declarations on cross-border grid projects adopted at the summit (ref 1).","Nine priority action areas to speed coordinated deployment (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"France, Germany and Nordic countries back North Sea wind power at summit","publisher":"The Local Norway","date":"2026-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thelocal.no/20260126/france-germany-and-nordic-countries-back-north-sea-wind-power-at-summit","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hamburg Declaration: offshore wind and hydrogen as pillars of Europe's clean energy hub","publisher":"WaterstofNet","date":"2026-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waterstofnet.eu/en/nieuws-enkel-voor-wic-leden/hamburg-declaration-offshore-wind-and-hydrogen-as-pillars-of-europe-s-clean-energy-hub","basis":"Industry network summary of the declaration"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NSEA in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The declarations themselves were not opened (government PDF and ministry page returned 403).","Ostend commitments' implementation not assessed beyond reporting in ref 1."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-WINDAUCTION-2025","OC-NSEA-NORDSOEN-WINDTENDER-2024","OC-NSEA-NEDERWIEK-WINDTENDER-2025","OC-NSEA-OSTEND-ENERGYISLAND-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-DK-HYPOXIA-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Second-largest September oxygen depletion on record across Danish waters, 2024","description":"Aarhus University's DCE reported that oxygen depletion in Denmark's inner waters covered about 11,000 km2 in mid-September 2024, the second-largest September extent on record after 2002. Bottom water was oxygen-free in many areas and toxic hydrogen sulphide was released, with dead lobsters, crabs and starfish in Limfjorden and dead fish in Lovns Bredning. Widespread depletion in the southern and central Kattegat had not been seen since 2008.","location":{"name":"Danish inner waters (Kattegat, Belts, fjords)","type":"Coastal hypoxia zone","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","DE"],"detail":"Denmark's inner waters including Limfjorden, Mariager Fjord, Haderslev Fjord, the southern Little Belt, the Fehmarn Belt and, in Germany, the Bay of Kiel and Bay of Luebeck.","coordinates":{"lat":55.8,"lon":10.6,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":56.95,"lon":9.25,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Limfjorden, Logstor Bredning (dead benthic animals)"},{"lat":56.65,"lon":10.05,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Mariager Fjord (worst affected)"},{"lat":55.3,"lon":9.6,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Haderslev Fjord (worst affected)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Oxygen loss in coastal bottom water driven by eutrophication, high water temperature and calm weather.","secondary_drivers":["Eutrophication","High bottom-water temperature","Calm winds"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"DCE documented oxygen-free bottom water, toxic hydrogen sulphide release and dead lobsters, crabs, starfish and fish in Limfjorden (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources describe ecological effects and fish moving away but no fishery closure or income loss (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The 11,000 km2 affected area lies within Denmark's EEZ line, a national-waters extent that also reaches into German bays (ref 1).","duration":"The note finds the affected area in the inner Danish waters has risen significantly since 2010 (p=0.001), so the problem recurs every year (ref 1).","significance":"The advisory note was written for the Danish Agency for Green Land Conversion and Aquatic Environment as a formal public status report (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The total area affected by oxygen depletion in the inner Danish waters in mid-September was 11,000 km2, larger than Funen and Zealand together (DCE note 2024|53)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area affected by oxygen depletion, mid-September 2024","value":11000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Within the EEZ line; about a sixth was severe depletion (ref 1)."},{"name":"Extent vs September 2023","value":50,"unit":"% larger","status":"Reported","note":"The note says almost 50 % greater (ref 1)."},{"name":"Affected water volume vs September 2023","value":80,"unit":"% larger","status":"Reported","note":"The note says just above 80 % larger (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The note reports fish and mobile animals leaving depleted areas and less mobile animals dying (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"DCE reports a statistically significant increase in the affected area since 2010 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"DCE, Aarhus University (National Centre for Environment and Energy)","role":"Advisory monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://dce.au.dk"}],"public_contact":"Contact persons are listed at the end of the DCE advisory note (ref 1).","corrective_actions":["DCE issues four oxygen-depletion reports a year for Danish and adjoining Swedish and German waters (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Iltsvind i danske farvande 29. august - 25. september 2024 (Rådgivningsnotat 2024|53)","publisher":"Aarhus University, DCE - Danish Centre for Environment and Energy","date":"2024-10-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dce.au.dk/fileadmin/dce.au.dk/Udgivelser/Notater_2024/N2024_53.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Danish; university advisory note for the state agency)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Alarmerende iltsvind i danske farvande kalder på handling nu","publisher":"Greenpeace Denmark","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/denmark/pressemeddelelse/landbrug/alarmerende-iltsvind-i-danske-farvande-kalder-paa-handling-nu/","basis":"NGO press release (Danish; page shows no date; cites DCE note 2024|53)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source ref 2 shows no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-DK-HYPOXIA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-DK-HYPOXIA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Oxygen depletion in Danish waters for a third year, with hydrogen sulphide in fjords, 2025","description":"Danish monitoring reported about 3,200 km2 of oxygen-depleted bottom water in August 2025 and just under 3,700 km2 in the second half of September, smaller than the 2024 peak but again with oxygen-free bottom water and toxic hydrogen sulphide at some sites. DCE's late-autumn note names Mariager Fjord and Flensborg Fjord as places where hydrogen sulphide was released. Greenpeace calls 2025 the third year running of severe depletion. Aarhus University's national centre DCE reported oxygen depletion in inner Danish waters between 31 October and 26 November 2025, including anoxic bottom water in several fjords and toxic hydrogen sulphide released from the seabed in Mariager Fjord and Flensburg Fjord. Denmark had its worst deoxygenation in 25 years in 2023, according to coverage citing the Danish Environmental Agency, and fertiliser nitrogen run-off is blamed for the fjords' decline.","location":{"name":"Danish inner waters (Kattegat, Belts, fjords)","type":"Coastal hypoxia zone","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","DE","SE"],"detail":"Aarhus Bay, northern Belt Sea, Little Belt, Fehmarn Belt, Øresund, Mariager Fjord and Flensburg Fjord.","coordinates":{"lat":55.8,"lon":10.6,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":56.65,"lon":10.05,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Mariager Fjord (hydrogen sulphide released)"},{"lat":54.85,"lon":9.45,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Flensburg Fjord (hydrogen sulphide released)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Seasonal bottom-water oxygen loss in coastal seas after nutrient enrichment and a warm, calm season.","secondary_drivers":["Eutrophication","High bottom-water temperature"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"DCE recorded fully or nearly oxygen-free bottom water and hydrogen sulphide release in Mariager Fjord and Flensborg Fjord in early November 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or economic loss appears in the cited 2025 reports (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3).","scale":"Late-September depletion covered just under 3,700 km2 across several Danish belts, fjords and the Øresund, a national-waters scale (ref 2).","duration":"Greenpeace describes 2025 as the third consecutive year of severe depletion, after the 2024 record (ref 3, ref 4).","significance":"DCE's note 2025|71 is a formal advisory note to the state agency, and its late-November count was 5,200 km2 of low but not depleted oxygen (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The total area affected by oxygen depletion in the second half of September was just under 3,700 km2, about one third of it severe (LandbrugsAvisen citing DCE)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oxygen-depleted area, August 2025","value":3200,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace summary of a DCE report covering 1 July to 27 August 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Oxygen-depleted area, second half of September 2025","value":3700,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as just under 3,700 km2 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Oxygen-depleted area, late November 2025","value":100,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"DCE says a good 100 km2, 5 % severe (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Greenpeace argues the government relies on voluntary nitrogen agreements with agriculture (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Smaller than 2024 in September (3,700 vs 11,000 km2, ref 2) but the August area was a fifth larger than August 2024 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"DCE, Aarhus University (National Centre for Environment and Energy)","role":"Advisory monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://dce.au.dk"},{"name":"DCE, Aarhus University","role":"National centre issuing oxygen depletion reports","contact":"https://dce.au.dk"},{"name":"Agency for Green Land Conversion and Aquatic Environment (SGAV)","role":"Commissioned the DCE note and runs the measurements"}],"public_contact":"Contact persons are listed in the DCE advisory note (ref 1).","corrective_actions":["DCE keeps reporting the depletion four times a year; windy weather in mid-September 2025 slowed its spread (ref 2).","DCE publishes four oxygen depletion reports a year from July to November (ref 1).","Farmers' associations say Danish farmers have halved nitrogen discharges since 1990 (ref 2); a 2024 funeral protest was organised by Greenpeace in Vejle (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Iltsvind i danske farvande 31. oktober - 26. november 2025 (Notat 2025|71)","publisher":"Aarhus University, DCE - Danish Centre for Environment and Energy","date":"2025-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dce.au.dk/fileadmin/dce.au.dk/Udgivelser/Notater_2025/N2025_71.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Danish; university advisory note for the state agency)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Kraftig blæst bremsede iltsvind på vej mod rekord","publisher":"LandbrugsAvisen","date":"2025-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://landbrugsavisen.dk/kraftig-blaest-bremsede-iltsvind-paa-vej-mod-rekord-237950","basis":"News (Danish trade press citing DCE)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nyt rekordår for iltsvind, endnu værre end sidste år","publisher":"Greenpeace Denmark","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/denmark/pressemeddelelse/landbrug/nyt-ekordar-for-iltsvind-endnu-vaerre-end-sidste-ar/","basis":"NGO press release (Danish; page shows no date; cites the DCE report to 27 August 2025)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Havet gisper efter luft: med det nuværende iltsvind har vi kurs mod endnu et rekordår","publisher":"Ingeniøren","date":"2025-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ing.dk/artikel/havet-gisper-efter-luft-med-det-nuvaerende-iltsvind-har-vi-kurs-mod-endnu-et-rekordaar","basis":"News (Danish; article body partly cut off in the fetch)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Nitrogen pollution: 1,000 people attend 'funeral' for a fjord in Denmark","publisher":"The Brussels Times","date":"2024-04-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://www.brusselstimes.com/996301/nitrogen-pollution-1000-people-attend-funeral-for-a-fjord-in-denmark","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Denmark: Oxygen depletion holes return to marine waters with a vengeance","publisher":"Eurofish","date":"2022-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eurofish.dk/news/denmark-oxygen-depletion-holes-return-to-marine-waters-with-a-vengeance/","basis":"News (older context)"},{"ref":7,"title":"Mariager Fjord (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariager_Fjord","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"LandbrugsAvisen gives the 2024 comparison area in hectares in one sentence and km2 elsewhere; the km2 figure matches DCE's 11,000 km2 for 2024 (ref 2)."},{"note":"The Brussels Times figure of 7,500 km2 (17% of mainland Denmark) is quoted as reported; it was not checked against the Danish Environmental Agency."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BAL-DANISHWATERS-OXYGENDEPLETION-2025 (Recurring oxygen depletion in Danish fjords and belts, with hydrogen sulphide in Mariager and Flensburg fjords in 2025): pollution group filed the same 2025 Danish oxygen-depletion reports"}],"missing_fields":["The DCE note for the September 2025 period was not opened; September figures come from LandbrugsAvisen (ref 2).","The 2024 Green Tripartite agricultural nitrogen deal could not be checked: no page on it was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-DK-HYPOXIA-2024","OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025","OC-NSEA-SKAGERRAK-OXYGEN-2025","OC-BAL-DENMARK-MARINEFARMS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALPROPER-ANOXIA-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record hydrogen sulphide and a third of the Baltic Proper seabed hypoxic, 2023 to 2026","description":"SMHI's preliminary figures show anoxia on about 18 percent and hypoxia on about 34 percent of Baltic bottom areas in 2024, with hydrogen sulphide at the highest levels ever recorded in the East Gotland Basin. SMHI research cruises in July and August 2025 and July 2026 still found hydrogen sulphide from 70 to 125 m and acute oxygen shortage from 60 to 90 m in the Gotland basins. A peer-reviewed study describes the 2016 to 2024 stagnation as unprecedented deoxygenation. SMHI's oxygen survey for 2024 found anoxia on about 18% and hypoxia (including anoxia) on about 34% of Baltic Sea bottom area, with hydrogen sulphide at record levels in all basins around Gotland. The agency says the severe conditions have persisted since a 1999 regime shift and that inflows have been too small to change the overall picture.","location":{"name":"Baltic Proper and Gotland basins","type":"Deep-basin anoxic zone","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE","PL","LT","LV","EE","DE","DK","RU","FI"],"detail":"Central Baltic Sea, with the worst hydrogen sulphide at station BY15 in the Eastern Gotland Basin (Gotland Deep).","coordinates":{"lat":57.32,"lon":20.05,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Chronic deep-water oxygen loss from stratification, eutrophication and warming.","secondary_drivers":["Eutrophication","Stratification","Absence of Major Baltic Inflows"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"SMHI measured anoxia on about 18% and hypoxia on about 34% of bottom area in 2024 and record hydrogen sulphide around Gotland (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited SMHI and Frontiers sources describe the physical and chemical state and do not document a fishery or income loss (ref 1, ref 5).","scale":"The condition covers the whole Baltic Proper basin, a regional-sea scale from Arkona to the Gotland basins (ref 1, ref 4).","duration":"SMHI says the severe conditions follow the development since the 1999 regime shift, and the last major inflow was in 2014 (ref 2).","significance":"SMHI issues the annual oxygen assessment as a formal national report, and cruise reports to July 2026 repeat the finding (ref 1, ref 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Preliminary results for 2024 show that anoxia affected 18% of the bottom areas and 34% suffered from hypoxia (including anoxic areas) (SMHI, April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bottom area with anoxia, 2024 (preliminary)","value":18,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"SMHI, published 14 April 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bottom area with hypoxia incl. anoxia, 2024 (preliminary)","value":34,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"SMHI, published 14 April 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oxygen deficit below 100 m, Eastern Gotland Basin, 2024","value":2.5,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About double the level at the end of the previous stagnation in 2013 (ref 5)."},{"name":"Shallowest hydrogen sulphide, Eastern Gotland Basin, July 2026","value":80,"unit":"m depth","status":"Reported","note":"Found from 80 to 125 m; acute oxygen shortage from 70 to 90 m (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"SMHI and the Frontiers study report record hydrogen sulphide and an oxygen deficit twice the 2013 level (ref 1, ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"SMHI (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute)","role":"National oceanographic monitoring","contact":"https://www.smhi.se"},{"name":"HELCOM","role":"Regional sea convention (Baltic Sea Action Plan)","contact":"https://helcom.fi"},{"name":"HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission)","role":"Regional sea convention; Baltic Sea Action Plan and nutrient input ceilings","contact":"https://helcom.fi"}],"public_contact":"SMHI's general enquiries are listed at smhi.se.","corrective_actions":["SMHI says a new large inflow or a series of medium inflows is needed to ventilate the deep water (ref 2).","Two inflows in late 2024 could improve the southern Baltic Proper oxygen situation in 2025, per SMHI (ref 1).","Nutrient input ceilings under the Baltic Sea Action Plan aim to reduce eutrophication (see related findings)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The oxygen situation in the Baltic Sea 2024","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2025-04-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/en/publications-from-smhi/publications/2025-04-14-the-oxygen-situation-in-the-baltic-sea-2024","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Allvarlig syresituation i Östersjön","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2025-04-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/nyheter/nyheter/2025-04-14-allvarlig-syresituation-i-ostersjon","basis":"Agency news release (Swedish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rapport från havet med R/V Svea vecka 32-33 2025","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2025-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/publikationer-fran-smhi/sok-publikationer/2025-09-12-rapport-fran-havet-med-r-v-svea-vecka-32-33-2025","basis":"Agency cruise report (Swedish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Rapport från havet med R/V Svea vecka 28-29 2026","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2026-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/publikationer-fran-smhi/sok-publikationer/2026-07-21-rapport-fran-havet-med-r-v-svea-vecka-28-29-2026","basis":"Agency cruise report (Swedish; date taken from the URL, the page shows only an update stamp)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Recent stagnation period and unprecedented deoxygenation in the Baltic Sea: causes and consequences","publisher":"Frontiers in Earth Science (Liblik et al.)","date":"2025-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1638978/pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":6,"title":"Oxygen survey in the Baltic Sea 2023: extent of anoxia and hypoxia 1960-2023 (RO 76)","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2024-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/publikationer-fran-smhi/sok-publikationer/2024-05-23-oxygen-survey-in-the-baltic-sea-2023---extent-of-anoxia-and-hypoxia-1960-2023","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BAL-GOTLANDBASIN-DEADZONE-2024 (Baltic Proper bottom waters stay anoxic over about a fifth of the seabed with record hydrogen sulphide): pollution group filed the same SMHI anoxia findings"}],"missing_fields":["SMHI's report for the 2025 annual oxygen extent was not found.","A 2025 SMHI oxygen survey was not found in the sources opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTIC-LOWSEA-INFLOW-2026","OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025","OC-BAL-EASTERNBALTIC-COD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTIC-LOWSEA-INFLOW-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record-low Baltic water level in February 2026 and a saltwater inflow too small to ventilate the deep basins","description":"After weeks of easterly winds the Landsort-Norra gauge read 67.4 cm below the long-term mean on 5 February 2026, the lowest since records began in 1886, and IOW put the chance of a major saltwater inflow at 80 to 90 percent. By late April IOW's Michael Naumann said the inflow had been only of low to medium intensity and nowhere near a major event, so the deep basins received little oxygen.","location":{"name":"Landsort-Norra gauge and the Baltic deep basins","type":"Tide gauge and deep-basin ventilation","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE","DK","DE","PL","LT","LV","EE","FI","RU"],"detail":"Whole-Baltic mean water level measured at Landsort, Sweden; inflow routes through the Danish straits into the Arkona Sea.","coordinates":{"lat":58.77,"lon":17.86,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A wind-driven sea-level extreme that determines whether oxygen reaches the Baltic's deep water.","secondary_drivers":["Easterly wind pattern","Absence of Major Baltic Inflows"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"IOW says deep-water oxygen depletion makes layers uninhabitable for fish and can fuel nutrient release, a potential rather than newly documented harm (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited interview and press release record no closure, restriction or income loss from the low water (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The level is a Baltic-wide mean; the water deficit was about 275 km3 for the whole sea (ref 1).","duration":"The low stand ran from early January to at least February 2026 and the failed-inflow assessment came in late April (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"These are institute press and interview statements, not a formal notice or order (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On 5 February the Swedish Landsort-Norra gauge measured more than 67 cm below the long-term average, the lowest reading since records began in 1886 (IOW)."},"measures":[{"name":"Landsort-Norra level vs long-term mean, 5 Feb 2026","value":-67.4,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Table in the IOW press release (ref 1)."},{"name":"Water deficit relative to long-term average","value":275,"unit":"km3","status":"Reported","note":"IOW press release (ref 1)."},{"name":"Inflow volume needed to pass the Stolper Sill","value":170,"unit":"km3","status":"Reported","note":"Stated by IOW's Naumann in the April interview (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One winter's event; IOW says deep-water oxygen is now consumed about twice as fast as before (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW)","role":"Baltic monitoring and inflow forecasting","contact":"https://www.iow.de"}],"public_contact":"IOW's press contact is named in its press release (ref 1).","corrective_actions":["IOW's research vessel Elisabeth Mann Borgese was scheduled for 49 days of inflow monitoring in the eight weeks after 6 February 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Record low sea levels in the Baltic Sea - Will there be a major inflow of saltwater from the North Sea?","publisher":"IOW via Informationsdienst Wissenschaft","date":"2026-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nachrichten.idw-online.de/2026/02/06/record-low-sea-levels-in-the-baltic-sea-will-there-be-a-major-inflow-of-saltwater-from-the-north-sea","basis":"Agency press release (research institute)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Inflow lower than hoped: Baltic Sea still waiting for oxygen-rich water","publisher":"SURF Magazin (interview with IOW's Michael Naumann)","date":"2026-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.surf-magazin.de/en/spots-and-areas/baltic-sea/inflow-lower-than-hoped-baltic-sea-still-waiting-for-oxygen-rich-water/","basis":"News (interview with IOW scientist)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Propagation and mixing of the 2023/24 inflow: impacts on stratification and deep-water ventilation in the Southern Baltic Sea","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Bulczak and Rak)","date":"2026-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1629491/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (context: the 2023/24 inflow)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["IOW's own post-inflow assessment for spring 2026 was not found; the outcome rests on the April interview (ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALPROPER-ANOXIA-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-DE-STORMSURGE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"October 2023 storm surge: second-highest Baltic flood in 150 years on Germany's Schleswig-Holstein coast","description":"The 20-21 October 2023 storm surge put Flensburg 2.27 m above mean water, the highest there since 1872, broke dikes at Arnis and elsewhere and was roughly a 200-year event at several gauges. Schleswig-Holstein damage was put at about EUR 200 million, more than 150 yachts sank, and Damp harbour is to be fully restored only by the 2028 season.","location":{"name":"Flensburg Fjord and Schleswig-Holstein Baltic coast","type":"Storm-surge coast","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE"],"detail":"Flensburg, Schleswig, Eckernförde, Maasholm, Arnis, Damp and Kiel-Schilksee in Schleswig-Holstein; also Wieck am Darß in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.","coordinates":{"lat":54.79,"lon":9.44,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":54.52,"lon":9.56,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Schleswig (evacuations)"},{"lat":54.47,"lon":9.84,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Eckernförde"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Wind-driven storm surge flooding a coastline, the Baltic's highest since 1872 at Flensburg.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Easterly gale","Preconditioned high water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"At least six regional dikes breached, 5.3 km of dike moderately and 6.7 km severely damaged, and about 600 m of dike collapsed at Geltinger Birk (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Damp harbour is to be fully restored only by the 2028 season and 48 boats sank at Kiel-Schilksee, taking berths out of use (ref 4, ref 3).","scale":"The surge hit the Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg coasts and reached Denmark, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Reconstruction of harbours and coastal protection was still under way two years later, with 20% of boat damage unprocessed a year on (ref 3, ref 4).","significance":"Officials in Schleswig-Holstein's interior ministry warned of damage in the hundreds of millions and the state set up a special fund (ref 2, ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In Flensburg the water stayed above 1.0 m for 53 h and above 2.0 m for 9 h; only the 13 November 1872 surge was higher (Kiesel et al., NHESS 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak level at Flensburg above mean water","value":2.27,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by dpa citing the BSH and the Kiel ministry (ref 2); another source gives 2.37 m (ref 4)."},{"name":"Schleswig-Holstein storm damage","value":200,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Estimated","note":"About EUR 40 million coastal protection and EUR 140 million tourist and municipal infrastructure (ref 1)."},{"name":"Regional dike length severely damaged","value":6.7,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Of 40.1 km regional dikes in Schleswig-Holstein; 5.3 km moderately damaged (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Damage to coasts, flood defences, harbours and boats in Germany put at about EUR 200 million (ref 4).","Schleswig-Holstein pledged EUR 17.9 million for Damp harbour (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single extreme event; return period about 200 years at several gauges (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH)","role":"Storm-surge forecasting and water-level service","contact":"https://www.bsh.de"},{"name":"Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Interior (civil protection)","role":"Disaster management","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Federal and state contact points are on the respective agency sites (bsh.de).","corrective_actions":["Schleswig-Holstein set up a special fund for uninsured damage and low-interest bridging loans (ref 3).","Coastal protection projects can receive 90% funding (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Brief communication: From modelling to reality - flood modelling gaps highlighted by a recent severe storm surge event along the German Baltic Sea coast","publisher":"Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (Kiesel, Wolff, Lorenz)","date":"2024-11-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/24/3841/2024/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sturmflut an der Ostsee: Rekord-Hochwasser, gebrochene Dämme und ein Todesopfer","publisher":"dpa via inFranken","date":"2023-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infranken.de/deutschland/sturmflut-an-der-ostsee-rekord-hochwasser-gebrochene-daemme-und-ein-todesopfer-art-5782851","basis":"News (German wire service)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Baltic Sea: What does it look like one year after the storm surge?","publisher":"BOOTE Magazin","date":"2024-10-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.boote-magazin.de/en/travel-and-charter/territories/baltic-sea-what-does-it-look-like-one-year-after-the-storm-surge/","basis":"News (trade press)"},{"ref":4,"title":"The flood of the century: the storm surge night of 20 October 2023 on the Baltic Sea","publisher":"YACHT","date":"2025-10-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yacht.de/en/special/distress-at-sea/the-flood-of-the-century-the-storm-surge-night-of-20-october-2023-on-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News (trade press)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Peak at Flensburg: 2.27 m (dpa citing BSH, ref 2) against about 2.37 m (YACHT, ref 4); this record uses 2.27 m."},{"note":"The dpa report of a woman killed on Fehmarn concerns a tree falling in the storm, not the surge itself; Kiesel et al. mention no deaths (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["BSH's own storm-surge report was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-DK-STORMSURGE-2023"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-DK-STORMSURGE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"October 2023 storm surge: worst on Denmark's Baltic coasts since 1913","description":"DMI reported the 20 October 2023 storm surge, which hit the western Baltic from Bornholm to the Little Belt, as the highest water measured in the Baltic since 1913 (2.31 m at Schleswig), with up to 2.39 m above normal at Hesnæs on Falster. Flooding hit southern Jutland, including Haderslev and Aabenraa, and DTU later put the socio-economic cost of the October 2023 event above DKK 1 billion.","location":{"name":"Southern Denmark Baltic coasts (Little Belt to Falster)","type":"Storm-surge coast","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK"],"detail":"Southern Jutland (Haderslev, Aabenraa, Sønderborg), Funen (Faaborg), Falster (Hesnæs) and Zealand coasts.","coordinates":{"lat":54.91,"lon":9.79,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":55.25,"lon":9.49,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Haderslev (flooded sailing clubhouse, dike breach nearby)"},{"lat":55.09,"lon":10.24,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Faaborg, Funen (flooding)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Wind-driven storm surge flooding Denmark's Baltic-facing coasts.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Easterly gale","Heavy rain and river backwater"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"DMI's article says high waves caused large material damage at Rødvig Harbour and Hesnæs, and rebuilding is expected to cost the most ever for a surge in the region (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Scandlines ferry services were disrupted, Ritzau reported power outages across southern Jutland and Haderslev's sailing clubhouse was flooded (ref 2, ref 3).","scale":"The surge ran along Danish coasts from Bornholm to the Little Belt, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The water peaked on the night of 20-21 October 2023 and the clean-up took days, per the emergency agency (ref 3).","significance":"DMI issued warnings of critically high water levels along Funen, Lolland, Zealand and East Jutland (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The highest water level during the storm surge was 2.31 m at Schleswig, the highest measured in the Baltic since 1913 (DMI, KVANT, October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak water level at Schleswig","value":2.31,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"DMI scientists' article; Schleswig is in Germany (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak level above normal at Hesnæs, Falster","value":2.39,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Per DMI data as reported by The Local, 21 October 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Socio-economic cost of October 2023 surge","value":1,"unit":"DKK billion (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"DTU Management report; stated as exceeding DKK 1 billion (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["DTU says the October 2023 surge had socio-economic consequences above DKK 1 billion (ref 4).","DMI expects the rebuilding bill to be the highest ever for a surge in the region (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"DMI's Climate Atlas shows high water levels that are rare today will occur far more often in future (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI)","role":"Storm-surge forecasts and warnings","contact":"https://www.dmi.dk"},{"name":"Danish Coastal Authority (Kystdirektoratet)","role":"Coastal protection and high-water statistics","contact":"https://kyst.dk"}],"public_contact":"Contact via the DMI and Coastal Authority websites.","corrective_actions":["DMI sent its first warnings five days ahead and the event was well forecast, with no lives lost (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Stormflod over Danmark - modellering, prognoser og eksempler fra Østersøen","publisher":"KVANT (Madsen et al., Danish Meteorological Institute)","date":"2024-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidsskrift.dk/KVANT/article/download/168530/209386/377018","basis":"Agency scientists' article (Danish; issue dated October 2024)"},{"ref":2,"title":"IN PICTURES: Denmark hit by worst storm surges for decades","publisher":"The Local Denmark","date":"2023-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thelocal.dk/20231021/in-pictures-denmark-hit-by-worst-storm-surges-for-decades","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"The calm after the storm: Worst Danish storm surge in 119 years","publisher":"ScandAsia","date":"2023-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://scandasia.com/the-calm-after-the-storm-worst-danish-storm-surge-in-119-years/","basis":"News (citing DR and DMI)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Skader ved stormfloder i Danmark","publisher":"DTU Management for KL, Realdania and Klimalliancen","date":"2025-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kl.dk/media/rwujzhbi/rapport_skader-ved-stormflod-i-dk_klimaalliancen_mar2026.pdf","basis":"Research report (Danish; cover dated October 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"DMI's article gives the highest level as 2.31 m at Schleswig (Germany); The Local reports 2.39 m above normal at Hesnæs (Denmark); the two refer to different stations and may use different references (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The brief's Haderslev record level and Funen-specific levels were not found in opened sources; Haderslev appears only in flood reports (refs 2, 3).","Source dates for refs 1 and 4 are month-level on the page, so only the month is given."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-DE-STORMSURGE-2023","OC-BAL-SE-LODERUP-EROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-SE-LODERUP-EROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Löderups strandbad on Skåne's south coast: beach lost, building rights withdrawn as the sea takes plots","description":"Coastal researchers told SVT in April 2024 that Löderups strandbad was one of the worst-hit beaches after Storm Babet and that its sand is unlikely to return naturally. In April 2025 Ystad municipality opened consultation to repeal parts of the local plans, including plots that lie wholly or partly in the sea, judging erosion rather than sea-level flooding the main risk to buildings.","location":{"name":"Löderups strandbad, Ystad","type":"Eroding sandy coast","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE"],"detail":"Southern Skåne coast east of Ystads Sandskog, Ystad municipality, Sweden.","coordinates":{"lat":55.39,"lon":14.07,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Shoreline retreat on a storm-exposed Baltic sand coast, worsened by hard defences.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Hard coastal defences","Storm Babet"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The sandy beach had largely disappeared before Babet and plots in the plan area now lie fully or partly in the sea (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"Six undeveloped residential plots are no longer considered suitable for building, so owners lose building rights (ref 2).","scale":"The documents concern one beach and its adjoining plan area near Ystad (ref 2).","duration":"The municipality's maps compare the shoreline in 1960 and 2024, and nourishment has been used since 2011 (ref 2, ref 1).","significance":"Ystad's planning decision to repeal parts of the local plans is a formal municipal act, with adoption planned for 19 June 2025 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Six properties with building land for housing on dry land are affected by the repeal of the local plans, and some residential and park land lies wholly or partly in the sea (Ystad municipality, 16 April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Residential plots on land affected by plan repeal","value":6,"unit":"plots","status":"Reported","note":"Ystad consultation presentation, 16 April 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Owners lose building rights on plots judged unsuitable for new building because of erosion (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The municipality says it will watch the erosion and may repeal more of the plans (ref 2); Ystad's 2018 action plan names the area among the worst hit (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ystad municipality (Ystads kommun)","role":"Planning authority and coastal manager","contact":"https://ystad.se"}],"public_contact":"The municipality's consultation contact is named in the cited presentation.","corrective_actions":["Ystad applied nature-based erosion protection since 2011 (ref 1).","The municipality moved to repeal parts of the local plans in 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Här är stranden som klarade sig efter stormen Babet","publisher":"SVT Nyheter","date":"2024-04-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/har-ar-stranden-som-klarade-sig-efter-stormen-babet","basis":"News (Swedish public broadcaster)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Löderups strandbad - Samrådsmöte 2025-04-16 (upphävande av delar av detaljplaner)","publisher":"Ystad municipality","date":"2025-04-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ystad.se/download/18.5c4748881966758fc0132a7/1745567369040/L%C3%B6derups%20strandbad%20-%20Samr%C3%A5dsm%C3%B6te%202025-04-16.pdf","basis":"Municipal consultation document (Swedish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No measured retreat distance or sand volume in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-DK-STORMSURGE-2023"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTIC-HEATWAVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic Sea second-warmest year on record in 2025, with a record 55-day marine heatwave off Kiel","description":"BSH reported that the Baltic's 2025 mean surface temperature was 9.7 C, 1.1 C above the long-term average and the second-warmest year after 2020. In spring a marine heatwave at the Kiel lighthouse station lasted a record 55 days, from 28 March to 21 May, averaging 2.6 C above the 1991-2020 normal. BSH's summer 2026 report ranked that summer the seventh warmest, with June nearly 3 C above average.","location":{"name":"Baltic Sea, south-western Baltic off Kiel","type":"Marine heatwave monitoring station","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE","DK","SE","PL","FI"],"detail":"BSH monitoring at the Kiel lighthouse station in the Bay of Kiel; Baltic-wide mean temperatures reported for 2025 and summer 2026.","coordinates":{"lat":54.5,"lon":10.27,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-surface warming and marine heatwaves in a regional sea.","secondary_drivers":["Climate warming","Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"BSH says marine heatwaves lasting at least five days increase pressure on marine ecosystems, a potential harm without a documented die-off (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited BSH coverage reports no fishery, tourism or port disruption from the heat (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The 2025 annual figure and the summer 2026 ranking are for the Baltic as a whole, a regional-sea scale (ref 2, ref 3).","duration":"The Kiel heatwave lasted 55 days from 28 March to 21 May 2025, about two months (ref 1).","significance":"These are agency statistics and press statements, with no formal notice or advisory attached (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In the Baltic Sea, the annual average surface temperature reached 9.7C, which is 1.1C above the long-term average, making 2025 the second-warmest year since records began (BSH via Clean Energy Wire)."},"measures":[{"name":"Baltic Sea annual mean surface temperature, 2025","value":9.7,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"1.1 C above the long-term average, second-warmest after 2020 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Marine heatwave duration at Kiel lighthouse, spring 2025","value":55,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"28 March to 21 May; 2.6 C above the 1991-2020 mean, peak 4.3 C (ref 1)."},{"name":"Baltic mean surface temperature, summer 2026","value":17.2,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Seventh-warmest summer since 1997 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"BSH described spring 2025 Baltic temperatures as record-level and ranked 2025 second only to 2020 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH)","role":"Marine temperature monitoring and analysis","contact":"https://www.bsh.de"}],"public_contact":"BSH publishes its general contact on bsh.de.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Water temperatures in North and Baltic seas hit record highs in spring 2025","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/water-temperatures-north-and-baltic-seas-hit-record-highs-spring-2025","basis":"News (reporting BSH data)"},{"ref":2,"title":"North Sea temperatures reach record high in 2025; second warmest year for Baltic Sea","publisher":"Clean Energy Wire","date":"2026-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/north-sea-temperatures-reach-record-high-2025-second-warmest-year-baltic-sea","basis":"News (reporting BSH annual analysis)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Heatwaves: The North Sea and the Baltic Sea were significantly too warm in summer","publisher":"YACHT","date":"2026-09-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yacht.de/en/sailing-knowledge/meteorology/heatwaves-the-north-sea-and-the-baltic-sea-were-significantly-too-warm-in-summer/","basis":"News (reporting BSH summer report)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["BSH's own press releases could not be opened (the BSH press page returned 404); figures come from press coverage of BSH data."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BOTHNIA-HEATWAVE-2025","OC-BAL-LAGOONS-HEATWAVES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BOTHNIA-HEATWAVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Marine heatwave over about 40,000 km2 of the Bothnian Bay in July and August 2025","description":"TalTech's Institute of Marine Systems reported a marine heatwave covering nearly 40,000 km2 of the northern Bothnian Bay from mid-July to early August 2025, with seawater up to 4 C above the long-term average. A smaller heatwave began around 21 August in the Gulf of Finland, while Estonian coastal waters ran 2-3 C warm. SMHI's cruises in July and August 2025 found the Baltic Proper itself near normal.","location":{"name":"Bothnian Bay and Gulf of Finland","type":"Marine heatwave area","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","SE","EE"],"detail":"Northern Bothnian Bay (Finland and Sweden), Gulf of Finland and Estonian coastal waters including Tallinn and Pärnu bays.","coordinates":{"lat":65,"lon":24,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":59.8,"lon":25.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1,"role":"Gulf of Finland (smaller heatwave from about 21 August)"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A marine heatwave defined by sea-surface temperature above the 90th percentile for at least five days.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Hot spell in mid-July"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"TalTech says warm water stresses marine life and can impair reproduction, but reports no die-off from this event (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism effect is reported in the cited sources (ref 1).","scale":"The Bothnian Bay heatwave covered nearly 40,000 km2, part of a regional sea, and a second one formed in the Gulf of Finland (ref 1).","duration":"The Bothnian Bay event ran from mid-July to the beginning of August, a few weeks (ref 1).","significance":"A university institute's news item with no agency advisory attached (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A marine heatwave covered nearly 40,000 km2 in the northern Bay of Bothnia from mid-July to the beginning of August, with seawater up to 4 C warmer than average (TalTech)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area of Bothnian Bay marine heatwave","value":40000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Described as nearly 40,000 km2 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak sea temperature anomaly, Bothnian Bay","value":4,"unit":"C above average","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 4 C (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single season; TalTech expected temperature records not to be broken in 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Institute of Marine Systems, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech)","role":"Marine monitoring and research","contact":"https://taltech.ee"}],"public_contact":"See taltech.ee for the institute's published contacts.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sea surface temperatures in Estonian waters remain above average","publisher":"Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://taltech.ee/en/news/sea-surface-temperatures-estonian-waters-remain-above-average","basis":"University news (page shows no date; text points to early September 2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Rapport från havet med R/V Svea vecka 29 2025","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2025-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/publikationer-fran-smhi/sok-publikationer/2025-08-05-rapport-fran-havet-med-r-v-svea-vecka-29-2025","basis":"Agency cruise report (Swedish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rapport från havet med R/V Svea vecka 32-33 2025","publisher":"SMHI","date":"2025-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.smhi.se/publikationer-fran-smhi/sok-publikationer/2025-09-12-rapport-fran-havet-med-r-v-svea-vecka-32-33-2025","basis":"Agency cruise report (Swedish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"SMHI's July and August 2025 cruises reported no marine heatwave and near-normal surface temperatures in the Baltic Proper, which does not cover the Bothnian Bay (refs 2, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["No Finnish Meteorological Institute or Swedish report on the Bothnian Bay heatwave was opened.","The TalTech page shows no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTIC-HEATWAVE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-LAGOONS-HEATWAVES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Marine heatwaves growing more frequent in the Curonian and Vistula lagoons, 1993 to 2024","description":"A Vilnius University study reported by the university found about 63 marine heatwave events in the Curonian Lagoon and 64 in the Vistula Lagoon over 1993 to 2024, increasing by roughly 0.8 events per decade. The Curonian Lagoon showed the steepest rise, 12.3 more heatwave days per decade, concentrated from May to September.","location":{"name":"Curonian Lagoon and Vistula Lagoon","type":"Brackish coastal lagoon","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["LT","RU","PL"],"detail":"Southeastern Baltic coastal lagoons shared by Lithuania, Russia (Kaliningrad) and Poland.","coordinates":{"lat":55.1,"lon":21.1,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":54.35,"lon":19.85,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Vistula Lagoon"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Rising frequency of thermal extremes in shallow coastal lagoons.","secondary_drivers":["Climate warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study documents heatwave frequency, not ecological damage, so harm is potential only (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The university summary reports no fishery, tourism or port effect (ref 1).","scale":"The analysis covers three coastal lagoons rather than the open sea (ref 1).","duration":"The trend spans 1993 to 2024, with the Curonian Lagoon adding 12.3 heatwave days per decade (ref 1).","significance":"A student research summary on a university site, informal rather than a formal notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The mean number of marine heatwave events was 64 in the Vistula Lagoon and 63 in the Curonian Lagoon over 1993-2024 (Vilnius University)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine heatwave events, Vistula Lagoon, 1993-2024","value":64,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Mean number (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rise in heatwave days, Curonian Lagoon","value":12.3,"unit":"days per decade","status":"Reported","note":"Strongest of the three lagoons (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Event frequency rose by about 0.79-0.84 events per decade in all three lagoons (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vilnius University, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences","role":"Research","contact":"https://www.chgf.vu.lt"}],"public_contact":"See the Vilnius University faculty site.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"VU student's research reveals increasing frequency of marine heatwaves in Baltic lagoons","publisher":"Vilnius University, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.chgf.vu.lt/en/about/news/3943-vu-student-s-research-reveals-increasing-frequency-of-marine-heatwaves-in-baltic-lagoons","basis":"University news (page lists creation date)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one source; the underlying thesis or paper was not opened.","The lagoons are brackish and partly fresh; scope follows the coastal-lagoon reading."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTIC-HEATWAVE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-PORPOISE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic Proper harbour porpoise stays critically endangered as the EU tightens control of net closures","description":"The resident Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population is listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN and is estimated at fewer than 500 animals. A 2024 peer-reviewed review reports that bycatch, almost entirely in static nets, exceeds the sustainable limit of 0.7 animals a year and that the only abundance estimate dates from 2011 to 2013. In February 2026 the European Commission adopted a delegated act adding vessel-position and control requirements to the 2022 static-net closures.","location":{"name":"Baltic Proper porpoise range (SE, PL, DE, DK waters)","type":"Harbour porpoise population range","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE","PL","DE","DK"],"detail":"Offshore banks of the Baltic Proper (for example Hoburgs bank and the Midsjö banks off Sweden, the Middle Bank off Poland) and the western Baltic winter overlap zone with the Belt Sea population.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Documented bycatch and a very small population of a protected marine mammal in the Baltic Proper.","secondary_drivers":["Bycatch in static nets","Underwater noise and munitions clearance","Contaminants"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Estimated bycatch was 7 animals in 2017 against a potential biological removal of 0.7 a year, and at least 97% of recorded bycatch was in static nets (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The Commission states that 11 marine areas are closed to static nets under Delegated Regulation 2022/303, with mandatory pingers at two sites (ref 3).","scale":"The population ranges over the Baltic Proper offshore banks and coasts of Sweden, Poland, Germany and Denmark (refs 1, 3).","duration":"IUCN has rated the population Critically Endangered since 2008 with no change in 16 years (ref 2); HELCOM says status is not good for any Baltic population (ref 4).","significance":"A Commission delegated act of 27 February 2026 adds control measures (ref 1), and the Commission sent Sweden a reasoned opinion in February 2024 (INFR(2020)4037, as reported in ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":491,"status":"Estimated","note":"Point estimate from the SAMBAH acoustic survey 2011-2013 (CV 0.68, 95% CI 71-1,105), the only estimate to date (ref 2); the 2026 delegated act says fewer than 500 (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Population of 491 individuals (95% CI 71-1,105) from SAMBAH 2011-2013, the only estimate to date; bycatch of 7 in 2017 against a 0.7 a year potential biological removal (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Abundance estimate (SAMBAH 2011-2013)","value":491,"unit":"individuals","status":"Estimated","note":"CV 0.68, 95% CI 71-1,105 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Estimated bycatch 2017","value":7,"unit":"individuals","status":"Estimated","note":"Against potential biological removal of 0.7 per year and a HELCOM threshold of zero (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of recorded bycatch in static nets","value":97,"unit":"% (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Gillnets, entangling nets and trammel nets (ref 2)."},{"name":"Marine areas closed to static nets (2022)","value":11,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/303 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Static-net fishing is closed in 11 Baltic Proper marine areas (ref 3), and the 2026 act adds control of every vessel present in the closed areas (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No new abundance estimate since 2011-2013; the 2024 review infers the population is likely still decreasing (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission, DG MARE","role":"Adopts EU technical measures for porpoise bycatch","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"},{"name":"HELCOM","role":"Regional sea convention (Baltic Sea Action Plan, bycatch)","contact":"https://helcom.fi/"},{"name":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management","role":"Swedish fisheries and marine protected area measures","contact":"https://www.havochvatten.se/"}],"public_contact":"European Commission DG MARE publishes a general enquiry channel on its oceans and fisheries website; HELCOM Secretariat via helcom.fi.","corrective_actions":["Static-net closures in 11 Baltic Proper marine areas and pinger requirements at two sites since 26 February 2022 (ref 3).","Delegated act of 27 February 2026: vessel position data every 10 minutes and control of all vessels in the closed areas (ref 1).","The population was added to CMS Appendix I in 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 as regards measures to ensure compliance with mitigation measures for the Baltic Proper harbour porpoise (C(2026) 1240 final)","publisher":"European Commission (Council document 6879/26)","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6879-2026-INIT/en/pdf","basis":"Official EU document (draft delegated act transmitted to the Council)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Current species protection does not serve its porpoise: knowledge gaps on the impact of pressures on the Critically Endangered Baltic Proper harbour porpoise population","publisher":"Ecology and Evolution (Koschinski, Owen, Lehnert, Kaminska)","date":"2024-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11392595/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Baltic Sea conservation: EU acts to protect harbour porpoises","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2022-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/baltic-sea-conservation-eu-acts-protect-harbour-porpoises-2022-02-25_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"State of the Baltic Sea 2023, section 3.2.5 Status of marine mammals (HOLAS 3)","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Marine-mammals-chapter.pdf","basis":"Regional sea convention assessment"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2024 review gives 491 animals (SAMBAH 2011-2013) while the Commission's 2026 act says fewer than 500 (refs 1, 2); both rest on the same survey."}],"missing_fields":["No abundance estimate newer than 2011-2013 was found in the pages opened.","The final published text of the 2026 act was not opened; ref 1 is the Commission document as sent to the Council."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-KATTEGAT-PORPOISEMPA-2026","OC-BAL-RUEGEN-GHOSTNETS-2023","OC-BAL-FEHMARN-TUNNEL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-KATTEGAT-PORPOISEMPA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"EU adopts net restrictions to cut porpoise bycatch risk in the Swedish Kattegat Natura 2000 site off Skane","description":"The Commission delegated act sent to the Council on 7 April 2026 sets a year-round no-take zone and seasonal gillnet, fyke net and longline bans, with acoustic deterrents, in the Nordvastra Skanes havsomrade Natura 2000 site in the Kattegat. The site was designated to protect harbour porpoise (Belt Sea population), grey seal and 41 bird species. The measure follows a joint recommendation of 6 November 2024 and is to be reviewed by 31 December 2027.","location":{"name":"Nordvastra Skanes havsomrade (Kattegat, Sweden)","type":"Natura 2000 marine site","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE"],"detail":"Offshore Kattegat off the northwest Skane coast, overlapping the Skanska Kattegatt nature reserve; the porpoises present belong to the Belt Sea population.","coordinates":{"lat":56.4053,"lon":12.3906,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Marine protected area fishing measures aimed at protecting a marine mammal population from bycatch.","secondary_drivers":["Bycatch risk in gillnets and fyke nets"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The measure addresses a potential risk of incidental catches of harbour porpoise, grey seal and birds in the site; ref 1 gives no catch figure.","livelihoods":"Ref 1 creates a no-take zone and bans gillnets, fyke nets and longlines for part or all of the year, with licensed derogations in one zone.","scale":"The measure covers one Natura 2000 site of about 58,600 hectares in the Swedish Kattegat (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Sweden consulted on measures in 2019-2021 and drafted a joint recommendation in 2021 before the 6 November 2024 submission (ref 1).","significance":"A Commission delegated act amending Delegated Regulation 2017/118 was sent to the Council on 7 April 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The Belt Sea population is estimated at over 14,000 animals (ref 3); no site-level count is given."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Area 1(17): fishing with gillnets, fyke nets and longlines prohibited from 1 January to 31 December each year, with licensed derogations; area 1(16): banned 15 November to 15 March and allowed 16 March to 14 November only with acoustic deterrents (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Belt Sea harbour porpoise population","value":14000,"unit":"individuals (more than)","status":"Estimated","note":"Commission explanatory memorandum of 27 February 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Review deadline for catch data","value":2027,"unit":"year (31 December)","status":"Reported","note":"Member States must assess incidental-catch data by 31 December 2027 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Commercial gillnet, fyke net and longline fishing is banned or conditioned in the two restricted zones (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Measure adopted in 2026; no catch data series in the sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission, DG MARE","role":"Adopts fisheries conservation measures by delegated act","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"},{"name":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management","role":"Swedish fisheries authority, licences for derogations","contact":"https://www.havochvatten.se/"},{"name":"Skane County Administrative Board","role":"Manages the Skanska Kattegatt nature reserve","contact":"https://www.lansstyrelsen.se/skane.html"}],"public_contact":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management general enquiries via havochvatten.se; European Commission DG MARE via its website.","corrective_actions":["No-take zone and bans on gillnets, fyke nets and longlines with seasonal acoustic-deterrent conditions (ref 1).","Recreational fyke fishing limited to six nets with escape openings of at least 75 mm (ref 1).","Annual review of incidental-catch data, final assessment by 31 December 2027 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 as regards conservation measures in the site Nordvastra Skanes havsomrade in the Kattegat (C(2026) 2111 final)","publisher":"European Commission (Council document 7990/26)","date":"2026-04-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7990-2026-INIT/en/pdf","basis":"Official EU document (delegated act transmitted to the Council)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Skanska Kattegatt (marine nature reserve; coordinates 56 24 19 N, 12 23 26 E)","publisher":"Wikipedia (Swedish)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skånska_Kattegatt","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Commission Delegated Regulation on Baltic Proper harbour porpoise control measures (explanatory memorandum: Belt Sea population over 14,000)","publisher":"European Commission (Council document 6879/26)","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6879-2026-INIT/en/pdf","basis":"Official EU document"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The final Official Journal text of the act could not be opened; the record follows the Commission document sent to the Council.","Only one primary source describes the measure."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-PORPOISE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTIC-GREYSEALHUNT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic grey seal hunt quotas disputed: scientists disagree on whether about 3,000 seals a year is sustainable","description":"Sweden, Finland and the Aland Islands allow a combined grey seal hunt of about 3,000 animals a year while the population is 55,000 to 57,000. A 2024 University of Gothenburg study judged that level unsustainable and put the maximum sustainable catch at 1,900, whereas a June 2026 University of Helsinki modelling study found about 3,050 viable but 3,600 raises extinction risk. Sweden has proposed 1,350 licensed plus 150 protective grey seals for 2026 to 2027, and Danish scientists warn this may delay recovery in Danish waters.","location":{"name":"Baltic Sea grey seal population and hunting areas","type":"Grey seal population range","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE","FI","EE","DK"],"detail":"Whole Baltic grey seal population; licensed and protective hunting in Sweden and Finland (including Aland), control hunting in Estonia, recolonisation in Denmark.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Hunting and bycatch pressure on a recovering protected marine mammal population.","secondary_drivers":["Seal hunting","Seal-fishery conflict","Fishery bycatch","Reduced sea ice and prey size"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Gothenburg study found a 3,000 a year kill declined the population in every modelled scenario (ref 1); the Helsinki study found the current quota viable (ref 4), so harm is potential.","livelihoods":"Seals damage fishing gear and Estonia paid fishers about EUR 25,000 in compensation in 2021 (ref 5); hunting is regulated by annual quotas (refs 3, 4).","scale":"Quotas cover Sweden, Finland and Aland for one Baltic-wide population (refs 1, 4).","duration":"Hunting was reintroduced in Sweden from 2001 and the review covers 2001-2024 (ref 2); Estonia's hunt dates to at least 2022 (ref 5).","significance":"The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has proposed 2026-2027 quotas, assessed by Aarhus University's DCE for the Danish ministry (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Seals are not people; no human population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Current quota about 3,000 grey seals a year and about 1,500 killed; the researchers put the maximum sustainable catch at 1,900 a year (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Baltic grey seal population","value":57000,"unit":"individuals","status":"Reported","note":"University of Helsinki, 2026 (ref 4); the Swedish EPA estimate is 57,000-76,000 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Grey seals counted on land in 2024","value":45877,"unit":"individuals","status":"Reported","note":"Swedish EPA figure cited by DCE (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sweden proposed licensed grey seal hunt 2026-2027","value":1350,"unit":"seals (plus 150 protective)","status":"Reported","note":"Email from the Swedish EPA cited in DCE note 2026/10 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Combined yearly quota judged viable by the Helsinki model","value":3050,"unit":"seals","status":"Estimated","note":"Finland, Sweden and Aland; 3,600 raises extinction probability and 4,800 leads to extinction by 2070 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Swedish retrieval rate of shot seals","value":57,"unit":"% (2014-2024)","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 89% in 2002-2013 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Coastal fishers report seal damage to gear and catches; Estonia paid EUR 25,252 for broken gear in 2021 (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Population has grown to about 57,000 (ref 4) while Swedish hunting rules were relaxed from 2020 and retrieval fell (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish Environmental Protection Agency","role":"Sets Swedish seal hunting quotas","contact":"https://www.naturvardsverket.se/"},{"name":"Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry","role":"Sets Finnish seal hunting quotas","contact":"https://mmm.fi/en/"},{"name":"HELCOM","role":"Regional sea convention (seal status assessment)","contact":"https://helcom.fi/"}],"public_contact":"Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Annual national quotas and licensing in Sweden and Finland (refs 3, 4).","Scientists call for the quota to be cut towards 1,900 a year (ref 1) and for age and sex data on hunted seals (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Scientists warn the grey seal hunt is too large","publisher":"University of Gothenburg","date":"2024-03-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gu.se/en/news/scientists-warn-the-grey-seal-hunt-is-too-large","basis":"University news release on a Journal of Animal Ecology study"},{"ref":2,"title":"The reintroduction of grey seal hunting in Sweden: a review of hunting and seal population data (2001-2024)","publisher":"NAMMCO Scientific Publications (Lundstrom et al.)","date":"2025-11-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/8086","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"The impact of Swedish seal hunting quotas on the conservation status of harbour and grey seal populations in Denmark (Scientific note 2026/10)","publisher":"Aarhus University, DCE","date":"2026-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dce.au.dk/fileadmin/dce.au.dk/Udgivelser/Notater_2026/N2026_10.pdf","basis":"Agency scientific note"},{"ref":4,"title":"Herring weight and seal hunting markedly affecting the future of Baltic grey seals","publisher":"University of Helsinki","date":"2026-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/animals/herring-weight-and-seal-hunting-markedly-affecting-future-baltic-grey-seals","basis":"University news release on an Ecological Modelling study"},{"ref":5,"title":"Estonia sets seal hunting quota at 55","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2022-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1608563611/estonia-sets-seal-hunting-quota-at-55","basis":"News (context on seal-fishery conflict)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2024 Gothenburg study judges a 3,000 a year quota unsustainable (ref 1) while the 2026 Helsinki study finds about 3,050 a year viable (ref 4); the record reports both."},{"note":"Population is given as about 55,000 (ref 1), 57,000 (ref 4) and 57,000-76,000 (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Official Swedish and Finnish quota decisions were not opened; the 2026-2027 Swedish figures come from a Danish scientific note quoting the Swedish agency (ref 3)."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFBOTHNIA-RINGEDSEAL-2025","OC-BAL-MAINBASIN-SALMON-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-GULFBOTHNIA-RINGEDSEAL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Finland raises Baltic ringed seal hunting quota to 425 while HELCOM rates southern populations as failing and ice-dependent","description":"From 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027 Finland allows ringed seal hunting only in the Bothnian Bay-Kvarken area, with the annual quota raised by 50 to 425. HELCOM's assessment found the Bothnian Bay population and the southern unit (Archipelago Sea, Gulf of Finland, western Estonia) fail good status and that milder winters make counts unreliable and threaten snow-lair breeding. A University of Helsinki-led study reported the Baltic ringed seal has grown about fivefold since the 1970s to roughly 25,000.","location":{"name":"Bothnian Bay, Gulf of Finland, Archipelago Sea","type":"Ringed seal population ranges","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","SE","EE"],"detail":"Baltic ringed seal subpopulations in the northern Gulf of Bothnia (Finland, Sweden) and the southern unit around the Archipelago Sea, Gulf of Finland and western Estonia.","coordinates":{"lat":65,"lon":23,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Ice-breeding marine mammal under climate and hunting pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Reduced sea ice and snow","Seal hunting","Fishery bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"HELCOM expects no status improvement and says climate change threatens snow-lair breeding, with southern subpopulations at risk of extirpation (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Finland limited hunting to the Bothnian Bay-Kvarken area and set a 425-seal annual quota (ref 1).","scale":"Subpopulations span the Gulf of Bothnia, Archipelago Sea, Gulf of Finland and western Estonia (ref 3).","duration":"Counts since 2012 are highly variable because of milder winters (ref 3), and HELCOM says shorter, warmer winters restrict suitable ice fields for ringed seal lairs (ref 4).","significance":"HELCOM's HOLAS 3 indicator rates the Bothnian Bay population and the southern unit as failing good status (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Seals are not people; no human population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Finland's annual ringed seal quota rises to 425, up 50, for 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027, restricted to the Bothnian Bay-Kvarken area (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Finland annual ringed seal quota 2025-2027","value":425,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"Up 50 from the previous limit (ref 1)."},{"name":"Highest hauled-out count, Bothnian Bay (2020)","value":14602,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"Limit reference level is 10,000; growth rate 4.6% a year against a 7% threshold (ref 3)."},{"name":"Gulf of Finland ringed seals in aerial surveys","value":100,"unit":"seals (about)","status":"Reported","note":"2017, 2018 and 2021 surveys, no sign of increase (ref 3)."},{"name":"Baltic ringed seal population (University of Helsinki-led study)","value":25000,"unit":"seals (about)","status":"Reported","note":"About fivefold since the 1970s (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The 2025 study reports fivefold growth (ref 2) while HELCOM rates growth below threshold and counts as unreliable after mild winters (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry","role":"Sets ringed seal hunting quotas","contact":"https://mmm.fi/en/"},{"name":"Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)","role":"Seal monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.luke.fi/en"},{"name":"HELCOM","role":"Regional sea convention (status assessment)","contact":"https://helcom.fi/"}],"public_contact":"Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Luke publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Hunting restricted to the Bothnian Bay-Kvarken area; no quotas for Southwest Finland or the Gulf of Finland (ref 1).","Sweden's protective hunt quota was 420 ringed seals at the time of HELCOM's 2023 assessment (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Finland restricts hunting area for Baltic ringed seals, approves increased quota","publisher":"Yle News","date":"2025-07-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://yle.fi/a/74-20173425","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Finland's Baltic ringed seal population thriving, study finds","publisher":"Yle News","date":"2025-07-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://yle.fi/a/74-20172917","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ringed seal abundance (HOLAS 3 indicator, assessment period 2016-2021)","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://indicators.helcom.fi/indicator/ringed-seal-abundance/","basis":"Regional sea convention indicator (page states April 2023)"},{"ref":4,"title":"State of the Baltic Sea 2023, section 3.2.5 Status of marine mammals","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://stateofthebalticsea.helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Marine-mammals-chapter.pdf","basis":"Regional sea convention assessment"},{"ref":5,"title":"Bothnian Bay (coordinates 65 N, 23 E)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bothnian_Bay","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Yle (ref 2) reports a thriving population with about 25,000 animals while HELCOM (ref 3) rates the Bothnian Bay and southern populations as failing good status and says post-2012 counts are unreliable."}],"missing_fields":["Finnish ministry decision text was not opened; the quota comes from Yle (ref 1).","HELCOM indicator page shows no day of publication; it states April 2023."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTIC-GREYSEALHUNT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-PUCKLAGOON-EELGRASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Puck Lagoon eelgrass has lost at least 69% and up to 99% of its cover since 1957, a 2025 mapping study finds","description":"A Maritime Institute study published in November 2025 compares 2023 benthic maps with the 1957 baseline and finds eelgrass (Zostera marina) cover in Puck Lagoon fell by 84-99% depending on the model, or at least 69% after correcting for seasonal mismatch. The University of Gdansk says meadows in Puck Bay have shrunk by almost 80% since the 1960s and has begun a pilot replanting, while IO PAN reports eelgrass spreading again in the inner bay.","location":{"name":"Puck Lagoon, Gulf of Gdansk","type":"Eelgrass meadows in a shallow lagoon","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PL"],"detail":"Shallow inner Puck Bay (102.69 sq km, mean depth 3.13 m) behind the Hel Peninsula on Poland's northern coast.","coordinates":{"lat":54.7,"lon":18.48,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of a habitat-forming seagrass meadow, linked in the study to eutrophication and pollution.","secondary_drivers":["Eutrophication","Pollution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Change detection shows 84.1-99.0% eelgrass cover reduction from 1957 to 2023 and at least 69% net loss after correction (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the sources opened (refs 1, 2, 3) documents a fishery or tourism disruption.","scale":"The loss is mapped across one lagoon of 102.69 sq km (ref 1).","duration":"The study compares 1957 with 2023 and the University of Gdansk dates the decline to the 1960s (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The paper describes the lagoon as containing protected seagrass beds and calls for immediate conservation and restoration action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Eelgrass cover declined from 61.15% of the study area in 1957 to 9.70% or 0.63% depending on the model, a 84.1-99.0% reduction; corrected minimum net loss 69% (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Eelgrass cover reduction 1957-2023","value":84.1,"unit":"% (low end; up to 99.0%)","status":"Estimated","note":"Machine-learning habitat models (ref 1)."},{"name":"Minimum net loss after seasonal correction","value":69,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Meadow area loss since the 1960s (University of Gdansk)","value":80,"unit":"% (almost)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Long-term collapse (ref 1) but IO PAN reports eelgrass expanding its range and density in 2025 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"University of Gdansk (Faculty of Oceanography and Geography)","role":"Pilot eelgrass restoration partner","contact":"https://www.ug.edu.pl/"},{"name":"MARE Foundation","role":"Restoration project partner","contact":"https://marefoundation.org/"},{"name":"Institute of Oceanology PAN (IO PAN)","role":"Eelgrass monitoring and the ZOSTERA restoration project","contact":"https://ecp.iopan.pl/projects/Zostera"}],"public_contact":"Contact the University of Gdansk through its website; IO PAN through the project page.","corrective_actions":["Pilot Zostera marina planting in Puck Bay by the University of Gdansk, MARE Foundation and SALTUS (ref 2).","IO PAN's ZOSTERA project monitors recovery and published a 2015-2025 occurrence database in September 2025 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Predictive Benthic Habitat Mapping Reveals Significant Loss of Zostera marina in the Puck Lagoon, Baltic Sea, over Six Decades","publisher":"Remote Sensing (MDPI), Janowski et al., Maritime Institute, Gdynia Maritime University","date":"2025-11-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/remotesensing/remotesensing-17-03725/article_deploy/remotesensing-17-03725.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Restoration of underwater meadows: a project in the Puck Bay area","publisher":"University of Gdansk","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ug.edu.pl/news/en/node/9175","basis":"University news"},{"ref":3,"title":"ZOSTERA project news (eelgrass expansion and 2015-2025 occurrence database)","publisher":"Institute of Oceanology PAN","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecp.iopan.pl/projects/Zostera/news.html","basis":"Research institute project page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Loss estimates range from 69% (corrected) to 99% depending on model (ref 1); the University of Gdansk says almost 80% (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The IO PAN project page has no overall date; its August and September 2025 entries are undated by day."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BOHUSLAN-EELGRASS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BOHUSLAN-EELGRASS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"About 45% of eelgrass meadows lost on Sweden's Skagerrak-Kattegat coast since the 1980s, with restoration only 2.3 hectares so far","description":"A University of Gothenburg study for the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, published in April 2025, found eelgrass in 224 bays in Vastra Gotaland County and Kungsbackafjorden declined by about 45% (roughly 1,377 hectares), mostly between the 1980s and 2000s. Smothering algal mats driven by eutrophication and overfishing are the suspected cause. A September 2025 restoration handbook reports 59 plantings at 37 sites since 2016, creating 2.3 hectares.","location":{"name":"Bohuslan and Kungsbackafjorden eelgrass bays","type":"Eelgrass meadows in coastal bays","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE"],"detail":"224 bays in Vastra Gotaland County (Bohuslan, Skagerrak) and Kungsbackafjorden (Kattegat), Swedish west coast.","coordinates":{"lat":58.23,"lon":11.88,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of shallow eelgrass habitat driven by eutrophication and food-web effects.","secondary_drivers":["Eutrophication","Overfishing of predators","Algal mats"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Eelgrass area fell by about 45% (roughly 1,377 hectares) and losses exceeded 20% in all coastal water types in the 2000s and 2020s (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither source (refs 1, 2) documents a fishery or tourism disruption.","scale":"The survey spans 224 bays along the coast of two counties (ref 1).","duration":"Loss is measured from the 1980s to the 2020s and continued after the 2000s around Hakefjorden, Salefjorden and Sydkoster (ref 1).","significance":"The assessment was commissioned by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and fed a national restoration handbook (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Studied eelgrass meadows declined by about 45%, roughly 1,377 hectares, with most loss between the 1980s and 2000s (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Eelgrass area lost in the studied bays","value":1377,"unit":"hectares (roughly)","status":"Reported","note":"About 45% of the comparison area (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bays surveyed","value":224,"unit":"bays","status":"Reported","note":"Vastra Gotaland County and Kungsbackafjorden (ref 1)."},{"name":"Eelgrass planted 2016-2024","value":2.3,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"59 plantings at 37 sites, over 3 million shoots, Skagerrak, Kattegat and Baltic Sea (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Situation stabilised since the 2000s and eelgrass is increasing in most areas but remains far below 1980s levels; losses continued in some bays (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management","role":"Commissioned the study and restoration handbook","contact":"https://www.havochvatten.se/"},{"name":"Vastra Gotaland County Administrative Board","role":"Co-produced the restoration handbook","contact":"https://www.lansstyrelsen.se/vastra-gotaland.html"},{"name":"University of Gothenburg, Department of Marine Sciences","role":"Research and restoration trials","contact":"https://www.gu.se/en"}],"public_contact":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management general enquiries via havochvatten.se.","corrective_actions":["Restoration handbook (Report 2025:14) covering 59 plantings, with crab removal and denser planting under test (ref 2).","Sand capping is used but described as expensive (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Major losses of eelgrass on the Swedish west coast","publisher":"University of Gothenburg, Department of Marine Sciences","date":"2025-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gu.se/index%2Ephp/en/news/major-losses-of-eelgrass-on-the-swedish-west-coast","basis":"University news release on an agency-commissioned study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Handbook leads the way for large-scale restoration of eelgrass","publisher":"University of Gothenburg","date":"2025-09-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gu.se/en/news/handbook-leads-the-way-for-large-scale-restoration-of-eelgrass","basis":"University news release on agency report 2025:14"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bohuslan (coordinates about 58 14 N, 11 53 E)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohusl%C3%A4n","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The article cites both about 30 sites and 37 locations for the plantings; the report's facts box says 59 plantings at 37 locations (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The journal or agency report number for the 2025 loss study was not shown on the page (ref 1).","The restoration handbook PDF itself could not be read by the fetch tool."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-PUCKLAGOON-EELGRASS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-HYLLEKROG-EIDER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Spring counts of Baltic-breeding common eiders at Hyllekrog fell 65% from 2009 to 2024","description":"A 2026 Ornis Fennica study reports that standardised daily spring counts of migrating common eiders at Hyllekrog, Denmark, fell 65.2% from 404,845 in 2009 to 140,820 in 2024, with a 45.2% decline at Kaseberga in Sweden and a falling share of females. The authors cannot separate real decline from short-stopping in milder winters. The decline underlies the 2023-2032 AEWA International Single Species Action Plan for the Baltic, North and Celtic Seas population.","location":{"name":"Hyllekrog migration watchpoint, Lolland","type":"Seabird migration bottleneck","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","SE","FI"],"detail":"Southern Lolland, Denmark, at the western Baltic exit of the Baltic and Wadden Sea eider flyway; compared with Kaseberga (Sweden) and Hanko (Finland).","coordinates":{"lat":54.5919,"lon":11.5014,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Decline of a Baltic sea duck population that feeds on mussels in shallow Baltic waters.","secondary_drivers":["Hunting","Milder winters (possible short-stopping)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Daily counts fell 65.2% at Hyllekrog and 45.2% at Kaseberga, but the authors could not tell how much is real decline versus short-stopping (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The sources opened (refs 1, 2) document no closure or economic loss.","scale":"The flyway population breeds across the northern Baltic and is counted in Denmark, Sweden and Finland (ref 1).","duration":"Counts decline over 2009-2024 (ref 1) and ISSAP reports wintering numbers down 51% in 1991-2009 (ref 2).","significance":"An AEWA International Single Species Action Plan for 2023-2032, published in September 2022, aims to halt the decline (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Flyway population size not given in the cited pages."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Standardised counts declined by 65.2% from 404,845 in 2009 to 140,820 in 2024 at Hyllekrog (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Hyllekrog daily spring count 2009","value":404845,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Hyllekrog daily spring count 2024","value":140820,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Female proportion at Hyllekrog","value":0.296,"unit":"fraction (2024)","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 0.340 in 2013 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Kaseberga (Sweden) count decline","value":45.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Counts and female share continued to fall to 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNEP/AEWA Secretariat","role":"Adopting framework for the eider action plan","contact":"https://www.unep-aewa.org/"},{"name":"Finnish Wildlife Agency","role":"Led production of the action plan","contact":"https://riista.fi/en/"},{"name":"Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience","role":"Eider monitoring in Denmark","contact":"https://ecoscience.au.dk/"}],"public_contact":"AEWA Secretariat via unep-aewa.org.","corrective_actions":["International Single Species Action Plan 2023-2032 for the Baltic, North and Celtic Seas population (ref 2).","The authors recommend continued daily spring counts and sex-ratio sampling from 6 March to 20 April (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Evidence of continued declines in overall abundance and proportion of females among spring migrating Baltic-breeding Common Eiders 2009-2024","publisher":"Ornis Fennica (Berg, Fox, Frederiksen, Lehikoinen, Bregnballe)","date":"2026-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ornisfennica.journal.fi/article/view/153327","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Common Eider, Baltic, North and Celtic Seas population (AEWA Technical Series 75)","publisher":"UNEP/AEWA","date":"2022-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/296487478/Common_eider_ISSAP_AEWA.pdf","basis":"Treaty body action plan"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hyllekrog (coordinates 54 35 31 N, 11 30 5 E)","publisher":"Wikipedia (Danish)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyllekrog","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The authors say the count decline may partly reflect short-stopping in milder winters, while ISSAP says wintering numbers rose moderately after 2010 yet breeding populations kept falling 10-40% (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The plan's IUCN and HELCOM status table could not be read unambiguously, so no Red List category is stated.","The article page shows first publication 17 July 2026 and an update on 26 August 2026."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTIC-ROUNDGOBY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Round goby now established along most of the Baltic coast and is reshaping Swedish coastal fish communities","description":"The non-native round goby, first recorded in the Gulf of Gdansk in 1990 and in Sweden's Karlskrona archipelago in 2008, now occupies most of the Baltic coastline and has reached Ornskoldsvik in the north. A 2025 PLOS One study of 17 to 23 years of monitoring data at four Swedish sites found higher perch, cyprinid and piscivore abundance and lower whitefish and flounder abundance after its arrival, with no clear effect on herring or sprat.","location":{"name":"Swedish and Polish Baltic coast (goby range)","type":"Invasive fish distribution","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE","PL"],"detail":"Study sites Musko and Askofjarden (northern Baltic Proper), Monsteras (western Baltic Proper) and Torhamn (Bornholm Basin) on Sweden's east coast; first Baltic record in the Gulf of Gdansk, Poland.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Spread of a non-native fish that changes the coastal food web.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive species","Ballast water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study finds changed abundances of perch, cyprinids, ruffe, whitefish and flounder after goby arrival, with no clear herring or sprat effect (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Neither source documents a fishery loss; whitefish and flounder declines are noted ecologically (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The species lives along most of the Baltic coastline, as far north as Ornskoldsvik (ref 1).","duration":"First recorded in 1990 and in Sweden in 2008, with monitoring arrival years of 2013-2018 at the four sites (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The evidence is peer-reviewed research and a university news item; no regulatory action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No human population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Round goby now established along most of the Baltic coastline, northern limit Ornskoldsvik; it was first recorded in the Gulf of Gdansk in 1990 and the Karlskrona archipelago in 2008 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Monitoring record length per Swedish site","value":17,"unit":"years (minimum; up to 23)","status":"Reported","note":"Four sites, 2001-2023 at Musko (ref 2)."},{"name":"First goby record in monitoring (Musko, Torhamn)","value":2013,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Monsteras 2016, Askofjarden 2018 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Range has expanded to most of the coast and northward to Ornskoldsvik (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Aquatic Resources","role":"Coastal fish monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.slu.se/en"},{"name":"Swedish Environmental Protection Agency","role":"Funded the study","contact":"https://www.naturvardsverket.se/"}],"public_contact":"SLU Department of Aquatic Resources via slu.se.","corrective_actions":["The authors suggest rebuilding piscivore populations such as perch, pikeperch, pike and cod to help regulate goby numbers locally (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Round goby changes the coastal fish stock in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)","date":"2025-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/03/svartmunnad-smorbult-forandrar-kustfiskbestanden-i-ostersjon/","basis":"University news release"},{"ref":2,"title":"How does round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) affect fish abundance in the Swedish coastal areas of the Baltic Sea?","publisher":"PLOS One (Naddafi and Florin)","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11849861/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, habitats and wildlife)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The SLU release says predators perch, pikeperch, cod and pike increased (ref 1); the PLOS One abstract lists perch, cyprinids, piscivores and ruffe (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["No Baltic-wide agency assessment newer than the research above was opened.","No coordinates were found in the sources."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-SWEDENCOAST-TRAWLLIMIT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-EASTERNBALTIC-COD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Eastern Baltic cod stays under zero-catch advice, with only by-catch quotas allowed","description":"ICES advises zero catch of eastern Baltic cod for 2027 and 2028 (all catches from subdivisions 24 to 32), and zero-catch advice has stood for six years. The Council set a by-catch-only TAC of 430 tonnes for 2026 against the Commission's proposed 159 tonnes, and recreational cod fishing remains banned across the Baltic. The Commission's 2027 proposal says the stock has not improved despite measures since 2019 and proposes cutting the by-catch TAC by 51%.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Eastern Baltic cod stock (SD 24-32)","type":"Fish stock","countries":["DK","DE","PL","LT","LV","EE","SE"],"detail":"Eastern Baltic cod, ICES subdivisions 24 to 32, managed by the EU Council for the Baltic coasts of the member states; country list taken from the Baltic member states named by the Commission (ref 5) and the stock range, not from a per-country quota table.","extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A commercial fish stock below its safe limit with a directed fishery closed.","secondary_drivers":["By-catch in other fisheries"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"ICES advises zero catch in 2027 and 2028 for all catches from the eastern stock, and the Commission calls the stock \"in critical condition\" with zero-catch advice for six years running (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"The Council keeps TACs to by-catch only, so no directed cod fishing is permitted, and the Commission says the by-catch limit is meant to stop other fisheries \"choking\" (refs 2, 4).","scale":"The stock spans ICES subdivisions 24 to 32, most of the Baltic proper, which is a regional sea but a single stock (ref 1).","duration":"Zero-catch advice has run six years (ref 4) and the Commission states the situation has not improved since 2019 (ref 5).","significance":"The Council decided by-catch-only TACs in binding Baltic fishing regulations for 2025 and 2026 and a recreational cod ban (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES: \"there should be zero catch in 2027 and 2028\" for eastern Baltic cod in subdivisions 24-32; 2026 by-catch TAC 430 tonnes (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"ICES advised catch, 2027 and 2028","value":0,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"ICES advice record, all catches in SD 24-32 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Council by-catch TAC 2026","value":430,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Unchanged from 2025; Commission had proposed 159 t, a 63% cut (ref 2)."},{"name":"Commission proposed by-catch cut for 2027","value":-51,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Proposal of 24 August 2026, based on by-catch reported by member states in 2025 (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Directed cod fishery closed; only by-catch quota (ref 2).","Commission says the by-catch TAC avoids choking other fisheries (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Commission states that despite measures since 2019 the situation has not improved (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Proposes Baltic fishing opportunities and enforces the Baltic multiannual plan","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)","role":"Scientific advice on Baltic stocks","contact":"https://www.ices.dk"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen; telephone +45 3338 6700 (published on ices.dk). Commission: European Commission DG MARE, general enquiries via https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Council set by-catch-only TACs for 2025 and 2026 and kept the recreational cod ban.","Commission proposed a lower by-catch TAC for 2027, to be considered by the Council on 26-27 October 2026 (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cod (Gadus morhua) in subdivisions 24-32, eastern Baltic stock: ICES advice (assessment year 2026)","publisher":"ICES","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asd.ices.dk/viewAdvice/6135","basis":"Scientific advice record (no date shown on page)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Agreement reached on 2026 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2026-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2025-10-28_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"European ministers agree on 2025 Baltic fishing quotas","publisher":"Agence Europe","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13509/1","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/08/27/commission-proposes-fishing-opportunities-for-2026-in-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027","publisher":"Insight EU Monitoring (reproducing the Commission announcement of 24 August 2026)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-commission-proposes-new-baltic-fishing-quotas-and-by-catch-cuts-for-2027/1248125/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":9,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Stock biomass figures were not read from the ICES advice sheet; the page shows only the advice sentence."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-WESTERNBALTIC-COD-2026","OC-BAL-BALPROPER-ANOXIA-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-WESTERNBALTIC-COD-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Western Baltic cod under zero-catch advice, with the Commission proposing an 88% by-catch cut for 2027","description":"ICES advises zero catch of western Baltic cod (subdivisions 22 to 24) in 2026 and 2027, noting that the fishery also takes eastern cod, which is below its limit. The Council kept a by-catch-only TAC of 266 tonnes for 2026 instead of the Commission's proposed 42 tonnes. In August 2026 the Commission proposed cutting the 2027 by-catch TAC by 88% because the stock's condition has deteriorated.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Western Baltic cod stock (SD 22-24)","type":"Fish stock","countries":["DK","DE"],"detail":"Western Baltic cod, ICES subdivisions 22 to 24 (Danish straits and German Baltic coast area); countries inferred from the stock area, not named in the cited pages.","extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A cod stock whose directed fishery is shut because the stock is depleted.","secondary_drivers":["Mixed fishery with eastern Baltic cod"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"ICES advises zero catch in 2026 and 2027, and the Commission says the stock's condition has deteriorated (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"Only by-catch TACs apply, so directed fishing for western cod is not allowed (ref 2).","scale":"One stock in subdivisions 22 to 24 (ref 1).","duration":"The 2025 TAC was already a by-catch TAC, cut 22% to 266 tonnes (ref 3), and the zero advice now runs to 2027 (ref 1).","significance":"The Council fixed a by-catch-only TAC in its 2026 Baltic regulation and the Commission proposes a deeper cut for 2027 (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES: \"there should be zero catch in each of the years 2026 and 2027\" for western Baltic cod (ref 1); Council 2026 by-catch TAC 266 tonnes (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"ICES advised catch, 2026 and 2027","value":0,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"ICES advice record for SD 22-24 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Council by-catch TAC 2026","value":266,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Commission had proposed 42 t, an 84% cut (ref 2)."},{"name":"Commission proposed by-catch cut for 2027","value":-88,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Proposal of 24 August 2026 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Directed fishery closed, by-catch quota only (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The Commission proposes a deeper by-catch cut to address a \"deteriorated condition of the stock\" (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Proposes Baltic fishing opportunities and enforces the Baltic multiannual plan","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)","role":"Scientific advice on Baltic stocks","contact":"https://www.ices.dk"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen; telephone +45 3338 6700 (published on ices.dk). Commission: European Commission DG MARE, general enquiries via https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Council kept by-catch-only TACs for 2025 and 2026.","Commission proposes a lower by-catch TAC for 2027, with all accompanying measures kept (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cod (Gadus morhua) in subdivisions 22-24, western Baltic stock: ICES advice (assessment year 2025)","publisher":"ICES","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asd.ices.dk/viewAdvice/3889","basis":"Scientific advice record (no date shown on page)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Agreement reached on 2026 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2026-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2025-10-28_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"European ministers agree on 2025 Baltic fishing quotas","publisher":"Agence Europe","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13509/1","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027","publisher":"Insight EU Monitoring (reproducing the Commission announcement of 24 August 2026)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-commission-proposes-new-baltic-fishing-quotas-and-by-catch-cuts-for-2027/1248125/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["ICES advice page shows no publication date; the advice release date was not available."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-EASTERNBALTIC-COD-2026","OC-BAL-WESTERNBALTIC-HERRING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-WESTERNBALTIC-HERRING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Western Baltic herring kept under a by-catch TAC with a small-scale exemption despite zero-catch advice","description":"ICES advises zero catch of western Baltic herring for 2026, and the Commission says biomass is about 52% of the critical Blim level after eight consecutive years of zero advice. The Council set a by-catch TAC of 788 tonnes for 2026 and kept an exception for small-scale coastal fishers; the Commission said continued targeted fishing may not be in line with the Baltic multiannual plan. For 2027 the Commission proposes removing the exemption and cutting the by-catch TAC by 45%.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Western Baltic spring-spawning herring (SD 22-24)","type":"Fish stock","countries":["DK","DE"],"detail":"Western Baltic herring, ICES subdivisions 22 to 24 (Danish straits and German Baltic coast area); countries inferred from the stock area.","extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A herring stock far below its limit reference point with continued small-scale fishing.","secondary_drivers":["By-catch in sprat fisheries"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Commission puts biomass at about 52% of the critical Blim level (ref 4) and ICES advice for 2026 is 0 tonnes (ref 5).","livelihoods":"Targeted fishing is closed except for a derogation that keeps small-scale coastal fishers working, which the Commission now wants removed (refs 1, 6).","scale":"A single stock in subdivisions 22 to 24 (ref 1).","duration":"The Commission states ICES has advised zero catches for eight consecutive years (ref 4), and the 2025 TAC was also by-catch only (ref 2).","significance":"The Commission formally said continued targeted commercial fishing may not be in line with the Baltic multiannual plan (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Western Baltic herring biomass about 52% of the critical Blim level, with ICES zero-catch advice for eight consecutive years (Commission, ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Biomass relative to Blim","value":52,"unit":"% of Blim","status":"Reported","note":"Commission statement in the 2026 proposal (ref 4)."},{"name":"Council by-catch TAC 2026","value":788,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Unchanged from 2025; Commission had proposed 394 t (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"ICES advised catch 2026","value":0,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"ICES advice as summarised by FishSec (ref 5)."},{"name":"Commission proposed by-catch cut for 2027","value":-45,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Proposal of 24 August 2026, also removing the small-scale coastal exemption (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Small-scale coastal fishers rely on the derogation the Commission wants to remove (ref 6)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Stock \"remains significantly below minimum levels\" in the Commission's 2027 proposal (ref 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Proposes Baltic fishing opportunities and enforces the Baltic multiannual plan","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)","role":"Scientific advice on Baltic stocks","contact":"https://www.ices.dk"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen; telephone +45 3338 6700 (published on ices.dk). Commission: European Commission DG MARE, general enquiries via https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Council kept a by-catch-only TAC for 2025 and 2026 with a small-scale exemption.","Commission proposes removing the exemption and a TAC of unavoidable by-catches only for 2027 (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Agreement reached on 2026 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2026-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2025-10-28_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Agreement reached on 2025 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2024-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2025-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2024-10-23_fr","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"European ministers agree on 2025 Baltic fishing quotas","publisher":"Agence Europe","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13509/1","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/08/27/commission-proposes-fishing-opportunities-for-2026-in-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Overview: ICES advice on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/05/28/overview-ices-advice-on-baltic-sea-fishing-opportunities/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027","publisher":"Insight EU Monitoring (reproducing the Commission announcement of 24 August 2026)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-commission-proposes-new-baltic-fishing-quotas-and-by-catch-cuts-for-2027/1248125/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-NSHERRING-WBSS-2025","OC-BAL-WESTERNBALTIC-COD-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BOTHNIANSEA-HERRING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bothnian Sea herring TAC cut 41% for 2026, but still above the legal safety rule, with a provisional TAC ending 31 October 2026","description":"The Council cut the 2026 Gulf of Bothnia herring TAC by 41% to 39,108 tonnes, less than the 62% cut (25,560 tonnes) the Commission proposed, and made it provisional until the end of October 2026 with a three-month spawning closure. The Baltic Sea Centre says the Council TAC breaches the five percent rule in Article 4.6 of the Baltic multiannual plan, and the Commission said the Bothnian TAC is less likely to rebuild the stock. For 2027 the Commission proposes a 3% increase, saying the stock is larger than estimated but still below sustainable levels.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Bothnian Sea herring (SD 30-31)","type":"Fish stock","countries":["FI","SE"],"detail":"Herring in the Gulf of Bothnia, ICES subdivisions 30 and 31, fished by Finland and Sweden; the Bothnian Sea includes the coasts of both countries.","extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A herring stock at one of its lowest recorded levels with a disputed quota.","secondary_drivers":["Quota set above Commission proposal"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Council noted the stock has declined to one of its lowest recorded levels and agreed a three-month spawning closure (ref 1); the Commission says biomass fell to one of its lowest points ever (ref 4).","livelihoods":"The TAC was cut 41% for 2026, from 66,446 to 39,108 tonnes (ref 2), and Sweden and Finland also agreed a seasonal ban on industrial trawling within 12 nautical miles (ref 6).","scale":"One stock, in subdivisions 30 and 31 (ref 2).","duration":"The Council decisions for 2026 and the 2027 proposal both treat the stock as below sustainable levels, and the Council TAC remains provisional (refs 2, 5).","significance":"A Council regulation with a binding provisional TAC, and the Commission formally flagged the Bothnian TAC as concerning for rebuilding (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2026 TAC 39,108 tonnes (-41%), provisional until 31 October 2026; the Commission had proposed 25,560 tonnes (-62%) and ICES headline advice was 55,869 to 62,648 tonnes (refs 2, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Council TAC 2026 (provisional)","value":39108,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Change of -41% from 66,446 t in 2025; may rise to a maximum of 55,869 t after new ICES advice (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Commission proposed TAC 2026","value":25560,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"A 62% cut; the Baltic Sea Centre says anything above this level breaches Article 4.6 (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Share of Swedish and Finnish catch taken inside 12 nautical miles, 2011-2022","value":5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"SLU study quoted by the Baltic Sea Centre, relevant to the seasonal trawl ban (ref 6)."},{"name":"Commission proposed TAC change for 2027","value":3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Proposal of 24 August 2026 (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Finnish and Swedish fleets depend on the stock; the TAC fell 41% (ref 2).","Commission concern that the TAC may not rebuild the stock (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Stock estimated larger than previously thought but still below sustainable levels (ref 5), while the 2026 TAC fell 41% (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Proposes Baltic fishing opportunities and enforces the Baltic multiannual plan","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM)","role":"Sweden's fisheries regulator, with Finland party to the bilateral trawl ban","contact":"https://www.havochvatten.se"}],"public_contact":"Commission: European Commission DG MARE, general enquiries via https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu. Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management: contact page at https://www.havochvatten.se.","corrective_actions":["Council set a provisional TAC until end October 2026 and a three-month spawning closure.","Sweden and Finland agreed a ban on industrial pelagic trawling within 12 nautical miles from 25 May to 30 June (ref 6).","Commission proposes a 3% TAC rise and keeps the spawning closure for 2027; Council meets 26-27 October 2026 (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EU agrees new 2026 catch limits to protect Baltic Sea fish stocks - but does it go far enough?","publisher":"The Fish Site / weareaquaculture","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weareaquaculture.com/news/fisheries/eu-agrees-new-2026-catch-limits-to-protect-baltic-sea-fish-stocks-but-does-it-go-far-enough","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Agreement reached on 2026 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2026-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2025-10-28_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sweden voted against excessive herring quotas","publisher":"Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre","date":"2025-11-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/news/sweden-voted-against-excessive-herring-quotas-1.858724","basis":"Research institute analysis"},{"ref":4,"title":"Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/08/27/commission-proposes-fishing-opportunities-for-2026-in-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027","publisher":"Insight EU Monitoring (reproducing the Commission announcement of 24 August 2026)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-commission-proposes-new-baltic-fishing-quotas-and-by-catch-cuts-for-2027/1248125/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Baltic Sea Centre on the fishing ban in the Bothnian Sea: \"Ineffective\"","publisher":"Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre","date":"2024-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/news/baltic-sea-centre-on-the-fishing-ban-in-the-bothnian-sea-ineffective-1.736177","basis":"Research institute analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"weareaquaculture ref 1 gives the provisional TAC date as 31 October 2025","note":"The Commission page (ref 2) and the Baltic Sea Centre (ref 3) give 31 October 2026; the 2025 date is treated as a typo."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-CENTRALBALTIC-HERRING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-CENTRALBALTIC-HERRING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Council sets central Baltic herring TAC 15% above the Commission proposal while the stock is below its safe trigger level","description":"The Commission proposed holding the 2026 central Baltic herring TAC at 83,881 tonnes, but the Council set 96,463 tonnes (+15%) with a three-month spawning closure. The Baltic Sea Centre says spawning biomass is below the MSY Btrigger and the higher TAC reduces the chance of recovery; Sweden was the only member state to vote against the package. The Commission has proposed a 49% increase for 2027 on the grounds that the stock has increased but remains below sustainable levels.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Central Baltic herring (SD 25-27, 28.2, 29, 32)","type":"Fish stock","countries":["SE","PL","LT","LV","EE","FI"],"detail":"Herring in the central Baltic proper and Gulf of Finland subdivisions; coastal states listed are those with Baltic herring fleets in the central Baltic, not named per stock in the cited pages.","extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A depleted herring stock where the quota was set above the Commission proposal.","secondary_drivers":["Quota set above Commission proposal"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Baltic Sea Centre states spawning biomass is below the Btrigger target level in EU regulations (ref 3); the Commission calls biomass well below healthy levels (ref 4).","livelihoods":"A three-month spawning closure is in place for the stock, while the TAC itself rose 15% for 2026 (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The stock covers several central Baltic subdivisions, a regional sea (ref 2).","duration":"The TAC doubled for 2025 (+108%, ref 7) and rose again for 2026 (ref 1), with the stock still below sustainable levels in the 2027 proposal (ref 5).","significance":"The Commission stated formal concern that the central herring TAC is less likely to support rebuilding (ref 1), but the TAC remains legal and no enforcement action exists."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Central Baltic herring TAC 96,463 tonnes for 2026 (+15%), against a Commission proposal of 83,881 tonnes (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Council TAC 2026","value":96463,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Change of +15% from 83,881 t in 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Commission proposed TAC 2026","value":83881,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Unchanged from 2025 (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"ICES headline advice for 2026","value":154542,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Upper limit of the advice as summarised by FishSec (ref 6)."},{"name":"Commission proposed TAC change for 2027","value":49,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Proposal of 24 August 2026 (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers gain a larger quota while the Commission warns rebuilding is less likely (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Commission says the stock has increased but remains below sustainable levels, with high estimated recruitment (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Proposes Baltic fishing opportunities and enforces the Baltic multiannual plan","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)","role":"Scientific advice on Baltic stocks","contact":"https://www.ices.dk"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen; telephone +45 3338 6700 (published on ices.dk). Commission: European Commission DG MARE, general enquiries via https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Council endorsed a three-month spawning closure for 2026.","Commission and Baltic member states committed to request ICES advice on rebuilding trajectories (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Agreement reached on 2026 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2026-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2025-10-28_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"EU agrees new 2026 catch limits to protect Baltic Sea fish stocks - but does it go far enough?","publisher":"The Fish Site / weareaquaculture","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weareaquaculture.com/news/fisheries/eu-agrees-new-2026-catch-limits-to-protect-baltic-sea-fish-stocks-but-does-it-go-far-enough","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sweden voted against excessive herring quotas","publisher":"Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre","date":"2025-11-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/news/sweden-voted-against-excessive-herring-quotas-1.858724","basis":"Research institute analysis"},{"ref":4,"title":"Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/08/27/commission-proposes-fishing-opportunities-for-2026-in-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027","publisher":"Insight EU Monitoring (reproducing the Commission announcement of 24 August 2026)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-commission-proposes-new-baltic-fishing-quotas-and-by-catch-cuts-for-2027/1248125/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Overview: ICES advice on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/05/28/overview-ices-advice-on-baltic-sea-fishing-opportunities/","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Agreement reached on 2025 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2024-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2025-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2024-10-23_fr","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Per-country catch shares were not read from the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BOTHNIANSEA-HERRING-2026","OC-BAL-BALTIC-SPRAT-2026","OC-BAL-SWEDENCOAST-TRAWLLIMIT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTIC-SPRAT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic sprat TAC raised 45% for 2026 on a single survey, with misreporting concerns","description":"The Commission proposed keeping the 2026 sprat TAC at 139,500 tonnes, citing biomass at its lowest since 1990 and concerns about misreporting and recruitment uncertainty. The Council instead raised it 45% to 201,975 tonnes; Baltic Sea Centre researchers called the increase chancy because the evidence rests on a single trawl survey. The Commission's 2027 proposal notes the stock has since increased on very high reproduction but warns that misreporting may mean hidden overfishing.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Baltic sprat stock (SD 22-32)","type":"Fish stock","countries":["DK","DE","PL","LT","LV","EE","FI","SE"],"detail":"Sprat across the Baltic Sea, ICES subdivisions 22 to 32; the eight EU Baltic member states are those named by the Commission (ref 4).","extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A forage-fish stock where catch limits and reporting accuracy are contested.","secondary_drivers":["Misreporting of catches"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Commission says sprat biomass is near MSY Btrigger and at its lowest since 1990 (ref 1); the 2027 proposal says it has since increased significantly (ref 4).","livelihoods":"No closure applies: the TAC rose 45% for 2026 to 201,975 tonnes (ref 2), though a spawning closure remained in 2026 (ref 1).","scale":"The stock spans subdivisions 22 to 32, all of the Baltic Sea (ref 2).","duration":"Biomass was reported low through 2025 and the 2025 TAC was cut 31% (refs 1, 3); recovery is reported only in the August 2026 proposal (ref 4).","significance":"The Commission formally raised misreporting and recruitment uncertainty, and ICES advice recognises misreporting without quantifying it (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sprat TAC 201,975 tonnes for 2026 (+45%), against a Commission proposal of 139,500 tonnes (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Council TAC 2026","value":201975,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Change of +45% from 139,500 t in 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Commission proposed TAC 2026","value":139500,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Unchanged from 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"ICES headline advice for 2026","value":230518,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Upper limit as summarised by FishSec (ref 5)."},{"name":"Commission proposed TAC change for 2027","value":44,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Proposal of 24 August 2026, also ending the three-month spawning closure (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Industrial fleets gain a 45% larger quota; the Commission warns of hidden overfishing through misreporting (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Stock size has increased significantly on recent very high reproduction and ICES expects further increase (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Proposes Baltic fishing opportunities and enforces the Baltic multiannual plan","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)","role":"Scientific advice on Baltic stocks","contact":"https://www.ices.dk"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen; telephone +45 3338 6700 (published on ices.dk). Commission: European Commission DG MARE, general enquiries via https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Commission proposes setting the 2027 TAC at the advised maximum and discontinuing the spawning closure (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/08/27/commission-proposes-fishing-opportunities-for-2026-in-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sweden voted against excessive herring quotas","publisher":"Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre","date":"2025-11-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/news/sweden-voted-against-excessive-herring-quotas-1.858724","basis":"Research institute analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Agreement reached on 2025 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2024-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2025-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2024-10-23_fr","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027","publisher":"Insight EU Monitoring (reproducing the Commission announcement of 24 August 2026)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-commission-proposes-new-baltic-fishing-quotas-and-by-catch-cuts-for-2027/1248125/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Overview: ICES advice on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/05/28/overview-ices-advice-on-baltic-sea-fishing-opportunities/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-CENTRALBALTIC-HERRING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-MAINBASIN-SALMON-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic main basin salmon limited to by-catch, with five wild river stocks in very poor condition","description":"ICES advises zero salmon catches south of the Aland Sea in 2026, and the Council cut the main basin TAC by 27% to 25,537 fish, by-catch only. The Thunen Institute reports five of 27 assessed wild river stocks, all in Assessment Unit 5, are in very poor condition, and that recreational trolling landings fell 77% across the Baltic between 2019 and 2024. The Commission said continued recreational fisheries for main basin salmon are less likely to support stock rebuilding.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Baltic main basin salmon (SD 22-31)","type":"Fish stock","countries":["DE","DK","SE","LV","FI"],"detail":"Atlantic salmon in ICES subdivisions 22 to 31, including the Rugen trolling grounds (Germany), Bornholm (Denmark), the south Swedish coast and Latvian rivers Salaca and Saka; Finland fishes the Gulf of Bothnia coastal quota.","coordinates":{"lat":54.43,"lon":13.43,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A migratory fish stock with weak wild river populations and a restricted fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Low post-smolt survival","River habitat loss and barriers"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Five of 27 wild salmon stocks assessed by ICES are in very poor condition, and only the Salaca and Saka rivers in Latvia are expected to meet Rlim among the 12 Assessment Unit 5 rivers (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Recreational trolling effort in Germany fell about 60% and landings by 86% in 2024, and many guided-tour operators have closed, while the northern coastal fishery continues under a 30,000-fish limit (ref 1).","scale":"The management area covers subdivisions 22 to 31, the main basin and Gulf of Bothnia (ref 2).","duration":"Targeted commercial salmon fishing south of the Aland Sea has been banned since 2022 and ICES has advised zero marine catch there since 2021 (ref 1).","significance":"The Council fixed a 27% TAC cut as by-catch only in its 2026 regulation, and the Commission voiced concern over the recreational derogation (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Main basin salmon TAC 25,537 fish for 2026 (-27%), by-catch only; five of 27 assessed wild river stocks in very poor condition (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Main basin salmon TAC 2026","value":25537,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"By-catch only; 34,787 fish in 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Wild river stocks in very poor condition","value":5,"unit":"of 27 stocks","status":"Reported","note":"Below Rlim, all in Assessment Unit 5 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fall in recreational trolling landings, 2019 to 2024","value":77,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Across the Baltic Sea, ICES figure quoted by Thunen (ref 1)."},{"name":"ICES advised coastal catch, Gulf of Bothnia and Aland Sea, 2026","value":30000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Spawning-migration period 1 May to 31 August (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Operators of guided salmon tours have been particularly affected and many have closed (ref 1).","Salmon anglers around Rugen spend an average of EUR 2,750 a year, a local income now much reduced (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Smolt production in rivers of AUs 1-4 rose up to tenfold, but post-smolt survival fell to about 10%, and the five AU 5 stocks stay very poor (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Proposes Baltic fishing opportunities and enforces the Baltic multiannual plan","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"},{"name":"International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)","role":"Scientific advice on Baltic stocks","contact":"https://www.ices.dk"},{"name":"Thunen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries","role":"German federal research institute that assessed the recreational closure","contact":"https://www.thuenen.de"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen; telephone +45 3338 6700 (published on ices.dk). Commission: European Commission DG MARE, general enquiries via https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu.","corrective_actions":["Council cut the main basin TAC 27% and limited it to by-catch (ref 2).","Bag limit of one adipose-fin-clipped salmon per angler per day since 2022 (ref 1).","Commission 2027 proposal keeps by-catch TACs and stops recreational fishing for reared salmon (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Statement on the Commission's proposal to close recreational salmon fishing in the Baltic Sea south of the Aland Sea (ICES SD22-29S) in 2026","publisher":"Thunen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries (Council of the EU document WK 12162/2025 ADD 3)","date":"2025-10-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/WK-12162-2025-ADD-3/en/pdf","basis":"Research institute statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Agreement reached on 2026 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/agreement-reached-2026-fishing-opportunities-baltic-sea-2025-10-28_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Commission proposes fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"FishSec","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishsec.org/2025/08/27/commission-proposes-fishing-opportunities-for-2026-in-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"EU Commission proposes new Baltic fishing quotas and by-catch cuts for 2027","publisher":"Insight EU Monitoring (reproducing the Commission announcement of 24 August 2026)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieu-monitoring.com/editorial/eu-commission-proposes-new-baltic-fishing-quotas-and-by-catch-cuts-for-2027/1248125/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"European ministers agree on 2025 Baltic fishing quotas","publisher":"Agence Europe","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13509/1","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"WWF calls for suspension of wild salmon fishing in Baltic","publisher":"Yle News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://yle.fi/a/74-20112917","basis":"News (NGO claim; no date shown on page)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Thunen statement argues the recreational ban is unnecessary; its position is advocacy by a research institute and is cited for ICES data, not as a finding of fact on policy."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTIC-GREYSEALHUNT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-SWEDENCOAST-TRAWLLIMIT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sweden moves the pelagic trawl limit out to 12 nautical miles in the central Baltic to protect coastal herring","description":"From 1 February 2025 to 30 April 2027 Sweden bans pelagic trawling within 12 nautical miles of the coast in parts of the central Baltic, up from 4, as a scientific trial. SLU Aqua says coastal herring catches have fallen sharply and large fish have become scarce. The Swedish Pelagic Federation calls the ban a death blow to small-scale fishing, while a Stockholm University ecologist says it is unlikely to show results in so short a period and may shift pressure to sprat.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Central Baltic coast of Sweden (12 nm trawl zone)","type":"Fisheries management zone","countries":["SE"],"detail":"Swedish Baltic coastal waters within 12 nautical miles in the central Baltic Sea, as defined by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management trial.","extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national regulation on fishing gear and area, contested by industry and scientists.","secondary_drivers":["Decline of coastal herring and large individuals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"SLU Aqua reports coastal herring catches have declined sharply and large individuals have become scarce, so the trial tests whether protection can reverse this (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Swedish Pelagic Federation says the ban displaces trawl activity and causes major economic losses to the fishing industry (ref 2).","scale":"It covers the central Baltic coast of Sweden within 12 nautical miles, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The trial runs from 1 February 2025 to 30 April 2027, more than two years (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A Swedish government assignment to SwAM with a formal regulation and scientific committee, but it is an experimental measure rather than an enforcement order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Pelagic trawling banned within 12 nautical miles from 1 February 2025 to 30 April 2027 (previously 4 nautical miles) (refs 2, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Trawl-free distance from coast","value":12,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"Previously 4 nautical miles (ref 3)."},{"name":"Trial duration","value":27,"unit":"months","status":"Estimated","note":"Counted from 1 February 2025 to 30 April 2027, dates given in refs 2 and 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Industry body claims major economic losses for pelagic fishers and processors (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Trial started in February 2025 and no results are published in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM)","role":"Regulator and responsible for the scientific trial","contact":"https://www.havochvatten.se"},{"name":"SLU Aqua, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences","role":"Scientific monitoring of the trial","contact":"https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/organisation/departments/aquatic-resources/"}],"public_contact":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management: contact page at https://www.havochvatten.se.","corrective_actions":["Trawl boundary moved to 12 nautical miles for the central Baltic until 30 April 2027.","SLU Aqua runs a six-work-package scientific monitoring programme with an international scientific committee (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Moving out the trawl boarder in the Baltic Sea - scientific monitoring","publisher":"SLU Aqua, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/organisation/departments/aquatic-resources/environment/areas-of-expertise/sill-och-stromming/utflyttad-tralgrans-i-ostersjon--vetenskapliga-uppfoljning","basis":"Agency page (no date shown)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Swedish pelagic fishermen slam Baltic trawl ban","publisher":"FiskerForum","date":"2025-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fiskerforum.com/swedish-pelagic-fishermen-slam-baltic-trawl-ban/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marine Ecologist Critical of the Swedish Trawl Ban as a Project","publisher":"Deep Sea Reporter","date":"2025-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.deepseareporter.com/?p=38590","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The SwAM regulation text itself was not opened; details come from the SLU Aqua page and press reports.","Finland's position on the trawl boundary was not found in an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BOTHNIANSEA-HERRING-2026","OC-BAL-CENTRALBALTIC-HERRING-2026","OC-BAL-BALTIC-ROUNDGOBY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-SWEDENCOAST-EEL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Commercial eel fishing continues on the Swedish Baltic coast despite ICES zero-catch advice","description":"ICES advises zero catches of European eel in all habitats for 2026 and calls the stock status critical. Sweden's new eel management plan, presented in autumn 2025, still allows commercial fishing along the Baltic coast and does not extend the west-coast ban; the Baltic Sea Centre calls the underlying stock estimate wishful thinking. About 90 tonnes of eel are caught yearly on the east coast, and the EU seasonal closure for 2025-26 ran from 15 September 2025 to 15 March 2026.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Swedish Baltic coast eel fishery","type":"Fish stock","countries":["SE"],"detail":"Commercial and small-scale coastal eel fishing along the Swedish Baltic coast; the eel is a single European stock whose advice covers its full range.","extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A critically endangered stock still fished under a national plan.","secondary_drivers":["Migration barriers and illegal fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"ICES says eel status remains critical and recruitment has been below its likely Rlim for many years, so biomass is assumed below any potential Blim (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A seasonal closure applies, the Swedish plan proposes no new licences, and east-coast catches are around 90 tonnes a year (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The concern is the Swedish Baltic coast, a national coastline, although the stock is Europe-wide (ref 2).","duration":"ICES has advised zero catches in all habitats since 2021 and the advice was unchanged in November 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"ICES advice and an EU Council seasonal closure decision are formal, but the Council did not adopt the zero-catch advice (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES: \"there should be zero catches in all habitats in 2026\" for European eel, including glass eels for restocking and aquaculture (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"ICES advised catch 2026","value":0,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"All habitats, recreational and commercial (ref 1)."},{"name":"Eel caught yearly on the Swedish east coast","value":90,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"About 90,000 mature or nearly mature eels, per the Baltic Sea Centre (ref 2)."},{"name":"Eel catch by EU countries and UK in 2023","value":2170,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"ICES catch data quoted by the Baltic Sea Centre (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Annual limit of 8,000 kg per licence holder on the Swedish coast (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"ICES zero-catch advice unchanged since 2021 and status described as critical in November 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM)","role":"Author of the Swedish eel management plan","contact":"https://www.havochvatten.se"},{"name":"Council of the European Union (AGRIFISH)","role":"Sets annual Baltic total allowable catches and quotas","contact":"https://www.consilium.europa.eu"},{"name":"International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)","role":"Scientific advice on Baltic stocks","contact":"https://www.ices.dk"}],"public_contact":"Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management: contact page at https://www.havochvatten.se. ICES Secretariat, H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen; telephone +45 3338 6700 (published on ices.dk).","corrective_actions":["No new eel fishing permits to be issued until the stock shows clear recovery (Swedish plan, ref 2).","EU seasonal closure 15 September 2025 to 15 March 2026 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"European eel (Anguilla anguilla) throughout its natural range: ICES advice on fishing opportunities","publisher":"ICES (copy hosted by DAERA Northern Ireland)","date":"2025-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-06/ICES-advice-on-European-eel-for-2026.PDF","basis":"Scientific advice"},{"ref":2,"title":"Criticism of new eel plan: Unreasonable to allow continued fishing based on wishful thinking","publisher":"Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre","date":"2025-11-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.su.se/english/divisions/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/news/articles/2025-11-07-criticism-of-new-eel-plan-unreasonable-to-allow-continued-fishing-based-on-wishful-thinking","basis":"Research institute analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fishing for endangered eels continues despite warnings from scientists","publisher":"Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre","date":"2025-02-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.su.se/english/divisions/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/news/articles/2025-02-13-fishing-for-endangered-eels-continues-despite-warnings-from-scientists","basis":"Research institute analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The December 2025 Council eel decision and eel measures in Denmark, Germany and Poland were not found in an opened source.","The Swedish plan itself was not opened."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BAL-DENMARK-MARINEFARMS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Danish state auditor finds 17 of 19 marine fish farms lack a current environmental approval","description":"Denmark's national audit office, Rigsrevisionen, rated the Environment Ministry's permits and supervision of the 19 marine fish farms \"very unsatisfactory\". It found 17 farms without a current environmental approval, 342 breaches of permit conditions from 2018 to 2025 and enforcement in only 30 cases. Farms still run on 1990s permits, and the Environment Minister said proposals to cut pollution would come later this year.","location":{"sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[],"name":"Denmark's 19 marine rainbow trout farms","type":"Aquaculture sites","countries":["DK"],"detail":"Net-pen rainbow trout farms in Danish waters, about 10,000 tonnes of fish a year; the Rigsrevisionen figure shows the sites but their sea areas were not read as text.","extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Regulatory failure in permitting and supervision of marine aquaculture.","secondary_drivers":["Copper antifouling and antibiotic residues","Nitrogen and phosphorus discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"State auditors said inadequate administration and supervision meant farm pollution was damaging the surrounding marine environment, with copper and antibiotics insufficiently overseen (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No disruption: the farms may lawfully keep operating on older permits while applications are processed (ref 1).","scale":"All 19 marine farms in Danish waters are covered, a national coastline (ref 3).","duration":"All 19 farms applied for environmental approval before 15 March 2014 and processing has taken 11 years so far (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Rigsrevisionen report and \"sharp criticism\" from the parliamentary state auditors on 7 September 2026 are a formal finding, not an enforcement order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No figure for people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"17 of 19 Danish marine farms lack a current environmental approval; 342 breaches 2018-2025 with 30 enforcement actions (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine farms without a current environmental approval","value":17,"unit":"of 19 farms","status":"Reported","note":"Rigsrevisionen report, September 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Registered breaches 2018-2025","value":342,"unit":"breaches","status":"Reported","note":"316 relate to reporting deadlines or incomplete reports and 6 to discharge limits, per the industry body DAPO (ref 2)."},{"name":"Enforcement actions","value":30,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"Each an administrative order (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average processing time for environmental approvals","value":11,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Against 1.5 to 2 years the agency estimates (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Industry body DAPO seeks clear modern permit rules and says farms may lawfully continue on existing permits (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Rigsrevisionen report published on 7 September 2026; no follow-up measures yet adopted."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljostyrelsen)","role":"Issues location permits and environmental approvals and supervises marine farms","contact":"https://mst.dk"},{"name":"Danish Ministry of Environment","role":"Responsible ministry","contact":"https://mim.dk"},{"name":"Rigsrevisionen (Danish National Audit Office)","role":"Auditor","contact":"https://www.rigsrevisionen.dk"}],"public_contact":"Danish Environmental Protection Agency and Rigsrevisionen publish general contact details on mst.dk and rigsrevisionen.dk.","corrective_actions":["Environment Minister Maria Reumert Gjerding said on 7 September 2026 that proposals to reduce pollution from marine farms would follow later in the year (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Denmark: aquaculture watchdog blasted after 342 breaches and just 30 enforcement actions","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2026-09-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/denmark-aquaculture-watchdog-blasted-after-342-breaches-and-just-30-enforcement-actions/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Rigsrevisionens kritik skal bruges til at skabe moderne rammer for fremtidens havbrug","publisher":"Dansk Akvakultur Producentorganisation (DAPO)","date":"2026-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://via.ritzau.dk/pressemeddelelse/15146636/rigsrevisionens-kritik-skal-bruges-til-at-skabe-moderne-rammer-for-fremtidens-havbrug?lang=da","basis":"Industry press release (Danish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rigsrevisionens notat om tilrettelaeggelsen af en storre undersogelse af Miljostyrelsens tilladelser til og tilsyn med havbrug","publisher":"Rigsrevisionen (Danish National Audit Office)","date":"2025-11-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cdn.rigsrevisionen.dk/rigsrevisionen/Media/638996501209031735/709-25.pdf","basis":"Official audit planning note (Danish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Danish government says it is not supporting any further growth in sea-based aquaculture","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2020-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/danish-government-says-it-is-not-supporting-any-further-growth-in-sea-based-aquaculture-simply-out-of-environmental-concerns/?amp=1","basis":"News (background to the 2020 Danish policy to stop growth of marine farming)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"Report number","note":"SalmonBusiness calls it Report No. 22/2025; the report itself was not opened, and the audit office planning note (ref 3) expected a report in Q4 2026."}],"missing_fields":["The Rigsrevisionen report itself was not opened; figures come from SalmonBusiness and the DAPO release.","The sea area of each farm (Kattegat, Danish straits, Limfjord or North Sea) was not read from the audit figure, so the Baltic share is not confirmed.","The brief names a 2024 Swedish Supreme Court case on Hoga Kusten farms and Finnish/Aland farms; no source for these was found in the research window."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-DK-HYPOXIA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic Proper nutrient input ceilings will not be met by 2030, HELCOM assessment finds","description":"HELCOM's 2025 assessment of the Baltic Sea Action Plan found that nutrient inputs have fallen since 1997-2003 but that most countries will miss their 2030 nutrient input ceilings, with Denmark the only one on course. The largest remaining nitrogen gap lies in the Baltic Proper, where Poland and Lithuania carry the biggest shortfalls and the Vistula and Nemunas rivers meet neither their nitrogen nor their phosphorus ceilings. A German Environment Agency modelling report published in August 2026 found that even full delivery of the Action Plan targets would leave most western Baltic basins short of good eutrophication status.","location":{"name":"Baltic Proper","type":"Regional sea basin","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PL","LT","LV","SE","DE","EE","RU","DK"],"detail":"Baltic Proper including the Bornholm and Gotland basins; the largest remaining nitrogen and phosphorus reductions are owed by Poland, Lithuania and Latvia and by the Vistula, Nemunas and Oder rivers.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Excess nitrogen and phosphorus inputs drive eutrophication and oxygen loss, a pollution pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Agricultural run-off","Municipal wastewater","Atmospheric nitrogen deposition"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"HELCOM reports nearly 77,000 t of further nitrogen cuts needed, 69,000 t of them in the Baltic Proper, and the Vistula alone owes 29,414 t of nitrogen and 3,032 t of phosphorus (ref 1); the UBA model finds only Kiel Bay reaching good status (ref 3).","livelihoods":"None of the cited HELCOM, Latvian ministry or UBA pages documents a fishery or tourism closure tied to these input shortfalls.","scale":"The ceilings gap spans a whole sub-basin of a regional sea, with eight coastal states owing reductions or reporting none (ref 1, Table 1).","duration":"Inputs have been above the ceilings since the 1997-2003 reference period and HOLAS 3 saw little to no improvement over 2016-2021 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal HELCOM Contracting Party assessment under Baltic Sea Action Plan Action E1 and the 2026 German Environment Agency report (refs 1, 3); no enforcement order."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nearly 77,000 tonnes of further nitrogen reduction is needed in the Baltic Proper (69,000 tonnes), Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga to meet all 2030 nitrogen ceilings; only Denmark is on course (HELCOM 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Further nitrogen reduction needed, Baltic Proper","value":69000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Remaining reduction to meet the total nitrogen ceilings by 2030 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Further phosphorus reduction needed, Baltic Proper","value":3000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Of about 3,650 t of phosphorus still needed across four basins (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vistula remaining nitrogen reduction","value":29414,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Transboundary river table, nitrogen ceiling shortfall by 2030 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nitrogen input reduction since 1997-2003","value":11,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Normalized total input to 2021; phosphorus fell 30% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Inputs fell 11% (nitrogen) and 30% (phosphorus) between 1997-2003 and 2021, yet HELCOM says the 2030 ceilings will not be reached for the Baltic Proper (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission)","role":"Regional sea convention; Baltic Sea Action Plan and nutrient input ceilings","contact":"https://helcom.fi"},{"name":"German Environment Agency (UBA)","role":"Commissioned the western Baltic eutrophication modelling","contact":"https://www.umweltbundesamt.de"}],"public_contact":"HELCOM Secretariat, Katajanokanlaituri 6 B, 00160 Helsinki, Finland (address from ref 1).","corrective_actions":["All HELCOM Contracting Parties are to make further efforts to cut nutrient inputs by 2030 under the 2021 Baltic Sea Action Plan (ref 1).","HELCOM adopted recommendations on ammonia emissions and on manure management best practice (ref 1).","Revised EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (2024) tightens nutrient removal requirements (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Reducing nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea: key messages from the 2025 HELCOM reports","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Reducing-nutrient-inputs-to-the-Baltic-Sea_2025.pdf","basis":"Agency report (HELCOM, 2025; PDF shows year only)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Regional assessment highlights ongoing challenges for the Baltic Sea ecosystem (HOLAS 3)","publisher":"Latvian Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development","date":"2023-11-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.varam.gov.lv/en/article/regional-assessment-highlights-ongoing-challenges-baltic-sea-ecosystem","basis":"National ministry news item on HELCOM HOLAS 3"},{"ref":3,"title":"The Baltic Sea Action Plan - Modelling of Eutrophication Aspects, TEXTE 121/2026","publisher":"German Environment Agency (UBA) / Leibniz IOW","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/system/files/medien/11850/publikationen/2026-08/121_2026_TEXTE.pdf","basis":"Agency report (August 2026; day not shown)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Reducing nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea (publication page)","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/post_type_publ/reducing-nutrient-inputs-to-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"Agency publication page (2025; AI-generated summary, checked against the PDF)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"HELCOM's publication page summary says the effectiveness table is partial; the PDF tables were used for all figures."}],"missing_fields":["Russia reported no information (n.i.) in the HELCOM ceilings tables."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALPROPER-ANOXIA-2024","OC-BAL-EASTERNGULFS-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-EASTERNGULFS-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga nutrient ceilings missed, with the Neva and Estonian loads furthest off","description":"HELCOM's 2025 assessment shows that Estonia, Latvia and Finland will not meet their 2030 nitrogen or phosphorus ceilings for the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga, and that none of the nine transboundary rivers with ceilings meets its phosphorus ceiling. Russia, the Neva's catchment country, reported no information for the ceiling tables, although it did cut municipal phosphorus loads, mainly through better wastewater treatment in St Petersburg.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga","type":"Regional sea basin","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["EE","FI","LV","RU","LT"],"detail":"Eastern Baltic gulfs; Estonia carries the largest nitrogen shortfalls (1,240 t Gulf of Finland, 4,348 t Gulf of Riga); Neva and Daugava river inputs.","points":[{"lat":59.833,"lon":26,"precision":"sea","role":"Gulf of Finland","source_ref":5},{"lat":57.75,"lon":23.5,"precision":"sea","role":"Gulf of Riga","source_ref":6}],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":59.833,"lon":26,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient inputs above agreed ceilings in two enclosed gulfs are a pollution pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Agricultural run-off","Municipal wastewater","Transboundary river loads"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Estonia still owes 4,348 t of nitrogen to the Gulf of Riga and 1,240 t to the Gulf of Finland, and the Neva owes 15,027 t of nitrogen and 1,361 t of phosphorus (ref 1, Tables 1 and 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery, beach or port restriction linked to these ceiling shortfalls appears in the cited HELCOM material.","scale":"Two sub-basins of the Baltic fed by five countries, so regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"The shortfalls are measured against the 1997-2003 reference period and are projected to persist to 2030 (ref 1).","significance":"A formal HELCOM assessment of Baltic Sea Action Plan commitments adopted by the Helsinki Commission in April 2025 (refs 1, 4); not an enforcement action."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Of nine transboundary rivers with ceilings, only the Daugava meets its nitrogen ceiling and none meets its phosphorus ceiling by 2030; Estonia's Gulf of Riga nitrogen gap is 4,348 tonnes (HELCOM 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estonia remaining nitrogen reduction, Gulf of Riga","value":4348,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Table 1, nitrogen ceiling status by 2030 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estonia remaining nitrogen reduction, Gulf of Finland","value":1240,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Table 1 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Neva remaining nitrogen reduction","value":15027,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Table 3, transboundary river ceilings (ref 1)."},{"name":"Neva remaining phosphorus reduction","value":1361,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Table 3 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Russian municipal phosphorus load reduction","value":593,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Largest cut in direct municipal phosphorus load since 1997-2003, mainly from enhanced phosphorus removal in St Petersburg (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Municipal phosphorus loads fell strongly (Russia, Latvia), but ceilings for the Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Riga are still projected to be missed in 2030 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission)","role":"Regional sea convention; Baltic Sea Action Plan and nutrient input ceilings","contact":"https://helcom.fi"}],"public_contact":"HELCOM Secretariat, Katajanokanlaituri 6 B, 00160 Helsinki, Finland (address from ref 1).","corrective_actions":["Countries committed to further nutrient cuts by 2030 under the Baltic Sea Action Plan (ref 1).","Moving all reported wastewater plants to the next purification class would cut more than 23,000 t of nitrogen and 3,400 t of phosphorus, per HELCOM scenarios (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Reducing nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea: key messages from the 2025 HELCOM reports","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Reducing-nutrient-inputs-to-the-Baltic-Sea_2025.pdf","basis":"Agency report (HELCOM, 2025; PDF shows year only)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Reducing nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea (publication page)","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/post_type_publ/reducing-nutrient-inputs-to-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"Agency publication page (2025)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Regional assessment highlights ongoing challenges for the Baltic Sea ecosystem (HOLAS 3)","publisher":"Latvian Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development","date":"2023-11-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.varam.gov.lv/en/article/regional-assessment-highlights-ongoing-challenges-baltic-sea-ecosystem","basis":"National ministry news item on HELCOM HOLAS 3"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nutrient Input Ceiling (NIC) assessment 1995-2022: scientific report","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/publications/nutrient-input-ceiling-nic-assessment-1995-2022-scientific-report/","basis":"Agency publication page (2026)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Gulf of Finland (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Finland","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"},{"ref":6,"title":"Gulf of Riga (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Riga","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Russia reported no information (n.i.) in the HELCOM ceilings tables, so the Neva basin's national share is not known."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025","OC-BAL-GULFOFFINLAND-MICROPLASTICS-2025","OC-BAL-HELCOM-RUSSIA-2022"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-LUBECKBAY-MUNITIONS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dumped wartime munitions in the Bay of Lübeck and Kiel Bight leak explosives into the water","description":"A GEOMAR study found about 3,000 kg of dissolved munition chemicals, including TNT, RDX and DNB, in the south-western Baltic, with TNT highest in Kiel Bay and RDX and DNB in Lübeck Bay. Germany ran a 100 million euro pilot recovery off Haffkrug, Pelzerhaken and Boltenhagen from 2024 to autumn 2025 and pledged 50 million euros a year for six years in July 2026.","location":{"name":"Bay of Lübeck munitions","type":"Munitions dumping area","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE"],"detail":"Bay of Lübeck and Bay of Mecklenburg off Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; about 300,000 t of munitions are estimated in the German Baltic.","points":[{"lat":54.0214,"lon":10.7456,"precision":"coastline","role":"Haffkrug / Scharbeutz, pilot recovery site","source_ref":4}],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":54.0214,"lon":10.7456,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Leaking explosives and munition chemicals contaminate sea water and sediment.","secondary_drivers":["Corroding munition casings","Wartime dumping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"GEOMAR found munition chemicals in nearly all 2017-2018 samples, mostly below health thresholds but some 'approaching critical levels' (ref 2); no standard exceedance is stated.","livelihoods":"None of the cited GEOMAR, idw or Yacht pages reports a fishery, beach or shipping restriction from the contamination.","scale":"A national coastline problem across the German south-western Baltic, estimated at 300,000 t of munitions (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Corrosion of the casings could continue for at least 800 years without recovery (ref 1).","significance":"Formal federal programme: a 100 million euro emergency pilot and a July 2026 pledge of 50 million euros a year for six years, with a federal centre of excellence planned in Rostock (ref 3); no court or treaty action."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 3,000 kg of toxic munition chemicals are already dissolved in the south-western Baltic, and corrosion could continue for at least 800 years (GEOMAR, February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dissolved munition chemicals, SW Baltic","value":3000,"unit":"kg","status":"Estimated","note":"GEOMAR estimate from 2017-2018 water samples (ref 1)."},{"name":"Munitions estimated in German Baltic waters","value":300000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"2011 federal and state survey figure, as quoted (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Federal funding pledged, July 2026","value":300,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Reported","note":"50 million EUR a year for six years (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Clearance of the German Baltic is a multi-year federal cost; platform contract award planned for September 2026 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"GEOMAR says contamination will increase as casings corrode, possibly sped by warming and storms (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel","role":"Research on munition contamination","contact":"https://www.geomar.de"},{"name":"German federal government (environment ministry programme)","role":"Funds the pilot recovery and planned disposal platform"}],"public_contact":"GEOMAR press office, Kiel, via geomar.de.","corrective_actions":["Pilot recovery off Haffkrug, Pelzerhaken and Boltenhagen completed autumn 2025 (ref 3).","Federal Centre of Excellence for Marine Munitions Recovery to be based in Rostock; disposal platform due to operate in 2028 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rusting old ammunition leaks toxic chemicals into the marine environment","publisher":"GEOMAR","date":"2025-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.geomar.de/n9776","basis":"Agency press release on Beck et al., Chemosphere (2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"GEOMAR press release on relic munitions in the south-western Baltic","publisher":"idw - Informationsdienst Wissenschaft","date":"2025-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://idw-online.de/de/news848079","basis":"Press release (German language, official)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Federal Government pledges millions for munitions recovery","publisher":"Yacht.de","date":"2026-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yacht.de/en/travel-and-charter/germany/north-sea-and-baltic-sea-federal-government-pledges-millions-for-munitions-recovery/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Scharbeutz / Haffkrug (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haffkrug","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Press coverage gives the pilot start as summer 2024 (Yacht.de) or autumn 2024 (GEOMAR); both are cited as stated."}],"missing_fields":["Tonnes recovered in the 2024-2025 pilot are not stated in the sources opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NSEA-GERMANBIGHT-MUNITIONS-2025","OC-BAL-BORNHOLM-NORDSTREAMSEDIMENT-2023"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BORNHOLM-NORDSTREAMSEDIMENT-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Nord Stream blasts resuspended 250,000 tonnes of contaminated sediment near the Bornholm munitions dumpsite","description":"A peer-reviewed assessment led by Aarhus University estimated that the September 2022 Nord Stream explosions resuspended about 250,000 tonnes of contaminated sediment, creating toxicological risk for fish and other biota in about 11 cubic kilometres of water for over a month. Tributyltin and lead drove most of the modelled toxicity, and the blasts lay close to a 1947 chemical-weapons dumpsite and the Bornholm Basin cod spawning ground. The figures are model-based.","location":{"name":"Nord Stream blast sites, Bornholm Basin","type":"Pipeline rupture site and contaminated sediment","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","SE"],"detail":"Danish and Swedish exclusive economic zones east of Bornholm, near the 1947 chemical munitions dumping area.","points":[{"lat":55.54083,"lon":15.779,"precision":"site","role":"Nord Stream 1 pipe B rupture (Danish EEZ)","source_ref":3},{"lat":54.8767,"lon":15.41,"precision":"site","role":"Nord Stream 2 pipe A rupture (Danish EEZ)","source_ref":3}],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":55.54083,"lon":15.779,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Resuspended tributyltin, heavy metals and chemical-warfare residues are a chemical contamination event.","secondary_drivers":["Pipeline sabotage","Legacy chemical munitions","Legacy sediment contaminants"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Modelled resuspension of 250,000 t of sediment gave 'unacceptable toxicological risks' to fish and biota in 11 km3 of water, mostly tributyltin and lead, but no post-blast measurement is reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited paper and Scientific American flag possible effects on Eastern Baltic cod eggs and juveniles but document no fishery closure (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The affected water body is a single basin site around the four rupture points (ref 1).","duration":"Risk lasted more than a month after the 26 September 2022 blasts: 15 days (NS1) and 34 days (NS2) above the harm threshold in the preprint (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study in Scientific Reports, 14 November 2023, with no formal notice, listing or order attached (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 250,000 tonnes of heavily contaminated sediment were resuspended, risking biota in 11 km3 of water for more than a month (Scientific Reports, 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sediment resuspended by the blasts","value":250000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Model estimate in the Sanderson et al. assessment (ref 1)."},{"name":"Water volume with predicted toxic risk","value":11,"unit":"km3","status":"Estimated","note":"For more than a month (ref 1)."},{"name":"Chemical warfare agents dumped nearby in 1947","value":11000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"The paper cites the 1947 Bornholm dumpsite (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Eastern Baltic cod spawn in the Bornholm Basin; the paper flags possible effects on eggs and juveniles (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The paper is a one-off assessment of a September 2022 event; no later contamination monitoring was found in the sources opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science","role":"Lead authors of the impact assessment"},{"name":"HELCOM","role":"Regional body on dumped chemical munitions","contact":"https://helcom.fi"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; contact the corresponding author through the Scientific Reports article page.","corrective_actions":["No clean-up or monitoring programme for the Nord Stream sediment is named in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Environmental impact of the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines","publisher":"Scientific Reports (Sanderson et al.)","date":"2023-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-47290-7","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts Stirred Up Toxic Sediment","publisher":"Scientific American (from Nature)","date":"2023-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nord-stream-pipeline-blasts-stirred-up-toxic-sediment/","basis":"News (preprint stage, before the window; context)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nord Stream pipeline sabotage (rupture coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord_Stream_pipeline_sabotage","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Nord Stream methane studies of January 2025 were seen only as titles on the Scientific Reports page and were not opened, so no methane figures are used."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-LUBECKBAY-MUNITIONS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-RUEGEN-EVENTINTANKER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Disabled crude tanker Eventin with about 100,000 tonnes of oil held off Rügen since January 2025","description":"The nearly 20-year-old Panama-flagged tanker Eventin lost power on 9 January 2025 with about 100,000 tonnes of Russian crude aboard and drifted into German waters before being towed to an anchorage off Sassnitz on Rügen. No spill occurred and officials said there was no immediate environmental risk, but the ship, later added to EU, UK and US sanctions lists, was reported still at anchor in January 2026 while courts reviewed the seizure of ship and cargo. The sanctions and court side belongs to the governance topic; this record covers the spill risk. The tanker Eventin lost power in the Baltic on 9 January 2025 and drifted into German territorial waters, and was towed to an anchorage near Sassnitz on Rügen where it remains detained. German customs ordered the oil cargo confiscated, but on 11 December 2025 the Federal Fiscal Court upheld a lower court's suspension of that order, so authorities cannot for now sell or use the ship or its roughly 100,000 tonnes of oil. A final ruling is pending.","location":{"name":"Eventin anchorage off Sassnitz, Rügen","type":"Anchorage","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE"],"detail":"Roadstead off Sassnitz, Rügen island, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; about 5 km from Sassnitz harbour in January 2025.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":54.5164,"lon":13.6411,"precision":"site","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A laden, poorly insured tanker held at anchor is an oil spill risk.","secondary_drivers":["Shadow fleet tankers","Ageing vessels","Inadequate insurance"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"About 100,000 tonnes of crude aboard a tanker that lost all power; officials reported no spill and 'no environmental risk' (ref 1, ref 3), so harm is potential only.","livelihoods":"Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's tourism association called for safer shipping but no beach or tourism closure is reported (ref 3).","scale":"A single vessel at a single anchorage off Rügen (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Drifted on 9 January 2025 and still detained off Sassnitz in December 2025 and January 2026 (refs 1, 4).","significance":"German customs detention and seizure orders and an 11 December 2025 Federal Fiscal Court ruling upholding the suspension of the confiscation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 100,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard the Eventin, detained off Sassnitz since January 2025 (Maritime Executive, December 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Crude oil cargo aboard","value":100000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Approximately 100,000 tonnes, worth over EUR 40 million (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Months since customs first moved to seize ship and cargo, December 2025","value":11,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Maritime Executive: eleven months after the first customs move (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's tourism association called for stronger shipping safety after the incident (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The ship stayed at anchor with its cargo through 2025 and into January 2026, with a final court decision pending (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"German Main Customs Office and Federal Fiscal Court","role":"Detention, seizure and appeal proceedings"},{"name":"Havariekommando (Central Command for Maritime Emergencies)","role":"Secured and towed the tanker"},{"name":"German Customs (finance ministry)","role":"Detention and confiscation order","contact":"https://www.zoll.de/EN/"},{"name":"Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof)","role":"Court","contact":"https://www.bundesfinanzhof.de/en/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Tanker towed to a roadstead near Sassnitz and kept under surveillance (refs 1, 3).","Federal Fiscal Court upheld the suspension of the confiscation and sale on 11 December 2025; a final ruling is pending (refs 1, 2, 4).","German authorities towed the tanker to Sassnitz and detained it (ref 2).","Customs ordered the cargo confiscated and sold; the courts suspended that order (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"German Courts Debate Seizure of Russian Oil and Shadow Fleet Tanker","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/german-courts-debate-seizure-of-russian-oil-and-shadow-fleet-tanker","basis":"News (trade press)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Germany cannot sell seized Russian-linked oil tanker, high court rules","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2025-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/shipping/tankers/germany-cannot-sell-seized-russian-linked-oil-tanker-high-court-rules","basis":"News (trade press)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Damaged tanker linked to Russia's shadow fleet secured after drifting in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"Polskie Radio","date":"2025-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://polskieradio.pl/395/7786/artykul/3470307,damaged-tanker-linked-to-russias-shadow-fleet-secured-after-drifting-in-the-baltic-sea","basis":"News (citing DPA)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Oil tanker Eventin and a sanctions precedent (Marine Forum article)","publisher":"Marine Forum","date":"2026-01-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marineforum.online/en/oeltanker-eventin-precedent-sanctions/","basis":"News (trade press)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Sassnitz (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassnitz","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Reports differ on seizure dates: Marine Forum says customs seized the ship in January 2025, Maritime Executive says a detention order came four days after the breakdown and the seizure order at the end of February 2025."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BAL-RUGEN-EVENTIN-2025 (Disabled tanker Eventin carrying 100,000 tonnes of Russian oil held off Rügen, with German courts blocking its sale): court rulings blocking the sale of the same tanker"}],"missing_fields":["Status after December 2025 not verified.","Sassnitz coordinates are approximate and not stated in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTIC-SHADOWFLEETSPILLRISK-2025","OC-BAL-BALTIC-INSURANCE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTIC-SHADOWFLEETSPILLRISK-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ageing shadow fleet tankers raise oil spill risk along the Primorsk to Skagen route","description":"The Swedish Coast Guard, Finland's coast guard and Greenpeace-commissioned Hereon modelling all describe a growing oil spill risk from old, poorly insured tankers carrying Russian crude through the Gulf of Finland and the Danish straits. Greenpeace reports that the average age of crude tankers on the route rose from 8.9 years in 2021 to 16.6 in 2024, and a Hereon simulation of a 48,000 t spill showed long-term pollution from Finland to Poland. No spill from these ships is reported in the cited sources.","location":{"name":"Baltic tanker route, Primorsk to Skagen","type":"Shipping route","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","EE","RU","SE","DK","DE","PL"],"detail":"Tanker route from Russian Gulf of Finland ports through the Baltic Proper and Danish straits to Skagen; Eagle S was held off Porvoo, Finland.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A concentration of ageing, under-insured tankers is a standing oil pollution risk.","secondary_drivers":["Shadow fleet tankers","Ageing vessels","Sanctions evasion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Greenpeace's analysis says the fleet 'presents a significant environmental danger'; the Swedish Coast Guard says these ships 'do not meet the safety standards that we regard as normal in this region' (refs 1, 2); harm is potential.","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism restriction is reported in the cited sources; the Hereon simulation projects resort pollution only as a scenario (ref 3).","scale":"The route crosses a regional sea from the Gulf of Finland to Skagen and the Hereon scenarios reach coastal states from Finland to Poland plus Germany and Denmark (ref 3).","duration":"Concern runs from Greenpeace's September 2024 report through the Coast Guard's March 2025 statement to the Hereon study reported in February 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Formal statements and monitoring by the Swedish Coast Guard and Finland's coast guard, and Finnish and Estonian oil-pollution exercises (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A Hereon simulation commissioned by Greenpeace modelled a 48,000 t spill of Ural crude at eight sites along the Primorsk to Skagen route, spreading over 30 days."},"measures":[{"name":"Average age of crude tankers on the route, 2021","value":8.9,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace report, as reported by Power Technology (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average age of crude tankers on the route, 2024","value":16.6,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace report, as reported by Power Technology (ref 1)."},{"name":"Modelled spill size","value":48000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Hereon simulation of Ural crude over 30 days at eight accident sites (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Greenpeace warns German taxpayers would pay for a spill from uninsured ships (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Tanker age on the route nearly doubled from 2021 to 2024 according to Greenpeace (ref 1); sources do not show a spill."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish Coast Guard (Kustbevakningen)","role":"Monitoring and oil spill response","contact":"https://www.kustbevakningen.se"},{"name":"Finnish Border Guard / coast guard","role":"Monitors shadow fleet tankers in the Gulf of Finland"}],"public_contact":"Swedish Coast Guard general enquiries via kustbevakningen.se.","corrective_actions":["Swedish Coast Guard increased patrols and uses aerial reconnaissance and satellite imagery (ref 2).","Finland and Estonia have practised oil-pollution response with tabletop exercises and ship drills (ref 4).","Finland sent patrol aircraft and raised oil spill readiness after an engine-room explosion on the tanker Koala at Ust-Luga in February 2025 (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Russia shadow fleet poses major oil spill risk in Baltic Sea","publisher":"Power Technology","date":"2024-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.power-technology.com/news/russia-shadow-fleet-poses-major-oil-spill-risk-in-baltic-sea","basis":"News (reporting a Greenpeace study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Changes in the Baltic Sea: the shadow fleet is a growing environmental and security threat","publisher":"Swedish Coast Guard","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kustbevakningen.se/en/more-news/changes-in-the-baltic-sea--the-shadow-fleet-is-a-growing-environmental-and-security-threat/","basis":"Agency news item (dated March 2025; day not shown)"},{"ref":3,"title":"How a shadow fleet accident would affect the Baltic Sea","publisher":"HANSA International Maritime Journal","date":"2026-02-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hansa.news/how-a-shadow-fleet-accident-would-affect-the-baltic-sea/","basis":"News (trade press, reporting a Hereon study)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Estonia joins Finland in cable damage probe as Eagle S detained off Porvoo","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2025-01-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1609566319/estonia-joins-finland-in-cable-damage-probe-as-eagle-s-detained-off-porvoo","basis":"News (date inferred from page timestamp)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Finland deploys patrol aircraft to Gulf of Finland after Russian oil tanker incident","publisher":"Ukrainska Pravda via Yahoo News","date":"2025-02-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/finland-deploys-patrol-aircraft-gulf-020113447.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Finnish Border Guard tanker-count estimates (reported by AFP) could not be opened (403) and are not used; the Jaguar and other 2024-2026 individual incidents were not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-RUEGEN-EVENTINTANKER-2025","OC-BAL-VAINUPEA-FUELOILSTRANDING-2026","OC-BAL-GULFFIN-SHADOWFLEET-2025","OC-BAL-BALTIC-INSURANCE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-VAINUPEA-FUELOILSTRANDING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Heavy fuel oil washes ashore on Estonia's north coast after attacks on Ust-Luga oil port","description":"In late April 2026, lumps of heavy fuel oil washed up on beaches in Lääne-Viru County, including Suureliiva near Lahemaa National Park, and the Estonian Environmental Board linked it to Ust-Luga, where Ukrainian drone strikes set oil facilities on fire. Volunteers collected more than 760 kg, no large-scale spill and no harmed wildlife were reported, and officials also pointed to shadow fleet tankers anchored off Vaindloo.","location":{"name":"Suureliiva beach, Lääne-Viru coast","type":"Beach and coastline","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["EE","RU"],"detail":"North coast of Estonia from Käsmu to Kunda, about 100 km east of Tallinn, near Lahemaa National Park; source area is the eastern Gulf of Finland.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":59.583,"lon":26.267,"precision":"site","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Heavy fuel oil on a shoreline is an oil pollution incident.","secondary_drivers":["Attacks on oil export infrastructure","Anchored shadow fleet tankers"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Tests confirmed heavy fuel oil on several beaches, over 760 kg collected, but 'no reports of harmed wildlife' so far and no large-scale spill (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or fishery restriction is reported; the Environmental Board only asked the public to report oiled animals on 1247 (ref 1).","scale":"A stretch of shoreline around Suureliiva and between Käsmu and Kunda (ref 2).","duration":"Oil was first seen in the week of 24 April 2026 and cleanup continued into the following week; reports end on 30 April 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Estonian Environmental Board confirmed the substance by laboratory test and led the cleanup with the Rescue Board (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 760 kg of heavy fuel oil collected by volunteers from Estonian beaches by 30 April 2026 (ERR)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil and debris collected by volunteers","value":760,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 760 kg' by 30 April 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tankers anchored off Estonia at start of April 2026","value":40,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"'Close to 40' falling to 20 by late April (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the first week of cleanup is reported; the Environmental Board warned the oil could become more fluid as temperatures rise (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Estonian Environmental Board","role":"Confirms pollution and leads shoreline cleanup"},{"name":"Estonian Rescue Board","role":"Equipment and drone debris handling"}],"public_contact":"Environmental Board hotline 1247 for oiled animals or birds (ref 1).","corrective_actions":["Volunteers, including Ida-Viru County teams, cleaned Suureliiva and other sites; work continued the following week (refs 1, 2).","Environmental Board asks the public to report oiled wildlife on 1247 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil pollution from Russia's Ust-Luga region washes up on Estonia's beaches","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2026-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1610010484/oil-pollution-from-russia-s-ust-luga-region-washes-up-on-estonia-s-beaches","basis":"News (date inferred from page timestamp)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil spill cleanup continues on Estonia's north coast next week","publisher":"ERR News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1610006875/oil-spill-cleanup-continues-on-estonia-s-north-coast-next-week","basis":"News (page timestamp not rendered; about 26 April 2026)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Drone fragments, Russian 'shadow fleet' oil pollution wash up on Estonian beach","publisher":"ERR News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1610006116/drone-fragments-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-pollution-wash-up-on-estonian-beach","basis":"News (page timestamp not rendered; about 24 April 2026)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Several dozen tankers anchored in Gulf of Finland after attacks on Russian ports","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1609977375/several-dozen-tankers-anchored-in-gulf-of-finland-after-attacks-on-russian-ports","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Vainupea (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vainupea","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Attribution differs: the Environmental Board points to Ust-Luga after drone strikes, while earlier ERR reporting says the oil may come from shadow fleet tankers anchored off Vaindloo (refs 1, 3)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTIC-SHADOWFLEETSPILLRISK-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-HELSINKI-PFASFISH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"PFAS in pike and perch from Helsinki's Vanhankaupunginselkä exceed EU limits and prompt a consumption warning","description":"Surveys commissioned by the City of Helsinki found PFOS and total PFAS in pike and large perch caught in Vanhankaupunginselkä above the EU limit for fish used in foods for infants and small children. Helsinki recommends that risk groups avoid these fish, and the Finnish Food Authority separately limits Baltic perch, pike, large herring and wild salmon.","location":{"name":"Vanhankaupunginselkä, Helsinki","type":"Coastal bay (fishing ground)","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI"],"detail":"Inner coastal waters of Helsinki, Gulf of Finland; a main fishing area for the city.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":60.2,"lon":25,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Persistent PFAS contamination of fish is a chemical pollution outcome.","secondary_drivers":["PFAS (forever chemicals)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"PFOS and the sum of PFAS in pike and large perch exceeded the EU limit value for fish used in infant and young-child foods, and even very low weekly intake would exceed EFSA's adult limit (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Helsinki's consumption recommendation covers pike and large perch and notes fishers and sellers must keep batches within legal limits (ref 1).","scale":"The advice is for one bay, Vanhankaupunginselkä, though the Finnish Food Authority's wider advice covers Baltic fish nationally (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Sampling in autumn 2023 and spring 2024 and a recommendation that 'will remain in effect until further notice' (ref 1).","significance":"A formal municipal recommendation, alongside the Finnish Food Authority's advice updated on 1 February 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"PFOS and total PFAS in Vanhankaupunginselkä pike and large perch exceeded the EU limit for infant-food manufacturing (City of Helsinki, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish species with PFAS above the EU infant-food limit","value":2,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"Pike and large perch in Vanhankaupunginselkä, autumn 2023 survey (ref 1)."},{"name":"Finnish advice for young children: perch or pike, upper limit","value":2,"unit":"times per month","status":"Reported","note":"Children under school age should eat Baltic perch or pike 1-2 times a month (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A large share of Helsinki's commercial and recreational fishing takes place in Vanhankaupunginselkä (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only two surveys exist: a spring 2024 follow-up found lower PFOS in pike than the autumn 2023 survey, though still elevated (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"City of Helsinki Environmental Services","role":"Commissioned surveys and issued the recommendation","contact":"https://www.hel.fi"},{"name":"Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto)","role":"National fish consumption advice","contact":"https://ruokavirasto.fi"}],"public_contact":"City of Helsinki Environmental Services via hel.fi.","corrective_actions":["Risk groups advised to avoid pike and large perch from Vanhankaupunginselkä until further notice (ref 1).","Environmental Services will continue monitoring fish in the bay (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Recommendation to avoid the consumption of pike and large perch caught in Vanhankaupunginselkä","publisher":"City of Helsinki","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hel.fi/static/liitteet/kaupunkiymparisto/asuminen-ja-ymparisto/elintarvikevalvonta/kalaselvitys-en.pdf","basis":"Municipal agency notice (undated; PDF created April 2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Safe use of fish","publisher":"Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto)","date":"2025-02-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ruokavirasto.fi/en/foodstuffs/instructions-for-consumers/safe-use-of-foodstuffs/safe-use-of-fish","basis":"Agency advice page (last updated 1 February 2025)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Vanhankaupunginlahti (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanhankaupunginlahti","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Helsinki notice is undated on the page; the PDF metadata shows it was created in April 2025."}],"missing_fields":["The underlying Finnish-language survey reports (Kala- ja vesitutkimus Oy) were not opened; the English municipal summary was used."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-BAL-RUEGEN-GHOSTNETS-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lost fishing nets tangled on a sunken buoy off Rügen, with 10,000 more nets lost each year","description":"Divers from the German group GRD recovered several hundred kilograms of old fishing nets from a sunken fairway buoy about eight kilometres off Rügen in late 2023, while several more tonnes remained snagged. GRD says it has retrieved more than ten tonnes of ghost nets from the Baltic since 2019 and estimates about 10,000 nets and net parts are lost each year. HELCOM published a report on preventing fishing gear loss in January 2026.","location":{"name":"Sunken buoy off Rügen","type":"Seabed snag site","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE"],"detail":"About 8 km off Rügen island, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at roughly 30 m depth.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":54.45,"lon":13.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Abandoned fishing gear is marine plastic debris that keeps catching wildlife.","secondary_drivers":["Lost and abandoned fishing gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Several tonnes of net and rope remain tangled at the buoy and GRD says caught fish 'die an agonising death' (ref 1); no mortality count is given.","livelihoods":"The Marine Forum article reports no fishery or shipping restriction from the nets.","scale":"A single buoy site about eight kilometres off Rügen (ref 1).","duration":"GRD has tallied recoveries since 2019 and the buoy sank 'years ago'; about 10,000 net pieces are added annually (ref 1).","significance":"An NGO operation reported by trade press, with WWF commentary; HELCOM's fishing-gear report (ref 2) is policy context, not a notice about this site."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"GRD estimates about 10,000 nets and net parts are added to the Baltic each year and has recovered more than ten tonnes since 2019."},"measures":[{"name":"Ghost nets recovered by GRD since 2019","value":10,"unit":"tonnes, more than","status":"Reported","note":"GRD tally as of December 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nets and net parts lost each year","value":10000,"unit":"pieces","status":"Estimated","note":"GRD estimate for the Baltic Sea (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2023 recovery season is reported; the operation was to resume in spring 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"GRD (Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine)","role":"Diver recovery of ghost nets"},{"name":"WWF Germany","role":"Policy commentary and infographics"},{"name":"HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission)","role":"Regional sea convention; Baltic Sea Action Plan and nutrient input ceilings","contact":"https://helcom.fi"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["GRD divers retrieved several hundred kilograms in late 2023 and planned to continue in spring (ref 1).","WWF experts say recovery should be made a government task for coastal states (ref 1).","HELCOM published a report on features to prevent fishing gear loss in January 2026 and a campaign on gear marking in June 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ghost nets off Rügen (Marine Forum article)","publisher":"Marine Forum","date":"2023-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marineforum.online/en/ghost-nets-off-ruegen/","basis":"News (trade press)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine litter (HELCOM action area)","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/action-areas/marine-litter/","basis":"Agency topic page (undated; lists items to September 2026)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rügen (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCgen","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The exact buoy position is not published; the island's centre coordinates are used only for placement."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-PORPOISE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-GOTLANDBASIN-MICROPLASTICS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Microplastics in Gotland Basin sediments rise from the 1970s to up to 4,450 particles per kilogram","description":"A Linnaeus University and Geological Survey of Sweden study of two sediment cores from the northern Baltic Proper and western Gotland Basin found microplastic accumulation starting in the 1970s-1980s and rising to the present, up to 4,450 particles per kg of dry sediment. The anoxic, fast-accumulating seabed preserved a 50-year record. The study notes limits from visual identification.","location":{"name":"Western Gotland Basin, station SE-08","type":"Seabed sediment monitoring station","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE"],"detail":"Swedish national monitoring stations SE-05 (northern Baltic Proper) and SE-08 (western Gotland Basin, 404 m), 34 km from the Swedish coast.","points":[{"lat":58.9772,"lon":20.3071,"precision":"exact","role":"Station SE-05, northern Baltic Proper","source_ref":1}],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":58.678,"lon":18.357,"precision":"exact","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Microplastic accumulation in seabed sediments is plastic pollution.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater and river inputs","Global plastic production growth"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Microplastics reached up to 4,450 particles per kg of dry sediment, a concentration the study reports without a harm threshold (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The study does not report any fishery or tourism effect.","scale":"Two cores from two monitoring stations in the open Baltic Proper, presented as evidence for the central Baltic Sea (ref 1).","duration":"Accumulation began in the 1970s-1980s and continues to increase to the present (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed paper (Frontiers in Marine Science, 30 October 2025) with no regulatory action attached."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastic accumulation began in the 1970s-1980s and reached up to 4,450 particles per kg of dry sediment (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak microplastics in sediment cores","value":4450,"unit":"particles per kg dry sediment","status":"Reported","note":"Maximum across two cores from stations SE-05 and SE-08 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sediment accumulation rate at the stations","value":1.03,"unit":"cm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Gives an annual record of about 50 years (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The cores show microplastic accumulation increasing from the 1970s-1980s to the present (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU)","role":"Collected the cores at national monitoring stations"},{"name":"HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission)","role":"Regional sea convention; Baltic Sea Action Plan and nutrient input ceilings","contact":"https://helcom.fi"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited source; correspondence via the article.","corrective_actions":["HELCOM's regional action plan on marine litter aims for a significant reduction of marine litter by 2025 (ref 2); no measure specific to sediment microplastics is cited."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Chronological evidence of microplastic accumulation and contamination onset in Central Baltic Sea sediments","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Chang et al.)","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1630780/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine litter (HELCOM action area)","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/action-areas/marine-litter/","basis":"Agency topic page (undated; policy context)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The article text was read through the Frontiers EPUB and the /full page; the one-passage discrepancy between 4,450 and 4,000 particles per kg for the top layer at SE-08 was not resolved."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFOFFINLAND-MICROPLASTICS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-GULFOFFINLAND-MICROPLASTICS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Finland microplastics: rivers supply 76% and most settle on the seabed, model shows","description":"A TalTech modelling study published in January 2025 found that rivers deliver about 76% of microplastics entering the Gulf of Finland and wastewater plants the other 24%, with most particles accumulating inside the gulf rather than drifting to the Baltic Proper. Accumulation zones lie mainly between 28 and 30 degrees east near the Narva and Kymi rivers and the Neva-influenced eastern gulf, and about 75% settles on the seabed.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Finland","type":"Gulf and accumulation zone","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","EE","RU"],"detail":"Eastern Gulf of Finland between 28 and 30 degrees east, near the Narva, Kymi and Neva river mouths.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":59.833,"lon":26,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Modelled microplastic pathways and seabed accumulation are plastic pollution.","secondary_drivers":["River inputs","Wastewater treatment plants"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The model finds about 75% of microplastics settling on the seabed in the gulf (ref 1); it does not measure ecological harm.","livelihoods":"Neither the Frontiers paper nor the ERR report on a separate TalTech model mentions any fishery or beach effect (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The whole Gulf of Finland, shared by Finland, Estonia and Russia, is modelled (ref 1).","duration":"Most particles stay in the gulf and about 75% settles on the seabed, so the load accumulates rather than leaving (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed Frontiers in Marine Science paper (20 January 2025) and a separate TalTech model in Ocean Dynamics, neither tied to a regulator (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rivers contribute about 76% and wastewater treatment plants 24% of microplastics entering the Gulf of Finland; most stay in the gulf (Mishra et al., 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of microplastic inputs from rivers","value":76,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Modelled input shares (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of microplastics settling on the seabed","value":75,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Modelled conclusion (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A modelling study; the cited pages give no measured concentration time series (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Department of Marine Systems","role":"Authors of the model"},{"name":"HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission)","role":"Regional sea convention; Baltic Sea Action Plan and nutrient input ceilings","contact":"https://helcom.fi"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The authors say the model can guide measures to reduce microplastic entry to the sea (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mapping microplastic pathways and accumulation zones in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea: insights from modeling","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Mishra et al.)","date":"2025-01-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1524585/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Researchers mapping microplastics' path in Gulf of Finland (separate TalTech open-source model, Ocean Dynamics)","publisher":"ERR News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1609685258/researchers-mapping-microplastics-path-in-gulf-of-finland","basis":"News (page timestamp not rendered; about 6 May 2025)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of Finland (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Finland","basis":"Reference page, coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, pollution group)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only the first 100,000 characters of the paper page were read."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GOTLANDBASIN-MICROPLASTICS-2025","OC-BAL-EASTERNGULFS-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-GULFFIN-EAGLES-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Eagle S anchor drag cut Estlink 2 and telecom cables in the Gulf of Finland; Finnish jurisdiction case revived on appeal","description":"On 25 December 2024 the Cook Islands-flagged tanker Eagle S was alleged to have dragged an anchor along the seabed of the Gulf of Finland, damaging the Estlink 2 power cable and several telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia. The Helsinki District Court declined jurisdiction in October 2025, but on 27 August 2026 the Helsinki Court of Appeal ruled that Finland can try the three officers. The ruling can still be taken to the Supreme Court.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Finland (Estlink 2 route)","type":"Subsea cable corridor","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","EE"],"detail":"Seabed between Finland and Estonia in the Gulf of Finland. The damage was located in Finland's exclusive economic zone according to the reporting cited; exact cable positions are not given in the sources.","coordinates":{"lat":59.85,"lon":25,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Damage to energy and communications infrastructure on the seabed, now a jurisdiction and liability dispute in the courts.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor dragging by a merchant tanker","Shadow fleet vessel (Finnish and Estonian attribution)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Helsinki District Court found the electricity cable damage could at worst have raised prices and caused outages of a few hours in parts of Finland (ref 3); no marine ecological harm is documented in the sources.","livelihoods":"Estlink 2 returned to service only in late June 2025, about six months after the damage, and cable owners seek about EUR 105 million in repair costs and lost income (refs 1, 3).","scale":"One anchor track of about 90 km across a single corridor of the Gulf of Finland, so a local, single-site incident (ref 1).","duration":"Incident of 25 December 2024; proceedings were still moving through the courts in August to September 2026, with a Supreme Court deadline of 26 October 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Helsinki Court of Appeal ruled on 27 August 2026 that Finland has jurisdiction, overturning the October 2025 district court dismissal (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Helsinki Court of Appeal held unanimously that Finland has jurisdiction to try three Eagle S officers over damage to Estlink 2 and four telecom cables (The Record, 27 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Alleged anchor drag distance","value":90,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Prosecutors alleged about 90 km of drag; The Maritime Executive says the port anchor was reportedly dragged at least 90 km (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"Cables damaged","value":5,"unit":"cables","status":"Reported","note":"One power cable (Estlink 2) and four telecommunications cables per ERR and The Maritime Executive (refs 1, 3); AP in January 2025 listed Estlink 2 and two communications cables (ref 4)."},{"name":"Civil claim for repair and lost income","value":105,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"Sought by the cable companies from the three officers (ref 1); The Record names Fingrid and Elering as claimants (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Estlink 2 power link out of service from 25 December 2024 to late June 2025 (ref 3).","Cable owners claim about EUR 105 million (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Case dismissed in October 2025, revived on appeal in August 2026; the defendants have left Finland, so a trial in person is considered unlikely (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Helsinki Court of Appeal and Helsinki District Court","role":"Courts hearing the case","contact":"https://oikeus.fi/en/"},{"name":"Finnish prosecution service","role":"Prosecutor (deputy prosecutor general appealed)","contact":"https://syyttajalaitos.fi/en"},{"name":"Finnish Border Guard","role":"Stopped and seized the vessel","contact":"https://raja.fi/en"}],"public_contact":"Finnish courts and prosecution service publish decisions on their own websites; no dedicated public channel for this case is listed in the sources.","corrective_actions":["Finnish authorities seized the ship in December 2024 and charged the captain and two officers (refs 1, 3).","Prosecution appealed the October 2025 dismissal; the Court of Appeal returned the case to the Helsinki District Court for trial on the merits (ref 2).","NATO launched Baltic Sentry in January 2025 in response to cable incidents (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Finnish court says has no jurisdiction in Eagle S cable damage case","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2025-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1609819506/%20https:/yle.fi/a/74-20186464","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Finland appeals court revives case against Eagle S officers over cable breaks","publisher":"The Record","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://therecord.media/finland-appeals-court-revives-case-against-eagle-s","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tanker Anchor Dragging Case Reopened by Helsinki Appeals Court","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/index.php/article/tanker-anchor-dragging-case-reopened-by-helsinki-appeals-court","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"11 Baltic cables damaged in 15 months, pushing NATO to boost security","publisher":"Associated Press (via Yahoo News)","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-baltic-cables-damaged-15-191001545.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The number of telecom cables damaged differs by outlet: AP (January 2025) lists two communications cables plus Estlink 2; ERR and The Maritime Executive list four."}],"missing_fields":["Exact cable positions and the damage coordinates are not given in the sources.","Whether a Supreme Court appeal was filed (deadline 26 October 2026) was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFFIN-FITBURG-2025","OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTICCONNECTOR-NEWNEW-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Balticconnector gas pipeline and cables damaged by a ship anchor in October 2023, with criminal cases still open","description":"On 8 October 2023 the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia and nearby data cables were damaged in the Gulf of Finland. Finnish investigators traced an anchor found near the damage to the Hong Kong-flagged container ship Newnew Polar Bear; China has said the damage was an accident caused by a storm. In May 2025 the ship's captain appeared before a court in Hong Kong, and Finnish and Estonian investigations were reported as ongoing.","location":{"name":"Balticconnector pipeline, Gulf of Finland","type":"Subsea gas pipeline","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","EE"],"detail":"Offshore section of the 77 km Balticconnector between Inkoo (Finland) and Paldiski (Estonia). Damage was reported in Finland's exclusive economic zone; Wikipedia, citing NORSAR, places the probable event about 40 km north of Paldiski (position approximate).","coordinates":{"lat":59.7,"lon":24.1,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Damage to cross-border energy infrastructure that became a multi-jurisdiction criminal and diplomatic matter.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor strike by a merchant vessel","Disputed cause (accident versus deliberate act)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Pressure fell from 34.5 bar to 6 bar and the pipeline was shut; Finnish investigators described the damage as mechanical rather than an explosion, and no marine ecological harm is documented (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The pipeline carrying gas between Finland and Estonia was out of use from 8 October 2023 until service resumed on 22 April 2024 (ref 3); repair cost was about EUR 35 million (ref 2).","scale":"A single pipeline corridor of the Gulf of Finland (ref 1).","duration":"Damage in October 2023; investigations and the Hong Kong case were still reported in 2025 and criminal trial is expected in early 2027 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The captain was brought before a Hong Kong court in May 2025 on marine-rule charges, and Finland and Estonia run a joint criminal investigation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Finland's National Bureau of Investigation traced a recovered anchor to the Newnew Polar Bear; Beijing called the damage accidental, caused by a storm (ERR, 12 August 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pipeline length","value":77,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Balticconnector length (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pipeline out of service","value":6,"unit":"months","status":"Estimated","note":"From 8 October 2023 to service resumption on 22 April 2024 per ref 3 (about six months, calculated from the dates)."},{"name":"Repair cost","value":35,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"About EUR 35 million per ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Gas link between Finland and Estonia interrupted for about six months (ref 3).","Repair cost about EUR 35 million (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"No final conclusion from investigators; Finland's legal assistance request to China and Hong Kong was pending in the reporting cited (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (KRP)","role":"Criminal investigation","contact":"https://poliisi.fi/en"},{"name":"Estonian Prosecutor's Office","role":"Joint criminal investigation","contact":"https://www.prokuratuur.ee/en"},{"name":"Gasgrid Finland and Elering","role":"Pipeline operators","contact":"https://gasgrid.fi/en/"}],"public_contact":"Finnish police and the Estonian Prosecutor's Office publish statements on their websites; no dedicated public channel is listed in the sources.","corrective_actions":["Finnish authorities recovered the anchor on 24 October 2023 (ref 1).","Finland sent a legal assistance request to Chinese authorities (ref 1).","Pipeline repaired and reopened on 22 April 2024 (ref 3).","Hong Kong prosecutors charged the ship's master with violating local maritime rules (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China admits container ship Newnew Polar Bear damaged undersea gas pipeline","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2024-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1609422658/china-admits-container-ship-newnew-polar-bear-damaged-undersea-gas-pipeline","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Master of containership faces court over Balticconnector damage","publisher":"Daily Mare (PAP / Gazeta Morska)","date":"2025-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dailymare.com/news/master-of-containership-faces-court-over-balticconnector-damage,1331","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Balticconnector","publisher":"Wikipedia (reference and coordinates)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balticconnector","basis":"Reference article"},{"ref":4,"title":"Baltic Sentry: NATO's enhanced activity in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"OSW Centre for Eastern Studies","date":"2025-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2025-01-15/baltic-sentry-natos-enhanced-activity-baltic-sea","basis":"Analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Cause disputed: China says a storm moved the anchor (accident); Estonia's prosecutor said China's report cannot be used as evidence (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Finnish final investigation conclusion not found.","Exact damage coordinates not given by the cited sources; the point shown is approximate.","Hong Kong court outcome after the May 2025 hearing not verified (Wikipedia says trial early 2027)."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-OLAND-YIPENG3-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Yi Peng 3 anchor dragging cut two Baltic telecom cables in November 2024; Swedish probe inconclusive on intent","description":"In November 2024 the Chinese-flagged bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 dragged its anchor for about 1.5 days over 180 nautical miles off south-east Sweden, cutting the Arelion Gotland-Lithuania cable and the C-Lion 1 cable linking Finland and Germany. Sweden's Accident Investigation Authority reported in April 2025 that it could not determine whether the cutting was deliberate, citing late and limited access to the ship.","location":{"name":"Off southern Öland and Gotland","type":"Subsea cable corridor","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE","LT","FI","DE"],"detail":"Southern Baltic Proper off south-east Sweden; the C-Lion 1 cable was cut south of Öland.","coordinates":{"lat":56.1,"lon":16.6,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Cross-border cable damage where a foreign flag state limited investigators' access.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor dragging by a merchant vessel","Limited access for investigators"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Two telecommunications cables were cut (the Arelion Gotland-Lithuania cable on 17 November 2024 and C-Lion 1 on 18 November 2024); no marine ecological harm or service loss figure is given (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited reports describe the cable cuts but state no service outage, closure or restriction, so none is scored (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The anchor was dragged for about 180 nautical miles across the Swedish south-east coast and the cables run between four countries (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Damage on 17 to 18 November 2024; the Swedish report followed on 15 April 2025 and a prosecutor's preliminary investigation remained open, so months of follow-up (ref 1).","significance":"The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority issued a formal report on 15 April 2025, and police had suspected sabotage (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority said it could not conclude that the Yi Peng 3 cut the cables deliberately; it found the ship dragged its anchor for about 180 nautical miles (15 April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Anchor drag distance","value":180,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"Over about 1.5 days (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cables cut","value":2,"unit":"cables","status":"Reported","note":"Arelion Gotland-Lithuania and C-Lion 1 Finland-Germany (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["International data cables cut with no outage figure reported (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK)","role":"Accident investigation","contact":"https://shk.se/en"},{"name":"Swedish Prosecution Authority","role":"Preliminary criminal investigation","contact":"https://www.aklagare.se/en/"}],"public_contact":"The SHK and the Swedish Prosecution Authority publish case information on their websites.","corrective_actions":["SHK boarded the vessel only more than a month after the incident and examined the anchor and crew (ref 1).","Sweden, Finland and Germany opened investigations (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Swedish probe finds no conclusive evidence Chinese ship cut cables deliberately","publisher":"The Local (AFP)","date":"2025-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thelocal.com/20250415/swedish-probe-finds-no-conclusive-evidence-chinese-ship-cut-cables-deliberately","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Baltic Sentry: NATO's enhanced activity in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"OSW Centre for Eastern Studies","date":"2025-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2025-01-15/baltic-sentry-natos-enhanced-activity-baltic-sea","basis":"Analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Outcome of the Swedish prosecutor's investigation not found.","The date, depth and exact cut positions are not stated in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-VENTSPILS-VEZHEN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Latvia-Sweden fibre-optic cable damaged in January 2025, with a bulk carrier's dragged anchor suspected","description":"On 26 January 2025 a fibre-optic cable linking Latvia (Ventspils) and Gotland in Sweden was damaged in Sweden's exclusive economic zone. Swedish authorities detained the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Vezhen, whose operator Navigation Maritime Bulgare told reporting that the damage was unintentional and that an anchor appeared to have dragged in bad weather. Latvia's prime minister called the damage most likely external.","location":{"name":"Ventspils-Gotland cable, Swedish EEZ","type":"Subsea cable","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["LV","SE"],"detail":"Fibre-optic cable between Ventspils (Latvia) and Gotland (Sweden), operated by LVRTC, damaged in Sweden's exclusive economic zone at depths of more than 50 metres.","coordinates":{"lat":57.4,"lon":20,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Damage to communications infrastructure that prompted a multi-country investigation and NATO coordination.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor dragging in bad weather (operator account)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Latvia's prime minister called the damage \"significant\" and most likely external (ref 1); no ecological harm is documented.","livelihoods":"The cited reports do not state a service outage, closure or restriction (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One cable between Ventspils and Gotland, damaged at a single location in the Swedish EEZ (ref 1).","duration":"Damage on Sunday 26 January 2025, reported within days, with no extended outage in the sources (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Swedish authorities detained the Vezhen and investigators from Latvia, Sweden and NATO maritime forces were engaged (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said the damage to the Latvia-Sweden cable was \"most likely external\" and \"significant\" (27 January 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cable depth at damage","value":null,"unit":"m","status":"Not reported","note":"The cable lies at depths of more than 50 metres; no exact depth is given (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC)","role":"Cable operator","contact":"https://www.lvrtc.lv/en/"},{"name":"Swedish Coast Guard and Swedish authorities","role":"Detention and investigation","contact":"https://www.kustbevakningen.se/en/"}],"public_contact":"LVRTC and the Latvian and Swedish authorities issue statements via their websites.","corrective_actions":["Sweden detained the Vezhen for investigation (ref 2); The Maritime Executive later reported that Sweden released a detained bulk carrier that had accidentally damaged cables (ref 3).","Latvia coordinated with NATO and Baltic Sea countries (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Another Baltic Undersea Cable Damaged","publisher":"Marine Technology News","date":"2025-01-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinetechnologynews.com/news/another-baltic-undersea-cable-644600","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"11 Baltic cables damaged in 15 months, pushing NATO to boost security","publisher":"Associated Press (via Yahoo News)","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-baltic-cables-damaged-15-191001545.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Denmark Targets Shadow Tankers in New Port State Inspection Program","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/denmark-targets-shadow-tankers-in-new-port-state-inspection-program","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Repair date and any outage duration not reported in the cited pages.","Final investigation outcome not found; Swedish officials said it was too early to determine the cause."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-GULFFIN-FITBURG-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fitburg anchor drag damaged Finland-Estonia telecom cables on 31 December 2025; captain and boatswain on trial in Helsinki","description":"On 31 December 2025 telecom operators Elisa and Arelion reported faults on cables between Finland and Estonia in the Gulf of Finland. Finnish police stopped the St Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged cargo ship Fitburg, which was carrying steel from St Petersburg, and drag marks consistent with its anchor were found. The captain and a boatswain went on trial at the Helsinki District Court in September 2026; both deny the charges and the defence disputes Finnish jurisdiction because the damage lay in Estonia's exclusive economic zone.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Finland (Finland-Estonia cables)","type":"Subsea cable corridor","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","EE"],"detail":"Seabed between Finland and Estonia in the Gulf of Finland; The Register reports the damage was in Estonia's exclusive economic zone and that the ship was detained as it moved into the Finnish zone.","coordinates":{"lat":59.8,"lon":24.9,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Damage to communications infrastructure that has become a prosecution and jurisdiction case.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor dragging by a merchant vessel","Disputed intent"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Prosecutors say damage to eight cables and pipelines interrupted electric, gas and telecom service (ref 3), while Elisa said redundant routes meant no customer disruption (ref 1); no marine ecological harm is documented.","livelihoods":"Elisa reported no customer disruption because of redundant routes (ref 1), so no closure or restriction is scored.","scale":"One anchor-drag track of at least 130 km in the Gulf of Finland (ref 3).","duration":"Damage on 31 December 2025, charges by mid-2026 and a trial opening in September 2026, so months of proceedings (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Finland closed its criminal investigation on 5 June 2026 and prosecutors charged the captain and boatswain, who face trial at the Helsinki District Court (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Prosecutors charged the Russian captain and an Azerbaijani boatswain with aggravated sabotage and aggravated interference with telecommunications over the 31 December 2025 damage (The Maritime Executive, 9 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Alleged anchor drag distance","value":130,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"At least 130 km (80 miles) per ref 3."},{"name":"Cables and pipelines damaged","value":8,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"Per ref 3; the Register (ref 1) cites Estonian authorities counting five cables, and the Finnish investigation referred to two cables (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Elisa said redundant routes avoided customer disruption (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Finnish National Bureau of Investigation","role":"Criminal investigation","contact":"https://poliisi.fi/en"},{"name":"Finnish Border Guard / Gulf of Finland Coast Guard","role":"Stopped and detained the vessel","contact":"https://raja.fi/en"},{"name":"Helsinki District Court","role":"Trial court","contact":"https://oikeus.fi/en/"}],"public_contact":"Finnish police and the courts publish case information on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Finnish Border Guard detained the ship on 31 December 2025 and later released it (refs 1, 3).","Finland and Estonia opened a joint criminal investigation (ref 1).","Finland closed its criminal investigation on 5 June 2026 and referred the case to the prosecutor (ref 2); the trial opened in September 2026 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Finnish cops grill crew of ship suspected of undersea cable sabotage","publisher":"The Register","date":"2026-01-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/02/finnish_cops_interviewing_fitburg_crew/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Finland has concluded its investigation into the damage to the undersea cable in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"Liga.net","date":"2026-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.liga.net/en/world/news/finland-has-concluded-its-investigation-into-the-damage-to-the-undersea-cable-in-the-baltic-sea","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Captain and Boatswain Go on Trial in Finland for Anchor Dragging Incident","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-09-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/captain-and-boatswain-go-on-trial-in-finland-for-anchor-dragging-incident","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Counts of damaged cables differ: eight cables and pipelines (The Maritime Executive), five cables (Estonian authorities via The Register), two cables (Finnish investigation via Liga.net). The charge wording also differs by outlet."}],"missing_fields":["Trial verdict not yet reported in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFFIN-EAGLES-2024","OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic Sea cable and pipeline damage since 2023 and NATO's Baltic Sentry response","description":"At least 11 Baltic Sea cables had been damaged between October 2023 and January 2025, according to the Associated Press. NATO announced Baltic Sentry on 14 January 2025 to deploy ships, aircraft and naval drones around undersea infrastructure. New incidents followed at the turn of 2026, including a Lithuania-Latvia cable damaged near Liepaja in early January 2026, which Latvian police linked to a ship that crossed it.","location":{"name":"Baltic Sea undersea infrastructure","type":"Regional sea security operation","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","EE","LV","LT","SE","DE","PL","DK"],"detail":"Cables and pipelines across the Baltic Sea from the Gulf of Finland to the Danish straits, with NATO command in Rostock (CTF Baltic).","coordinates":{"lat":57.5,"lon":19.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["other","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A multinational security and law-enforcement response to repeated damage to seabed infrastructure.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor dragging","Suspected hybrid threats (not confirmed by the cited sources)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The AP counted at least 11 Baltic cables damaged in 15 months; anonymous Western officials told it most recent damage was likely accidental anchor dragging (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited reports describe no lasting service closures across the region; the Lithuania-Latvia cable case reported services continuing normally (ref 3).","scale":"Incidents span the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Proper and the Latvian coast, so a regional sea rather than a basin (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Incidents from October 2023 to January 2026, with the damage near Liepaja in January 2026 following a year with few reports (refs 2, 3).","significance":"NATO announced the Baltic Sentry mission on 14 January 2025 and its planned initial duration was 90 days (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At least 11 Baltic cables were damaged in 15 months before NATO launched Baltic Sentry (Associated Press, 28 January 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Baltic cables damaged, October 2023 to January 2025","value":11,"unit":"cables","status":"Reported","note":"\"At least 11\" per the Associated Press (ref 2)."},{"name":"Planned initial duration of Baltic Sentry","value":90,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Per OSW analysis of 15 January 2025 (ref 1); later extension not verified."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Baltic states depend on undersea infrastructure economically (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Incidents paused for about a year after Baltic Sentry, then resumed in the winter of 2025 to 2026 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NATO (CTF Baltic, Rostock) and NATO Maritime Command","role":"Baltic Sentry operation","contact":"https://www.nato.int"},{"name":"Latvian State Police and Coast Guard","role":"Investigated the Liepaja cable damage","contact":"https://www.vp.gov.lv/en"}],"public_contact":"NATO publishes updates on nato.int; national coast guards and police publish incident notices on their sites.","corrective_actions":["NATO launched Baltic Sentry with frigates, aircraft and naval drones (ref 2).","Latvian police boarded the ship docked at Liepaja after the January 2026 damage; neither vessel nor crew was detained (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Baltic Sentry: NATO's enhanced activity in the Baltic Sea","publisher":"OSW Centre for Eastern Studies","date":"2025-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2025-01-15/baltic-sentry-natos-enhanced-activity-baltic-sea","basis":"Analysis"},{"ref":2,"title":"11 Baltic cables damaged in 15 months, pushing NATO to boost security","publisher":"Associated Press (via Yahoo News)","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-baltic-cables-damaged-15-191001545.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Undersea cable between Lithuania and Latvia damaged near Liepaja","publisher":"LRT English","date":"2026-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2797059/undersea-cable-between-lithuania-and-latvia-damaged-near-liepaja","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Attribution differs: some officials suspected hostile action, while anonymous Western officials told AP most recent damage was likely accidental (ref 2); no state has been formally blamed in the cited sources."}],"missing_fields":["Baltic Sentry's status after its first 90 days was not verified in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFFIN-EAGLES-2024","OC-BAL-OLAND-YIPENG3-2024","OC-BAL-VENTSPILS-VEZHEN-2025","OC-BAL-GULFFIN-FITBURG-2025","OC-BAL-BALTICCONNECTOR-NEWNEW-2023"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-GULFFIN-SHADOWFLEET-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Estonia detains tanker Kiwala and a Russian jet escorts Jaguar in Gulf of Finland shadow fleet confrontations, 2025","description":"On 11 April 2025 Estonia detained the tanker Kiwala, which Estonian authorities treated as stateless, and its Transport Administration found 40 deficiencies including no valid flag certificate or insurance. On 13 May Estonia tried to stop the tanker Jaguar, and Estonia's foreign minister said a Russian Su-35 briefly violated NATO airspace; on 18 May Russia detained the Greek-owned tanker Green Admire after it left the Estonian port of Sillamae.","location":{"name":"Estonian waters, Gulf of Finland","type":"Shipping lane and exclusive economic zone","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["EE","RU","FI"],"detail":"Off Aegna island near Tallinn (Kiwala), international waters of the Gulf of Finland (Jaguar) and the Sillamae channel through Russian waters to Gogland island (Green Admire).","coordinates":{"lat":59.59,"lon":24.77,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":60.056,"lon":26.984,"precision":"site","source_ref":4,"role":"Green Admire anchored at Gogland Island (coordinates from Wikipedia)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Sanctions and flag-state enforcement at sea producing detentions and a military confrontation.","secondary_drivers":["Shadow fleet tankers","Flag and insurance gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Transport Administration found 40 deficiencies on Kiwala and no valid flag certificate or insurance, a potential spill-liability risk, but no spill is reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"After the Green Admire detention Estonia directed ships using Sillamae to stay in Estonian territorial waters (ref 4).","scale":"Events occurred along Estonia's Gulf of Finland coast and into Russian waters around Gogland (refs 2, 3, 4).","duration":"Episodes between 11 April and 18 May 2025, a few weeks to months of confrontation (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"The Estonian Transport Administration detained Kiwala as an enforcement action, 29 of 40 deficiencies being detainable (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Estonia's Transport Administration found 40 deficiencies on tanker Kiwala, 29 serious enough to detain it, and treated the ship as stateless (12 April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Deficiencies found on Kiwala","value":40,"unit":"deficiencies","status":"Reported","note":"Of which 29 were detainable (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessels whose documents the Transport Administration inspected since June (year not stated)","value":458,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"One forgery found (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Sillamae shipping rerouted to stay in Estonian waters after the Green Admire detention (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Estonian Transport Administration","role":"Port state control inspections","contact":"https://www.transpordiamet.ee/en"},{"name":"Estonian Navy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs","role":"Interdiction and statements","contact":"https://vm.ee/en"}],"public_contact":"Estonian Transport Administration publishes news on its website.","corrective_actions":["Estonia held Kiwala at Muuga Bay until deficiencies were fixed (ref 1).","Estonia directed Sillamae shipping to stay in its territorial waters (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tanker Kiwala detained until deficiencies are resolved","publisher":"Estonian Transport Administration","date":"2025-04-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.transpordiamet.ee/en/news/tanker-kiwala-detained-until-deficiencies-are-resolved","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Estonian navy detains Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2025-04-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1609662026/estonian-navy-detains-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Russian fighter jet 'violated NATO territory' after Estonia tried to detain 'shadow fleet' tanker","publisher":"The Kyiv Independent","date":"2025-05-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kyivindependent.com/russian-jet-violated-nato-territory-after-estonia-tried-to-detain-shadow-fleet-tanker/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Russia detains oil tanker after leaving Estonian port","publisher":"ERR News","date":"2025-05-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.err.ee/1609697907/russia-detains-oil-tanker-after-leaving-estonian-port","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Hogland","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogland","basis":"Reference article"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Kiwala's flag: Estonian officials treat it as stateless, while ERR notes WarSanctions lists a Djibouti flag (Djibouti withdrew its flag per the Transport Administration). A Greek official said Green Admire entered Russian waters to avoid shallows; Estonia's foreign minister linked it to Estonia's actions against the shadow fleet (the Greek official's account was reported by media not opened here)."}],"missing_fields":["Aegna coordinates are approximate and not stated in the cited pages.","Green Admire release date not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025","OC-BAL-BALTIC-INSURANCE-2025","OC-BAL-BALTIC-SHADOWFLEETSPILLRISK-2025","OC-BAL-GULFFIN-GNSS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BALTIC-INSURANCE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic and North Sea states begin insurance and port state checks on shadow fleet tankers in the Danish straits","description":"In December 2024 nine European countries including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland and Sweden confirmed plans to ask suspected shadow fleet tankers for proof of oil pollution insurance in the Danish straits and the Gulf of Finland. Denmark announced port state control of tankers anchoring at Skagen in February 2025, and in July 2025 Germany and Sweden began insurance checks on passing tankers. The checks are mainly for transparency and cannot compel vessels in the Danish straits to answer.","location":{"name":"Danish straits and Baltic approaches","type":"Shipping lane","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL","NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","SE","DE","EE","FI"],"detail":"Danish straits, the Sound, Fehmarn waters and the Gulf of Finland; Skagen Red anchorage lies at the northern entrance.","coordinates":{"lat":54.44,"lon":11.19,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Regulatory and enforcement steps on tanker insurance and safety in shared straits.","secondary_drivers":["Ageing tankers carrying Russian oil","Insurance gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Bloomberg via gCaptain reports the Danish straits carry about 7% of the world's seaborne oil, and a tanker accident would carry spill and liability risk, but no spill is reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Denmark said tankers anchoring at Skagen that cannot show harmless passage face port state control, with detention possible for defects (ref 2).","scale":"Measures span the Danish straits, the Sound, German waters off Fehmarn and the Gulf of Finland (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Measures announced in December 2024, February 2025 and July 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3), a recurring policy over more than six months.","significance":"Nine countries confirmed a joint plan at the JEF summit and Denmark announced a formal port state inspection programme (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Russian oil worth about $60 billion passed through the Danish straits in 2024, roughly 40% of Russia's seaborne petroleum exports (Bloomberg via gCaptain, 16 December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of world seaborne oil through the Danish straits","value":7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Per Bloomberg via gCaptain (ref 1)."},{"name":"Russian oil through the straits in 2024","value":60,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"About $60 billion, roughly 40% of Russia's seaborne petroleum exports (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A freedom-of-navigation treaty prevents Denmark from requiring insurance information; vessels can refuse and refusals will be logged (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Checks widened from the December 2024 plan to Skagen inspections and German and Swedish checks in 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Danish Maritime Authority","role":"Port state control at Skagen","contact":"https://www.dma.dk/"},{"name":"Swedish and German maritime authorities","role":"Insurance checks (reported)","contact":"https://www.sjofartsverket.se/en/"}],"public_contact":"The Danish Maritime Authority publishes notices on its website.","corrective_actions":["Nine countries agreed to request proof of insurance from suspected shadow fleet tankers (ref 1).","Denmark announced strengthened port state control of tankers at Skagen Red (ref 2).","Germany and Sweden began insurance checks in July 2025 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Insurance Checkpoint Ahead: European Countries Step Up Scrutiny of Tankers Moving Russian Oil","publisher":"Bloomberg via gCaptain","date":"2024-12-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/insurance-checkpoint-baltic-sea-countries-step-up-scrutiny-russian-tankers/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Denmark Targets Shadow Tankers in New Port State Inspection Program","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/denmark-targets-shadow-tankers-in-new-port-state-inspection-program","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Germany, Sweden joins shadow fleet insurance crackdown","publisher":"Business Insurance","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.businessinsurance.com/germany-sweden-joins-shadow-fleet-insurance-crackdown/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Bloomberg says 12 countries back the plan but names nine."}],"missing_fields":["Outcomes or counts of checks and detentions were not in the cited pages.","Fehmarn coordinates are approximate and not stated in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFFIN-SHADOWFLEET-2025","OC-BAL-RUEGEN-EVENTINTANKER-2025","OC-BAL-BALTIC-SHADOWFLEETSPILLRISK-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-GULFFIN-GNSS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"GNSS jamming and AIS spoofing cause near misses for ships in the Gulf of Finland","description":"Finland's Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) reported that GNSS disruptions in the Gulf of Finland rose through the first half of 2025 and intensified in June, and said they had already caused near misses. Finland and Estonia issued a joint navigational warning covering both countries' territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. Finnish authorities suspect the interfering signals originate from Russia, which is not officially confirmed in the cited pages.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Finland (Finland and Estonia waters)","type":"Shipping lane","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FI","EE","RU"],"detail":"Interference was reported mainly in the eastern Gulf of Finland and the warning covers both countries' waters and exclusive economic zones.","coordinates":{"lat":59.9,"lon":25.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A navigation-safety hazard to commercial shipping that has become a regulatory and diplomatic matter.","secondary_drivers":["Radio interference (jamming and spoofing)","Suspected external source"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Traficom's Maritime Director said disruptions have already caused near misses, with the risk of accidents and serious environmental damage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Finland and Estonia issued a joint navigational warning delivered to vessels through the Electronic Navigational Chart (ref 1).","scale":"The warning covers the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones of two countries across the Gulf of Finland (ref 1).","duration":"Authorities had informed mariners about disruptions for over a year by June 2025, and Yle reported reports rising in 2023 and again in autumn 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Traficom issued a formal notice to mariners on 10 June 2025 and Finland and Estonia planned to report the disruptions to the IMO (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"\"Disruptions have already caused near misses in the Gulf of Finland,\" Traficom Maritime Director Sanna Sonninen said (13 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Growth in GPS disturbance reports during 2023","value":5,"unit":"x (five-fold)","status":"Reported","note":"Yle, 16 September 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Autopilot malfunctions and AIS spoofing reported (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Increase through the first half of 2025 and intensification in June 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency)","role":"Radio interference monitoring and warnings","contact":"https://www.traficom.fi/en"},{"name":"Estonian Transport Administration","role":"Joint navigational warning","contact":"https://www.transpordiamet.ee/en"}],"public_contact":"Mariners can report interference to Traficom through its electronic form (traficom.fi).","corrective_actions":["Joint Finland-Estonia navigational warning with automatic ENC delivery (ref 1).","Reporting to the IMO for onward circulation to member states (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Finland and Estonia warn vessels in the Gulf of Finland of an increase in GNSS disruptions","publisher":"Traficom","date":"2025-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://traficom.fi/en/news/finland-and-estonia-warn-vessels-gulf-finland-increase-gnss-disruptions","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"More boaters reporting GPS interference on the Gulf of Finland","publisher":"Yle News","date":"2024-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://yle.fi/a/74-20111823","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source of the interference is suspected, not officially confirmed, in the cited pages.","Traficom statistics page returned an error and no maritime incident count is given."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFFIN-SHADOWFLEET-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-RUSSIA-BORDER-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Russian draft decree to redraw Baltic maritime boundary coordinates in the Gulf of Finland and Kaliningrad, May 2024","description":"On 22 May 2024 a draft Russian decree dated 21 May was published proposing to change the coordinates that define the baselines of Russia's territorial sea in the eastern Gulf of Finland and around Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in Kaliningrad. The draft cited outdated 20th-century small-scale maps. Lithuania's foreign minister called it a hybrid operation and an escalation against NATO and the EU.","location":{"name":"Eastern Gulf of Finland and Kaliningrad coast","type":"Maritime boundary","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RU","FI","LT","EE"],"detail":"Waters near Gogland and other Russian islands in the eastern Gulf of Finland, the Narva River cape, Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in Kaliningrad, and parts of the Curonian and Vistula spits.","coordinates":{"lat":60.056,"lon":26.984,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed unilateral change to maritime boundary coordinates that raises treaty and UNCLOS questions.","secondary_drivers":["Maritime boundary revision proposal"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or human harm is documented in the cited reports (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction took effect in the cited reports; the decree was a draft (ref 1).","scale":"The draft covers the eastern Gulf of Finland and the Kaliningrad coast, two parts of the Baltic Sea (ref 1).","duration":"The sources document the draft only on 21 to 22 May 2024, days of coverage (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A draft Russian Defence Ministry decree was published on the government's website and drew public condemnation from Lithuania's foreign minister (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The draft decree dated 21 May 2024 would change the coordinates defining the width of Russia's territorial sea in the eastern Gulf of Finland and near Kaliningrad (Kyiv Independent, 21 May 2024)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Russian Ministry of Defence (drafter)","role":"Draft decree author","contact":"https://eng.mil.ru/"},{"name":"Lithuanian and Finnish foreign ministries","role":"Reacting governments","contact":"https://urm.lt/en"}],"public_contact":"Foreign ministries publish statements on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Lithuania's foreign minister called for a firm response (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Russia unilaterally decides to change maritime border with Lithuania, Finland in Baltic Sea","publisher":"The Kyiv Independent","date":"2024-05-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kyivindependent.com/russia-unilaterally-decides-to-change-maritime-border-with-lithuania-finland-in-baltic-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Russia proposes revising Baltic Sea border","publisher":"Deccan Herald (Reuters)","date":"2024-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.deccanherald.com/world/russia-proposes-revising-baltic-sea-border-3033591","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hogland","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogland","basis":"Reference article"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the draft was withdrawn, adopted or revived after May 2024 was not verified (only the two May 2024 articles were opened).","Finland's official reaction was not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-GULFFIN-GNSS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-SWEDEN-WINDREJECT-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sweden rejects 13 Baltic offshore wind farms on defence grounds","description":"On 4 November 2024 the Swedish government rejected 13 of 14 offshore wind applications in the southern and central Baltic Sea, with a combined potential of almost 32 GW, citing the Armed Forces' analysis of unacceptable consequences for military defence. Defence Minister Pal Jonson said turbines could obstruct security sensors above and below the surface. The only approval was Vattenfall's Poseidon on the west coast.","location":{"name":"Swedish Baltic EEZ, south of the Sea of Åland","type":"Offshore wind lease areas","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SE"],"detail":"Rejected parks range from the Sea of Åland in the north to the Öresund in the south (The Local); projects include Aurora, Neptunus, Pleione, Triton, Arkona, Skibladner, Skåne, Södra Victoria, Baltic Offshore Beta and Delta North, Cirrus, Dyning and Erik Segersall.","coordinates":{"lat":58,"lon":19.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A government decision blocking offshore wind development for national defence reasons.","secondary_drivers":["Defence and radar-sensor concerns"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or human harm is documented; the decision concerns defence sensor interference (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Developers including OX2, Eolus, Ørsted, RWE and Statkraft lost 13 permit applications with almost 32 GW of potential capacity (ref 1).","scale":"The rejections cover Sweden's Baltic exclusive economic zone from the Sea of Åland to the Öresund (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Announced 4 November 2024; the cited sources include no later reversal, and ten more applications were under consideration at that date (ref 2).","significance":"A government decision refused 13 applications based on Armed Forces documentation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The government assessed that building the projects \"would lead to unacceptable consequences for Sweden's military defense,\" Defence Minister Pal Jonson said (4 November 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Applications rejected","value":13,"unit":"projects","status":"Reported","note":"Of 14 decided (ref 1)."},{"name":"Combined potential capacity of rejected projects","value":32,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"\"Almost 32 GW\" per offshorewind.biz (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Developers' 13 applications rejected, about 32 GW potential (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Swedish Government (Ministry of Defence)","role":"Decision-maker","contact":"https://www.government.se/"},{"name":"Swedish Armed Forces","role":"Provided defence analysis","contact":"https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/en/"}],"public_contact":"The Swedish Government Offices publish press releases at government.se.","corrective_actions":["Government announced a review of the offshore wind approval system; an inquiry was due to report in December 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sweden Rejects 13 Offshore Wind Farms, Greenlights Vattenfall's Poseidon Project","publisher":"offshoreWIND.biz","date":"2024-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshorewind.biz/2024/11/04/sweden-rejects-13-offshore-wind-farms-greenlights-vattenfalls-poseidon-project","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sweden blocks 13 offshore wind farms: 'Unacceptable consequences for defence'","publisher":"The Local Sweden","date":"2024-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thelocal.se/20241104/sweden-blocks-13-offshore-wind-farms-unacceptable-consequences-for-defence","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Developments after November 2024 (appeals, new applications, policy change) not found.","The coordinates point is a mid-sea approximation, not a source-stated position."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-LEBA-BALTICPOWER-2026","OC-BAL-BORNHOLM-ENERGYISLAND-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-LEBA-BALTICPOWER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baltic Power delivers Poland's first offshore wind power, 1.2 GW off Łeba","description":"Baltic Power, a joint venture of ORLEN and Northland Power, delivered first electricity to Poland's grid on 10 July 2026. Of 76 planned 15 MW turbines, 54 were installed, with construction scheduled to finish in autumn 2026. The wind farm lies about 23 km offshore near Choczewo and Łeba and covers 130 square kilometres.","location":{"name":"Baltic Power wind farm, off Łeba","type":"Offshore wind farm","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PL"],"detail":"About 23 km off the Polish coast near Choczewo and Łeba, with an onshore substation at Choczewo and a maintenance base at Łeba.","coordinates":{"lat":54.76,"lon":17.56,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A major new offshore energy installation in Polish Baltic waters.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore wind construction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The ORLEN and trade-press releases do not discuss ecological effects, so no harm is scored (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or shipping restriction is described in the cited releases (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single 130 square kilometre site about 23 km off Łeba (ref 1).","duration":"Construction continues through autumn 2026 with first power on 10 July 2026, so months of installation activity (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A generation licence from the Energy Regulatory Office, occupancy permits and auditor certification remain to be completed (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The first turbine fed electricity into Poland's grid on 10 July 2026, with 54 of 76 turbines installed (ORLEN, 10 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned capacity","value":1.2,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"About 1.2 GW once fully operational (ref 1)."},{"name":"Turbines installed at first power","value":54,"unit":"turbines","status":"Reported","note":"Of 76 planned, each 15 MW (ref 1)."},{"name":"Expected output","value":4,"unit":"TWh per year","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 3% of Poland's current demand (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Construction progressing toward completion in autumn 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ORLEN and Northland Power (Baltic Power)","role":"Developers and operators","contact":"https://www.orlen.pl/en"},{"name":"Energy Regulatory Office (URE)","role":"Generation licence","contact":"https://www.ure.gov.pl/en/"}],"public_contact":"ORLEN publishes press releases on its website.","corrective_actions":["All 350 km of inter-array and export cables laid and both offshore substations in place (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A historic milestone: the wind farm in the Baltic Sea delivers first power to the Polish grid","publisher":"ORLEN","date":"2026-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.orlen.pl/en/about-the-company/media/press-releases/current/2026/July-2026/a-historic-milestone-the-wind-farm-in-the-baltic-sea-delivers-first-power-to-the-polish-grid","basis":"Operator press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Baltic Power Offshore Wind Farm Delivers First Electricity to Polish Grid","publisher":"Offshore Engineer Digital","date":"2026-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oedigital.com/amp/news/541122-baltic-power-offshore-wind-farm-delivers-first-electricity-to-polish-grid","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No environmental monitoring results, underwater noise or fishery data in the cited sources.","Both sources are operator-originated; independent sourcing was not found.","Coordinates are the nearby coastal town of Łeba, not the turbines."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-SWEDEN-WINDREJECT-2024","OC-BAL-BORNHOLM-ENERGYISLAND-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-FEHMARN-TUNNEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fehmarnbelt tunnel construction: seabed dredging, German underwater noise limits and a delay to 2031","description":"Construction of the Fehmarnbelt immersed tunnel between Puttgarden (Germany) and Lolland (Denmark) involved dredging of about 530 million cubic feet of seabed from 2020 to 2024 and the first element was immersed in May 2026. Femern says Germany's underwater noise limits further affect the schedule, and the opening has slipped from 2029 to no earlier than 2031 because lowering the elements proved harder than planned.","location":{"name":"Fehmarn Belt immersed tunnel","type":"Coastal construction site","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DE","DK"],"detail":"Fehmarn Belt between Fehmarn (Germany) and Lolland (Denmark), about 18 km; Wikipedia gives a single point for the link.","coordinates":{"lat":54.5758,"lon":11.3056,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Large marine construction with dredging and underwater noise constraints, and schedule and cost overruns.","secondary_drivers":["Dredging","Underwater noise limits","Engineering delays"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 530 million cubic feet of material was excavated from 2020 to 2024 and Germany applies underwater noise limits, but ENR gives no measured ecological harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no fishery or shipping closure; the constraints reported concern the construction schedule (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One tunnel trench about 260 ft wide and 33 ft deep across the Fehmarn Belt (ref 1).","duration":"Dredging ran 2020 to 2024 and the tunnel is not expected to open before 2031, a multi-year project (refs 1, 2).","significance":"German underwater noise limits form part of the approval conditions that Femern says affect the schedule (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Fehmarn Belt tunnel is now expected to open no earlier than 2031, about two years behind schedule (DPA, 16 January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Material dredged 2020 to 2024","value":530,"unit":"million cubic feet","status":"Reported","note":"Reused to create more than 700 acres of land (ref 1)."},{"name":"Delay versus the 2029 target","value":2,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Per Sund & Bælt chief executive Mikkel Hemmingsen (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Project cost of about $8 billion and a two-year delay (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Opening moved from 2029 to at least 2031 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Femern A/S (Sund & Bælt)","role":"Project owner","contact":"https://femern.com/en"}],"public_contact":"Femern A/S publishes project updates on its website.","corrective_actions":["The first element was immersed on 6 May 2026 (ref 1).","Femern plans an updated schedule after several elements are immersed (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"World's Longest Immersed Tunnel Passes Milestone, But Faces Delays","publisher":"Engineering News-Record","date":"2026-06-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enr.com/articles/63168-worlds-longest-immersed-tunnel-passes-milestone-but-faces-delays","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Major tunnel between German and Danish islands delayed until 2031","publisher":"DPA via Yahoo News","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/major-tunnel-between-german-danish-151344342.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link","publisher":"Wikipedia (coordinates)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fehmarn_Belt_Fixed_Link","basis":"Reference article"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Lengths and opening dates differ across sources (ENR: nearly 11 miles; DPA: 18 km; Wikipedia notes a possible 2032 road opening)."}],"missing_fields":["Numerical underwater noise limits and marine monitoring results are not in the cited pages.","Whether the schedule has since been updated by Femern was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-BALTICPROPER-PORPOISE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-BORNHOLM-ENERGYISLAND-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bornholm Energy Island: 3 GW Baltic offshore wind hub paused in 2025, permitted in 2026 with completion not before 2034","description":"Bornholm Energy Island is planned to bundle about 3 GW from three offshore wind farms and send power by about 370 km of subsea cable to Denmark and Germany. Denmark put it on hold in early 2025, Energinet received environmental permits on 30 January 2026, and Germany and Denmark agreed a cost split in early 2026. Commissioning is expected in 2034 according to 50Hertz, while a Danish trade report captions 2036.","location":{"name":"Bornholm Energy Island","type":"Offshore energy hub","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["DK","DE"],"detail":"Bornholm island in the Danish Baltic with cables of about 200 km to Zealand and over 170 km to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.","coordinates":{"lat":55.13,"lon":14.92,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A cross-border offshore energy project with funding and schedule uncertainty.","secondary_drivers":["Cost and financing negotiations","Permitting"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or human harm is documented in the cited pages; the project is at the permitting and contracting stage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or shipping restriction is described in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single hub on Bornholm with cable routes to Zealand and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (ref 1).","duration":"Planned since earlier years, paused in early 2025 and not due until 2034 or 2036, a multi-year timeline (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Energinet received environmental permits on 30 January 2026 and the project was reported approved at the North Sea summit in Hamburg (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The project is expected at about 3 GW, with about 370 km of cable and a cost of about EUR 7 billion according to 50Hertz (Deutschland.de, 29 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned capacity","value":3,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Three offshore wind farms bundled on Bornholm (ref 1)."},{"name":"Subsea cable length","value":370,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"About 200 km to Zealand and more than 170 km to Germany (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cost","value":7,"unit":"EUR billion","status":"Reported","note":"About EUR 7 billion per 50Hertz, with EUR 645 million EU contribution (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Danish government paused the project in early 2025 pending a new German government (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Paused in 2025, revived with permits and a cost agreement in 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Energinet","role":"Danish transmission operator and project developer","contact":"https://en.energinet.dk/"},{"name":"50Hertz","role":"German transmission operator and project partner","contact":"https://www.50hertz.com/en/"}],"public_contact":"Energinet and 50Hertz publish project updates on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Environmental permit for cables and transformer stations granted to Energinet (ref 2).","Germany and Denmark agreed how to split costs in early 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Europas erste Energieinsel (Energieinsel Bornholm: Windstrom für zwei Länder)","publisher":"Deutschland.de (German)","date":"2026-05-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.deutschland.de/de/topic/umwelt/bornholm-windstrom-deutschland-daenemark","basis":"Government information portal (German)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Energinet receives environmental permits for Energiø Bornholm's cables and transformer stations","publisher":"DOI (Danish Offshore Industry)","date":"2026-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.doi.dk/en/ptx/artikel/energinet-faar-miljoetilladelser-til-energioe-bornholms-kabler-og-transformerstationer","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bornholm Energy Island put on hold, but mayor maintains faith in the project","publisher":"DOI (Danish Offshore Industry)","date":"2025-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.doi.dk/en/vindkraft/artikel/energioe-bornholm-sat-paa-pause-men-borgmester-fastholder-troen-paa-projektet","basis":"Trade news (headline only readable)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Completion year: 2034 per 50Hertz (ref 1) versus 2036 in the DOI photo caption (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The pause rationale is not stated in the readable text of ref 3 (only its headline).","Bornholm coordinates are approximate and not stated in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-SWEDEN-WINDREJECT-2024","OC-BAL-LEBA-BALTICPOWER-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BAL-HELCOM-RUSSIA-2022","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"HELCOM meetings with Russia suspended since March 2022 under a strategic pause","description":"Since 4 March 2022 the EU and HELCOM's EU member states have suspended official HELCOM meetings and projects involving Russia, which remains one of ten Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention. The \"H9\" group reaffirmed the strategic pause at the 2024 ministerial meeting and HELCOM work continues without Russia. The European Commission noted in April 2024 that the third HELCOM state report found little improvement between 2016 and 2021.","location":{"name":"HELCOM / Helsinki Convention area","type":"Treaty process","sea":"BAL","seas":["BAL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RU","FI","EE","LV","LT","PL","DE","DK","SE"],"detail":"Baltic Sea regional environmental governance body with its secretariat in Helsinki.","coordinates":{"lat":60.17,"lon":24.94,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regional sea convention operating without one of its Baltic coastal parties.","secondary_drivers":["War in Ukraine and the suspension of cooperation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The European Commission said the third HELCOM state report found little improvement between 2016 and 2021 and that the Baltic is in a bad environmental state (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no closures or restrictions; HELCOM estimates the sea's condition costs about EUR 5.6 billion a year (ref 2).","scale":"The pause affects Baltic-wide cooperation under the Helsinki Convention (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Meetings with Russia have been suspended since 4 March 2022 and \"until further notice\" per HELCOM (ref 1).","significance":"The German chairmanship suspended HELCOM meetings involving Russia and the Contracting Parties reaffirmed the strategic pause at the 2024 ministerial meeting (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Regular HELCOM meetings involving Russia remain suspended \"until further notice\" under the strategic pause, which HELCOM says is not a cessation of its activities."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated annual cost of the Baltic's condition","value":5.6,"unit":"EUR billion per year","status":"Reported","note":"HELCOM estimate cited by the European Commission, 25 April 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Pause in place since March 2022 and reaffirmed in 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"HELCOM (Helsinki Commission)","role":"Regional sea convention body","contact":"https://helcom.fi"},{"name":"European Commission (DG Environment)","role":"EU Contracting Party","contact":"https://environment.ec.europa.eu/"}],"public_contact":"HELCOM Secretariat via the contact page on helcom.fi.","corrective_actions":["Work continues in the \"H9\" format with eight EU member states and the EU (refs 1, 2).","The 2021 regional action plan and the third state report (HOLAS 3) were completed (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Organisation (HELCOM)","publisher":"HELCOM","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://helcom.fi/?p=3665","basis":"Agency page (undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"EU commemorates 50 years of cooperation to protect Baltic Sea under Helsinki Convention","publisher":"European Commission","date":"2024-04-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-commemorates-50-years-cooperation-protecting-baltic-sea-2024-04-25_en","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BAL in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Status of the pause after 2024 beyond the HELCOM page text was not independently dated.","The HELCOM organisation page shows no publication date (newest news item on it was dated 21 September 2026)."],"related_ids":["OC-BAL-REGION-SENTRY-2025","OC-BAL-EASTERNGULFS-NUTRIENTCEILINGS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-UKSHELF-MHW-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record-high sea temperatures across UK waters in the 2026 marine heatwave, from the Channel to Liverpool Bay","description":"Cefas WaveNet buoys recorded sea temperatures between May and August 2026 that were 3 to 4.5 C above the seasonal average at four highlighted sites, with several sites reaching their highest readings since monitoring began in 2002 and 2004. Readings included 21.7 C in Poole Bay, 21.4 C at Hastings, 21.1 C south-west of the Isles of Scilly and 22.3 C in Liverpool Bay. Cefas notes that heatwaves of this kind can raise the risk of harmful algal blooms, disease and non-native species, and scientists report octopus and unusual sharks in the south-west.","location":{"name":"UK shelf waters: Channel, Scilly, Liverpool Bay","type":"Marine heatwave region","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL","NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Coastal buoy sites around England and Wales: Poole Bay and Hastings (English Channel), south-west of the Isles of Scilly (Celtic Sea approaches), Liverpool Bay (Irish Sea) and east-coast sites in the North Sea.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sustained thermal anomaly in the surface ocean measured by a national buoy network.","secondary_drivers":["Prolonged high pressure and land heatwave","Long-term warming of about 0.3 C per decade"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Cefas lists potential ecological risks (algal blooms, disease, non-native species) and reports octopus and unusual sharks in the south-west, but documents no mortality (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Cefas release describes possible risks to fisheries and tourism but records no closure or loss (ref 1).","scale":"Anomalies of 3 to 4.5 C appear at buoys from the Channel to Liverpool Bay and the east coast, a national coastline rather than one site (ref 1).","duration":"Hastings was unusually warm from February, April was unusually high and the highest readings came in July and August 2026 (refs 1, 2); earlier heatwaves in 2023 and 2025 are recorded in this feed.","significance":"Agency monitoring reports and a Met Office statement on a prolonged heatwave, but no formal notice or enforcement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"WaveNet recorded 22.3 C in Liverpool Bay on 11 July 2026, about 5.3 C above average, and 21.7 C in Poole Bay on 9 July."},"measures":[{"name":"Poole Bay peak sea temperature","value":21.7,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Record at the site, 9 July 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hastings peak sea temperature","value":21.4,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"29 July 2026, described as a record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Liverpool Bay peak sea temperature","value":22.3,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"11 July 2026, about 5.3 C above average but not a site record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Late-May anomaly range","value":4.4,"unit":"C above seasonal average","status":"Reported","note":"Upper end of the 2.6 to 4.4 C range on 25-26 May 2026 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cefas names fisheries and tourism among sectors at risk from marine heatwaves (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Cefas cites 0.3 C per decade of warming over 40 years and about four more heatwave events a year (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cefas (WaveNet buoy network)","role":"Monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/"},{"name":"Met Office","role":"National met service","contact":"https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/"}],"public_contact":"Cefas general enquiries through the contact page on cefas.co.uk.","corrective_actions":["Cefas is analysing the data with partners on what warm seas could mean for ecosystems, industries and coastal communities (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"WaveNet data shows record-breaking sea temperatures around the UK","publisher":"Cefas","date":"2026-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/news-and-resources/news/wavenet-data-shows-record-breaking-sea-temperatures-around-the-uk/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"WaveNet data shows impact of May land heatwave on UK sea temperatures","publisher":"Cefas","date":"2026-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/news-and-resources/news/wavenet-data-shows-impact-of-record-breaking-may-on-uk-sea-temperatures/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"\"Expect different\" - PML's Prof Tim Smyth on the effects of warming UK waters","publisher":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory","date":"2026-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pml.ac.uk/news/expect-different-pmls-prof-tim-smyth-on-the-effects-of-warming-uk-waters/","basis":"Research institute news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Met Office statement that Cefas cites was not opened; its figures are reported only as quoted by Cefas."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-NWSHELF-MHW-2025","OC-NEATL-GALICIA-SHELLFISH-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-NWSHELF-MHW-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Prolonged spring 2025 marine heatwave west of Ireland and around Britain, following the record June 2023 event","description":"The Met Office reported record April and May sea surface temperatures since 1982, up to 4 C above normal west of Ireland and 1.5 to 2.5 C above normal around the UK, after a heatwave that began in early March and had lasted over two months. Researchers say the June 2023 heatwave west of Ireland peaked at about 4 to 5 C above average. Plymouth Marine Laboratory reported more tuna and octopus, with octopus taking bait from crab pots.","location":{"name":"West of Ireland and Celtic Sea shelf","type":"Marine heatwave region","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL","NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IE","GB"],"detail":"Northwest European shelf: waters west and south of Ireland, the Celtic Sea, the western English Channel and the UK coast.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Persistent surface-ocean temperature extreme on the northwest European shelf.","secondary_drivers":["Persistent high pressure with weak winds","Long-term shelf warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"PML reported species shifts toward more tuna and octopus; the source documents no mortality and cites NOAA only generally about die-offs (ref 2).","livelihoods":"PML said octopus were taking bait from crab pots, which affects the shellfish industry (ref 2).","scale":"Anomalies spread from west of Ireland to the Celtic Sea and the UK coastline, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The 2025 event ran more than two months from early March (ref 1) and follows the June 2023 heatwave, which scientists place among the strongest on record (refs 4, 5), so the pattern recurs.","significance":"National met services and Cefas issued reports and statements, with no formal notice, closure or enforcement (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea surface temperatures were up to 4 C above normal west of Ireland and 1.5 to 2.5 C above normal around the UK, record highs for April and May since 1982 (Met Office, 22 May 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak anomaly west of Ireland, spring 2025","value":4,"unit":"C above normal","status":"Reported","note":"Met Office blog, 22 May 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Anomaly around UK coastline, spring 2025","value":2.5,"unit":"C above normal (upper end of 1.5 to 2.5)","status":"Reported","note":"Met Office blog (ref 1)."},{"name":"Local peak anomaly north of Ireland, June 2023","value":5,"unit":"C above normal","status":"Reported","note":"EMS 2024 abstract by Met Office, PML, NOC, SAMS and Marine Institute authors (ref 4)."},{"name":"Shelf-average longest Category II heatwave, June 2023","value":16,"unit":"days at 2.9 C anomaly","status":"Reported","note":"EMS 2024 abstract (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Octopus taking bait from crab pots, affecting the shellfish industry (ref 2).","An Irish oceanographer warned cod, haddock and herring could be replaced by other species if heatwaves recur (ref 6)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Met Office cites about 0.3 C per decade of warming over 40 years; Maynooth authors note 2021-2023 held three of the top four years for marine heatwave activity in Irish waters (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Met Office","role":"National met service","contact":"https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/"},{"name":"Met Eireann","role":"National met service (Ireland)"},{"name":"Cefas","role":"Monitoring agency","contact":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/"},{"name":"Marine Institute (Ireland)","role":"Irish ocean observation and research","contact":"https://www.marine.ie/"}],"public_contact":"Met Office and Cefas publish general enquiry channels on metoffice.gov.uk and cefas.co.uk.","corrective_actions":["CEFAS, PML and NOC are monitoring effects on ecosystems and fisheries (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Waters surrounding UK gripped by prolonged marine heatwave","publisher":"Met Office","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/uk-waters-gripped-by-prolonged-marine-heatwave","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Prolonged marine heatwave in waters around Ireland and British Isles","publisher":"WeAreAquaculture","date":"2025-05-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weareaquaculture.com/news/prolonged-marine-heatwave-in-waters-around-ireland-and-british-isles","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"WaveNet data points to potential marine heatwave around UK coastline","publisher":"Cefas","date":"2025-05-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/news-and-resources/news/wavenet-data-points-to-potential-marine-heatwave-around-uk-coastline/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Exceptional atmospheric conditions in June 2023 generated a Northwest European marine heatwave (EMS2024-963)","publisher":"European Meteorological Society / Copernicus Meetings","date":"2024-07-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EMS2024/EMS2024-963.html","basis":"Conference abstract (peer community)"},{"ref":5,"title":"The marine heatwave west of Ireland in June 2023 (Weather, vol. 78 no. 11)","publisher":"Maynooth University / Royal Meteorological Society","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/17845/","basis":"Peer-reviewed article"},{"ref":6,"title":"Marine heatwaves could hit the Irish fishing industry, says oceanographer","publisher":"Southern Star","date":"2023-07-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://southernstar.ie/premium-exclusives/marine-heatwaves-could-hit-the-irish-fishing-industry-says-oceanographer-4267806","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sources give different peak figures for June 2023: about 4 C above average west of Ireland (ref 5) and up to 5 C locally north of Ireland (ref 4); both are shown."}],"missing_fields":["The Maynooth repository page gives only the year 2023 (deposited 16 November 2023), so the source date is left null."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-UKSHELF-MHW-2026","OC-NEATL-NEATLANTIC-ACIDIFICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-NEATLANTIC-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Northeast Atlantic and adjacent seas warming and acidifying faster than the global average, Copernicus Ocean State Report 9 finds","description":"The ninth Copernicus Ocean State Report, published September 2025, finds that the northeastern Atlantic and adjacent seas are warming and acidifying at rates above the global average. It reports surface pH falling 0.017 units per decade from 1985 to 2023 and sea level rising 3.7 mm a year from 1999 to 2024. Around one-third of the region experienced severe-to-extreme marine heatwaves in 2023, and the Bay of Biscay is named among 2024 extreme heatwave areas.","location":{"name":"Northeast Atlantic and adjacent seas","type":"Regional sea assessment area","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL","NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IE","GB","FR","ES","PT"],"detail":"The report chapter covers the northeastern Atlantic and adjacent European seas; the Faroe Plateau, Iberian coast and Celtic-Biscay Shelf are named as warming slower than the semi-enclosed seas but faster than the global average.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves","sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Basin-scale carbonate chemistry, temperature and sea-level change documented in a peer-reviewed ocean assessment.","secondary_drivers":["Rising atmospheric CO2","Marine heatwaves"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The chapter says about 17 percent of cold-water corals and 50 percent of seagrass experienced extreme, long-lasting marine heatwaves in 2024, a potential rather than a measured loss (ref 1).","livelihoods":"About 17 percent of shellfish farms on European coasts lay in seas with severe-to-extreme heatwaves in 2024, but no closure or loss is reported (ref 1).","scale":"The pH, temperature and sea-level trends are assessed for the whole northeastern Atlantic and adjacent seas, a basin-level region (ref 1).","duration":"The pH decline is measured over 1985 to 2023 and the warming trend over 1982 to 2024, so the change is multi-decadal (ref 1).","significance":"A scientific assessment report with no regulatory, treaty or court action attached (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Surface pH in the northeastern Atlantic is declining by 0.017 units per decade (1985 to 2023) while sea surface temperature rises 0.27 C per decade (1982 to 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"pH decline rate","value":0.017,"unit":"pH units per decade","status":"Reported","note":"1985-2023, plus or minus 0.001 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea surface warming rate","value":0.27,"unit":"C per decade","status":"Reported","note":"1982-2024, plus or minus 0.04 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea level rise rate","value":3.7,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"1999-2024, plus or minus 0.8 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Region waters with severe-to-extreme heatwaves in 2023","value":33,"unit":"% (about one-third)","status":"Reported","note":"Some lasting up to four months (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Aquaculture and coastal tourism are named as threatened sectors (ref 1).","About 200 million people live on European coasts (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Marine heatwave duration rose from 8 days per event (1993-2002) to 9 days (2015-2024) (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Copernicus Marine Service","role":"Ocean monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/"}],"public_contact":"Copernicus Marine Service publishes a user-support channel on marine.copernicus.eu.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for regional ocean indicators, locally tailored action and stronger science-policy transfer (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ocean change in the northeastern Atlantic and adjacent seas: a multi-dimensional challenge for the environment, society, and economy (OSR9 chapter 1.2)","publisher":"Copernicus State of the Planet","date":"2025-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sp.copernicus.org/articles/6-osr9/3/2025/","basis":"Peer-reviewed assessment"},{"ref":2,"title":"Copernicus Ocean State Report 9 release","publisher":"Copernicus Marine Service","date":"2025-09-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/news/copernicus-ocean-state-report-9-release","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The release (ref 2) says the northeastern Atlantic warms at about twice the global rate, while the chapter (ref 1) says above the global trend and describes the pH rate as comparable to the global trend even though its abstract says acidifying faster than average."}],"missing_fields":["No oxygen or deoxygenation data in the chapter, so none is reported here.","The assessed area is wider than the Northeast Atlantic sea (it includes the North Sea and adjacent seas)."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-NWSHELF-MHW-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-GALICIA-NURDLES-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Toconao plastic pellet spill from lost containers reaches beaches in Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria; criminal case dismissed in 2026","description":"The container ship Toconao lost six containers about 80 km off Viana do Castelo, Portugal on 8 December 2023, one holding about 26 tonnes of plastic pellets in 1,040 sacks. Pellets reached Galicia from 13 December and Galicia raised an alert to level 2 on 9 January 2024. In January 2026 a Noia court permanently closed the criminal case, finding no crime and no toxicity, while the Xunta says it spent over 2.3 million euros on cleanup.","location":{"name":"Galician coast and Corrubedo lagoons","type":"Coastline affected by pellet spill","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","PT"],"detail":"Containers lost off northern Portugal; pellets stranded along Galicia, with plans also activated in Asturias and Cantabria. The court report names the Corrubedo and Carregal-Vixan lagoons and the Atlantic Islands National Park.","coordinates":{"lat":42.58,"lon":-9.07,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":42.58,"lon":-9.07,"precision":"site","source_ref":2,"role":"Corrubedo lagoons, named in the court ruling"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Loss of industrial plastic pellets from a ship washed up on coastlines.","secondary_drivers":["Container loss at sea in heavy weather","Pellet transport by shipping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Noia court cited expert analysis finding no toxicity and no damage to the Corrubedo and Carregal-Vixan dunes or the Atlantic Islands park, so harm is potential, though pellets are persistent (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Fishers searched for floating sacks and volunteers and crews cleaned beaches, and the Xunta operation covered over 630 beaches in 66 municipalities (refs 5, 6).","scale":"Pellets stranded on the Galician coast and prompted emergency plans in Asturias and Cantabria, a national coastline in the Bay of Biscay and Atlantic approaches (ref 1).","duration":"Pellets arrived from 13 December 2023 and cleanup, a liability claim and the court case continued into 2026 (refs 1, 5).","significance":"Galicia and Asturias activated level 2 emergency alerts, prosecutors and the Noia court opened proceedings, and the court ruled in January 2026 (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 26 tonnes of pellets in 1,040 sacks of 25 kg were lost; Galicia had collected about 2.3 tonnes of pellets and 4.2 tonnes of other plastics by 15 January 2024 (Cedre)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pellets lost at sea","value":26,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"One container, 1,040 sacks of 25 kg, per Cedre (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pellets collected in Galicia by 15 January 2024","value":2.3,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Also 4.2 tonnes of other plastics (ref 1)."},{"name":"Beaches covered by Xunta cleanup","value":630,"unit":"beaches (66 municipalities)","status":"Reported","note":"More than 630, per OKDiario (ref 5)."},{"name":"Xunta cleanup cost","value":2.3,"unit":"million EUR (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Xunta estimate reported by OKDiario, January 2026 (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Xunta says cleanup cost over 2.3 million euros and it has sought an environmental liability procedure from the central government (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"SASEMAR surveys found no further containers or floating objects through 19 January 2024 (ref 1); the criminal case was closed in January 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Xunta de Galicia (environment department)","role":"Regional cleanup lead and liability claimant"},{"name":"Tribunal de Instancia de Noia","role":"Court","contact":"https://www.poderjudicial.es/"},{"name":"SASEMAR (Salvamento Maritimo)","role":"Maritime search, rescue and pollution response"},{"name":"Seprona (Guardia Civil)","role":"Environmental police investigation"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria activated emergency plans (ref 1).","Volunteers and municipal crews recovered pellets by hand; Intecmar advised against mechanical cleaning (ref 1).","The Xunta requested an environmental liability procedure in January 2024 and wrote again in April 2025 (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Toconao incident sheet","publisher":"Cedre (French centre for pollution response)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cedre.fr/en/Resources/Spills/Spills/Toconao","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"El Tribunal de Instancia de Noia acuerda el archivo de la causa del vertido de pellets (Spanish court press office)","publisher":"Poder Judicial, TSJ Galicia","date":"2026-01-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.poderjudicial.es/cgpj/es/Poder-Judicial/Tribunales-Superiores-de-Justicia/TSJ-Galicia/Noticias-Judiciales-TSJ-Galicia/El-Tribunal-de-Instancia-de-Noia-acuerda-el-archivo-de-la-causa-del-vertido-de-pellets-","basis":"Court record (Spanish, official)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Un juzgado en Galicia abre la primera investigacion penal por los pellets","publisher":"El Independiente","date":"2024-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elindependiente.com/espana/tribunales/2024/01/10/un-juzgado-en-galicia-abre-la-primera-investigacion-penal-por-los-pellets/amp/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Plastic pellets polluting Spanish beaches after container ship spill","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","date":"2024-01-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aa.com.tr/en/europe/plastic-pellets-polluting-spanish-beaches-after-container-ship-spill/3103498","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Archivada dos anos despues la causa del vertido de pelets en Galicia al no detectarse ninguna toxicidad","publisher":"OKDiario","date":"2026-01-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://okdiario.com/okgreen/archivada-causa-vertido-pelets-galicia-toconao-16113570","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Spain declares environmental emergency as millions of plastic pellets spill from ship","publisher":"Marine Industry News","date":"2024-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/spain-plastic-pellets/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The court press release spells the ship Tocomao; Cedre and news reports use Toconao. Sack weight is given as 25 kg in Cedre and news; volume as over 1,000 sacks (news) and 1,040 sacks (Cedre)."},{"note":"The Galician minister said the pellets were neither toxic nor dangerous while researchers called them highly persistent in the environment (ref 4)."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the January 2026 dismissal was appealed to the Audiencia Provincial de A Coruña is not stated in the cited sources.","The Cedre incident sheet shows no publication date, so its date is left null.","Coordinates are the Corrubedo site named in the court ruling; the ruling gives no coordinates."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-GALICIA-SHELLFISH-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-DUBLINBAY-SEWAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sandymount Strand rated Poor for bathing after wastewater overflows in Dublin Bay, improving in 2025 as Dun Laoghaire Baths is rated Poor","description":"The EPA classified Sandymount Strand in Dublin Bay as Poor in 2023 and 2024, with local authorities required to advise against bathing all season, citing wastewater overflows, dog fouling and misconnections. In 2025 it improved to Sufficient and the restriction was lifted, while Dun Laoghaire Baths was rated Poor on its first classification because of wastewater overflows. Ireland's largest treatment plant at Ringsend serves about 40 percent of national wastewater and was being upgraded.","location":{"name":"Sandymount Strand, Dublin Bay","type":"Bathing beach and estuary mouth","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IE"],"detail":"Dublin Bay on the Irish Sea coast; Sandymount Strand and Dun Laoghaire Baths in Co. Dublin, downstream of the Ringsend wastewater works.","coordinates":{"lat":53.327,"lon":-6.211,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":53.294,"lon":-6.134,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Dun Laoghaire Baths, rated Poor in 2025"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Treated and untreated wastewater and storm overflows entering coastal bathing water.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater treatment capacity","Storm overflows and misconnected drains","Heavy rainfall"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The EPA rated the beach Poor, meaning bathing-water quality below the Sufficient standard with a health risk to swimmers, though no illness count is given (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Local authorities had to issue notices advising against bathing for the whole season in 2023 and 2024, and the 2025 whole-season ban was reported by Dublin People (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The finding is confined to Sandymount Strand and the Dun Laoghaire Baths in Dublin Bay (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Poor ratings in 2023 and 2024, an improvement in 2025, and a new Poor rating for Dun Laoghaire Baths in 2025 show a recurring problem (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal EPA classification and statutory all-season bathing advisory apply (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sandymount Strand was one of two Poor bathing waters in 2024 and improved to Sufficient in 2025; Dun Laoghaire Baths was the only Poor site of 153 in 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Bathing waters rated Poor","value":1,"unit":"of 153 sites (2025)","status":"Reported","note":"Down from two in 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bathing waters meeting minimum standard","value":98,"unit":"% of sites (2025)","status":"Reported","note":"150 of 153 sites (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of national wastewater treated at Ringsend","value":40,"unit":"% (about)","status":"Reported","note":"EPA 2024 release says over 40 percent (ref 4); Dublin People says about 40 percent (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A local TD called the situation a sewage crisis and said it affects swimmers across the city (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Poor sites fell from five in 2023 to two in 2024 and one in 2025 nationally; Sandymount rose to Sufficient (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)","role":"Regulator and bathing-water classifier","contact":"https://www.epa.ie/"},{"name":"Uisce Eireann","role":"National water utility operating Ringsend"},{"name":"Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council","role":"Local authority for Dun Laoghaire Baths"}],"public_contact":"EPA general enquiries through the contact page on epa.ie.","corrective_actions":["Ringsend upgrade works described by the EPA as well advanced in 2024 (ref 4).","Council plan for Dun Laoghaire Baths includes monitoring the stormwater overflow with Uisce Eireann, more dog warden patrols and better signage (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"High bathing water quality maintained in 2025, despite increased pressure from heavy rainfall","publisher":"EPA Ireland","date":"2026-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.ie/news-releases/news-releases-2026/high-bathing-water-quality-maintained-in-2025-despite-increased-pressure-from-heavy-rainfall-.php","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"High standards achieved for Bathing Water quality in 2024, but challenges remain during heavy rainfall","publisher":"EPA Ireland","date":"2025-05-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.ie/news-releases/news-releases-2025/high-standards-achieved-for-bathing-water-quality-in-2024-but-challenges-remain-during-heavy-rainfall.php","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Dublin Bay sewage: swimming banned at Sandymount Strand for the 2025 season","publisher":"Dublin People","date":"2025-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dublinpeople.com/news/southside/articles/2025/06/18/hayes-dublin-bay/?amp=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Two decades is too long to wait to fix Ireland's deficient wastewater treatment plants, says EPA","publisher":"EPA Ireland","date":"2024-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.ie/news-releases/news-releases-2024/two-decades-is-too-long-to-wait-to-fix-irelands-deficient-wastewater-treatment-plants-says-epa.php","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The EPA 2026 release page shows 12 May in its header and 13 May in its text; 12 May is used. The Dublin People article reports a whole-season ban for 2025, while the EPA 2026 release says Sandymount met the Sufficient standard in 2025 and the restriction was lifted, which reflects the classification being applied a season after the data year."}],"missing_fields":["The Dublin People page date is taken from its URL (the page shows only \"1 year ago\").","Ringsend is not named in the EPA bathing-water releases; its link to Sandymount rests on the news report.","Coordinates are the named beach locations; no source gives coordinates."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-DEVON-SEWAGE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-DEVON-SEWAGE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sewage-linked E. coli reaches Devon beaches and Lyme Bay mussel farm as south-west overflow spills total 407,006 hours in 2025","description":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory traced E. coli from rivers and sewage overflows into Plymouth Sound and Lyme Bay, finding spikes on dry as well as wet days. The Environment Agency recorded 46,164 spills totalling 407,006 hours across the south-west region in 2025. Two contamination events at a Lyme Bay mussel farm in 2019 were traced to overflows on the Exe and Dart and caused a downgrade of its shellfish classification.","location":{"name":"Plymouth Sound and Lyme Bay, Devon","type":"Coastal bathing waters and shellfish beds","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"South Devon and Cornwall coast, English Channel. A group legal claim also names Exmouth, Dawlish, Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Newquay and Penzance.","coordinates":{"lat":50.34,"lon":-4.15,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":50.63,"lon":-3.1,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1,"role":"Lyme Bay mussel farm study area (approximate)"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Wastewater and storm-overflow discharges to coastal bathing waters and shellfish beds.","secondary_drivers":["Combined sewer overflows","Heavy rainfall","Coastal currents"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"On 8 July 2024 E. coli counts at Plymouth beaches were well above the level considered Sufficient for bathing water, on a dry day (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A Lyme Bay mussel farm had its shellfish safety classification downgraded after two contamination events, costing the business thousands in revenue (ref 1).","scale":"The study and the legal claim span Plymouth Sound, Lyme Bay and coastal towns across Devon and Cornwall (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Bathing-water poor days were tracked across 2012 to 2025 and rose again over the last five years (ref 1).","significance":"The shellfish classification downgrade is a formal action, and a group nuisance claim has been filed, but no enforcement result is in these sources (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Environment Agency recorded 46,164 spills totalling 407,006 hours across the south-west region in 2025 (as cited by PML)."},"measures":[{"name":"Storm-overflow spill duration, South West region, 2025","value":407006,"unit":"hours","status":"Reported","note":"Environment Agency figure cited by PML; 46,164 spills (ref 1)."},{"name":"Untreated sewage discharged by South West Water, 2024","value":544429,"unit":"hours","status":"Reported","note":"Figure from a report cited by Leigh Day; not checked against the Environment Agency (ref 2)."},{"name":"Clients joined to the group claim","value":1400,"unit":"people (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Exmouth, Lympstone and Budleigh Salterton clients at the time of the release (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The area supports a tourism, recreation and shellfish economy worth millions of pounds a year (ref 1).","A mussel farm lost revenue after its classification was downgraded (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Poor-water days fell from 2012 to 2020 and rose again over five years (ref 1); the 2024 and 2025 hour totals are not on the same basis."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environment Agency","role":"Regulator of storm overflows and bathing waters"},{"name":"South West Water","role":"Water and sewerage company"},{"name":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory","role":"Research institute","contact":"https://pml.ac.uk/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["PML recommends integrating hydrodynamic and particle-tracking models into early-warning systems with real-time sensors (ref 1).","A Leigh Day group action for public and private nuisance has been extended from Exmouth to coastal towns across Devon and Cornwall (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sewage-linked bacteria traced from source to Devon beaches and shellfish farms expose gaps in pollution monitoring","publisher":"Plymouth Marine Laboratory","date":"2026-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pml.ac.uk/news/sewage-linked-bacteria-traced-from-source-to-devon-beaches-and-shellfish-farms-expose-gaps-in-pollution-monitoring/","basis":"Research institute report"},{"ref":2,"title":"South West Water sewage pollution claim expanded across Devon and Cornwall","publisher":"Leigh Day","date":"2026-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.leighday.co.uk/news/press-releases/2026-news/south-west-water-sewage-pollution-claim-expanded-across-devon-and-cornwall/","basis":"Law firm press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Leigh Day release says more than 1,400 clients while its claim page lists 2,000 clients and counting."}],"missing_fields":["The Environment Agency dataset behind the 407,006-hour figure was not opened; the figure is as quoted by PML.","The Leigh Day claim is a party statement, not a court finding.","Coordinates are approximate study-area positions; no source gives coordinates."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-DUBLINBAY-SEWAGE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-SCOTLAND-EMAMECTIN-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Scotland to apply tighter seabed limit for sea-lice drug emamectin benzoate at salmon farms after evidence of harm to crustaceans","description":"SEPA survey work in 2017 found emamectin benzoate near fish farms had a negative effect on crustacean abundance and richness at seabed concentrations well below the original 763 ng/kg standard. A new standard, recalculated in March 2023 to 272 ng/kg dry weight, replaces it, and the Scottish Government said in June 2024 it intends to direct SEPA to apply it at existing farms after 48 months. The industry warns of fewer treatment options for sea lice.","location":{"name":"Scottish marine salmon farm sites","type":"Aquaculture discharge sites","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Scottish marine finfish farms regulated by SEPA, in sea lochs and coastal waters; the cited government documents do not name individual sites.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Veterinary medicine discharged from salmon pens accumulates in marine sediment.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-lice treatment with in-feed medicine","Persistence of the compound in sediment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"SEPA analysis of 2017 samples showed emamectin benzoate had a negative effect on crustacean abundance and richness, proportional to seabed concentration (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Scottish Government expects the standard to reduce the number of sea-lice treatments allowed per production cycle, and industry cites limited alternatives (ref 2).","scale":"The standard applies to all licensed Scottish marine finfish farms, a national coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The issue dates from the 2016 review and 2017 SEPA interim restrictions and runs to a 48-month phase-in from 2024; the compound is persistent (refs 2, 3).","significance":"UKTAG recommended a new environmental quality standard and Ministers intend a formal Direction to SEPA (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The recalculated environmental quality standard is 272 ng/kg sediment dry weight, replacing 763 ng/kg wet weight set in 1999; implementation is planned after 48 months."},"measures":[{"name":"Revised sediment standard","value":272,"unit":"ng/kg dry weight","status":"Reported","note":"Recalculated from 131 ng/kg on 22 March 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Original sediment standard","value":763,"unit":"ng/kg wet weight","status":"Reported","note":"Set by SEPA in 1999 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Transition period","value":48,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Government intention stated June 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"SEPA requested cut in use at existing sites in 2017","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Interim measure, 2017 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The fish farm industry raised significant concerns about sea-lice treatment options and unclear socio-economic impacts (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The standard has been revised several times (23.5, 131, then 272 ng/kg) and is not yet applied at existing farms (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Scottish Government (Marine Directorate)","role":"Sets Direction to SEPA","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency)","role":"Discharge regulator"},{"name":"UKTAG","role":"Scientific standards advisory group"}],"public_contact":"Scottish Government water environment team, waterenvironment@gov.scot is listed on the consultation page.","corrective_actions":["Ministers intend to direct SEPA to apply the new standard in 48 months, and SEPA will confirm authorised volumes per site (ref 2).","SEPA already applies the new standard to new farms and discharge increases (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Emamectin benzoate (EmBz) - environmental quality standard (EQS) - implementation: consultation","publisher":"Scottish Government","date":"2023-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/new-environmental-quality-standard-eqs-emamectin-benzoate-embz-consultation-implementation-timescales/","basis":"Government publication"},{"ref":2,"title":"Emamectin benzoate (EMBZ) - environmental quality standard implementation timescales: consultation analysis","publisher":"Scottish Government","date":"2024-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.scot/publications/consultation-new-environmental-quality-standard-eqs-emamectin-benzoate-embz-implementation-timescales-consultation-analysis/","basis":"Government publication"},{"ref":3,"title":"SEPA to slash Slice use by 60 percent","publisher":"TheFishSite","date":"2017-06-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefishsite.com/articles/sepa-to-slash-slice-use-by-60-percent","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the Direction to SEPA has been issued and the final application date were not verified.","No site-level coordinates or discharge volumes in the cited documents."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-SCOTLAND-SALMONMORTALITY-2026","OC-NEATL-WESTERROSS-MAERL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-PORTUGAL-EROSION-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Shoreline retreat south of Figueira da Foz and at Costa Nova-Vagueira on Portugal's west coast prompts sand nourishment and breakwater studies","description":"Portugal's environment agency APA reports the 3.5 km coast between Cova-Gala and Lavos south of Figueira da Foz retreated 14 m on average in 2018 to 2021 (5.5 m a year), with 52 percent of the stretch in extreme erosion. Further north, the Costa Nova to Areao coast retreated about 140 m on average from 1958 to 2021, though recent years show stabilisation. APA has prepared a beach nourishment project at Figueira da Foz and studied a detached breakwater off Vagueira.","location":{"name":"Figueira da Foz south and Vagueira coast","type":"Eroding sandy coastline","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PT"],"detail":"Portuguese Atlantic coast between Aveiro and Figueira da Foz: Cova-Gala to Lavos, and Costa Nova to Areao including Vagueira.","coordinates":{"lat":40.11,"lon":-8.87,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":40.55,"lon":-8.78,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2,"role":"Vagueira breakwater study area (approximate)"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal erosion driven by sediment deficit and storms, with sea-level adaptation planning.","secondary_drivers":["Reduced sediment supply","Storm waves","Coastal development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"APA documents a mean retreat of 14 m and a maximum of 42.5 m in 2018 to 2021 south of Figueira da Foz, with 97 percent of the stretch eroding (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited APA pages describe protective projects but no closure, evacuation or lost use (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Two stretches of one national coastline are covered, with a national coastal plan (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Retreat is documented from 1958 to 2021 at Costa Nova-Areao and from 2010 to 2021 south of Figueira da Foz (refs 1, 2).","significance":"APA published formal intervention projects and the national coastal plan PAL XXI (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"South of Figueira da Foz, the shoreline retreated 14 m on average in 2018-2021 (5.5 m a year), with 52 percent of the 3.5 km stretch in extreme erosion."},"measures":[{"name":"Average retreat south of Figueira da Foz, 2018-2021","value":14,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Maximum 42.5 m; -5.5 m per year (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of stretch in extreme erosion, 2018-2021","value":52,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Above 5 m per year (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average retreat Costa Nova-Areao, 1958-2021","value":140,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Maximum 370 m, average -2.5 m per year; 2010-2021 trend is stabilisation (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Erosion accelerated south of Figueira da Foz while Costa Nova-Areao showed stabilisation and slight accretion in 2018-2021 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Agencia Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA)","role":"National environment agency and coastal manager","contact":"https://apambiente.pt/"}],"public_contact":"APA general contact on apambiente.pt.","corrective_actions":["APA prepared the execution project, environmental study and cost-benefit analysis for artificial beach nourishment south of Figueira da Foz (ref 1).","APA studied a multifunctional detached breakwater off Praia da Vagueira, concluded in 2023 (ref 2).","Plano de Acao Litoral XXI frames adaptation to growing coastal erosion (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Alimentacao artificial de praia no troco costeiro sul da Figueira da Foz (Cova-Gala - Lavos)","publisher":"Agencia Portuguesa do Ambiente","date":"2023-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://apambiente.pt/agua/alimentacao-artificial-de-praia-no-troco-costeiro-sul-da-figueira-da-foz-cova-gala-lavos","basis":"Agency report (Portuguese, official)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Estudo de caracterizacao e viabilidade de um quebra-mar destacado multifuncional em frente a Praia da Vagueira","publisher":"Agencia Portuguesa do Ambiente","date":"2023-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://apambiente.pt/agua/estudo-de-caracterizacao-e-viabilidade-de-um-quebra-mar-destacado-multifuncional-em-frente","basis":"Agency report (Portuguese, official)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Plano de Acao Litoral XXI","publisher":"Agencia Portuguesa do Ambiente","date":"2024-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://apambiente.pt/agua/plano-de-acao-litoral-xxi","basis":"Agency report (Portuguese, official)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Nourishment volume, cost and the number of assets at risk were not in the opened portion of the APA pages.","Coordinates are approximate positions of the named places; the APA pages give none.","Whether the nourishment or breakwater works have been built is not stated."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-IBERIA-ORCAS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-NWALES-STORMSURGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Storm Kathleen brings coastal flood warnings and flooded properties to the north Wales coast and Ireland's Munster coast in April 2024","description":"Storm Kathleen coincided with spring tides in early April 2024. The Welsh Government said 35 properties had flooded internally by 16 April across Conwy, Ceredigion and Torfaen, and Natural Resources Wales issued coastal flood warnings on 9 April for places including Kinmel Bay, Llanfairfechan and Prestatyn. Existing defences prevented flooding in many areas, and coastal flooding and wave overtopping occurred in Munster.","location":{"name":"North Wales coast, Kinmel Bay to Prestatyn","type":"Open coast and promenades","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","IE"],"detail":"Irish Sea coast of north Wales, Ceredigion, and coastal flooding in Munster, Ireland; the Welsh figures include Torfaen, an inland authority.","coordinates":{"lat":53.31,"lon":-3.5,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge and waves on spring tides overtopping coastal defences.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Spring tides","Wave overtopping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Welsh Government counted 33 homes and 2 businesses with internal flooding as of 16 April, with Torfaen inland, so only part is coastal (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Two businesses flooded and several coastal frontages were under flood warning on 9 April (ref 1).","scale":"Warnings spread along the north Wales coast, Ceredigion and Munster, a national coastline on each side of the Irish Sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The storm reached Wales on 6 April and warnings peaked on 9 April, a matter of days (ref 1).","significance":"Natural Resources Wales issued formal flood warnings and the Welsh Government published a written statement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"35 properties (33 residential, 2 businesses) had internal flooding across Conwy, Ceredigion and Torfaen as of 16 April 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Properties flooded internally in Wales","value":35,"unit":"properties","status":"Reported","note":"Conwy 20, Ceredigion 8, Torfaen 7, as of 16 April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastal Risk Management investment at Kinmel Bay","value":14.1,"unit":"million GBP","status":"Reported","note":"Welsh Government coastal programme (ref 1)."},{"name":"Flood warnings and alerts in England","value":127,"unit":"warnings and alerts","status":"Reported","note":"21 warnings and 106 alerts; Cornwall had the most, 15 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Two businesses flooded internally (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single storm event; no trend stated (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Natural Resources Wales","role":"Flood warning authority"},{"name":"Welsh Government","role":"Flood and coastal erosion risk management funder","contact":"https://www.gov.wales/"},{"name":"Met Eireann","role":"Storm naming and warnings in Ireland"}],"public_contact":"Welsh Government general enquiries on gov.wales.","corrective_actions":["Welsh Government 2024-25 budget includes 75 million pounds for flood and coastal erosion risk management (ref 1).","Coastal Risk Management Programme includes 14.1 million pounds at Kinmel Bay and 3.4 million each at Barmouth Viaduct Gardens and Llandudno (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Written Statement: Flood impacts following Storm Kathleen","publisher":"Welsh Government","date":"2024-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-flood-impacts-following-storm-kathleen","basis":"Government publication"},{"ref":2,"title":"Storm Kathleen 2023/24","publisher":"Flood Radar (compiled from Environment Agency warning records)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.floodradar.co.uk/storm/kathleen-2023-24","basis":"Compiled flood-warning record"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Welsh statement dates the storm reaching Wales as 6 April with peak impact on 9 April, while Flood Radar dates the storm 6-7 April."}],"missing_fields":["No coastal erosion figures or Irish damage assessment in the opened sources.","Flood Radar is a compilation without a page date, so its source date is null."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-HOLYHEAD-STORMDARRAGH-2024","OC-NEATL-CHANNEL-STORMCIARAN-2023"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-CHANNEL-STORMCIARAN-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Storm Ciaran brings red wind warnings, evacuations and coastal flood warnings to Jersey, Brittany and the Channel coast in November 2023","description":"Storm Ciaran struck the Channel on 1 and 2 November 2023. Jersey recorded gusts of 102 mph and moved 35 people to hotels, while the Environment Agency expected flooding in 54 areas, mostly on England's south coast, and warned of significant coastal flooding. Western Brittany recorded gusts up to 110 mph, and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight declared a major incident.","location":{"name":"Jersey and the western English Channel","type":"Storm-hit coast and island","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","FR"],"detail":"Channel Islands, Brittany and the English Channel south coast; the sources describe wind damage in Jersey and coastal flood risk along the English south coast.","coordinates":{"lat":49.19,"lon":-2.11,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge, waves and coastal flood risk during a Channel storm.","secondary_drivers":["Extreme storm winds","Wave overtopping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Three people were taken to hospital in Jersey after home damage, and waves crashed over the harbour arm at Folkestone (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"All flights from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney were cancelled for 2 November and hundreds of southern schools closed (ref 2).","scale":"Impacts span the Channel Islands, Brittany and the south coast of England (ref 2).","duration":"The storm lasted 1 and 2 November 2023, days rather than weeks (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Jersey Met issued a red warning, and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight declared a major incident citing risk to life (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Police reported a top speed of 102 mph in Jersey, and the Environment Agency expected flooding in 54 areas, mostly on England's south coast."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak gust reported in Jersey","value":102,"unit":"mph","status":"Reported","note":"Police figure; the Met Office recorded 93 mph at Jersey Airport (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"People moved to hotels in Jersey","value":35,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"29 adults and 6 children (ref 2)."},{"name":"Areas with flooding expected in England","value":54,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Mostly the south coast; 134 further alerts (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Air and sea links cut for the Channel Islands and school closures in the south (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single storm event."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Jersey Met","role":"Local weather warnings"},{"name":"Environment Agency","role":"Flood warnings for England"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum declared a major incident (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"South of England and Channel Islands bear brunt of Storm Ciaran","publisher":"Jersey Evening Post","date":"2023-11-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jerseyeveningpost.com/?p=3490011","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"South of England and Channel Islands bear brunt of Storm Ciaran","publisher":"The Irish News (PA Media)","date":"2023-11-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.irishnews.com/news/uknews/2023/11/02/news/south_of_england_and_channel_islands_bear_brunt_of_storm_ciaran-3745194/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Jersey wind figures differ: 93 mph at the airport (Met Office, ref 1) and 102 mph (police, ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Actual sea-flooding damage in Jersey and Brittany is not described in the opened sources; the finding rests on warnings and expected flooding.","Both sources are wire-based news with the same headline; no agency post-event report was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-NWALES-STORMSURGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-ENGLANDWALES-SEABEDLITTER-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic seabed litter off north-west Wales and north-west England found carrying invasive barnacles","description":"Cefas examined 41 pieces of plastic seabed litter collected off England and Wales and found two non-native barnacle species and four species of unknown origin on items such as bleach bottles, plastic sheeting and buckets. The Australian barnacle Austrominius modestus was found at 27 m and 32 m depth off north-west Wales and north-west England. Cefas says this is the first study to confirm invasive species spreading via seabed litter in UK waters.","location":{"name":"Seabed off NW Wales and NW England","type":"Seabed litter sampling area","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Sampling off the coasts of England and Wales; the barnacle finds were off north-west Wales and north-west England (Irish Sea side), though the source does not name the sea.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic litter on the seabed acting as a vector for non-native species.","secondary_drivers":["Plastic litter","Invasive species transport"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Invasive species were found attached to plastic litter, a potential ecological risk, but Cefas does not detail damage caused by the species found (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or access disruption is described (ref 1).","scale":"Litter was sampled from several locations off England and Wales (ref 1).","duration":"A study with a further 150 pieces under analysis, so work continues beyond one survey (ref 1).","significance":"A single agency research announcement, without formal notice or enforcement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Of 41 pieces of seabed litter, items carried two non-native barnacle species and four species of unknown origin."},"measures":[{"name":"Litter pieces examined","value":41,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"Collected off England and Wales (ref 1)."},{"name":"Non-native barnacle species found","value":2,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"Plus four species of unknown origin (ref 1)."},{"name":"Further litter pieces under analysis","value":150,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"Initial results revealed two more invasive species (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"First study of its kind in UK waters (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cefas","role":"Research agency","contact":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/"}],"public_contact":"Cefas general enquiries through the contact page on cefas.co.uk.","corrective_actions":["Cefas recommends more monitoring to link litter types with hotspots, using seabed litter data as an early warning system and developing policy on litter as a pathway for invasive species (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"New research reveals hidden threat of seabed litter to UK marine biodiversity","publisher":"Cefas","date":"2024-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/news-and-resources/news/new-research-reveals-hidden-threat-of-seabed-litter-to-uk-marine-biodiversity/","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one source; the underlying paper was not opened.","The cited page does not name the Irish Sea or Celtic Sea; the NEATL sea assignment follows the coasts named.","No coordinates in the source."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-BISCAY-DOLPHINBYCATCH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bay of Biscay winter fishing closures to stop common dolphin bycatch continue into a fourth year","description":"Common dolphins and other small cetaceans are caught in fishing gear in the Bay of Biscay at rates ICES says exceed the limit for a favourable conservation status every year since 2018. After a French Conseil d'Etat order in March 2023, annual winter closures for vessels over eight metres were applied from 2024, and on 4 September 2026 the European Commission proposed extending the closure into winter 2027. The French observatory PELAGIS found 2025 bycatch mortality significantly lower than estimated before the closures.","location":{"name":"Bay of Biscay","type":"Regional sea","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FR","ES","PT","BE","NL"],"detail":"Atlantic waters of France and Spain, with fleets from Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal; winter closure covers vessels over 8 m using high-risk gear.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Incidental fishing mortality of a protected cetacean population.","secondary_drivers":["Fisheries bycatch","Court order","EU delegated act"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Conseil d'Etat found the maximum limit for favourable conservation status in the North-East Atlantic had been exceeded every year since 2018, citing ICES opinions (ref 1); EIA reports more than 110,000 common dolphins bycaught in the Bay since 1990 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"About 300 EU vessels over 8 m are affected by each closure and compensation is paid from the EMFAF or state aid (ref 4); IFAW cites a 30 million euro compensation package for the 2024 closures (ref 3).","scale":"The closure involves France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands and covers the Bay of Biscay as a regional sea (ref 4).","duration":"Winter closures have run since January 2024 (ref 3) and the Commission proposed a fourth year on 4 September 2026 (ref 4); bycatch strandings have occurred in unprecedented numbers since 2016 (ref 3).","significance":"The Conseil d'Etat ordered the government to close fishing areas within six months on 20 March 2023 (ref 1) and the Commission is acting through a delegated act under the CFP (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Since 2024 the Biscay closures have been effective in reducing incidental catches of dolphins; PELAGIS found 2025 dolphin bycatch mortality significantly lower than estimated for 2017 to 2023 (European Commission, 4 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessels affected by the winter closure","value":300,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"About 300 EU vessels over 8 m expected to be affected (ref 4)."},{"name":"Proposed closure length for winter 2027","value":30,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"30 consecutive days between 15 January and 27 February 2027, default 22 January to 20 February (ref 4)."},{"name":"Common dolphins bycaught in the Bay of Biscay since 1990","value":110000,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 110,000' per EIA (ref 2); IFAW cites 89,000 for 1990 to 2019 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing vessels lose fishing time during the winter closure and rely on EMFAF or state-aid compensation (ref 4).","IFAW calls the 30 million euro compensation package 'not sustainable' in the long term (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"PELAGIS reports lower 2025 bycatch mortality than before the closures (ref 4); EIA says bycatch fell to the lowest level since 2015 after the 2024 closure (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Delegated act and EU fisheries management","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"},{"name":"Conseil d'Etat","role":"Court that ordered the closures in March 2023","contact":"https://conseil-etat.fr/"},{"name":"Observatoire PELAGIS (CNRS, La Rochelle Universite)","role":"French stranding and bycatch monitoring","contact":"https://www.observatoire-pelagis.cnrs.fr/"}],"public_contact":"European Commission oceans and fisheries contact page: https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/","corrective_actions":["Winter closure of high-risk gear for vessels over 8 m, January to February, 2024 to 2026 (ref 2).","Commission proposal of 4 September 2026 for a 30-day flexible closure in winter 2027, pending scrutiny by Parliament and Council (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Accidental capture of small cetaceans: the government must act within six months to ensure the survival of dolphins and porpoises in the Bay of Biscay","publisher":"Conseil d'Etat","date":"2023-03-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://conseil-etat.fr/en/news/accidental-capture-of-small-cetaceans-the-government-must-act-within-six-months-to-ensure-the-survival-of-dolphins-and-porpoises-in-the-bay-of-biscay","basis":"Court record (decision of 20 March 2023)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Upholding laws to prevent whales and dolphins from becoming entangled in fishing gear","publisher":"Environmental Investigation Agency","date":"2025-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eia-international.org/blog/upholding-laws-to-prevent-whales-and-dolphins-from-becoming-entangled-in-fishing-gear/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bay of Biscay fishing closures stop dolphin deaths","publisher":"IFAW","date":"2024-12-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ifaw.org/international/journal/bay-of-biscay-fishing-closures-stop-dolphin-deaths","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Commission proposes extending the Bay of Biscay fishing closure to protect dolphins into winter 2027","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-proposes-extending-bay-biscay-fishing-closure-protect-dolphins-winter-2027-2026-09-04_en","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"EIA (ref 2) gives more than 110,000 common dolphins bycaught in the Bay of Biscay since 1990; IFAW (ref 3) cites 89,000 for 1990 to 2019. The periods differ."}],"missing_fields":["No annual bycatch count for 2025 in the cited pages; the PELAGIS report itself was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-UK-BYCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-CELTICSEAS-ZEROCATCH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"ICES advises zero catch for cod, haddock, whiting and Irish Sea plaice across the Celtic Seas","description":"ICES advice for 2026, issued on 27 June 2025, recommended zero catch for Celtic Sea cod, haddock, whiting and herring, the first zero-catch advice ever for haddock. Advice issued in June 2026 for 2027 again recommends zero cod in the Irish Sea, Western Channel and southern Celtic Seas, zero haddock in the southern Celtic Sea and Western Channel and, for the first time, zero Irish Sea plaice. ICES calls the situation in the Celtic Sea and Irish Sea 'particularly concerning'.","location":{"name":"Celtic Seas and Irish Sea demersal stocks","type":"Fish stock","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IE","GB","FR"],"detail":"Celtic Sea, Irish Sea and Western Channel stocks shared by Ireland, the UK and France.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Commercial fish stocks in the Celtic Seas ecoregion are below biomass limits and recruitment has fallen.","secondary_drivers":["Low recruitment","Catch limits above advice"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Oceana UK's reading of the 2027 assessment is that only 133 tonnes of adult cod remain in the Western Channel and southern Celtic Sea stock, a 99% decrease from 2012 (ref 3); ICES says the number of Celtic Seas stocks below Blim has been rising (ref 1).","livelihoods":"ICES warned zero-catch advice will have 'serious consequences' for fishing communities (ref 2); the Irish Sea plaice limit for 2026 was 614 tonnes and the Irish Sea haddock advice for 2027 is down 69% (ref 3).","scale":"The advice spans the Celtic Sea, Irish Sea and Western Channel stocks within one ecoregion, with ICES overviewing 48 demersal stocks from the North Sea to Iberia (ref 1).","duration":"Zero-catch advice was issued in June 2025 for 2026 (ref 1) and again in June 2026 for 2027 (ref 3), so two consecutive advice years.","significance":"ICES advice is a formal scientific recommendation, not an enforcement order; a Cefas assessment found most UK 2026 limits were not set in line with advice (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES recommends zero catch for Celtic Sea cod, haddock, whiting and herring for 2026 and zero Irish Sea, Western Channel and southern Celtic Seas cod for 2027."},"measures":[{"name":"Adult cod left in Western Channel and southern Celtic Sea stock","value":133,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana UK's reading of the 2027 assessment, 99% below 2012 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Irish Sea haddock advice change for 2027","value":-69,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Advice cut reported by Press Association (ref 3)."},{"name":"Irish Sea plaice 2026 limit","value":614,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Advice for 2027 is zero for the first time (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["ICES warns of serious consequences for fishing communities (ref 2).","Quotas agreed between the EU, UK and Norway have consistently exceeded scientific recommendations (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Zero-catch advice widened from Celtic Sea stocks for 2026 to Irish Sea cod and plaice for 2027 (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ICES Advisory Committee","role":"Scientific advice provider","contact":"https://www.ices.dk/"},{"name":"Cefas","role":"UK fisheries science and quota assessment","contact":"https://www.cefas.co.uk/"},{"name":"Marine Institute (Ireland)","role":"Irish fisheries science","contact":"https://www.marine.ie/"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, Copenhagen: https://www.ices.dk/","corrective_actions":["ICES advises zero catch for the affected stocks; setting TACs in line with advice is for the EU, UK and Norway."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ICES advice: Celtic Seas, North Sea, Bay of Biscay and Iberian coast demersal stocks (June 2025)","publisher":"ICES","date":"2025-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ices.dk/news-and-events/news-archive/news/Pages/202506-CsNsBoBAdvice.aspx","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"ICES advises 'zero-catch' for key Celtic Sea stocks amid major decline","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2025-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/fishing/aquaculture/ices-advises-zero-catch-for-key-celtic-sea-stocks-amid-major-decline","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Conservationists call for end to overfishing as experts issue zero-catch advice","publisher":"Nation.Cymru (Press Association)","date":"2026-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nation.cymru/news/conservationists-call-for-end-to-overfishing-as-experts-issue-zero-catch-advice/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["ICES advice sheets for the 2027 stocks were not opened; the 2027 figures come from Press Association reporting (ref 3)."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-CELTICSEAS-POLLACK-2026","OC-NEATL-CELTICSEA-FLOATINGWIND-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-CELTICSEAS-POLLACK-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Celtic Seas pollack: zero-catch advice cut the handline fishery to bycatch only, and advice for 2027 is reduced","description":"ICES advised zero catch of pollack in subareas 6 and 7 (Celtic Seas and English Channel) for 2024 and 2025. In response the UK and EU agreed that pollack could only be caught as bycatch in 2024, and the Marine Management Organisation set up support for the affected fishers. ICES advice issued on 30 June 2026 allows total removals of up to 3,216 tonnes in 2027 but shows a 41 percent probability that spawning biomass falls below Blim in 2028.","location":{"name":"Pollack stock, Celtic Seas and Channel (6-7)","type":"Fish stock","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","IE","FR"],"detail":"ICES subareas 6 and 7: west of Scotland, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and English Channel; the handline fishery is concentrated off Cornwall and south-west England.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fish stock below reference points with a directed fishery curtailed.","secondary_drivers":["Zero-catch advice","Recreational and commercial removals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"ICES projects 14,057 tonnes of spawning biomass in 2028 under the 2027 advice, with a 41% probability of falling below Blim (ref 3); the 2024 advice sheet advised zero catch for 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The government said pollack 'can only be caught as bycatch in 2024', which affected hand-and-pole line fishers on under-10 m vessels (ref 2).","scale":"The advice covers one stock, pol.27.67, though across ICES subareas 6 and 7 (refs 1, 3).","duration":"ICES advised zero catch for both 2024 and 2025 (refs 1, 2), and a reduced advice of 3,216 t is now valid for 2027 (ref 3).","significance":"The zero total allowable catch was set in EU-UK negotiations on ICES advice and triggered the MMO compensation and Fisheries and Seafood Scheme support (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES advice for 2027: total removals of no more than 3,216 tonnes under the MSY approach, after zero-catch advice for 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"ICES 2027 pollack removals advice","value":3216,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Commercial plus recreational removals (ref 3)."},{"name":"Probability of SSB below Blim in 2028","value":41,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Under the advised catch (ref 3)."},{"name":"Pollack TAC for 2024 across areas 6-7 as cited in advice","value":925,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Combined 2024 TAC reference for the 2025 advice comparison (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Under-10 m handline fishers were told pollack could only be taken as bycatch in 2024 (ref 2).","The MMO fast-tracked Fisheries and Seafood Scheme applications from hand-and-pole line fishers (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Advice moved from zero for 2024 and 2025 to 3,216 t for 2027 while the stock still carries a 41% risk of falling below Blim (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Management Organisation","role":"English fisheries regulator and grant manager","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fisheries-and-seafood-scheme-guidance-for-pollock-fishers"},{"name":"ICES","role":"Scientific advice provider","contact":"https://www.ices.dk/"}],"public_contact":"MMO grants team contact is listed on the cited gov.uk guidance page.","corrective_actions":["Bycatch-only rule for pollack in 2024 (ref 2).","Fisheries and Seafood Scheme grants and a pollack compensation scheme for affected fishers (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) in subareas 6-7 (Celtic Seas and the English Channel), advice for 2025","publisher":"ICES","date":"2024-06-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asd.ices.dk/viewAdvice/3631","basis":"Agency report (advice sheet)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fisheries and Seafood Scheme - Guidance for pollack fishers","publisher":"Marine Management Organisation (gov.uk)","date":"2024-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fisheries-and-seafood-scheme-guidance-for-pollock-fishers","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) in subareas 6-7 (Celtic Seas and the English Channel), advice for 2027","publisher":"ICES","date":"2026-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asd.ices.dk/viewAdvice/6127","basis":"Agency report (advice sheet)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The size of the pollack handline fleet and the value of the pollack compensation scheme were not found in an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-CELTICSEAS-ZEROCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-NEATL-MACKEREL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Northeast Atlantic mackerel fished well above scientific advice by the coastal states","description":"ICES advised a 77 percent cut in mackerel catches for 2026, yet its forecast of 2026 catches is about 398,000 tonnes, roughly 128 percent above that advice. Only the UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland agreed a 299,010-tonne total for 2026, with the EU and Greenland outside the deal, and no internationally agreed TAC exists. ICES put spawning biomass at about 3.2 million tonnes, just above the critical limit of 3.07 million, and advised up to 352,938 tonnes for 2027.","location":{"name":"Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock","type":"Fish stock","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL","NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","NO","FO","IS"],"detail":"Widely distributed pelagic stock fished by coastal states including the UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and the EU;","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Shared stock whose catch limits are set unilaterally above advice because the coastal states have no sharing agreement.","secondary_drivers":["Unilateral quotas","No quota-sharing agreement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"ICES estimated 2026 spawning biomass at about 3.2 million tonnes, just above the 3.07 million tonne critical limit and below the 4.12 million tonne precautionary level, with a 33.2% probability of falling below the limit in 2028 (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting fisheries lost MSC certification more than five years ago and some European brands and retailers are switching to alternatives (ref 1).","scale":"The stock spans the Northeast Atlantic and several coastal states; the EU and Greenland sit outside the 2026 four-party arrangement (ref 3).","duration":"Total catch limits have exceeded scientific advice by 5% to 80% since 2009, and by 39% on average in 2020 to 2024 (ref 2).","significance":"ICES advice is formal but does not set national quotas, and the Marine Conservation Society downgraded midwater-trawled mackerel to rating 4 in April 2025 (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICES forecasts 2026 mackerel catches of about 398,000 tonnes, 128% above its 2026 advice of just over 174,000 tonnes (ICES advice summary, 30 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"ICES advice for 2027","value":352938,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Maximum catch under MSY, issued 30 September 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Forecast 2026 catch","value":398186,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"ICES forecast of total 2026 catches (ref 3)."},{"name":"Four-party 2026 TAC","value":299010,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Agreed December 2025 by the UK, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland; EU and Greenland outside (ref 3)."},{"name":"2026 spawning stock biomass","value":3.2,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Against Blim 3.07 and Bpa 4.12 million tonnes (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["MSC certification for the fisheries has been lost for more than five years and retailers are replacing mackerel with other ranges (ref 1).","The Marine Conservation Society advises restaurants and retailers not to sell midwater-trawled mackerel (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Advice for 2027 more than doubles from 2026 as spawning biomass edged above Blim, but 2026 catches are forecast far above advice (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ICES Advisory Committee","role":"Scientific advice provider","contact":"https://www.ices.dk/"},{"name":"Marine Stewardship Council","role":"Certification body","contact":"https://www.msc.org/"},{"name":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Iceland)","role":"National fisheries institute","contact":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en"}],"public_contact":"ICES Secretariat, Copenhagen: https://www.ices.dk/","corrective_actions":["Four-party arrangement among the UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland to limit the 2026 TAC to 299,010 tonnes (ref 3).","The MSC calls for a quota-share agreement among all coastal states that follows scientific advice (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mackerel supplies under threat as new scientific advice recommends 77% cut to catches in Northeast Atlantic","publisher":"Marine Stewardship Council","date":"2025-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.msc.org/media-centre/press-releases/press-release/mackerel-supplies-under-threat-as-new-scientific-advice-recommends-77--cut-to-catches-in-northeast-atlantic","basis":"Certification body press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mackerel stocks near breaking point because of overfishing, say experts","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2025-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/09/mackerel-stocks-near-breaking-point-because-of-overfishing-say-experts","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"ICES more than doubles 2027 Northeast Atlantic mackerel catch advice","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2026-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/fishing/regulation-enforcement/northeast-atlantic-mackerel-advice-2027","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Catch advice for pelagic fish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic","publisher":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Iceland)","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en/about/news-announcements/catch-advice-for-pelagic-fish-stocks-in-the-northeast-atlantic","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The MSC release (ref 1) says combined unilateral mackerel quotas exceeded advice by an average of 39% over the past 15 years; the Guardian/MCS report (ref 2) gives 39% for 2020 to 2024 and 5% to 80% since 2009."}],"missing_fields":["The 2026 and 2027 coastal-state quota outcome for the EU and Greenland was not found in an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-ROCKALL-FISHINGACCESS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-ICELAND-CAPELIN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Iceland capelin: zero-catch advice in 2024, a tiny quota in 2025 and a sharp fall in autumn 2026 advice","description":"Iceland's Marine and Freshwater Research Institute advised zero capelin catch for winter 2024/25 after the autumn 2024 survey, then 8,589 tonnes in February 2025. Advice recovered to 197,474 tonnes for 2025/26, but after the September 2026 survey came in well below expectations the new advice for the coming season is 105,773 tonnes, about 70 percent below the 358,044 tonnes proposed in June 2026. The institute says incomplete survey coverage means the stock is probably underestimated.","location":{"name":"Iceland-East Greenland-Jan Mayen capelin stock","type":"Fish stock","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IS","GL"],"detail":"Capelin stock surveyed in the Iceland-East Greenland-Jan Mayen area, off east Greenland and north of Iceland.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fish stock whose recruitment and survey results swing from failure to recovery and back.","secondary_drivers":["Variable recruitment","Incomplete survey coverage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The autumn 2024 survey put spawning stock biomass at about 193,000 tonnes and found the harvest control rule's 95% probability of staying above Blim of 114,000 tonnes could not be met (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Zero catch was advised for winter 2024/25 and only 8,589 tonnes were advised in February 2025 (refs 1, 2), so almost no winter capelin catch was advised that season.","scale":"A single shared stock, the Iceland-East Greenland-Jan Mayen (IEGJM) capelin, is involved (ref 3).","duration":"Advice swung from zero (October 2024) to 8,589 t (February 2025), 197,474 t (January 2026) and 105,773 t (October 2026) across three seasons (refs 1 to 5).","significance":"The advice follows the harvest control rule agreed by the coastal states and was issued jointly with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (refs 1, 5)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"New capelin catch advice for the coming season is 105,773 tonnes, replacing the initial 358,044 tonnes; the fishable stock is just under 560,000 tonnes (MFRI, 12 October 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Advice for winter 2024/25 (October 2024)","value":0,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Zero catch under the harvest control rule (ref 1)."},{"name":"Advice for 2024/25 after February 2025 survey","value":8589,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Updated advice (ref 2)."},{"name":"Advice for 2025/26 (January 2026)","value":197474,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Catches should be no more than this (ref 3)."},{"name":"Advice for the coming season (October 2026)","value":105773,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Replaces the 358,044 t initial advice of June 2026 (ref 5)."},{"name":"Fishable capelin stock, autumn 2026","value":560000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"'Just under 560,000 tonnes'; survey coverage incomplete, so likely underestimated (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["No capelin catch was advised for winter 2024/25 in October 2024 (ref 1).","The 2026 advice is about 70% below the June 2026 initial advice (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Advice rose from zero in 2024 to 197,474 t for 2025/26, then fell to 105,773 t in October 2026 (refs 1, 3, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Hafrannsoknastofnun)","role":"Icelandic fisheries science and advice","contact":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en"},{"name":"Greenland Institute of Natural Resources","role":"Joint survey and advice partner","contact":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en"}],"public_contact":"MFRI, Fornubudum 5, 220 Hafnarfjordur; contact details on the MFRI site: https://www.hafogvatn.is/en","corrective_actions":["Harvest control rule agreed by the coastal states sets catch advice; final advice follows winter acoustic surveys (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Zero catch advice for capelin remains","publisher":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Iceland)","date":"2024-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en/about/news-announcements/zero-catch-advice-for-capelin-remains-1","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"MFRI advises capelin catches of 8589 tonnes","publisher":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Iceland)","date":"2025-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en/about/news-announcements/mfri-advises-capelin-catches-of-8589-tonnes","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Capelin advice increased to 197 thousand tonnes","publisher":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Iceland)","date":"2026-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en/about/news-announcements/capelin-advice-increased-to-197-thousand-tonnes","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Advisory recommendations for the upcoming fishing year","publisher":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Iceland)","date":"2026-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en/about/news-announcements/advisory-recommendations-for-the-upcoming-fishing-year","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"Capelin survey estimates and advice below expectations","publisher":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (Iceland)","date":"2026-10-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en/about/news-announcements/capelin-survey-estimates-and-advice-below-expectations","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No news article on the economic impact of the 2024/25 closure was opened; all capelin sources are the national institute's own pages."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-ICELAND-FINWHALING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-FAROES-GRINDADRAP-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Faroe Islands pilot whale and dolphin drive hunts killed more than 1,000 animals in 2025","description":"Sea Shepherd counted 992 cetaceans killed across ten hunts in 2025 by 13 September, and Geographical reports more than 1,000 pilot whales and white-sided dolphins for the year, while the official count of the 13 September Fuglafjordur hunt was 285 pilot whales, excluding juveniles and foetuses. A further hunt near Sandavagur in early May 2026 killed more than 125 animals in the official toll, which excludes at least 15 foetuses and small juveniles. The hunt has no fixed quota and the UK-Faroe trade arrangements are due for review at the end of 2026.","location":{"name":"Faroe Islands grindadrap hunting bays","type":"Hunting bay (whale drive)","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["FO"],"detail":"Hunts documented in the cited sources: Fuglafjordur (13 September 2025) and near Sandavagur on Vagar (early May 2026).","coordinates":{"lat":62.2444,"lon":-6.8144,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[{"name":"Fuglafjordur","lat":62.2444,"lon":-6.8144,"precision":"city","role":"13 September 2025 hunt","source_ref":4},{"name":"Sandavagur","lat":62.0567,"lon":-7.1542,"precision":"city","role":"May 2026 hunt","source_ref":4}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Directed killing of long-finned pilot whales and white-sided dolphins in the Faroese EEZ.","secondary_drivers":["Drive hunts","Cultural whaling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Sea Shepherd counted 992 cetaceans killed by 13 September 2025 across ten hunts, and the Geographical report puts the 2025 total above 1,000 pilot whales and white-sided dolphins (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No loss to fisheries or coastal livelihoods is documented in the cited pages; the meat is reported as part of local food culture (ref 3).","scale":"Hunts occur at bays across the Faroese islands, a national-waters scale; the sources report about 900 animals a year since 2010 (ref 2).","duration":"The article reports an average of about 900 pilot whales and dolphins killed a year since 2010 and a tradition dating to around 800 CE (ref 2); EIA reports a 2010 to 2020 average of 685 pilot whales and 114 dolphins a year (ref 3).","significance":"A UK Early Day Motion backed by 72 MPs condemns the hunt and the Faroe trade arrangements are scheduled for review at the end of 2026 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea Shepherd counted 992 cetaceans killed by 13 September 2025 across ten hunts; Geographical reports more than 1,000 pilot whales and white-sided dolphins killed in 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Cetaceans killed by 13 September 2025","value":992,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Sea Shepherd count across ten hunts (ref 1)."},{"name":"Official count at Fuglafjordur, 13 September 2025","value":285,"unit":"pilot whales","status":"Reported","note":"Excludes juveniles, foetuses and incorrectly slaughtered animals (ref 1)."},{"name":"Early May 2026 hunt at Sandavagur","value":125,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 125' in the official toll, excluding at least 15 foetuses and juveniles (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["UK trade arrangements with the Faroe Islands are scheduled for review at the end of 2026 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"2025 totals above 1,000 compare with an average of about 900 a year since 2010 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of the Faroe Islands","role":"National government","contact":"https://www.government.fo/en"}],"public_contact":"Faroese Government: https://www.government.fo/en","corrective_actions":["No quota applies; Sea Shepherd and others call for an end to the hunt (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tenth pilot whale hunt","publisher":"Sea Shepherd","date":"2025-09-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/latest-news/tenth-pilot-whale-hunt/","basis":"NGO report (advocacy source)"},{"ref":2,"title":"More than 125 pilot whales killed in first Faroe Islands hunt of 2026","publisher":"Geographical","date":"2026-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://geographical.co.uk/wildlife/more-than-125-pilot-whales-killed-in-first-faroe-islands-hunt-of-2026","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"As 42 pilot whales die, new report debunks claims of whale and dolphin hunters in Faroe Islands","publisher":"Environmental Investigation Agency","date":"2023-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eia-international.org/news/as-42-pilot-whales-die-new-report-debunks-claims-of-whale-and-dolphin-hunters-in-faroe-islands/","basis":"NGO report (advocacy source; background)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fuglafjordur (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuglafj%C3%B8r%C3%B0ur","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sea Shepherd's 2025 total includes animals its observers documented; the official Fuglafjordur count (285 pilot whales) excludes juveniles, foetuses and incorrectly slaughtered animals (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No Faroese government statistics page opened; totals come from advocacy groups and one news report."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-ICELAND-FINWHALING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-ICELAND-FINWHALING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Iceland fin whaling resumes in 2026 under a licence to 2029 as a bill to ban whaling is planned","description":"Iceland granted Hvalur hf. a five-year licence in December 2024 to take up to 209 fin whales a year in 2025 to 2029, and its minke licence-holder 217 minke whales. Hvalur did not hunt in 2025 because Japanese meat prices were too low, but resumed in 2026, with 80 fin whales caught by 8 September against a quota of up to 150. The government says it will submit a bill in February 2027 that could permanently ban whaling.","location":{"name":"Hvalfjordur whaling station and Icelandic waters","type":"Whaling licence area","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IS"],"detail":"Hvalur's whaling ships return to Hvalfjordur, west Iceland (ref 5); the national licence runs to 2029.","coordinates":{"lat":64.3833,"lon":-21.6667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Commercial killing of a species the IUCN lists as vulnerable.","secondary_drivers":["Commercial whaling licence","Weak export market"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Humane World for Animals counted 80 fin whales caught in Icelandic waters up to 8 September 2026, a species listed vulnerable by the IUCN (ref 4); the 2015 survey estimated about 44,000 fin whales (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or coastal livelihood loss is documented in the cited pages; Hvalur cancelled the 2025 season on weak Japanese meat prices (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The licence covers Icelandic national waters, with a quota of up to 150 fin whales in 2026 and 209 a year licensed to 2029 (refs 1, 4).","duration":"Hvalur resumed whaling in 2022 and the licence runs from 2025 to 2029 (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The government will submit a bill in February 2027 that could ban whaling, after a 2023 report found harpooned whales took two hours to die (ref 4); no ban is in force."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"80 fin whales caught in Iceland by 8 September 2026 against a quota of up to 150, under a licence for up to 209 a year to 2029."},"measures":[{"name":"Fin whales caught by 8 September 2026","value":80,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Count from Humane World for Animals (ref 4)."},{"name":"Fin whale quota 2026","value":150,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"'Up to 150' (ref 4); MFRI advised 150 fin and 168 minke whales (ref 3)."},{"name":"Licensed fin whales per year 2025 to 2029","value":209,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Five-year licence granted December 2024 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Fin whales killed in 2023 after the suspension was lifted","value":24,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Over the weeks after September 2023 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Nearly all whale meat is sold to Japan and Hvalur cancelled 2025 because prices were too low (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"No fin whale hunt in 2025, then 80 caught by 8 September 2026; a ban bill is planned for February 2027 (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Industries (Iceland)","role":"Whaling licensing authority","contact":"https://www.stjornarradid.is/"},{"name":"Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST)","role":"Animal welfare oversight","contact":"https://www.mast.is/"},{"name":"Marine and Freshwater Research Institute","role":"Scientific advice on quotas","contact":"https://www.hafogvatn.is/en"}],"public_contact":"Government of Iceland: https://www.stjornarradid.is/","corrective_actions":["Government bill to ban whaling announced for February 2027 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Icelandic whaling company calls off fin whale hunt this summer","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/04/icelandic-whaling-company-calls-off-fin-whale-hunt-this-summer/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fin whales safe in 2025 as Iceland's whaling company cancels season","publisher":"IFAW","date":"2025-04-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ifaw.org/news/fin-whales-safe-2025-iceland","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"After a year-long break, whale hunting to resume: quota for 2026 is 150 fin whales and 168 minke whales","publisher":"The Reykjavik Grapevine","date":"2026-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://grapevine.is/feature/2026/05/22/after-a-year-long-break-whale-hunting-to-resume-quota-for-2026-is-150-fin-whales-and-168-minke-whales/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Iceland to submit bill that could ban whaling in its waters","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2026-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/11/iceland-bill-commercial-whaling-ban-mounting-pressure","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Whaling protestor taken to sea, released in Hvalfjordur","publisher":"The Reykjavik Grapevine","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://grapevine.is/news/2026/06/19/whaling-protestor-taken-to-sea-released-in-hvalfjordur/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Hvalfjordur (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hvalfj%C3%B6r%C3%B0ur","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay (ref 1) says Tjaldtangi received licences for 217 minke whales a year; Grapevine (ref 3) says MFRI advised 168 minke whales for 2026. The first is the licence ceiling, the second the scientific advice."}],"missing_fields":["The government's final 2026 quota decision page was not opened; the 150 fin whale figure comes from the Guardian and Grapevine."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-ICELAND-CAPELIN-2026","OC-NEATL-FAROES-GRINDADRAP-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-SCOTLAND-SALMONMORTALITY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Scottish salmon farms record more than 35 million officially reported deaths from 2023 to 2025","description":"Scottish farms officially reported 35,867,788 salmon deaths between January 2023 and October 2025, according to freedom of information data obtained by Animal Equality UK. The Animal and Plant Health Agency inspected 21 of 213 active sites in that period, with two unannounced inspections, and none of the 20 sites with the most deaths. A Scottish Parliament committee criticised the government's slow progress on regulating salmon farming in January 2025.","location":{"name":"Scottish salmon farm sites","type":"Aquaculture sector (marine salmon farms)","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Scotland's 213 active salmon farm sites, regulated by the Fish Health Inspectorate and APHA.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Farmed fish mortality and welfare in open-net cages.","secondary_drivers":["Disease and jellyfish","Regulatory gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Scottish farms officially reported 35,867,788 salmon deaths from January 2023 to October 2025, and Scottish Government survey data show 17.4 million died in 2023 after 17.2 million in 2022 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or loss of livelihood is documented; the sector supports 2,500 direct jobs and the cited coverage describes a risk to reputation and regulation rather than restrictions (ref 1).","scale":"The figures cover 213 active sites across Scotland, a national coastline (ref 2).","duration":"Record mortality was reported in 2022 and 2023, a Mowi farm lost more than a million fish in October 2024, and 35.9 million deaths were reported over January 2023 to October 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee report of January 2025 recommended powers to halt production at high-mortality sites, but regulators have issued no formal warning or care notice since 2022 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"35,867,788 salmon deaths were officially reported on Scottish farms between January 2023 and October 2025 (Guardian, from FOI data)."},"measures":[{"name":"Officially reported salmon deaths, January 2023 to October 2025","value":35867788,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Animal Equality FOI data via the Guardian; excludes culls and early losses (ref 2)."},{"name":"Salmon deaths in 2023","value":17400000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Scottish Government fish farm production survey, via the Guardian (ref 1)."},{"name":"Active sites inspected by APHA, Jan 2023 to Oct 2025","value":21,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Of 213 active sites; two inspections unannounced (ref 2)."},{"name":"Cleaner fish deaths since 2020","value":7000000,"unit":"fish","status":"Estimated","note":"'At least' 7 million, estimated (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Farmed Scottish salmon is the UK's biggest food export, worth 645 million pounds a year (ref 1).","The Scottish Parliament committee called for a timetable to address concerns over the sector's long-term viability (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"17.2 million deaths in 2022 and 17.4 million in 2023; 35.9 million from January 2023 to October 2025 implies fewer reported deaths since 2023, but official counts exclude culls and early losses (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Scottish Government (Fish Health Inspectorate)","role":"Aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"Animal and Plant Health Agency","role":"Fish welfare enforcement","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/animal-and-plant-health-agency"},{"name":"Scottish Parliament Rural Affairs and Islands Committee","role":"Scrutiny","contact":"https://www.parliament.scot/"}],"public_contact":"Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament general channels via gov.scot and parliament.scot.","corrective_actions":["Committee recommended powers to halt production at persistently high-mortality sites and mandatory weekly mortality publication (ref 1).","The Fish Health Inspectorate carries out about 250 statutory finfish site inspections a year (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Scottish government must do more to control salmon farming, inquiry finds","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2025-01-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/17/scottish-government-must-do-more-to-control-salmon-farming-inquiry-finds","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Anger over Scottish salmon farm inspections amid 35m unexpected fish deaths","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2026-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/05/more-than-35m-unexpected-salmon-deaths-at-scottish-farms-sparks-outcry","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"New figures prompt scrutiny of salmon farm inspection regime","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2026-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/new-figures-prompt-scrutiny-of-salmon-farm-inspection-regime/?amp=1","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Animal Equality UK, which obtained the data, says true deaths are higher because culls and early losses are excluded; Salmon Scotland says its farmers meet high welfare standards and that activists give a misleading picture (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Sea lice figures and the Fish Health Inspectorate's own mortality statistics were not found in an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-SCOTLAND-EMAMECTIN-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-GALICIA-SHELLFISH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Galician shellfish beds collapse after low-salinity and heat events in the Rias Baixas","description":"A December 2023 mass mortality reportedly killed about 95 percent of Galicia's cockles and 75 percent of Japanese clams after rainfall 127 percent above normal and salinity near 5 parts per thousand. Bivalve harvests in the Ria de Arousa fell from 2,700 tonnes in 2023 to 1,700 tonnes in 2024, and mussel production in 2024 was the lowest in 25 years. About 3,500 licensed shellfish gatherers remain, half as many as in 2001.","location":{"name":"Ria de Arousa and Rias Baixas shellfish beds","type":"Estuarine shellfish beds","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Four productive estuaries in south-west Galicia; the Ria de Arousa, around Cambados, Illa de Arousa and Vilanova de Arousa, is where the cited coverage concentrates.","coordinates":{"lat":42.5,"lon":-8.9333,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Cultured and harvested shellfish stocks lost to freshwater inflow and heat.","secondary_drivers":["Heavy rainfall and low salinity","Marine heatwave","Wastewater discharges"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"A December 2023 mass mortality reportedly killed about 95% of Galicia's cockles and 75% of Japanese clams (ref 1); cockle numbers fell about 80% in 2023 against 2022 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"About 3,500 licensed mariscadoras remain, half as many as in 2001, and pickers on Illa de Arousa struggled to collect 1 kg of clams (ref 1).","scale":"The four Rias Baixas estuaries along Galicia's south-west coast are affected (ref 1).","duration":"Stocks had not recovered by June 2024 (ref 1), mussel production in 2024 was 178,000 t against 250,000 t in 2021 (ref 2), and Arousa harvests fell 2,700 t to 1,700 t from 2023 to 2024 (ref 3).","significance":"The sources are news and a monitoring-service use case; EcoWatch reports no formal government response in the cited coverage (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ria de Arousa bivalve harvests fell from 2,700 tonnes in 2023 to 1,700 tonnes in 2024; revenue fell from 36 to 22 million euros (Copernicus Marine use case)."},"measures":[{"name":"Ria de Arousa bivalve harvest 2023","value":2700,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Bivalves overall, not cockles alone (ref 3)."},{"name":"Ria de Arousa bivalve harvest 2024","value":1700,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Revenue 22 million euros against 36 million in 2023 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Galician mussel production in 2024","value":178000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Lowest in 25 years, against 250,000 t in 2021 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Licensed shellfish gatherers (mariscadoras)","value":3500,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Half as many as in 2001 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Revenue from Ria de Arousa bivalves fell from 36 to 22 million euros between 2023 and 2024 (ref 3).","Shellfish gatherers are leaving for land-based work (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Harvests fell further in 2024 and stocks had not recovered by mid-2024 (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Xunta de Galicia (regional government)","role":"Shellfish management and fisheries","contact":"https://www.xunta.gal/"}],"public_contact":"Xunta de Galicia general channels: https://www.xunta.gal/","corrective_actions":["Early-warning tool MOLL-e MALONE flags salinity drops in the Ria de Arousa to protect cockle beds (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"In northern Spain, climate change is killing shellfish and women's livelihoods","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2024-06-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://news.mongabay.com/2024/06/in-northern-spain-climate-change-is-killing-shellfish-and-womens-livelihoods/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spain shellfish population collapse climate change","publisher":"EcoWatch","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ecowatch.com/spain-shellfish-population-collapse-climate-change.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Salinity-driven risks in cockle production: the MOLL-e MALONE early warning system for the Ria de Arousa","publisher":"Copernicus Marine Service (use case)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/services/use-cases/salinity-driven-risks-cockle-production-moll-e-malone-early-warning-system-ria","basis":"Service use case (July 2025 release; harvest figures)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Ria de Arousa (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADa_de_Arousa","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay reports about 95% of cockles killed in the December 2023 event; EcoWatch reports cockle numbers down about 80% in 2023 against 2022. They measure different things."}],"missing_fields":["No Xunta or Spanish government statistics page was opened; the emergency 'catastrophe zone' request mentioned in a search snippet was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-GALICIA-NURDLES-2023","OC-NEATL-UKSHELF-MHW-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-IBERIA-ORCAS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Iberian orcas keep damaging and sinking sailing yachts off Portugal and Galicia","description":"A small group of endangered Iberian orcas has been striking the rudders of sailing yachts since 2020. A yacht with five people aboard sank off Fonte da Telha near Lisbon in September 2025, and on 24 July 2026 another yacht sank near Estaca de Bares, Galicia, with its two occupants rescued. More than 500 interactions have been recorded and Spanish authorities advise sailors in orca zones to follow official guidance.","location":{"name":"Atlantic coast of Iberia, Galicia to Lisbon","type":"Orca-vessel interaction area","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES","PT"],"detail":"Interactions run from the Strait of Gibraltar along the Portuguese coast to Galicia; the July 2026 sinking was near Estaca de Bares, Galicia.","coordinates":{"lat":43.7899,"lon":-7.6881,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Interactions between a small endangered orca population and recreational vessels.","secondary_drivers":["Orca behaviour","Recreational sailing traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The yacht Oceanview sank after an orca repeatedly struck it off Fonte da Telha, with five people rescued and physically well (ref 1); a Galician yacht sank on 24 July 2026 with two people rescued unharmed (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Spanish authorities advise sailors in known orca zones to follow official guidance and report sightings (ref 2); a tourist boat off Cascais also needed assistance in September 2025 (ref 1).","scale":"Interactions are recorded from the Strait of Gibraltar to Galicia, covering the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Encounters began in 2020 and July 2026 was the sixth consecutive year, with more than 500 interactions recorded (ref 2).","significance":"Portugal's National Maritime Authority reported the Oceanview sinking and Spanish authorities issued guidance, which are formal notices but no enforcement (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of the Iberian orca population in the cited pages; EuroWeekly News calls it an endangered population."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 500 orca interactions with yachts have been recorded since 2020, with the sixth consecutive year of encounters in 2026 (EuroWeekly News, 29 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Recorded orca interactions since 2020","value":500,"unit":"interactions","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 500' recorded, involving a relatively small number of identified whales (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A tourist boat off the Bay of Cascais also needed assistance from lifeguards in the September 2025 events (ref 1).","Coastguards responded to several interactions within 48 hours in July 2026 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited pages give no annual interaction counts."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Autoridade Maritima Nacional (Portugal)","role":"Maritime authority and rescue coordination","contact":"https://www.amn.pt/"}],"public_contact":"Autoridade Maritima Nacional general channel: https://www.amn.pt/","corrective_actions":["Spanish authorities issue guidance on avoiding orcas and what to do in an interaction (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Orcas sink one boat, damage another, off coast of Portugal","publisher":"DIVE Magazine","date":"2025-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://divemagazine.com/scuba-diving-news/orcas-sink-one-boat-damage-another-off-coast-of-portugal","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Another terrifying orca encounter off Spain leaves yacht at the bottom of the sea","publisher":"EuroWeekly News","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://euroweeklynews.com/2026/07/29/another-terrifying-orca-encounter-off-spain-leaves-yacht-at-the-bottom-of-the-sea/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Estaca de Bares (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estaca_de_Bares","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No official sinking count or population figure was found in an opened page; no primary Spanish or Portuguese authority page was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-PORTUGAL-EROSION-2023"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-WESTERROSS-MAERL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Wester Ross maerl beds recover after a ten-year scallop dredging ban, with threats remaining","description":"Scallop dredging was banned in 2016 across the 600 square kilometre Wester Ross Marine Protected Area, the world's largest for maerl, and a decade of citizen-science surveys and local reports describe recovering scallops and fish and more sightings of whales, porpoises and dolphins. The surveys also found damaged maerl in some places from illegal dredgers and invasive algal growth that scientists suspect is linked to salmon-farm nutrients. In June 2026 Environmental Standards Scotland found that Scottish Ministers had failed their legal duties to protect and restore the seafloor.","location":{"name":"Wester Ross MPA maerl beds, Summer Isles","type":"Marine protected area","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"North-west Highlands, off Achiltibuie and the Summer Isles; maerl beds about 9,000 years old.","coordinates":{"lat":58.02,"lon":-5.44,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Protected maerl habitat that is slowly recovering from dredging damage.","secondary_drivers":["Scallop dredging","Nutrient enrichment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BHA surveys highlighted damaged maerl in some locations from illegal dredgers and invasive algal growth, and a single pass of heavy towed gear can crush or bury up to 70% of maerl (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Creel fishing, hand diving and prawn trawling in designated areas remain allowed, and local creel and dive fishers report better catches since the ban (ref 1).","scale":"The protection applies to one 600 sq km marine protected area (ref 1).","duration":"The dredging ban dates from 2016 and BHA has surveyed the maerl for ten years (refs 1, 3).","significance":"ESS found Scottish Ministers non-compliant with the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010 on seafloor monitoring (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Scallop dredging banned in 2016 in the 600 sq km Wester Ross MPA, now the biggest protected area for maerl in the world (Guardian, 30 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Wester Ross MPA area with dredging ban","value":600,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Scallop dredging forbidden by law in 2016 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maerl crushed or buried by one pass of heavy towed gear","value":70,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Estimated","note":"Expert statement in the Guardian (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Creel and hand-dive fishers report improved catches (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Ten years of surveys report maerl protected to a 'massive extent' and recovering scallop populations (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NatureScot","role":"Statutory adviser on marine protected areas","contact":"https://www.nature.scot/"},{"name":"Scottish Ministers (Marine Directorate)","role":"MPA management and fisheries","contact":"https://www.gov.scot/"},{"name":"Environmental Standards Scotland","role":"Independent environmental law watchdog","contact":"https://environmentalstandards.scot/"}],"public_contact":"Blue Hope Alliance: https://www.bluehopealliance.co.uk/","corrective_actions":["Scallop dredging ban in the Wester Ross MPA since 2016 (ref 1).","Blue Hope Alliance three-year 'Scotland's Hidden Reefs' restoration project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"'Beyond priceless': how a halt to dredging saved the seas of Scotland's Summer Isles","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/30/beyond-priceless-how-a-halt-to-dredging-saved-the-seas-of-scotlands-summer-isles","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Scottish Ministers failing in legal duties to protect and restore seafloor, concludes ESS","publisher":"Environmental Standards Scotland","date":"2026-06-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://environmentalstandards.scot/keep-up-to-date/scottish-ministers-failing-in-legal-duties-to-protect-and-restore-seafloor-concludes-ess/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Celebrating 10 years of citizen science maerl surveys (Maerl report by Prof. J Hall Spencer)","publisher":"Blue Hope Alliance","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bluehopealliance.co.uk/newsandsurveyhighlights/bha-10-years-of-maerl-surveys","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Summer Isles (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Isles","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The BHA report itself and NatureScot condition data were not opened; maerl condition comes from the Guardian's account of the report."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-SCOTLAND-EMAMECTIN-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-UK-BYCATCH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"First UK-wide bycatch analysis finds thousands of seabirds, cetaceans and seals killed each year","description":"A June 2026 analysis by the Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition estimates that UK fishing boats catch over 10,000 seabirds, over 1,000 cetaceans, around 500 seals and over 120 tonnes of protected sharks, skates and rays every year. It says the totals are likely the tip of the iceberg because only a fraction of the fleet is monitored. A two-year Cornish trial found towed deterrents cut the chance of seabirds being caught in gillnets by 59 to 71 percent.","location":{"name":"UK waters, bycatch of protected species","type":"National waters (fishing bycatch)","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL","NSEA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"UK waters, spanning the North Sea and Atlantic seas; the gillnet deterrent trial involved Cornish fishing vessels.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Incidental killing of protected species by fishing gear.","secondary_drivers":["Gillnet and creel entanglement","Weak monitoring"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"WCL's extrapolation is over 10,000 seabirds, over 1,000 cetaceans, around 500 seals and over 1,000 Atlantic salmon killed each year, plus six humpback and 30 minke whales found dead in Scottish creel ropes (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The report documents no fishery closure or loss of livelihood; it asks for remote electronic monitoring and mitigation, and trials in Filey Bay cut bycatch from 700 seabirds to four or five (ref 2).","scale":"The analysis spans UK waters across several seas and finds bycatch is a key reason the UK fails to reach good environmental status in some seas (ref 2).","duration":"The report says deaths have stayed 'stubbornly high' for decades despite known impacts (ref 1).","significance":"This is an NGO coalition analysis; Defra says it is acting through its Clean Catch programme and the Cornish trial results were published in Conservation Letters (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Every year fishing boats catch over 10,000 seabirds, over 1,000 cetaceans, around 500 seals, over 120 tonnes of protected sharks, skates and rays and over 1,000 endangered Atlantic salmon (WCL, June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Seabirds caught per year","value":10000,"unit":"birds","status":"Estimated","note":"'Over 10,000'; extrapolated from monitored fleet data (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cetaceans caught per year","value":1000,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"'Over 1,000', including harbour porpoises, common dolphins, humpback and minke whales (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seals caught per year","value":500,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"'Around 500' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reduction in gillnet seabird bycatch with looming-eyes buoy","value":59,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Cornwall two-year trial; kites achieved 71% (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Only 0.05% of dredging vessels monitor bycatch (ref 2).","Fishers in Filey Bay and Cornwall are testing deterrents that do not impede gillnet fishing (refs 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The report says deaths have stayed stubbornly high for decades (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Defra and the Marine Management Organisation","role":"Bycatch action plans and monitoring in English waters","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/marine-management-organisation"},{"name":"Wildlife and Countryside Link","role":"Coalition that compiled the analysis","contact":"https://www.wcl.org.uk/"}],"public_contact":"Marine Management Organisation general channels via gov.uk.","corrective_actions":["Defra's Clean Catch programme uses electronic monitoring to collect bycatch data (ref 2).","Looming-eyes buoys and bird-shaped kites tested by Cornish fishers with the RSPB and University of Exeter (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hidden in the haul: the true scale of bycatch","publisher":"Wildlife and Countryside Link","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wcl.org.uk/docs/hidden_in_the_haul.pdf","basis":"NGO report (June 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bycatch has 'shocking' toll on British marine life, first-ever analysis reveals","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2026-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/10/bycatch-toll-british-marine-life-analysis","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Floating scarecrows: how Cornish fishers are stopping seabirds drowning in their nets","publisher":"The Guardian","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/01/scarecrows-cornish-fishers-stop-seabirds-drowning-in-nets","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Conservation Letters paper was not opened; the trial results come from the Guardian. Non-UK vessels in UK waters are excluded from the WCL figures (ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-BISCAY-DOLPHINBYCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-SHETLAND-SHEFA2CABLE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated SHEFA-2 subsea cable faults off Orkney cut broadband to Shetland for 11 and 25 days in 2025","description":"The SHEFA-2 fibre cable linking the Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney and mainland Scotland was damaged twice in 2025 off Orkney, in July (a fishing vessel is believed responsible) and October (cause not determined at the time). Shetland News reported outages of about 11 days and about 25 days for customers of providers without a backup route. The operator told a parliamentary inquiry that the cable has suffered over 20 major breaks since 2007, and the Scottish Government has since committed to the pre-development phase of a second cable.","location":{"name":"SHEFA-2 cable, east coast of Orkney","type":"Subsea telecommunications cable","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","FO"],"detail":"Shallow-water sections of the SHEFA-2 cable about 1.5 to 9 km off Orkney's east coast, serving Shetland, Orkney and the Faroe Islands; Scotland, UK and Faroe Islands.","coordinates":{"lat":58.95,"lon":-2.75,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Critical communications infrastructure on the seabed is repeatedly damaged, a governance and resilience question for coastal communities.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear interaction","Tidal and current abrasion in shallow water","Single point of failure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Households and businesses lost internet, card payments and some bank machines; no ecological harm is reported (refs 1, 3); human services disruption only, so scored as limited.","livelihoods":"The Toll Clock post office closed and shops asked for cash during the July outage (ref 2); Vodafone, Sky and TalkTalk customers lost service in October (ref 4).","scale":"Effects are confined to Shetland and Orkney and one cable system (ref 1).","duration":"Outages of about 11 days (July to August 2025, ref 3) and about 25 days (3 to 28 October 2025, ref 4); the operator cites over 20 major breaks since 2007 (ref 5).","significance":"A UK Parliamentary inquiry took evidence in February 2026 (ref 5) and the Scottish Government committed to a pre-development phase for another cable in September 2026 (ref 6); no enforcement order is reported."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Faroese Telecom's managing director said SHEFA-2 has suffered over 20 major breaks since 2007 (ref 5)."},"measures":[{"name":"Outage after 26 July 2025 fault","value":11,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"About 11 days to 6 August 2025 (ref 3); an earlier report anticipated up to 12 days."},{"name":"Outage after 3 October 2025 fault","value":25,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"3 to 28 October 2025 per ref 4; the Feb 2026 inquiry coverage quotes 26 days (ref 5)."},{"name":"Major breaks since 2007","value":20,"unit":"breaks","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 20', stated by the operator (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Shops and a post office asked for cash payments during the July outage (ref 2).","Providers without backup capacity left customers offline while BT-routed customers were largely unaffected (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Repeated faults in 2022, 2023 and twice in 2025; resilience plans announced in 2025 to 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Faroese Telecom (SHEFA-2 owner)","role":"Cable operator","contact":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/10/28/cable-repair-completed-faroese-telecom/"},{"name":"Scottish Government","role":"Funder of second-cable pre-development","contact":"https://www.gov.scot"},{"name":"Maritime and Coastguard Agency","role":"Received the vessel owner's damage report (ref 3)","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency"}],"public_contact":"Operator and agency general channels via their websites.","corrective_actions":["Faroese Telecom repaired both faults with a cable ship (refs 3, 4).","Scottish Government committed in September 2026 to the pre-development phase of a second Shetland cable (ref 6).","Vodafone announced a feasibility study for a new cable in 2025 (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Damage to subsea cable leads to internet outages","publisher":"Shetland News","date":"2025-07-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/07/26/reported-damage-subsea-cable-leads/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cable repairs may only be completed on Thursday","publisher":"Shetland News","date":"2025-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/08/04/cable-repairs-may-completed-thursday/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Internet disruption comes to an end after cable repair","publisher":"Shetland News","date":"2025-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/08/07/internet-disruption-comes-end-cable/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Cable repair completed, Faroese Telecom says","publisher":"Shetland News","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/10/28/cable-repair-completed-faroese-telecom/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Major broadband companies 'absolutely failed' Shetland in outage response","publisher":"Shetland News","date":"2026-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/02/26/major-broadband-companies-absolutely-failed/","basis":"News, evidence to UK Parliamentary inquiry"},{"ref":6,"title":"Government to move forward with plans for new telecoms cable to Shetland","publisher":"Shetland News","date":"2026-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/09/01/government-move-forward-plans-new/","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Cable damage causes more internet disruption","publisher":"Shetland News","date":"2025-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/10/03/investigation-underway-into-internet-disruption/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Outage length for the October 2025 fault is 25 days in ref 4 and 26 days in ref 5."}],"missing_fields":["Cause of the October 2025 fault is not stated in the cited sources; the November 2025 to 2026 inquiry outcome was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-IRELAND-SHADOWFLEET-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-CELTICSEA-FLOATINGWIND-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Three 1.5 GW floating wind sites leased in the Celtic Sea as fishing groups seek displacement protections","description":"The Crown Estate awarded Round 5 floating wind rights for three Celtic Sea sites off South Wales and south-west England: Equinor and Gwynt Glas (June 2025, leases signed October 2025) and Ocean Winds (November 2025, lease March 2026). The Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation said fishing will not return inside the arrays, flagged displacement of Belgian and Cornish vessels and asked for a developer code of conduct.","location":{"name":"Celtic Sea Round 5 floating wind sites","type":"Offshore wind leasing areas","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB"],"detail":"Three project development areas in the UK Celtic Sea off South Wales and south-west England; named only as 'off the coasts of South Wales and South-West England' in the sources.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Seabed leasing for energy generation that competes with fishing for space.","secondary_drivers":["Spatial competition with fishing","Port and grid build-out"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishing groups say mobile or static gear around floating infrastructure is neither safe nor viable, so fishing would not return to the sites (ref 2); ecological effects are not yet assessed (ref 5, EIA to follow).","livelihoods":"A northerly site is heavily fished by the Belgian fleet and another is important to Cornish shellfish boats, hake netters and beam trawlers (ref 2).","scale":"Three sites of up to 1.5 GW each lie in one regional sea off Wales and south-west England (refs 3, 4).","duration":"Leasing ran from the 2024 round through leases signed October 2025 and March 2026, with operation targeted for the mid-2030s (refs 3, 5).","significance":"The Crown Estate awarded formal Agreements for Lease on 7 October 2025 and 3 March 2026 (refs 3, 5); the fishing recognition request remains with the MMO (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Each of the three Round 5 floating wind sites is estimated to support 1.5 GW, up to 4.5 GW in total (refs 4, 5)."},"measures":[{"name":"Capacity per Round 5 site","value":1.5,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Crown Estate estimate (refs 1, 4)."},{"name":"Total Round 5 potential","value":4.5,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Three sites (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation warned of displacement and asked for formal recognition that fishing cannot occur inside arrays, as a basis for compensation talks (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Leases signed; surveys and consenting come next."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"The Crown Estate","role":"Seabed lessor","contact":"https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk"},{"name":"Marine Management Organisation","role":"Marine licensing and fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/marine-management-organisation"},{"name":"Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation","role":"Fishing industry representative","contact":"https://fishingnews.co.uk/?p=77383"}],"public_contact":"Crown Estate and MMO general contact pages on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Crown Estate pre-lease engagement with fishing groups reported (ref 2).","Developers must run EIAs, surveys and public engagement before consent (refs 3, 5).","CFPO called for a Crown Estate-overseen handover and code of conduct (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UK completes first round for floating wind power in the Celtic Sea","publisher":"Maritime Executive","date":"2025-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/uk-completes-first-round-for-float-wind-power-in-the-celtic-sea","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Call for code of conduct for floating wind developers","publisher":"Fishing News","date":"2025-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishingnews.co.uk/?p=77383","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Next milestone achieved for Round 5 in the Celtic Sea","publisher":"The Crown Estate","date":"2025-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/news/next-milestone-achieved-for-round-5-in-the-celtic-sea","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"The Crown Estate announces successful award to develop third floating wind farm in the Celtic Sea","publisher":"The Crown Estate","date":"2025-11-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/news/the-crown-estate-announces-successful-award-to-develop-third-floating-wind-farm-in-the-celtic-sea","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Final site progressing for Round 5","publisher":"The Crown Estate","date":"2026-03-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/news/final-site-progressing-for-round-5","basis":"Agency press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Site names, areas and distance from shore are not given in the opened pages; no coordinates."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-WATERFORD-TONNNUA-2025","OC-NEATL-CELTICSEAS-ZEROCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-WATERFORD-TONNNUA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ireland's Tonn Nua 900 MW offshore wind auction awarded off Waterford while further sites wait for a 2027 national map","description":"Ireland's second ORESS offshore wind auction for the Tonn Nua site off the Waterford coast produced provisional results on 26 November 2025: Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC (ESB and Orsted) at EUR 98.719 per MWh for 900 MW. Wind Energy Ireland said the three remaining south coast sites have no schedule and that further development is effectively stalled until a national map of sites, planned by the end of 2027.","location":{"name":"Tonn Nua site, off Waterford","type":"Offshore wind auction area","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IE"],"detail":"Tonn Nua is an area off the Waterford coast identified in the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan, Ireland.","coordinates":{"lat":52,"lon":-7.5,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A state-run seabed energy auction and the policy pipeline behind it.","secondary_drivers":["Marine spatial planning delays"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No disruption to fisheries or shipping is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The remaining Phase 2 south coast auctions and the national plan cover Irish waters nationally (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The auction concluded in November 2025; the pipeline gap runs to a 2027 map, a matter of months to years (ref 1).","significance":"The Department published provisional results on 26 November 2025 with final results due 9 December (ref 2); no enforcement or court action is involved."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Provisional result: 900 MW at EUR 98.719 per MWh to Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Capacity procured","value":900,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Tonn Nua ORESS auction (ref 2)."},{"name":"Clearing price","value":98.719,"unit":"EUR/MWh","status":"Reported","note":"Provisional result (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Wind Energy Ireland says development of further projects is effectively stalled until the national map (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (Ireland)","role":"Auction authority","contact":"https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/"},{"name":"Maritime Area Regulatory Authority","role":"Maritime consents regulator","contact":"https://maritimeregulator.ie"}],"public_contact":"Department and MARA general contact pages on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Three further south coast sites are planned as remaining Phase 2 auctions (ref 2).","A national designated maritime area plan targeting 20 GW by 2040 is in preparation (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Wind industry welcomes Tonn Nua offshore auction result","publisher":"Wind Energy Ireland","date":"2025-11-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blog.windenergyireland.com/wind-industry-welcomes-tonn-nua-offshore-auction-result","basis":"Industry body statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"ORESS Tonn Nua auction results announced","publisher":"William Fry","date":"2025-11-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.williamfry.com/knowledge/oress-tonn-nua-auction-results-announced/","basis":"Legal analysis of Department results"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["gov.ie press release returned HTTP 403 and was not opened; exact site coordinates and area are not stated in opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-CELTICSEA-FLOATINGWIND-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-HOLYHEAD-STORMDARRAGH-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Storm Darragh damage closes Holyhead ferry port, with one berth out of use for seven months","description":"Storm Darragh damaged two ferry berths at Holyhead in early December 2024 and all sailings were cancelled from 7 December. One berth reopened on 16 January 2025 and the second returned to service on 18 July 2025 after a planned July 1 reopening slipped. Freight groups pressed for fast reopening during the pre-Christmas period, with traffic diverted to other ports.","location":{"name":"Port of Holyhead, Anglesey","type":"Ferry port","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","IE"],"detail":"Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales, on the Holyhead to Dublin ferry route across the Irish Sea.","coordinates":{"lat":53.31,"lon":-4.63,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Storm damage to port infrastructure interrupted a main Ireland to Britain freight route.","secondary_drivers":["Storm damage","Port resilience"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited sources report damage to berth structures and no ecological or human-health harm (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"All sailings were cancelled from 7 December 2024 and freight was rerouted via Liverpool, Pembroke and Fishguard (refs 1, 3); one terminal stayed closed until 18 July 2025 (ref 3).","scale":"The damage affects one port, though on the main Holyhead to Dublin crossing (ref 3).","duration":"About six weeks to the first reopening and about seven months to full operation (ref 3).","significance":"The Welsh Government announced a multi-stakeholder taskforce to strengthen the port's resilience (ref 2); no enforcement action is cited."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Terminal 3 stayed closed until 18 July 2025, about seven months after sailings were cancelled from 7 December 2024 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Time to first berth reopening","value":6,"unit":"weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Services from 16 January 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Time to full reopening","value":7,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Both berths in service on 18 July 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Perishable Christmas goods at risk of becoming unsellable during delays (ref 1).","Irish Road Haulage Association and Irish Exporters Association urged prompt reopening (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Both berths back in service in July 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Stena Line Ports (port operator)","role":"Port operator","contact":"https://www.stenaline.co.uk"},{"name":"Welsh Government","role":"Taskforce on port resilience","contact":"https://www.gov.wales"}],"public_contact":"Operator and Welsh Government general contact pages on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Terminal 5 berth reopened 16 January 2025 (ref 2).","Terminal 3 returned to service 18 July 2025 (ref 3).","Welsh Government multi-stakeholder resilience taskforce (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Shipping sector urges swift reopening of Holyhead Port after storm damage","publisher":"FreshPlaza","date":"2024-12-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.freshplaza.com/north-america/article/9687761/shipping-sector-urges-swift-reopening-of-holyhead-port-after-storm-damage/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Holyhead Port resumes operations following Storm Darragh repairs","publisher":"Deeside.com","date":"2025-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.deeside.com/holyhead-port-resumes-operations-following-storm-darragh-repairs/","basis":"News, quoting Welsh Government"},{"ref":3,"title":"Holyhead Port fully operational again following storm damage repair work","publisher":"Irish Post","date":"2025-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.irishpost.com/news/holyhead-port-fully-operational-again-following-storm-damage-repair-work-294642","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":4,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Wikipedia gives 19 July 2025 for full reopening; the Irish Post reports services resumed on 18 July (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Cargo volumes and economic cost are not given in the cited sources. Coordinates are approximate for the port town, not taken from a cited map."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-NWALES-STORMSURGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-IRELAND-SHADOWFLEET-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hundreds of suspected Russian shadow fleet transits recorded through Ireland's EEZ, with limited enforcement","description":"Windward satellite data cited by the Irish Post counted 450 transits by suspected shadow fleet vessels in Irish waters in the first seven months of 2025, with over 70 of the nearly 250 ships on EU or US sanctions lists. Irish authorities said they monitor activity; the report notes no specific enforcement action and an EU insurance-proof directive that is hard to enforce. An earlier sighting off Clare and Galway in February 2024 was the first confirmed by the Department of Transport.","location":{"name":"Ireland's exclusive economic zone, west coast","type":"National EEZ (shipping lanes)","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IE"],"detail":"Waters up to about 370 km off Ireland's west coast, Atlantic approaches to the Celtic Seas.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Enforcement of insurance and sanctions rules on tanker traffic in a national EEZ.","secondary_drivers":["Sanctions evasion","Ageing tanker fleet","Insurance gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Analysts describe many tankers as ageing, poorly maintained and lacking proper insurance, a potential spill risk; the Coast Guard found no pollution risk in the February 2024 case (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No shipping or fishing restriction is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Transits cover Ireland's EEZ, a national coastline-scale zone (ref 1).","duration":"Sightings span February 2024 to July 2025 and are recurring (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A recent EU directive requires proof of insurance in EEZ transits (ref 1); no Irish enforcement action is cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"450 transits by suspected shadow fleet vessels in Irish waters in the first seven months of 2025, per Windward data cited by the Irish Post (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Suspected shadow fleet transits","value":450,"unit":"transits","status":"Reported","note":"January to July 2025, Windward data (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ships crossing the EEZ","value":250,"unit":"ships","status":"Estimated","note":"'Nearly 250' ships (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ships on EU or US sanctions lists","value":70,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 70' (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two data points, 2024 and 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Irish Defence Forces and Naval Service","role":"Maritime monitoring","contact":"https://www.military.ie"},{"name":"Irish Coast Guard","role":"Ship movement tracking","contact":"https://www.gov.ie/en/irish-coast-guard/"}],"public_contact":"Defence Forces and Irish Coast Guard general contact pages on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Defence Forces and Coast Guard monitor and share intelligence with partners (refs 1, 2).","EU directive on proof of insurance for EEZ transits (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Irish EEZ passed through hundreds of times by Russian shadow fleet","publisher":"Irish Post","date":"2025-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.irishpost.com/news/irish-eez-passed-through-hundreds-of-times-by-russian-shadow-fleet-294891","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coast Guard and Naval Service watch over Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker off the west coast","publisher":"TheJournal.ie","date":"2024-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thejournal.ie/?p=6297464&utm_source=shortlink","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Russian ships monitored off west coast of Ireland","publisher":"BreakingNews.ie","date":"2023-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/russian-ships-monitored-off-west-coast-of-ireland-1457271.html","basis":"News (context, 2023 incident)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No official Irish figure for transits; counts come from a commercial analytics firm via news. Claims about shadow fleet status are attributed, not verified independently."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-SHETLAND-SHEFA2CABLE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-SHANNON-LNGTERMINAL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Shannon LNG terminal and energy park remains undecided after the High Court quashed its 2023 refusal","description":"An Bord Pleanala refused permission on 13 September 2023 for a floating storage and regasification unit, jetty, power plant and battery storage at Ballylongford on the Shannon Estuary. The High Court quashed that refusal (reported in September 2024, order perfected 27 March 2025) and the application was reactivated as case PA08.322568 on 20 May 2025; no decision date was shown on the case page. The opposing group Safety Before LNG says the Commission asked the Minister for policy on private floating terminals, and cites climate law.","location":{"name":"Ballylongford, Shannon Estuary","type":"LNG terminal site","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["IE"],"detail":"Townlands of Kilcolgan Lower and Ralappane, Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, on the south shore of the Shannon Estuary.","coordinates":{"lat":52.55,"lon":-9.47,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A marine LNG import terminal subject to planning and court review.","secondary_drivers":["Fossil gas import policy","Planning law"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"An Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Natura Impact Statement accompany the application, indicating potential effects on the estuary; no harm is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishing or shipping restriction is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single estuary site in Co. Kerry (ref 1).","duration":"Lodged August 2021, refused September 2023, High Court quashing reported September 2024 with the order perfected March 2025, reactivated May 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The High Court quashed the Board's decision, the order perfected 27 March 2025 (ref 2), and the Board then sought to appeal (ref 3): a court ruling."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Case PA08.322568 lodged 20 May 2025; no decision date available on the case page (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Years since application lodged","value":5,"unit":"years","status":"Estimated","note":"Lodged 27 August 2021 (ref 2); about five years to October 2026."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Refusal in 2023, quashed in 2025, re-decision pending."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"An Coimisiun Pleanala (planning commission, formerly An Bord Pleanala)","role":"Planning decision maker","contact":"https://www.pleanala.ie"},{"name":"Shannon LNG Limited","role":"Applicant","contact":"https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/322568"}],"public_contact":"Planning commission general contact page on its website.","corrective_actions":["High Court quashed the 2023 refusal and sent the application back for decision (ref 2).","Minister restated March 2025 policy on a state-led interim terminal in a reply to the Commission (ref 5, advocacy account)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Case reference PA08.322568: Shannon Technology and Energy Park","publisher":"An Coimisiun Pleanala","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/322568","basis":"Planning authority case record"},{"ref":2,"title":"Case reference PA08.311233: Shannon Technology and Energy Park","publisher":"An Coimisiun Pleanala","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/311233","basis":"Planning authority case record"},{"ref":3,"title":"An Bord Pleanala to appeal decision on rejection of Shannon LNG planning application, court hears","publisher":"Waterford News & Star","date":"2024-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.waterford-news.ie/an-bord-plean%C3%A1la-to-appeal-decision-on-rejection-of-shannon-lng-planning-application-court-hears_arid-38589.html","basis":"News, High Court reporting"},{"ref":4,"title":"Futureproof Clare calls for new LNG ban over Shannon Estuary controversy","publisher":"Clare FM","date":"2024-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://clare.fm/?p=415304","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Minister refuses to clarify government policy on Shannon LNG","publisher":"Safety Before LNG","date":"2025-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://safetybeforelng.ie/pressreleases/pressrelease20250819-Minister-Refuses-T0-clarify-governement-policy-on-Shannon-LNG.html","basis":"Advocacy group press release (opposed to the project)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Case page header lists Kerry County Council while the parties section lists Clare County Council."}],"missing_fields":["Current decision status after 2025 is unconfirmed: search snippets suggested conflicting later reports that could not be opened. Case page dates are not publication dates."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-NEATL-ROCKALL-FISHINGACCESS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Irish vessels remain excluded from the 12-mile zone around Rockall after a bilateral deal was vetoed","description":"Irish boats have been barred from fishing within 12 nautical miles of Rockall since Brexit, Fishing News reported. A Scotland-Ireland arrangement that would have let them return was vetoed by the UK Foreign Secretary in June 2024, Fishing News reported. Ireland says it has never recognised UK sovereignty over Rockall or a territorial sea around it, and the Irish fishing sector puts the loss from squid access at almost EUR 8 million a year (Bord Iascaigh Mhara estimate).","location":{"name":"Rockall, 12-mile zone","type":"Disputed islet and fishing zone","sea":"NEATL","seas":["NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GB","IE"],"detail":"Rockall, an uninhabited islet about 400 km west of Donegal in the Atlantic, claimed by the UK; the 12 nautical mile zone is contested by Ireland.","coordinates":{"lat":57.596,"lon":-13.688,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A maritime jurisdiction dispute that determines fishing access.","secondary_drivers":["Post-Brexit fisheries access","Sovereignty claim over an uninhabited rock"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is documented in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Irish vessels targeting monkfish, squid and haddock are barred from the zone; Bord Iascaigh Mhara estimates almost EUR 8m a year in lost squid access (ref 1).","scale":"The dispute concerns one islet's surrounding zone (ref 1).","duration":"Irish boats barred since Brexit (ref 1), with Scotland's threat of enforcement action dating from June 2019 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The UK Foreign Secretary vetoed a bilateral deal in June 2024 (ref 1); no court or treaty ruling is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Estimated loss to Irish vessels from losing squid access is almost EUR 8m a year, per Bord Iascaigh Mhara as cited by Fishing News (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated annual loss from squid access","value":8,"unit":"million EUR","status":"Estimated","note":"'Almost EUR 8m' per BIM, as cited by Fishing News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Exclusion zone radius","value":12,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"Zone around Rockall (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Irish South and West Fish Producers' Organisation calls the veto 'absolutely scandalous' (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Exclusion has persisted since Brexit per the cited sources; no 2025 to 2026 source could be opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Irish Department of Foreign Affairs","role":"Negotiator for Ireland","contact":"https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/"},{"name":"Scottish Government","role":"Fisheries management in Scottish waters","contact":"https://www.gov.scot"},{"name":"UK Government (FCDO)","role":"Decision on a bilateral deal","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office"}],"public_contact":"Ministry general contact pages on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Ireland says an agreement remains a priority (ref 1).","Scottish Government said it is ready to re-engage with Ireland (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rockall deal vetoed by David Cameron","publisher":"Fishing News","date":"2024-06-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishingnews.co.uk/news/rockall-deal-vetoed-by-david-cameron/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Government rejects Scottish threat","publisher":"Newstalk","date":"2019-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newstalk.com/news/government-rejects-scottish-threat-868334","basis":"News (background, 2019)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rockall row erupts between Ireland and Scotland","publisher":"FiskerForum","date":"2019-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fiskerforum.com/rockall-row-erupts-between-ireland-and-scotland/","basis":"News (background, 2019)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (NEATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Rockall coordinates are the islet's commonly published position and are not taken from a cited page. Developments after June 2024 (reported Dail exchange of 26 February 2025) could not be opened: the sources were blocked (HTTP 403) so are not cited."],"related_ids":["OC-NEATL-NEATL-MACKEREL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-CHINA-SEALEVEL-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China's coastal sea level stood 72 mm above average in 2023, rising 4.0 mm a year since 1993","description":"China's 2023 Sea Level Bulletin reported coastal sea level 72 mm above the 1993 to 2011 average, with the Bohai 122 mm above, the Yellow Sea 74 mm and the East China Sea 43 mm. The rate of rise was 4.0 mm a year from 1993 to 2023, up from 3.5 mm a year over 1980 to 2023. The companion disaster bulletin recorded storm surge losses of about 2.48 billion yuan in 2023, 85% of the national marine disaster total in Fujian.","location":{"name":"China's Bohai, Yellow Sea and East China Sea coast","type":"National coastline","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Chinese coast from Liaoning to Fujian; the bulletin also covers the South China Sea, which is not part of this record.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Relative sea level rise and the storm surge, erosion and seawater intrusion it amplifies are physical coastal hazards.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Storm surge","Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Storm surges caused about 2.48 billion yuan in direct losses in 2023, seawater intrusion exceeded 6.8 km in monitored sections and sandy shores eroded by an average 2.7 m (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or displacement is reported in the cited coverage, only losses and warnings (ref 1).","scale":"The bulletin covers the whole national coastline, with Bohai 122 mm, Yellow Sea 74 mm and East China Sea 43 mm above normal (ref 1).","duration":"The rise has run at 3.5 mm a year since 1980 and 4.0 mm a year since 1993, and the 2021 bulletin projected a further 68 to 170 mm in 30 years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Ministry of Natural Resources issues the bulletin formally each year, a formal notice without enforcement action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2023 coastal sea level was 72 mm above the 1993 to 2011 average, with rises of 3.5 mm a year (1980 to 2023) and 4.0 mm a year (1993 to 2023) (People's Daily summary of the Ministry of Natural Resources bulletin)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coastal sea level above 1993-2011 average, 2023","value":72,"unit":"mm","status":"Reported","note":"National figure, 2023 China Sea Level Bulletin (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bohai Sea above normal, 2023","value":122,"unit":"mm","status":"Reported","note":"Tianjin 145 mm and Hebei 143 mm were the highest provinces (ref 1)."},{"name":"Yellow Sea above normal, 2023","value":74,"unit":"mm","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"East China Sea above normal, 2023","value":43,"unit":"mm","status":"Reported","note":"Shanghai and Fujian under 35 mm (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rate of rise 1993 to 2023","value":4,"unit":"mm/year","status":"Reported","note":"Against 3.5 mm a year for 1980 to 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Storm surge direct losses, 2023","value":2.48,"unit":"billion yuan","status":"Reported","note":"14 processes, 7 damaging; Fujian 2.12 billion yuan (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fujian bore about 2.12 billion yuan, 85% of national marine disaster losses in 2023 (ref 1).","Typhoon Doksuri's storm surge alone cost about 1.46 billion yuan (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The rate of rise increased from 3.5 mm a year (1980 to 2023) to 4.0 mm a year (1993 to 2023) (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Publishes the China Sea Level Bulletin and Marine Disaster Bulletin"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["People's Daily frames the bulletins around improving the monitoring system and response capacity for marine disasters (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Improve monitoring system, enhance response capacity (summary of the 2023 China Marine Disaster Bulletin and China Sea Level Bulletin)","publisher":"People's Daily","date":"2024-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2024-04/24/nw.D110000renmrb_20240424_1-14.htm","basis":"News report of agency bulletin (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"China's coastal areas face increasing risks from rising sea levels: Report","publisher":"China Daily via Asia News Network","date":"2022-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=44182","basis":"News (earlier bulletin, context)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2024 and 2025 sea level bulletins were not located; the figures are from the 2023 bulletin as summarised in the People's Daily, not the Ministry's own page."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-SHANGHAI-COMPOUNDFLOOD-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-SHANGHAI-COMPOUNDFLOOD-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Shanghai's typhoon flood extent could grow 80 percent by 2100 as the delta sinks and seas rise","description":"A December 2025 One Earth study modelling Shanghai finds the inundation extent of a 200-year typhoon event could grow by up to 80% by 2100. Land subsidence accounts for 34% of the increase, sea level rise 29% and more intense tropical storms 37%. The authors warn of a 'polder effect' if defences fail and say raised defences and mobile barriers are likely to be needed.","location":{"name":"Shanghai and the Yangtze delta coast","type":"Delta city and coast","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Shanghai municipality on the Yangtze estuary, East China Sea coast.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":31.2325,"lon":121.469,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Compound flooding from surge, rivers and rain is driven by sea level rise, subsidence and storm intensity.","secondary_drivers":["Land subsidence","Sea level rise","Intensifying typhoons"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The model projects a flood extent up to 80% larger for a 200-year event by 2100, a projected rather than documented harm (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The study documents no present closures or displacement in Shanghai (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The analysis covers one delta city and its floodplain (ref 2).","duration":"Subsidence and sea level rise are chronic, long-running pressures simulated to 2100 and tested against 10 historic typhoons over 75 years (ref 1).","significance":"This is a peer-reviewed projection with no regulatory notice or order attached (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The inundation extent of a 200-year compound flood event could grow by up to 80% by 2100, with 34% due to subsidence, 29% to sea level rise and 37% to stronger tropical storms (One Earth, December 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Increase in 200-year flood extent by 2100","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Upper bound across RCP2.6, 4.5 and 8.5 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share due to land subsidence","value":34,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 28 to 41% (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share due to sea level rise","value":29,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 20 to 37% (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share due to more intense tropical storms","value":37,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 26 to 44% (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Raising defences and building mobile flood barriers are expected to be the main response (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The projection is for rising flood risk to 2100 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Shanghai municipal flood-defence authorities","role":"Responsible for coastal and river flood defences (named generically in ref 1)"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Authors recommend layered defences rather than a single line (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Flood risks in delta cities like Shanghai are increasing, study finds","publisher":"University of Southampton","date":"2025-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2025/12/flood-risks-in-delta-cities-like-shanghai-are-increasing-study-finds.page","basis":"University press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Growing compound-flood risk, driven by both climate change and land subsidence, challenges flood risk reduction in major delta cities","publisher":"One Earth (Cell Press), via East China Normal University repository","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pure.ecnu.edu.cn/en/publications/growing-compound-flood-risk-driven-by-both-climate-change-and-lan/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Shanghai","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-CHINA-SEALEVEL-2023"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-KOREAWEST-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Winter acidification of Korea's west coast inshore waters drops aragonite saturation below 1 in places","description":"A 2025 study of shallow inshore waters of the southeastern Yellow Sea off South Korea found the aragonite saturation state averaged 1.6 in February, with some areas below 1. Spring to autumn values were 2.1 to 2.4. The authors say bivalves can be harmed at saturation between 1 and 2, so winter conditions are expected to harm calcifying organisms.","location":{"name":"Southeastern Yellow Sea inshore waters, Korea","type":"Shallow coastal waters (under 20 m)","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"South Korea west coast, shallow inshore waters of the southeastern Yellow Sea.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Carbonate chemistry of coastal water falls to levels that stress shell-forming animals.","secondary_drivers":["Reduced winter primary productivity","Riverine input"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"February aragonite saturation averaged 1.6 with some regions below 1, a range at which bivalves can be harmed, but no mortality is reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery restriction or farm loss is linked to the finding in the study summary (ref 1).","scale":"The seven surveys cover shallow inshore waters along the Korean west coast (ref 1).","duration":"The result rests on seven seasonal surveys over two years plus a nine-year neural-network trend analysis (ref 1).","significance":"This is a peer-reviewed study without any agency notice or standard being exceeded (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"February had the lowest average aragonite saturation state, at 1.6, with some regions dropping below 1 (Kim et al., Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Aragonite saturation state, February average","value":1.6,"unit":"Omega","status":"Reported","note":"Some regions below 1 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Aragonite saturation state, May to November","value":null,"unit":"Omega","status":"Reported","note":"Summer showed the highest variability (ref 1).","text":"2.1 to 2.4"}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Bivalves can be harmed at saturation between 1 and 2, which bears on shellfish farming in these waters (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A nine-year trend analysis was run but the summary gives no direction (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"Marine environment management"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The authors say the findings are a foundation for managing ocean acidification in Yellow Sea inshore waters (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ocean acidification in the shallow inshore waters of the southeastern Yellow Sea","publisher":"Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC) news, summarising Kim et al., Regional Studies in Marine Science, article 104356","date":"2025-07-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2025/07/22/ocean-acidification-in-the-shallow-inshore-waters-of-the-southeastern-yellow-sea/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study summary"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Only the OA-ICC summary was opened; the Elsevier article page did not load (redirect only)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","coordinates"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-KOREA-FARMHEAT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-CHANGJIANG-HYPOXIA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Summer hypoxia off the Yangtze estuary reached about 11,600 km2 in the 2020 flood year","description":"Studies of the East China Sea inner shelf find bottom hypoxia that expands when Changjiang (Yangtze) floods push nutrients farther offshore, reaching about 11,600 km2 with a minimum of 21 micromol/L oxygen in summer 2020. Modelling shows bottom water in the hypoxic zone losing about 1.2 mmol/m3 of oxygen a year, with river discharge explaining 73% of year-to-year variation. China's Ministry of Natural Resources lists estuarine hypoxia among the continuing marine ecological risks in its 2025 bulletin.","location":{"name":"Changjiang Estuary and Zhejiang coast shelf","type":"Seasonal hypoxic zone","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"East China Sea inner shelf off the Yangtze (Changjiang) estuary and the Zhejiang coast; the nutrient-fed dead zone at sea is in scope here, the river load is not.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"River nutrient loads fuel algal growth whose decay strips bottom oxygen at sea.","secondary_drivers":["Changjiang nutrient flux","River floods","Water-column stratification"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Severe bottom hypoxia covered up to about 11,600 km2 with a minimum oxygen of 21 micromol/L, below the 63 micromol/L hypoxia threshold (ref 3).","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources reports a fishery closure or loss tied to the hypoxic zone (refs 1 to 4).","scale":"The zone spans the inner shelf from the Changjiang estuary south along the Zhejiang coast (refs 3, 4).","duration":"Seasonal hypoxia recurs each summer, with oxygen declining about 1.2 mmol/m3 a year in the hypoxic zone (ref 2).","significance":"The Ministry of Natural Resources named estuarine hypoxia a continuing ecological risk in its formal 2025 monitoring bulletin (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Severe bottom hypoxia covered up to about 11,600 km2 on the East China Sea inner shelf in summer 2020, a year of one of the largest Changjiang water fluxes in three decades (One Ocean Science Congress 2025 abstract)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bottom hypoxia area, summer 2020 flood year","value":11600,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Up to about; sampling during the flood period (ref 3)."},{"name":"Minimum bottom dissolved oxygen, summer 2020","value":21,"unit":"micromol/L","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 3."},{"name":"Oxygen decline in hypoxic bottom water","value":1.2,"unit":"mmol/m3 per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Model estimate (ref 2)."},{"name":"Interannual variation explained by river discharge","value":73,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Model estimate (ref 2)."},{"name":"Changjiang nitrate flux, flood vs non-flood years","value":1.4,"unit":"x","status":"Reported","note":"Multi-year data (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited sources report no fishery or economic impact figures."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Bottom water in the hypoxic zone loses oxygen at about 1.2 mmol/m3 a year (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Marine ecological early warning and monitoring"},{"name":"Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China)","role":"Marine environment and river nutrient control"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The Ministry of Natural Resources runs early-warning monitoring of red tides, green tides and hypoxia (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ministry of Natural Resources releases the 2025 China Marine Ecological Early Warning and Monitoring Bulletin","publisher":"People's Daily Online (client)","date":"2026-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.peopleapp.com/column/30052341952-500007534704","basis":"News report of agency bulletin (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mechanisms controlling interannual variability of seasonal hypoxia off the Changjiang River Estuary (W. Zhang, Second Institute of Oceanography)","publisher":"XMAS 2025, Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences","date":"2025-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aconf.org/conf_198615/contribution/1482.html","basis":"Conference abstract"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hypoxia triggered by expanding river plume on the East China Sea inner shelf during flood years (D. Li et al.)","publisher":"One Ocean Science Congress 2025 (Copernicus Meetings)","date":"2025-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/OOS2025-552.html","basis":"Conference abstract"},{"ref":4,"title":"Changjiang and Kuroshio contributions to oxygen depletion on the Zhejiang Coast (H. Wu et al.)","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 10","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1285426/text","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ref 3 date is the abstract page's 'updated' date as shown in the search listing; the meeting was 3 to 6 June 2025."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-CHINA-COASTALNUTRIENTS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-YELLOWSEA-GREENTIDE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Yellow Sea green tides keep washing onto Shandong beaches and farms in 2024 and 2025","description":"Ulva prolifera green tides recur each summer in the Yellow Sea. Caixin reports a bloom of about 49,400 km2 and describes algae rolling ashore at Weihai and Rushan in July 2025, while Qingdao budgeted 84.8 million yuan for cleanup between mid-May and late July. China's Ministry of Natural Resources lists green tides among continuing marine ecological risks in its 2025 bulletin.","location":{"name":"Yellow Sea off Qingdao and Shandong Peninsula","type":"Algal bloom coast","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Yellow Sea blooms form off the Jiangsu coast in spring and drift north to the Shandong Peninsula (Qingdao, Weihai, Rushan, Yantai) by June and July.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":36.067,"lon":120.383,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient-fed macroalgal blooms smother coasts and mariculture and force clean-ups.","secondary_drivers":["Nutrient enrichment","Warm summer water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Caixin reports a sea cucumber farmer lost 100,000 yuan of seedlings in July 2025 and Rushan beach turned green overnight, but gives no mortality count (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Tourists left Rushan after two to three days of odour, and Qingdao's annual tourism cost is put at 1.2 to 2.1 billion yuan (ref 1).","scale":"The bloom covers tens of thousands of km2 of the Yellow Sea and reaches several Shandong coastal cities (ref 1).","duration":"Large blooms exceeded 50,000 km2 four times in 2019 to 2025 after five times in the 12 years before (ref 1).","significance":"The Ministry of Natural Resources publishes formal green tide monitoring and its 2025 bulletin lists the risk as continuing (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Yellow Sea algae bloom covered about 49,400 square kilometers, down from a record 61,900 square kilometers in 2021 (Caixin Global, 5 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Yellow Sea bloom area, as reported by Caixin","value":49400,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Caixin's body text dates this to 2024; its timeline says July 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Record Yellow Sea bloom area, 2021","value":61900,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Maximum green tide coverage in the Yellow Sea, 2023","value":998,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Distinct 'coverage' measure from the Marine Disaster Bulletin; larger and farther south than the 10-year average (ref 2)."},{"name":"Qingdao cleanup budget, mid-May to late July 2025","value":84.8,"unit":"million yuan","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Weihai tourism revenue was 70 billion yuan and Qingdao tourism is 10.6% of GDP in 2024, both exposed to beach closures (ref 1).","Nearly 1,000 Weihai sea cucumber farmers face repeated losses (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Bloom areas swung from 18,200 km2 in 2020 to a record 61,900 km2 in 2021 and 49,400 km2 more recently (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Green tide monitoring and early warning"},{"name":"Qingdao municipal government","role":"Beach clean-up"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Qingdao funded a 84.8 million yuan clean-up in 2025 (ref 1).","Jiangsu laver farming area fell from 115,316 to 50,755 acres since 2016, following the 2019 farming cuts (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"In Depth: Why 'Green Tides' Keep Rolling Into East China","publisher":"Caixin Global","date":"2025-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.caixinglobal.com/2025-09-05/in-depth-why-green-tides-keep-rolling-into-east-china-102359013.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Improve monitoring system, enhance response capacity (2023 China Marine Disaster Bulletin)","publisher":"People's Daily","date":"2024-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2024-04/24/nw.D110000renmrb_20240424_1-14.htm","basis":"News report of agency bulletin (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ministry of Natural Resources releases the 2025 China Marine Ecological Early Warning and Monitoring Bulletin","publisher":"People's Daily Online (client)","date":"2026-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.peopleapp.com/column/30052341952-500007534704","basis":"News report of agency bulletin (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Qingdao","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingdao","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Caixin gives 49,400 km2 as the 2024 bloom in its body text but 'as of July 2025' in its timeline; the Ministry's own 2024 and 2025 areas were not opened."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-CHINA-COASTALNUTRIENTS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-CHINA-COASTALNUTRIENTS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Nitrogen and phosphorus keep Yangtze estuary, Hangzhou Bay and Bohai bays above Grade IV","description":"China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment has said heavy eutrophication and worse-than-Grade-IV water persist in Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, Laizhou Bay, the Yangtze Estuary and Hangzhou Bay, mainly from inorganic nitrogen and active phosphate. A 2026 review of the 2025 report says the East China Sea had the most sea area worse than Grade I at 33,500 km2, while national Grade IV+ coastal water fell from 8.6% to 8.0%. Fujian reported 94.8% of its nearshore waters free of eutrophication in 2025.","location":{"name":"Bohai bays, Yangtze estuary and Hangzhou Bay","type":"Eutrophic estuaries and bays","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Chinese coastal waters from Liaodong Bay to Fujian, with the worst water at the Yangtze Estuary-Hangzhou Bay and Bohai bays.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nitrogen and phosphorus loads degrade coastal water quality and drive blooms.","secondary_drivers":["Inorganic nitrogen","Active phosphate","Sewage outfalls"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Water worse than Grade IV with inorganic nitrogen and active phosphate above the standard was recorded in Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, Laizhou Bay, the Yangtze Estuary and Hangzhou Bay (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no closures or fishery losses from the eutrophication itself (refs 1 to 3).","scale":"The East China Sea had 33,500 km2 of water worse than Grade I and the Bohai 7,030 km2 in 2025 (ref 2).","duration":"National Grade IV+ coastal water has persisted for years, at 8.6% in 2024 and 8.0% in 2025 (ref 2).","significance":"The Ministry publishes formal annual grades and its 2025 bulletin flags continuing eutrophication in some sea areas (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"China's coastal waters rated Excellent/Good (Grade I-II) rose from 83.7% in 2024 to 84.9% in 2025, while Grade IV+ fell from 8.6% to 8.0% (CWR review of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's 2025 report)."},"measures":[{"name":"East China Sea area worse than Grade I, 2025","value":33500,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Most of the four seas (ref 2)."},{"name":"Bohai Sea area worse than Grade I, 2025","value":7030,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Least of the four seas (ref 2)."},{"name":"Coastal waters Grade IV+, 2025","value":8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 8.6% in 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fujian nearshore waters without eutrophication, 2025","value":94.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Up 2 points on 2024 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Red tides in Fujian in 2025 caused no reported fishery losses (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Grade I-II coastal water rose 1.2 points and Grade IV+ fell to 8.0% in 2025 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China)","role":"Marine water quality and outfall remediation"},{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Ecological early warning and monitoring"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Outfall remediation: about 88% complete for the Bohai in 2023 and a Yangtze Estuary-Hangzhou Bay survey preliminarily done (ref 1).","Beautiful Bay programme: 74 bays built by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ministry of Ecology and Environment: coastal waters still have worse-than-Grade-IV water, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus exceedances","publisher":"Jiemian News","date":"2023-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jiemian.com/article/9997052.html","basis":"News (Chinese-language, 2022 data; before the window, context)"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 State of Ecology & Environment - Marine","publisher":"China Water Risk (CWR)","date":"2026-06-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cwrrr.org/resources/analysis-reviews/2025-state-of-ecology-environment-marine/","basis":"NGO review of agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ministry of Natural Resources releases the 2025 China Marine Ecological Early Warning and Monitoring Bulletin","publisher":"People's Daily Online (client)","date":"2026-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.peopleapp.com/column/30052341952-500007534704","basis":"News report of agency bulletin (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fujian reports fewest red tide incidents in 2025","publisher":"China Daily via Fujian provincial government","date":"2026-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fujian.gov.cn/english/news/202606/t20260610_7161548.htm","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Ministry of Ecology and Environment's 2025 report was not opened; Yellow Sea and East China Sea figures come from the CWR review, whose text is internally inconsistent on the Yellow Sea change, so no Yellow Sea figure is used."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","coordinates"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-YELLOWSEA-GREENTIDE-2025","OC-ECS-CHANGJIANG-HYPOXIA-2025","OC-ECS-CHINA-OFFSHOREFARMS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-KAOHSIUNG-NURDLES-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic nurdles found on Kaohsiung beaches near the Linyuan petrochemical zone, 2024","description":"A Greenpeace-led study with two Taiwanese universities sampled beaches near the Linyuan Petrochemical Industrial Park in Kaohsiung on 10 August and 27 September 2024. Linyuan Zhongmen Beach had 86.23 and 96.63 nurdles per kilogram of sediment in the two rounds, and a drainage outlet on the Gaoping River bank had 31.17. The study does not attribute the pellets to a named company, and Greenpeace asked for more sampling and a policy review.","location":{"name":"Linyuan and Cijin beaches, Kaohsiung","type":"Beach near a petrochemical zone","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW"],"detail":"Southwest Taiwan coast, Kaohsiung (Linyuan, Cijin) at the southern end of the Taiwan Strait.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":22.5,"lon":120.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic pellets from industrial supply chains accumulate in beach sediment as marine debris.","secondary_drivers":["Industrial plastic pellet loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Nurdle counts reached 96.63 per kg of sediment at Zhongmen Beach, a presence of pellets with no mortality or standard exceedance reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or fishing restriction is reported in the study release or the later government coverage (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Sampling covered four beaches and one river outlet, 124 samples in all (ref 1).","duration":"Two sampling rounds, in August and September 2024, show pellets present over at least two months (ref 1).","significance":"This is an NGO and university study with no official notice, listing or enforcement (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Linyuan Zhongmen Beach recorded 86.23 nurdles per kg of sediment in August 2024 and 96.63 in September, the highest of the sites (Greenpeace East Asia, 28 October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nurdles per kg sediment, Zhongmen Beach, August 2024","value":86.23,"unit":"per kg","status":"Reported","note":"First sampling round, 10 August (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nurdles per kg sediment, Zhongmen Beach, September 2024","value":96.63,"unit":"per kg","status":"Reported","note":"Second round, 27 September (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nurdles per kg sediment, Gaoping River north-bank outlet","value":31.17,"unit":"per kg","status":"Reported","note":"Highest river site; none on the south bank (ref 1)."},{"name":"Samples analysed","value":124,"unit":"samples","status":"Reported","note":"55 in August and 69 in September (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Taiwan's first systematic nurdle study; two rounds only (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ocean Affairs Council (Taiwan)","role":"Marine policy and microplastics strategy"},{"name":"Ocean Conservation Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Marine debris clean-up and recycling alliance"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council and Ministry of Environment announced a 'land-sea' microplastics strategy in May 2026; 6,665 fishing vessels and 6,089 volunteer divers removed over 19,000 tonnes of debris in 2020 to 2025 (ref 2).","Greenpeace urged more nurdle surveys and a review of petrochemical policy (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Greenpeace publishes Taiwan's first systematic research on plastic nurdle pollution","publisher":"Greenpeace East Asia","date":"2024-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/press/8667/greenpeace-publishes-taiwans-first-systematic-research-on-plastic-nurdle-pollution/","basis":"NGO study with university partners"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taiwan ramps up microplastic controls with 'land-sea' strategy","publisher":"Eco-Business","date":"2026-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eco-business.com/zh-hans/news/taiwan-ramps-up-microplastic-controls-with-land-sea-strategy/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Linyuan District","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linyuan_District","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-ECS-TAEAN-ISLANDDEBRIS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic debris blankets Yellow Sea islands off Taean, Korea, in 2026 surveys","description":"Kyunghyang Shinmun reports Korean surveys counting 19,701 marine debris items on the island of Gauido by August 2026, including 6,527 plastic bottles. Across 19 Taean beaches, April to August surveys found 47,055 items, and uninhabited Hwachangdo rose from 481 items in April to 1,309 in August. The park office says foreign-made plastic buoys are about 10% of Gauido's debris and that debris is also dumped from large passing vessels.","location":{"name":"Gauido, Hwachangdo and Taean beaches","type":"Island and beach debris sites","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"Taean Coast National Park, South Chungcheong Province, Korean Yellow Sea coast.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":36.756,"lon":126.298,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Floating plastic and fishing gear lands on a national park coast.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear and buoys","Vessel dumping","Foreign-origin debris"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Surveys counted 19,701 debris items on Gauido and 47,055 across 19 Taean beaches, with PET bottles about 20 to 33% by count, but no animal or health harm is reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or fishing restriction is reported; a resident says the seabed is still clean (ref 1).","scale":"The monitored sites are islands and beaches in a single national park area (ref 1).","duration":"Counts were taken monthly from April to August 2026 and national collection rose from 120,736 t to 144,615 t (ref 1).","significance":"The park office reports monitoring data but no notice or order is mentioned (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"19,701 marine debris items were identified on Gauido as of August 2026, with 6,527 plastic bottles making up 33.1% (Kyunghyang Shinmun, 20 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine debris items on Gauido, to August 2026","value":19701,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"6,527 plastic bottles, 33.1% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Items on 19 Taean beaches, April to August 2026 (excluding May)","value":47055,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"PET bottles 9,351; processed lumber 35 t by weight (ref 1)."},{"name":"Items on Hwachangdo, April to August 2026","value":1309,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 481 items in April (ref 1)."},{"name":"National marine waste collected, last year","value":144615,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 120,736 t in 2021 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One 2026 monitoring season; the Hwachangdo count rose between April and August (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Taean Coast National Park Office","role":"Park management and debris monitoring"},{"name":"Korea National Park Service","role":"National parks agency"},{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries","role":"Marine debris collection"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Drone and AI monitoring now covers 22 locations and about 30 km of coast (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Plastic waste blankets a remote island in the Yellow Sea... Where did it all come from","publisher":"Kyunghyang Shinmun (English edition)","date":"2026-09-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202609201826007","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taean County","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taean_County","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Coordinates are the Taean County centre; the individual islands' coordinates were not opened."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-KOREA-GHOSTGEAR-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-KOREA-GHOSTGEAR-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Korean ghost fishing gear losses reach 456.6 billion won as entanglements rise to 535","description":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries figures reported in September 2026 show discarded fishing gear collected rising 22.3% to 5,249 tonnes in 2025, while ghost fishing losses were estimated at 456.6 billion won, about 10% of fishery production value. Vessel entanglements with floating debris rose from 336 in 2021 to 535. A ministry official says illegal dumping is hard to catch at sea.","location":{"name":"Korean coastal waters","type":"National marine debris and ghost gear","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS","JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"South Korea national waters across the West, South and East coasts; the ministry figures are not split by sea.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Lost and dumped nets and traps are plastic debris that keeps catching marine life and fouling vessels.","secondary_drivers":["Lost and abandoned fishing gear","Illegal dumping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"535 vessel entanglement incidents with floating debris were recorded in 2025, up 14.6%, and the debris is plastic gear that keeps ghost fishing (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Ghost fishing losses of 456.6 billion won amount to about 10% of the 4.5656 trillion won fishery production value (ref 1).","scale":"The figures are national, covering Korean waters on all three coasts (ref 1).","duration":"Losses ran 404.3 to 456.6 billion won each year from 2021 to 2025 and entanglements rose from 336 to 535 (ref 1).","significance":"The data are ministry statistics supplied to a lawmaker, not a notice or order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ghost fishing losses were estimated at 456.6 billion won, about 10% of the 4.5656 trillion won fishery production value (Kyunghyang Shinmun, 29 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Discarded fishing gear collected, 2025","value":5249,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Up 22.3% from 4,292 t in 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ghost fishing losses, latest year","value":456.6,"unit":"billion won","status":"Reported","note":"Article says 'last year'; likely 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessel entanglements with floating debris, 2025","value":535,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"Up 14.6% from 467 in 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Total marine debris, 2024","value":115083,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 183,758 t in 2023 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Ghost fishing is estimated to cost about 10% of fishery production value (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Entanglements rose from 336 in 2021 to 535 and losses from 415.0 to 456.6 billion won (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries","role":"Marine debris policy"},{"name":"Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation","role":"Surveys and debris collection"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Fishers voluntarily submitted 2,053 t of gear in 2025 and 3,196 t was collected at sea (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Discarded nets, trap pots under the sea 'piled up': 456.6 billion won in ghost fishing losses","publisher":"Kyunghyang Shinmun (English edition)","date":"2026-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202609291459017","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["population_affected","coordinates"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-KOREA-COASTALCATCH-2025","OC-ECS-TAEAN-ISLANDDEBRIS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-PENGHU-HAISHUN-OILSPILL-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cargo ship Haishun grounds at Penghu and spills about 20 tonnes of diesel, December 2023","description":"The 31-year-old Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Haishun (reported as Hai Shou) lost power in a storm after leaving Taichung and grounded off Penghu on 17 December 2023 with a hull breach. About 20 tonnes of diesel leaked and 300 m of shoreline was oiled. Nine crew were rescued, six by helicopter, and Taiwan's government said it would seek cleanup costs from the owner.","location":{"name":"North shore of Magong, Penghu","type":"Grounding and fuel spill site","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW"],"detail":"Taiwan Strait, off Houliao Beach on the north shore of Magong Island, Penghu County; the ship drifted from the Jibei Island area.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":23.567,"lon":119.583,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Ship fuel spilled onto a coast after a grounding.","secondary_drivers":["Ship grounding","Storm"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 20 tonnes of diesel leaked from the grounded ship and oiled roughly 300 m of shoreline, including a coastal reef (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No beach or fishery closure is mentioned in either report (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The spill affected a short stretch of one island's north shore (ref 2).","duration":"The incident unfolded over days, from the 16 December distress call to booming on 19 December (ref 2).","significance":"The government announced it will seek compensation from the Cameroon-based owner, a formal step (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 20 tonnes of diesel fuel leaked and about 300 m of coastline was affected (Taiwan News, 21 December 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Diesel spilled","value":20,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimated by reports, 2023 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Shoreline affected","value":300,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Crew rescued","value":9,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Six hoisted by helicopter (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Cleanup, rescue and towing costs to be claimed from the ship's owner (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The latest cited report is from 21 December 2023; no completion report was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ocean Conservation Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Pollution cleanup"},{"name":"Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Rescue, towing and booms"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Booms and absorbent material placed on the coastal reef; the damaged ship was towed to Magong Commercial Port (refs 1, 2).","The government will seek compensation from the owner (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taiwan rescues crew and works to contain oil leak from grounded cargo ship","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2023-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/taiwan-rescues-crew-and-works-to-contain-oil-leak-from-grounded-cargo-ship","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cargo vessel runs aground near Penghu, Taiwan","publisher":"Taiwan News","date":"2023-12-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5063804","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Magong","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magong","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The ship is called Hai Shou in the Maritime Executive and Haishun in Taiwan News; the Maritime Executive places the grounding on Jibei Island, Taiwan News off Magong's north shore."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-YEHLIU-YUZHOUQIHANG-2024"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-YEHLIU-YUZHOUQIHANG-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Freighter Yuzhou Qihang aground at Yehliu for 322 days with 290 tonnes of fuel, no pollution detected","description":"The China-flagged freighter Yuzhou Qihang lost control in the outer circulation of Typhoon Kong-rey and grounded at Yehliu Cape on Taiwan's north coast on 29 to 31 October 2024, carrying about 290 tonnes of fuel and lubricating oil. Responders pumped out 284.79 tonnes by 14 January 2025, and the ship was unloaded and refloated on 14 September 2025 with no detectable mineral oil in water samples. It is to be towed to South Korea for dismantling.","location":{"name":"Yehliu Cape, New Taipei City","type":"Ship grounding site","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW"],"detail":"North coast of Taiwan near Yehliu Geopark, about 5.4 nautical miles northwest of Keelung Port, East China Sea.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":25.2131,"lon":121.698,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A grounded freighter put heavy fuel at risk of fouling a sensitive coast, and the response prevented a spill.","secondary_drivers":["Ship grounding","Typhoon"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 290 t of fuel and lubricating oil threatened the north coast, but sampling at five sites found no detectable mineral oil (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Booms were staged at fishing ports and near the Second Nuclear Power Plant, and no closure is reported (ref 2).","scale":"The risk was confined to one headland and its nearby waters (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The ship stayed aground for 322 days, from 29 October 2024 to 14 September 2025 (ref 2).","significance":"The Maritime and Port Bureau set up an emergency response centre and held the owner and insurer responsible under Taiwan regulations (ref 2)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The ship was aground for 322 days, 284.79 tonnes of residual oil were pumped out by 14 January 2025 and water sampling found no detectable mineral oil (Taiwan News, 17 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel and lubricating oil aboard","value":290,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Including 43 t of light oil (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Residual oil removed","value":284.79,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Completed 14 January 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Days aground","value":322,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"29 October 2024 to 14 September 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Oil removal completed in January 2025 and the ship was refloated in September 2025 with no pollution (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Maritime and Port Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Taiwan)","role":"Emergency response centre and salvage oversight"},{"name":"Ocean Conservation Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Marine pollution response"},{"name":"Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Site security and monitoring"}],"public_contact":"Not listed in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Oil removed by dynamically positioned engineering vessels, with 314 oil-spread simulations and 64 satellite monitoring sessions (refs 1, 2).","Cargo unloading and refloating completed 14 September 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China cargo ship runs aground at Yehliu; oil removal expected to begin November 10","publisher":"Central News Agency (CNA, Taiwan)","date":"2024-11-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/202411080183.aspx","basis":"News (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Yuzhou ship aground for nearly a year causes no pollution; cross-agency response completes removal","publisher":"Taiwan News (Chinese edition)","date":"2025-09-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/zh/news/6202002","basis":"News (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Yehliu Geopark","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yehliu_Geopark","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":3,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"CNA gives 247 t of heavy oil plus 43 t of light oil as 290 t in total; Taiwan News gives about 290 t of fuel and lubricating oil."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-PENGHU-HAISHUN-OILSPILL-2023"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-KOREA-FARMHEAT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Korean fish farms lose a record 143 billion won to heat in 2024 and face repeat die-offs in 2025 and 2026","description":"Korea's National Institute of Fisheries Science put 2024 aquaculture losses from extended extreme sea temperatures at 143 billion won, the largest since records began, and farms in South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang reported millions of dead fish. High-temperature die-offs recurred in 2025 and again in summer 2026, when 360,707 farmed fish had been reported dead nationwide by early August, about five times the same point in 2025, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries raised its high-water-temperature alert to the top level. The ministry is distributing liquid oxygen systems, urging early harvest and moving some farms to cooler sites. Korean aquaculture losses from the 2024 heat reached a record 143 billion won, including 25.82 million fish and shellfish dead on South Jeolla farms alone. Heat advisories came earlier in 2025, and by 4 September 2026 a further 13.533 million farmed fish had died at 455 farms as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries raised its high-temperature disaster alert. The Korea Meteorological Administration reports marine heatwave days around Korea at 83.3 a year over the past decade against 22.6 on the long-term average.","location":{"name":"Korean fish-farming coasts","type":"Marine fish-farming coast","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS","JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"Cage and land-based farms along South Korea's south coast (South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang), Jeju and the west coast (Cheonsu Bay, South Chungcheong)","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":34.833,"lon":128.417,"precision":"city","source_ref":10}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-driven mass mortality of farmed fish and shellfish.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Low dissolved oxygen in warm water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"South Jeolla farms reported 25.82 million fish and shellfish dead in 2024 and South Gyeongsang's south coast a record 17.19 million (ref 1); 360,707 farmed fish were reported dead nationwide by 3 August 2026 (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The Korea Maritime Institute reported rockfish shipments down 17.5% year on year in July 2025 and farm prices up 9.2% to 55.6% (ref 2); farmers are being told to harvest early or suspend feeding (ref 3); no farm closure figure is given.","scale":"Die-offs were reported in several provinces from Jeju to the west coast, a national coastline rather than one bay (refs 1, 3, 5).","duration":"Losses are documented for 2024, 2025 and 2026; water at 28 C or above lasted 71 days from 24 July to 2 October 2024 (ref 7) and the pattern returned in 2026 (ref 3).","significance":"The ministry raised its high-water-temperature disaster alert to 'Serious Level I' in 2026 (ref 3) and had set up an emergency response headquarters under its 2025 measures (ref 6)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Aquaculture losses from extreme sea temperatures reached 143 billion won in 2024, the largest since statistics began (NIFS, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily)."},"measures":[{"name":"National aquaculture loss from heat, 2024","value":143,"unit":"billion KRW","status":"Reported","note":"NIFS climate-impact report, reported 25 August 2025 (ref 2); rockfish 58.3 and flounder 9.9 billion won."},{"name":"Fish and shellfish dead at South Jeolla farms, 2024","value":25820000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"990 farms in 10 cities and counties, losses 57.4 billion won (ref 1)."},{"name":"Farmed fish reported dead nationwide, 2026 to 3 August","value":360707,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"5.1 times the 70,917 recorded at the same point in 2025 (Herald, ref 3)."},{"name":"Cumulative farmed fish dead in South Gyeongsang, to 21 August 2026","value":798000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Provincial government figure, 28 farms in Namhae, Hadong and Tongyeong (ref 4)."},{"name":"Days at or above 28 C in 2024","value":71,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"24 July to 2 October 2024, longest since the special weather report system began in 2017 (ref 7)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Rockfish farm prices were 9.2% to 55.6% higher in July 2025 than a year earlier (ref 2).","Wholesale flounder prices rose 72% from 2019 to 2025 (Korea Maritime Institute, ref 3).","Farmed rockfish wholesale price was up 60% year on year in February 2025 (ref 7)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"2026 deaths to early August were 5.1 times the 2025 level at the same date (ref 3); warnings came about two weeks earlier in 2025 than in 2024 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"Issues temperature advisories and warnings; coordinates response","contact":null},{"name":"National Institute of Fisheries Science (Korea)","role":"Loss assessment and sea-temperature forecasts","contact":null},{"name":"Korea Maritime Institute","role":"Shipment and price outlook","contact":null},{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries","role":"Fisheries and aquaculture ministry; high-temperature alerts and relief"},{"name":"National Institute of Fisheries Science","role":"Fisheries science agency; temperature monitoring"},{"name":"Korea Meteorological Administration","role":"Marine heatwave statistics"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Liquid oxygen supply devices were delivered to farms from February 2025, three months earlier than in 2024 (ref 6).","Disaster insurance now covers 30 species, including whiteleg shrimp and yellowtail (ref 6).","South Chungcheong designated Wolhajang, a cooler channel site in Boryeong, as a temporary summer refuge, the first on the west coast (ref 5).","The ministry supports relocating shallow-water farms and shifting to species suited to warmer water (ref 2).","Regional high-temperature advisories raised to level 2 in July 2025 and Serious Level I in August 2026 (refs 1, 4).","Emergency response teams, oxygen supply equipment and real-time temperature data for farms (ref 1).","Farmers urged to bring harvests forward and release stock in emergencies (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Unprecedented marine heat waves fuel fishery disaster in Korea","publisher":"The Korea Times","date":"2025-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/southkorea/environment-animals/20250704/unprecedented-marine-heat-waves-fuel-fishery-disaster-in-korea","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Koreans face rising prices for flounder, rockfish due to shrinking supplies from warmer seas","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2025-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/business/koreans-face-rising-prices-for-flounder-rockfish-due-to-shrinking-supplies-from-warmer-seas/12336180","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mass die-offs at fish farms push up flounder prices as seas warm","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10832042","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Despite Cheoseo, heat wave continues: high water temperatures in South Gyeongsang kill nearly 800,000 farmed fish","publisher":"NoCut News (English)","date":"2026-08-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.nocutnews.co.kr/news/6566545","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Mass die-offs of farmed fish in Cheonsuman in summer: the heat refuge 'Wolhajang' emerges","publisher":"The Kyunghyang Shinmun","date":"2026-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202608032339027","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries launches comprehensive measures to prevent damage from 'high temperature and red tide' in fish farms","publisher":"Financial News (fnnews)","date":"2025-05-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.fnnews.com/news/202505291303541708","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Prices of farmed fishery products including Koreans' favorite rockfish and halibut soar","publisher":"The Kyunghyang Shinmun","date":"2025-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202503041735597/amp","basis":"News (Korean)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Sea-ing red: Marine heat wave days nearly quadruple, 4.8 million fish dead","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/seaing-rednbspmarine-heat-waves-surge-37fold-kill-48-million-fish/12845959","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Korea's aquaculture takes full blow of climate change","publisher":"The Korea Times (from Hankookilbo)","date":"2026-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/20260915/koreas-aquaculture-takes-full-blow-of-climate-change","basis":"News"},{"ref":10,"title":"Tongyeong","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongyeong","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Korea Times (ref 1) dates the national loss record to 2012 and JoongAng Daily (ref 2) to 2011; both give 143 billion won for 2024."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-ECS-KOREA-HEATWAVE-AQUACULTURE-2024 (Marine heatwaves cause record die-offs at Korean fish farms from 2024 to 2026): climate group filed the same heat die-offs at Korean fish farms"}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-KOREA-COASTALCATCH-2025","OC-ECS-KOREAWEST-ACIDIFICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-KOREA-COASTALCATCH-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Korea's coastal catch has fallen about 40% since the 1980s and squid landings to a tenth of their peak as seas warm","description":"The Korean government reports that coastal fish catch fell from 1.51 million tonnes in the 1980s to about 910,000 tonnes over the past four years, and a National Institute of Fisheries Science study shows common squid catch dropping from a peak near 250,000 tonnes in 1996 to roughly 23,000 tonnes in 2023. Korean waters warmed 1.60 C from 1968 to 2025, more than double the global rise. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is widening total allowable catch limits to 19 species from July 2026 and plans to cover all coastal and offshore fisheries by July 2030.","location":{"name":"Korean coastal fisheries","type":"National coastal fishery","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS","JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"Coastal and offshore fisheries off South Korea's west, south and east coasts; the squid and anchovy grounds span the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and Sea of Japan","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Declining catches of coastal and squid stocks linked by Korean authorities to warming and fishing pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-surface warming","Distribution shifts of target species"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Coastal catch fell from 1.51 million tonnes in the 1980s to 910,000 tonnes over four years (ref 1) and squid catch from about 250,000 tonnes in 1996 to about 23,000 tonnes in 2023 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The 2026 TAC plan puts anchovy, squid and hairtail under vessel-level allocations with sanctions for exceeding them (ref 3) and the fisheries plan decommissions low-productivity vessels (ref 4).","scale":"The figures are national coastal and offshore catches, a national coastline rather than a single stock (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The coastal decline spans four decades (ref 1), the squid decline since the mid-1990s with a sharp drop in 2015 (ref 2).","significance":"The ministry published the 2026-2027 TAC implementation plan covering 19 species and 623,079 tonnes (ref 3) and a five-year Basic Plan with a 4 million tonne output target (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Coastal fish catch fell from 1.51 million tonnes in the 1980s to 910,000 tonnes over the past four years (Korea Times, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coastal fish catch, 1980s","value":1510000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Korea Times (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastal fish catch, past four years","value":910000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Korea Times, July 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Common squid catch, 2023","value":23000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Peak about 250,000 tonnes in 1996; NIFS study in Frontiers in Marine Science (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sea-surface temperature rise, Korean waters 1968-2025","value":1.6,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Herald Business, citing long-term records (ref 5)."},{"name":"2026-2027 total allowable catch","value":623079,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"19 species and 23 fishery types (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Annual fisheries losses could reach 4.5 trillion won with over 30,000 jobs at risk by 2030 (projection reported in ref 1).","The Basic Plan targets a rise in per-vessel output value from about 110 million won to 600-700 million won through fleet reduction (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Korean waters averaged 17.17 C in January to June 2026, the highest on record (ref 5); catch history shows no recovery in the sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"Fisheries policy, TAC system and vessel reduction","contact":null},{"name":"National Institute of Fisheries Science (Korea)","role":"Stock and climate research","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["From 1 July 2026 croaker is added to the TAC system and squid and yellow croaker limits extend to large trawl fisheries (ref 3).","TAC is to cover all coastal and offshore fisheries from July 2030 (ref 3).","The Third Basic Plan introduces a minimum essential fleet and intensifies decommissioning of low-productivity vessels (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Unprecedented marine heat waves fuel fishery disaster in Korea","publisher":"The Korea Times","date":"2025-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/southkorea/environment-animals/20250704/unprecedented-marine-heat-waves-fuel-fishery-disaster-in-korea","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Forecasting the spatial variation of optimal sea surface temperature for common squid (Todarodes pacificus) in the Korean jigging fishery","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (National Institute of Fisheries Science authors)","date":"2025-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1610859/abstract","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"South Korea sets annual catch limit for croaker, expands quota system to 19 species","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mbiz.heraldcorp.com/article/10792236","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"'Turning crisis into opportunity': South Korea sets roadmap to boost seafood production to 4m tonnes by 2030","publisher":"AgriTech/AgNavigator","date":"2026-02-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.agnavigator.com/Article/2026/02/04/south-korea-sets-roadmap-to-boost-seafood-production-to-4m-tonnes-by-2030","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Mass die-offs at fish farms push up flounder prices as seas warm","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10832042","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Korea Times (ref 1) reports Korean waters warming 1.58 C over 57 years; the Herald (ref 5) reports 1.60 C for 1968 to 2025. The record uses the later figure."}],"missing_fields":["The sources do not give stock-level biomass against reference points for anchovy, hairtail or yellow croaker; the squid fishery spans more than one sea."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-KOREA-FARMHEAT-2025","OC-ECS-KOREA-GHOSTGEAR-2025","OC-ECS-WESTSEA-CHINABOATS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-CHINA-FISHBAN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China's four-month summer fishing ban covers the Bohai, Yellow and East China Seas as stocks stay under pressure","description":"China's agriculture ministry, public security ministry and coast guard ran a special enforcement operation from 1 May to 16 September 2025 under the annual summer fishing moratorium, which covers nearly 120,000 vessels in 11 coastal provinces. More than 4,000 vessels sailed for the East China Sea when it ended. Official figures cited by a Chinese think tank say the share of stocks within biologically sustainable levels fell from 90% in 1974 to 64.6% in 2019, and the 2024 campaign investigated 9,770 violations.","location":{"name":"Bohai, Yellow and East China Sea fisheries","type":"Seasonal fishery closure area","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS","SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Chinese waters of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea; the same moratorium also covers the South China Sea north of 12 N","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Seasonal closure and enforcement to rebuild depleted fish stocks.","secondary_drivers":["Overcapacity","Illegal fishing during closures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The share of Chinese fish stocks within sustainable levels fell from 90% in 1974 to 64.6% in 2019 (ref 2); the figure is national and the sources give no East China Sea stock assessment.","livelihoods":"The ban idles nearly 120,000 vessels in 11 provinces for three to four and a half months (ref 2), with more than 4,000 vessels leaving port when the East China Sea closure ended on 16 September 2025 (ref 1).","scale":"The closure covers three seas of the region plus the northern South China Sea (ref 3).","duration":"The moratorium has run annually since 1995 in the Yellow, Bohai and East China Seas (ref 2).","significance":"A joint operation by three national agencies enforced the ban from 1 May to 16 September 2025 (ref 3), and Fujian alone logged 219 illegal fishing cases during the ban (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Share of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels fell from 90% in 1974 to 64.6% in 2019 (China, as cited by SCSPI)."},"measures":[{"name":"Stocks within biologically sustainable levels, 2019","value":64.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"90% in 1974; national figure cited in ref 2."},{"name":"Vessels covered by the moratorium","value":120000,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly 120,000 in 11 coastal provinces (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Moratorium violations investigated, 2024 campaign","value":9770,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"1,176 cases referred for judicial processing (ref 2)."},{"name":"Illegal fishing cases in Fujian during the 2025 ban","value":219,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"Fujian marine ecological report released 8 June 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Vessels sailing for the East China Sea at reopening","value":4000,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"More than 4,000, 16 September 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers were expected to land ribbonfish, small yellow croaker and squid after reopening (ref 1).","The commentary says enforcement against some foreign vessels has not matched that against domestic ones (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The sources give qualitative claims of recovery for some species but no stock figures after 2019 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (China)","role":"Fisheries management and moratorium","contact":null},{"name":"China Coast Guard","role":"Enforcement at sea","contact":null},{"name":"Ministry of Public Security (China)","role":"Joint enforcement","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Joint special enforcement operation from 1 May to 16 September 2025 (ref 3).","Specially licensed vessels such as trawlers and cage boats were allowed out from 5 August 2025 (ref 1).","Maritime departments in Zhejiang, Shanghai, Fujian and Jiangsu deployed 81 patrol boats, 38 aircraft and over 700 officers (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Vessels set sail as summer fishing moratorium ends on East China Sea","publisher":"Xinhua via China Daily","date":"2025-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/16/WS68c921b3a3108622abca10ee.html","basis":"News (state media)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Three Decades, One Commitment: China's Steadfast Journey in Marine Summer Fishing Moratorium","publisher":"South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI)","date":"2025-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.scspi.org/en/node/702","basis":"Think-tank commentary (state-affiliated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Three Decades, One Commitment: China's Steadfast Journey in Marine Summer Fishing Moratorium","publisher":"ECNS (China News Service)","date":"2025-11-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ecns.cn/news/cns-wire/2025-11-03/detail-ihewptuu3026112.shtml","basis":"News (state media)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fujian reports fewest red tide incidents in 2025","publisher":"China Daily (Fujian government site)","date":"2026-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fj.gov.cn/english/news/202606/t20260610_7161548.htm","basis":"News (provincial government site)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Refs 2 and 3 are the same commentary republished; the stock-status and violation figures come from it, not from an official release opened here."}],"missing_fields":["No Yellow Sea or East China Sea stock assessment (hairtail, small yellow croaker) was found on an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-WESTSEA-CHINABOATS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-WESTSEA-CHINABOATS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Korea seized 57 and expelled 1,087 Chinese fishing boats in 2025 and keeps crackdowns going in the Yellow Sea","description":"Korea Coast Guard says it seized 57 Chinese fishing vessels and expelled 1,087 in 2025, with about 600 Chinese vessels present daily in the West Sea and the Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone and about 500 more in permitted zones. It ran a seven-day crackdown from 27 January to 2 February 2026 and, in the autumn 2026 crab season run-up, seized eight boats and drove away 24 near the Northern Limit Line. The cases concern boats fishing without licences or in breach of rules, not Chinese fishing in general.","location":{"name":"West Sea EEZ and Provisional Measures Zone","type":"Fishing grounds and maritime boundary zone","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR","CN"],"detail":"Korean waters of the Yellow Sea (West Sea) off Jeolla and the Northern Limit Line area, plus the Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Enforcement against unlicensed and rule-breaking foreign fishing in a shared fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Unlicensed trawling","Fishing in a contested boundary area"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Coast Guard targets unlicensed trawl-net vessels, which risk stock harm, but the sources give no catch or stock figure (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No loss to Korean fishers is quantified; the 2026 operation was timed ahead of the fall blue crab season (ref 2).","scale":"Roughly 1,100 Chinese vessels are present daily across the West Sea, the PMZ and permitted zones (ref 1), a regional sea fishery.","duration":"Counts cover all of 2025 and operations continued through January and September 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Seizures were made under the Economic Zone Fisheries Sovereignty Act (ref 1), an enforcement action, with awards given to officers for the Northern Limit Line operation (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Korea Coast Guard seized 57 Chinese fishing vessels and expelled 1,087 in 2025 (Kyunghyang Shinmun, January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Chinese vessels seized, 2025","value":57,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Korea Coast Guard figure reported 27 January 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Chinese vessels expelled, 2025","value":1087,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Same report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Chinese vessels present daily in the West Sea and PMZ","value":600,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"About 500 more in permitted zones (ref 1)."},{"name":"Boats seized near the Northern Limit Line, 2026 operation","value":8,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"24 further boats driven away (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The crackdown is timed to the fall blue crab season (ref 2).","No catch-loss figure appears in the sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Five seizures in January 2026 against 57 in all of 2025 (ref 1); no multi-year series was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Korea Coast Guard","role":"Seizure and expulsion of illegal foreign fishing vessels","contact":null},{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"Fisheries agreement and Joint Fisheries Commission","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Seven-day special crackdown with large vessels, helicopters and drones from 27 January to 2 February 2026 (ref 1).","Pan-government joint enforcement in Northern Limit Line waters ahead of the 2026 fall crab season (ref 2).","Two unlicensed trawl vessels were seized 103 km southwest of Gageodo on 24 January 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coast Guard launches special crackdown amid concerns over illegal fishing by Chinese boats","publisher":"The Kyunghyang Shinmun","date":"2026-01-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202601271444007","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coast guard officers who chased off illegal Chinese crab boats get special award","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10870208","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Korean, Chinese coast guards face off in disputed Yellow Sea zone","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2025-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/korean-chinese-coast-guards-face-off-in-disputed-yellow-sea-zone/12405827","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Korea Coast Guard's own statistical release was not opened; figures rest on press reports of its briefing."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-KOREA-COASTALCATCH-2025","OC-ECS-YELLOWSEA-PMZSTRUCTURES-2025","OC-ECS-CHINA-FISHBAN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-SAEMANGEUM-AIRPORT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Court cancels Saemangeum airport plan beside the Getbol World Heritage tidal flats, but backers keep pushing","description":"On 11 September 2025 the Seoul Administrative Court cancelled the basic plan for the Saemangeum International Airport, finding that the environmental assessment underestimated bird-strike risk and did not adequately assess effects on the Seocheon tidal flats about 7 km away. IUCN's 2025 outlook rates Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats 'good with some concerns', notes tidal flats fell about 65% since the 1950s and lists the airport among current threats. Birds Korea said in July 2026 that some decision-makers still insist on building it; the sources do not say whether the ruling was appealed.","location":{"name":"Saemangeum and Seocheon Getbol","type":"Tidal flat and World Heritage wetland","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"Yellow Sea coast of North Jeolla and South Chungcheong; Sura tidal flat is the last remaining flat inside the Saemangeum seawall and lies about 7 km from the Seocheon Getbol component","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":35.8203,"lon":126.4828,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of intertidal habitat and a new development threat to a World Heritage tidal flat.","secondary_drivers":["Land reclamation legacy","Airport and infrastructure development","Invasive Spartina"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Reclamation has cut Korea's tidal flat area by about 65% since the 1950s and more than 50% of Getbol areas were lost in the 20th century (ref 1); Sura holds at least 330,000 shorebirds a year (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is reported in the sources.","scale":"The airport dispute concerns one estuary and one World Heritage component, a single site (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The lawsuit was filed in September 2022 (ref 2) and the airport push continued in July 2026 (ref 4), while the reclamation losses date back decades (ref 1).","significance":"The Seoul Administrative Court cancelled the basic plan on 11 September 2025, the first such ruling on a Korean airport plan (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The court said the ministry did not adequately assess the airport's effect on Seocheon tidal flats about 7 km away, which support roughly 900,000 birds a year (Korea JoongAng Daily, 11 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Korean tidal flat loss since the 1950s","value":65,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"IUCN World Heritage Outlook, 2025 assessment (ref 1)."},{"name":"Shorebirds using Sura tidal flat each year","value":330000,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"At least 330,000 (Mongabay, 7 May 2025, ref 3)."},{"name":"Distance from airport site to Seocheon tidal flats","value":7,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Court and press figure (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Bird-strike rate within 13 km of Saemangeum","value":45.929,"unit":"per year","status":"Reported","note":"Court estimate, against 2.997 at Incheon (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The court cited a cost-benefit ratio of 0.479 for the airport project (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"A court halted the plan in September 2025 (ref 2) while Birds Korea reports continued insistence on building the airport in July 2026 (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Korea)","role":"Airport project proponent","contact":null},{"name":"Seoul Administrative Court","role":"Ruling on the basic plan","contact":null},{"name":"UNESCO World Heritage Committee / IUCN","role":"World Heritage property oversight","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Seoul Administrative Court cancelled the airport basic plan on 11 September 2025 (ref 2).","A separate environmental impact assessment of the basic plan was under way, with completion targeted for 2028 (ref 2).","Further reclamation within Getbol is legally barred, per IUCN (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats (2025 Conservation Outlook Assessment)","publisher":"IUCN World Heritage Outlook","date":"2025-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/node/2578","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"'A high risk of bird strikes': Airport on blighted Jamboree site halted","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2025-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/a-high-risk-of-bird-strikes-airport-on-blighted-jamboree-site-halted/11994487","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Scientists warn of S. Korea airport project's impact on migratory bird habitat","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-05-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/05/scientists-warn-of-s-korea-airport-projects-impact-on-migratory-bird-habitat/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Birds Korea blog, daily archive 12 July 2026","publisher":"Birds Korea","date":"2026-07-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.birdskoreablog.org/?m=20260712","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":5,"title":"Saemangeum Seawall","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saemangeum_Seawall","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the September 2025 ruling became final or was appealed was not found on an opened page.","The IUCN page shows no publication date; the date given is the assessment finalisation date."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-GUNSAN-SANDEXTRACTION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-TAICHUNG-WHITEDOLPHIN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Taiwanese white dolphin down to about 45-50 animals as Taichung Port expansion and offshore wind advance","description":"A researcher at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium told a July 2025 press conference that only 45 to 50 Taiwanese white dolphins (Sousa chinensis taiwanensis) remain, down about 3% to 4% a year since monitoring began in 2002, with about 60% showing visible injuries. About 90% use waters near Taichung Port, where a 160-hectare reclamation for LNG tanks is planned. The IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group notes four offshore wind farms with 201 turbines operating on the west coast by end 2023 and calls for stricter noise rules.","location":{"name":"Taichung Port and west coast habitat","type":"Critical habitat of a coastal dolphin","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW"],"detail":"West coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait; designated critical habitat of 763 square km runs from Miaoli County to Chiayi County","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":24.2944,"lon":120.4908,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Population collapse of a critically endangered coastal dolphin under habitat and noise pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal reclamation","Underwater noise","Offshore wind construction","Fisheries bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Only 45 to 50 animals remain, declining 3% to 4% a year, with about 60% injured (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is reported; the sources mention fishing conflicts only as a threat to the dolphins (ref 2).","scale":"The population is a single subspecies within a 763 square km critical habitat (ref 3).","duration":"Monitoring began in 2002 with about 99 animals and the decline has run for more than two decades (ref 1).","significance":"IUCN classifies the population as Critically Endangered (ref 2) and Taiwan has had an official critical habitat in force since September 2020 (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Only 45 to 50 Taiwanese white dolphins remain, down from about 99 when surveys began in 2002 (John Wang, via Taiwan News, 18 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Taiwanese white dolphins remaining","value":50,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"Upper end of the 45 to 50 range given by researcher John Wang (ref 1); TVBS English reports 'fewer than 50' (ref 2)."},{"name":"Annual population decline","value":3.5,"unit":"%/year","status":"Estimated","note":"Reported as 3% to 4% a year since 2002 (refs 1, 2); midpoint shown."},{"name":"Dolphins with visible injuries","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by the researcher (ref 1)."},{"name":"Critical habitat area","value":763,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"In effect since September 2020 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Planned Taichung Port reclamation","value":160,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"For eight LNG storage tanks and breakwater expansion (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Taiwan targets 5.6 GW of offshore wind by 2025 and 40 to 55 GW by 2050 (ref 3).","Taichung Port is Taiwan's second-largest port (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Population about 99 in 2002 and now 45 to 50 (ref 1); decline of 3% to 4% a year (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ocean Conservation Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Marine wildlife protection and critical habitat","contact":null},{"name":"Taiwan International Ports Corporation","role":"Operator of Taichung Port","contact":null},{"name":"Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association","role":"NGO advocate","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Official critical habitat of 763 square km has been in effect since September 2020 (ref 3).","Current rules require noise below 160 dB re 1 microPa within 750 m of pile driving for 95% of monitoring time, which IUCN specialists consider possibly inadequate (ref 3).","Specialists recommend expanding critical habitat and stricter noise regulation (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taiwanese white dolphin population critically endangered","publisher":"Taiwan News","date":"2025-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/6158924","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taiwan's endangered white dolphins face extinction threat","publisher":"TVBS News (English)","date":"2025-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://t.media/2934650","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Update: Threats to Taiwanese white dolphins from offshore windfarms","publisher":"IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group","date":"2024-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iucn-csg.org/update-threats-to-taiwanese-white-dolphins-from-offshore-windfarms/","basis":"Expert group report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Port of Taichung","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taichung_Port","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Taiwan News gives 45 to 50 animals; TVBS English gives fewer than 50. Both quote the same researcher."}],"missing_fields":["No government response to the July 2025 press conference appears in the sources."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-CHANGHUA-OFFSHOREWIND-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-LIAODONG-SPOTTEDSEAL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Liaodong Bay spotted seal counts rebound to 393 in 2024, but the Bohai-Yellow Sea population stays at risk","description":"Volunteers at the Liaohe River Estuary National Nature Reserve counted 393 spotted seals on 25 March 2024, the highest in recent years, and drone counts of the Liaodong Bay population rose from 181 in 2021 to 302 in 2023. China raised the species to first-level national protection in February 2021. A November 2024 presentation by the First Institute of Oceanography still lists sea-ice loss, icebreaking, overfishing, mariculture, oil and gas and offshore wind as threats and finds that 70% of habitats in the Bohai-Yellow Sea are conservation gaps.","location":{"name":"Liaodong Bay and Liaohe Estuary reserve","type":"Spotted seal breeding habitat","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Northern Bohai Sea off Panjin, Liaoning; Dalian spotted seal reserve lies about 200 km to the south","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":41.118,"lon":122.065,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A protected seal population recovering locally but exposed to habitat loss and climate-driven sea-ice decline.","secondary_drivers":["Loss of sea ice","Marine development","Overfishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The First Institute of Oceanography says the Bohai-Yellow Sea population faces the greatest risk of habitat loss from climate change and a 70% habitat conservation gap (ref 2), but 2024 counts rose (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery restriction or community disruption is reported in the sources.","scale":"The population spans the Bohai and Yellow Seas, with key sites at Liaodong Bay and Dalian (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Counts cover 2021 to 2024 and the threats are chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Western Pacific spotted seal was raised from level II to level I national protection in February 2021 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Volunteers counted 393 spotted seals at the Liaohe River Estuary National Nature Reserve on 25 March 2024, the highest in recent years (China Daily, April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Spotted seals counted at Liaohe Estuary reserve, 25 March 2024","value":393,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"Volunteer count (ref 1)."},{"name":"Liaodong Bay population, 2021","value":181,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"Drone-image count (ref 1)."},{"name":"Liaodong Bay population, 2023","value":302,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"Drone-image count; 2024 about 30% higher (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bohai-Yellow Sea habitat identified as conservation gaps","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"First Institute of Oceanography presentation, 21 November 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Counts rose each year from 181 in 2021 to 393 in March 2024 (ref 1); the survey methods differ between counts."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Liaohe River Estuary National Nature Reserve","role":"Protected area manager","contact":null},{"name":"Dalian Spotted Seal National Nature Reserve","role":"Protected area manager","contact":null},{"name":"First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Research and conservation planning","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["National protection raised to level I in February 2021; 16 April set as Spotted Seal Protection Day (ref 1).","Panjin's wetland restoration has restored 34,780 hectares of coastal wetland (ref 1).","China has 102 national marine protected areas in the Bohai and Yellow Seas covering 51,843 square km, and a Plan for the Conservation of Spotted Seal (2017-2026) (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"30% surge in spotted seal population observed in Liaodong Bay this year","publisher":"China Daily Hong Kong","date":"2024-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://chinadailyhk.com/article/581133","basis":"News (state media)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Survival and Protection for Spotted Seal (Phoca largha) in Yellow Sea Ecoregion","publisher":"First Institute of Oceanography, MNR (NEASPEC presentation)","date":"2024-11-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.neaspec.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Session%202-5.%20Spotted%20Seals_Hongfei%20Zhuang.pdf","basis":"Agency presentation"},{"ref":3,"title":"Panjin","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjin","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 count was found on an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-CHINA-SPARTINA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-SEKISEI-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sekisei Lagoon corals bleached at all 124 monitoring stations in 2024 with 30.9% average mortality","description":"Japan's Ministry of the Environment 2024 monitoring report for Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park found summer heat bleaching at every one of 124 stations in Sekisei Lagoon and around Iriomote, with an average bleaching rate of 89.0% and average mortality of 30.9%, against 42.1% and 0.2% the year before. Average coral cover stayed at 20% but 41 stations lost 10 points or more. The report says the lagoon was also hit by heat bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2022.","location":{"name":"Sekisei Lagoon, Ryukyu Islands","type":"Coral reef lagoon","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Between Ishigaki and Iriomote islands in the southern Ryukyus, Okinawa Prefecture, within Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":24.317,"lon":123.883,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-driven coral bleaching and mortality at Japan's largest reef.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Typhoon damage","Coral disease"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Average bleaching of 89.0% and average mortality of 30.9% across the 124-station survey, up from 0.2% mortality in 2023 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The report records no tourism or fishery effect.","scale":"The survey covers one lagoon and the waters around Iriomote (ref 1).","duration":"The report lists heat bleaching in 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2024 (ref 1), and a 2017 ministry survey found 70.1% of coral dead after 2016 (ref 2).","significance":"The finding comes from the ministry's formal Monitoring Sites 1000 report, with no enforcement or listing action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Average bleaching rate across all stations was 89.0% and average mortality 30.9% in 2024 (Japan Ministry of the Environment)."},"measures":[{"name":"Average coral bleaching rate, 2024","value":89,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"42.1% in 2023; all 124 stations 50% or more (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average coral mortality, 2024","value":30.9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"0.2% in 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average coral cover, 124 stations","value":20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Unchanged from 2023; highest station 70% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Stations with coral cover loss of 10 points or more","value":41,"unit":"stations","status":"Reported","note":"38 lost 10 to 30 points, 3 lost more than 30 points (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cover held at 20% but bleaching and mortality rose sharply in 2024; around Ishigaki bleaching at 33 stations caused limited loss (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Biodiversity Center of Japan, Ministry of the Environment","role":"Monitoring Sites 1000 coral reef monitoring","contact":"https://www.biodic.go.jp/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The ministry has monitored Sekisei Lagoon since 1983 and runs the survey under Monitoring Sites 1000 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2024 Coral Reef Monitoring Survey Report, Sekisei Lagoon and neighbouring waters, Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park (Japanese)","publisher":"Biodiversity Center of Japan, Ministry of the Environment","date":"2025-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.biodic.go.jp/moni1000/findings/reports/pdf/2024_Iriomote-Ishigaki.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Japanese)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Japan's Largest Coral Reef is 70% Dead Due to Bleaching","publisher":"The Inertia","date":"2017-01-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theinertia.com/?p=149193","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iriomote-Ishigaki_National_Park","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Report is in Japanese (with an English summary); the report date is given only as March 2025. Sekisei Lagoon lies at the boundary of the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-TAIWAN-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-TAIWAN-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coral bleaching reported at Kenting, Little Liuqiu and Taiwan's offshore islands in the July 2024 heatwave","description":"Environmental groups reported in mid-July 2024 that divers had found bleaching since June off Kenting and around Little Liuqiu, Orchid and Green islands, with water near Little Liuqiu at 30 to 32 C against a normal 28 to 29 C. Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Department said a coral conservation action plan was being drafted. Bleaching had previously been recorded in 2020 and in 2022, when the Ocean Conservation Administration issued level 2 alerts across southern waters.","location":{"name":"Kenting and Little Liuqiu reefs","type":"Fringing coral reefs","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW"],"detail":"Southern and eastern coastal waters of Taiwan: Kenting at the southern tip, Little Liuqiu off the southwest in the Taiwan Strait, and Orchid and Green islands off the east coast","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-driven bleaching on Taiwan's reefs.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Lack of cooling typhoons"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Divers detected bleaching at several sites, but no mortality figure is reported and a volunteer warned corals are 'likely to die' only if heat persists (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or tourism effect is reported in the cited article (ref 1).","scale":"Bleaching spans southern and eastern coastal waters, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Bleaching was reported from June to mid-July 2024, a period of weeks to months (ref 1).","significance":"The reports come from environmental groups; the government response so far is a draft action plan (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Water near Little Liuqiu stayed at 30 to 32 C since June 2024 against a usual summer range of 28 to 29 C (Bernama-Xinhua, 18 July 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Water temperature near Little Liuqiu since June 2024","value":31,"unit":"C","status":"Estimated","note":"Reported range 30 to 32 C; midpoint shown (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The article says the previous large-scale bleaching was in 2020 (ref 1); the Ocean Conservation Administration issued level 2 alerts across southern waters in August 2022 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ocean Affairs Department / Ocean Conservation Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Coral monitoring and conservation planning","contact":null},{"name":"Taiwan Eco-Angel Environmental Conservation Association","role":"NGO dive monitoring","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["A coral conservation action plan was being drafted, expected 'this year or the next' (ref 1).","The department works with academic institutions to monitor bleaching (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coral Bleaching Detected In Waters Around Taiwan Due To Heatwave","publisher":"Bernama (Xinhua)","date":"2024-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2318927","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coral bleaching in south blamed on lack of storms","publisher":"Taipei Times (Liberty Times)","date":"2022-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/breakingnews/4030126","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one 2024 report was opened; no 2024 Ocean Conservation Administration survey or mortality figure was found. Kenting and the eastern islands face the Bashi Channel and Pacific rather than the East China Sea."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-SEKISEI-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-CHINA-SPARTINA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Invasive cordgrass clearance on China's Bohai and Yellow Sea coast clears most of the Yellow River estuary while Jiaozhou Bay is still invaded","description":"A remote-sensing study found that 4,816.35 hectares of invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) were cleared in the Yellow River estuary between September and December 2021, 92.81% of the species' area there. A 2025 Qingdao University study found the species still spreading in Jiaozhou Bay, with 338.75 hectares at the Yanghe River estuary, and Fujian's 2025 marine report says the cordgrass there was largely eradicated. IUCN also lists invasive Spartina among current threats to Korea's Getbol tidal flats.","location":{"name":"Yellow River estuary and Jiaozhou Bay","type":"Coastal wetland and tidal flat","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Salt marsh and tidal flats in Shandong (Yellow River estuary, Jiaozhou Bay at Qingdao) and Fujian on China's Bohai, Yellow and East China Sea coast","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An invasive plant displacing native tidal-flat habitat, with large-scale clearance under way.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive species"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Cordgrass covers hundreds of hectares in Jiaozhou Bay's Yanghe estuary alone (338.75 ha) and is linked to sewage outlets, rubber dams and aquaculture (ref 2); the sources give no native-habitat loss figure.","livelihoods":"The sources report no fishery or community disruption.","scale":"Clearance and invasion are documented across several provinces' coasts (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Clearance in the Yellow River estuary took place in 2021 and the Jiaozhou Bay study runs to 2025, with Fujian's report in 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Provincial and national control plans are cited as the basis for the clearance work (ref 1) and the Ministry of Natural Resources selected two Fujian restoration projects as models (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"4,816.35 ha of Spartina alterniflora were cleared in the Yellow River estuary from September to December 2021, 92.81% of its area there (Journal of Remote Sensing)."},"measures":[{"name":"Spartina cleared in the Yellow River estuary, Sept-Dec 2021","value":4816.35,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"92.81% of the species' area in the study area (ref 1)."},{"name":"Spartina invasion area at the Yanghe River estuary, Jiaozhou Bay","value":338.75,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Largest invasion area in the bay (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fujian tidal flat restoration improved","value":1800,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"27,000 mu, reported in the Fujian marine ecological report released 8 June 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cleared in the Yellow River estuary and largely eradicated in Fujian (refs 1, 3) but still expanding in Jiaozhou Bay (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Coastal restoration programmes","contact":null},{"name":"Fujian Province marine authorities","role":"Marine ecological monitoring and Spartina control","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Large-scale mechanical clearance in the Yellow River estuary in 2021 (ref 1).","Fujian reports Spartina largely eradicated through ongoing control measures (ref 3).","Authors of the Jiaozhou Bay study propose control strategies that prevent secondary invasion (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Dynamic monitoring of invasive Spartina alterniflora clearance via fusion of Sentinel-2 and GF-1 time series images","publisher":"Journal of Remote Sensing (Min, Ke et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ygxb.ac.cn/ru/article/doi/10.11834/jrs.20232279/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spatiotemporal variations and invasion mechanism of Spartina alterniflora in the Jiaozhou Bay coastal wetland","publisher":"Chinese Journal of Ecology (Qingdao University)","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cje.net.cn/EN/Y2025/V44/I12/3950","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fujian reports fewest red tide incidents in 2025","publisher":"China Daily (Fujian government site)","date":"2026-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fj.gov.cn/english/news/202606/t20260610_7161548.htm","basis":"News (provincial government site)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats (2025 Conservation Outlook Assessment)","publisher":"IUCN World Heritage Outlook","date":"2025-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/node/2578","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The national Spartina control plan itself and ministry totals for hectares cleared were not found on an opened page; the study abstract gives no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-SAEMANGEUM-AIRPORT-2025","OC-ECS-LIAODONG-SPOTTEDSEAL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-CHINA-OFFSHOREFARMS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China's offshore mariculture grew about 15% in 2018 to 2022, with most of it outside planned marine functional zones","description":"A 2025 satellite study found China's offshore mariculture area rose from 1,203.62 square km in 2018 to 1,384.12 square km in 2022, shifting toward deeper, farther waters, with 61.79% of mariculture outside planned marine functional zones. Fujian and Liaoning grew fastest while Shandong and Jiangsu shrank slightly. A 2026 study of a Landsat dataset found 733,840 hectares of offshore mariculture nationwide in 2018, with Fujian alone at 183,025 hectares.","location":{"name":"China's offshore mariculture coast","type":"Offshore mariculture zone","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS","SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CN"],"detail":"Offshore farms from Liaoning and Shandong to Zhejiang and Fujian on China's Bohai, Yellow and East China Sea coast; national figures also include southern provinces","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Rapid offshore farm expansion that outpaces marine spatial planning.","secondary_drivers":["Spatial planning mismatch","Farm expansion into deeper waters"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The studies document spatial mismatch with zoning but no mortality, pollution or habitat-loss measurement (refs 1, 2); the 2025 paper notes high-density mariculture pressures in Shandong.","livelihoods":"No restriction or closure affecting farmers is reported in the studies.","scale":"The analysis spans China's coastal provinces, the national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The trend covers 2018 to 2022 and continues with 28.2% growth of deep-sea and far-sea farm area in 2022 (ref 1).","significance":"These are academic findings with no regulatory action cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In 2022 only 0.608% of designated functional zones were actually used for mariculture while 61.79% of mariculture activity lay outside planned zones (Remote Sensing, March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Offshore mariculture area, 2022","value":1384.12,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 1,203.62 km2 in 2018, nearly 15% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mariculture outside planned functional zones, 2022","value":61.79,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Planning area exceedance ratio across seven provinces (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fujian offshore mariculture area, 2022","value":470.39,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"341.66 km2 in 2018 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Liaoning offshore mariculture area, 2022","value":266.14,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"154.08 km2 in 2018 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Deep-water mariculture area growth at 50 m or deeper, 2018-2022","value":41.8,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Remote-sensing estimate (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["China contributes more than 60% of global offshore mariculture output (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The share outside planned zones rose from 58.72% in 2018 to 61.79% in 2022 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (China)","role":"Aquaculture regulation","contact":null},{"name":"Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Marine functional zoning","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for optimized spatial planning and regulatory frameworks (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Spatiotemporal Trends and Zoning Geospatial Assessment in China's Offshore Mariculture (2018-2022)","publisher":"Remote Sensing (MDPI), Sun Yat-sen University","date":"2025-03-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/remotesensing/remotesensing-17-01227/article_deploy/remotesensing-17-01227.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spatial and Economic Concentration of Offshore Mariculture in China: Insights from a Nation-Scale GIS Dataset","publisher":"Fishes (MDPI), Shanghai Ocean University","date":"2026-01-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/fishes/fishes-11-00062/article_deploy/fishes-11-00062.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The two studies use different imagery and years (2018 to 2022 against 2018 only) and report mariculture area on different bases (1,203.62 km2 against 733,840 ha), so their totals are not comparable."}],"missing_fields":["The studies are national and also cover southern provinces; no sea-by-sea breakdown is given. The MDPI article pages returned HTTP 403, so the open-access PDFs were read instead."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-CHINA-COASTALNUTRIENTS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-YELLOWSEA-PMZSTRUCTURES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chinese steel structures in the Korea-China Yellow Sea Provisional Measures Zone draw Korean objections","description":"At least three large steel structures that China calls deep-sea aquaculture facilities stand in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), where the Korean and Chinese EEZs overlap and only fishing and navigation are agreed. Seoul opposes the installations and fears they could support a sovereignty claim, while the Chinese embassy says they comply with domestic and international law. In 2025 a Korean survey ship was blocked from inspecting one, and in January 2026 China said it would withdraw the management facility.","location":{"name":"Yellow Sea PMZ (Korea-China)","type":"Bilateral provisional measures zone","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR","CN"],"detail":"Central Yellow Sea where the Korean and Chinese EEZs overlap; the cited articles give no coordinates for the structures","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A maritime-zone dispute over unilateral installations in a jointly managed area.","secondary_drivers":["Unresolved maritime boundary","Gray-zone installations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental damage is documented; the Chinese embassy said the structures pose no risk to the marine environment or navigation, and Korea has begun its own environmental survey (ref 3).","livelihoods":"China's Lianyungang maritime safety office declared three no-sail zones in the PMZ that overlapped Korea's EEZ for a five-day window in May 2025 (ref 1).","scale":"The PMZ is a bilateral zone in the central Yellow Sea, a regional-sea-scale area rather than a single site (ref 3).","duration":"Korean reporting dates China's installations to at least 2018, with two more in April and May 2024 and one in early 2025 (refs 2, 4).","significance":"Seoul's Foreign Ministry conveyed a firm position to China after the February 2025 standoff and the Blue House restated its consistent opposition in January 2026, which is a formal diplomatic notice, not an enforcement order (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"China says it will withdraw the management facility; two aquaculture facilities remain in the PMZ, per President Lee Jae Myung (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Large steel structures reported in the PMZ","value":3,"unit":"structures (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Korea JoongAng Daily, Mar 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"China no-sail zones declared in the PMZ","value":3,"unit":"zones","status":"Reported","note":"Declared May 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Closest approach of Korean survey vessel before being blocked","value":1,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"RV Onnuri, 26 Feb 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Overlapping-EEZ fisheries rest on the PMZ arrangement, which allows shared fishing only (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"China announced in January 2026 that it would withdraw the management facility; the aquaculture platforms remain (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"Survey and maritime-rights agency","contact":"https://www.mof.go.kr"},{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Korea)","role":"Diplomatic representation to China","contact":"https://www.mofa.go.kr"}],"public_contact":"Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Ministry of Foreign Affairs publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Seoul installed a large floating structure in the PMZ to start an environmental investigation (Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung, March 2025, ref 3).","China said in January 2026 it would withdraw the management facility; Seoul called it a meaningful step (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China ups Yellow Sea contest by declaring three no-sail zones in PMZ","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2025-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/china-ups-yellow-sea-contest-by-declaring-three-no-sail-zones-in-pmz/12378207","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Korean, Chinese coast guards face off in disputed Yellow Sea zone","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2025-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/korean-chinese-coast-guards-face-off-in-disputed-yellow-sea-zone/12405827","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chinese embassy defends steel structures' installation in Yellow Sea","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2025-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/chinese-embassy-defends-steel-structures-installation-in-yellow-sea/10728838","basis":"News (with Yonhap); includes the Chinese embassy statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Korea calls China's move to relocate Yellow Sea structures 'meaningful step' in reducing tensions","publisher":"Korea JoongAng Daily","date":"2026-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/korea-calls-chinas-move-to-relocate-yellow-sea-structures-meaningful-step-in-reducing-tensions/12246707","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No coordinates are published in the cited articles for the structures."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-WESTSEA-CHINABOATS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-ECSGAS-JAPANCHINA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Japan protests new Chinese gas-field structures and drilling rigs near the East China Sea median line","description":"Japan's Foreign Ministry protested a new Chinese structure west of the Japan-China median line in August 2025 and again in January 2026 over mobile drilling rigs believed to be exploring a new gas field. Japan says the EEZ and continental shelf have not been delimited and urges China to resume talks on the 2008 joint-development agreement. China says its activity is in undisputed waters under its jurisdiction.","location":{"name":"East China Sea gas fields, median line","type":"Disputed continental shelf gas-field area","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP","CN"],"detail":"Waters on the Chinese side of the Japan-China median line in the East China Sea; no coordinates in the cited sources","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Offshore gas development in waters whose boundary is not delimited.","secondary_drivers":["Unresolved maritime boundary"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented in the cited reports; they concern the existence of the structures and rigs (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure, fishery or shipping restriction is reported beyond a Japan Coast Guard navigation warning about vessel movements (ref 2).","scale":"The dispute covers the overlapping EEZ and shelf claims of two states across the East China Sea (ref 1).","duration":"Joint-development talks under the 2008 agreement have been suspended since late 2010, and protests recurred in August 2025 and January 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Japan lodged a formal strong protest through diplomatic channels, with Asian and Oceanian Affairs Director-General Kanai Masaaki protesting to the Chinese deputy chief of mission in August 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Japan lodged protests over a new Chinese structure (August 2025) and over mobile drilling rigs believed to be exploring a new gas field (January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Japanese diplomatic protests reported","value":2,"unit":"protests","status":"Reported","note":"August 2025 (ref 1) and early January 2026 (ref 2); earlier protests exist but are not counted here."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Japan fears gas on its side of the median line could be drawn off; the cited reports give no volumes (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A further Japanese protest followed the August 2025 one in January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan","role":"Diplomatic protest to China","contact":"https://www.mofa.go.jp"},{"name":"Japan Coast Guard","role":"Navigation warnings","contact":"https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp"}],"public_contact":"Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a public enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Japan urged China to resume negotiations on implementing the 2008 agreement (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Japan lodges protest with China over 'installation' in East China Sea","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2025-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/8/26/japan-lodges-protest-with-china-over-installation-in-east-china-sea","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Japan protests China's gas field exploration: Report","publisher":"IANS","date":"2026-01-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ianslive.in/japan-protests-chinas-gas-field-exploration-report--20260108163114","basis":"News (wire)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Japan's Foreign Ministry pages could not be opened (HTTP 403), so counts of structures come only from news reports."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-SENKAKU-CCGPRESENCE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-SENKAKU-CCGPRESENCE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record China Coast Guard presence around the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in 2025","description":"Japan Coast Guard figures reported by Stars and Stripes show China Coast Guard vessels spotted near the Senkaku Islands 357 times in 2025, a record for the fourth year running, including a 335-day streak in the contiguous zone. Japan says the islands are its territory and that the situation is increasingly severe; China describes the patrols as routine law enforcement to assert sovereignty.","location":{"name":"Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands","type":"Disputed island group and surrounding waters","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP","CN"],"detail":"Uninhabited islands in the East China Sea administered by Japan and claimed by China and Taiwan","coordinates":{"lat":25.745,"lon":123.485,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A sovereignty dispute expressed as sustained coast guard presence.","secondary_drivers":["Sovereignty dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No injury or environmental damage is documented in the cited reports (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Chinese coast guard ships chased Japanese fishing boats past the territorial limit on eight occasions in 2025 (ref 1).","scale":"The activity is concentrated around one island group and its contiguous zone (ref 1).","duration":"The previous streak record was 215 days from December 2023 to July 2024, and the 2025 streak lasted 335 days; annual counts have set records four years running (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Japan Coast Guard publishes formal incursion records and its 11th Regional commander called the situation increasingly severe, but no court or treaty action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Chinese coast guard vessels were spotted near the Senkakus 357 times in 2025, a record for the fourth straight year (Stars and Stripes, citing Japan Coast Guard)."},"measures":[{"name":"Days with Chinese vessels in the contiguous zone (streak)","value":335,"unit":"consecutive days","status":"Reported","note":"19 Nov 2024 to 19 Oct 2025 (ref 1); ORF also reports 335 days (ref 2)."},{"name":"Entries into territorial waters in 2025","value":27,"unit":"entries","status":"Reported","note":"39 entries in 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Times Chinese coast guard vessels sighted near the islands in 2025","value":357,"unit":"times","status":"Reported","note":"355 in 2024, 352 in 2023 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Chinese ships chased Japanese fishing boats on eight occasions in 2025 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Annual counts rose from 352 in 2023 to 355 in 2024 and 357 in 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Japan Coast Guard","role":"Patrol and incident reporting","contact":"https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp"},{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan","role":"Diplomatic response","contact":"https://www.mofa.go.jp"}],"public_contact":"Japan Coast Guard publishes a general enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Japan Coast Guard maintains surveillance and says it will take all possible measures to protect its territorial waters (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Stars and Stripes report on Chinese coast guard presence near the Senkaku Islands, 2025 figures","publisher":"Stars and Stripes","date":"2026-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-01-05/senkaku-islands-china-coast-guard-20302589.html","basis":"News citing Japan Coast Guard figures"},{"ref":2,"title":"Expert Speak: lessons from 335 days of Chinese vessels near the Senkaku Islands","publisher":"Observer Research Foundation","date":"2025-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.orfonline.org/research/lessons-from-335-days-of-chinese-vessels-near-the-senkaku-islands","basis":"Think-tank analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Senkaku Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senkaku_Islands","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Japan Coast Guard Senkaku page was opened but its daily figures are in images and PDFs that could not be read."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-ECSGAS-JAPANCHINA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-KINMEN-CCGPATROLS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"China Coast Guard patrols in Kinmen and Matsu restricted waters after the February 2024 speedboat deaths","description":"Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration reported more than 60 entries by China Coast Guard vessels into waters near Kinmen in the year to March 2025, often in groups of four, and drove them out. China calls the patrols regular law enforcement and does not recognise Taiwan's restricted-water boundaries; Taiwan calls them grey-zone harassment. The pattern began after a Chinese speedboat capsized in February 2024 while evading a Taiwanese inspection, killing two men.","location":{"name":"Kinmen restricted waters","type":"Contested coastal waters off Taiwan-held island","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW","CN"],"detail":"Kinmen lies less than 10 km from Fujian; Taiwan's prohibited waters extend about 4 km north and its restricted waters about 8 km south","coordinates":{"lat":24.44,"lon":118.33,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":26.15,"lon":119.933,"precision":"site","role":"Matsu restricted waters entered by CCG ships during Joint Sword-2024B (ref 2)","source_ref":4}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A jurisdiction dispute over restricted waters near an outlying island.","secondary_drivers":["Jurisdiction dispute","Grey-zone operations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A Chinese speedboat capsized in February 2024 while evading Taiwanese inspection and two Chinese men died, the incident that preceded the patrols (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or fishery loss is attributed to the patrols themselves in the cited reports; Kinmen fishers' complaints concern Chinese fishing boats (ref 1).","scale":"The reported entries are concentrated around Kinmen, with Matsu entries noted during one October 2024 drill (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The CGA counted 63 incursions between February 2024 and March 2025, about one a week, and Matsu entries followed in October 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The CGA issued formal public statements calling the entries harassment, but no court, treaty or enforcement action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Taiwan's coast guard says China Coast Guard vessels entered waters near Kinmen more than 60 times in the past year; 63 since the February 2024 incident."},"measures":[{"name":"CCG entries into Kinmen waters since Feb 2024","value":63,"unit":"entries","status":"Reported","note":"Taiwan CGA figure as of March 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Extent of Taiwan restricted waters south of Kinmen","value":8,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Prohibited waters extend about 4 km north and northwest (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Kinmen fishers say Chinese fishing boats take fish once reserved for their community (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The CGA described entries as recurring through March 2025; later data was not opened (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Patrol and expulsion of vessels","contact":"https://www.cga.gov.tw"},{"name":"China Coast Guard","role":"Operator of the patrols","contact":"http://www.ccg.gov.cn"}],"public_contact":"Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration publishes a general enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Taiwan's CGA drives away China Coast Guard ships that enter restricted waters and added a 35-ton water-cannon patrol boat for Matsu (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taiwan accuses China of 60 incursions into restricted waters","publisher":"Radio Free Asia","date":"2025-03-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rfa.org/english/china/2025/03/24/china-taiwan-kinmen","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taiwan News report on Joint Sword-2024B and the coast guard response at Matsu","publisher":"Taiwan News","date":"2024-10-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5952279","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Kinmen (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinmen","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates only"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nangan, Lienchiang (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nangan,_Lienchiang","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-MATSU-CABLEDAMAGE-2023"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-TAIWAN-CABLEDAMAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Anchor damage to Taiwan's subsea cables: Hong Tai 58 conviction and the Shunxin 39 case","description":"In February 2025 the Togo-flagged Hong Tai 58 dragged its anchor across a no-anchor zone and cut Chunghwa Telecom's Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 cable, and on 12 June 2025 the Tainan District Court sentenced its Chinese captain to three years. In January 2025 Taiwan's coast guard also asked the Shunxin 39 to return to port after a cable off the north coast was cut; the owner denied involvement and China called such events common accidents. Taiwan counts 36 outside-force cable damage cases in 2019 to 2023 and five in 2025 up to June.","location":{"name":"Taiwan-Penghu cable corridor, Taiwan Strait","type":"Subsea telecommunications cable corridor","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW","CN"],"detail":"Cable between Taiwan's southwest coast and Penghu; a second January 2025 cut was off Taiwan's north coast","coordinates":{"lat":23.5675,"lon":119.5775,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Seabed infrastructure damaged by vessel anchors with legal and security consequences.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor drag by flag-of-convenience vessels","Suspected grey-zone activity"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Hong Tai 58 cut caused repair costs above NT$17 million; no ecological or injury harm is documented, so this is limited infrastructure harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cut disrupted telecom and internet services between Taiwan and Penghu, while the January 2025 north-coast cut did not affect service because backups were activated (refs 2, 3).","scale":"Cases span Taiwan's northern and south-western waters, with 36 outside-force cases in 2019 to 2023 and five by June 2025 (ref 2).","duration":"The Matsu cuts of 2023, the January 2025 cut and the February 2025 cut show a recurring pattern over more than two years (ref 3).","significance":"The Tainan District Court convicted the captain and sentenced him to three years on 12 June 2025, described as Taiwan's first conviction of a seafarer in a cable-sabotage case (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A Tainan court sentenced the Hong Tai 58 captain to three years for intentionally damaging an undersea cable (12 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Repair cost, Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 cable","value":17,"unit":"million NT$ (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Plus NT$1.8 million shipping agency fees (ref 2)."},{"name":"Outside-force cable damage cases, 2019-2023","value":36,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"Five more in 2025 to June (ref 2)."},{"name":"Prison sentence, Hong Tai 58 captain","value":3,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Tainan District Court, 12 June 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Taiwan reports telecom disruption to Penghu and repair costs above NT$17 million (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Five cases by June 2025 versus three each in 2024 and 2023 (ref 2); the captain can appeal (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Chunghwa Telecom","role":"Cable owner and repairer","contact":"https://www.cht.com.tw"},{"name":"Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Boarding and investigation","contact":"https://www.cga.gov.tw"},{"name":"Ministry of Digital Affairs (Taiwan)","role":"Telecom resilience","contact":"https://moda.gov.tw"}],"public_contact":"Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration publishes a general enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Taiwan boarded and detained the Hong Tai 58 crew and prosecuted the captain (ref 2).","Taiwan monitors 52 China-linked flag-of-convenience vessels (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taiwan hands jail term to Chinese captain for damaging subsea cables","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/incidents/piracy/taiwan-hands-jail-term-to-chinese-captain-for-damaging-subsea-cables","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine Insight report on the Hong Tai 58 captain's conviction","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2025-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/?p=1871404","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taiwanese accusation of deliberate undersea cable damage denied by China-linked shipowner","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-01-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/marine-projects/marine-infrastructure/taiwanese-accusation-of-deliberate-undersea-cable-damage-denied-by-china-linked-shipowner","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Penghu (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penghu","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Shunxin 39: the January 2025 case rests on coast guard statements; no direct evidence of intent was provided and no outcome was found."}],"missing_fields":["Trans-Pacific Express cut and Taiwanese prosecution of the Shunxin 39 could not be verified from an opened page.","The captain's appeal outcome was not found."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-MATSU-CABLEDAMAGE-2023"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-MATSU-CABLEDAMAGE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated subsea cable cuts isolate the Matsu Islands, from 2023 to the Dongyin case of 2026","description":"Two subsea cables serving the Matsu Islands were cut within about a week in February 2023, leaving roughly 14,000 residents on a limited microwave link for about a month; Taiwan's communications regulator found evidence a Chinese ship cut the first. Chunghwa Telecom data showed 27 cuts over the previous five years. On 1 April 2026 the Coast Guard Administration reported that a Chinese-flagged work barge is suspected of damaging a cable off Dongyin during salvage work.","location":{"name":"Matsu Islands subsea cables","type":"Subsea telecommunications cables","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW","CN"],"detail":"Cables linking Taiwan's main island and the Matsu Islands (Lienchiang County) near the Fujian coast","coordinates":{"lat":26.15,"lon":119.933,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":26.36583,"lon":120.49194,"precision":"site","role":"Dongyin, location of the April 2026 suspected damage (ref 2)","source_ref":4}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Seabed infrastructure repeatedly damaged by vessel activity.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing and salvage vessel activity","Suspected grey-zone activity"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No injury or ecological damage is reported; the harm is a month-long loss of normal internet for about 14,000 residents, counted as limited (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Residents relied on a microwave radio system with limited bandwidth and long delays for about a month (ref 1).","scale":"The outages concern the Matsu Islands, a single island county (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Cables were cut 27 times in the five years before 2023 and again at Dongyin in April 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Taiwan's National Communications Commission announced evidence that a Chinese ship cut the first cable, a formal regulatory finding, while the government stopped short of blaming Beijing (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":14000,"status":"Reported","note":"Approximate Matsu resident population affected by the 2023 outage (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Chunghwa Telecom data showed the Matsu cables were cut 27 times in the previous five years (as of March 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cable cuts in the five years before 2023","value":27,"unit":"cuts","status":"Reported","note":"Chunghwa Telecom data cited by AP (ref 1)."},{"name":"Matsu residents with limited internet in 2023","value":14000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Outage of about a month (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Residents depended on limited microwave links during the outage (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cuts continued from 2023 to the April 2026 Dongyin case (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Chunghwa Telecom","role":"Cable owner","contact":"https://www.cht.com.tw"},{"name":"National Communications Commission (Taiwan)","role":"Telecom regulator","contact":"https://www.ncc.gov.tw"},{"name":"Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)","role":"Investigation of vessels","contact":"https://www.cga.gov.tw"}],"public_contact":"Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration publishes a general enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["The commission planned a data-gathering system to help prevent future cable cuts, and Lienchiang County was promised priority in future backup plans (ref 1).","The Coast Guard Administration brought the Dongyin barge captain in for questioning (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Taiwan Blames Chinese Ships for Cutting Internet Cables","publisher":"VOA Learning English (AP)","date":"2023-03-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/taiwan-blames-chinese-ships-for-cutting-internet-cables/6996236.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Focus Taiwan report on a Chinese work barge suspected of damaging a Dongyin cable","publisher":"Focus Taiwan (CNA)","date":"2026-04-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202604010018","basis":"News (paywalled after the first paragraph)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taiwanese accusation of deliberate undersea cable damage denied by China-linked shipowner","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-01-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/marine-projects/marine-infrastructure/taiwanese-accusation-of-deliberate-undersea-cable-damage-denied-by-china-linked-shipowner","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Dongyin, Lienchiang (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongyin,_Lienchiang","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sources give differing counts of cuts over five years (25 or 27); the record uses the AP/Chunghwa Telecom figure of 27."}],"missing_fields":["Prosecution outcome of the April 2026 Dongyin case not found; Focus Taiwan text was paywalled."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-TAIWAN-CABLEDAMAGE-2025","OC-ECS-KINMEN-CCGPATROLS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-CHANGHUA-OFFSHOREWIND-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Offshore wind cable works and exclusion zones hit oyster farmers and fishers off Fangyuan, Changhua","description":"Rest of World reported in January 2026 that cable trenching for an offshore wind project off Fangyuan, Changhua, raised silt that killed nearly all of one farmer's oysters, and that yields fell for the area's more than 500 oyster farmers since work began around 2022. Roughly 600 fishers face reduced catches, and many have quit; compensation covers only licensed vessels and farms that cables cross. Taiwan's Energy Administration says developers must compensate fishers for construction losses and fund mitigation.","location":{"name":"Fangyuan coast, Changhua County","type":"Offshore wind cable landfall and tidal oyster-farming zone","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW"],"detail":"Taiwan Strait coast of central-western Taiwan; 21 more cables are planned across Fangyuan's tidal zone","coordinates":{"lat":23.925,"lon":120.31583,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Offshore wind construction affecting coastal livelihoods and compensation rules.","secondary_drivers":["Cable trenching and sediment","Exclusion zones around turbines"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Trenching stirred sediment that killed nearly all of one farmer's oysters, and silt has coated shells and cut yields for more than 500 oyster farmers (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fisher Lin Kuo-wen's earnings fell from NT$10,000-20,000 per trip to a few thousand and many of about 600 fishers have quit (ref 1).","scale":"The reported effects are on one township coast, Fangyuan, although about 170 turbines operate off Changhua (ref 2).","duration":"Cable installation began around 2022 and effects were still reported in January 2026, with 21 more cables planned (ref 1).","significance":"The Energy Administration's statement describes compensation duties but no violation, order or ruling is cited; some fishers protested by surrounding construction platforms (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":500,"status":"Reported","note":"More than 500 oyster farmers affected, and roughly 600 fishers (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rest of World: silt from cable work has cut yields for more than 500 oyster farmers, and about 600 fishers face lost income."},"measures":[{"name":"Oyster farmers in the affected area","value":500,"unit":"farmers (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Rest of World, January 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishers off Fangyuan","value":600,"unit":"fishers (roughly)","status":"Reported","note":"Many have quit (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned additional cables across the tidal zone","value":21,"unit":"cables","status":"Reported","note":"Per the Changhua Environmental Protection Union (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishers' per-trip earnings fell sharply and many left the fishery (ref 1).","Taiwan's Energy Administration acknowledges a mechanism for compensation of lost fishery income (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Turbines are expected to pass 400 in 2026 and 21 more cables are planned (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs (Taiwan)","role":"Offshore wind regulator","contact":"https://www.moeaea.gov.tw"},{"name":"Taiwan Power Company (Taipower)","role":"Owner of the wind farm and cables linked to the oyster-farm damage","contact":"https://www.taipower.com.tw"}],"public_contact":"The Energy Administration publishes a general enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Developers must compensate fishers for construction losses and fund mitigation, per the Energy Administration (ref 1).","Taipower offered fishers jobs on guard and maintenance vessels (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rest of World report on offshore wind cable works, oyster farmers and fishers at Fangyuan, Changhua","publisher":"Rest of World","date":"2026-01-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://restofworld.org/2026/taiwan-ai-green-energy-impacts/","basis":"News (investigative)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taiwan Offshore Wind Displaces Coastal Fisheries","publisher":"Let's Data Science (citing Rest of World)","date":"2026-01-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://letsdatascience.com/news/taiwan-offshore-wind-displaces-coastal-fisheries-6997b9eb","basis":"News summary of ref 1"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taiwan's renewables fantasy rides roughshod over vulnerable fishing communities","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-06-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/renewables/offshore-wind/taiwans-renewables-fantasy-rides-roughshod-over-vulnerable-fishing-communities","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fangyuan, Changhua (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fangyuan,_Changhua","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Total turbine count (about 170 operating) comes from the aggregator summary (ref 2), not from the opened Rest of World text."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-TAIWAN-WINDDELAYS-2026","OC-ECS-TAICHUNG-WHITEDOLPHIN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-TAIWAN-WINDDELAYS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Taiwan's offshore wind build-out falls behind: Taipower Phase 2 delay and terminated Round 3 projects","description":"Taipower's Offshore Wind Phase 2 farm, more than 90 percent complete, is behind schedule after contractor Fulwell Energy ran into trouble and Taipower took over turbine installation with Vestas; late fees apply and 30 turbines remain. Separately, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs said on 2 July 2026 that three terminated projects (Haixia I, Haixia II, Haiding II, about 1.2 GW) can be reconsidered under revised Round 3.3 rules, after Round 3.1 and 3.2 allocated only 2.3 GW and 2.7 GW against a 3 GW target.","location":{"name":"Taiwan Strait offshore wind zones","type":"Offshore wind development zones","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TW"],"detail":"Taiwan Strait wind zones off the western coast (Taipower Phase 2, Round 3 sites); the cited reports give no coordinates","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Delays and terminations in an offshore energy programme and its allocation rounds.","secondary_drivers":["Contractor failure","Cost inflation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented in the cited reports; the issue is project delay and termination (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"No fisher closure or income effect is reported in these sources; fisher impacts are covered under a separate record (ref 1).","scale":"The delays and terminations affect Taiwan's national offshore wind programme, whose 2030 target was cut from 13.1 GW to 10.9 GW (ref 3).","duration":"Phase 2 was due before the end of 2025 per NOWnews and is still unfinished in July 2026, while Rounds 3.1 and 3.2 allocated less than the 3 GW target (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Taipower notified Fulwell of overdue status with contractual late fees, and the Ministry issued a formal statement revising Round 3.3 rules on 2 July 2026 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Phase 2: more than 90% complete with 30 of 31 turbines still to install (Liberty Times, 8 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Phase 2 turbines remaining","value":30,"unit":"turbines","status":"Reported","note":"31 turbines in total, one installed (ref 1)."},{"name":"Capacity of terminated projects (Haixia I, Haixia II, Haiding II)","value":1.2,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Ministry statement of 2 July 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Round 3.2 capacity allocated against 3 GW target","value":2.7,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Round 3.1 allocated 2.3 GW (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Taipower will impose late fees on Fulwell, quoted by a legislator at NT$1.05 million per turbine per day (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"First record; the cited reports are all from July 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs (Taiwan)","role":"Offshore wind regulator","contact":"https://www.moeaea.gov.tw"},{"name":"Taiwan Power Company (Taipower)","role":"Phase 2 owner","contact":"https://www.taipower.com.tw"}],"public_contact":"The Energy Administration publishes a general enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Taipower took over turbine installation through Vestas and targets completion in 2026 (refs 1, 2).","The Ministry revised Round 3.3 rules so terminated projects can be reconsidered (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Liberty Times Free Finance report on Taipower Offshore Wind Phase 2 delay and Fulwell penalties","publisher":"Liberty Times (Taiwanese Chinese-language news)","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/5498581","basis":"News (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taipower takes over Offshore Wind Phase 2 turbine installation, targets grid connection this year","publisher":"NOWnews (Taiwanese Chinese-language news)","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nownews.com/news/6861678","basis":"News (Chinese-language)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taiwan revives 1.2 GW offshore wind opportunity after project termination","publisher":"Enerdata","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/taiwan-revives-12-gw-offshore-wind-opportunity-after-project-termination.html","basis":"Trade news citing a Ministry of Economic Affairs statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Original Phase 2 completion date: Liberty Times says the end of 2026; NOWnews says end of 2025 under the administrative contract. The record states only that the project is behind schedule."}],"missing_fields":["The Round 3.2 delay and fisher compensation specifics of 2024 to 2026 were not found in an opened page; the Youde delay was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-CHANGHUA-OFFSHOREWIND-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ECS-GUNSAN-SANDEXTRACTION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Korea plans to extend and enlarge Yellow Sea EEZ sand mining west of Gunsan over fishers' objections","description":"A Jeonbuk Ilbo editorial of 12 February 2025 reports the government plans to extend the designation of the West Sea EEZ aggregate zone, about 26 km west of Eocheong-do (9.58 square km), by 1.5 years, raising the planned volume from 25.12 to 32.62 million cubic metres. Fishers from Gunsan, Gochang and Buan oppose it, saying it would damage ecosystems, spawning habitat and income. The government argues it is needed for steady aggregate supply to the Seoul area.","location":{"name":"West Sea EEZ aggregate zone, Gunsan","type":"Offshore sand and aggregate extraction zone","sea":"ECS","seas":["ECS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"About 26 km west of Eocheong-do, Okdo-myeon, Gunsan, in Korea's Yellow Sea EEZ; no coordinates in the cited source","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Seabed aggregate extraction with fisheries and permitting conflict.","secondary_drivers":["Aggregate demand for construction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers say large-scale extraction would damage the ecosystem and spawning habitat; no measured damage is cited, so it is potential harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishers from Gunsan, Gochang and Buan say extraction would reduce fishing income; a designated extraction zone is a restriction on the fishing ground (ref 1).","scale":"The zone covers 9.58 square km, a single site (ref 1).","duration":"Mining paused from December 2018, resumed in August 2020 under a five-year designation, and could run to February 2027 if extended (ref 1).","significance":"A public hearing was held in Gunsan on 11 February 2025 and the extension was due to be fixed in the 7th Basic Aggregate Supply Plan, a formal planning notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Planned extraction volume would rise from 25.12 million to 32.62 million cubic metres, about 30%, if the zone designation is extended 1.5 years."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned extraction volume","value":32.62,"unit":"million m3","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 25.12 million m3 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Zone area","value":9.58,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"About 26 km west of Eocheong-do (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers cite lost income and spawning-habitat damage; the editorial urges support measures (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One 2025 source; the outcome of the extension was not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Korea)","role":"Aggregate supply planning","contact":"https://www.molit.go.kr"},{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"Marine permitting","contact":"https://www.mof.go.kr"}],"public_contact":"Korea's ministries publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The editorial urges support for affected fishers and substitutes such as manufactured and recycled sand (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"서해 EEZ 골재채취 갈등, 대책 마련해야 (West Sea EEZ aggregate extraction conflict needs a plan)","publisher":"Jeonbuk Ilbo (editorial)","date":"2025-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jjan.kr/articleAmp/20250212580089","basis":"News editorial (Korean-language)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (ECS in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single source, a Korean-language editorial; the decision on the extension and any government notice were not found.","No coordinates are given by the source."],"related_ids":["OC-ECS-SAEMANGEUM-AIRPORT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-MANILABAY-OILSPILL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"MT Terranova fuel oil spill in Manila Bay: 41,849 fisheries claims collected and compensation under way","description":"The Philippine tanker MT Terranova capsized and sank in Manila Bay on 25 July 2024 during Typhoon Gaemi while carrying 1,468,896 litres of intermediate fuel oil, polluting coasts in Bataan, Cavite and Manila. About 97 percent of the cargo was recovered and the wreck was removed on 21 September 2025, but claims are expected to exceed the owner's liability limits so the 1992 IOPC Fund is likely to pay; payments to Bataan fishers began in 2026.","location":{"name":"Manila Bay, east side off Limay, Bataan","type":"Coastal bay and tanker wreck site","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"East Manila Bay, Philippines; wreck about 3.6 nautical miles east of Lamao Point, Limay, Bataan; oil reached Bataan, Cavite and Manila coasts. Included here because the source concerns the bay's oil pollution.","coordinates":{"lat":14.5646,"lon":120.7026,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Oil released from a sunken tanker polluted coastal waters and fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Tanker casualty in typhoon weather","Fishing bans"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The IOPC Funds record the affected area as Bataan, Cavite and Manila, and 3 percent of the cargo could not be siphoned and remained a hazard to the marine environment (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Local fishing bans lasted more than a month in some areas and monthly losses were put at PHP 84 million in Bataan alone (ref 3); this is restriction, not loss of a fishery.","scale":"Impact was confined to the east side of Manila Bay and adjoining coasts, a single bay (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The spill began on 25 July 2024 and wreck removal ended on 21 September 2025, with claim assessment still running in March 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"The Philippine Coast Guard issued a wreck removal order on 23 October 2024 and the 1992 Fund is expected to pay compensation under treaty limits (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"97% (about 1.4 million litres) of the 1,468,896 litres of fuel oil cargo was recovered; 41,849 fisheries claims worth PHP 1,338,041,354 had been collected by 1 March 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel oil cargo carried","value":1468896,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"IOPC Funds note of 13 March 2026 (ref 1); quantity actually spilled is recorded as unknown."},{"name":"Cargo recovered","value":97,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Oil removal completed 12 September 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fisheries claims collected","value":41849,"unit":"claims","status":"Reported","note":"Bataan, Bulacan and Cavite, as at 1 March 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fisheries claims value","value":1338041354,"unit":"PHP","status":"Reported","note":"All collected fisheries claims, as at 1 March 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"First Bataan fisheries batch approved","value":28390364,"unit":"PHP","status":"Reported","note":"1,965 claims assessed and approved in the first batch (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishers' monthly losses were estimated at PHP 84 million in Bataan and more than PHP 70 million in Bulacan and Pampanga (ref 3).","Clean-up and wreck-removal claims of USD 12,642,785 and USD 7,900,000 are under assessment (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Cargo recovered, wreck removed and compensation payments begun, per ref 1."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Spill response and wreck removal order"},{"name":"IOPC Funds (1992 Fund) and Steamship Mutual","role":"Compensation","contact":"https://iopcfunds.org/"}],"public_contact":"IOPC Funds claims submission offices in Bataan and Cavite (per ref 1)","corrective_actions":["Oil siphoned from the wreck; removal completed 12 September 2024 (ref 1).","Wreck removed by contractors for the insurer, completed 21 September 2025 (ref 1).","Claims assessed with fisheries experts and paid by money transfer in Bataan (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Incidents involving the IOPC Funds, 1992 Fund: Terranova (IOPC/MAY26/3/7)","publisher":"IOPC Funds Secretariat","date":"2026-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://documentservices.iopcfunds.org/download/83749/en/IOPC-MAY26-3-7_en.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"PCG: MT Terranova oil leak 'minimal' as 14 of 24 valves sealed","publisher":"GMA News Online","date":"2024-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/915086/pcg-mt-terranova-oil-leak-minimal-as-14-of-24-valves-sealed/story","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Philippines fishermen call for justice after oil tanker sinks","publisher":"Eco-Business","date":"2024-09-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eco-business.com/id/news/philippines-fishermen-call-for-justice-after-oil-tanker-sinks/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Princess Empress and Terranova incidents: IOPC Funds' Director returns to the Philippines","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/news/princess-empress-and-terranova-incidents-iopc-funds-director-returns-to-the-philippines/","basis":"Agency news item"},{"ref":5,"title":"2024 Manila Bay oil spill (wreck coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Manila_Bay_oil_spill","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"first batch of Bataan claims","note":"The IOPC note's summary gives 1,951 claims approved for PHP 28,390,364, while its body says 1,965 claims; the body figure is used here (ref 1)."},{"field":"volume","note":"The IOPC note lists the quantity of oil spilled as unknown; GMA News on 29 July 2024 reported 1.4 million litres on board (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-MINDORO-OILSPILL-2023","OC-SEA-MANILABAY-RECLAMATION-2023"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-MINDORO-OILSPILL-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Princess Empress oil spill, Oriental Mindoro: 40,869 claims and PHP 2.78 billion paid, claims above liability limits","description":"The tanker Princess Empress sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, on 28 February 2023 with 800,000 litres of fuel oil, and oil reached Oriental Mindoro and the Caluya islands including mangroves on Semirara. By 12 March 2026 the claims office had registered 40,869 claims and paid PHP 2,783 million, claims have exceeded the owner's liability limits, and claimants filed legal actions around the third anniversary to avoid time bar.","location":{"name":"Oriental Mindoro coast and Caluya islands","type":"Coastline affected by a tanker oil spill","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, and Semirara and Liwagao islands in the Caluya archipelago, Philippines. The 2023 spill is before the window; this record covers the 2024 to 2026 compensation and recovery findings.","coordinates":{"lat":13.3175,"lon":121.5297,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil from a sunken tanker contaminated coasts and mangroves.","secondary_drivers":["Tanker casualty","Compensation shortfall against liability limits"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The IOPC Funds note records pollution damage to Oriental Mindoro coasts and to mangrove areas, particularly on Semirara (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Most claims are from fisheries (37,885 of 40,869) and 2,901 are from tourism, showing income loss across small-scale fishing and tourism, though no fishery is recorded as lost (ref 1).","scale":"Oil reached the Oriental Mindoro coast and islands south of Mindoro, a local stretch rather than a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The incident date is 28 February 2023 and claims were still being assessed and paid in March 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"Claims exceeded the CLC and STOPIA limits so the 1992 Fund pays, and the P&I Club lodged a limitation fund letter in December 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"40,869 claims registered for PHP 4,038.93 million; 36,877 claims paid a total of PHP 2,783.48 million as of 12 March 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Claims registered","value":40869,"unit":"claims","status":"Reported","note":"Claims submission office total (ref 1)."},{"name":"Amount claimed","value":4038.93,"unit":"PHP million","status":"Reported","note":"Total claimed amount (ref 1)."},{"name":"Claims paid","value":2783.48,"unit":"PHP million","status":"Reported","note":"Paid to 36,877 claims as of 12 March 2026 (ref 1); the table in the same note gives PHP 2,788.37 million for 36,878 claims."},{"name":"Claims rejected","value":3829,"unit":"claims","status":"Reported","note":"As of 12 March 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fuel oil cargo","value":800000,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"Cargo at the time of sinking (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fisheries claims alone total PHP 1,896 million (ref 1).","Tourism-dependent businesses in affected areas filed 2,901 claims (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Payments continue but claims exceed liability limits (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"IOPC Funds (1992 Fund) and Shipowners' P&I Club","role":"Compensation","contact":"https://iopcfunds.org/"},{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Response and claimant"}],"public_contact":"Joint claims submission office, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro (per ref 1)","corrective_actions":["Claims office opened 31 March 2023 with temporary collection centres (ref 1).","Fisheries claims paid by transfer, about 35,097 by March 2026 (ref 1).","Government agencies urged to file or sue before the 28 February 2026 time bar (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Incidents involving the IOPC Funds, 1992 Fund: Princess Empress (IOPC/MAY26/3/4)","publisher":"IOPC Funds Secretariat","date":"2026-04-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://documentservices.iopcfunds.org/download/83899/en/IOPC-MAY26-3-4_en.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Princess Empress and Terranova incidents: IOPC Funds' Director returns to the Philippines","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/news/princess-empress-and-terranova-incidents-iopc-funds-director-returns-to-the-philippines/","basis":"Agency news item"},{"ref":3,"title":"Joint statement by IOPC Funds and Shipowners' Club on anniversary of Princess Empress incident","publisher":"IOPC Funds","date":"2024-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iopcfunds.org/news/joint-statement-by-iopc-funds-and-shipowners-club-on-anniversary-of-princess-empress-incident","basis":"Agency news item"},{"ref":4,"title":"MT Princess Empress oil spill (wreck coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MT_Princess_Empress","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"claims paid","note":"The IOPC note gives 36,877 claims paid for PHP 2,783.48 million in text and 36,878 for PHP 2,788.37 million in its table (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-MANILABAY-OILSPILL-2024","OC-SEA-PHL-VERDEISLANDPASSAGE-LNG-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-JAKARTA-SUBSIDENCE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Jakarta Bay coast sinking up to 4 m in four decades while the giant sea wall plan advances","description":"BRIN estimates Jakarta is sinking about 3.5 cm a year on average, and north Jakarta has subsided by as much as 4 metres in four decades, leaving roughly 40 percent of it below sea level. A 20 km section of the planned 46 km coastal barrier exists and the government announced in March 2025 that the giant sea wall along Java's north coast would start, though researchers say groundwater extraction, the main driver, is not addressed.","location":{"name":"Jakarta Bay coast and north Jakarta","type":"Subsiding delta coast with sea defences","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"North Jakarta, Java, Indonesia, on Jakarta Bay in the Java Sea; includes Muara Baru where tidal flooding was photographed on 6 December 2025.","coordinates":{"lat":-6,"lon":106.859,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Subsidence plus sea level and tides drive coastal inundation.","secondary_drivers":["Groundwater extraction","Land subsidence","Urban load"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"North Jakarta has sunk by up to 4 metres in four decades and about 40 percent of the area lies below sea level, per BRIN's Yus Budiyono (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Flood losses of at least US$186 million a year are projected to reach US$421 million by 2030, and coastal residents face higher flood and land-loss risks (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The documented impact is the Jakarta Bay shoreline, one city coast (ref 1).","duration":"The 4 m of subsidence accumulated over four decades and defences have been built since 2014 (ref 1).","significance":"The coordinating minister announced in March 2025 that the president ordered the giant sea wall to start, a formal government plan but not yet built (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Jakarta's land is sinking at an average of 3.5 cm per year, and north Jakarta has subsided by up to 4 metres over four decades, leaving about 40% of it below sea level."},"measures":[{"name":"Average subsidence rate","value":3.5,"unit":"cm per year","status":"Reported","note":"BRIN estimate for Jakarta (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Maximum subsidence in north Jakarta","value":4,"unit":"m over four decades","status":"Reported","note":"BRIN (ref 1)."},{"name":"Area of north Jakarta below sea level","value":40,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 40 percent (ref 1)."},{"name":"Annual flood losses","value":186,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Estimated","note":"BRIN estimate, projected to reach US$421 million by 2030 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Concrete barrier built since 2014","value":20,"unit":"km of 46 km planned","status":"Reported","note":"National Capital Integrated Coastal Development project (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Annual flood losses of at least US$186 million (ref 1).","Sea wall cost suggested at up to US$60 billion (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Reports in January 2026 say subsidence is escalating (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development","role":"Sea wall programme"},{"name":"BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency)","role":"Subsidence research"},{"name":"Jakarta provincial government","role":"Groundwater regulation"}],"public_contact":"See the ministry and Jakarta provincial government websites","corrective_actions":["Concrete barriers of about 20 km built since 2014 (ref 1).","2021 governor's regulation banned groundwater extraction in nine industrial areas and along 12 roads (ref 2).","March 2025: minister said the president ordered work on the giant sea wall to begin (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Jakarta sinks deeper amid flood risks","publisher":"China Daily","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/html5/2026-01/29/content_010_697a714fed50ccabe15212f4.htm","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Jakarta sinks deeper as subsidence worsens flood risks","publisher":"Asia News Network (The Jakarta Post)","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=250960","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Prabowo instructs minister to begin giant seawall project","publisher":"The Jakarta Post","date":"2025-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/03/19/prabowo-instructs-minister-to-begin-giant-seawall-project.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Jakarta Bay (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakarta_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"subsidence rate","note":"BRIN gives 3.5 cm a year on average (ref 1); the Jakarta Post says north coast land sinks 4 to 10 cm a year (ref 3). Rates differ by method and location."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-DEMAK-ROB-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-DEMAK-ROB-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Demak and Semarang coast: subsidence up to 20 cm a year and tidal flooding projected to reach 2 m by 2050","description":"At a May 2026 coordination meeting, Coordinating Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said Java's north coast is subsiding by 1 to 20 cm a year and that 12 regencies and cities could be inundated by tidal flooding (rob) by 2050 without intervention. He projected tidal flooding of 2 m in Demak and 83 cm in Semarang, attributing the subsidence mainly to excessive groundwater use.","location":{"name":"Demak and Semarang north Java coast","type":"Subsiding coast with tidal flooding","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Demak Regency and Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, on the Java Sea coast, part of the Java north coast (Pantura) where the minister listed Jakarta, Pemalang, Pekalongan, Semarang and Indramayu as subsiding.","coordinates":{"lat":-6.8947,"lon":110.6385,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":-6.99,"lon":110.4225,"precision":"city","source_ref":5,"role":"Semarang"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Subsidence and sea-level rise produce tidal inundation of the coast.","secondary_drivers":["Land subsidence","Groundwater extraction","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The minister reported Demak land falling up to 20 cm a year and Semarang also at 20 cm a year with rob flooding already accelerating (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Flooding of the Karanganyar road in Demak was photographed on 20 March 2024 (ref 1), a disruption rather than a documented loss of livelihoods.","scale":"The minister listed 12 regencies and cities along Java's north coast at risk of inundation by 2050, a national coastline (ref 2).","duration":"Subsidence is chronic, with Demak figures of 20 cm a year and a 2050 projection (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The briefing was an official ministerial presentation to the Java north coast authority (BOPPJ) on 4 May 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Demak is projected to be flooded by tidal water up to 2 metres by 2050 without intervention, with land falling up to 20 cm a year and sea level rising up to 1.2 cm a year."},"measures":[{"name":"Demak land subsidence","value":20,"unit":"cm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Minister's figure, 4 May 2026 (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Projected Demak tidal inundation by 2050","value":2,"unit":"m","status":"Estimated","note":"Without intervention (ref 2)."},{"name":"Projected Semarang coastal inundation by 2050","value":83,"unit":"cm","status":"Estimated","note":"Without serious handling (ref 2)."},{"name":"Districts at risk of rob inundation by 2050","value":12,"unit":"regencies or cities","status":"Estimated","note":"Ministerial projection (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The minister linked accelerated handling to building the giant sea wall to hold back rob flooding (ref 1).","Indramayu land is falling 15 cm a year (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Projections of deeper inundation by 2050 without intervention (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development","role":"Java north coast programme (BOPPJ)"},{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Coastal protection kick-off host"}],"public_contact":"See the ministry websites","corrective_actions":["Accelerated handling announced, including the giant sea wall (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Horor Kondisi Pantura, AHY Tunjukkan Tanah di Demak Turun 20 Cm/Tahun","publisher":"CNBC Indonesia","date":"2026-05-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20260504153630-4-732062/horor-kondisi-pantura-ahy-tunjukkan-tanah-di-demak-turun-20-cm-tahun","basis":"News (Indonesian)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Jakarta, Demak hingga Semarang Terancam Tenggelam di 2050","publisher":"Okezone Economy","date":"2026-05-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://economy.okezone.com/read/2026/05/04/470/3216312/jakarta-demak-hingga-semarang-terancam-tenggelam-di-2050","basis":"News (Indonesian)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Jakarta sinks deeper as subsidence worsens flood risks","publisher":"Asia News Network (The Jakarta Post)","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=250960","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Demak Regency (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demak_Regency","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Semarang (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semarang","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"worst-affected area","note":"The minister said subsidence is worst in Jakarta and Semarang, yet the same briefing gives Demak at 20 cm a year and BRIN gives Jakarta an average of 3.5 cm a year (refs 1, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-JAKARTA-SUBSIDENCE-2025","OC-SEA-IDN-MANGROVELOSS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-INDONESIA-MARINEWASTE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Indonesia: an estimated 350,000 tonnes of plastic and 16 million tonnes of waste enter the sea a year, with 40% of waste unmanaged","description":"Indonesia's national waste information system recorded 33.7 million tonnes of waste in 2024, of which 40.12 percent was unmanaged, and a BRIN researcher estimated about 350,000 tonnes of plastic entered Indonesian oceans in 2024. The fisheries ministry separately estimated 16.02 million tonnes of waste entering Indonesian waters in 2025 and said Bali beaches such as Kuta, Legian and Seminyak are often filled with waste in the rainy season.","location":{"name":"Indonesian coastal waters and Bali beaches","type":"National coastline receiving land-based waste","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA","EIND"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Indonesia's national waters; Kuta, Legian and Seminyak on Bali's Indian Ocean coast are named as seasonal waste hotspots.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Land-based waste leaks into coastal waters and onto beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Unmanaged municipal waste","Rainy-season beach inundation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"BRIN's estimate of 350,000 tonnes of plastic entering the ocean in 2024 is a modelled leakage figure, and the ministry cites microplastics and marine-life risk without measured contamination (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The fisheries ministry said waste fouling Kuta, Legian and Seminyak harms tourism and raises cleaning costs, and cited losses of Rp250 trillion for the marine and fisheries sector (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The estimates cover Indonesia's whole national coastline rather than one bay (ref 1).","duration":"The waste law dates from 2008 and the ministry describes recurring rainy-season waste on Bali beaches (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The environment ministry's SIPSN data and a fisheries ministry programme, Laut Sebasah, are formal government measures (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Estimated","text":"About 350 thousand tonnes of plastic waste entered Indonesia's oceans in 2024, per a BRIN researcher; KKP estimates 16.02 million tonnes of waste entering the sea in 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Plastic waste entering the ocean, 2024","value":350000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"BRIN researcher Muhammad Reza Cordova; 70 percent from land-based activity (ref 1)."},{"name":"Waste generated in 2024","value":33.7,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"SIPSN, from 311 districts and cities (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of waste unmanaged in 2024","value":40.12,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"SIPSN (ref 1)."},{"name":"Waste entering Indonesian waters, 2025","value":16.02,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"KKP estimate, all waste not only plastic (ref 2)."},{"name":"Economic loss from waste leaking to water","value":250,"unit":"Rp trillion","status":"Estimated","note":"About US$15.07 billion for the marine and fisheries sector (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Losses of Rp250 trillion a year for the maritime and fisheries sector are cited (ref 1).","Bali tourist beaches face rainy-season waste and added cleaning costs (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited figures are single-year estimates with differing scope (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP)","role":"Marine waste programme"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment (SIPSN)","role":"National waste data"},{"name":"BRIN","role":"Research"}],"public_contact":"See the KKP and Ministry of Environment websites","corrective_actions":["KKP launched the Healthy Sea Free of Waste (Laut Sebasah) programme (ref 2).","Single-use plastic bag bans in Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya, and a Bali ban on bottled water under one litre (ref 1).","Waste-to-energy licensing streamlined; only 2 of 12 targeted plants fully operational (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seeking solutions for waste handling in Indonesia","publisher":"ANTARA News","date":"2025-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/353693/seeking-solutions-for-waste-handling-in-indonesia","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"How Much Indonesian Waste Ends Up in the Ocean?","publisher":"Databoks (Katadata), citing a KKP press release of 2 September 2025","date":"2026-04-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://databoks.katadata.co.id/en/environment/statistics/69e610cf4ec0e/how-much-indonesian-waste-ends-up-in-the-ocean","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"scale of leakage","note":"BRIN estimates 350,000 tonnes of plastic entering the ocean in 2024 while KKP estimates 16.02 million tonnes of all waste entering waters in 2025; they differ in material, year and method (refs 1, 2)."},{"field":"waste generated","note":"SIPSN reports 33.7 million tonnes for 2024 and KKP reports 50.06 million tonnes for 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected"],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-IDN-TURTLETRADE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-PHILIPPINES-TYPHOONSURGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Typhoons Kalmaegi and Fung-wong (Uwan) bring storm surge and coastal flooding to the Visayas and eastern Luzon in November 2025","description":"Typhoon Kalmaegi crossed the Visayas in early November 2025, killing at least 204 people with 109 missing and affecting nearly three million, and PAGASA then warned of surges above 3 m in 42 areas as Fung-wong (Uwan) approached. On 9 November the Office of Civil Defense reported storm surge and flooding in Virac, Catanduanes, and violent waves struck Aurora as the super typhoon neared landfall.","location":{"name":"Visayas and east Luzon coasts, Philippines","type":"Typhoon-affected coastline","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Southern Leyte, Leyte, Cebu and Bohol (Kalmaegi) and Catanduanes, Albay and Aurora on the Philippine Sea coast (Fung-wong); this record follows WMO's note of an unprecedented number of Philippine cyclones in October and November 2024.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge from typhoons inundates low-lying coasts.","secondary_drivers":["Typhoon storm surge","Heavy rainfall flooding"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Kalmaegi's toll reached 204 dead and 109 missing (ref 2), and the OCD reported storm surge flooding in Virac, Catanduanes on 9 November (ref 3); deaths are not attributed to surge alone.","livelihoods":"The International Charter reported nearly 600,000 people displaced after Kalmaegi (ref 1) and PAGASA told coastal residents to evacuate and halt marine activity (ref 2).","scale":"Impacts spanned the Visayas and the eastern Luzon coast, a national coastline (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The two storms hit within days of each other in November 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"PAGASA issued storm surge warnings for 42 areas with heights above 3 m, and the International Charter was activated on 7 November 2025 (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":3000000,"status":"Estimated","note":"'Nearly three million' people affected by Kalmaegi per AAP/AP, 8 November 2025 (ref 2); the Charter activation of 7 November said more than 1.1 million (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"PAGASA warned of life-threatening storm surges of up to five metres as Fung-wong approached the eastern coast; Kalmaegi killed at least 204 people."},"measures":[{"name":"Kalmaegi deaths","value":204,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"109 still missing as of 8 November 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Kalmaegi storm surge (Charter)","value":3,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Up to three metres per the International Charter activation (ref 1)."},{"name":"Areas under surge warning for Uwan","value":42,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"PAGASA 9 November 2025, some above 3 m (ref 4)."},{"name":"Kalmaegi people displaced","value":600000,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly 600,000 per the Charter (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Nearly three million people affected by Kalmaegi (ref 2).","Marine activity halted and coastal evacuations urged ahead of Fung-wong (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Storm counts vary by year; WMO noted an unprecedented number of Philippine cyclones in late 2024 (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"PAGASA","role":"Weather and storm surge warnings"},{"name":"Office of Civil Defense","role":"Disaster response"}],"public_contact":"See the PAGASA and OCD websites","corrective_actions":["PAGASA urged residents of low-lying and coastal areas to move to higher ground and halt marine activities (ref 2, ref 4).","International Charter activated on 7 November 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Typhoons Kalmaegi and Fung-Wong in the Philippines (activation 1001)","publisher":"International Charter Space and Major Disasters","date":"2025-11-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://disasterscharter.org/zh/activations/flood-in-philippines-activation-1001-","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Kalmaegi toll at 204 as new typhoon nears Philippines","publisher":"AAP News (with DPA and AP)","date":"2025-11-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/kalmaegi-toll-at-204-as-next-typhoon-nears-philippines","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Storm surge, lahar flow, flood hit Bicol, Catanduanes amid Uwan: OCD","publisher":"GMA News Online","date":"2025-11-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/965435/storm-surge-lahar-flow-flood-hit-bicol-catanduanes-amid-uwan-ocd/story/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"PAGASA: 42 areas at risk for storm surges amid Uwan onslaught","publisher":"GMA News Online","date":"2025-11-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/weather/965483/pagasa-42-provinces-at-risk-for-storm-surges-amid-uwan-onslaught/story/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Southwest Pacific hit by unprecedented marine heatwaves in 2024: UN","publisher":"The Tribune (AFP)","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/southwest-pacific-hit-by-unprecedented-marine-heatwaves-in-2024-un","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Violent waves crash into Aurora as 'Uwan' nears; families evacuate","publisher":"ABS-CBN News","date":"2025-11-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/11/9/violent-waves-crash-into-aurora-as-uwan-nears-families-evacuate-1635","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"people affected","note":"The Charter activation (7 November) gives more than 1.1 million affected and at least 26 dead; AAP (8 November) gives nearly three million and 204 dead; the later figures are used (refs 1, 2)."},{"field":"surge height","note":"The Charter lists surge up to three metres for Kalmaegi without saying whether observed or forecast; PAGASA's five metres for Fung-wong was a forecast (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The Kalmaegi surge heights actually observed were not found in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-BASILAN-FERRYSINKING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-SWPACIFIC-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Severe marine heatwave conditions across Southwest Pacific waters including Indonesia and the Philippines in 2024","description":"WMO's 2024 report on the Southwest Pacific, which includes Indonesia and the Philippines, found that much of the region saw at least severe marine heatwave conditions at some point in 2024, with extreme ocean heat covering 40 million square kilometres and record sea surface temperatures. The Coral Triangle Center reported bleached reefs appearing in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia in mid-2024.","location":{"name":"Indonesian and Philippine waters","type":"Marine heatwave region","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID","PH"],"detail":"Part of the WMO Southwest Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand and southeast Asian island states); the 2024 physical heat event only, with bleaching outcomes covered separately.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Anomalous sea temperatures drive the physical heat stress.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino","Long-term ocean warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Coral Triangle Center said photos of bleached reefs had begun to appear in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia in 2024, which indicates thermal harm but not measured mortality (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Neither cited page records closures or lost income in Indonesian or Philippine waters from the heat itself (refs 1, 2).","scale":"WMO described severe heatwave conditions across much of a multi-country regional sea and 40 million square kilometres of ocean (ref 1).","duration":"The conditions were recorded 'at some point during the course of 2024', a months-long event (ref 1).","significance":"WMO issued the finding in its formal annual State of the Climate report for the Southwest Pacific (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Extreme heat over the year affected 40 million sq km of ocean, and heatwaves affected more than 10 per cent of the global ocean surface in 2024 (WMO, via AFP)."},"measures":[{"name":"Ocean area affected by extreme heat in 2024","value":40,"unit":"million sq km","status":"Reported","note":"WMO Southwest Pacific region, via AFP report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Regional mean temperature above 1991-2020","value":0.5,"unit":"degC","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly half a degree Celsius (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Coral Triangle Center warns reef-dependent fishing and tourism income is at risk from bleaching (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One year of regional data in the cited pages (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"World Meteorological Organization","role":"Climate reporting","contact":"https://wmo.int/"},{"name":"Coral Triangle Center","role":"Regional conservation NGO","contact":"https://coraltrianglecenter.org/"}],"public_contact":"See the WMO and Coral Triangle Center websites","corrective_actions":["No corrective action in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Southwest Pacific hit by unprecedented marine heatwaves in 2024: UN","publisher":"The Tribune (AFP, reporting WMO)","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/southwest-pacific-hit-by-unprecedented-marine-heatwaves-in-2024-un","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Protecting Our Planet's Coral Reefs: An Urgent Call to Action","publisher":"Coral Triangle Center","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://coraltrianglecenter.org/protecting-our-planets-coral-reefs-an-urgent-call-to-action/","basis":"NGO report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"field":"scope","note":"The WMO report covers the whole Southwest Pacific including Australia and New Zealand; the opened pages do not break out Indonesian or Philippine marine heatwave metrics. The WMO report itself did not open, so figures come from the AFP report (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","The WMO report page itself timed out; regional metrics for Indonesia and the Philippines were not found."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-PHILIPPINES-TYPHOONSURGE-2025","OC-SEA-IDN-BALIBLEACHING-2023"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-WEDABAY-NICKELMETALS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Weda Bay, Halmahera: fish near the nickel industrial park exceed arsenic limits, a study finds, and officials dispute it","description":"A Nexus3 Foundation and Tadulako University study of Weda Bay found arsenic above the 2 mg/kg limit in four fish samples and arsenic up to 20 times higher than a 2007 baseline, with all 16 fish tested carrying mercury and arsenic. Central Halmahera's environment head disputed it, citing 2024 seawater tests as within standards, while the provincial fisheries office said it might suspend fishing if the contamination is confirmed.","location":{"name":"Weda Bay and Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park","type":"Bay beside a nickel smelting complex","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Weda Bay, Central Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia; fish sampled from Gemaf village fishers and Lelilef market. Study field work was in July 2024 and the report was released in late May 2025.","coordinates":{"lat":0.47832,"lon":127.98363,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Heavy metals from industrial nickel processing reported in marine fish.","secondary_drivers":["Nickel smelting and acid leaching","Mangrove conversion","Coal-fired power"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Four anchovy, bream and snapper samples exceeded BPOM's 2 mg/kg arsenic maximum and arsenic was up to 20 times the 2007 level (ref 1), though the finding is contested.","livelihoods":"Fishers say nearshore catch has declined and many have stopped fishing; no closure has been ordered (ref 1).","scale":"The sampling was in one bay on Halmahera's coast (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"Researchers compared 2024 fish with 2007 baseline data and the park has operated since 2018 (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The finding rests on an NGO and university study; no official notice was issued and local officials dispute it (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":46,"status":"Reported","note":"46 residents of Gemaf and Lelilef gave blood samples; 47% were above the mercury limit and 32% above the arsenic limit (ref 1, ref 2). This is the sample, not the exposed population."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Four samples of anchovy, bream and snapper exceeded the maximum of 2 milligrams of arsenic per kilogram of fish; arsenic in Weda Bay fish was up to 20 times higher than in 2007 samples."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish samples above 2 mg/kg arsenic","value":4,"unit":"samples","status":"Reported","note":"BPOM maximum, per Mongabay (ref 1)."},{"name":"Arsenic range in 16 fish","value":3.03,"unit":"mg/kg (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 0.43 to 3.03 mg/kg (ref 2)."},{"name":"Mercury range in 16 fish","value":0.28,"unit":"mg/kg (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 0.02 to 0.28 mg/kg (ref 2)."},{"name":"Arsenic increase since 2007 baseline","value":20,"unit":"times","status":"Reported","note":"Versus LIPI samples (ref 1, ref 2); chromium 13 times (ref 2)."},{"name":"Residents with blood mercury above limit","value":47,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"22 of 46 people tested (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["North Maluku's fisheries office said fishing might be suspended if contamination is confirmed (ref 1).","Fishers around Weda Bay report declining nearshore catch (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Researchers report higher metal levels than the 2007 baseline (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment","role":"Licence review requested by the study"},{"name":"North Maluku provincial fisheries office","role":"Fishing restrictions"},{"name":"Central Halmahera environment department","role":"Seawater monitoring"}],"public_contact":"See the Central Halmahera and North Maluku government websites","corrective_actions":["The report asks the environment ministry to review all nickel licences in the area and to publish monitoring data (ref 2).","Provincial fisheries said it may suspend fishing if the fish are confirmed contaminated (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Indonesia tests shows blood mercury rising at ground zero of world energy transition","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/indonesia-tests-shows-blood-mercury-rising-at-ground-zero-of-world-energy-transition/","basis":"News (first published in Indonesian 12 June 2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Nexus3-Untad: Weda Bay residents exposed to more heavy metals than nickel industry workers","publisher":"Tanah Air","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tanahair.net/?p=11761","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weda_Bay_Industrial_Park","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"seawater quality","note":"Central Halmahera's environment head said 2024 government seawater tests showed Weda Bay seawater is 'good' and below quality standards, contradicting the NGO and university finding on fish (ref 1)."},{"field":"arsenic threshold","note":"Mongabay cites BPOM's 2 mg/kg maximum; Tanah Air cites a WHO threshold of 2 mg/kg (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The original Nexus3 and Tadulako report was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-OBI-NICKELTAILINGS-2025","OC-SEA-MOROWALI-NICKELDISCHARGE-2025","OC-SEA-RAJAAMPAT-NICKELSEDIMENT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-OBI-NICKELTAILINGS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Obi Island nickel processing: residents report red coastal water after sediment pond breach and heavy metals in fish","description":"Earthworks reports that the Harita nickel operation on Obi Island generates nearly 7.5 million tonnes of tailings a year, that WALHI North Maluku found high heavy metal concentrations along the coast and in fish, and that sediment ponds breached after heavy rain in June 2025, sending mud into the river and turning the sea red. Harita denies groundwater contamination allegations; the sources are advocacy and rights-group reports and no official finding was opened.","location":{"name":"Kawasi coast, Obi Island, North Maluku","type":"Coast beside a nickel processing complex","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"West coast of Obi Island, Halmahera Selatan, North Maluku, Indonesia, at the Harita Group nickel operation near Kawasi village.","coordinates":{"lat":-1.5,"lon":127.75,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Acid-leach tailings and sediment runoff reaching coastal water.","secondary_drivers":["High-pressure acid leaching tailings","Heavy rainfall"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"WALHI North Maluku reported high heavy metal concentrations along the coast and in fish, an NGO claim not backed by an official standard exceedance in the pages opened (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Residents say red water makes fishing impossible in the rainy season and fishermen travel farther for catches (ref 2).","scale":"Impacts are described for one island coast (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The operation began in 2010, expanded in 2015 and 2021, and the sea reddened again after the June 2025 breach (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"No regulator action or court ruling appears in the opened pages; Harita denies the allegations (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"For each ton of nickel, HPAL produces 120 tons of tailings; more than 65,000 tons of nickel are refined on Obi each year, producing nearly 7.5 million tons of waste (Earthworks)."},"measures":[{"name":"Tailings per tonne of nickel","value":120,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"HPAL process (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Annual tailings from Obi operation","value":7.5,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Earthworks: more than 65,000 tonnes of nickel refined a year (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers travel farther for catches (ref 2).","Concern for nearby coral reefs (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Reports only describe conditions up to mid-2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Harita Group (Harita Nickel)","role":"Operator"},{"name":"WALHI North Maluku","role":"Monitoring NGO"}],"public_contact":"See Harita Nickel and the Ministry of Environment websites","corrective_actions":["Harita is negotiating the resettlement of Kawasi residents to an 'Eco Village' (ref 2).","Operator says it denies the contamination allegations (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Obi Island","publisher":"Earthworks","date":"2025-05-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthworks.org/blog/obi-island/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Indonesia: Environmental and social challenges linked to nickel projects at Obi island","publisher":"Business and Human Rights Resource Centre","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/indonesia-environmental-and-social-challenges-linked-to-nickel-projects-at-obi-island/","basis":"NGO profile"},{"ref":3,"title":"Obi Island (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"field":"contamination","note":"Harita has denied allegations of chromium-6 contamination (ref 1); company records cited by Earthworks suggest executives knew the mine was the source. No regulator finding was opened."}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","No government or peer-reviewed marine sampling result was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-WEDABAY-NICKELMETALS-2025","OC-SEA-MOROWALI-NICKELDISCHARGE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-MOROWALI-NICKELDISCHARGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Morowali nickel park: fishers in Kurisa and North Konawe report murky seawater and collapsing catches","description":"Global Voices reported in April 2025 that fishers in Kurisa, Central Sulawesi, and Tapunggaeya, Southeast Sulawesi, see opaque, polluted or brown seawater and far smaller catches near the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. It also reports that hot water from the park's power plant flows into the sea, raising temperatures and damaging coral; no measurements were published in the opened source.","location":{"name":"Morowali industrial park coast, Sulawesi","type":"Coast beside a nickel industrial park","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Bahodopi, Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi, on the Banda Sea coast; also North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi.","coordinates":{"lat":-2.83,"lon":122.16,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Industrial discharge and mining runoff reported in coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Nickel smelting","Thermal discharge from a power plant","Mining sediment runoff"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The article reports seawater turned opaque and brown and hot discharge damaging coral, but publishes no water or sediment measurements (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fisher Joko says he floats eight hours for two kilograms of fish, and young people in Tapunggaeya have moved from fishing to mining (ref 1).","scale":"The accounts come from two coastal villages, so impact is local (ref 1).","duration":"The park began construction in 2013 and residents have long complained of water pollution (ref 1).","significance":"Only a citizen-media report was opened and no regulator notice appears (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fishers say seawater has turned opaque and polluted and that catches that once reached 10 kilos under a house net are now about five kilos after hours at sea."},"measures":[{"name":"Reported catch decline","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Anecdotal fisher accounts: 10 kg then, 5 kg now (ref 1); not a survey."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Young people in Tapunggaeya have switched from fishing to mining (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single 2025 source (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park","role":"Park operator"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment","role":"Regulator"}],"public_contact":"See the Ministry of Environment website","corrective_actions":["No corrective action in the cited source."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"How China's investment in Indonesia's nickel industry is impacting local communities","publisher":"Global Voices","date":"2025-04-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalvoices.org/2025/04/07/how-chinas-investment-in-indonesias-nickel-industry-is-impacting-local-communities/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Morowali Industrial Park (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morowali_Industrial_Park","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["population_affected","Seawater quality measurements; a Ministry of Environment violation report mentioned in search results was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-WEDABAY-NICKELMETALS-2025","OC-SEA-OBI-NICKELTAILINGS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-RAJAAMPAT-NICKELSEDIMENT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Raja Ampat nickel mining: four permits revoked in June 2025 as sediment runoff clouds coastal waters","description":"Indonesia revoked four nickel mining permits in Raja Ampat on 10 June 2025 after an Environment Ministry investigation found environmental violations, while PT Gag Nikel continues on Gag Island. A September 2025 report by Auriga Nusantara and Earth Insight documented sediment run-off turning waters murky brown and bleached coral near mining sites, and said post-mining rehabilitation is very poor. Nickel mining on the small islands of Raja Ampat in West Papua, inside the Coral Triangle, drew a government response in June 2025: four mining permits were revoked and the fifth operator, PT Gag Nikel, was allowed to continue under closer supervision. Officials and campaigners reported sediment runoff from the Manuran and Kawe island operations and large forest clearance, while the cited sources describe the risk to coral reefs as potential rather than a measured loss. In April 2026 campaigners said heavy machinery remained on the islands.","location":{"name":"Gag, Kawe and Manuran islands, Raja Ampat","type":"Island group with nickel mines","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, Indonesia; the sediment pollution only, with reef impacts covered separately.","coordinates":{"lat":-0.45,"lon":129.8667,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Mining sediment run-off polluting coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Forest clearing","Nickel mining"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Greenpeace said over 1,235 acres were cleared on Gag, Kawe and Manuran, and NGO images show sediment run-off turning waters murky brown (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited pages record no closures or lost income, only concern for a leading diving destination (ref 1).","scale":"The mining sits on three small islands in one regency (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The September 2025 report covers recent and historic mining and warns of decades of impact (ref 2).","significance":"The government revoked four permits on 10 June 2025 after the Environment Ministry found violations (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The government revoked four nickel mining operation permits in Raja Ampat; concessions had covered 22,000 hectares of the region's 3.66 million hectares."},"measures":[{"name":"Permits revoked","value":4,"unit":"permits","status":"Reported","note":"Announced 10 June 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Land cleared for nickel mines on three islands","value":1235,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace Indonesia figure cited by AP (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nickel concession area before 2025","value":22000,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Of 3.66 million hectares in Raja Ampat (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The AP calls Raja Ampat one of the country's top tourist destinations for diving (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Four permits revoked but one operator continues and NGOs report ongoing damage (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources","role":"Permit authority"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment","role":"Investigation"},{"name":"PT Gag Nikel","role":"Operator on Gag Island"},{"name":"Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM)","role":"Mining licences and suspension"},{"name":"Raja Ampat Marine Conservation Area","role":"Marine protected area management"}],"public_contact":"See the ministry websites","corrective_actions":["Four mining permits revoked on 10 June 2025 (ref 1).","Gag Nikel continues under presidential monitoring (ref 1).","Revoke four nickel permits (done, 10 June 2025)","Keep PT Gag Nikel under heightened supervision","Require restoration of damaged areas (per ref 2)"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Indonesia stops nickel mining operations at top tourist diving destination","publisher":"Associated Press (Jefferson City News Tribune)","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newstribune.com/news/2025/jun/11/indonesia-stops-nickel-mining-operations-at-top/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Nickel mining threatens Indonesia coral haven, NGOs warn","publisher":"The Jakarta Post (AFP)","date":"2025-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/09/25/nickel-mining-threatens-indonesia-coral-haven-ngos-warn","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gag Island (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gag_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Indonesia revokes licences of four nickel miners in Raja Ampat, allows one to continue","publisher":"Asia News Network","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=208085","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Raja Ampat nickel mining and you","publisher":"Bird's Head Seascape","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://birdsheadseascape.com/diving/raja-ampat-nickel-mining-and-you/","basis":"Regional conservation organisation"},{"ref":6,"title":"Marine ecosystem at risk as mining ambitions expand in Raja Ampat","publisher":"Indonesia Business Post","date":"2026-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://indonesiabusinesspost.com/6457/environment/marine-ecosystem-at-risk-as-mining-ambitions-expand-in-raja-ampat","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Environmental destruction and indigenous rights violations: The nickel mining crisis in Raja Ampat","publisher":"Human Rights Monitor","date":"2025-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://humanrightsmonitor.org/news/environmental-destruction-and-indigenous-rights-violations-the-nickel-mining-crisis-in-raja-ampat/","basis":"NGO report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"scale of clearing","note":"AP gives 1,235 acres cleared per Greenpeace; the NGO's own statement was not opened (ref 1)."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-SEA-RAJAAMPAT-NICKELSEDIMENT-2025-DUP (Nickel mining sediment threatens Raja Ampat reefs as four permits are revoked): pollution group filed the sediment angle on the same permit revocations"}],"missing_fields":["population_affected","No measured coral cover change or sediment data in the cited sources; reef harm is stated as a risk."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-WEDABAY-NICKELMETALS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-PHL-MUNICIPALWATERS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Supreme Court ruling opens Philippine municipal waters to commercial fishing","description":"A Supreme Court First Division resolution, reported in December 2024, upheld a Malabon trial court decision in a petition by Mercidar Fishing Corp. that declared small fishers' preferential access to the 15-km municipal waters unconstitutional. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Agriculture asked the Court to reconsider in January 2025, and fisherfolk groups, local governments and Oceana filed petitions and interventions. Oceana projects that up to 90% of the municipal waters of 533 of 884 coastal towns could open to commercial fishing; this is an advocacy estimate.","location":{"name":"Philippine municipal waters (15 km zone)","type":"National fishing zone","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Municipal waters out to 15 km from shore across the Philippine archipelago, including the Visayan and Sulu seas.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court ruling changes who may fish in nearshore waters and so affects fishing pressure on overfished stocks.","secondary_drivers":["Commercial fishing pressure","Legal uncertainty over fishing zones"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Oceana and a fisheries scientist warned the ruling contradicts the remedy for overfishing and could deplete stocks; no measured stock effect is reported yet (refs 1, 5).","livelihoods":"Philstar reports the ruling affects over two million registered municipal fisherfolk; groups warn of rising hunger and poverty (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The 15-km municipal zone applies nationwide; Oceana's analysis counts 533 of 884 coastal municipalities exposed (ref 5).","duration":"Reported in December 2024 and still contested in the latest opened source of January 2025, with the legal fight unresolved in the sources (refs 1, 4, 5).","significance":"A Supreme Court First Division resolution upheld a trial court decision declaring the preferential access unconstitutional (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":2000000,"status":"Reported","note":"'Over two million registered municipal fisherfolk' per Philstar, 2 January 2025 (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Oceana says about 60% of coastal municipalities (533 of 884) would have up to 90% of their municipal waters opened to commercial fishing (advocacy analysis, ref 5)."},"measures":[{"name":"Registered municipal fisherfolk affected","value":2000000,"unit":"people (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Philstar, 2 January 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Coastal municipalities with up to 90% of waters opened","value":533,"unit":"of 884 municipalities","status":"Estimated","note":"Oceana analysis of GEBCO bathymetry and the 7-fathom depth rule (ref 5)."},{"name":"Municipal water zone width","value":15,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 1 and 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Small-scale fisherfolk groups and local governments, including Santa Fe in Cebu, petitioned the Court (ref 5).","Oceana estimated Santa Fe would lose 94% of its municipal waters to commercial fishing (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Latest opened sources date from January 2025; no docket outcome on the motions was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)","role":"National fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph"},{"name":"Department of Agriculture","role":"Parent department; filed motion for reconsideration through the Solicitor General"},{"name":"Supreme Court of the Philippines","role":"Court deciding the motions and petitions"}],"public_contact":"BFAR publishes general contact channels on its website (bfar.da.gov.ph).","corrective_actions":["BFAR and the Department of Agriculture filed motions for reconsideration (January 2025)","Oceana, fisherfolk and a municipality petitioned to intervene (January 2025)"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oceana and fisherfolk leader condemn the court ruling declaring the 15-km municipal water reserved for municipal fishers as unconstitutional","publisher":"Oceana Philippines","date":"2024-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ph.oceana.org/press-releases/oceana-and-fisherfolk-leader-condemn-the-court-ruling-declaring-the-15-km-municipal-water-reserved-for-municipal-fishers-as-unconstitutional/","basis":"Advocacy organisation statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fisherfolk poverty to worsen if big fishers enter municipal waters","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2024-12-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/business/2024/12/26/2409791/fisherfolk-poverty-worsen-if-big-fishers-enter-municipal-waters","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"SC ruling on fishing in municipal waters hit","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2025-01-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/01/02/2411252/sc-ruling-fishing-municipal-waters-hit","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"BFAR appeals SC ruling on delimitation of municipal waters","publisher":"The Philippine Star","date":"2025-01-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/01/04/2411769/bfar-appeals-sc-ruling-delimitation-municipal-waters/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Oceana, partners and LGU officials raise alarm on 90% of municipal waters lost to commercial fishers","publisher":"Oceana Philippines","date":"2025-01-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ph.oceana.org/press-releases/oceana-partners-and-lgu-officials-raise-alarm-on-90-of-municipal-waters-lost-to-commercial-fishers-food-and-livelihood-crisis-in-coastal-communities/","basis":"Advocacy organisation statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Impact percentages are Oceana's and a fisherfolk leader's estimates, not official figures."}],"missing_fields":["Exact resolution date not stated in the opened sources (Philstar mentions 'Dec. 19'); outcome of the motions for reconsideration not found."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-PHL-FAO266VMS-2026","OC-SEA-PHILIPPINES-SEALANES-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-PHL-FAO266VMS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Philippine Supreme Court strikes down commercial fishing vessel tracking order FAO 266","description":"The Philippine Supreme Court upheld a lower-court ruling that voided Fisheries Administrative Order 266, which required commercial fishing vessels to carry tracking devices and report catches to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The decision, dated 21 January 2026 and announced on 3 August 2026, found the order failed the rational basis test; BFAR and the fisherfolk group Pangisda Pilipinas filed motions for reconsideration on 14 August 2026. Implementation had been suspended since February 2022, when 1,566 of 2,997 targeted vessels had received transceivers.","location":{"name":"Philippine commercial fishing fleet and municipal waters","type":"National fishing zone","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Nationwide vessel monitoring rule covering Philippine-flagged commercial vessels, including those entering municipal waters.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Loss of the vessel-monitoring rule weakens enforcement against illegal fishing and intrusion into municipal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Weak fisheries enforcement","Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A fisheries professor warned that reduced oversight could raise commercial pressure on overexploited stocks, and Oceana cites 88% of assessed stocks overfished; no measured effect yet (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Pangisda Pilipinas warned commercial intrusion into municipal waters could worsen; Oceana says over 300,000 fisher families are below the poverty line (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The rule applied to all 2,997 targeted Philippine-flagged commercial vessels nationwide (ref 1).","duration":"Implementation has been suspended since February 2022, so the monitoring gap already exceeds four years (ref 1).","significance":"The Supreme Court upheld the 2021 Malabon trial court decision invalidating FAO 266 in a decision announced on 3 August 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population count for this ruling in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"By February 2022, 1,566 of 2,997 targeted vessels (about 52%) had received government-provided transceivers when implementation was suspended (Mongabay)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessels that received transceivers","value":1566,"unit":"of 2,997 vessels","status":"Reported","note":"As of the February 2022 suspension (ref 1)."},{"name":"Assessed fish stocks overfished (Oceana)","value":88,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Figure quoted by Oceana (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Oceana linked weak monitoring to the loss of the US market for Philippine blue swimming crab, a USD 50 million industry (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ruling announced August 2026; motions for reconsideration pending (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)","role":"Issued FAO 266; filed motion for reconsideration","contact":"https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph"},{"name":"Supreme Court of the Philippines","role":"Court"}],"public_contact":"BFAR publishes general contact channels on its website (bfar.da.gov.ph).","corrective_actions":["BFAR filed a motion for reconsideration on 14 August 2026","BFAR said it would review its framework and add constitutional safeguards to any future system"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Philippine Supreme Court rules monitoring commercial fishing vessels is unconstitutional","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/philippine-supreme-court-rules-monitoring-commercial-fishing-vessels-is-unconstitutional/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Supreme Court Ruling: A Death Blow to Small-Scale Fishers","publisher":"Oceana Philippines","date":"2026-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ph.oceana.org/press-releases/supreme-court-ruling-a-death-blow-to-small-scale-fishers/","basis":"Advocacy organisation statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Case docket number not given in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-PHL-MUNICIPALWATERS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-IDN-QUOTAFISHING-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Indonesia's quota-based fishing policy delayed amid stock and monitoring concerns","description":"Indonesia introduced a quota-based measured fishing policy (PIT) in March 2023, capping total catch at 80% of estimated stock across six zones covering 11 fisheries management areas, but the start date was pushed to 2025. Mongabay reported that estimated stocks fell to 12 million tonnes and the share of management areas rated fully exploited rose to 53%, while scientists and the Ombudsman criticised the lack of updated stock data and monitoring capacity. A March 2026 study at Banda Aceh found limited port infrastructure and low fisher awareness.","location":{"name":"Indonesian fisheries management areas","type":"National fishing zone","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"National policy covering all 11 Indonesian fisheries management areas, including the Java, Banda, Arafura and Sulawesi seas.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A catch-quota regime responds to rising overfishing but is stalled by data and enforcement gaps.","secondary_drivers":["Overfishing","Weak monitoring capacity"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Estimated stocks are 12 million tonnes, down almost 4% from 12.5 million in 2017, with 53% of management areas fully exploited; harm is stock pressure rather than collapse (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Quotas apply to industrial, local and noncommercial fishers and ban industrial vessels within 12 nm, and fishers' groups at the IPB webinar demanded clear rules (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The policy spans six fishing zones covering the archipelago's 11 fisheries management areas (ref 1).","duration":"The policy dates from March 2023 and a March 2026 study still describes implementation challenges at Banda Aceh (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Issued as a formal ministerial decree and Government Regulation 11 of 2023, with a decree of 29 November 2023 delaying the start to 2025 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"53% of Indonesian fisheries management areas were rated fully exploited, up from 44% in 2017 (Mongabay, December 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Management areas rated fully exploited","value":53,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 44% in 2017 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated fish stock","value":12,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Down almost 4% from 12.5 million in 2017 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Allowable catch cap","value":80,"unit":"% of estimated stock","status":"Reported","note":"Total allowable catch under the quota policy (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Critics said the quotas favour large industrial operators over small-scale fishing communities (ref 1).","Indonesian parliament member noted state fisheries revenue (PNBP) remained below Rp1 trillion (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Rollout postponed to 2025; no 2025-2026 quota allocations were found in opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://kkp.go.id"}],"public_contact":"Contact the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries via its website (kkp.go.id).","corrective_actions":["Delay start to allow outreach, education and consolidation until 2025","Government Regulation 11 of 2023 sets limits by management-area potential (ref 3)"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Indonesia delays enforcement of widely panned fisheries policy","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2023-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/indonesa-fisheries-quota-policy-sustainable-ministry-small-fishers/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Farmers and Fishermen Centre IPB University invites three figures, peels the measured fishing policy","publisher":"IPB University","date":"2024-04-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ipb.ac.id/?p=77875","basis":"University webinar report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Implementation Review of Indonesia's Measured Fishing Policy (PIT) Supporting Sustainable Tuna Fishery in Banda Aceh","publisher":"International Journal of Marine Engineering Innovation and Research","date":"2026-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://journal.its.ac.id/index.php/ijmeir/article/view/9426","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Current (2025-2026) status of quota rollout and any allocations not found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-RIAUNATUNA-SEASAND-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-IDN-TURTLETRADE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Illegal sea turtle and egg trade seized in Bali and West Kalimantan","description":"Indonesian authorities foiled several illegal sea turtle shipments between 2025 and 2026: 52 turtles in two seizures in northwest Bali in January 2025, 1,950 turtle eggs bound for Malaysia at Sambas, West Kalimantan, in June 2025, and 21 live green turtles on Bali's Pegametan coast in June 2026, where a 67-year-old suspect was charged. WWF Indonesia said the numbers suggest demand beyond ceremonial use. A 2020 genetic study of Bali trade turtles pointed to origins off Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.","location":{"name":"Bali and Sambas, West Kalimantan","type":"Wildlife trade corridor","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID","MY"],"detail":"Seizures in Jembrana and Pemuteran (northwest Bali), Pegametan (Bali) and Kapet Sintete port in Sambas, with eggs from Tambelan Island (Riau Islands).","coordinates":{"lat":-8.3,"lon":114.667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Poaching and trade of protected green and hawksbill turtles removes animals and eggs from the sea.","secondary_drivers":["Wildlife trade","Illegal trade for meat and consumption"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"29 green turtles were seized in Jembrana on 12 January 2025 and 5 died; 23 more were seized at Pemuteran on 24 January 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is documented in the seizure reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Seizures span Bali and West Kalimantan, with eggs from the Riau Islands and turtles reportedly from waters near Madura and Borneo (refs 1, 2, 4).","duration":"Seizures are recurrent from January 2025 to June 2026, and a TRAFFIC review cited 163 operations in 2015-2019 (refs 1, 4).","significance":"Trade is prohibited under Indonesian law and CITES; police charged a suspect in June 2026 who faces up to 15 years (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable; wildlife trade finding."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"52 turtles seized in two northwest Bali operations in January 2025 and 1,950 turtle eggs intercepted in Sambas in June 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Green turtles seized in Jembrana (12 Jan 2025)","value":29,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Five died after the seizure (ref 1)."},{"name":"Turtle eggs intercepted in Sambas (June 2025)","value":1950,"unit":"eggs","status":"Reported","note":"Bound for Malaysia (ref 2, ref 3)."},{"name":"Live green turtles seized at Pegametan (10 June 2026)","value":21,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Headline said 23, article body said 21 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Repeated seizures from January 2025 to June 2026, with no trend series."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (PSDKP resource supervision)","role":"Seizures and quarantine","contact":"https://kkp.go.id"},{"name":"Bali Police","role":"Investigation and prosecution"}],"public_contact":"Contact the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries via its website (kkp.go.id).","corrective_actions":["Seizure and release or incubation of live turtles and eggs","Prosecution of the June 2026 Bali suspect, with the network still under investigation"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Concerns of illegal sea turtle trade persist in Bali as police foil smugglers","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/02/concerns-of-illegal-sea-turtle-trade-persist-in-bali-as-police-foil-smugglers/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bid to smuggle 1,950 sea turtle eggs thwarted in W Kalimantan","publisher":"Antara","date":"2025-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mataram.antaranews.com/berita/462461/bid-to-smuggle-1950-sea-turtle-eggs-thwarted-in-w-kalimantan","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Indonesia foils illegal shipment of nearly 2,000 turtle eggs to Malaysia","publisher":"The Peninsula Qatar","date":"2025-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/18/06/2025/indonesia-foils-illegal-shipment-of-nearly-2000-turtle-eggs-to-malaysia","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Indonesian police foil attempt to trade protected live green sea turtles in Bali, arrest suspect","publisher":"Arab News (AP)","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2647845","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Jembrana Regency","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jembrana_Regency","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"AP headline reports 23 turtles at Pegametan; article body reports 21."}],"missing_fields":["Species of the Sambas eggs not stated in the sources."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-INDONESIA-MARINEWASTE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-PHL-VERDEISLANDPASSAGE-LNG-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"LNG build-out in Batangas raises reef and fishing losses concern in Verde Island Passage","description":"Fishers and campaigners report falling catches and whitened corals near new liquefied natural gas terminals on the Batangas shore of the Verde Island Passage, a Coral Triangle biodiversity hotspot of about 1.4 million hectares. Nearly two dozen LNG terminals are planned, and fishers are barred from within 300 metres of the Ilijan terminal. The Court of Appeals ordered the DENR to investigate and regulate water quality in the passage; the cited sources give testimony and campaign claims, not a reef survey.","location":{"name":"Verde Island Passage, Batangas","type":"Marine biodiversity corridor","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Strait between Luzon and Mindoro, spanning Batangas, Marinduque, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro and Romblon.","coordinates":{"lat":13.57528,"lon":120.8675,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Terminal construction and operation reportedly damage reefs, seagrass and mangroves used as nursery habitat.","secondary_drivers":["LNG terminals","Thermal and chemical discharge","Shipping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Campaign groups say construction destroyed reefs, seagrass and mangroves, and a fisher said 'our corals became white'; no survey figures are cited (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Fishers are barred within 300 m of the Ilijan terminal and report catches of about 5 kg a day against 20 kg or more before (ref 1).","scale":"The impacts described are at specific Batangas shore sites inside a 1.4-million-hectare passage (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The terminal build-out has run through 2023-2025 and the sources describe it as continuing, with more terminals planned (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A Court of Appeals order directed the DENR to investigate and regulate water quality in the passage under the Clean Water Act (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":2000000,"status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly two million people' depend directly on the passage's waters, per UCAN/Sunday Examiner (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fisher Joseph Vargas said his catch is now about 5 kg a day, down from 20 kg or more (Mongabay/Eco-Business, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Passage area","value":1.4,"unit":"million ha","status":"Reported","note":"Across five provinces (ref 2)."},{"name":"Commercial fisheries value (2023)","value":135,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Stated in ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishers report catches down by about three-quarters near the Ilijan terminal (ref 1).","Commercial fisheries in the passage generated roughly USD 135 million in 2023 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Reports from 2025 only; no repeat survey."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)","role":"Water-quality regulator ordered to investigate"}],"public_contact":"Contact DENR through its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Court of Appeals ordered DENR to investigate and regulate water quality","Protect VIP coalition campaigning for legal protection"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"As LNG development accelerates, Philippine coastal communities fight for their future","publisher":"Eco-Business (republished from Mongabay)","date":"2025-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eco-business.com/news/as-lng-development-accelerates-philippine-coastal-communities-fight-for-their-future/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Crusade to save the Verde Island Passage","publisher":"Sunday Examiner (UCAN)","date":"2025-11-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.examiner.org.hk/2025/11/14/crusade-to-save-the-verde-island-passage/news/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Verde Island Passage","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verde_Island_Passage","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Area is 1.4 million ha in ref 2 and about 1.14 million ha on the reference page."}],"missing_fields":["No independent reef survey linking LNG terminals to coral loss in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-MINDORO-OILSPILL-2023"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-IDN-MANGROVELOSS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Indonesia's mangrove restoration target slips to 2029 after a million hectares lost","description":"Indonesia holds 3.44 million hectares of mangrove (2024 National Mangrove Map), about 20% of the global total, but has lost more than 1 million hectares over four decades. The Environment Ministry now targets rehabilitating 600,000 ha by 2029 under its enhanced NDC and identified 769,824 ha for rehabilitation, after the original 2024 goal was missed with about 150,000 ha restored by December 2024 according to the restoration agency. Funding, coordination and landowner resistance, including holdings kept for aquaculture, are named obstacles.","location":{"name":"Indonesian mangrove coasts","type":"Mangrove forest","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"National programme; the ministry event was held at Mempawah Mangrove Park, West Kalimantan.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Long-term mangrove loss to conversion is partly offset by a slow restoration programme.","secondary_drivers":["Aquaculture conversion","Coastal land use","Funding constraints"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The ministry states Indonesia lost more than 1 million ha of mangrove over four decades and over 17,000 ha is degraded in West Kalimantan (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Landowners reluctant to release land for restoration keep it for aquaculture or agriculture, and the ministry values healthy mangrove at up to Rp250 million per ha per year (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The assessment covers national mangrove cover of 3.44 million ha across the archipelago (ref 1).","duration":"The loss spans four decades and the 2024 restoration deadline has been moved to 2029 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Government Regulation 27/2025 provides the legal basis for the rehabilitation drive announced on 8 August 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 150,000 ha of a 600,000 ha target had been rehabilitated as of December 2024 (BRGM, via Changemakr Asia); the ministry now targets 600,000 ha by 2029."},"measures":[{"name":"Mangrove cover (2024 national map)","value":3.44,"unit":"million ha","status":"Reported","note":"Ministry of Environment, August 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mangrove lost in four decades","value":1,"unit":"million ha (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Rehabilitated by December 2024","value":150000,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Restoration agency figure, about 25% of target (ref 2)."},{"name":"Area identified for rehabilitation","value":769824,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Mangrove-friendly coastal livelihoods valued at up to Rp250 million per ha per year (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Restoration programme under way, but progress is behind target (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment","role":"National mangrove rehabilitation lead","contact":"https://kemenlh.go.id"},{"name":"Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM)","role":"Restoration programme"}],"public_contact":"Contact the Ministry of Environment through the general channels on its website (kemenlh.go.id).","corrective_actions":["Rehabilitate 600,000 ha of mangrove by 2029","Plant and restore at sites such as Mempawah, West Kalimantan"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pulihkan 769 ribu hektare mangrove, Menteri LH konsolidasikan aksi nasional melalui Rakornas dan penanaman di Mempawah","publisher":"Ministry of Environment (Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup)","date":"2025-08-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kemenlh.go.id/news/detail/pulihkan-769-ribu-hektare-mangrove-menteri-lh-konsolidasikan-aksi-nasional-melalui-rakornas-dan-penanaman-di-mempawah","basis":"Ministry press release (Indonesian)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Indonesia's Mangrove Rehabilitation Plan Faces Hurdles Amid Bold Ambitions","publisher":"Changemakr Asia","date":"2024-12-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://changemakr.asia/?p=293180","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Changemakr Asia reports more than 3.3 million ha of mangrove; the ministry reports 3.44 million ha."}],"missing_fields":["Source for the Kalimantan and Sulawesi shrimp-pond conversion figures was blocked and not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-IDN-SHRIMPEXPORTS-2025","OC-SEA-DEMAK-ROB-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-IDN-SHRIMPEXPORTS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Indonesian shrimp farming hit by Cs-137 import alerts and US tariffs","description":"US authorities detected radioactive caesium-137 in containers from Indonesia in August 2025, and FDA testing confirmed it in one frozen shrimp sample, leading to Import Alerts 99-51 and 99-52 that by October 2025 affected shrimp from Java and Lampung. Exports fell 54% year on year in October 2025 and January to June 2026 shipments were 14% below the same period of 2025. US tariffs of up to 32%, later cut to 15%, and antibiotic-residue concerns add pressure on pond farmers.","location":{"name":"Indonesian shrimp farming regions (Java, Lampung, Sumatra)","type":"Coastal aquaculture region","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Coastal shrimp ponds and processing in Java, Lampung and parts of Sumatra supplying US-bound exports.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A contamination scare and tariffs disrupt a major coastal aquaculture export industry.","secondary_drivers":["Radioactive contamination of exports","US tariffs","Antibiotic residues"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The FDA confirmed Cs-137 in one frozen shrimp sample from BMS Foods, with scrap metal at the Cikande industrial estate named as the likely source (ref 2).","livelihoods":"JALA said 'the whole of Indonesia got affected' when Import Alert 99-52 hit in October 2025, though no farm-level losses were quantified (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Exports from Java and Lampung were covered, and Indonesia is the fourth-largest shrimp exporter (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The shock began in August 2025 and exports were still 14% down in January to June 2026 (ref 2).","significance":"The US FDA placed the company on Import Alert 99-51 and later issued Import Alert 99-52 for Java and Lampung shrimp (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No farmer count in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Exports fell 54% year on year in October 2025; January to June 2026 exports were 14% below the same period of 2025 (The Fish Site, September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Export change, October 2025","value":-54,"unit":"% year on year","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Export change, January to June 2026","value":-14,"unit":"% vs same period 2025","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Projected 2026 exports","value":197000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Industry projection quoted in ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Indonesia now requires Cs-137-free certificates for shrimp exported to the US (ref 1).","Exports are projected below 200,000 tonnes for the first time since 2018 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Exports recovered from December 2025 then fell again in early 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP)","role":"Export certification and aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://kkp.go.id"}],"public_contact":"Contact the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries via its website (kkp.go.id).","corrective_actions":["Mandatory Cs-137-free certificates for US-bound shrimp","Tighter farming practices and quality control"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Indonesia shrimp export challenges","publisher":"JALA","date":"2026-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jala.tech/blog/shrimp-industry/indonesia-shrimp-export-challenges","basis":"Industry company article"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tough year for Indonesian shrimp after radioactive scare","publisher":"The Fish Site","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thefishsite.com/articles/tough-year-for-indonesian-shrimp-after-radioactive-scare","basis":"Trade press"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Farm-level losses not quantified in sources.","The tariff rates are from ref 1; ref 2 does not discuss tariffs."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-IDN-MANGROVELOSS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEA-IDN-SEAWEEDICEICE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ice-ice disease and epiphytes cut seaweed farm productivity in North Sulawesi","description":"A peer-reviewed study at Nain Island in North Sulawesi found that ice-ice disease in farmed Eucheuma denticulatum was linked to epiphyte biofilm and thallus wounds, with warm, low-salinity water raising susceptibility. A farm without biosecurity lost 20% of productivity to 33 kg of epiphytes, and on-farm biosecurity cut disease effects by up to 83%. The paper also notes Indonesian eucheumatoid production fell about 20% from 2015 to 2022.","location":{"name":"Nain Island seaweed farm, Bunaken National Park","type":"Seaweed aquaculture farm","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Nain Island, North Sulawesi, within Bunaken National Park near Manado.","coordinates":{"lat":1.667,"lon":124.65,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease and epiphyte infestation reduce crop health on a coastal seaweed farm.","secondary_drivers":["Ice-ice disease","Warm and low-salinity water","Epiphyte infestation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Epiphytes at the farm without biosecurity caused a 20% productivity reduction and Cladophora limited growth by up to 62% (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Lower yields reduce farmers' income, and the paper ties declining production to seedling quality (ref 1).","scale":"The measurements come from one farm at Nain Island, although the production decline is national (ref 1).","duration":"The study followed six months of observation and cites a decline of about 20% in national output from 2015 to 2022 (ref 1).","significance":"A single peer-reviewed study (Discover Oceans, accepted June 2025), no regulatory notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No farmer count in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A farm lacking on-farm biosecurity lost 20% of productivity to epiphytes; biosecurity measures cut disease effects by up to 83% in treatment farms."},"measures":[{"name":"Productivity loss at farm without biosecurity","value":20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Disease reduction with biosecurity","value":83,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"National eucheumatoid production decline 2015-2022","value":20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Cited in the paper (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Indonesia is a leading eucheumatoid producer and the paper links the decline to seedling quality (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"National output fell about 20% from 2015 to 2022 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP)","role":"Aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://kkp.go.id"}],"public_contact":"Contact the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries via its website (kkp.go.id).","corrective_actions":["On-farm biosecurity: remove epiphytes and infected crop (tested in the study)"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Evaluation of effectiveness on-farm biosecurity measure practices to the productivity of Eucheuma denticulatum at Nain Island, Indonesia","publisher":"Discover Oceans","date":"2025-06-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ioes.um.edu.my/Publication/Refereed/2025/4.-%20Cicilia%20-%20Discover%20Oceans%2C%202%3B27-1.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (abstract page)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bunaken National Park","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunaken_National_Park","basis":"Reference page (park coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only the abstract page was readable; no 2025 price-crash reporting for Sulawesi or NTT was found.","Coordinates are the national park centroid, not Nain Island."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-SEA-IDN-BALIBLEACHING-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coral bleaching on North Bali reefs after late-2023 El Nino heat","description":"Reefs near Bondalem on Bali's northern coast bleached in December 2023, with about 90% of the corals a local conservationist had nurtured losing their colour. The Coral Triangle Center attributed it mainly to warmer seas linked to El Nino and predicted bleaching will recur within one or two years. Indonesia holds about 5.1 million hectares of reef, 18% of the world total according to the tourism ministry.","location":{"name":"Bondalem reefs, North Bali","type":"Coral reef","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Bondalem village, Tejakula District, Buleleng Regency, northern Bali.","coordinates":{"lat":-8.25,"lon":114.917,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat stress bleached reefs, a habitat impact.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"About 90% of the corals the conservationist had nurtured near Bondalem lost their colour in December 2023; bleaching, not confirmed mortality (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The source reports no closures or tourism disruption (ref 1).","scale":"The report concerns one reef area off Bondalem village (ref 1).","duration":"Bleaching was observed in late 2023 and the source gives no follow-up (ref 1).","significance":"An informal conservationist account and an expert comment, with no agency notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 90% of the corals nurtured near Bondalem lost their colour in December 2023 (Associated Press, July 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nurtured corals bleached near Bondalem","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Conservationist's account, December 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reef area of Indonesia","value":5.1,"unit":"million ha","status":"Reported","note":"Tourism ministry figure cited in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One report of late-2023 bleaching; no later survey found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coral Triangle Center","role":"Regional conservation NGO and source of the bleaching assessment"}],"public_contact":"No official contact identified.","corrective_actions":["Coral restoration by local conservationists"],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coral Bleachings Devastate Bali Reefs as Sea Temperatures Rise","publisher":"Marine Technology News (Associated Press)","date":"2024-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinetechnologynews.com/news/coral-bleachings-devastate-reefs-638104","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Buleleng Regency","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buleleng_Regency","basis":"Reference page (regency coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass, reefs, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No Indonesian-agency survey percentage for the 2023-2024 bleaching was found in pages opened.","Coordinates are the regency centroid, not the reef."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-SWPACIFIC-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Casualty counts differ by date and outlet: Maritime Executive on 6 July reported 6 dead and 29 missing (ref 2); Antara on 12 July reported 17 dead and 18 missing (ref 3); the encyclopedia page lists 19 dead and 16 missing as of 20 July (ref 4)."}],"missing_fields":["No final KNKT report found in the pages opened.","Exact wreck coordinates not published in the sources opened; the strait centre is given."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-BASILAN-FERRYSINKING-2026"],"secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Ferry safety and loading practice","High waves"],"id":"OC-SEA-BALISTRAIT-FERRYSINKING-2025","title":"KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry sinks in the Bali Strait, with 17 confirmed dead and 18 missing by 12 July 2025","description":"The ro-ro ferry KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank in the Bali Strait on 2 July 2025, about 30 minutes after leaving Ketapang (East Java) for Gilimanuk (Bali), with 53 passengers, 12 crew and 22 vehicles aboard. Antara reported 30 survivors, 17 dead and 18 missing on 12 July. Indonesia's transport safety committee KNKT opened a three-stage investigation; it said liferafts did not deploy and that it was assessing whether the vessel's design could withstand the waves, and no final report was found in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Bali Strait, Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing","type":"Ferry route and shipwreck site","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Strait between Banyuwangi (East Java) and Bali; likely wreck at 40-60 m depth per Maritime Executive","coordinates":{"lat":-8.3,"lon":114.4167,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A maritime safety failure on a heavily used inter-island ferry route, handled through transport regulators and a national safety investigation.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Antara reported 17 dead, 30 survivors and 18 still missing on 12 July 2025 from 65 people aboard (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No closure of the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route or loss of a fishery is documented in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One vessel and one strait crossing; the incident is local (ref 2).","duration":"The reports opened cover the sinking and ten days of search (2 to 12 July 2025); no later outcome was found (ref 3).","significance":"KNKT, the national transport safety committee, opened a formal three-phase investigation and Basarnas ran a multi-agency search that was extended twice (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":65,"status":"Reported","note":"53 passengers plus 12 crew aboard (ref 1); the number of unlisted persons is unknown."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"As of 11 July 2025 Basarnas counted 17 dead, 30 survivors and 18 missing from 53 passengers and 12 crew (Antara, 12 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"People confirmed dead","value":17,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Antara, 11 July 2025 count (ref 3); later totals were not opened."},{"name":"People missing","value":18,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Same count, 11 July 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Survivors","value":30,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Antara (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"Vehicles aboard","value":22,"unit":"vehicles","status":"Reported","note":"Manifest figure (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A parliamentary commission urged sanctions and a review of shipping permits for similar vessels, per Wikipedia summary of DPR statements (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only July 2025 coverage was opened; the KNKT outcome is not known."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi (KNKT)","role":"Transport safety investigator","contact":"https://knkt.go.id"},{"name":"Badan SAR Nasional (Basarnas)","role":"Search and rescue","contact":"https://basarnas.go.id"},{"name":"Ministry of Transportation, Indonesia","role":"Ferry regulator","contact":"https://dephub.go.id"}],"public_contact":"KNKT and Basarnas publish general contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["KNKT three-phase investigation: statements and loading video, then technical and maintenance review including the October 2024 docking, then findings and recommendations (ref 1).","Basarnas extended the search twice, to 14 July 2025 (ref 3).","Rescuers located the likely wreck and an ROV-capable navy ship assisted (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"KNKT details three-stage probe into KMP Tunu sinking","publisher":"ANTARA News","date":"2025-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/365085/knkt-details-three-stage-probe-into-kmp-tunu-sinking","basis":"News (national news agency)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Six Dead, 29 Missing in Bali Ferry Sinking","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/six-dead-29-missing-in-bali-ferry-sinking","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bali ferry mishap: search re-extended, 18 missing","publisher":"ANTARA News","date":"2025-07-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/365877/bali-ferry-mishap-search-re-extended-18-missing","basis":"News (national news agency)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Sinking of KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_KMP_Tunu_Pratama_Jaya","basis":"Reference (encyclopedia summary; no date shown, figures to 20 July 2025)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Bali Strait","publisher":"Wikipedia (summary API)","date":"2026-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali_Strait","basis":"Reference (coordinates of the strait, not of the wreck)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"CruiseMapper says the ferry sank in relatively calm seas; AFP reports survivors described rough waters (refs 2, 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Coordinates not published in the sources opened.","Investigation outcome and later casualty totals not found."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-BALISTRAIT-FERRYSINKING-2025","OC-SEA-PHILIPPINES-TYPHOONSURGE-2025"],"secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Rough seas reported by survivors","Vessel age (built 1995 per CruiseMapper)"],"id":"OC-SEA-BASILAN-FERRYSINKING-2026","title":"MV Trisha Kerstin 3 ferry sinks off Basilan with at least 18 dead and 24 missing in January 2026","description":"The ferry MV Trisha Kerstin 3, operated by Aleson Shipping Lines, left Zamboanga City for Jolo late on 25 January 2026, sent a distress signal around 01:50 and sank about 5 km east of Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan. AFP reported at least 18 dead, 24 missing and at least 317 rescued from more than 350 aboard. The Philippine Coast Guard said the ferry was not overloaded and ordered a marine casualty investigation; the cause was not determined in the reports opened.","location":{"name":"East of Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan","type":"Ferry route and shipwreck site","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Basilan Strait waters off Basilan province, on the Zamboanga City to Jolo (Sulu) route","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An inter-island passenger ferry accident, handled through the coast guard and a marine casualty investigation.","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AFP counted at least 18 dead and 24 missing, with at least 317 rescued, on 26 January 2026 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No route closure or loss of service is documented in the three reports opened (refs 1 to 3).","scale":"A single vessel sinking about 5 km from one island (ref 1).","duration":"The reports opened cover the first day (26 January 2026) only; no later update was found (refs 1 to 3).","significance":"The Philippine Coast Guard ordered a marine casualty investigation, a formal inquiry (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":359,"status":"Reported","note":"CruiseMapper lists 332 passengers and 27 crew; AFP says more than 350 people were aboard (refs 1, 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At least 18 people confirmed dead, 24 missing and at least 317 rescued after the ferry sank (AFP via Dawn, 26 January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Confirmed dead","value":18,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"AFP, 26 January 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Missing","value":24,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"AFP, 26 January 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rescued","value":317,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Coast guard tally cited by AFP (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Operator Aleson Shipping Lines also owned the Lady Mary Joy 3, which burned on nearly the same route in 2023 with 31 deaths, per AFP (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only first-day coverage was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Philippine Coast Guard","role":"Search and rescue, marine casualty investigator","contact":"https://coastguard.gov.ph"},{"name":"Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)","role":"Ship regulator","contact":"https://marina.gov.ph"}],"public_contact":"The Philippine Coast Guard publishes its general channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Coast guard, navy, air force and fishing boats ran the rescue (ref 3 summary of AFP).","A marine casualty investigation was ordered to determine the cause (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ferry sinking kills 18, leaves 24 missing in south Philippines","publisher":"Dawn (AFP)","date":"2026-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dawn.com/news/1969154","basis":"News (wire service)"},{"ref":2,"title":"18 confirmed dead after ferry Trisha Kerstin 3 sinks off Basilan, Philippines","publisher":"CruiseMapper","date":"2026-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/15785-18-confirmed-dead-after-mv-trisha-kerstin-3-sinks","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ferry sinking kills 18, over 20 missing in south Philippines","publisher":"New Straits Times (AFP)","date":"2026-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nst.com.my/amp/world/region/2026/01/1364834/ferry-sinking-kills-18-over-20-missing-south-philippines","basis":"News (wire service)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"GMA says the suspension order was issued on 11 August 2023 and covered 20 of 21 projects; Bulatlat says Marcos suspended 22 projects on 7 August 2023 (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Whether DENR revoked or confirmed any permit after February 2025 not found.","The cumulative impact assessment text was not opened.","Manila Bay opens onto the South China Sea; filed under SCS by geography."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-MANILABAY-OILSPILL-2024"],"secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"secondary_drivers":["Coastal land reclamation","Flood management"],"id":"OC-SEA-MANILABAY-RECLAMATION-2023","title":"Manila Bay reclamation: 2023 suspension, two Pasay projects cleared, and groups seek permit revocation in 2025","description":"President Marcos suspended Manila Bay reclamation projects in August 2023 pending a cumulative impact assessment; in November 2023 DENR and the Philippine Reclamation Authority said the 265-hectare Pasay Harbor City and 360-hectare Pasay projects complied with their permits. In February 2025 fishers' group PAMALAKAYA urged DENR to revoke permits of at least 22 projects after DENR said the assessment found the projects were not integrated with flood management, and Kalikasan filed a writ of kalikasan petition in 2024. The assessment study had not been made public when Bulatlat reported.","location":{"name":"Manila Bay reclamation zone","type":"Coastal reclamation projects","sea":"SCS","seas":["SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Manila Bay, Metro Manila, Cavite and Bulacan coasts; Pasay Harbor City and Pasay projects on the Pasay shoreline","coordinates":{"lat":14.5167,"lon":120.7667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A permit and suspension dispute over coastal land reclamation, run through DENR, the Philippine Reclamation Authority and the Supreme Court.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"DENR's assessment, as reported in February 2025, found the projects not integrated with flood management, which could affect coastal communities in three regions and 178 local governments (ref 2).","livelihoods":"PAMALAKAYA and Kalikasan say nearly 300,000 fisherfolk are negatively affected; this is the groups' claim, not an official count (ref 2).","scale":"One bay, though the flood-management finding spans three regions (ref 2); scored as a single bay.","duration":"The suspension dates from August 2023 and the permit dispute was still open in February 2025, over 18 months later (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A presidential suspension order, a DENR cumulative impact assessment and a Supreme Court writ of kalikasan petition filed in 2024 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":300000,"status":"Estimated","note":"Nearly 300,000 fisherfolk, as claimed by PAMALAKAYA and Kalikasan (ref 2); not an official figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"DENR said its cumulative impact assessment found the projects not integrated with flood management, with possible effects on communities across 3 regions, 8 provinces and 178 local government units (Bulatlat, 24 February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pasay Harbor City reclamation area","value":265,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"PRA, cited by GMA News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pasay Reclamation Project area","value":360,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"PRA, cited by GMA News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projects whose permits groups want revoked","value":22,"unit":"projects","status":"Reported","note":"PAMALAKAYA demand (ref 2)."},{"name":"Local government units potentially affected","value":178,"unit":"LGUs","status":"Reported","note":"DENR assessment as reported (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Developers of the two cleared Pasay projects include SM Prime (ref 2); no financial signals were in the pages opened."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Latest page opened is February 2025; the 2025 to 2026 permit outcome was not verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)","role":"Lead agency for the cumulative impact assessment","contact":"https://denr.gov.ph"},{"name":"Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA)","role":"Reclamation regulator","contact":"https://pra.gov.ph"},{"name":"Supreme Court of the Philippines","role":"Hears the writ of kalikasan petition","contact":"https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph"}],"public_contact":"DENR and PRA publish general channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Presidential suspension of the projects in August 2023 pending a cumulative impact assessment (refs 1, 2).","DENR commissioned the UP Marine Science Institute in August 2023 to study cumulative impacts (ref 2).","Two Pasay projects were allowed to proceed in November 2023 after DENR found substantial compliance (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2 reclamation projects in Pasay get go-signal for compliance","publisher":"GMA News Online","date":"2023-11-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/889901/pasay-reclamation-projects-complied-with-denr-requirements-loyzaga/story","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"DENR urged to revoke permits of 22 Manila Bay reclamation projects","publisher":"Bulatlat","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bulatlat.com/2025/02/24/denr-urged-to-revoke-permits-of-22-manila-bay-reclamation-projects/","basis":"News (alternative media; quotes fisher groups)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Manila Bay","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates of the bay)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Widodo said the material is sediment and the policy is not a reopening of sand exports, while the Trade Ministry regulations are described as lifting the export ban (refs 2, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Permits actually issued, dredging started or cargoes exported in 2025 to 2026 were not found.","Regulation texts were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-IDN-QUOTAFISHING-2023"],"secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","other"],"secondary_drivers":["Land reclamation demand in Singapore","Dredging"],"id":"OC-SEA-RIAUNATUNA-SEASAND-2024","title":"Indonesia reopens sea sand exports after a 20-year ban, with 66 firms seeking dredging permits","description":"Government Regulation 26/2023 allowed sea sand exports once domestic needs are met, ending a ban dating to 2003. Two Trade Ministry regulations took effect on 8 October 2024, and as of 27 September 2024 66 companies had applied for extraction permits; the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry named waters off the Natuna Islands as a dredging area with about 9 billion cubic metres of sand. Walhi, Greenpeace Indonesia and KIARA warn of island loss and erosion; President Widodo said the policy targets sediment that obstructs shipping.","location":{"name":"Riau Islands and Natuna dredging areas","type":"Seabed sand dredging regime","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA","SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID","SG"],"detail":"Indonesian waters including Riau Islands, Natuna and Java north coast; Singapore is the expected main buyer","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national regulation reopening seabed sand extraction and export, with a cross-border buyer.","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Critics link dredging to island disappearance such as Ubi Besar and to erosion in Demak; these are alleged links, not findings (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure is documented; fishers and a Banuharjo resident voiced fears of lost stocks (ref 3), which is concern, not restriction.","scale":"The policy applies to Indonesia's national coastline, with Natuna named as a dredging area (ref 2).","duration":"PP 26/2023 dates from 2023 and the trade rules from October 2024, a policy running over a year (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A government regulation and two Trade Ministry regulations are in force; KIARA was considering a Supreme Court petition (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"As of 27 September 2024, 66 companies had applied for sea sand extraction permits (Global Voices, 10 October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Companies applying for extraction permits","value":66,"unit":"companies","status":"Reported","note":"As of 27 September 2024 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sand in the Natuna dredging area","value":9,"unit":"billion m3","status":"Reported","note":"Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry figure as cited by the Jakarta Post (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pre-ban sales to Singapore","value":250,"unit":"million m3 per year","status":"Reported","note":"Figure stated in the Indonesia Business Post article for the period before the ban (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated GDP loss from resuming exports","value":1.22,"unit":"trillion IDR","status":"Estimated","note":"Celios estimate, per Eco-Business (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Jakarta Post editorial board called the economic benefits minimal (ref 3).","UNEP's Peduzzi said US$15 to 17 per cubic metre does not reflect environmental and social costs (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No 2025 or 2026 page on permits issued or shipments made was found in the pages opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP)","role":"Sea sediment management and dredging permits","contact":"https://kkp.go.id"},{"name":"Ministry of Trade, Indonesia","role":"Export regulation","contact":"https://kemendag.go.id"}],"public_contact":"KKP and the Trade Ministry publish general channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Trade Ministry regulations effective 8 October 2024 set the export framework (refs 2, 3).","Civil-society challenge under consideration: KIARA weighed a Supreme Court petition (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Jokowi reopens sea sand exports after a 20-year ban, drawing criticism from environmentalists","publisher":"Indonesia Business Post","date":"2023-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://indonesiabusinesspost.com/risks-opportunities/jokowi-reopens-sea-sand-exports-after-a-20-year-ban-drawing-criticism-from-environmentalists/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Indonesia's sea sand export plan threatens islands, coastal communities","publisher":"Asia News Network (Jakarta Post)","date":"2024-09-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/indonesias-sea-sand-export-plan-threatens-islands-coastal-communities/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Indonesia lifts sea sand export ban, angering activists and coastal communities","publisher":"Global Voices","date":"2024-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalvoices.org/2024/10/10/indonesia-lifts-sea-sand-export-ban-angering-activists-and-coastal-communities/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Indonesia's risky gamble with sea sand exports","publisher":"Eco-Business","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eco-business.com/news/indonesias-risky-gamble-with-sea-sand-exports/","basis":"News (no date shown in the text opened)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Gas resource figure differs: 6.97 TCF (CNBC Indonesia) against about 10 TCF proven (Wikipedia, tagged as possibly outdated)."}],"missing_fields":["Coordinates not published in the sources opened.","Final investment decision and environmental approvals not found.","Indonesian-language news is the only 2025 source for cost and CCS."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-TIMORSEA-SUNRISE-2025"],"secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["LNG demand","Carbon capture and storage plan"],"id":"OC-SEA-MASELA-ABADILNG-2026","title":"Abadi LNG in the Arafura Sea moves toward an investment decision with offtake agreements in principle in May 2026","description":"INPEX leads the Abadi LNG project in the Masela Block, offshore Tanimbar, Maluku, with Pertamina Hulu Energi and PETRONAS. On 20 May 2026 INPEX announced agreements in principle with bp, PGN, PLN Energi Primer Indonesia and Shell Eastern Trading for LNG, and with Pupuk Indonesia for pipeline gas; no investment decision date was given. CNBC Indonesia reported in April 2025 that SKK Migas wanted the decision in 2026, an initial plant estimate of US$20 billion and plans to use carbon capture and storage.","location":{"name":"Masela Block, Abadi field, Arafura Sea","type":"Offshore gas field and planned LNG project","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Offshore Tanimbar Islands, Maluku, Arafura Sea","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A planned offshore gas and LNG development with commercial milestones and government timing targets.","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented in the pages opened; CNBC Indonesia only says CCS is planned (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or access restriction is documented in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A single field and onshore plant within Indonesian waters (ref 1).","duration":"FEED began in April 2025 and offtake agreements in principle followed in May 2026, about 13 months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal SKK Migas timing target and company agreements in principle exist, but no investment decision or permit decision (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Planned output of about 9.5 MMTPA of LNG, 150 MMSCFD of pipeline gas and 35,000 barrels per day of condensate, with an initial plant estimate of US$20 billion (CNBC Indonesia, 9 April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned LNG output","value":9.5,"unit":"MMTPA","status":"Reported","note":"CNBC Indonesia (ref 1)."},{"name":"Initial onshore LNG plant estimate","value":20,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimate cited by CNBC Indonesia (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gas resources","value":6.97,"unit":"TCF","status":"Estimated","note":"CNBC Indonesia (ref 1); Wikipedia gives about 10 TCF proven (ref 3)."},{"name":"INPEX Masela participating interest","value":65,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Pertamina Hulu Energi 20%, PETRONAS 15% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Offtake agreements are in principle only; INPEX said it will work toward sale and purchase agreements (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Commercial milestones advanced between April 2025 and May 2026, but no final investment decision was reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"SKK Migas","role":"Upstream regulator","contact":"https://skkmigas.go.id"},{"name":"INPEX Masela","role":"Operator","contact":"https://www.inpex.com"}],"public_contact":"INPEX publishes press contacts on its website.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action is documented; the project is in FEED and commercial negotiation (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Keputusan Investasi Akhir Inpex di Proyek Gas Raksasa RI Harus di 2026","publisher":"CNBC Indonesia","date":"2025-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20250409190721-4-624696/keputusan-investasi-akhir-inpex-di-proyek-gas-raksasa-ri-harus-di-2026/amp","basis":"News (Indonesian language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"INPEX moves closer to FID with Abadi LNG offtake deals","publisher":"Pipeline & Gas Journal","date":"2026-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pgjonline.com/news/2026/may/inpex-moves-closer-to-fid-with-abadi-lng-offtake-deals","basis":"Trade news reporting a company release of 20 May 2026"},{"ref":3,"title":"Abadi gas field","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abadi_gas_field","basis":"Reference (location; page tagged as needing updates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coordinates not published in the sources opened.","The mid-2026 concept selection decision was not found.","Offshore Technology page shows no signing date for the agreement."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-MASELA-ABADILNG-2026"],"secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"secondary_drivers":["Pipeline versus Darwin processing","Revenue sharing"],"id":"OC-SEA-TIMORSEA-SUNRISE-2025","title":"Greater Sunrise gas: Timor-Leste pipeline and onshore LNG plans advance while the export route stays unresolved","description":"The Greater Sunrise fields lie about 150 km from Timor-Leste and 450 km from Darwin. Timor-Leste favours a pipeline to its south coast; the operator Woodside has leaned toward Darwin. In November 2025 Woodside and Timor-Leste's petroleum ministry signed a cooperation agreement on a Timor-based LNG concept of about 5 million tonnes per year, with first LNG possible in 2032 to 2035; the pipeline route and financing structure remain open, and Timor-Leste approved US$16 million for pipeline surveys.","location":{"name":"Greater Sunrise fields, Timor Sea","type":"Offshore gas field and export pipeline route","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TL","AU"],"detail":"Timor Sea between Timor-Leste and Australia, about 150 km south-east of Timor-Leste and 450 km north-west of Darwin","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A cross-border gas development whose export route is a long-running negotiation under the Timor Sea maritime boundary arrangements.","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented in the four pages opened (refs 1 to 4).","livelihoods":"No fishery or access restriction is documented in the pages opened (refs 1 to 4).","scale":"The field and pipeline concern two countries' waters in the Timor Sea (ref 2).","duration":"Timor-Leste has advocated a south-coast pipeline since 2007 and the joint-venture concept study began in February 2023 (refs 2, 4).","significance":"A formal cooperation agreement of November 2025 and a government budget approval of 5 November 2025, but no investment decision (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Woodside and Timor-Leste agreed to work on a Timor-based LNG concept of about 5 million tonnes per year, with first LNG possible between 2032 and 2035 depending on concept selection and investment decisions (Offshore Technology, 25 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned Timor-based LNG concept","value":5,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Offshore Technology (ref 1)."},{"name":"Timor-Leste government funding for pipeline surveys","value":16,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Approved for 2025 to 2027, Macau Business (ref 3)."},{"name":"Timor Gap share of the Sunrise joint venture","value":56.56,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Woodside 33.44%, Osaka Gas 10% (refs 2, 3, 4)."},{"name":"Timor-Leste revenue share if gas goes to Timor-Leste","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"80% if processed in Darwin under the maritime boundary agreement (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Financing and downstream commercial structure still to be settled (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Cooperation agreement signed in November 2025 after a deadlock described in March 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Timor-Leste","role":"Government party to the cooperation agreement"},{"name":"Timor Gap, E.P.","role":"State oil company and majority joint-venture partner"},{"name":"Woodside Energy","role":"Operator of the Sunrise joint venture","contact":"https://www.woodside.com"}],"public_contact":"Woodside publishes media contacts on its website.","corrective_actions":["Woodside and the ministry agreed joint commercial and technical work on a Timor-based LNG concept (ref 1).","Timor-Leste approved US$16 million for seismic and geophysical surveys of export pipeline routes (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Woodside and Timor-Leste cooperation agreement on Timor-based LNG","publisher":"Offshore Technology","date":"2025-11-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/woodside-timor-leste/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"LUSA 03/18/2025 (Greater Sunrise pipeline report of 17 March 2025)","publisher":"AMAN Alliance (Lusa)","date":"2025-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aman-alliance.org/Home/ContentDetail/87408","basis":"News (wire service, republished)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Timor-Leste: Govt approves $16M for Greater Sunrise with pipeline to south coast","publisher":"Macau Business","date":"2025-11-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://macaubusiness.com/timor-leste-govt-approves-16m-for-greater-sunrise-with-pipeline-to-south-coast/","basis":"News (wire service, republished)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Sunrise Joint Venture to select plan for development of Greater Sunrise fields","publisher":"NS Energy Business","date":"2023-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=323554","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Fisher group statements for the Guimaras Strait were not found; the Pamalakaya statement opened (Bulatlat, April 2025) concerns Ilocos Norte, not this strait.","GEA-5 award results not found.","Environmental clearance status not found."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Renewable energy auctions","Shared fishing grounds"],"id":"OC-SEA-GUIMARAS-OFFSHOREWIND-2026","title":"Guimaras Strait offshore wind: first service-contract projects receive grid access agreements and enter the GEA-5 auction track","description":"The Guimaras Strait and Guimaras Strait II offshore wind projects, planned off Negros Occidental and Iloilo with a combined 1.2 GW target, were among the first to receive Department of Energy service contracts. In March 2026 Enerdata reported grid connection agreements for these two projects (600 MW each) and Frontera Bay (450 MW) ahead of the Fifth Green Energy Auction. A Global Wind Energy Council study published in March 2026 examined local benefits; no fisher concerns specific to the strait were found in the pages opened.","location":{"name":"Guimaras Strait, Western Visayas","type":"Planned offshore wind zone in a fishing strait","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH"],"detail":"Strait between Panay and Guimaras (north and west) and Negros (south and east), Iloilo and Negros Occidental provinces","coordinates":{"lat":10.7,"lon":122.8167,"precision":"sea","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An offshore energy development approved and advancing through national energy regulation and auctions.","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is documented; the GWEC abstract and trade pages opened contain no impact findings (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No restriction on fishing is documented for this strait; the Wikipedia strait page notes it is a fishing ground of about 50,000 t a year, which is context, not a finding (ref 6).","scale":"One strait with two projects (ref 1).","duration":"Service contracts date from 2020 and grid agreements from early 2026 (refs 2, 5).","significance":"Department of Energy service contracts, Board of Investments green lane certificates and grid connection agreements are formal approvals, not enforcement (refs 1, 2, 5)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Grid connection agreements were granted to Guimaras Strait (600 MW), Guimaras Strait II (600 MW) and Frontera Bay (450 MW), 1.65 GW in total (Enerdata, 2 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Guimaras Strait and Strait II target capacity","value":1.2,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Negros Now Daily (ref 2)."},{"name":"Combined initial investment cost","value":221.6,"unit":"billion PHP","status":"Reported","note":"Board of Investments figure cited by Negros Now Daily, 14 February 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"GEA-5 offshore wind auction capacity","value":3.3,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Fixed-bottom offshore wind, supply 2028 to 2030 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The projects must win auction capacity; Norton Rose Fulbright says none of the Philippine offshore wind projects is yet fully consented or under construction (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Moved from service contract (2020) and green lane certificates (2024) to grid agreements (2026)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Energy, Philippines","role":"Awards offshore wind energy service contracts","contact":"https://doe.gov.ph"},{"name":"Board of Investments, Philippines","role":"Green lane certificates","contact":"https://boi.gov.ph"}],"public_contact":"The Department of Energy publishes its general channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["The Global Wind Energy Council study (March 2026) proposes community agreements and a social licence to operate for Philippine offshore wind (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Philippines grants 1.65 GW grid access to three offshore wind parks","publisher":"Enerdata","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/philippines-grants-165-gw-grid-access-three-offshore-wind-parks.html","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"P221.6-B wind power projects offshore Neg. Occ., Iloilo soon","publisher":"Negros Now Daily","date":"2024-02-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://negrosnowdaily.com/p221-6-b-wind-power-projects-offshore-neg-occ-iloilo-soon/","basis":"News (regional)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Offshore wind coastal development socio-economic impact study (San Miguel Bay and Guimaras Strait)","publisher":"Global Wind Energy Council via Tethys (PNNL)","date":"2026-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/offshore-wind-coastal-development-socio-economic-impact-study","basis":"Industry association study (abstract only opened)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Global offshore wind: Philippines","publisher":"Norton Rose Fulbright","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/ba0cab35/global-offshore-wind-philippines","basis":"Law firm briefing (states it is current as of May 2026)"},{"ref":5,"title":"First offshore wind farms in the Philippines receive okay from government","publisher":"Windtech International","date":"2020-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.windtech-international.com/projects-and-contracts/first-offshore-wind-farms-in-the-philippines-receive-okay-from-government","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":6,"title":"Guimaras Strait","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guimaras_Strait","basis":"Reference (coordinates and strait description)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The names and positions of the three sea lanes were not in the pages opened.","Reactions of Indonesia and Malaysia were not verified (the Malaysian page opened returned 404).","The dispute centres on the South China Sea; also covered under SCS."],"related_ids":["OC-SEA-PHL-MUNICIPALWATERS-2024"],"secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"secondary_drivers":["Maritime boundary claims","Right of archipelagic sea lanes passage"],"id":"OC-SEA-PHILIPPINES-SEALANES-2024","title":"Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act enacted in November 2024, drawing China's objection","description":"President Marcos signed Republic Act 12064 (Maritime Zones) and 12065 (Archipelagic Sea Lanes) on 8 November 2024. The sea lanes law establishes three archipelagic sea lanes for foreign ships and aircraft. China's Foreign Ministry rejected the Maritime Zones Act, said many provisions of the sea lanes law conflict with international law and IMO resolutions, and summoned the Philippine ambassador. Philstar noted the 2014 Philippines-Indonesia boundary treaty as a template; no Indonesian reaction was reported in the pages opened.","location":{"name":"Philippine archipelagic waters","type":"National maritime zones and archipelagic sea lanes","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA","SCS"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PH","CN"],"detail":"Philippine internal, archipelagic and territorial waters and EEZ; the dispute with China centres on features in the South China Sea","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"National legislation defining maritime zones and passage rights that is contested by another state.","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No physical or human harm is documented from the laws in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No shipping or fishing restriction is documented; the laws set sea lanes for foreign passage (refs 1, 4).","scale":"The laws cover the Philippines' national maritime zones (ref 3).","duration":"Enacted on 8 November 2024 and still the subject of dispute in the latest coverage opened, nearly two years of operation (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Two statutes were enacted and China issued a formal rejection and summoned the Philippine ambassador (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"RA 12065 establishes three archipelagic sea lanes for foreign ships and aircraft; RA 12064 defines the country's maritime zones (The Lance, 9 November 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Archipelagic sea lanes established","value":3,"unit":"sea lanes","status":"Reported","note":"The Lance (ref 4); the lanes were not named in the pages opened."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic signal in the pages opened."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The latest page opened is 12 November 2024."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippines","role":"Lead on maritime zones diplomacy"},{"name":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China","role":"Objecting state","contact":"https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng"}],"public_contact":"The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs publishes its general channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Marcos said the laws are needed to define boundaries and that he would keep defending sovereignty (DZRH, ref 5).","Philstar cited an analyst view that the laws give a legal basis for boundary talks with neighbours (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China objects to Philippines' new maritime laws","publisher":"JURIST","date":"2024-11-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/11/china-objects-to-philippines-new-maritime-laws/","basis":"News (legal news)"},{"ref":2,"title":"China Foreign Ministry statement on the Philippine maritime laws, 8 November 2024","publisher":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China","date":"2024-11-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xw/wjbxw/202411/t20241108_11523786.html","basis":"Government statement (foreign ministry)"},{"ref":3,"title":"China protests new Philippine law, could start ASEAN maritime border talks","publisher":"Philstar","date":"2024-11-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/11/09/2398882/china-protests-new-philippine-law-could-start-asean-maritime-border-talks","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"PBBM signs maritime legislation defending archipelagic sea-lanes","publisher":"The Lance (Letran)","date":"2024-11-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thelance.letran.edu.ph/Home/ReadMore/5128","basis":"Student news"},{"ref":5,"title":"Marcos unmoved by China's objection to new Philippine maritime zones, archipelagic sea lanes laws","publisher":"DZRH","date":"2024-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dzrh.com.ph/post/marcos-unmoved-by-chinas-objection-to-new-philippine-maritime-zones-archipelagic-sea-lanes-laws","basis":"News (radio)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single news source; no operator or repair statement found.","Coordinates are for Siau Island, not the cable break.","Other 2024 to 2026 Indonesian cable cuts (anchor or fishing damage) were not found in sources opened."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_categories":[],"secondary_drivers":["Submarine volcanic activity"],"id":"OC-SEA-SITARO-CABLEBREAK-2025","title":"Undersea volcanic activity breaks a Palapa Ring Central cable segment near the Sitaro Islands, leaving Sangihe and Talaud on one route","description":"On 12 November 2025 Antara, republished by the Indonesian police's English portal, reported that part of the Palapa Ring Central undersea network near the Sitaro Islands, North Sulawesi, was cut. A communications ministry official attributed one cause to underwater volcanic activity in Sitaro Regency. The damaged segment had linked Sitaro to the Sangihe and Talaud Islands, which now rely solely on a route through Tobelo in North Maluku.","location":{"name":"Sitaro Islands, North Sulawesi","type":"Submarine telecom cable corridor","sea":"SEA","seas":["SEA"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ID"],"detail":"Celebes and Molucca Sea waters off North Sulawesi, between Sitaro, Sangihe and Talaud islands","coordinates":{"lat":2.75,"lon":125.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Damage to seabed telecom infrastructure from a natural hazard, a regional resilience issue.","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or human harm is documented; the cable break is infrastructure damage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Sangihe and Talaud now depend on a single route through Tobelo, a reduced-redundancy condition, not an outage (ref 1).","scale":"One cable segment around three island groups (ref 1).","duration":"Only the 12 November 2025 report was opened and it gives no repair timeline (ref 1).","significance":"A communications ministry official gave a formal statement and a replacement Bitung-to-Sangihe route is being considered (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The damaged segment had linked Sitaro to the Sangihe and Talaud Islands, which now rely solely on a Tobelo route (Antara via the Indonesian police portal, 12 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Remaining routes serving Sangihe and Talaud","value":1,"unit":"routes","status":"Reported","note":"Route through Tobelo, North Maluku (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The ministry is collecting input to revitalise Palapa Ring Central after the break (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single report; no repair date."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, Indonesia (Manado spectrum monitoring centre)","role":"Telecom regulator"}],"public_contact":"The ministry publishes its general channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["A new Bitung-to-Sangihe route is under consideration to reduce volcanic risk (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Undersea volcanic activity cuts Indonesia's Palapa Ring Central cable","publisher":"Indonesian National Police portal (republishing ANTARA)","date":"2025-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://inp.polri.go.id/artikel/undersea-volcanic-activity-cuts-indonesias-palapa-ring-central-cable","basis":"News (republished agency report)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Siau Island","publisher":"Wikipedia (summary API)","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siau_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates of Siau, the Sitaro regency island)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SEA in-depth pass)."}]},{"id":"OC-GULF-ALAPPUZHA-ELSA3NURDLES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic pellets from the sunken MSC Elsa 3 wash ashore along Kerala beaches","description":"After the container ship MSC Elsa 3 capsized and sank off Kerala on 24-25 May 2025, plastic nurdles from its cargo came ashore along the state coast. Kerala reported hundreds of tonnes collected from beaches and six cetacean carcasses found, and a fishing ban out to 20 nautical miles was imposed. The Kerala High Court later ordered the shipping line to deposit compensation.","location":{"name":"Kerala coast off Alappuzha and Kochi","type":"Shipwreck cargo spill and shoreline","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Arabian Sea off Alappuzha and Kochi, Kerala, India; pellets also reported toward the Gulf of Mannar and Sri Lanka","coordinates":{"lat":9.49,"lon":76.33,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Spilled cargo of plastic pellets accumulating on beaches is marine plastic pollution.","secondary_drivers":["Ship casualty","Container cargo loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Kerala reported an estimated 450 to 500 tonnes of nurdles collected from the shoreline by early July 2025 (ref 2), and six cetacean carcasses, including dolphins and a whale, were found ashore (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A fishing ban up to 20 nautical miles affected Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, and families of 78,498 fishermen received relief of Rs 1,000 and 6 kg of rice (ref 1).","scale":"Pellets polluted beaches along the Kerala coast and were reported toward the Gulf of Mannar and Sri Lanka, a national coastline rather than one bay (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Volunteers were still searching beaches in early July, six weeks after the sinking (ref 3), and compensation litigation continued into September 2025 (refs 3, 4).","significance":"On 25 September 2025 the Kerala High Court directed MSC to deposit Rs 1,200.62 crore in the state admiralty suit (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mongabay India reported 106.8 metric tons of plastic pellets recovered from the Kerala shoreline by 11 July 2025; Kerala's Directorate General of Shipping figure, as reported by The Maritime Executive, was 450 to 500 tonnes collected as of early July."},"measures":[{"name":"Nurdles recovered from shoreline (Mongabay India)","value":106.8,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"As of 11 July 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nurdles collected from shoreline (DG Shipping figure via The Maritime Executive)","value":475,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Midpoint of the reported 450 to 500 tonnes as of early July 2025 (refs 2, 3); the two outlets differ."},{"name":"Containers aboard","value":643,"unit":"containers","status":"Reported","note":"Per Mongabay India and South First (refs 1, 4); Maritime Executive says 640."},{"name":"Cetacean carcasses found ashore","value":6,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Cause of death unconfirmed (refs 1, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishing ban within 20 nautical miles of the wreck across four districts (ref 1).","A Greenpeace India and fishing-association report, as cited by South First, estimated Pulluvila households lost Rs 25,000 to 35,000 a month (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sources run from June to September 2025; no later cleanup tally was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Directorate General of Shipping (India)","role":"Maritime regulator","contact":"https://www.dgshipping.gov.in"},{"name":"Government of Kerala","role":"Claimant in the admiralty suit","contact":"https://kerala.gov.in"},{"name":"Kerala High Court","role":"Court hearing the admiralty suit","contact":"https://highcourtofkerala.nic.in"}],"public_contact":"Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai; Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Fishing banned within 20 nautical miles of the wreck (refs 1, 3).","Kerala High Court ordered MSC to deposit Rs 1,200.62 crore on 25 September 2025 (ref 4).","Shoreline nurdle collection by officials and volunteers (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court orders arrest of sister ship from company responsible for the cargo spill","publisher":"Mongabay India","date":"2025-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/court-orders-arrest-of-sister-ship-from-company-responsible-for-the-cargo-spill/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Greenpeace calls for MSC to pay for sunken boxship's cleanup","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/greenpeace-calls-for-msc-to-pay-for-sunken-boxship-s-cleanup","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"India detains MSC ship as it seeks $1B in compensation for MSC Elsa 3","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/india-detains-msc-ship-as-it-seeks-1b-in-compensation-for-msc-elsa-3","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kerala High Court directs MSC to deposit Rs 1,200 crore as compensation","publisher":"The South First","date":"2025-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/keralam/kerala-high-court-directs-msc-to-deposit-rs-1200-crore-as-compensation/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Owners of sunken ship MSC Elsa 3 move to court for limiting liability to $14 million","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2025-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/owners-of-sunken-ship-msc-elsa-3-move-to-court-for-limiting-liability-to-14-million/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Alappuzha (coordinates of the coast named as the sinking area in ref 5)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alappuzha","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay India (11 July 2025) reports 106.8 metric tons recovered, while The Maritime Executive (8 and 29 July 2025) reports 450 to 500 tonnes collected per Kerala's Directorate General of Shipping; the sources do not reconcile the two."},{"note":"Sources give the sinking date as 24 or 25 May 2025."}],"missing_fields":["No cleanup tally after September 2025 was opened.","Cause of the cetacean deaths is unconfirmed in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-ALAPPUZHA-ELSA3WRECK-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-ALAPPUZHA-ELSA3WRECK-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"MSC Elsa 3 wreck off Kerala holds fuel and hazardous cargo as Kerala presses a multi-billion-rupee claim","description":"The Liberian-flagged MSC Elsa 3 sank about 38 nautical miles off Kochi in May 2025 with 643 containers and fuel on board, including diesel and calcium carbide cargo. Fuel tanks were capped and no oil sheen was visible by 30 June, but about 450 tonnes of fuel remained aboard pending salvage. Kerala filed an admiralty claim of Rs 9,531 crore and, in September 2025, the High Court ordered MSC to deposit Rs 1,200.62 crore.","location":{"name":"MSC Elsa 3 wreck, off Alappuzha and Kochi","type":"Shipwreck","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"About 38 nautical miles off Kochi, Kerala, India, in the Arabian Sea","coordinates":{"lat":9.49,"lon":76.33,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["plastics-marine-debris"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A wreck holding bunker fuel, diesel and calcium carbide is a chemical and oil pollution risk.","secondary_drivers":["Ship casualty","Hazardous cargo"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Fuel tanks were capped and the Directorate General of Shipping reported no oil sheen at the site as of 30 June 2025, but the ship went down with about 450 tonnes of fuel and calcium carbide cargo (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"The Indian government banned fishing within 20 nautical miles of the wreck as a precaution (ref 2).","scale":"The claim covers pollution damage across Kerala's coast, with the fishing ban reaching four districts (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Fuel removal was planned from August 2025 and litigation was still running in September 2025, four months after the sinking (refs 2, 4).","significance":"The Kerala High Court ordered arrest of the sister ship MSC Akiteta II and on 25 September 2025 ordered MSC to deposit Rs 1,200.62 crore (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Kerala's admiralty suit seeks Rs 9,531.11 crore plus interest (Rs 8,626.12 crore pollution damage, Rs 378.48 crore restoration, Rs 526.51 crore fishermen and coastal communities); the High Court ordered a deposit of Rs 1,200.62 crore on 25 September 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Kerala claim","value":9531.11,"unit":"Rs crore","status":"Reported","note":"Admiralty suit, plus interest (ref 3); South First reports Rs 19,531 crore and The Maritime Executive reports $1.1 billion."},{"name":"Court-ordered deposit","value":1200.62,"unit":"Rs crore","status":"Reported","note":"Order of 25 September 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Fuel aboard at sinking","value":450,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 450 tonnes of fuel, per The Maritime Executive (ref 2)."},{"name":"Owners' proposed liability limit","value":14,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Limitation petition under the Merchant Shipping Act (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Kerala seeks Rs 526.51 crore for fishermen and coastal communities (ref 3).","MSC called the state's claims \"highly exaggerated\" (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sources end in September 2025; wreck fuel removal status was not confirmed."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Directorate General of Shipping (India)","role":"Maritime regulator","contact":"https://www.dgshipping.gov.in"},{"name":"Indian Coast Guard","role":"Pollution response","contact":"https://indiancoastguard.gov.in"},{"name":"Kerala High Court","role":"Court hearing the admiralty suit","contact":"https://highcourtofkerala.nic.in"}],"public_contact":"Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Fuel tanks capped and plugged by divers (refs 1, 5).","Salvor SMIT planned diving and fuel siphoning from August 2025 (ref 5).","MSC Akiteta II arrested at Vizhinjam to secure the claim (refs 1, 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court orders arrest of sister ship from company responsible for the cargo spill","publisher":"Mongabay India","date":"2025-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"http://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/court-orders-arrest-of-sister-ship-from-company-responsible-for-the-cargo-spill/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Greenpeace calls for MSC to pay for sunken boxship's cleanup","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/greenpeace-calls-for-msc-to-pay-for-sunken-boxship-s-cleanup","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Owners of sunken ship MSC Elsa 3 move to court for limiting liability to $14 million","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2025-08-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/owners-of-sunken-ship-msc-elsa-3-move-to-court-for-limiting-liability-to-14-million/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kerala High Court directs MSC to deposit Rs 1,200 crore as compensation","publisher":"The South First","date":"2025-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/keralam/kerala-high-court-directs-msc-to-deposit-rs-1200-crore-as-compensation/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"India detains MSC ship as it seeks $1B in compensation for MSC Elsa 3","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/india-detains-msc-ship-as-it-seeks-1b-in-compensation-for-msc-elsa-3","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Alappuzha (coordinates of the coast named as the sinking area in ref 3)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alappuzha","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Claim totals differ by outlet: Rs 9,531 crore (Mongabay India, Marine Insight), Rs 19,531 crore (South First) and $1.1 billion (The Maritime Executive)."},{"note":"Sources describe the oil release as minimal and capped, while the owners and MSC dispute that pollution occurred; the court has not been reported to rule on the amount of damage."}],"missing_fields":["Fuel removal outcome and any later court ruling were not found in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-ALAPPUZHA-ELSA3NURDLES-2025","OC-GULF-BEYPORE-WANHAI503-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-BEYPORE-WANHAI503-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Wan Hai 503 container fire off Kerala puts 2,000 tonnes of fuel and dangerous goods at risk","description":"The Singapore-flagged container ship Wan Hai 503 exploded and caught fire on 9 June 2025 in the Arabian Sea off Beypore, Kerala, while bound from Colombo to Mumbai. Coast Guard reporting put about 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel on board with 143 dangerous-goods containers, and containers were confirmed floating away from the ship. The opened pages do not report the final outcome or any shoreline oiling.","location":{"name":"Wan Hai 503, off Beypore, Kerala","type":"Burning container ship at sea","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Arabian Sea, roughly 44 to 78 nautical miles off Beypore, Kerala, India; the burning ship drifted south-southeast","coordinates":{"lat":11.18,"lon":75.81,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A burning, drifting container ship with bunker fuel and dangerous goods is an oil and chemical pollution risk.","secondary_drivers":["Ship casualty","Hazardous cargo"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"About 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel sat in tanks beside the fire zone and 143 of 1,754 containers carried dangerous goods, but the opened pages do not report a leak (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited pages (refs 1 to 4) report a fishing closure, beach closure or shipping restriction linked to this fire.","scale":"The casualty was a single drifting ship about 65 nautical miles offshore on 11 June 2025, with debris moving away from the coast (ref 1).","duration":"The pages cover 9 to 12 June 2025 only, so documented duration is days (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Indian Coast Guard situation report cited by Onmanorama (11 June 2025) is an operational update, not an advisory, order or enforcement action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel were on board, with 143 dangerous-goods containers among 1,754 (Onmanorama, 11 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel oil on board","value":2000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 2,000 tonnes, per the 11 June 2025 situation report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Diesel on board","value":240,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Dangerous-goods containers","value":143,"unit":"containers","status":"Reported","note":"IMDG containers among 1,754 on board (ref 1)."},{"name":"Containers on board","value":1754,"unit":"containers","status":"Reported","note":"Other outlets report about 650 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The opened reports describe no impact on fishing or ports."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sources end 12 June 2025; the ship's final fate was not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Indian Coast Guard","role":"Search, firefighting and pollution response","contact":"https://indiancoastguard.gov.in"},{"name":"Directorate General of Shipping (India)","role":"Maritime regulator","contact":"https://www.dgshipping.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Indian Coast Guard and Directorate General of Shipping, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Indian Coast Guard and a salvage team connected a towline and fought the fire with five tugs and support vessels (ref 1).","Firefighting specialists from Spain, the UK and the Netherlands were expected within two days (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"40% of fire on burning MV Wan Hai put out, ship drifting away from Kerala coast","publisher":"Onmanorama","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/06/11/40-percent-of-fire-on-burning-mv-wan-hai-put-out-ship-drifting-away-from-kerala-coast.amp.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Explosion and fire on container ship off India","publisher":"Riviera Maritime Media","date":"2025-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/explosion-and-fire-on-container-ship-off-india-85117","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"18 rescued, 4 missing after container ship catches fire off Kerala coast","publisher":"The News Minute","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/18-rescued-4-missing-after-container-ship-catches-fire-off-kerala-coast","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Singapore cargo ship catches fire off Kerala coast, 4 mariners missing","publisher":"The Tribune","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/singapore-cargo-ship-catches-fire-off-kerala-coast-4-mariners-missing","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Beypore (coordinates of the Kerala port town named as the reference point in refs 1, 3)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beypore","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Distance from Beypore is reported as 44 nautical miles (Onmanorama, 9 June), about 78 nautical miles (The News Minute), about 160 km (The Tribune) and 240 km west (Riviera); the ship was drifting."},{"note":"Container count is 1,754 in Onmanorama and about 650 in The News Minute."},{"note":"The Tribune dates the departure from Colombo 6 June; The News Minute and Riviera say 7 June."}],"missing_fields":["Final outcome of the ship, any oil release and any shoreline debris after 12 June 2025 were not found in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-ALAPPUZHA-ELSA3WRECK-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-QESHM-WARSPILL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Oil slick reaches Qeshm Island beaches in the Strait of Hormuz after tanker and ship attacks","description":"Satellite images in August 2026 showed a dark oil trail off Shib Deraz on Qeshm Island, with black deposits on beaches, and Iranian media reported a cleanup with absorbent sheets. Iran's Foreign Ministry called for compensation; the cause was not confirmed by Iranian media, while TankerTrackers and an energy analyst linked it to an attack on a bulk carrier earlier in August. An earlier slick more than 8 km long was recorded near Qeshm in April 2026.","location":{"name":"Qeshm Island and Shib Deraz coast","type":"Island coast and mangrove shore","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IR"],"detail":"Northern coast of Qeshm Island, Strait of Hormuz, Hormozgan, Iran; a second spill was reported near Hormuz Island","coordinates":{"lat":26.7675,"lon":55.7725,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Crude or fuel oil from damaged ships is washing onto a shoreline, which is oil pollution.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Attack on shipping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Satellite images showed a dark elongated trail off Shib Deraz with black deposits on the beaches (ref 1), and The National reported the slick reaching Qeshm Island (ref 2).","livelihoods":"None of the opened pages (refs 1 to 4) report a fishing ban, beach closure or shipping restriction tied to the Qeshm spill.","scale":"The reported oiling is on a stretch of Qeshm's northern coast, with a second spill near Hormuz Island, so it is local (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Greenpeace Italia recorded an earlier Qeshm slick in April 2026 and the shoreline oiling followed in August 2026, so the problem spans months (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Iran's Foreign Ministry called for compensation over the slick (ref 2); no court ruling or enforcement order was found."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bloomberg reported satellite images of an elongated dark oil trail off Shib Deraz on Qeshm Island with black deposits on beaches (12 August 2026); the IMO counted 65 confirmed incidents with ship damage around Hormuz and the Middle East since March."},"measures":[{"name":"Earlier slick near Qeshm (April 2026)","value":8,"unit":"km long","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace Italia says over 8 km, source a military vessel (ref 3)."},{"name":"IMO confirmed incidents with ship damage, Hormuz and Middle East","value":65,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"Since the beginning of March 2026, per Bloomberg (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oil volume spilled","value":null,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Not reported","note":"The opened pages give no volume; an estimate of about 200 tons appears only in a low-reliability aggregator that was not relied on."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Greenpeace Italia warns oil contamination could affect fishing and desalination plants (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A second, separate spill was reported near Hormuz Island and a further slick near Sirri Island (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Iran Department of Environment","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://doe.ir"},{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"Marine environment monitoring","contact":"https://www.imo.org"}],"public_contact":"Iran Department of Environment, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Iranian responders used absorbent sheets to collect oil, per ISNA via Bloomberg (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Iran responds to oil spill near Qeshm Island in Persian Gulf","publisher":"World Oil (Bloomberg)","date":"2026-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldoil.com/news/2026/8/12/iran-responds-to-oil-spill-near-qeshm-island-in-persian-gulf/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Iran war's final victim could be the Gulf's fragile environment","publisher":"The National","date":"2026-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2026/08/17/iran-wars-final-victim-could-be-the-gulfs-fragile-environment/","basis":"News (opinion by Robin Mills)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Stretto di Hormuz, petrolio, inquinamento e guerra (Greenpeace Italia, in Italian)","publisher":"Il Fatto Quotidiano","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/07/30/stretto-hormuz-petrolio-inquinamento-guerra-greenpeace/8463937/","basis":"NGO opinion piece (Italian)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Iran Oil Spill: Trillion-Dollar Pollution Claims as Gulf Contamination Spreads to Qeshm Island","publisher":"Karmactive","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.karmactive.com/?p=272304","basis":"News aggregator (low reliability, used only to confirm the second spill near Hormuz Island)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Qeshm (coordinates of the island)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qeshm","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Cause is unconfirmed: ISNA did not specify it, TankerTrackers suggested an Iranian attack on a bulk carrier (ref 1), and Robin Mills names the 3 August attack on the Minoan Pioneer (ref 2). Greenpeace Italia attributes the April slick to a military vessel, not a tanker (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["No spill volume, no independent assessment of the shoreline oiling and no source for the Environment Protection Organization's statement beyond a low-reliability aggregator."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-HORMUZ-ATTACKSPOLLUTION-2026","OC-GULF-KHARG-OILSLICK-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-KHARG-OILSLICK-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Satellite images show an oil slick of dozens of square kilometres near Kharg Island","description":"Satellite images dated 6 May 2026 showed a suspected oil slick spanning dozens of square kilometres near Kharg Island, Iran's main crude export hub. Iran's vice-president said a non-Iranian tanker discharging contaminated ballast water was the likely source, while Greenpeace Italia describes a probable 45 km slick after an attack on the Kharg terminals. No independent volume or cleanup figure was found.","location":{"name":"Kharg Island oil terminal waters","type":"Offshore oil export terminal","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IR"],"detail":"Kharg Island, northern Persian Gulf, Bushehr Province, Iran","coordinates":{"lat":29.245,"lon":50.31,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"An oil slick near a crude export terminal is oil pollution.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Operational discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Satellite images, including one from 6 May 2026, showed a slick spanning dozens of square kilometres near Kharg, but no wildlife or shoreline harm was reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishing closure or terminal restriction because of the slick appears in refs 1 or 2.","scale":"One slick area near a single terminal island, reported as dozens of square kilometres (ref 1).","duration":"The slick was documented on satellite imagery in early May 2026 and reported on 13 May 2026, with no later tracking found (ref 1).","significance":"Iran's vice-president Shina Ansari and the Oil Terminals Company issued official statements on cause and inspections (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Satellite images dated 6 May 2026 showed a suspected slick spanning dozens of square kilometres near Kharg Island (Iran International, 13 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Slick extent (Iran International)","value":null,"unit":"km2","status":"Not reported","note":"Described only as dozens of square kilometres (ref 1)."},{"name":"Probable slick length after attack on Kharg terminals (Greenpeace Italia)","value":45,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"As stated by Greenpeace Italia (ref 2); no volume given."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Kharg Island is Iran's main oil export hub (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No follow-up imagery or cleanup report was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Iran Oil Terminals Company","role":"Terminal operator"},{"name":"Iran Department of Environment","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://doe.ir"}],"public_contact":"Iran Department of Environment, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["The Oil Terminals Company said inspections found no leaks from pipelines, tanks or loading infrastructure (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Iran says suspected oil spill near Kharg Island likely from tanker ballast discharge","publisher":"Iran International","date":"2026-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iranintl.news/en/202605128362","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Stretto di Hormuz, petrolio, inquinamento e guerra (Greenpeace Italia, in Italian)","publisher":"Il Fatto Quotidiano","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/07/30/stretto-hormuz-petrolio-inquinamento-guerra-greenpeace/8463937/","basis":"NGO opinion piece (Italian)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Kharg Island (coordinates of the island)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharg_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Iran attributes the slick to a non-Iranian tanker discharging contaminated ballast water, which Tanker Trackers called plausible (ref 1); Greenpeace Italia links a probable 45 km slick to an attack on the Kharg terminals (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The satellite imagery provider and the slick volume are not named in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-HORMUZ-ATTACKSPOLLUTION-2026","OC-GULF-QESHM-WARSPILL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-HORMUZ-ATTACKSPOLLUTION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"IMO committee warns attacks on shipping near Hormuz could cause large-scale marine pollution","description":"Since late February 2026 attacks on commercial ships around the Strait of Hormuz have trapped dozens of large tankers in the Persian Gulf and raised the risk of major oil pollution. On 1 May 2026 the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee adopted a resolution warning of large-scale marine pollution in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea and asked the Secretary-General to monitor environmental effects. Slicks have been documented near Qeshm and Kharg, and no estimate of crude reaching the sea exists.","location":{"name":"Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf","type":"Regional sea and shipping chokepoint","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IR","AE","OM"],"detail":"Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman; the UAE, Iran and Oman coasts","coordinates":{"lat":26.6,"lon":56.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":7},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Attacks on tankers and ships threaten oil and hazardous-substance releases across the sea.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Trapped tanker traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The IMO committee warned of large-scale pollution from oil and hazardous substances (refs 1, 2); slicks near Qeshm and Kharg were documented but no volume estimate exists (ref 5).","livelihoods":"Iran restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz and more than 85 large tankers were trapped in the Gulf as of 12 March 2026 (ref 4).","scale":"The warning covers the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Incidents run from March to August 2026, with an IMO count of 65 confirmed ship-damage incidents in that period (ref 6).","significance":"IMO MEPC adopted a resolution on 1 May 2026 and asked the Secretary-General to monitor environmental effects (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Greenpeace counted more than 85 large tankers carrying at least 21 billion litres of oil trapped in the Persian Gulf on 12 March 2026; the IMO counts 65 confirmed ship-damage incidents since March (Bloomberg, 12 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Large oil tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf","value":85,"unit":"tankers","status":"Reported","note":"More than 85 as of 12 March 2026, per Greenpeace Germany analysis (ref 4)."},{"name":"Oil on blocked tankers","value":21,"unit":"billion litres","status":"Reported","note":"At least 21 billion litres on 12 March 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"IMO confirmed incidents with ship damage","value":65,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"Hormuz and across the Middle East since the beginning of March 2026 (ref 6)."},{"name":"Crude reaching the sea","value":null,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Not reported","note":"Greenpeace Italia says no estimate exists (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Iran restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz after the 28 February 2026 attacks (ref 4).","UAE warned contamination could threaten desalinated water security (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"IMO incident count and slicks reported through August 2026 (refs 5, 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Maritime Organization, Marine Environment Protection Committee","role":"Treaty body and monitor","contact":"https://www.imo.org"},{"name":"ROPME and Gulf environment agencies","role":"Regional pollution response","contact":"https://www.ropme.org"}],"public_contact":"International Maritime Organization, Secretariat general enquiries via imo.org.","corrective_actions":["IMO MEPC resolution of 1 May 2026 urges review of contingency plans for major pollutants in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Gulf region (ref 2).","The IMO Secretary-General was asked to monitor environmental effects and report to the Council (refs 1, 2).","Greenpeace Italia asks the IMO to activate MARPOL and proposes an international monitoring observatory (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee adopts resolution on attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz region","publisher":"Ship Management International","date":"2026-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shipmanagementinternational.com/news/69f5zscywjpm8hx-w2zne-82h89-syfwa-rwtww-g34p3-fpzj9-kfgfw-wxpp6-kp4wx-l2ccb","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"UAE welcomes IMO MEPC resolution on the marine environment (Arabic)","publisher":"UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs","date":"2026-05-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mofa.gov.ae/ar-ae/mediahub/news/2026/5/1/uae-iran","basis":"Official statement (Arabic)"},{"ref":3,"title":"UAE seeks support over catastrophic threats to marine environment","publisher":"The National","date":"2026-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/04/29/uae-seeks-support-over-catastrophic-threats-to-marine-environment/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Greenpeace Germany analysis of spill risk from tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf (page edited 13 March 2026)","publisher":"Greenpeace International","date":"2026-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/81999/hormuz-oil-tanker-leak-iran/","basis":"NGO analysis"},{"ref":5,"title":"Stretto di Hormuz, petrolio, inquinamento e guerra (Greenpeace Italia, in Italian)","publisher":"Il Fatto Quotidiano","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/07/30/stretto-hormuz-petrolio-inquinamento-guerra-greenpeace/8463937/","basis":"NGO opinion piece (Italian)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Iran responds to oil spill near Qeshm Island in Persian Gulf","publisher":"World Oil (Bloomberg)","date":"2026-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldoil.com/news/2026/8/12/iran-responds-to-oil-spill-near-qeshm-island-in-persian-gulf/","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Strait of Hormuz (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The resolution was sponsored by the UAE, which attributes the attacks to Iran; Iran accuses the US and Israel of endangering the marine environment (ref 3). This record reports the pollution risk and does not adjudicate responsibility."},{"note":"Greenpeace figures date from March 2026 and Greenpeace Italia gives about 50 tankers carrying over 10 million tonnes of crude as of June 2026 (ref 5)."}],"missing_fields":["The official MEPC resolution text was not opened (the resolution number MEPC.406(84) came from a search summary and is not cited).","The IMO page for the committee outcome was not reachable."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-QESHM-WARSPILL-2026","OC-GULF-KHARG-OILSLICK-2026","OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SHIPPINGATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-KARACHI-SEWAGE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Karachi discharges about 425 million gallons a day of untreated sewage into the Arabian Sea","description":"A Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation study estimates the city generates about 460 million gallons of sewage a day and treats only about 35 million, sending roughly 425 million gallons a day to the sea. Industrial and domestic wastewater flows through the Lyari River, and WWF-Pakistan's technical adviser says marine biodiversity around the Lyari and Malir river mouths has largely disappeared. The S-III treatment programme, started in 2014, has slipped to a December 2027 deadline.","location":{"name":"Karachi coast, Lyari and Malir river mouths","type":"Urban coast and sewage outfalls","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["PK"],"detail":"Karachi harbour, Lyari and Malir river mouths, Korangi Creek, Sea View and Gizri Creek, Sindh, Pakistan","coordinates":{"lat":24.86,"lon":67.01,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Raw municipal and industrial sewage entering coastal water is nutrient and organic pollution.","secondary_drivers":["Untreated municipal sewage","Industrial effluent"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"WWF-Pakistan adviser Moazzam Khan says marine biodiversity around the Lyari and Malir river mouths has largely disappeared, naming Sea View, Korangi Creek and Gizri Creek among the worst affected areas (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or beach closure is documented in refs 1 or 2; ISSRA only says the polluted harbour threatens fish habitats and coastal residents.","scale":"The discharge affects the city's whole harbour and coast, a national-coastline scale issue at Pakistan's main port (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The S-III sewerage plan was designed in 2007, approved in 2013 and started in 2014, and its deadline moved from June 2026 to December 2027, so the discharge is chronic (ref 1).","significance":"The figures come from a Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation study, but no notice, violation or enforcement order was found in the opened pages (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 460 million gallons a day of sewage is generated and about 35 million treated, so about 425 million gallons a day are discharged untreated (Express Tribune, 17 August 2026, citing a KWSC study)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sewage generated","value":460,"unit":"million gallons/day","status":"Reported","note":"KWSC study estimate; WWF's Khan says actual generation may be considerably higher (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sewage treated","value":35,"unit":"million gallons/day","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Sewage discharged untreated","value":425,"unit":"million gallons/day","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"SITE industrial area wastewater entering drains toward Lyari River","value":35,"unit":"million gallons/day","status":"Reported","note":"20 MGD industrial effluent and 15 MGD domestic sewage (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The harbour and Karachi Port sit on the polluted coast; no economic loss figure is cited (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 2025 ISSRA figure (about 460 MGD untreated) and the 2026 KWSC figure (425 MGD untreated) are not directly comparable."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation","role":"Sewage utility","contact":"https://kwsc.gos.pk"},{"name":"Government of Sindh","role":"Co-funder of the S-III project","contact":"https://www.sindh.gov.pk"}],"public_contact":"Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["S-III trunk sewer from Surjani to Mauripur is nearly complete; TP-I and TP-III are still under work (ref 1).","Sindh allocated Rs 1 billion this financial year against about Rs 29 billion of remaining works (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Karachi's sewage treatment plans remain stuck","publisher":"The Express Tribune","date":"2026-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tribune.com.pk/story/2624295/karachis-sewage-treatment-plans-remain-stuck","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Karachi's Drowning Coast: Environmental Degradation and Sewage Reform in Karachi","publisher":"ISSRA (National Defence University, Pakistan)","date":"2025-05-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.issra.pk/insight/2025/karachis-drowning-coast-environmental-degradation-and-sewage-reform-in-karachi/insight.html","basis":"Think-tank analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Karachi (coordinates of the city)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karachi","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ISSRA (May 2025) says about 460 MGD currently flows untreated; The Express Tribune (August 2026) says 460 MGD is generated and about 425 MGD untreated; WWF's Khan disputes the 460 MGD generation figure."}],"missing_fields":["No water-quality measurements or fish-kill data were found in the opened pages; the Dialogue Earth feature on Karachi's marine life could not be opened (HTTP 403)."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-INDUSDELTA-SEAINTRUSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-INDUSDELTA-SEAINTRUSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Seawater has submerged more than 124 revenue villages in the Indus delta, a Dawn study finds","description":"A Dawn study published in May 2025 found that over the past decade more than 124 dehs across six coastal talukas of Thatta and Sujawal districts have been submerged by the sea, with the total inundated area put at 1.2 million acres. Reduced freshwater flow below Kotri is cited as the main driver, with families leaving for Karachi. Further Dawn reporting in June 2025 describes rising sea levels, mangrove loss and displaced fishermen. Dawn's May 2025 analysis of Sindh revenue data found more than 124 dehs (revenue villages) across six coastal talukas of Thatta and Sujawal districts have been submerged by seawater in the past decade, after freshwater flows below Kotri Barrage fell. AFP reported in August 2025 that flows into the delta are down about 80 per cent since the 1950s, salinity has risen about 70 per cent since 1990 and fish, shrimp and crab stocks have suffered. Sindh runs a mangrove restoration programme, but reports say clearing for land grabbing and housing continues elsewhere in the delta.","location":{"name":"Indus delta, Keti Bandar to Kharo Chhan","type":"River delta coast","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["PK"],"detail":"Thatta and Sujawal districts, Sindh, Pakistan; Keti Bandar, Shah Bandar, Kharo Chhan, Jati, Ghorabari and Mirpur Sakro talukas","coordinates":{"lat":24.14444,"lon":67.45083,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea intrusion is permanently inundating coastal land, a coastal flooding and land loss problem.","secondary_drivers":["Reduced river discharge","Sea-level rise","Mangrove loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Dawn counted more than 124 dehs submerged across six talukas, with Kharo Chhan losing 29 of 32 dehs and about 67% of its acreage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Dawn reports families leaving Keti Bundar for Karachi, and a displaced fisherman described the movement from the three districts to Ibrahim Hyderi as \"environmental eviction\" (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The loss spans six talukas in two districts, a national coastline segment rather than one village (ref 1).","duration":"The inundation is measured over the past decade and linked to the Kotri Barrage built in 1956 to 1958, so it is chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The findings come from journalism and expert interviews; no government notice, order or ruling appears in the opened pages (refs 1 to 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":1200000,"status":"Reported","note":"Dawn's March 2025 op-ed says over 1.2 million people have been displaced, without citing a source (ref 3); treat as unverified."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A Dawn study found more than 124 dehs across six coastal talukas of Thatta and Sujawal submerged by seawater over the past decade, putting the inundated area at 1.2 million acres (Dawn, 20 May 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dehs submerged","value":124,"unit":"dehs","status":"Reported","note":"More than 124 across six talukas over the past decade (ref 1)."},{"name":"Area inundated","value":1200000,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Dawn study total; per-taluka figures in the article sum to more (ref 1)."},{"name":"Land unproductive due to seawater intrusion","value":2200000,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources 2019 study, as cited in refs 3 and 4."},{"name":"Mangrove loss","value":10000,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"More than 10,000 ha, National Institute of Oceanography research cited in ref 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum data cited by Dawn: delta fish production down nearly 80% over three decades (ref 3).","Sindh Agriculture Extension Department: 90% of coastal farms abandoned or switched crops (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Dawn says intrusion \"gathered pace over years\" (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Sindh","role":"Provincial government","contact":"https://www.sindh.gov.pk"},{"name":"Sindh Forest Department","role":"Mangrove restoration and protection","contact":"https://forests.sindh.gov.pk"},{"name":"Government of Pakistan and UN Living Indus Initiative","role":"Delta restoration programme","contact":"https://www.undp.org/pakistan"}],"public_contact":"Government of Sindh, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Experts quoted by Dawn call for mangrove restoration and a minimum of 10 million acre-feet of freshwater flow below Kotri (refs 1, 2); no government programme was found in the opened pages.","Sindh runs a mangrove restoration project meant to create a natural barrier against saltwater (ref 1).","Experts call for at least 10 million acre-feet a year of environmental flows to the sea (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Data shows sea intrusion in Sindh's coastal areas gathered pace over years","publisher":"Dawn","date":"2025-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1912026","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Water scarcity, climate change trigger migration from coastal areas","publisher":"Dawn","date":"2025-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1916611","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Agriculture: The slow death of the Indus Delta","publisher":"Dawn (Business and Finance Weekly)","date":"2025-03-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dawn.com/news/1895480/agriculture-the-slow-death-of-the-indus-delta","basis":"News (op-ed by PARC researchers)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Where river meets sea: Sindh's coastal communities fear water crisis","publisher":"Associated Press of Pakistan","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.app.com.pk/?p=1247219","basis":"News (state news agency; page shows \"Jul 15\" without a year)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Keti Bandar (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keti_Bandar","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Water has surrounded us: the slow death of Pakistan's Indus Delta","publisher":"Al Jazeera (AFP)","date":"2025-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2025/8/5/water-has-surrounded-us-the-slow-death-of-pakistans-indus-delta","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"The sea has grown closer","publisher":"The News on Sunday","date":"2025-11-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenews.pk/tns/detail/1355134-the-sea-has-grown-closer","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Dawn gives 1.2 million acres inundated in one article while its per-taluka figures sum to more, and other pieces cite 2.2 million acres unproductive (PCRWR 2019) and 3.5 million acres taken by the sea since 1956 (an interviewee)."},{"note":"Sea-level rise is named as a pressure but no measured local rate is cited by Dawn; the interviewee figure of 3.7 mm a year for South Asia is unsourced."},{"note":"Village counts differ: Dawn reports 29 of 32 dehs submerged in Kharo Chan (ref 2), The News reports 28 of 42 revenue villages (ref 3), and AFP says about 40 villages mostly lost (ref 1)."},{"note":"Dawn's total of 1.2 million inundated acres is smaller than the sum of its taluka figures for Sujawal, so the acreage is not reliable (ref 2)."},{"note":"The News cites satellite estimates of mangrove cover rising from under 86,000 ha in 1990 to over 200,000 ha in 2023, while the same reports describe dying mangroves and clearing (refs 1, 3)."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-GULF-INDUSDELTA-SEAINTRUSION-2025-DUP (Seawater intrusion and mangrove loss in Pakistan's Indus delta submerge dozens of coastal villages in Thatta and Sujawal): living-resources group filed the mangrove angle on the same delta intrusion"}],"missing_fields":["No peer-reviewed or government mapping of the submerged area was opened.","No dated mangrove-loss figure from the Sindh Forest Department was found in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-KARACHI-SEWAGE-2026","OC-GULF-GWADAR-IUUTRAWLING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-MUMBAI-SEALEVELEXPOSURE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mumbai starts a new coastal flood and sea-level vulnerability assessment as exposure grows","description":"The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation began a fresh study in September 2026 of the city's vulnerability to coastal flooding and sea-level rise, its first update in about five years. An RMSI analysis reported by Business Today found about 998 buildings and 24 km of roads could be affected by 2050, rising to about 2,490 buildings and 126 km at high tide. Reclaimed low-lying areas flood when heavy rain coincides with high tide.","location":{"name":"Mumbai coastline","type":"Urban coast","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, on the Arabian Sea; reclaimed areas and the Coastal Road","coordinates":{"lat":19.07611,"lon":72.8775,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise, tides and storm surge threaten low-lying coastal land and infrastructure.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Land reclamation","Extreme rainfall at high tide"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The RMSI analysis projects about 998 buildings and 24 km of roads affected by 2050, a projection rather than documented loss (ref 2).","livelihoods":"None of the opened pages (refs 1 to 3) report closures or displacement; the WION article only says infrastructure could face growing exposure.","scale":"The assessment covers the city of Mumbai's coastline, a single urban coast (ref 1).","duration":"Citizen Matters explains that rain of 7 to 10 hours coinciding with high tide floods reclaimed low-lying areas, a recurring monsoon problem (ref 3).","significance":"The BMC formally started a new vulnerability assessment in September 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An RMSI analysis reported by Business Today found about 998 buildings and 24 km of roads could be affected in Mumbai by 2050, rising to about 2,490 buildings and 126 km at high tide."},"measures":[{"name":"Buildings affected by 2050 (normal conditions)","value":998,"unit":"buildings","status":"Estimated","note":"RMSI analysis based on IPCC AR6, as reported by Business Today (ref 2)."},{"name":"Buildings affected by 2050 (high tide)","value":2490,"unit":"buildings","status":"Estimated","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Roads affected by 2050 (high tide)","value":126,"unit":"km","status":"Estimated","note":"24 km under normal conditions (ref 2)."},{"name":"Residents in exposed areas by 2070","value":11000000,"unit":"people","status":"Estimated","note":"Carnegie Endowment projection cited by Citizen Matters (Aug 2023); current exposed population 2.7 million (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The WION article notes roads, transport, drainage, utilities and commercial hubs face growing exposure (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The BMC has not published results of the new assessment (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation","role":"City government running the vulnerability assessment","contact":"https://www.mcgm.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["BMC began a fresh coastal vulnerability assessment in September 2026 covering the whole coastline (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mumbai could be swallowed by the sea: BMC begins fresh coastal risk assessment","publisher":"WION","date":"2026-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-could-be-swallowed-by-the-sea-bmc-begins-fresh-coastal-risk-assessment-1788844189712","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sea levels threaten Mumbai and Chennai: thousands of buildings at risk by 2050","publisher":"Business Today","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://businesstoday.in/visualstories/news/sea-levels-threaten-mumbai-and-chennai-thousands-of-buildings-at-risk-by-2050-175931-03-10-2024","basis":"News (web story; page shows no date, URL suggests 3 October 2024)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Climate change: Rising sea levels ring alarm bells for Mumbai","publisher":"Citizen Matters","date":"2023-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://citizenmatters.in/mumbai-coastal-cities-rising-sea-levels-floods-53991","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mumbai (coordinates of the city)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The WION article gives no sea-level projection or timeline; the RMSI report itself was not opened and the Business Today page shows no date."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-VADHAVAN-PORT-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-PERSIANGULF-SSTWARMING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Persian Gulf summer sea temperatures rising about 0.31 degrees Celsius per decade, with corals already stressed","description":"A 2025 Ocean Science study found Gulf-mean summer sea-surface temperature rose about 0.31 degrees Celsius per decade over 1980 to 2018, with average summer values from below 28 to above 35 degrees across the Gulf. Reporting on the July 2024 heat wave, based on NOAA data, put Gulf sea-surface temperatures at about 35 degrees Celsius. A related coral data record says southern Gulf corals already experience baseline stress under the current climate.","location":{"name":"Persian (Arabian) Gulf","type":"Semi-enclosed regional sea","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AE","BH","IR","IQ","KW","OM","QA","SA"],"detail":"Persian/Arabian Gulf, shared by the eight Gulf coastal states; strongest variability in the northern Gulf","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Long-term sea-surface warming and summer extremes in a semi-enclosed sea are a physical climate issue.","secondary_drivers":["Weakened Shamal winds","La Nina and negative NAO phases","Long-term warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"A coral heat-stress data record reports that southern Gulf corals already experience baseline stress under the current climate, a limited and potential harm (ref 3).","livelihoods":"None of the cited pages (refs 1 to 4) report a closure or restriction linked to sea temperature.","scale":"The study covers the whole Gulf, with northern interannual variability up to about 0.7 degrees Celsius (ref 1).","duration":"The trend of about 0.31 degrees Celsius per decade is measured over 1980 to 2018, a multi-decade record (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are a research paper and news reports; no agency advisory or order is cited (refs 1, 2, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Gulf-mean summer sea-surface temperature rose about 0.31 degrees Celsius per decade over 1980 to 2018 (Lachkar et al., Ocean Science, 2 December 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Gulf-mean summer SST trend, 1980-2018","value":0.31,"unit":"degC per decade","status":"Reported","note":"Eddy-resolving hindcast and ERA5 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gulf sea-surface temperature in July 2024 heat wave","value":35,"unit":"degC","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 95 F (35 C) per NOAA data cited by The Washington Post (refs 2, 4)."},{"name":"Share of interannual summer SST variability explained by ENSO and NAO","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Over 50% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["No operational, fishery or tourism impact from sea temperature was reported in the cited pages (refs 1 to 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Summer SST trend of about 0.31 degrees Celsius per decade, 1980 to 2018 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME)","role":"Regional seas organisation","contact":"https://www.ropme.org"}],"public_contact":"ROPME Secretariat, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action is described in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Local and remote climatic drivers of extreme summer sea surface temperatures in the Arabian Gulf","publisher":"Ocean Science (Copernicus), Lachkar et al., NYU Abu Dhabi","date":"2025-12-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://os.copernicus.org/articles/21/3241/2025/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Persian Gulf faces life-threatening heat (Washington Post analysis, reposted)","publisher":"Environment and Climate in the Middle East blog, York University","date":"2024-07-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mideastenvironment.apps01.yorku.ca/?p=22052","basis":"News (repost of Washington Post, 18 July 2024)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Data from: Summer temperature maxima already challenge thermal capacities of coral in the Southern Persian/Arabian Gulf","publisher":"Zenodo (Alderdice et al.)","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://zenodo.org/records/17492006","basis":"Peer-reviewed study data record"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gulf heat wave hits record highs, posing severe life risk","publisher":"Shafaq News","date":"2024-07-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://shafaq.com/en/World/Gulf-heat-wave-hits-record-highs-posing-severe-life-risk","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2024 sea-temperature figure is a NOAA value as relayed by news, not an observed marine-heatwave analysis; no study confirming a record Gulf sea-surface temperature in 2024 was opened."}],"missing_fields":["No 2024 or 2025 marine heatwave event analysis for the Gulf was found in the opened pages; the 2025 study period ends in 2018."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-UAE-REEFHEAT-2026","OC-GULF-PERSIANGULF-BRINE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-ARABIANSEA-OMZ-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone shows upper-ocean deoxygenation while its core regains oxygen","description":"The Arabian Sea has the world's thickest and most intense oxygen minimum zone. Two 2025 conference abstracts using BGC-Argo floats report that oxygen in the core rose about threefold from 2013 to 2022 and the zone thickness fell 13%, while upper-ocean oxygen declined with stronger stratification. The findings are not yet confirmed by a peer-reviewed paper that was opened.","location":{"name":"Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone","type":"Open-ocean oxygen minimum zone","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN","PK","OM"],"detail":"Northern Arabian Sea off India, Pakistan and Oman; core region observed by BGC-Argo floats","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Changes in dissolved oxygen in the water column are deoxygenation findings.","secondary_drivers":["Stratification","Weaker monsoon and Oman upwelling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Upper-ocean dissolved oxygen is decreasing with increased stratification, while the OMZ core has regained oxygen; harm is potential, not documented mortality (ref 2).","livelihoods":"None of the cited abstracts (refs 1 to 3) report fishery or other livelihood impacts.","scale":"The abstracts cover the Arabian Sea OMZ, the world's thickest and most intense, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Float records span 2013 to 2022, about a decade (ref 1).","significance":"Conference abstracts only; no formal notice, listing or advisory (refs 1 to 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Average dissolved oxygen in the Arabian Sea OMZ core rose from about 0.63 micromoles per litre in 2013 to about 1.68 in 2022 and OMZ thickness fell 13%, while upper-ocean oxygen declined (EGU25 abstracts, March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Core dissolved oxygen, 2013","value":0.63,"unit":"umol/L","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 0.63 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Core dissolved oxygen, 2022","value":1.68,"unit":"umol/L","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 1.68, about threefold higher (ref 1)."},{"name":"OMZ thickness change","value":-13,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Decrease in thickness (ref 1)."},{"name":"OMZ shrinkage from the bottom (second study)","value":200,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 200 m, by a different group (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The abstracts report no fishery or economic effects."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Core oxygen recovering since 2013 while upper-ocean oxygen declines (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (China)","role":"Research group","contact":"https://www.tio.org.cn"}],"public_contact":"Authors of the cited abstracts via the conference pages.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action; the abstracts call for the results to inform OMZ projections (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Dissolved oxygen recovery in the oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea in recent decade as observed by BGC-Argo floats (EGU25-2038)","publisher":"EGU General Assembly 2025 (Liu, Qiu and Lin)","date":"2025-03-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-2038.html","basis":"Conference abstract (not peer reviewed)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Recent Changes in Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations in the Arabian Sea using BGC-Argo Data (EGU25-18090)","publisher":"EGU General Assembly 2025 (Shee, IISc)","date":"2025-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-18090.html","basis":"Conference abstract (not peer reviewed)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Dissolved oxygen recovery in the oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea in recent decade as observed by BGC-Argo floats","publisher":"XMAS 2025 symposium, Xiamen","date":"2024-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aconf.org/conf_198615/contribution/333.html","basis":"Conference abstract (not peer reviewed)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The two abstracts disagree on mechanism and magnitude: one reports a core oxygen increase of about threefold from 0.63 to 1.68 micromoles per litre, the other a rise of about 140%."}],"missing_fields":["No peer-reviewed paper was opened; a GRL 2024 paper mentioned in a search summary could not be opened and is not cited. Gulf of Oman dead-zone findings were not found."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-GULF-PERSIANGULF-BRINE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Desalination brine raises salinity in parts of the Persian Gulf, modelling studies find","description":"The Persian Gulf hosts about half of the world's seawater desalination capacity, and most plants discharge brine back into the Gulf. A 2019 modelling study found brine raised mean Gulf salinity by only 0.43 g/kg but by about 4.3 g/kg in the southwestern Gulf near the Arabian coast, and a 2020 follow-up found basin salinity resilient to present discharge. A 2019 global study attributed over half of world brine output to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, and an August 2026 analysis again flags hot, hypersaline effluent zones.","location":{"name":"Southwestern Persian Gulf and Gulf desalination coasts","type":"Desalination outfalls in a semi-enclosed sea","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SA","AE","KW","QA","BH"],"detail":"Persian/Arabian Gulf; greatest salt buildup in the southwestern slow-flushing zone near the Arabian coast","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Brine containing concentrated salt and treatment chemicals is a chemical discharge to the sea.","secondary_drivers":["Desalination brine","Semi-enclosed basin"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Brine raised salinity by about 4.3 g/kg in the southwestern Gulf against 0.43 g/kg for the basin mean, a limited regional effect in the 2019 model (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited pages report fishery or beach restrictions caused by brine (refs 1 to 4).","scale":"The modelled effect reaches a regional sea, with four Gulf countries producing over half of global brine (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The discharge is continuous with decades of plant operation; the studies model present-day steady discharge (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are research papers, a news report and an opinion analysis; no regulator notice or order was found (refs 1 to 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Brine raised Gulf basin-mean salinity (40.5 g/kg) by only 0.43 g/kg but by about 4.3 g/kg in the southwestern Gulf (Ibrahim and Eltahir, J. Environmental Engineering, 31 December 2019)."},"measures":[{"name":"Basin-mean salinity increase from brine","value":0.43,"unit":"g/kg","status":"Reported","note":"Model result (ref 1)."},{"name":"Southwestern Gulf salinity increase from brine","value":4.3,"unit":"g/kg","status":"Reported","note":"Model result (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gulf share of world seawater desalination capacity","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"About 50% (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Saudi Arabia share of global brine output","value":22,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"UAE 20.2%, Kuwait 6%, Qatar 5.8% (Science of the Total Environment study via Down to Earth, 2019, ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Gulf states other than Saudi Arabia rely on desalinated water for 86% to 100% of residential needs (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The studies are 2019 to 2020 modelling; no 2024 to 2026 measurement was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME)","role":"Regional seas organisation","contact":"https://www.ropme.org"}],"public_contact":"ROPME Secretariat, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["The 2019 study concludes outfall position strongly affects regional salinity, pointing to siting as the lever (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Impact of Brine Discharge from Seawater Desalination Plants on Persian/Arabian Gulf Salinity","publisher":"Journal of Environmental Engineering (Ibrahim and Eltahir), via MIT Eltahir group","date":"2019-12-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eltahir.mit.edu/journals/impact-of-brine-discharge-from-seawater-desalination-plants-on-persian-arabian-gulf-salinity","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Multiple Salinity Equilibria and Resilience of Persian/Arabian Gulf Basin Salinity to Brine Discharge","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Ibrahim, Xue and Eltahir)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00573/text","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (published 2020; exact date not shown on page)"},{"ref":3,"title":"More toxic sludge than fresh water produced from desalination","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2019-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/more-toxic-sludge-than-fresh-water-produced-from-desalination-62841","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Iran war's final victim could be the Gulf's fragile environment","publisher":"The National","date":"2026-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2026/08/17/iran-wars-final-victim-could-be-the-gulfs-fragile-environment/","basis":"News (opinion by Robin Mills)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, climate-physical and pollution categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2020 Frontiers study concludes basin salinity is resilient to present brine discharge, while the regional salinity rise near the Arabian coast is larger; the studies differ on how serious the effect is."}],"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2026 study or UAE, Saudi or Kuwait brine measurement was found in the opened pages; the pre-window studies are used because the discharge continues."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-PERSIANGULF-SSTWARMING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-LAKSHADWEEP-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Severe coral bleaching at Lakshadweep's Kavaratti atoll in 2024 on top of a halving of live coral cover since 1998","description":"ICAR-CMFRI researchers recorded severe bleaching of hard corals across Lakshadweep after marine heatwaves that began in October 2023, and a Lakshadweep Department of Science and Technology scientist put bleaching at Kavaratti atoll at 84.6 per cent in 2024, against 41.9 per cent in 2020. A peer-reviewed 24-year study published in July 2025 found live coral cover at 12 reef sites on Agatti, Kadmat and Kavaratti fell from about 37.2 per cent in 1998 to about 19.1 per cent in 2022, and that Lakshadweep has no formal reef management.","location":{"name":"Kavaratti atoll and Lakshadweep reefs","type":"Atoll reef system","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Lakshadweep Islands, Laccadive Sea off India's southwest coast; Kavaratti, Agatti and Kadmat atolls. Coordinates are those of Kavaratti island.","coordinates":{"lat":10.57,"lon":72.64,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Thermal-stress bleaching and long-term loss of live coral cover on an atoll reef system.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","El Nino","No formal reef management"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A Lakshadweep Department of Science and Technology scientist reported 84.6% bleaching at Kavaratti atoll in 2024, and the 2025 study found live coral cover down from about 37.2% to 19.1% between 1998 and 2022 (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"CMFRI researchers warned that coastal livelihoods, tourism and fisheries are at risk if heat stress continues, but no closure or income loss is documented (ref 1).","scale":"Bleaching was recorded at several islands, and Agatti was affected less severely than Kavaratti, so the impact is archipelago-wide rather than one reef (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Bleaching is recurring: Kavaratti recorded 81% in 1998, 65% in 2010, 41.9% in 2020 and 84.6% in 2024, and heatwaves also struck in 2016 (refs 3, 4).","significance":"The 2024 figure comes from the Union Territory's own science department and the 2025 study is peer-reviewed, but no formal notice or order has been issued, so this scores the formal-assessment level (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources; island communities depend on reef fisheries and tourism."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bleaching extent at Kavaratti atoll was 84.6% in 2024, compared with 41.9% in 2020 (Down To Earth, 26 June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bleaching extent, Kavaratti atoll, 2024","value":84.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Lakshadweep Department of Science and Technology scientist quoted in ref 3; 1998: 81%, 2010: 65%, 2020: 41.9%."},{"name":"Live coral cover, 12 reef sites, 1998","value":37.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Diversity and Distributions study reported in ref 4."},{"name":"Live coral cover, 12 reef sites, 2022","value":19.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same study; roughly a 50% decline over 24 years (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["CMFRI warned that tourism, fisheries and coastal livelihoods are at risk (ref 1).","Reefs attract the tourists that support the island economy (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Cover halved between 1998 and 2022 and the 2024 Kavaratti bleaching extent was higher than in 1998, 2010 and 2020 (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Science and Technology, UT Lakshadweep","role":"Local science and reef monitoring agency","contact":"https://lakshadweep.gov.in"},{"name":"ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute","role":"Surveyed the 2024 bleaching","contact":"https://www.cmfri.org.in"}],"public_contact":"Union Territory of Lakshadweep administration, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Scientists are monitoring the reefs; the 2025 study offers a predictive framework to prioritise protection and restoration (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Widespread coral bleaching in Lakshadweep sea recorded by researchers","publisher":"News On AIR (Prasar Bharati)","date":"2024-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://newsonair.gov.in/widespread-coral-bleaching-in-lakshadweep-sea-recorded-by-researchers","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Coral bleaching grips Indian coasts; Lakshadweep, Andamans most affected","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2024-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/coral-bleaching-grips-indian-coasts-lakshadweep-andamans-most-affected-96030","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Lakshadweep worst affected by coral bleaching on India's coastline, scientists tell DTE","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2024-06-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/lakshadweep-worst-affected-by-coral-bleaching-on-indias-coastline-scientists-tell-dte","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Lakshadweep's coral reefs have halved in last 24 years and they need time to recover","publisher":"Down To Earth (reporting a Diversity and Distributions study, 17 July 2025)","date":"2025-07-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/climate-change/lakshadweeps-coral-reefs-have-halved-in-last-24-years-and-they-need-time-to-recover","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Kavaratti (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavaratti","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"A Wildlife Trust of India scientist said annual bleaching of 30-40% is typical and most corals recover (ref 3), while the Lakshadweep science department called the 2024 Kavaratti event one of the worst on record (ref 3)."},{"note":"Ref 2 reports that Kavaratti divers saw bleaching to 30 m depth and large patches beginning to die; no mortality percentage is given in any cited source."}],"missing_fields":["Post-2024 mortality survey results were not found in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-UAE-REEFHEAT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-ARABIANSEA-HUMPBACK-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Endangered Arabian Sea humpback whales of about 80 animals face gillnet entanglement and ship strikes off Oman","description":"A peer-reviewed health assessment found about two thirds of photographed Arabian Sea humpbacks bore scars consistent with entanglement in fishing gear and six had injuries consistent with vessel strikes. In February 2025 Oman's Environment Authority opened an investigation into a dead humpback found at Al Jazer in Al Wusta, and a June 2026 satellite-tagging study counted just over 80 whales in the Endangered population. A UN migratory species report said a regional conservation plan had not yet been agreed and the Concerted Action should be extended.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Masirah and Hallaniyat Bay, Oman","type":"Whale habitat (coastal Arabian Sea)","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["OM","YE","IN","PK"],"detail":"Oman's Arabian Sea coast; tagged whales used the Gulf of Masirah (57% of locations) and Hallaniyat Bay (18%), with one crossing to Goa, India. Coordinates are those of Masirah Island; a further point marks the 2025 carcass at Al Jazer.","coordinates":{"lat":20.4711,"lon":58.8153,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":7},"points":[{"lat":17.5,"lon":56,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":8,"role":"Hallaniyat Bay tagging area (Khuriya Muriya Islands)"},{"lat":18.5833,"lon":56.5833,"precision":"city","source_ref":9,"role":"Al Jazer, Al Wusta, where a dead humpback was reported in February 2025"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A small, genetically distinct whale population threatened by fisheries bycatch and shipping.","secondary_drivers":["Gillnet entanglement","Ship strikes","Small population"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 66.6% of 42 whales with good photographs bore entanglement scars and six had injuries consistent with vessel strikes (ref 5), and a dead humpback was found at Al Jazer in February 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or restriction on Omani fishers is documented in the sources; the issue is whale injury from artisanal gillnets (refs 5, 6).","scale":"The population ranges along Oman's coast, northern Yemen and as far as Goa, India, so it is a regional-sea problem (ref 2).","duration":"Entanglement scars span photographs from 2000 to 2018 and a Duqm Port entanglement was freed in January 2021, so the threat is chronic (refs 5, 6).","significance":"The population is IUCN Endangered, Oman's Environment Authority opened a formal investigation in 2025, and a UN migratory species report says the regional plan is still missing (refs 1, 4, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Population is just over 80 whales (ref 2); no human population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Arabian Sea humpbacks number just over 80 individuals and are classed Endangered (Frontiers in Marine Science study, 19 June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Population size","value":80,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"'Just over 80 individuals' (ref 2); The National says around 80 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Whales with entanglement-consistent scarring","value":66.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"95% CI 52-80%, 42 whales with good photographs, images 2000-2018 (ref 5)."},{"name":"Whales with vessel-strike-consistent injuries","value":6,"unit":"individuals","status":"Reported","note":"Minton et al. health assessment (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Population trend is not reported in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environment Authority, Oman","role":"National conservation and carcass investigation","contact":"https://www.ea.gov.om"},{"name":"Arabian Sea Whale Network","role":"Research collaboration reporting under the CMS Concerted Action","contact":"https://arabianseawhalenetwork.org"},{"name":"Convention on Migratory Species","role":"Concerted Action 12.4 for the population","contact":"https://www.cms.int"}],"public_contact":"Environment Authority, Oman, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Oman's Environment Authority is investigating the 2025 death with the Royal Oman Police and the fisheries ministry (ref 1).","One shipping company has committed to moving routes away from core whale habitat off Oman, and port-led ship-strike measures developed for Duqm are being replicated (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EA probes death of Arabian Sea humpback whale in Oman","publisher":"Muscat Daily","date":"2025-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.muscatdaily.com/2025/02/26/ea-probes-death-of-arabian-sea-humpback-whale/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Arabian Sea humpback whale's long-distance trip further highlights species' unique ecology","publisher":"EurekAlert! (Frontiers in Marine Science press release)","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131187","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Endangered humpback whale tracked crossing Arabian Sea from Oman for first time","publisher":"The National","date":"2026-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/06/19/arabian-sea-humpback-whales-long-distance-foraging-trip/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Report on the implementation of the Concerted Action for the humpback whales of the Arabian Sea (UNEP/CMS/COP14/Doc.32.2.3)","publisher":"UNEP / Convention on Migratory Species","date":"2023-05-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/document/cms_cop14_doc.32.2.3_ca-reporting-arabian-sea-humpback-whale_e_0.pdf","basis":"Treaty body document"},{"ref":5,"title":"Visual Health Assessment and Evaluation of Anthropogenic Threats to Arabian Sea Humpback Whales in Oman (J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 23)","publisher":"International Whaling Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://journal.iwc.int/index.php/jcrm/article/download/336/130","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":6,"title":"Successful release of an entangled humpback whale in Duqm Port, Oman","publisher":"Arabian Sea Whale Network","date":"2021-02-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arabianseawhalenetwork.org/2021/02/04/successful-release-of-an-entangled-humpback-whale-in-duqm-port-oman/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":7,"title":"Masirah Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masirah_Island","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Khuriya Muriya Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuriya_Muriya_Islands","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"},{"ref":9,"title":"Al Jazer (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazer","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The IWC study gives 66.6% of 42 whales with entanglement-consistent scarring (ref 5) while the 2021 Arabian Sea Whale Network post says 67% of whales photographed off Oman, drawn from an IWC presentation (ref 6); the two are consistent within rounding."},{"note":"Ref 6 says fewer than 100 whales remain off Oman; ref 2 says just over 80 for the whole population."}],"missing_fields":["Cause of the February 2025 death was not reported in the cited source.","The IWC paper page shows only the volume year (2022), so its source date is null."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-MASIRAH-LOGGERHEAD-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-MASIRAH-LOGGERHEAD-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Masirah Island's loggerhead nesting population down 79 per cent, with about 2,000 caught in fisheries each year","description":"Researchers reported a 79 per cent decline in the loggerhead nesting population on Masirah Island, Oman, one of the largest loggerhead nesting grounds in the world, based on about 30 years of data. The Environment Society of Oman estimates around 2,000 loggerheads are caught annually in local fisheries, and the population is listed Critically Endangered in the Northwest Indian Ocean. Oman's Environment Authority began a five-year nesting and hatching study in May 2022 under an agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service.","location":{"name":"Masirah Island nesting beaches, Oman","type":"Sea turtle nesting beaches","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["OM"],"detail":"Masirah Island off Oman's Arabian Sea coast in Al Sharqiyah South. Coordinates are those of the island.","coordinates":{"lat":20.4711,"lon":58.8153,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Nesting population decline of a protected species driven by fisheries bycatch, light and debris.","secondary_drivers":["Fisheries bycatch","Artificial lighting","Marine debris","Coastal development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A 2020 scientific paper found a 79% decline in the Masirah nesting population, and about 2,000 loggerheads are caught annually in local fisheries (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or income loss is reported; the cited conservation work focuses on bycatch workshops and observers rather than restrictions (ref 1).","scale":"The decline is documented at one island, although the population is assessed across the Northwest Indian Ocean (ref 1).","duration":"The 79% decline rests on about 30 years of research and threats such as bycatch and beach driving are chronic (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The population is listed Critically Endangered in the Northwest Indian Ocean and Oman's Environment Authority runs a five-year study under an MoU with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No human population figure applies; about 30,000 loggerheads arrive at Masirah each year per ref 1."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A 79 per cent decline in the Masirah loggerhead nesting population, from about 30 years of research (Oman Observer, 3 August 2022)."},"measures":[{"name":"Decline in loggerhead nesting population, Masirah","value":79,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"2020 paper cited in ref 2 and ref 3."},{"name":"Loggerheads caught annually in local fisheries (estimate)","value":2000,"unit":"turtles per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Environment Society of Oman surveys, as cited in ref 1."},{"name":"Loggerheads arriving at Masirah each year","value":30000,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Stated in ref 1; the source does not reconcile this with the 79% nesting decline."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"No post-2020 nesting rebound is reported; the five-year study started in May 2022 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environment Authority, Oman","role":"Nesting and hatching study, protected area manager","contact":"https://www.ea.gov.om"},{"name":"Environment Society of Oman","role":"Conservation partner (US Fish and Wildlife Service funded)","contact":"https://eso.org.om"}],"public_contact":"Environment Authority, Oman, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Five-year Environment Authority loggerhead nesting and hatching study on Masirah began in May 2022 (ref 2).","Low-glare turtle-friendly lighting on key nesting beaches and bycatch reduction workshops and observers are under way (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Masirah Island's critical role in the conservation of sea turtles","publisher":"Oman Observer","date":"2024-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1158965/features/culture/masirah-islands-critical-role-in-the-conservation-of-sea-turtles","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Study on loggerhead turtles in Masirah begins","publisher":"Oman Observer","date":"2022-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1123194/oman/tourism/study-on-loggerhead-turtles-in-masirah-begins","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"World Sea Turtle Day: a timely reminder that Oman's sea turtles need saving","publisher":"Oman Observer","date":"2021-06-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1102395/features/world-sea-turtle-day-a-timely-reminder-that-omans-sea-turtles-need-saving","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Masirah Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masirah_Island","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ref 1 says about 30,000 loggerheads arrive each year while ref 2 and ref 3 report a 79% nesting decline; the sources do not reconcile arrivals with nesting females."},{"note":"Nesting season is given as April to September in ref 2 and May to September in ref 1."}],"missing_fields":["The 2020 paper behind the 79% figure was not opened; the figure is as reported by the Oman Observer."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-ARABIANSEA-HUMPBACK-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-GWADAR-IUUTRAWLING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gwadar fishers report a collapse of local catches blamed on illegal deep-sea trawling in Balochistan's waters","description":"A Dawn feature published in April 2025 reports that fishers in Gwadar, Balochistan, say illegal, unreported and unregulated deep-sea trawling, mostly by vessels from Sindh, is depleting the sea. Balochistan's Marine and Fisheries Department says the Mobula ray (karinj) is effectively extinct locally and sawfish have disappeared, and officials describe enforcement of the 12-nautical-mile trawler limit and the June to July breeding-season ban as difficult. Fishers also allege bycatch of turtles, dolphins and sharks and report intimidation, including a fatal incident on 28 May 2024.","location":{"name":"Gwadar coast, Balochistan","type":"Coastal fishing grounds","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["PK"],"detail":"Balochistan's roughly 750 km Arabian Sea coastline, centred on Gwadar. Coordinates are those of Gwadar city.","coordinates":{"lat":25.1264,"lon":62.3225,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Overfishing and illegal trawling depleting small-scale fisheries and threatened species.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal trawling","Weak enforcement","Fine-mesh gillnets"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Balochistan's Marine and Fisheries Department says the Mobula ray is effectively extinct locally (17 sightings in 2021-2022) and the sawfish has disappeared, with sharp declines in sardines, mackerel, pomfret and shrimp reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Local fishers say 10 days of their work cannot match one trawler's day, and report attacks, detentions and intimidation, including a fatal incident on 28 May 2024 (ref 1).","scale":"The article covers the whole 750 km Balochistan coast, a national coastline rather than a single bay (ref 1).","duration":"Enforcement of the 1971 Balochistan Sea Fisheries Ordinance limits is widely described as ineffective and a dispute over trawlers at Gwadar port was reported in 2021, so the problem is chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Existing legal limits (12 nm trawler distance, June to July breeding-season ban) exist and a Balochistan fisheries official says enforcement across the large sea is hard, a formal-rule context, but no enforcement order or penalty is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure; the article describes small-scale fishing communities in Gwadar and Pasni."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Gwadar fishers say a single trawler catches in one day what local boats take ten days to catch (Dawn, 29 April 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Karinj (Mobula) sightings 2021-2022","value":17,"unit":"sightings","status":"Reported","note":"Marine and Fisheries Department Gwadar, species described as effectively extinct locally (ref 1)."},{"name":"Balochistan coastline","value":750,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Length given in ref 1."},{"name":"Trawler minimum distance from shore","value":12,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"Rule cited in ref 1; larger vessels 35 miles."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishers report catch collapse and falling incomes at Gwadar and Pasni (ref 1).","Local fishers oppose foreign trawler presence at Gwadar port (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The April 2025 feature describes declines continuing since earlier disputes over trawling in 2021 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Fisheries Department, Government of Balochistan","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://balochistan.gov.pk"}],"public_contact":"Balochistan Marine Fisheries Department, published general channels","corrective_actions":["A seasonal ban on fishing in Balochistan territorial waters from 1 June to 31 July under the 1971 Sea Fisheries Ordinance and a 12 nautical mile limit for trawlers are in force but poorly enforced (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A sea under siege: For Gwadar's fishermen, the nets are full of hope but never fish","publisher":"Dawn (republished by Asia News Network)","date":"2025-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=200412","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Chinese 'factory ship' trawlers pose a threat to Pakistan's local fishermen","publisher":"WION","date":"2021-06-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/chinese-factory-ship-trawlers-pose-a-threat-to-pakistans-local-fishermen-391194/amp","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gwadar (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwadar","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ref 2 reports allegations that Chinese vessels were licensed, which the Pakistan government denies; the 2025 Dawn feature attributes the depletion mainly to Pakistani trawlers from Sindh (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No official catch statistics were found in the cited sources; the main claims rest on one Dawn feature."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-INDUSDELTA-SEAINTRUSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-KERALA-SARDINE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Kerala's sardine catch collapses from 3.9 lakh tonnes in 2012 to 3,297 tonnes in 2021 and stays volatile","description":"Onmanorama reported in June 2024 that Kerala's sardine landings fell from 3.92 lakh tonnes in 2012 to 3,297 tonnes in 2021, recovered to 1.38 lakh tonnes in 2023, and that sardine prices had risen from about Rs 100 to over Rs 400 per kg while fishers expected a very poor 2024. A CMFRI study in Current Science, reported in October 2025, linked swings in small-sardine abundance to monsoon rainfall and upwelling and recommended species-specific warnings and local fishing restrictions. Kerala's annual 52-day monsoon trawling ban is in force.","location":{"name":"Kerala coast (Kochi, Munambam, Vizhinjam)","type":"Coastal sardine fishery","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Kerala's Arabian Sea coast, India; fishers at Munambam and Vypeen quoted. Coordinates are those of Munambam.","coordinates":{"lat":10.1767,"lon":76.1717,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fluctuating small pelagic stock under fishing pressure, warming and monsoon variability.","secondary_drivers":["Juvenile sardine catch","Warming coastal water","Monsoon variability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Sardine landings fell from 3.92 lakh tonnes in 2012 to 3,297 tonnes in 2021 before recovering to 1.38 lakh tonnes in 2023 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Sardine prices rose from about Rs 100 to over Rs 400 per kg and a traditional fishers' leader warned the shortage would severely affect livelihoods, while a 52-day trawling ban restricts mechanised boats each monsoon (ref 1).","scale":"The impact covers Kerala's coast, with 3,800 mechanised boats and about 34,000 other boats registered in the state (ref 1).","duration":"The swing runs from 2012 through 2024 and CMFRI's 2025 study describes recurring fluctuation (refs 1, 2).","significance":"CMFRI minimum legal sizes (10 cm for sardine) are being breached by catches of 7-8 cm fish, and a Current Science study proposes formal localised restrictions, a formal advisory-level signal (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Nearly one lakh traditional fisherfolk are in Kerala per ref 1, but the number affected is not reported."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sardine landings fell from 3.92 lakh tonnes in 2012 to 3,297 tonnes in 2021 (Onmanorama, 18 June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sardine landings, 2012","value":392000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"3.92 lakh tonnes (ref 1); ref 2 gives 4 lakh tonnes."},{"name":"Sardine landings, 2021","value":3297,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"ref 1; ref 2 gives 3,500 tonnes."},{"name":"Sardine landings, 2023","value":138000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"1.38 lakh tonnes (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sardine retail price","value":400,"unit":"Rs per kg (over)","status":"Reported","note":"From about Rs 100, June 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishers at Munambam and Vypeen reported negligible 2024 catches (ref 1).","Juvenile sardine abundance cut weight and market prices (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Landings collapsed in 2021, recovered in 2022 and 2023 and were expected to be poor again in 2024; a juvenile boom followed in 2024 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute","role":"Stock assessment","contact":"https://www.cmfri.org.in"},{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Government of Kerala","role":"Fisheries regulator and trawl-ban authority","contact":"https://fisheries.kerala.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Kerala Department of Fisheries, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Kerala imposes an annual 52-day monsoon trawling ban, with trawlers kept 12 nautical miles offshore (refs 1, 3).","CMFRI recommends short-term species-specific warnings and localised fishing restrictions (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sardine prices soar to over Rs 400 per kg in Kerala","publisher":"Onmanorama","date":"2024-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.onmanorama.com/kerala/top-news/2024/06/18/kerala-fishing-sardine-shortage-trawling-rising-price.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Changes in monsoon caused fluctuation in sardine population: CMFRI study","publisher":"Onmanorama","date":"2025-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/10/01/monsoon-impact-sardine-proliferation.amp.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Munambam (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munambam","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The two Onmanorama reports give 2012 landings as 3.92 lakh tonnes (ref 1) and 4 lakh tonnes (ref 2), and 2021 landings as 3,297 tonnes (ref 1) and 3,500 tonnes (ref 2)."},{"note":"Stakeholders in ref 1 blame the trawling ban and climate change for the 2024 shortage, while CMFRI attributes swings to monsoon rainfall and upwelling (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The Current Science paper itself was not opened; its findings are as reported by Onmanorama."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-KOLLAM-OFFSHOREBLOCKS-2025","OC-GULF-VIZHINJAM-EROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-ABUDHABI-DUGONGSURVEY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Abu Dhabi aerial survey puts dugongs at over 3,500 and sea turtles at about 8,000 in 2024 under a net ban and protected areas","description":"The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi completed an aerial survey of more than 8,000 square kilometres of marine habitat and reported an estimated 3,500 dugongs in 2024, with mother-calf pairs making up 20 per cent of sightings, and about 8,000 sea turtles, roughly 30 per cent more than in 2015. The agency credits a fishing-net ban in the emirate's waters, nesting-site protection and marine protected area management. Abu Dhabi is described as the second-largest dugong habitat after Australia.","location":{"name":"Abu Dhabi marine waters, Arabian Gulf","type":"Dugong and sea turtle habitat","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AE"],"detail":"Abu Dhabi emirate's Arabian Gulf waters; survey covered more than 8,000 km2. Coordinates are those of Abu Dhabi city.","coordinates":{"lat":24.4667,"lon":54.3667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Population monitoring of dugongs and sea turtles whose habitat is managed through net bans and protected areas.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing nets","Habitat management"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The survey reports growing dugong and turtle estimates and no mortality event, so harm is scored only as potential given the net ban implies fishing interaction risk (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The agency cites a fishing-net ban in the emirate's waters as a conservation measure, a restriction on fishers (ref 1).","scale":"The 8,000 km2 survey covers the emirate's waters, which is one habitat zone of the Gulf (ref 1).","duration":"EAD has run these aerial assessments since 2004 and the findings reflect a multi-year management programme, but no sustained harm is reported (ref 1).","significance":"The numbers are an official agency announcement and the net ban is a regulatory measure, which is a formal notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No human population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Estimated dugong population over 3,500 in 2024 and about 8,000 sea turtles, about 30% more than in 2015 (EAD via Abu Dhabi Media Office, 20 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dugong population, Abu Dhabi, 2024","value":3500,"unit":"dugongs","status":"Estimated","note":"Aerial survey estimate, 'over 3,500' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea turtle population, Abu Dhabi, 2024","value":8000,"unit":"turtles","status":"Estimated","note":"About 30% above the 2015 survey (ref 1)."},{"name":"Survey area","value":8000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"More than 8,000 km2 of marine habitat (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"EAD reports a population increase of more than 20% for dugongs and about 30% for turtles against 2015 (ref 1); the dugong baseline year is not stated."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi","role":"Survey and habitat manager","contact":"https://www.ead.gov.ae"}],"public_contact":"Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Fishing-net ban in Abu Dhabi waters, nesting-site protection and marine protected area management (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi completes aerial survey covering 8,000 km2 of marine habitat","publisher":"Abu Dhabi Media Office","date":"2025-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/environment/environment-agency-abu-dhabi-completes-aerial-survey-covering-8000-km2-of-marine-habitat/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Abu Dhabi (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"EAD states a dugong increase of more than 20% without giving a baseline year (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Seagrass and coral findings are not mentioned in the cited source.","Only one primary source; independent confirmation was not found."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-UAE-REEFHEAT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-UAE-REEFHEAT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"UAE reefs on both coasts tested for heat tolerance as Abu Dhabi launches a 40,000-module coral restoration after the 2017 die-off","description":"In January 2026 NYU Abu Dhabi's Mubadala ACCESS centre, with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and the Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah environment authorities, reported a UAE-wide field heat-stress test of corals from western Abu Dhabi to Fujairah. A professor quoted said climate change is pushing even these hardy species to their limits. A secondary report says the 2017 bleaching event destroyed 73 per cent of Abu Dhabi's coral cover and that Abu Dhabi launched a Coral Gardens programme in May 2025 to deploy 40,000 artificial reef modules by 2030.","location":{"name":"UAE reefs, Gulf and Gulf of Oman coasts","type":"Coral reef systems","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AE"],"detail":"Reefs from western Abu Dhabi on the Arabian Gulf to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman. Coordinates are those of Abu Dhabi city.","coordinates":{"lat":24.4667,"lon":54.3667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-driven coral loss in a warm sea and a restoration response.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Thermal stress"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A secondary report states the 2017 bleaching event destroyed 73% of Abu Dhabi's coral cover, while the NYUAD study reports no 2024-2025 bleaching rate (refs 2, 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism disruption is documented in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The testing covers reefs on both the Gulf and Gulf of Oman coasts, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Heat-stress losses are recurring and the restoration target runs to 2030, with four million corals planned by EAD (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Four emirate environment authorities are acting on the findings and Abu Dhabi launched a formal restoration programme in May 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"UAE reefs from western Abu Dhabi to Fujairah were field-tested for heat tolerance, and EAD aims to restore four million corals by 2030 (NYU Abu Dhabi, 28 January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Abu Dhabi coral cover destroyed by 2017 bleaching","value":73,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Secondary report (ref 2); not confirmed against an EAD primary document."},{"name":"Planned artificial reef modules by 2030","value":40000,"unit":"modules","status":"Reported","note":"Coral Gardens programme across 1,200 km2 (ref 2)."},{"name":"EAD coral restoration goal by 2030","value":4000000,"unit":"corals","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Artificial reef programme is projected to yield over 5 million kg of fish a year, a government projection (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources give no recent annual cover trend."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi","role":"Reef monitoring and restoration","contact":"https://www.ead.gov.ae"},{"name":"Mubadala ACCESS, NYU Abu Dhabi","role":"Heat-tolerance research","contact":"https://nyuad.nyu.edu"}],"public_contact":"Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Genetics research, selective breeding and new coral nurseries are planned (ref 1).","Abu Dhabi's Coral Gardens programme began in May 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UAE-Wide Coral 'Stress Test' Investigates Heat-Resilient Local Reefs","publisher":"NYU Abu Dhabi","date":"2026-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news/latest-news/science-and-technology/2026/january/nyuad-researchers-conduct-testing-identify-heat-resistant-corals.html","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Abu Dhabi launches world's largest coral restoration project with 40,000 artificial reefs","publisher":"SEVENSEAS Media","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sevenseasmedia.org/abu-dhabi-coral-gardens-worlds-largest-marine-restoration-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Abu Dhabi (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"EAD says some colonies show remarkable thermal tolerance and resilience to bleaching events, while the researcher quoted says even hardy species are being pushed to their limits (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No 2024 Gulf bleaching survey results or Gulf-wide mortality figures were found in an opened source.","Ref 2 is a secondary magazine report dated only to its October 2025 issue; its 73% figure is unverified."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-PERSIANGULF-SSTWARMING-2025","OC-GULF-LAKSHADWEEP-BLEACHING-2024","OC-GULF-ABUDHABI-DUGONGSURVEY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-PALGHAR-BOMBAYDUCK-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bombay duck (bombil) catches fall at Satpati-Dahanu from a record 40,065 tonnes in 1979 as boats and trawlers crowd the fishery","description":"A People's Archive of Rural India report said the Satpati-Dahanu bombil catch peaked at 40,065 tonnes in 1979 and was recorded at 16,576 tonnes in 2018, while bombil boats at Satpati fell from 30 to 35 in the 1980s to 12 by mid-2019. A May 2025 Krishi Jagran article describes growing concern about overfishing, catching immature fish and habitat disruption in the Palghar to Valsad fishery. Fishers blame trawlers and purse seiners and industrial pollution.","location":{"name":"Satpati-Dahanu coast, Palghar, Maharashtra","type":"Coastal fishery (Bombay duck)","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Palghar district, northern Maharashtra, to Valsad in Gujarat; Satpati village is the case study. Coordinates are those of Satpati.","coordinates":{"lat":19.7167,"lon":72.7,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Overfishing and juvenile catch in a stationary-net fishery for a short-lived species.","secondary_drivers":["Overfishing","Juvenile catch","Industrial pollution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Satpati-Dahanu catch fell from 40,065 tonnes in 1979 to 16,576 tonnes in 2018, although PARI says it is unclear whether the latter figure covers the zone or the state (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Bombil boats at Satpati fell from 30 to 35 in the 1980s to 12 by mid-2019 and fisherwomen report falling incomes and borrowing (ref 1).","scale":"The documented decline is for one zone, although the fishery spans Palghar to Valsad (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The reported decline runs from 1979 to 2019 and concerns were still published in 2025, so the pattern is chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are a journalism report and a trade article; no official notice, restriction or CMFRI figure is cited, so this scores as informal (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Satpati's population was 17,032 in the 2011 census with local estimates of 35,000, but the number dependent on bombil is not given (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Satpati-Dahanu bombil catch was 40,065 tonnes in 1979 and 16,576 tonnes in 2018 (PARI, 15 October 2021)."},"measures":[{"name":"Satpati-Dahanu bombil catch, 1979 record","value":40065,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Bombil catch, 2018","value":16576,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1 says unclear whether state or zone total."},{"name":"Bombil boats at Satpati, mid-2019","value":12,"unit":"boats","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 30-35 in the 1980s, per a local fisher (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers describe falling auction work and incomes (ref 1).","Dried bombil is exported mainly to Southeast Asia (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Catch and boat numbers fell between 1979 and 2019 (ref 1); ref 2 gives no quantified recent trend."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute","role":"Stock research","contact":"https://www.cmfri.org.in"},{"name":"Department of Fisheries, Maharashtra","role":"State fisheries regulator","contact":"https://mahafisheries.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Maharashtra Department of Fisheries, published general channels","corrective_actions":["Krishi Jagran recommends avoiding undersized fish in breeding seasons and using larger mesh sizes; no mandatory rule is cited (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"In Satpati, 'no fish, so what will I sell now?'","publisher":"People's Archive of Rural India (PARI)","date":"2021-10-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ruralindiaonline.org/kn/articles/in-satpati-no-fish-so-what-will-i-sell-now","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bombay duck: sustaining coastal livelihoods and local economies from Palghar to Valsad","publisher":"Krishi Jagran","date":"2025-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://krishijagran.com/animal-husbandry/bombay-duck-sustaining-coastal-livelihoods-and-local-economies-from-palghar-to-valsad/?amp=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Satpati (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satpati","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"PARI is unclear whether the 16,576-tonne 2018 figure covers the state or the Satpati-Dahanu zone (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No CMFRI or Maharashtra fisheries department landings data for 2023-2025 was opened.","The Krishi Jagran date is an 'updated on' date; the original publication date is not shown."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-VADHAVAN-PORT-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SHIPPINGATTACKS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman disrupted by attacks since 28 February 2026","description":"After US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February 2026, commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman have been struck by projectiles and explosive-laden boats, and the IMO Secretary-General said in April that there was no safe transit anywhere in the strait. Lloyd's List Intelligence reported over 90 attacks on commercial ships by 30 September 2026 and a severe threat level, with weekly transits still far below normal. Mines were reported to have made the strait's traffic separation scheme unusable for evacuations.","location":{"name":"Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman","type":"International strait and shipping lane","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IR","OM","AE","IQ","KW"],"detail":"Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman's Musandam, with incidents reported in the Persian Gulf (Basra, UAE waters) and the Gulf of Oman (north of Muscat)","coordinates":{"lat":26.57,"lon":56.25,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"extent":"regional_sea","points":[]},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A security-driven closure of the world's key oil and gas shipping lane, handled through IMO and flag-state decisions rather than a pollution or habitat process.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Sea mines","Navigation interference"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The IMO Secretary-General said IMO had verified 29 attacks on vessels and at least 10 seafarer deaths by 24 April 2026 (ref 4), after at least seven deaths were reported in March (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The IMO Secretary-General said on 24 April that there was no safe transit anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz, and Lloyd's List Intelligence said major container lines still avoid the area in late September (refs 4, 6).","scale":"Incidents were logged across the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf near Basra and UAE waters, and the Gulf of Oman north of Muscat, a regional sea rather than one site (refs 1, 5).","duration":"Attacks began on 28 February 2026 and Lloyd's List Intelligence still rated the threat severe with an attack on a Kuwaiti-managed tanker on 28 September, more than seven months on (refs 1, 6).","significance":"IMO convened its 36th extraordinary Council session in March and the Council met again in July, where the Secretary-General reported the evacuation of stranded vessels was paused because safety could not be assured (refs 3, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Lloyd's List Intelligence counted over 90 attacks on commercial ships since the war began and 117 non-Iranian-linked Hormuz transits in the week of 14-20 September 2026 (30 September 2026 brief)."},"measures":[{"name":"Attacks on commercial ships since the war began","value":90,"unit":"attacks (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Lloyd's List Intelligence, 30 Sep 2026 (ref 6); IMO had verified 29 by 24 April (ref 4)."},{"name":"Seafarers killed (IMO-verified)","value":10,"unit":"seafarers (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"IMO Secretary-General, 24 April 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Weekly non-Iranian-linked transits","value":117,"unit":"transits","status":"Reported","note":"Week of 14-20 September 2026 (ref 6); no pre-war baseline in the cited page."},{"name":"Tankers and gas carriers anchored or waiting in the Gulf","value":150,"unit":"vessels (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Marine Industry News, March 2026 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Marine Industry News reported tanker day rates above USD 700,000 and about 540 tankers awaiting orders beyond the chokepoint in March 2026 (ref 2).","The IMO Secretary-General warned in July that insurance costs remain high (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Traffic recovered in September to 117 weekly transits, yet attacks continued, including a tanker hit on 28 September (ref 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"UN shipping agency; convened Council sessions and evacuation framework","contact":"https://www.imo.org"},{"name":"UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)","role":"Incident reporting for merchant shipping","contact":"https://www.ukmto.org"}],"public_contact":"IMO Media Centre, published at imo.org; UKMTO incident reporting at ukmto.org.","corrective_actions":["IMO Council held an extraordinary session in March 2026 and an evacuation framework moved 136 vessels and 2,900 seafarers out of the Gulf before it was paused on 7-8 July (ref 5).","UAE submitted a proposal at IMO on 29 April 2026 on threats to the Gulf marine environment from attacks on shipping, reported by The National (cited for context only; not a numbered source)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hormuz erupts: Attacks, GPS jamming, Houthi threats rock Strait amid US-Israeli strikes","publisher":"Fox News","date":"2026-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.foxnews.com/world/strait-hormuz-maritime-incidents-follow-us-israeli-operation-epic-fury-strikes-iran.amp","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil tankers hit, GPS spoofed and ships stranded as confusion spreads across Strait of Hormuz","publisher":"Marine Industry News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/oil-tankers-hit-gps-spoofed-and-ships-stranded-confusion-spreads-across-strait-of-hormuz","basis":"News (page text refers to 13 March 2026; no publication date shown to the fetch)"},{"ref":3,"title":"IMO Secretary-General urges de-escalation and seafarer protection at extraordinary session of IMO Council","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/imo-secretary-general-urges-de-escalation-and-seafarer-protection-at-extraordinary-session-of-imo-council/","basis":"News relaying IMO statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"No safe transit through Strait of Hormuz: IMO Secretary-General","publisher":"Maritime Africa","date":"2026-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritimafrica.com/en/no-safe-transit-through-strait-of-hormuz-imo-secretary-general/","basis":"News relaying IMO statement"},{"ref":5,"title":"6,000 seafarers remain trapped in Strait of Hormuz after IMO pauses evacuation plan","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/6000-seafarers-remain-trapped-in-strait-of-hormuz-after-imo-pauses-evacuation-plan/","basis":"News relaying IMO Council statement"},{"ref":6,"title":"Strait of Hormuz Brief: 30 September 2026","publisher":"Lloyd's List Intelligence","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lloydslistintelligence.com/resources/blog/strait-of-hormuz-brief-30-september-2026","basis":"Industry intelligence brief"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":9,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Pre-war Hormuz transit baseline not found in the pages opened.","Earlier 2024-2025 Hormuz incidents (MSC Aries seizure, June 2025 war) not verified from an opened page and not included.","The attack count differs by source (IMO-verified 29 by April; Lloyd's List over 90 by September); the two use different dates and counting methods."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SEAFARERS-2026","OC-GULF-HORMUZ-GPSJAMMING-2026","OC-GULF-HORMUZ-TRANSITTOLL-2026","OC-GULF-HORMUZ-ATTACKSPOLLUTION-2026","OC-GULF-RASLAFFAN-LNGSTRIKES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SEAFARERS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Thousands of seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf as IMO evacuation plan is paused","description":"The IMO Secretary-General put about 20,000 seafarers on roughly 1,600 vessels inside the Persian Gulf in March and April 2026. An evacuation framework that began at the end of June moved 136 vessels and 2,900 seafarers by 8 July, then was suspended after ships were hit; about 6,000 seafarers were still reported trapped. The IMO said sea mines made the usual traffic separation scheme unusable.","location":{"name":"Persian Gulf anchorages inside Hormuz","type":"Anchorage and shipping lane","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IR","OM","AE","QA","KW","BH","IQ"],"detail":"Vessels held inside the Persian Gulf behind the Strait of Hormuz; evacuation routes ran near Iran's coast and near Oman","coordinates":{"lat":26.57,"lon":56.25,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"extent":"regional_sea","points":[]},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A crew-welfare and port-access problem for merchant shipping, managed through IMO coordination.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Sea mines","Insurance costs"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The IMO Secretary-General said seafarers faced high risk and mental strain, and that supplies of water, food and fuel on stranded ships would soon run short (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"About 6,000 seafarers remained trapped after only 136 vessels and 2,900 seafarers were evacuated, and the evacuation was paused on 8 July because safety could not be assured (ref 3).","scale":"The stranded fleet of about 1,600 vessels sat across the Persian Gulf behind the strait, not at one port (ref 2).","duration":"Crews were reported stranded from March, still about 6,000 in July, a span of four months at the least on the cited pages (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The IMO Council held an extraordinary session in March and heard the Secretary-General's update on 8 July during its 137th session, a formal international process rather than an enforcement order (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":6000,"status":"Reported","note":"Approximate seafarers still trapped, IMO Secretary-General, 8 July 2026 (ref 3). Counts vary by date: about 20,000 in March-April."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 6,000 seafarers remained trapped in the Gulf after 136 vessels and 2,900 seafarers were evacuated (IMO Secretary-General, 8 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Seafarers stranded (March-April)","value":20000,"unit":"seafarers (about)","status":"Reported","note":"IMO Secretary-General, 19 March and 24 April 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Vessels in the Gulf","value":1600,"unit":"vessels (about)","status":"Reported","note":"IMO Secretary-General, 24 April 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Seafarers evacuated","value":2900,"unit":"seafarers","status":"Reported","note":"136 vessels evacuated by 8 July 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Seafarers still trapped","value":6000,"unit":"seafarers (about)","status":"Reported","note":"IMO, 8 July 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The IMO Secretary-General said insurance costs remain high and urged governments to engage with insurers (ref 3).","Evacuation routes had to avoid the main traffic separation scheme because of sea mines (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Numbers fell from about 20,000 to about 6,000 as evacuations ran, then the plan was paused on 8 July (ref 3); no later figure was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"Coordinates the seafarer evacuation framework","contact":"https://www.imo.org"},{"name":"Oman","role":"Thanked by IMO for work on the evacuation framework","contact":"https://www.mofa.gov.om"}],"public_contact":"IMO Media Centre at imo.org.","corrective_actions":["IMO built an evacuation framework with Member States and industry; evacuation began at the end of June 2026 (ref 3).","The Secretary-General urged flag States and operators to carry out risk assessments and avoid decisions that place seafarers at unnecessary risk (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"IMO Secretary-General urges de-escalation and seafarer protection at extraordinary session of IMO Council","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/imo-secretary-general-urges-de-escalation-and-seafarer-protection-at-extraordinary-session-of-imo-council/","basis":"News relaying IMO statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"No safe transit through Strait of Hormuz: IMO Secretary-General","publisher":"Maritime Africa","date":"2026-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritimafrica.com/en/no-safe-transit-through-strait-of-hormuz-imo-secretary-general/","basis":"News relaying IMO statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"6,000 seafarers remain trapped in Strait of Hormuz after IMO pauses evacuation plan","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/6000-seafarers-remain-trapped-in-strait-of-hormuz-after-imo-pauses-evacuation-plan/","basis":"News relaying IMO Council statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"UN maritime head urges halt to Hormuz transit to protect seafarers","publisher":"Al-Monitor (AFP)","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/un-maritime-head-urges-halt-hormuz-transit-protect-seafarers","basis":"News (AFP)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Evacuation totals differ: Al-Monitor (AFP) says the initiative covered over 11,000 seafarers on about 600 ships; Marine Insight reports 136 vessels and 2,900 seafarers evacuated by 8 July."}],"missing_fields":["No seafarer count after July 2026 was found in the pages opened.","Al-Monitor reports more than 11,000 seafarers on about 600 ships covered by the evacuation initiative, while Marine Insight gives 136 vessels and 2,900 seafarers evacuated; the figures are not reconciled."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SHIPPINGATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-HORMUZ-GPSJAMMING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"GPS and AIS interference affects over 1,000 ships around the Strait of Hormuz","description":"Maritime intelligence firms reported widespread GPS and AIS interference around the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities began on 28 February 2026. Windward said more than 1,000 ships were affected and ships appeared on land near Bandar Abbas; Pole Star Global flagged about 231 of 3,396 tracked vessels as anomalous and Orca AI estimated over 1,650 vessels had disrupted navigation. The sources do not identify the origin of the interference.","location":{"name":"Strait of Hormuz and surrounding Gulf waters","type":"Navigation-interference zone","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IR","OM","AE","QA"],"detail":"Interference clusters reported in Emirati, Qatari, Omani and Iranian waters, with false positions near Bandar Abbas, Iran","coordinates":{"lat":26.57,"lon":56.25,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"extent":"regional_sea","points":[]},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Electronic interference degrades navigation safety on a shipping lane, a maritime-safety rather than pollution issue.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Electronic warfare"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Orca AI said interference disrupted navigation systems on more than 1,650 vessels and Windward and BIMCO linked it to heightened collision risk, but no collision caused by it is documented in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Ships were shown at airports and inland, and some broadcast messages over AIS to signal they were not targets, complicating routine voyages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Interference clusters were reported across Emirati, Qatari, Omani and Iranian waters, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The cited reports cover early March 2026 only, about two weeks of observation (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The evidence is industry monitoring by Windward, Pole Star and Orca AI plus a BIMCO comment; no regulator or IMO finding was found (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Windward reported GPS and AIS interference affecting more than 1,000 ships around the Strait of Hormuz (Fox News, 1 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Ships affected (Windward)","value":1000,"unit":"ships (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Fox News, 1 March 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Vessels with navigation systems disrupted (Orca AI)","value":1650,"unit":"vessels (more than)","status":"Estimated","note":"Orca AI estimate as reported by Marine Industry News (ref 2)."},{"name":"Tracked vessels with position anomalies (Pole Star)","value":231,"unit":"of 3,396 vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Tracked since 5 March, as reported by Marine Industry News (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Navigation interference raises collision risk in a lane carrying about a fifth of global oil trade, per Marine Industry News (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only March 2026 reports were opened; no later measurement was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"Global maritime safety standards","contact":"https://www.imo.org"},{"name":"BIMCO","role":"Shipping industry association","contact":"https://www.bimco.org"}],"public_contact":"IMO Media Centre at imo.org.","corrective_actions":["Some vessels broadcast identifying messages over AIS to signal they are not targets (ref 2).","No regulator mitigation was found in the pages opened."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hormuz erupts: Attacks, GPS jamming, Houthi threats rock Strait amid US-Israeli strikes","publisher":"Fox News","date":"2026-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.foxnews.com/world/strait-hormuz-maritime-incidents-follow-us-israeli-operation-epic-fury-strikes-iran.amp","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil tankers hit, GPS spoofed and ships stranded as confusion spreads across Strait of Hormuz","publisher":"Marine Industry News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/oil-tankers-hit-gps-spoofed-and-ships-stranded-confusion-spreads-across-strait-of-hormuz","basis":"News (page text refers to 13 March 2026; no publication date shown to the fetch)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Origin of the interference is not stated in the sources.","June 2025 Gulf GPS jamming and a Bloomberg report of 6 March 2026 were not opened successfully (HTTP 403) and are not used."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SHIPPINGATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-HORMUZ-TRANSITTOLL-2026","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Iran's transit permits and fees for the Strait of Hormuz dispute the law of transit passage","description":"Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority has defined a management area in the Strait of Hormuz and says ships need permits and must pay what Iran calls service fees, while Iran's parliament reviewed a toll bill. The IMO Secretary-General has called Iran's attempts to impose a toll unlawful, and the United States rejected any tolls. Legal commentators say transit passage under UNCLOS may not be suspended, while Iran, which signed but never ratified the convention, points to its own law and to special-regime straits.","location":{"name":"Strait of Hormuz management area","type":"International strait","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IR","OM"],"detail":"Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman; Iran and Oman reported in talks on a fee system in May 2026","coordinates":{"lat":26.57,"lon":56.25,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"extent":"regional_sea","points":[]},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A dispute over who may regulate and charge for passage through an international strait under the law of the sea.","secondary_drivers":["Law of the sea dispute","Armed conflict"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited pages document a legal and diplomatic dispute over fees and permits, not physical or health harm from the fee system itself (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority requires permits and cargo details before entry, and Iran said vessels linked to adversary states would stay barred (refs 1, 3, 4).","scale":"The permit and fee zone covers the Strait of Hormuz, an international strait carrying about 20% of global seaborne oil and gas trade (ref 3).","duration":"The toll bill was under review by 23 March 2026 and the dispute was still live in the 27 July Dawn analysis, about four months (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The IMO Secretary-General called the toll unlawful, and Marine Insight reported the US rejected tolls; no court or tribunal ruling was found (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: 'Iran's attempts to impose a toll on ships are unlawful' (The National, 29 April 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reported toll ceiling in bill coverage","value":null,"unit":"USD per vessel","status":"Not reported","note":"The pages opened give no fee amounts; figures seen only in search snippets were not verified."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Marine Insight reported charge types including environmental fees and service charges, and that Oman had joined talks citing potential economic benefits (ref 3).","Maritime Gateway noted war-risk premiums and rerouting costs adding pressure on India as a major user (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"From a bill under review in March (ref 1) to a formalised Authority requiring permits by July (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Persian Gulf Strait Authority (Iran)","role":"Iranian body defining the management area and permits","contact":null},{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"UN shipping agency","contact":"https://www.imo.org"}],"public_contact":"IMO Media Centre at imo.org.","corrective_actions":["UAE submitted a proposal at IMO on 29 April 2026 asking governments to condemn attacks on shipping (ref 2).","IMO member states adopted a resolution calling for international waterways to remain open, per AFP (cited via Al-Monitor, 8 July 2026; context only)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Iran weighs imposing transit fees on Hormuz shipping as parliament reviews toll bill","publisher":"Maritime Gateway","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritimegateway.com/iran-weighs-imposing-transit-fees-on-hormuz-shipping-as-parliament-reviews-toll-bill","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"UAE seeks support over catastrophic threats to marine environment","publisher":"The National","date":"2026-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/04/29/uae-seeks-support-over-catastrophic-threats-to-marine-environment/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Iran, Oman discuss Strait of Hormuz shipping fee system despite US warning","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/iran-oman-discuss-strait-of-hormuz-shipping-fee-system-despite-u-s-warning","basis":"News (Bloomberg and NYT reporting)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Charging for Hormuz","publisher":"Dawn","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dawn.com/news/2018680","basis":"Legal commentary by two law academics"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Persian Gulf Strait Authority (Iran)\" set to null (was \"Not found\")."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sources disagree on Iran's UNCLOS status: Marine Insight says Iran is not a signatory, Maritime Gateway says it is a signatory, and Dawn says Iran signed in 1982 but never ratified."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the toll bill has been enacted was not established in the pages opened.","No contact URL for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority was found."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SHIPPINGATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-RASLAFFAN-LNGSTRIKES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG complex, following a reported strike on South Pars, cut 17% of LNG export capacity","description":"Qatar's foreign ministry said Israel struck Iran's offshore South Pars gas field, which it described as an extension of Qatar's North Field; Iranian missile strikes on 18-19 March 2026 then damaged two LNG trains and a gas-to-liquids plant at Ras Laffan, according to QatarEnergy's CEO. About 17% of Qatar's LNG export capacity, 12.8 million tonnes a year, was sidelined for an estimated three to five years and QatarEnergy declared force majeure on some contracts.","location":{"name":"Ras Laffan and North Field-South Pars","type":"Offshore gas field and coastal LNG complex","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["QA","IR"],"detail":"Ras Laffan Industrial City on Qatar's north-east coast; the offshore gas field is shared by Qatar (North Field) and Iran (South Pars)","coordinates":{"lat":25.93,"lon":51.55,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"extent":"local","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Damage to offshore-gas processing infrastructure and the contracts it supplies, a war-driven energy supply issue.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Energy infrastructure attack"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited pages document facility damage and lost output but no ecological or human-health measurement; fires and emissions were not assessed in these sources (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"QatarEnergy declared force majeure on some long-term LNG contracts with customers in China, Italy, Belgium and South Korea (ref 2).","scale":"The strikes hit Ras Laffan and relate to a gas field shared by two countries, and the CEO put the loss at 17% of Qatar's LNG export capacity (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The CEO said the damaged LNG facilities will take three to five years to repair (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Qatar's foreign ministry and other Gulf countries condemned attacks on energy infrastructure as violating international law, and force majeure notices were issued, but no court or tribunal ruling was found (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"QatarEnergy's CEO said two of 14 LNG trains were damaged, sidelining 12.8 million tonnes a year, about 17% of export capacity, for three to five years (Al Jazeera, 24 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"LNG production sidelined","value":12.8,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"LNG Trains 4 and 6 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Share of Qatar's LNG export capacity lost","value":17,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"QatarEnergy CEO as reported (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Estimated annual revenue loss","value":20,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Estimated","note":"CEO estimate as reported (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Repair time","value":4,"unit":"years (midpoint of 3-5)","status":"Estimated","note":"CEO said three to five years (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["The CEO estimated about USD 20 billion in lost annual revenue (ref 2).","Offshore Technology listed lost annual output of condensate, LPG, naphtha, sulphur and helium (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No repair or restart status after late March 2026 was found in the pages opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"QatarEnergy","role":"Operator of the damaged LNG facilities","contact":"https://www.qatarenergy.qa"},{"name":"Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs","role":"Issued condemnation of the South Pars strike","contact":"https://www.mofa.gov.qa"}],"public_contact":"QatarEnergy published channels at qatarenergy.qa.","corrective_actions":["QatarEnergy declared force majeure on some long-term LNG contracts (ref 2).","Qatar and other Gulf states publicly condemned attacks on regional energy infrastructure (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"QatarEnergy faces USD 20bn annual loss after Ras Laffan attack","publisher":"Offshore Technology","date":"2026-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-technology.com/newsletters/qatarenergy-20bn-annual-loss-ras-laffan-attack","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"QatarEnergy declares force majeure on some LNG contracts","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2026-03-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/24/qatarenergy-declares-force-majeure-on-some-lng-contracts","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The attack on South Pars is attributed to Israel by Qatar's foreign ministry and to Iranian accusations by Offshore Technology; this record did not open an Iranian or Israeli primary statement.","Damage to offshore platforms themselves was not documented in the pages opened.","Pages from AGBI and others returned HTTP 403 and are not used."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-HORMUZ-SHIPPINGATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-KOLLAM-OFFSHOREBLOCKS-2025","revision":2,"change_type":"changed","title":"Offshore sand and lime-mud mining blocks off Kollam and Porbandar drew Kerala protests and the auction was annulled","description":"India's first offshore mineral auction, launched on 28 November 2024, offered 13 blocks including three off Kollam, Kerala for construction sand and three near Porbandar, Gujarat for lime mud. Kerala fishers, the state assembly and opposition politicians opposed the Kollam blocks, citing fishing grounds and reefs; Reuters reported the auction was annulled in December 2025 after weak industry interest and that India did not plan to revive it. The Mines Ministry said the blocks were set outside active fishing zones, which a University of Kerala report disputed.","location":{"name":"Kollam and Porbandar offshore mineral blocks","type":"Offshore mineral block","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Three construction-sand blocks off Kollam, Kerala, and three lime-mud blocks off Porbandar, Gujarat; the seven Great Nicobar blocks are in another sea and not covered here","coordinates":{"lat":8.89,"lon":76.59,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":21.64,"lon":69.61,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Porbandar lime-mud blocks (nearest town)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A seabed-resource licensing plan opposed over fishing grounds and process, now shelved.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore sand mining","Fishing-ground conflict"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Al Jazeera cited a University of Kerala report that the Kollam sites sit in active fishing zones and that mining could raise turbidity and damage rocky reefs holding three-quarters of the coast's 30 coral species, but no mining took place (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No mining went ahead, so no fishery disruption is documented; Down To Earth recorded fishers' fears for Kollam, which accounts for nearly 20% of Kerala's fish production by value (ref 3).","scale":"Blocks lay off two coasts, Kerala and Gujarat, so the finding spans a national coastline rather than one site (ref 1).","duration":"The auction was launched in November 2024 and annulled in December 2025, with Reuters reporting in April 2026 that it would not be revived (refs 1, 5).","significance":"The Kerala Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on 4 March 2025 and the Earth Sciences Ministry replied to a parliamentary query in December 2025; the annulment was reported by Reuters from anonymous sources (refs 2, 4, 5)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Three Kollam blocks hold an estimated 302.42 million tonnes of construction sand; the auction was annulled in December 2025 (Al Jazeera, 9 April 2025; Reuters via Baird Maritime, 1 April 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated sand in the three Kollam blocks","value":302.42,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Al Jazeera, 9 April 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sand bank habitat off Kollam","value":3300,"unit":"km2 (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Al Jazeera citing scientists (ref 2)."},{"name":"Offshore blocks in the first tranche","value":13,"unit":"blocks","status":"Reported","note":"Of which 3 Kollam and 3 Porbandar (refs 1, 5)."},{"name":"Marine Protected Areas notified in India","value":130,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Earth Sciences Ministry reply to a parliamentary query, as summarised in a Vision IAS digest of The Hindu, 11 December 2025 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Al Jazeera reported Kollam has about 3,500 trawlers and more than 500 motorised boats dependent on the grounds (ref 2).","Reuters said officials expected weak bidder response and that the work was not economically feasible for companies (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The auction was annulled in December 2025 and India reportedly does not plan to revive it, though different blocks may be tried (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Mines (India)","role":"Auction authority","contact":"https://mines.gov.in"},{"name":"Ministry of Earth Sciences (India)","role":"Offshore minerals and marine protected area policy","contact":"https://www.moes.gov.in"},{"name":"Kerala Fisheries Coordination Committee","role":"Fisher coalition opposing the blocks","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Mines published channels at mines.gov.in.","corrective_actions":["India annulled the first offshore auction in December 2025, per Reuters (ref 5).","The Earth Sciences Ministry said blocks were set out after excluding Marine Protected Areas and that an environmental management plan is required under the Offshore Areas Mineral Rules, 2024 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Centre to auction 13 offshore mineral blocks, including 7 off Great Nicobar Island","publisher":"Scroll","date":"2024-11-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://scroll.in/latest/1076234/centre-to-auction-13-offshore-mineral-blocks-including-7-off-great-nicobar-island","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"'Won't let it happen': Indian fishers fight $1.8bn offshore minerals hunt","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2025-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/4/9/wont-let-it-happen-indian-fishers-fight-offshore-critical-minerals-hunt","basis":"News feature"},{"ref":3,"title":"Risky overlap","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2025-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/governance/risky-overlap","basis":"News feature"},{"ref":4,"title":"Protected marine areas not part of offshore mining blocks, says Centre (The Hindu digest)","publisher":"Vision IAS","date":"2025-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dce.visionias.in/upsc-daily-news-summary/article/2025-12-11/the-hindu/environment/protected-marine-areas-not-part-of-offshore-mining-blocks-says-centre","basis":"News digest summarising The Hindu"},{"ref":5,"title":"India hits pause on offshore mining auction restart","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2026-04-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/undersea-mining/india-hits-pause-on-offshore-mining-auction-restart","basis":"News (Reuters via Baird Maritime)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Kerala Fisheries Coordination Committee\" set to null (was \"Not found\")."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Mines Ministry said the Kollam blocks lie outside active fishing zones; a University of Kerala report cited by Al Jazeera says they sit in active fishing zones."}],"missing_fields":["The Gujarat lime-mud blocks drew little coverage in the pages opened; protests are documented for Kerala only.","The annulment rests on Reuters reporting citing two anonymous sources; the Mines Ministry did not comment.","A September 2026 offshore auction round was not found and is not claimed."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-KERALA-SARDINE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-VADHAVAN-PORT-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vadhavan mega-port near Dahanu opposed by Palghar fishing villages despite environmental clearance","description":"India's Rs 76,000-crore Vadhavan container port on a reclaimed site about 6.5 km off Palghar district, Maharashtra received environmental clearance in February 2024 and a foundation ceremony in August 2024. Fishing villages and the Vadhavan Bandar Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti argue it threatens livelihoods and Dahanu's eco-sensitive status, and thousands marched to the Palghar Collector's office on 19-20 January 2026. Reclamation would use about 200 million cubic metres of sand dredged off Daman.","location":{"name":"Vadhavan port site, Dahanu, Palghar","type":"Planned container port","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"Dahanu taluka, Palghar district, Maharashtra, on India's west coast; sand borrow area about 50 km off Daman","coordinates":{"lat":19.93,"lon":72.68,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"extent":"local","points":[]},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A major port and reclamation project contested by fishing communities and over coastal-zone rules.","secondary_drivers":["Port construction and reclamation","Sand dredging"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Mongabay reported critics' concerns for ghol, coral and 98.3 acres of mangroves near the site and that the EIA was incomplete, but no loss has been measured yet (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Mongabay counted 5,333 fishing families in six villages and 7,525 fishers in ten others, with villagers fearing displacement; no displacement has yet been documented (ref 2).","scale":"Works concentrate on one site off Dahanu, with a separate sand borrow area off Daman (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The port was first proposed in 1997, shelved after local opposition, and revived in 2015, with protests continuing through January 2026 (ref 4).","significance":"The Environment Ministry cleared the project on 16 February 2024 and the Bombay High Court upheld the Dahanu authority's order in April 2024, formal decisions that the opposition continues to contest (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mongabay India reported the project area is 17,471 hectares, with 51,991 objections at the January 2024 public hearing (23 April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Project cost","value":76220,"unit":"crore INR","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay India, April 2024 (ref 2); ETV Bharat gives Rs 76,200 crore (ref 3)."},{"name":"Total project area","value":17471,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"16,900 ha port limits and 571 ha rail and road (ref 2)."},{"name":"Reclamation sand","value":200,"unit":"million cubic metres (about)","status":"Reported","note":"From a site about 50 km off Daman (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Objections at public hearing","value":51991,"unit":"objections and suggestions","status":"Reported","note":"Maharashtra Pollution Control Board hearing, January 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Gram panchayats passing resolutions against the port","value":39,"unit":"panchayats","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay India (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Mongabay noted artisanal daily income of Rs 300 to 400 for fishers and 3,000 registered vessels (ref 2).","JNPA signed a Rs 20,000-crore MoU with DP World for development, per Maritime Gateway (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Opposition continued from 2024 through the January 2026 Palghar march with no change to the project's approvals in the sources opened (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA)","role":"Project proponent and port authority","contact":"https://jnport.gov.in"},{"name":"Maharashtra Maritime Board","role":"Joint-venture partner","contact":"https://mmb.gov.in"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change","role":"Environmental clearance authority","contact":"https://moef.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"JNPA published channels at jnport.gov.in.","corrective_actions":["JNPA moved the site 4-6 km offshore from an earlier onshore position, reducing land acquisition (ref 1).","Environmental clearance conditions and the Dahanu authority's order govern the work; the Bombay High Court upheld that order in April 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Vadhavan Port: Environmental Clearance Received, Now JNPA Awaits Cabinet Clearance","publisher":"Maritime Gateway","date":"2024-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritimegateway.com/vadhavan-port-environmental-clearance-received-now-jnpa-awaits-cabinet-clearance/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Port project in Maharashtra cleared by environment ministry despite opposition from fishing villages","publisher":"Mongabay India","date":"2024-04-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/port-project-in-maharashtra-cleared-by-environment-ministry-despite-opposition-from-fishing-villages/","basis":"News feature"},{"ref":3,"title":"PM Modi to perform Bhoomi Pujan of India's largest Vadhavan port in Palghar","publisher":"ETV Bharat","date":"2024-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://etvbharat.com/en/!state/pm-modi-to-perform-bhoomi-pujan-of-indias-largest-vadhavan-port-in-palghar-enn24083001122","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"In Maharashtra's Palghar, huge protests against development plans (Meena Menon article)","publisher":"Janata Weekly","date":"2026-02-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://janataweekly.org/in-maharashtras-palghar-huge-protests-against-development-plans-adivasi-farmer-march-to-palghar-for-land-rights-2-articles","basis":"News feature"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Cost is Rs 76,220 crore (Mongabay) or Rs 76,200 crore (ETV Bharat)."}],"missing_fields":["ETV Bharat says the Union Cabinet approved the port in June without giving the day or year; no Cabinet source was opened.","Protest size varies: Janata Weekly cites a Sabrang headline of 50,000 and Palghar police at about 30,000.","Coordinates are an approximation from the named place; no source lists exact coordinates."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-PALGHAR-BOMBAYDUCK-2025","OC-GULF-MUMBAI-SEALEVELEXPOSURE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-VIZHINJAM-EROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vizhinjam port operations begin amid disputed coastal erosion and fishers' catch complaints","description":"Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala began trial operations in July 2024 and had handled 3 lakh TEUs and 150 ships by February 2025. A state expert committee found no significant link between port construction and erosion north of Kovalam while urging seawall repairs; fishers and activists dispute this and say the reports were not shared. A 2024 field study reported fishers travelling about 15 km for a catch against 5-10 km before.","location":{"name":"Vizhinjam port, Thiruvananthapuram","type":"Container transshipment port","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IN"],"detail":"South Kerala coast; erosion reported north of Kovalam headland at Valiathura, Cheriyathura and Poonthura","coordinates":{"lat":8.38,"lon":76.99,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"extent":"local","points":[]},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A new transshipment port whose construction impacts on a eroding coast and fishing grounds are contested.","secondary_drivers":["Port construction and dredging","Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Kudale committee found no significant link between the port and erosion but called for urgent seawall and groyne repairs, while a draft white paper acknowledged worsening erosion attributed to storms (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"A field study of about ten interviewees reported fishers travelling about 15 km for a catch compared with 5-10 km earlier, observations rather than measured data (ref 2).","scale":"The disputed erosion stretch runs from Valiathura to Shanghumugham near one port (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Construction began in 2015, protests peaked in late 2022, and the dispute was still open when operations began in 2024-2025 (refs 1, 2, 4).","significance":"A state expert committee was formed on 6 October 2022 and submitted a final report in March 2024, a formal review that the state has not published (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The port has handled 3 lakh TEUs and 150 ships since trial operations began in July 2024 (South First, 5 February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Containers handled since July 2024","value":300000,"unit":"TEU","status":"Reported","note":"South First, 5 February 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ships handled since July 2024","value":150,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"South First (ref 1)."},{"name":"Distance from port to Valiyathura erosion stretch","value":13,"unit":"km (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Draft white paper as reported by Onmanorama, 16 January 2023 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["South First said the port is expected to handle 15% of India's container transshipment (ref 1).","Fishers told Current Conservation they fish farther out and fuel costs are high when catches are poor (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No erosion measurements after the port opened were found in the sources opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited","role":"Port developer","contact":"https://www.vizhinjamport.in"},{"name":"Kerala Department of Fisheries","role":"Ordered the expert committee","contact":"https://fisheries.kerala.gov.in"}],"public_contact":"Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited published channels at vizhinjamport.in.","corrective_actions":["The Kudale committee recommended repairs to seawalls and groynes and coastal protection between Kovalam and Shanghumugham (ref 1).","CMFRI and ICAR studies found no current decline in fish production due to construction but recommended continued monitoring (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Port success vs secrecy: Vizhinjam's growth overshadows local concerns","publisher":"South First","date":"2025-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/port-success-vs-secrecy-vizhinjams-growth-overshadows-local-concerns/","basis":"News feature"},{"ref":2,"title":"Of coasts and construction","publisher":"Current Conservation","date":"2024-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.currentconservation.org/?p=38873","basis":"Field note based on about ten interviews"},{"ref":3,"title":"Vizhinjam port has minimal impact on erosion in Valiyathura-Shanghumugham: study","publisher":"Onmanorama","date":"2023-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2023/01/15/vizhinjam-port-minimal-impact-erosion-valiyathura-shanghumugham-study.amp.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Vizhinjam Port's construction prompts complaints over coastal erosion","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2022-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/vizhinjam-port-s-construction-prompts-complaints-over-coastal-erosion","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Kudale committee report itself was not opened; its findings come from South First and Onmanorama.","Claims of 500 houses lost to erosion appeared only in a search summary and are not used."],"related_ids":["OC-GULF-KERALA-SARDINE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GULF-KHORABDULLAH-DISPUTE-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Iraqi court annulment of the Khor Abdullah navigation agreement with Kuwait leaves Gulf waterway rules in dispute","description":"Iraq's Federal Supreme Court annulled in 2023 the 2012 Khor Abdullah navigation agreement with Kuwait, ruling that parliament needed a two-thirds majority to ratify it. Kuwait's Foreign Ministry formally protested in September 2023, and in July 2025 Iraq's president, prime minister and parliament speaker agreed that parliament should re-legislate it and withdraw their appeals. No later resolution was found in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Khor Abdullah waterway","type":"Maritime boundary and navigation channel","sea":"GULF","seas":["GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IQ","KW"],"detail":"Waterway between Kuwait's Bubiyan and Warba islands and Iraq's al-Faw Peninsula, Iraq's only direct access to the Gulf","coordinates":{"lat":29.93,"lon":48.55,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"extent":"local","points":[]},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A bilateral maritime boundary and navigation dispute resolved or not through courts and treaties.","secondary_drivers":["Court ruling","Maritime boundary"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The cited sources document a legal and diplomatic dispute and no physical or health harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The pages describe risks to Iraq's maritime rights, port access and oil-export route but no closure or restriction of the waterway (refs 2, 4).","scale":"The dispute concerns Iraq's only Gulf access and its undefined maritime zones, a national coastline (refs 2, 4).","duration":"The court ruling came in September 2023 and the issue was still open in the August 2025 New Arab analysis, about two years (refs 1, 4).","significance":"Iraq's Federal Supreme Court annulled the agreement and Kuwait's Foreign Ministry delivered a formal protest note to Iraq's ambassador in September 2023 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Iraq's Federal Supreme Court ruled the 2013 ratification law unconstitutional for lacking a two-thirds parliamentary majority (Shafaq News, 16 September 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Ratification majority required","value":null,"unit":"two-thirds of parliament","status":"Not reported","note":"A rule rather than a measured quantity (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The New Arab cited analysts warning that Iraqi delay could be read as tacit waiver of maritime rights and put Grand Faw Port infrastructure at risk (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No development after August 2025 was found in the pages opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Iraqi Federal Supreme Court","role":"Annulled the agreement","contact":"https://www.iraqfsc.iq"},{"name":"Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs","role":"Protested the ruling","contact":"https://www.mofa.gov.kw"}],"public_contact":"Iraqi Federal Supreme Court and Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs published channels.","corrective_actions":["Iraq's three presidencies agreed on 8 July 2025 to have parliament re-legislate the agreement and to withdraw their appeals (ref 3).","Kuwait confirmed a 17 July 2025 technical and legal committee meeting (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Iraqi deputy seeks clarification from foreign minister on Supreme Court's decision on Khor Abdullah agreement with Kuwait","publisher":"Shafaq News","date":"2023-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.shafaq.com/en/Iraq/Iraqi-deputy-seeks-clarification-from-foreign-minister-on-supreme-court-s-decision-on-Khor-Abdullah-agreement-with-Kuwait","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Iraq's top court to rule on PM, President appeal to reinstate maritime deal with Kuwait","publisher":"Rudaw","date":"2025-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/290420254","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Iraqi leaders agree to revive Khor Abdullah agreement following federal court ruling","publisher":"Peregraf","date":"2025-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://peregraf.com/en/news/9251","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Iraq's revoked Khor Abdullah maritime deal with Kuwait unleashes legal and political fallout","publisher":"The New Arab","date":"2025-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newarab.com/news/iraqs-revoked-maritime-deal-kuwait-unleashes-fallout","basis":"News analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (GULF in-depth pass, industry and governance)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No source opened gives the exact date of the 2023 court ruling; Shafaq's 16 September 2023 report refers to it already.","Rudaw states the appeals were filed in April 2024 and scheduled for hearing in April 2025.","Mubarak Al Kabeer port is not mentioned in the pages opened and is not covered.","Coordinates are an approximation from the named waterway."],"related_ids":[]},{"id":"OC-JPN-GYEONGBUK-FISHKILL-2026","title":"Marine heat kills about 2.6 million farmed fish on North Gyeongsang's East Sea coast in August 2026","description":"Prolonged high sea temperatures on North Gyeongsang's east coast killed about 2.635 million farmed fish between 4 and 31 August 2026, about 2.58 million of them olive flounder, with losses of about 2.62 billion won. Pohang accounted for about 2.517 million deaths, and officials feared the year could pass the 2024 record of about 3.005 million. A high-temperature advisory was issued on 3 August and upgraded to a warning on 10 August.","location":{"name":"Pohang, Uljin and Yeongdeok coast","type":"Land-based marine fish farms","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, east coast of the Korean peninsula facing the East Sea (Sea of Japan); Pohang had most deaths.","coordinates":{"lat":36.03222,"lon":129.365,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sustained high coastal sea-surface temperature is the physical driver; the fish deaths are its documented consequence.","secondary_drivers":["Aquaculture exposure","Land-based farms drawing coastal seawater"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 2,635,000 farmed fish died at North Gyeongsang farms between 4 and 31 August 2026, mostly olive flounder (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Pohang confirmed deaths at 43 land-based farms and losses of about 2.62 billion won; the city supplied oxygen, pumps and ice and released 400,000 juveniles, with no fishery closure (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"Three coastal counties were hit (Pohang, Uljin, Yeongdeok), and the Ministry counted 13.533 million farmed fish dead at 455 farms nationwide by 4 September (ref 1, ref 3).","duration":"The 2026 advisory ran from 3 August with water still above the warning threshold on 1 September, after a record of about 3,005,000 deaths in 2024 (ref 1).","significance":"A high sea-temperature advisory was issued on 3 August and upgraded to a warning for the Gyeongju-to-Uljin zone on 10 August 2026 (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources count fish, not people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 2,635,000 farmed fish died on North Gyeongsang's east coast between 4 and 31 August 2026, with losses of about 2.62 billion won (Nocut News, 1 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Farmed fish dead, North Gyeongsang east coast, 4-31 August 2026","value":2635000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"About 2.58 million were olive flounder (ref 1)."},{"name":"Farmed fish dead, Pohang","value":2517000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Uljin about 77,000 and Yeongdeok about 40,000 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated losses","value":2.62,"unit":"billion won","status":"Reported","note":"North Gyeongsang total for the period (ref 1)."},{"name":"Farmed fish dead nationwide as of 4 September 2026","value":13533000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Preliminary Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries figure, 455 farms, all coasts (ref 3)."},{"name":"Warming of East Sea surface water 1968-2024","value":2.04,"unit":"degC","status":"Reported","note":"Largest of the three seas around Korea (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Pohang farms hold about 12 million fish, over 80% olive flounder (ref 1).","Officials and farmers feared 2026 losses could exceed the 2024 record (ref 1).","Disaster relief is capped at 50 million won per fish-farming household and insurance uptake is about 40% (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"High-temperature alerts lasted 43 days in 2021 and 85 days in 2025 nationwide (ref 3); 2024 held the record death toll."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"National fisheries and red tide alert authority","contact":"https://www.mof.go.kr/en/index.do"},{"name":"National Institute of Fisheries Science (Korea)","role":"Issues high sea-temperature advisories and warnings","contact":"https://www.nifs.go.kr/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries published general enquiry channels on its English site.","corrective_actions":["Pohang supplied liquid oxygen, circulation pumps, immune boosters, vaccines and ice to affected farms (ref 2).","Pohang released 400,000 juvenile fish into the sea on 14 August 2026 as a preventive measure (ref 1).","The Ministry planned to activate a comprehensive operations centre and step up red-tide monitoring (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Prolonged high sea temperatures on the East Coast of Gyeongbuk: 2.63 million farmed fish dead (Korean)","publisher":"Nocut News (English edition)","date":"2026-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.nocutnews.co.kr/news/6571676","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mass fish die-offs threaten aquaculture as high sea temperatures grip Korea's coasts","publisher":"Herald Business","date":"2026-08-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10836465","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Korea's aquaculture takes full blow of climate change","publisher":"The Korea Times (from Hankookilbo)","date":"2026-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260915/koreas-aquaculture-takes-full-blow-of-climate-change","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Sea temperatures around Korean Peninsula rise more than twice global average (Korean, reporting the NIFS 2025 briefing book)","publisher":"The Kyunghyang Shinmun","date":"2025-04-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202504251649577","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Pohang","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pohang","basis":"Reference page for city coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-SEAOFJAPAN-WARMING-2025","OC-JPN-KOREA-MINKEWHALEBYCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-SEAOFJAPAN-WARMING-2025","title":"Sea of Japan surface waters hit record warmth in 2024 and stay far above normal in 2025","description":"Japan's Meteorological Agency reports that sea surface temperature around Japan in 2024 was 1.44 degC above the 1991-2020 average, the highest since 1908, with the Sea of Japan well above normal for most of the year and its northern part the warmest on record for January 2025 (records start in 1982). A September 2024 marine heatwave lifted Sea of Japan surface temperatures up to 5 degC above average, and 2025 was the third-warmest year on record around Japan. Korea's fisheries institute reports the East Sea warmed 2.04 degC from 1968 to 2024, the fastest of the seas around Korea.","location":{"name":"Sea of Japan / East Sea","type":"Regional sea (surface waters)","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP","KR"],"detail":"Whole sea, with the Japanese west coast and Korea's east coast; Russian and North Korean waters are not covered in the cited figures.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Basin-scale warming of the sea surface, driven by global warming and a stronger Tsushima Current.","secondary_drivers":["Tsushima Current strengthening","Global warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Nippon.com ties the September 2024 heatwave (up to 5 degC above average) to training rainstorms over the Noto Peninsula, and NIFS reported a 21.6% fall in 2024 productivity around Korea, but neither measures harm to the Sea of Japan alone (ref 4, ref 5).","livelihoods":"NIFS recorded 143 billion won of aquaculture losses in 2024, the highest since 2012, a national Korean figure not limited to the East Sea (ref 5).","scale":"JMA and NIFS figures cover the Sea of Japan as a whole, with the Japanese and Korean shores (ref 1, ref 2, ref 5).","duration":"JMA says the 2024 anomaly stayed high for most of the year, 2025 ranked third on record, and the long-term trend is 1.36 degC per century (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3).","significance":"JMA issued a formal diagnosis of the record on 5 March 2025 and a long-term trend page last updated 5 March 2026; no enforcement or treaty action (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea surface temperature around Japan in 2024 was 1.44 degC above the 1991-2020 average, the highest since statistics began in 1908 (JMA, 5 March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"2024 annual SST anomaly around Japan","value":1.44,"unit":"degC","status":"Reported","note":"Against 1991-2020; previous record 2023 at +1.10 (ref 1)."},{"name":"2025 annual SST anomaly around Japan (preliminary, January-November)","value":0.96,"unit":"degC","status":"Reported","note":"Third highest since 1908 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Long-term SST trend around Japan, 1900-2025","value":1.36,"unit":"degC per century","status":"Reported","note":"JMA gives +0.63 for the global ocean; the central Sea of Japan area rises faster than the Japan-wide rate (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sea of Japan surface anomaly during the September 2024 marine heatwave","value":5,"unit":"degC above average","status":"Reported","note":"As much as 5 degC (ref 4)."},{"name":"East Sea warming, 1968-2024","value":2.04,"unit":"degC","status":"Reported","note":"NIFS figure reported by Kyunghyang Shinmun; West Sea 1.44, South Sea 1.27 (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Korean aquaculture losses reached 143 billion won in 2024, the highest since 2012 (ref 5).","Coastal and nearshore fishery output in Korea fell from 1.51 million tonnes in the 1980s to 840,000 tonnes in 2024 (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"2023 and 2024 set successive records and 2025 ranked third around Japan (ref 1, ref 3); a 2026 SOLA paper notes markedly high Sea of Japan and North Pacific SSTs persisting through summer 2025 (ref 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Japan Meteorological Agency","role":"Sea surface temperature monitoring and diagnosis","contact":"https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html"},{"name":"National Institute of Fisheries Science (Korea)","role":"Marine climate impact assessment","contact":"https://www.nifs.go.kr/"}],"public_contact":"JMA and NIFS publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["No basin-level corrective action is described in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2024 annual mean sea surface temperature around Japan reached a record high (Japanese)","publisher":"Japan Meteorological Agency","date":"2025-03-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.data.jma.go.jp/kaiyou/shindan/rinji/2025/01/rinji_sst_202503.html","basis":"Agency page (Japanese)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sea surface temperature around Japan: long-term trends","publisher":"Japan Meteorological Agency","date":"2026-03-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/kaiyou/english/long_term_sst_japan/sea_surface_temperature_around_japan.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Summary of the 2025 weather, preliminary (Japanese press release)","publisher":"Japan Meteorological Agency","date":"2025-12-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/press/2512/24b/2025matome.pdf","basis":"Agency press release (Japanese)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Season of Disaster: Downpours and Heatwaves Becoming the Norm as Japanese Summers Get Hotter and Longer","publisher":"Nippon.com","date":"2025-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02535/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Sea temperatures around Korean Peninsula rise more than twice global average (Korean, reporting the NIFS 2025 briefing book)","publisher":"The Kyunghyang Shinmun","date":"2025-04-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202504251649577","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Prolonged Extreme Heatwave Over Japan in 2025 Summer with July Dry Condition and Early-August Heavy Rainfall","publisher":"SOLA (Meteorological Society of Japan)","date":"2026-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44393-026-00017-z","basis":"Peer-reviewed brief report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-JAPAN-SQUIDSTOCK-2025","OC-JPN-GYEONGBUK-FISHKILL-2026","OC-JPN-JSPW-DEOXY-2022"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-NOTO-UPLIFT-2024","title":"Noto Peninsula earthquake lifts the coast by up to 4 m and strands fishing ports","description":"The 1 January 2024 magnitude 7.5 Noto earthquake raised parts of the peninsula's north coast by about 4 m, exposing seabed and leaving some ports dry. NASA reports about 85 km of coastline affected, about 4.4 square km of new land and more than 15 fishing ports in Ishikawa with uplift. By September 2025 Wajima still relied on temporary piers, and large vessels used Kanazawa about 90 km south. After the 1 January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, damage was confirmed at 60 of 69 fishing ports in Ishikawa and the Fisheries Agency listed 20 as unusable in March 2024, mostly in Wajima and Suzu. The seabed around Wajima port rose 1.5 to 2 metres, boats now moor in stacked layers at temporary piers and large vessels use Kanazawa, about 90 km away. The Naoetsu port quay in Niigata was fully restored in March 2025.","location":{"name":"Northern Noto coast, Wajima area","type":"Uplifted coast and fishing ports","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, Sea of Japan coast of the Noto Peninsula; Kaiso fishing port and the Port of Wajima are named in the sources.","coordinates":{"lat":37.39056,"lon":136.89917,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Tectonic uplift moved the shoreline seaward and drained harbours, a physical coastal change rather than a pollution event.","secondary_drivers":["Earthquake","Fisheries infrastructure damage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Uplift of 3.6 to 3.9 m at Kaiso fishing port lifted subtidal oysters, worm tubes and bivalves out of the water, and rocky-shore algae turned white as it dried (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Seabed around the Port of Wajima rose 1.5 to 2 m, temporary piers were needed and large vessels moved to Kanazawa about 90 km away (ref 2).","scale":"The Geospatial Information Authority counted about 85 km of uplifted coastline and about 4.4 square km of exposed land (ref 1).","duration":"A September 2025 briefing to Wajima ama divers on the new seabed map and temporary piers still in use show the effects more than a year after the quake (ref 2).","significance":"Japan's Geospatial Information Authority measured the uplift and the Japan Hydrographic Association published a before-and-after seabed map of northern Noto (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources describe coast and ports, not a count of fishing households."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Some areas of the north Noto coast rose as much as 4 m, shifting coastlines and leaving some ports dry (NASA Earth Observatory)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum coastal uplift (earlier estimate)","value":4,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"NASA Earth Observatory (ref 1)."},{"name":"Uplift measured near Cape Saruyama, Wajima","value":5.2,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Nippon.com, September 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Uplift at Kaiso fishing port","value":3.75,"unit":"m","status":"Estimated","note":"Midpoint of the 3.6 to 3.9 m range given by Kanazawa University (ref 3)."},{"name":"Coastline affected by uplift","value":85,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Per Japan's Geospatial Information Authority, cited by NASA (ref 1)."},{"name":"New land exposed","value":4.4,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Estimate by Goto Hideaki and colleagues, cited by NASA (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ishikawa fishing ports reporting uplift","value":15,"unit":"ports","status":"Reported","note":"More than 15, per The Asahi Shimbun via NASA (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Wajima had Ishikawa's most fishing vessels and largest catch before the quake and now relies on temporary piers (ref 2).","Ama divers have been resurveying changed fishing grounds since heavy rain in September 2024 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single uplift event; recovery of ports and fishing grounds is still being mapped (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ishikawa Prefecture","role":"Port and fishing port administration","contact":"https://www.pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/"},{"name":"City of Wajima","role":"Local government","contact":"https://www.city.wajima.ishikawa.jp/"},{"name":"Fisheries Agency (Japan)","role":"Fishing port status reporting","contact":"https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/index.html"},{"name":"Hokuriku Regional Development Bureau (MLIT)","role":"Restoration of Naoetsu port quay","contact":null},{"name":"Ishikawa Prefectural Government","role":"Reconstruction policy and damage estimate","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Ishikawa Prefecture publishes its general enquiry channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Temporary piers were installed at Wajima unloading sites (ref 2).","The Japan Hydrographic Association and Nippon Foundation resurveyed northern Noto by airborne laser in April to May 2024 and shared trial seabed maps in June 2025 (ref 2).","Temporary piers were built at Wajima and a reconstruction consultative panel was set up on 25 March 2024 (refs 1, 2).","The Umi-no-Chizu project resurveyed Noto waters in April and May 2024 to map the new seabed (ref 2).","The Naoetsu central quay was fully restored by March 2025 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Earthquake Lifts the Noto Peninsula","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory","date":"2024-01-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/earthquake-lifts-the-noto-peninsula-152350","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mapping a Shaky Seafloor to Support Noto Fisheries","publisher":"Nippon.com","date":"2025-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02547/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"The coastal ecosystem of the Sea of Japan exposed by uplift in the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Japanese)","publisher":"Kanazawa University (MIRAICHI)","date":"2026-05-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/miraichi/180275/","basis":"University research news (Japanese)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Wajima, Ishikawa","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wajima,_Ishikawa","basis":"Reference page for city coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"No reconstruction in sight for quake-hit ports in Japan; fishermen contemplate whether to stay in greying industry","publisher":"ICSF","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icsf.net/?p=117414","basis":"News digest (page shows no date; the article concerns the situation at 21 March 2024)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Hokuriku bureau: Naoetsu port quay fully restored after the earthquake (Japanese)","publisher":"Logi Today","date":"2025-03-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.logi-today.com/742013","basis":"News (Japanese; reports a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announcement)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Merged with research record OC-JPN-WAJIMA-NOTEPORTS-2024 (Noto earthquake left Wajima port with a seabed raised by up to two metres and 20 Ishikawa fishing ports unusable): ports group filed the fishing-port damage from the same earthquake"}],"missing_fields":["The ICSF page shows no printed date, so its source date is null."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-JAPANWESTCOAST-DEBRIS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-GANGNEUNG-EROSION-2024","title":"Gangneung's Haseong Beach rated severely eroded after an underwater breakwater built for a power plant","description":"South Korea's national coastal erosion survey found 43.3% of surveyed areas at risk or severe, with 138 areas graded C and 18 graded D, and rated Gangneung's Haseong Beach on the East Sea coast severe. The Korea Times reported that an underwater breakwater built in 2020 for the private Anin power plant project accelerated sand loss. A 2026 report put the share of C and D areas above 44%, while the ministry said conditions had improved over the past year.","location":{"name":"Haseong Beach, Gangneung","type":"Eroding sandy beach","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"Gangneung, Gangwon Province, South Korea, East Sea coast; national survey figures cover all Korean coasts.","coordinates":{"lat":37.75278,"lon":128.89167,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal sand loss from wave action and coastal structures, with sea level rise warned of as a growing pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal engineering","Power plant construction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Haseong Beach was graded severe (D) for erosion, and the Korea Times says the 2020 underwater breakwater accelerated sand loss (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited articles report no closures or lost income at Haseong Beach (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The documented problem is one beach, although the national survey context covers 18 D-grade and 138 C-grade areas (ref 1).","duration":"The breakwater dates from 2020, the share of at-risk areas rose from 55.2% in 2017 to 62.4% in 2020, and the 2023 survey and a 2026 report still show erosion (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries grades beaches A to D in an annual survey running since 2001, and Haseong is in the severe class (ref 1, ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A national survey found 43.3% of coastal areas at risk (C grade, 138 areas) or severe (D grade, 18 areas) for erosion (The Korea Times, 8 October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Surveyed coastal areas graded C or D","value":43.3,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"National survey of 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Areas graded D (severe), national","value":18,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Haseong Beach, Gangneung, is among them (ref 1)."},{"name":"Areas graded C (at risk), national","value":138,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"Korea Times, October 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Areas graded C or D in the latest report","value":44,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Hawaii Public Radio summary of the ministry report, August 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Public spending on coastal maintenance, 2000 to June 2024","value":1.8,"unit":"trillion won","status":"Reported","note":"40.8% of the 4.34 trillion won plan (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Eleven major coastal cities lost 396,535 square metres of land over the past decade (ref 1).","Local governments' budgets for maintaining protection structures are strained (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The share of at-risk areas rose to 62.4% in 2020 and has since been near 40%, partly because more areas were surveyed; the ministry reported improvement in 2026 (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"National coastal erosion survey and management","contact":"https://www.mof.go.kr/en/index.do"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries published general enquiry channels on its English site.","corrective_actions":["Nearly 2 trillion won has been spent on coastal maintenance over several decades, including underwater breakwaters (ref 1).","The ministry attributes the latest improvement to erosion management policies, fewer coastal typhoons and fewer extremely high waves (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Korea's coastlines continue to shrink: 43% of areas at risk of severe coastal erosion","publisher":"The Korea Times","date":"2024-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/environment-animals/20241008/koreas-coastlines-continue-to-shrink-43-of-areas-at-risk-of-severe-coastal-erosion","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Asia Minute: Coastal erosion batters South Korea and Japan","publisher":"Hawaii Public Radio","date":"2026-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/asia-minute/2026-08-13/asia-minute-coastal-erosion-batters-south-korea-and-japan","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gangneung","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangneung","basis":"Reference page for city coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-GANGWON-URCHINBARRENS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-JSPW-DEOXY-2022","title":"Dissolved oxygen is falling from the Sea of Japan's deep water to its shelves, and the sea is projected to acidify fastest around Japan","description":"Peer-reviewed studies document a long-term decline of dissolved oxygen in the Sea of Japan's deep and bottom water and, since the 1960s, in shallower bank and shelf waters, with part of the Tsushima Strait area projected to reach a sublethal oxygen threshold by the end of this century. Japan's Meteorological Agency projects that the Sea of Japan will see the largest drop in surface pH of any sea around Japan by 2081-2100. The studies were published in 2021 and 2022 and cover records up to the 2000s and 2015.","location":{"name":"Sea of Japan basin and southern shelves","type":"Deep basin and shelf waters (oxygen and pH)","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP","KR"],"detail":"Whole sea; the shelf study covers Yamato Bank, Wakasa Bay, off Awashima and east of the Tsushima Strait, with the deep-water model covering the East/Japan Sea.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Warming-driven weakening of deep-water formation and rising carbon dioxide change the sea's oxygen and carbonate chemistry.","secondary_drivers":["Reduced deep-water convection","Increased primary production"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Oxygen declines are documented but no harm is; Ono projects a 134 micromol per kg sublethal threshold in part of the Tsushima Strait area by about 2100 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources reports fishery or coastal-economy disruption from oxygen or pH change (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3).","scale":"Kim and colleagues describe the decline across the deep (1500-2500 m) and bottom (2500-3500 m) layers of the whole East/Japan Sea (ref 2).","duration":"Ono analysed data from the 1960s to the 2000s and Kim and colleagues cover 1980 to 2015, a multi-decade chronic trend (ref 1, ref 2).","significance":"The sources are research papers and a JMA projection, with no formal notice, listing or enforcement (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not a population-level finding."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Oxygen below 300 m in the southern Japan Sea fell by 0.51 to 0.80 micromol per kg per year, comparable with earlier deep-water rates of 0.46 to 0.69 (Ono, Journal of Oceanography, 2021)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oxygen decline below 300 m, southern Japan Sea shelves","value":0.8,"unit":"micromol/kg/yr (upper end)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 0.51 to 0.80 across areas and seasons (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oxygen decline in Tsushima Strait area at 50 m, summer, west of strait","value":0.77,"unit":"micromol/kg/yr","status":"Reported","note":"East of the strait 0.70 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected pH fall in the Sea of Japan by 2081-2100 under 4 degC warming","value":0.35,"unit":"pH units","status":"Reported","note":"0.09 under 2 degC; largest of any region in the JMA table (ref 3)."},{"name":"Projected aragonite saturation fall under 4 degC warming","value":1.07,"unit":"saturation units","status":"Reported","note":"JMA projects seasonal undersaturation (below 1) by about 2095 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited sources give no fishery or economic estimate for oxygen or pH change in the Sea of Japan."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Oxygen declines since the 1960s are significant in the deep water and, per Ono, spreading upward into shallower layers; the cited records end in 2015 or earlier (ref 1, ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Japan Meteorological Agency","role":"Ocean carbon and acidification monitoring and projection","contact":"https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html"}],"public_contact":"JMA publishes general enquiry channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["No management action is described in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Long-term trends of oxygen concentration in the waters in bank and shelves of the Southern Japan Sea","publisher":"Journal of Oceanography (T. Ono)","date":"2021-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10872-021-00599-1","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Physical and Biological Factors Underlying Long-Term Decline of Dissolved Oxygen Concentration in the East/Japan Sea","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Kim, Hirose, Takayama), volume 9, 2022","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.851598/text","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Future projections of ocean acidification around Japan (Japanese)","publisher":"Japan Meteorological Agency","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.data.jma.go.jp/kaiyou/shindan/a_3/pHtrend_jpn_pr/pHtrend_jpn_pr.html","basis":"Agency projection page (Japanese)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-SEAOFJAPAN-WARMING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-JAPANWESTCOAST-DEBRIS-2025","title":"Waste plastic tanks and fishing floats keep washing ashore on Japan's west coast, mostly Korean and Chinese labelled","description":"Japan's Ministry of the Environment counts about 10,500 to 10,900 waste polyethylene tanks washed ashore a year in FY2023 to FY2025, about 5,250 to 5,900 of them labelled in Korean, plus about 106,600 fishing floats in FY2025, mostly Chinese labelled. Nagasaki (2,654 tanks in FY2025), Yamagata (1,385) and Shimane (1,307) report the most. Tank contents recorded in the tables include oil and strong acid.","location":{"name":"Japan's Sea of Japan coast, Hokkaido to Nagasaki","type":"Coastline receiving drifting plastic tanks and fishing floats","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP","KR","CN"],"detail":"Prefectures from Hokkaido to Nagasaki, including Tsushima, with language labels pointing to Korean and Chinese origin; Kagoshima and Okinawa are also in the national table.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Large plastic containers and fishing floats arrive from abroad on ocean currents and accumulate on Japanese shores.","secondary_drivers":["Transboundary drifting debris","Fishing gear loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The FY2025 tables record tanks with contents on 107 counts, including oil and strong acid in earlier years, which could injure beach users (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited tables report no beach closures or fishery restrictions (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"Counts come from about twenty prefectures along the west and Kyushu coasts, covering a national coastline rather than a site (ref 1).","duration":"The ministry has surveyed tanks since FY2008, and counts of 10,497, 10,655 and 10,880 in FY2023, FY2024 and FY2025 show no decline (ref 1, ref 2, ref 5).","significance":"The ministry publishes formal annual prefecture tables under its Sea of Japan mass-landing survey (ref 1, ref 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Waste polyethylene tanks washed ashore in Japan numbered 10,880 in FY2025 (April 2025 to March 2026), of which 5,254 carried Korean-language labels (Ministry of the Environment prefecture table)."},"measures":[{"name":"Waste polyethylene tanks washed ashore, FY2025 (national table)","value":10880,"unit":"tanks","status":"Reported","note":"FY2024 10,655; FY2023 10,497; counts exclude estimates (ref 1, ref 2)."},{"name":"Tanks with Korean-language labels, FY2025","value":5254,"unit":"tanks","status":"Reported","note":"912 Chinese-language, 1,407 other-language labels (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tanks in the sixteen prefectures from Hokkaido to Nagasaki, FY2025","value":9257,"unit":"tanks","status":"Estimated","note":"Sum of the table rows for Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Kyoto, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tanks washed ashore in Nagasaki Prefecture, FY2025","value":2654,"unit":"tanks","status":"Reported","note":"2,467 Korean-labelled (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishing floats washed ashore, FY2025 (national table)","value":106628,"unit":"floats","status":"Reported","note":"Of 31,721 with language marks, 28,234 Chinese and 1,149 Korean (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The cited tables record counts only and report no economic loss."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Annual tank counts of 10,497, 10,655 and 10,880 (FY2023 to FY2025); float counts of 104,943, 99,986 and 106,628; in the 2015 survey 30-50% of bottle labels on the Japan Sea side were Korean and 20-30% Chinese (ref 1, ref 3, ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of the Environment (Japan)","role":"National marine litter survey and coastal debris policy","contact":"https://www.env.go.jp/en/"}],"public_contact":"The Ministry of the Environment publishes general enquiry channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["The ministry compiles annual prefecture tables on tanks, medical waste, fishing floats and bulbs (ref 1, ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"FY2025 waste polyethylene tank washed-ashore status by prefecture (Japanese)","publisher":"Ministry of the Environment, Japan","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.env.go.jp/content/000421499.pdf","basis":"Agency survey table (Japanese)"},{"ref":2,"title":"FY2024 waste polyethylene tank washed-ashore status by prefecture (Japanese)","publisher":"Ministry of the Environment, Japan","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.env.go.jp/content/000340561.pdf","basis":"Agency survey table (Japanese)"},{"ref":3,"title":"FY2025 fishing float washed-ashore status by prefecture (Japanese)","publisher":"Ministry of the Environment, Japan","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.env.go.jp/content/000421501.pdf","basis":"Agency survey table (Japanese)"},{"ref":4,"title":"FY 2014 Survey Results of Marine Litter in Coastal Areas","publisher":"Ministry of the Environment, Japan","date":"2015-06-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.env.go.jp/en/headline/2167.html","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Survey on mass landings of waste polyethylene tanks, medical waste and specified fishing gear on the Sea of Japan coast (Japanese)","publisher":"Ministry of the Environment, Japan","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.env.go.jp/water/marine_litter/jpn_sea.html","basis":"Agency page (Japanese)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-NOTO-UPLIFT-2024"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-JAPAN-SQUIDSTOCK-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sea of Japan autumn-spawning squid stock at a record low, with record-low 2025 quota and a small-boat suspension","description":"Japan's Fisheries Research and Education Agency assessed the autumn-spawning Japanese flying squid stock, which lives mainly in the Sea of Japan, at a predicted record-low 145,000 tonnes of biomass for the 2024 fishing year, well under the 255,000 tonnes needed for maximum sustainable yield. Trade press reported that the 2025 national quota was cut 76% to a record low and raised 34% mid-season, and in late 2025 small boats were ordered to stop after landing 2,039 tonnes over their allocation.","location":{"name":"Japanese flying squid grounds, Sea of Japan","type":"Squid fishery and stock","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN","NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP","KR","RU"],"detail":"Autumn-spawning stock fished mainly by Japan's Sea of Japan prefectures and by Korea; the national quota also covers the Pacific-side winter-spawning stock","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A commercial fish stock depleted below its maximum-sustainable-yield level.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing pressure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The autumn-spawning stock biomass for the 2024 fishing year was predicted at a record-low 145,000 t, with spawning biomass of 65,000 t against an MSY level of 255,000 t (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Small fishing boats were ordered to suspend operations from November to March after exceeding their quota, and Hokkaido fishers asked for the suspension to be lifted (ref 4); this is a restriction, not the loss of the fishery.","scale":"The stock spans the whole Sea of Japan and is fished by Japan and Korea, with Chinese catch assumed by the assessors (ref 1), so it is a regional-sea stock rather than a single bay.","duration":"Biomass fell from 2016 to 2019, rebounded briefly in 2020 and has fallen again every year since 2021, while catch dropped from 374,000 t in 2006 to 28,000 t in 2023 (ref 1).","significance":"The Fisheries Agency set a record-low 2025 quota, raised it mid-season for the first time since 1998, and a Fisheries Policy Council subcommittee reallocated quota in December 2025 (refs 2, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Autumn-spawning stock biomass for the 2024 fishing year was predicted at a record-low 145,000 tonnes (Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Japan)."},"measures":[{"name":"Autumn-spawning stock biomass, 2024 fishing year (predicted)","value":14.5,"unit":"10,000 t","status":"Estimated","note":"Predicted value in the 2024 stock assessment, described there as the lowest on record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Spawning stock biomass, 2024 fishing year (predicted)","value":6.5,"unit":"10,000 t","status":"Estimated","note":"Against SBmsy of 25.5 (10,000 t) (ref 1)."},{"name":"Autumn-stock catch, 2023 fishing year","value":2.8,"unit":"10,000 t","status":"Reported","note":"Japan plus Korea plus an assumed Chinese catch; the peak was 37.4 (10,000 t) in 2006 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Small-boat landings over quota, to 13 November 2025","value":2039,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"Small boats landed 7,796 t against their quota (ref 4)."},{"name":"2025 national squid quota change","value":-76,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Headline figure of a trade-press report; the article body was behind a paywall (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Small boats were suspended from November to March after overshooting their allocation (ref 4).","Quota was raised 34% to 25,800 t in September 2025 (ref 3 headline) after a 76% cut earlier in the year (ref 2 headline)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Autumn-stock biomass fell in 2021 to 2024 and a rise to 225,000 t in 2025 is only a forecast average (ref 1); the 2025 quota was raised mid-season (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries Agency (Japan)","role":"Sets the squid total allowable catch and allocations","contact":"https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/index.html"},{"name":"Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency","role":"Stock assessment","contact":"https://abchan.fra.go.jp/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The Fisheries Agency raised the 2025 quota mid-season for the first time since 1998 (ref 3 headline).","A Fisheries Policy Council subcommittee approved a reallocation of 2,485 t from the government reserve in December 2025 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Stock assessment of the autumn-spawning stock of Japanese flying squid, fiscal year 2024 (FRA-SA2025-AC019; Japanese)","publisher":"Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Japan","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://abchan.fra.go.jp/wpt/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/details_2024_19.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Japanese-language official stock assessment; the page shows no issue date, upload path is 2025/03)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Japan cuts flying squid quota by 76% to record low amid stock decline","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2025-02-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2025/02/14/japan-cuts-flying-squid-quota-by-76-to-record-low-amid-stock-decline/","basis":"News (only headline and summary visible; body paywalled)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Japan lifts squid quota 34% to 25,800t in first ever mid-season change","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2025-09-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2025/09/21/japan-lifts-squid-quota-34-to-25800t-in-first-ever-mid-season-change/","basis":"News (only headline and summary visible; body paywalled)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Japan panel OKs new squid catch allocation plan","publisher":"Jiji Press via Adnkronos International","date":"2025-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://english.adnkronos.com/2025/12/08/japan-panel-oks-new-squid-catch-allocation-plan/","basis":"News (wire report on a Fisheries Policy Council subcommittee)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 national quota in tonnes was not read from an opened page (paywalled articles give only percentages)."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-NPAC-SQUIDLIMITS-2026","OC-JPN-SEAOFJAPAN-WARMING-2025","OC-JPN-HOKKAIDO-STELLERSEALION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-NPAC-SQUIDLIMITS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Japanese flying squid has no international catch limit while foreign catches in the Sea of Japan are poorly known","description":"The North Pacific Fisheries Commission's 2026 species summary states that its measure for Japanese flying squid sets no catch or effort limits and that the Commission has done no stock assessment, leaving management to domestic rules such as Japan's total allowable catch. Japan's own assessment says Chinese and North Korean catches are not well known and assumes a Chinese catch averaging 150,000 tonnes a year in 2004 to 2020 (excluding three low years), drawing on a 2020 satellite study that counted over 900 Chinese vessels fishing in North Korean waters in 2017.","location":{"name":"Japanese flying squid, Sea of Japan and NW Pacific","type":"Regional fisheries management gap","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN","NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP","KR","RU","CN","KP"],"detail":"Squid fished by Japan, Korea, China, North Korea and Russia in the Sea of Japan and adjoining waters; the NPFC covers the Pacific high seas","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The gap is in the management regime, with no shared catch limit or assessment.","secondary_drivers":["Weak regional management","Sanctions-breaching and unreported fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The NPFC summary says no stock assessment has been conducted for the Convention Area and the autumn stock is recorded as at a record low in Japan's assessment (refs 1, 2), so harm is potential from unmanaged catch.","livelihoods":"The cited sources document no closure or restriction caused by the governance gap itself (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The Commission's measure covers several flag states in the North Pacific and the squid straddle Japanese, Korean, Russian and North Korean waters (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The 2020 satellite study reported Chinese fleets in North Korean waters in 2017 and 2018 (ref 3) and Japan's assessment assumes Chinese catches from 2004 (ref 2).","significance":"The NPFC conservation and management measure 2025-11 is a formal measure but sets no catch or effort limits for this species (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The current NPFC management measure for Japanese flying squid does not specify catch or effort limits (NPFC species summary)."},"measures":[{"name":"Japanese flying squid reported caught in the national waters of Japan and Russia, 2025","value":26990,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"NPFC 2025 Fisheries Overview (ref 4)."},{"name":"Assumed Chinese catch of the autumn stock, 2004 to 2020 average","value":150000,"unit":"t per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Assumption used by Japan's assessors, from a Korean survey and satellite studies; not a reported catch (ref 2)."},{"name":"Chinese-origin vessels likely fishing in North Korean waters, 2017","value":900,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Global Fishing Watch press release on a 2020 study; 700 in 2018 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Global Fishing Watch said reported squid catches fell 80% in South Korean waters and 82% in Japanese waters since 2003 (ref 3).","Pacific flying squid is South Korea's top seafood by production value (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2026 NPFC summary and the 2025 assessment are in the window; the satellite study is from 2020."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"North Pacific Fisheries Commission","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.npfc.int"},{"name":"Fisheries Agency (Japan)","role":"Domestic total allowable catch","contact":"https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/index.html"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Japan runs annual assessments of both squid stocks and sets a domestic total allowable catch from them (ref 1).","NPFC measure 2025-11 asks members to refrain from expanding the number of authorised vessels and to avoid new capacity until an assessment is done (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Species summary for Japanese flying squid (NPFC, 2026)","publisher":"North Pacific Fisheries Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.npfc.int/system/files/2026-01/Japanese%20Flying%20Squid%202026.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body document (undated PDF, upload path 2026-01)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Stock assessment of the autumn-spawning stock of Japanese flying squid, fiscal year 2024 (Japanese)","publisher":"Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Japan","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://abchan.fra.go.jp/wpt/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/details_2024_19.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Japanese-language official stock assessment)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Report Exposes Rampant Illegal Fishing in North Korean Waters","publisher":"Global Fishing Watch","date":"2020-07-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://globalfishingwatch.org/press-release/illegal-fishing-north-korea/","basis":"Press release on a peer-reviewed study (2020, older than the window; context for an unresolved gap)"},{"ref":4,"title":"NPFC 2025 Fisheries Overview (NPFC-2026-TCC09-IP01)","publisher":"North Pacific Fisheries Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.npfc.int/system/files/2026-03/NPFC-2026-TCC09-IP01%20Fisheries%20Overview.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body document (secretariat paper; no date printed)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No in-window report on North Korean or Chinese fleet activity was opened; the satellite study is from 2020."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-JAPAN-SQUIDSTOCK-2025"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-KOREA-MINKEWHALEBYCATCH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Korean east-coast minke whale bycatch trade and illegal whaling under scrutiny after DNA tests find protected whales on sale","description":"A lawmaker and an environmental federation bought meat from 27 of 115 whale-meat restaurants in October 2026 and DNA tests found 20 minke and seven protected whales (five Bryde's, one sei, one fin), all seven in Busan. Korea Coast Guard data cited by Kyunghyang Shinmun show 33 illegal-capture cases, 148 people and 52 whales from 2022 to August 2026, and a Pohang boat captain was arrested in July 2026 over five minke whales. Bycatch minke whales may be sold legally; one fetched 71 million won at Ulsan in July 2026.","location":{"name":"East coast whale bycatch ports (Ulsan to Gangwon)","type":"Coastal whale bycatch and market","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"South Korea's east coast: Ulsan (Bangeojin cooperative), Pohang, Samcheok and Goseong auctions, with whale-meat restaurants in Busan","coordinates":{"lat":35.49,"lon":129.43,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":36.04,"lon":129.37,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Pohang poaching case"},{"lat":37.45,"lon":129.17,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Samcheok bycatch auction, July 2024"},{"lat":35.18,"lon":129.08,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Busan restaurants with protected species"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Direct mortality of whales through bycatch and illegal capture.","secondary_drivers":["Bycatch","Illegal capture","Weak traceability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Seven of 27 restaurant samples were protected fin, sei and Bryde's whales (ref 2), and the Coast Guard detected 52 illegally captured whales from 2022 to August 2026 (ref 2); harm is documented but not a mass mortality.","livelihoods":"The cited reports describe an active legal bycatch market, with a July 2026 sale of 71 million won at Ulsan (ref 1), and no closure or loss of a fishery.","scale":"Cases span Ulsan, Pohang, Samcheok and Busan, a national coastline (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"The Coast Guard recorded 50 to 70 minke whales as bycatch each year from 2019 to 2024 and illegal-capture cases cover 2022 to 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Ministry has designated fin, sei and Bryde's whales as protected marine organisms and the Coast Guard has made arrests, including a Pohang captain in July 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"33 illegal whale-capture cases, 148 people apprehended and 52 whales detected from 2022 through August 2026 (Korea Coast Guard data, as reported by Kyunghyang Shinmun)."},"measures":[{"name":"Illegal whale-capture cases, 2022 to August 2026","value":33,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"148 people apprehended, 52 whales detected (ref 2)."},{"name":"Restaurant samples identified as protected whales","value":7,"unit":"of 27 samples","status":"Reported","note":"Five Bryde's, one sei and one fin whale, all in Busan; 20 were minke (ref 2)."},{"name":"Minke whales recorded as bycatch per year, 2019 to 2024","value":60,"unit":"whales per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Coast Guard data give a range of 50 to 70 (ref 3); environmental groups estimate about 60 a year and annual consumption near 120 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bycatch minke whale sale price, Ulsan, July 2026","value":71,"unit":"million KRW","status":"Reported","note":"Bangeojin Fisheries Cooperative (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A single bycatch minke whale sold for 71 million won in Ulsan in July 2026 and 117.31 million won in Samcheok in July 2024 (ref 1).","Online listings reached 180,000 won per 300 g, four to six times the price of top-grade beef sirloin (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Annual bycatch counts are given only as a 2019 to 2024 range (ref 3) and no earlier comparison is in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Korea)","role":"Designates protected marine organisms and regulates bycatch sales","contact":null},{"name":"Korea Coast Guard","role":"Investigates bycatch and illegal capture","contact":null},{"name":"National Institute of Fisheries Science (Korea)","role":"Registers DNA samples of bycatch whales","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The Ministry has banned the capture, distribution and sale of fin, sei and Bryde's whales (ref 1).","Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong and the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement called for a whale-meat traceability system from capture to table (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Protected whale species found on sale at restaurants across South Korea","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10894651","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Protected fin whales and Bryde's whales brazenly on the table: a loophole in whale-meat distribution oversight","publisher":"The Kyunghyang Shinmun (English edition)","date":"2026-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.khan.co.kr/en/article/202610061022027","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pricier than premium beef: The murky trade in minke whale meat","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10875898","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Bycatch counts differ by source: environmental groups estimate about 60 a year (ref 1) while Coast Guard data give 50 to 70 (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-GYEONGBUK-FISHKILL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-HOKKAIDO-STELLERSEALION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Steller sea lions cost Hokkaido fishers about 727 million yen in 2023 as culling continues under a revised policy","description":"A 2025 Frontiers in Marine Science study cites Hokkaido Government figures that Steller sea lion conflict cost about 727 million yen in 2023 in lost catch and damaged gear, and interviewed fishers in 12 villages on the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk coasts, most of whom backed population control. Japan's November 2024 report to the World Heritage Committee says the 2024 management policy sets a Sea of Japan upper limit of 511 animals a year and notes the Committee's concern about continued culling.","location":{"name":"Hokkaido west coast, Rishiri and Teuri","type":"Pinniped and coastal fishery conflict","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Fishing villages on Hokkaido's Sea of Japan coast (Rishiri, Teuri, Yoichi named in the study); sea lions winter there from November to May","coordinates":{"lat":44.43,"lon":141.31,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":45.18,"lon":141.24,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Rishiri fishing village"},{"lat":43.19,"lon":140.78,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Yoichi fishing village"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Human-wildlife conflict affecting a protected marine mammal and coastal fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Culling","Fishery interaction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Hokkaido's management policy allows up to 511 sea lions a year to be taken in the Sea of Japan and the World Heritage Committee raised concern about culling without population data (ref 2); the effect on the population is not quantified.","livelihoods":"Conflict cost about 727 million yen in lost catch and damaged gear in 2023, and one Teuri fisher said that if damage worsened the fishery might be impossible to continue (ref 1).","scale":"The interviews covered 12 villages on the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk coasts of Hokkaido (ref 1).","duration":"The study describes conflict over decades (ref 1) and the 2012 to 2021 average bycatch of 61 animals is quoted in the 2024 report (ref 2).","significance":"The Government of Japan revised its Steller sea lion Basic Management Policy in 2024 after a World Heritage Committee decision (45 COM 7B.84) (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":29,"status":"Reported","note":"Number of fishers interviewed in the 2025 study, not a count of people affected (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea lion conflict cost around 727 million yen (4.9 million dollars) in 2023 in catch loss and damaged gear (Hokkaido Government figure, cited in Brochut et al. 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cost of sea lion damage to Hokkaido fisheries, 2023","value":727,"unit":"million JPY","status":"Reported","note":"Hokkaido Government 2024 figure quoted in the Frontiers study (ref 1)."},{"name":"Upper limit of annual harvest, Sea of Japan","value":511,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Under the 2024 Basic Management Policy; 31 for the Nemuro Strait (ref 2)."},{"name":"Average annual bycatch of sea lions, 2012 to 2021","value":61,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Hokkaido Government survey, unpublished (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Gillnet fishers reported higher damage and more negative attitudes than set-net fishers (ref 1).","Fisheries on Hokkaido's western coast are threatened by succession and low incomes (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources give a 2023 damage cost but no earlier series."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Japan (Ministry of the Environment and Fisheries Agency)","role":"Steller sea lion Basic Management Policy","contact":null},{"name":"Hokkaido Prefectural Government","role":"Damage survey and catch implementation","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The 2024 Basic Management Policy covers the Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, Nemuro Strait and Pacific waters and sets catch limits below the potential biological removal level (ref 2).","Fishers are open to non-lethal methods such as compensation and reinforced nets (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Human dimension of small-scale fisheries and Steller sea lion conflict in Hokkaido coastal water, Japan: perceptions and attitudes between fishermen groups","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Brochut et al.)","date":"2025-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://public-pages-files-2025.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1716630/pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"State of Conservation Report of Shiretoko (Japan) (N1193) in response to World Heritage Committee Decision 45 COM 7B.84","publisher":"Government of Japan (Shiretoko data centre, Ministry of the Environment)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://shiretokodata-center.env.go.jp/data/process/202311/hozen_report_45_en.pdf","basis":"Government report (cover dated November 2024)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024 or 2025 cull count for the Sea of Japan coast was found in an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-JAPAN-SQUIDSTOCK-2025"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-AKITA-OFFSHOREWIND-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mitsubishi quits two Akita offshore wind projects in the Sea of Japan and Japan postpones its fourth auction","description":"On 27 August 2025 a Mitsubishi-led consortium confirmed it would not proceed with three round 1 projects totalling about 1.7 GW, including Yurihonjo (819 MW) and Noshiro-Mitane-Oga (479 MW) off Akita, citing cost increases. The Economy Minister called the decision deeply regrettable, the government plans to re-auction the sites, and round 4 including two Hokkaido zones at Matsumae and Hiyama was postponed from 14 October 2025.","location":{"name":"Offshore Akita, Yurihonjo and Noshiro sites","type":"Offshore wind lease areas","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Round 1 fixed-bottom sites off Akita Prefecture on Japan's Sea of Japan coast; the third withdrawn site, Choshi (390 MW), is off Chiba on the Pacific side","coordinates":{"lat":39.39,"lon":140.05,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":40.21,"lon":140.02,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Noshiro-Mitane-Oga site"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding concerns auction economics and project delivery of a coastal energy build-out.","secondary_drivers":["Cost inflation","Auction design"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or health harm is documented in the cited reports on the withdrawal (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is reported; the IEEFA briefing notes only that coordination with fisheries extends project timelines (ref 3).","scale":"Two Akita sites on the Sea of Japan coast and one off Chiba were dropped, and the national pipeline fell to 2.2 GW against a 5.7 GW 2030 goal (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The consortium announced a review in February 2025 and withdrew on 27 August 2025, with the re-auction and round 4 still pending in December 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Economy Minister Muto called the withdrawal deeply regrettable and the ministry postponed round 4 to examine the causes (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mitsubishi confirmed on 27 August 2025 that it will not proceed with three offshore wind projects totalling about 1.7 GW (Maritime Executive)."},"measures":[{"name":"Capacity withdrawn, Akita Yurihonjo","value":819,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Round 1 site (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Capacity withdrawn, Akita Noshiro-Mitane-Oga","value":479,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Round 1 site; 478.8 MW in ref 1 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Mitsubishi loss on the projects","value":52.2,"unit":"billion JPY","status":"Reported","note":"IEEFA briefing, December 2025; project costs more than doubled (ref 3)."},{"name":"Japan offshore wind pipeline against the 5.7 GW 2030 target","value":38,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"2.2 GW pipeline, Westwood Energy analysis cited by GCN (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["IEEFA says the withdrawal raised concerns about the viability of Japan's offshore wind sector (ref 3).","The ministry barred Mitsubishi from the next round and plans to re-auction the sites (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources cover the August 2025 withdrawal and its aftermath to December 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Japan)","role":"Runs the offshore wind auctions","contact":"https://www.meti.go.jp/"},{"name":"Mitsubishi Corporation","role":"Developer of the withdrawn projects","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["An expert panel proposed a 10-year lease extension option for future auctions (ref 1).","The government is considering re-auctioning the three sites after examining why Mitsubishi withdrew, and postponed round 4 (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Japan proposes changes in wind energy terms as Mitsubishi withdraws","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/japan-proposes-changes-in-wind-energy-terms-as-mitsubishi-withdraws","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Japan prepares re-auction of offshore wind scrapped by Mitsubishi","publisher":"GCN","date":"2025-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcn.com/japan-prepares-re-auction-of-offshore-wind-scrapped/10169","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Japan's offshore wind sector: Down but not out (briefing note)","publisher":"Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ieefa.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/IEEFA%20Briefing%20Note_Japan%27s%20offshore%20wind%20sector_20251209.pdf","basis":"Think-tank report (dated December 2025; file name 9 December 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No fisher conflict at the Akita sites was found in an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-ULSAN-FLOATINGWIND-2024"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-GANGWON-URCHINBARRENS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Urchin barrens strip seaweed forests off Korea's east coast, prompting county and company restoration projects in 2026","description":"Goseong County in Gangwon announced in August 2026 a seaweed-forest restoration project off Munam 1-ri to rehabilitate coastal ecosystems and fishery habitats degraded by urchin barrens, at a cost of 170 million won. In July 2026 Korea Zinc, Ulsan and the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency agreed a 100 million won project off Pyeongdong that includes controlling sea urchins and turban shells that graze seaweed. The articles give no figure for the area of barrens.","location":{"name":"Gangwon and Ulsan east coast seaweed forests","type":"Rocky-reef seaweed forest","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"Goseong (Munam 1-ri, Jukwang-myeon) in Gangwon and Pyeongdong, Ulju-gun in Ulsan on South Korea's east coast","coordinates":{"lat":38.38,"lon":128.47,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":35.43,"lon":129.35,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Pyeongdong, Ulju-gun, Ulsan"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of seaweed forest habitat through grazing by urchins.","secondary_drivers":["Urchin grazing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Herald says marine vegetation is stripped from the seafloor by urchin barrens at the Goseong site but gives no area figure (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Goseong project aims to rehabilitate fishery habitats degraded by barrens, without a reported loss figure (ref 1).","scale":"Projects are named at Goseong in Gangwon and Pyeongdong in Ulsan, and a Kelp Forest Alliance page describes a national programme with a 54,000 ha target (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Korea's Marine Forest Program has run since 2009 and is scheduled to 2030 (ref 3).","significance":"A county project and a three-party agreement with a government agency were announced in July and August 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Goseong County will spend 170 million won on seaweed-forest restoration off Munam 1-ri to repair habitat degraded by urchin barrens (The Herald Business, 27 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Goseong restoration budget","value":170,"unit":"million KRW","status":"Reported","note":"Project runs through October 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Korea Zinc sponsorship, Ulsan Pyeongdong","value":100,"unit":"million KRW","status":"Reported","note":"Agreement of July 2026 (refs 2, 4)."},{"name":"Marine forests established under the national programme","value":291.82,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"FIRA figure on a Kelp Forest Alliance page with no date; target 54,000 ha (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Goseong project is framed around rehabilitating degraded fishery habitat (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources give no time series of barren area."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Korea Fisheries Resources Agency","role":"Leads the national Marine Forest Program and the Ulsan project","contact":null},{"name":"Goseong County (Gangwon Province)","role":"Runs the Munam 1-ri restoration","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["Goseong will install seaweed transplant structures, control herbivorous animals and maintain artificial reefs (ref 1).","The Ulsan project will replant seaweed, control urchins and turban shells and clear lost nets and ropes (refs 2, 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Goseong-gun to restore coastal seaweed forests, collect abandoned fishing gear","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10854503","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Korea Zinc donates 100 million won to Ulsan marine ecosystem restoration project","publisher":"No Cut News (English)","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.nocutnews.co.kr/news/6554706","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA) marine forest restoration, South Korea","publisher":"Kelp Forest Alliance","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kelpforestalliance.com/regions/south-korea","basis":"NGO programme page (undated)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Korea Zinc partners with Ulsan, fisheries agency on marine forest restoration","publisher":"The Herald Business","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mbiz.heraldcorp.com/article/10823022","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No area or trend data for east-coast urchin barrens was read from an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-GANGNEUNG-EROSION-2024","OC-JPN-PRIMORYE-KELPISOYAKE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-PRIMORYE-KELPISOYAKE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Most Saccharina kelp has vanished from Primorye's coast, leaving barren isoyake grounds","description":"A 2024 paper by Hokkaido, Hokkaido University and Vladivostok researchers reports that most Saccharina japonica kelp in Primorskii, in Russia's Far East, has disappeared, leaving a barren coastline known as isoyake. Surveys at Valentin Bay from 1975 to 2015 showed a significant decline that followed water-temperature swings, yet barrens persisted after temperatures fell from 2010.","location":{"name":"Primorye kelp coast, Valentin Bay","type":"Kelp bed","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["RU"],"detail":"Primorskii (Primorye) coast of the Russian Far East on the Sea of Japan; survey site Valentin Bay","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of a kelp habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Water-temperature variation (cause not settled in the paper)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The authors report that most of the Saccharina japonica in Primorskii has disappeared and left barren isoyake (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The paper says monitoring matters for managing kelp resources but reports no fishery closure or income loss (ref 1).","scale":"The loss is described for the Primorskii coast, with one named survey site, Valentin Bay (ref 1).","duration":"Field surveys ran from 1975 to 2015 and isoyake persisted after 2010 (ref 1).","significance":"A single peer-reviewed paper with no agency notice or listing in the cited source (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Most of the kelp (Saccharina japonica) in Primorskii has disappeared, leaving a barren coastline called isoyake (Kawai et al., Habitus Aquatica)."},"measures":[{"name":"Survey period at Valentin Bay","value":40,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"1975 to 2015 field surveys (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The paper reports a significant long-term decline but no recovery or further decline after 2015."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"TINRO (Pacific branch of VNIRO), Vladivostok","role":"Russian fisheries research partner on the paper","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for continued monitoring and research into the causes (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Occurrence of Isoyake in Kelp Beds of Saccharina japonica in Primorskii, Far-East Russia","publisher":"Habitus Aquatica (Kawai, Shinada, Krupnova, Yotsukura)","date":"2024-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://journal.ipb.ac.id/index.php/habitusaquatica/article/view/46955","basis":"Peer-reviewed paper (page shows publication 27 August 2024 and volume year 2022)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single source; no area, biomass or coordinates for Valentin Bay were given on the page."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-GANGWON-URCHINBARRENS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-JPN-ULSAN-FLOATINGWIND-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ulsan floating wind project signs a coexistence agreement with five local fisheries associations","description":"The 1,125 MW Korea Floating Wind project, developed by Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power about 80 km off Ulsan, signed a memorandum of understanding with the East Marine Energy Fishermen's Union in December 2024. The union groups five local fisheries associations that mainly fish within the wind farm area, and the agreement covers communication about effects on fishing rights.","location":{"name":"Korea Floating Wind site off Ulsan","type":"Floating offshore wind lease area","sea":"JPN","seas":["JPN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["KR"],"detail":"About 80 km off the Ulsan coast on South Korea's east coast; the point shown is Ulsan city, not the lease area","coordinates":{"lat":35.54,"lon":129.31,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A coastal energy project and its coexistence with fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Fisheries coexistence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or health harm is described in the cited article (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The agreement concerns possible effects on fishing rights but reports no closure or loss (ref 1).","scale":"A single project area off Ulsan (ref 1).","duration":"The memorandum was reported in December 2024 and the project is still at the grid-agreement stage (ref 1).","significance":"A formal memorandum of understanding with five fisheries associations was signed (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"KF Wind signed a memorandum of understanding with the East Marine Energy Fishermen's Union, which represents five local fisheries associations (offshoreWIND.biz, 25 December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Floating wind farm capacity","value":1125,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Korea Floating Wind project area (ref 1)."},{"name":"Distance from the Ulsan coast","value":80,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Planned location (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only a December 2024 article was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power (KF Wind)","role":"Developers","contact":null},{"name":"East Marine Energy Fishermen's Union","role":"Fishers' body of five local fisheries associations","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; use the responsible body's official website.","corrective_actions":["The developer agreed to keep close communication with the fisheries associations on any effects on fishing rights (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Korea Floating Wind joins forces with local fishermen","publisher":"offshoreWIND.biz","date":"2024-12-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://offshorewind.biz/2024/12/25/korea-floating-wind-joins-forces-with-local-fishermen","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (JPN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Single source; no fisher objection, permit status or 2025 Offshore Wind Special Act detail was read from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-JPN-AKITA-OFFSHOREWIND-2025"]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Cargo tonnage differs by source: 21,000 (CENTCOM), 22,000 (AP, Djibouti port authorities) and more than 41,000 (Al Jazeera and Jerusalem Post, which cite the original loading). The CENTCOM figure is used."}],"missing_fields":["No monitoring, salvage or sediment results for the wreck after March 2024 were found."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-HOUTHISINKINGS-2025"],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-BAB-RUBYMAR-2024","title":"Rubymar bulk carrier sunk with fertiliser cargo and fuel oil at the Red Sea entrance after a missile strike","description":"The Belize-flagged bulk carrier Rubymar was hit by a missile on 18 February 2024 while passing Bab el-Mandeb and sank on 2 March 2024. US Central Command reported an 18-mile oil slick and about 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertiliser aboard, and warned of an environmental risk. The sources in hand are from February to March 2024; no later monitoring of the wreck was found.","location":{"name":"Rubymar wreck, Bab el-Mandeb approaches","type":"Shipwreck with pollutant cargo","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["YE","DJ"],"detail":"Southern Red Sea at the Bab el-Mandeb entrance between Yemen and Djibouti; NOAA lists the position as 12 deg 18.81 N, 43 deg 43.86 E.","coordinates":{"lat":12.3135,"lon":43.731,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil leak and a fertiliser cargo released or at risk of release from a sunken ship.","secondary_drivers":["Armed attack on shipping","Shipwreck"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"US military reported an 18-mile (29 km) oil slick from leaking heavy fuel; ecological harm was forecast, not measured (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"CENTCOM said the wreck posed a subsurface risk to ships in the busy shipping lanes, and a Yemeni official warned that nearly half a million fisherfolk could be affected (refs 1, 4).","scale":"The slick and wreck are a single local site at the southern Red Sea entrance; no regional contamination was reported (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The leak ran for several days after the 18 February attack and the ship sank on 2 March 2024; the cited reports cover weeks, not months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"CENTCOM issued a public warning of an environmental risk and the US Navy asked NOAA Emergency Response to model the release on 22 February 2024 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"A Yemeni official said nearly half a million fisherfolk could be affected (ref 4); this is a warning, not a count of affected people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"US military: attack caused an 18-mile (29 km) oil slick; CENTCOM put the fertiliser cargo at about 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil slick length","value":29,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"US military figure of 18 miles, reported 2 March 2024 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Fertiliser cargo at risk (CENTCOM)","value":21000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"CENTCOM figure; other outlets gave 22,000 and more than 41,000 tonnes (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Fuel oil on board (officials)","value":200,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Officials estimated about 200 tonnes of fuel oil on board, per Down To Earth (ref 4); an analyst estimated the leaked oil at no more than 7,000 barrels (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Experts warned of risk to desalination intakes, fisheries and coral reefs (ref 2).","Ports in Yemen, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia refused entry so the ship could not be towed (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No post-March-2024 monitoring of the wreck was found in the sources opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Emergency Response Division (modelling support to US Navy)","role":"Spill modelling","contact":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/10746"},{"name":"Yemeni government environmental protection agency","role":"National environmental authority","contact":null}],"public_contact":"NOAA IncidentNews listing for the Rubymar: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/10746","corrective_actions":["The US Navy asked NOAA Emergency Response on 22 February 2024 for modelling of the potential release (ref 3).","Ports refused entry, so no tow or salvage was possible before sinking (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rubymar, cargo ship earlier hit by Houthis, sinks in the Red Sea, Yemeni government says","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2024-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/2/rubymar-cargo-ship-earlier-hit-by-houthis-has-sunk-yemeni-government-says","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil spill, fertilizer leak from sinking of cargo ship highlight risks to Red Sea from Houthi attacks","publisher":"Associated Press (via Anchorage Daily News)","date":"2024-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2024/03/02/oil-spill-fertilizer-leak-from-sinking-of-cargo-ship-highlight-risks-to-red-sea-from-houthi-attacks/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Damaged freighter Rubymar (incident listing)","publisher":"NOAA IncidentNews","date":"2024-02-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/10746","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Erythraean Sea: why Rubymar's sinking in the southern Red Sea could be an environmental catastrophe","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2024-03-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/erythraean-sea-why-rubymar-s-sinking-in-the-southern-red-could-be-an-environmental-catastrophe-94828","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Yemeni government environmental protection agency\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Slick length: CEOBS 220 km (ESA imagery, ref 1) versus about 40 km (PAX analysis, ref 2). Both are quoted; the true extent is unresolved."}],"missing_fields":["No cargo quantity released was confirmed in the opened sources; no cleanup or follow-up was found."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-YEM-SOUNION-2024"],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-YEM-CHIOSLION-2024","title":"Satellite imagery shows a slick up to 220 km long after the Chios Lion tanker was hit off Yemen in July 2024","description":"The Liberia-flagged tanker Chios Lion was struck by an uncrewed surface vessel about 106 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah on 15 July 2024. The Conflict and Environment Observatory said European Space Agency imagery showed a slick 220 km long that suggested the vessel was releasing oil, and posted a slick image near the Farasan marine sanctuary. Other outlets measured a much shorter slick of about 40 km, and the ship manager declined to say whether oil was leaking.","location":{"name":"Off Yemen Red Sea coast, NW of Hodeidah","type":"Offshore oil slick","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["YE","SA"],"detail":"Southern Red Sea about 106 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, drifting along the Yemeni coast toward the Farasan marine sanctuary (Yemen and Saudi Arabia).","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","layer_rationale":"Oil released from a damaged laden tanker.","secondary_drivers":["Armed attack on shipping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"CEOBS said the slick suggested the damaged vessel was releasing oil and showed an image of a slick near the Farasan marine sanctuary; no ecological damage was measured (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited reports describe closures or fishing restrictions, only that leaking fuel could harm reefs and marine life (ref 1).","scale":"The 220 km slick stretched nearly the length of Yemen's Red Sea coast, a national coastline scale (ref 1); a shorter 40 km figure was also reported (ref 2).","duration":"The slick was imaged on 16 July 2024 and reported within days; Al-Monitor described it as still visible six days after the attack (ref 3).","significance":"The evidence is satellite analysis by a charity and PAX; no agency notice or enforcement is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"CEOBS: an apparent slick measuring 220 km long, starting about 106 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah."},"measures":[{"name":"Slick length (CEOBS, ESA imagery)","value":220,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Imagery from 16 July 2024, as reported by The New Arab (ref 1)."},{"name":"Slick length (PAX analysis)","value":40,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Hellenic Shipping News, 17 July 2024, citing satellite imagery analysed by Wim Zwijnenburg (ref 2)."},{"name":"Minimum spill estimate (CEOBS)","value":500,"unit":"barrels","status":"Estimated","note":"Al-Monitor (AFP) reports CEOBS estimated at least 500 barrels (79,000 litres) for an unnamed tanker 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah with a 220 km initial slick; The New Arab links that slick to the Chios Lion (refs 1, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["CEOBS flagged the Farasan marine sanctuary, shared by Yemen and Saudi Arabia (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No follow-up on the slick after July 2024 was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Stealth Maritime (ship manager)","role":"Vessel manager","contact":null},{"name":"UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)","role":"Incident reporting","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["An investigation into potential oil spills was reported on 16 July 2024; no cleanup is documented (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil slick off Yemen after Houthi tanker attack: charity","publisher":"The New Arab","date":"2024-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newarab.com/news/oil-slick-yemen-after-houthi-tanker-attack-charity","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"A Houthi attack on Chios Lion oil tanker leaves 40km oil slick in Red Sea","publisher":"Hellenic Shipping News","date":"2024-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/?p=1048272","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Oil leaks, toxic emissions as Israel strike worsens Yemen pollution: NGOs","publisher":"Al-Monitor (AFP)","date":"2024-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/07/oil-leaks-toxic-emissions-israel-strike-worsens-yemen-pollution-ngos","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Stealth Maritime (ship manager)\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No spill volume, cleanup or marine sampling results were found."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-HODEIDAH-FISHERS-2024","OC-RED-HOD-SAFER-2024"],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-HOD-FUELTANKS-2024","title":"Israeli strike on Hodeidah port fuel tanks in July 2024 reported to spill burning oil into the harbour","description":"An Israeli airstrike on 20 July 2024 hit fuel storage tanks at Hodeidah port in Yemen. Mwatana for Human Rights described a large oil spill from the burning tanks into the sea that was still ongoing on 24 July, and PAX said the strike caused localised spills into the harbour and destroyed most of the port's oil storage capacity. No spill volume was published.","location":{"name":"Hodeidah port fuel storage","type":"Port fuel terminal and harbour","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["YE"],"detail":"Hodeidah, Yemen's main Red Sea port.","coordinates":{"lat":14.80222,"lon":42.95111,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil released to the harbour from a burning storage terminal.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Mwatana described a large oil spill from the burning tanks into the sea and CEOBS expected marine pollution; tens of thousands of litres were burning per PAX (ref 1).","livelihoods":"PAX said most of the port's oil storage capacity was destroyed and Greenpeace said coastal pollution could affect people who depend on fishing (ref 1).","scale":"A single port and harbour at Hodeidah (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The leak was described as ongoing four days after the strike (24 July 2024), the longest period the cited sources cover (ref 1).","significance":"NGO statements and a call by Mwatana for an international investigation; no agency notice is cited (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Greenpeace said potentially millions depend on fishing along the coast (ref 1); not a measured figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"PAX: at least tens of thousands of litres of oil burning after the strike, and localised spills into the harbour."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil burning after the strike (PAX)","value":null,"unit":"litres","status":"Not reported","note":"PAX said at least tens of thousands of litres were burning; no exact figure (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Most of the port's oil storage capacity was destroyed (ref 1).","The strike came days after a separate tanker slick in the same waters (Chios Lion, ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Later strikes on Hodeidah and Ras Isa were mentioned in search results but not opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Mwatana for Human Rights (documenting NGO)","role":"Reporting body","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Mwatana called for an independent international investigation (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil leaks, toxic emissions as Israel strike worsens Yemen pollution: NGOs","publisher":"Al-Monitor (AFP)","date":"2024-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/07/oil-leaks-toxic-emissions-israel-strike-worsens-yemen-pollution-ngos","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Israel's Hodeidah airstrike adds to Yemen's environmental crisis","publisher":"The New Arab","date":"2024-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newarab.com/features/israels-hodeidah-airstrike-adds-yemens-environmental-crisis","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hodeidah (coordinates of the city)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodeidah","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Mwatana for Human Rights (documenting NGO)\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Exact position of the attack and the wreck-side coordinates were not given in the sources."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-HOUTHISINKINGS-2025","OC-RED-YEM-CHIOSLION-2024"],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-YEM-SOUNION-2024","title":"Burning Sounion tanker with about one million barrels of crude towed to safety, cargo removed by January 2025","description":"The Greek-flagged tanker Sounion was hit by missiles and drones on 21 August 2024 about 58 miles off Yemen and burned for about three weeks. It was towed north in mid-September 2024 under EU Aspides escort without an oil spill and its crude was offloaded; Reuters reported on 13 January 2025 that the salvage was complete and the vessel declared safe. The US State Department had warned a spill could be four times the Exxon Valdez.","location":{"name":"Sounion tanker, southern Red Sea","type":"Tanker casualty at sea","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["YE"],"detail":"Hit about 58 miles off the Yemeni coast near Hodeidah, towed about 150 miles north, cargo transferred near Suez.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","layer_rationale":"A laden crude tanker on fire that threatened a very large oil release, avoided by salvage.","secondary_drivers":["Armed attack on shipping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Potential harm only: the tow was completed without an oil spill (Aspides, via Naval News, ref 1) and Reuters called the spill averted (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or port restriction tied to the Sounion is cited in the two sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The risk centred on one vessel; no regional contamination occurred (refs 1, 2).","duration":"From the 21 August 2024 attack to the 13 January 2025 completion report is about five months (ref 2).","significance":"EU naval force Aspides escorted a multi-company salvage involving more than 200 people and the Greek government declared relief (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than one million barrels of crude (about 150,000 tonnes) aboard; the vessel was towed to a safe area without any oil spill (Aspides)."},"measures":[{"name":"Crude oil cargo","value":150000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Reuters via Baird Maritime, 13 January 2025; Naval News says more than one million barrels (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Firefighting duration","value":3,"unit":"weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Reuters via Baird Maritime (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The salvage involved six companies and escorting warships (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Cargo removed and vessel declared safe per the 13 January 2025 report (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"EU naval force Aspides","role":"Escort of the salvage flotilla","contact":null},{"name":"Ambrey (salvage lead)","role":"Salvage coordination","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Towed mid-September 2024 by seven salvage vessels under Aspides escort (ref 2).","Crude transferred to a sister tanker and the vessel declared safe, reported 13 January 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Red Sea: burning tanker MV Sounion under tow, European vessels provide escort","publisher":"Naval News","date":"2024-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/09/red-sea-burning-tanker-mv-sounion-under-tow-european-vessels-provide-escort/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Red Sea oil spill averted, Sounion successfully salvaged after Houthi attack","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/emergency-services/salvage/red-sea-oil-spill-averted-sounion-successfully-salvaged-after-houthi-attack","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass); salvage reported complete 2025-01-13."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"EU naval force Aspides\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Ambrey (salvage lead)\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Cargo: PAX gives about 17,000 tons of fertiliser; a Yemeni minister was reported (Okaz, not opened) to have said 35,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. Only the PAX figure is used."}],"missing_fields":["No coordinates for the wrecks were found in the opened sources; no cleanup or sampling results."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-HOUTHISINKINGS-2025"],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-ERI-MAGICSEAS-2025","title":"Oil slicks up to 80 km long drift toward Eritrea after the Magic Seas and Eternity C sinkings in July 2025","description":"The Liberia-flagged bulk carriers Magic Seas (attacked 6 to 7 July, sank 7 July 2025) and Eternity C (attacked 7 July 2025) sank in the southern Red Sea. An IMO annex reported satellite imagery of a large slick from 8 July; PAX's 18 July analysis found slicks up to 80 km long moving from the Hanish islands toward the Eritrean coast, 13 km from Barasole and 17 km from the town of Tylo. The fertiliser cargo (about 17,000 tons per PAX) is a further pollution risk.","location":{"name":"Southern Red Sea off Eritrea and Hanish islands","type":"Shipwreck oil slicks and protected seascape","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["ER","YE"],"detail":"Slicks moved from the wreck sites southeast toward the Hanish islands (Yemen) then closer to the Eritrean coast near Tylo and the Barasole Protected Seascape.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil slicks and a fertiliser cargo from two sunken ships.","secondary_drivers":["Armed attack on shipping","Shipwreck"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Planet imagery showed slicks up to 80 km long from the two wrecks; PAX warned of risk to Barasole's turtles, seagrass and mangroves but reported no measured damage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"PAX named fishing communities as at risk; no closure or advisory is cited (ref 1).","scale":"Slicks affected waters of two countries, Yemen (Hanish islands) and Eritrea (ref 1).","duration":"Slicks were tracked from 8 July to at least 17 July 2025, about ten days (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The IMO annex to the Security Council reporting listed the sinkings and the slick as formal incident reports (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"PAX: Eternity C slicks of 80 km and 46 km, a Magic Seas slick of about 45 km, the northernmost 17 km from the town of Tylo (as of 17 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Eternity C longest slick","value":80,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"PAX analysis of Planet imagery, 18 July 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Magic Seas slick","value":45,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"PAX, 18 July 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Magic Seas fertiliser cargo (PAX)","value":17000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"PAX says reportedly about 17,000 tons, possibly ammonium nitrate (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["PAX flagged fishing communities that depend on the affected marine environment (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sources end 18 July 2025; no later monitoring was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Maritime Organization (incident annex to UN Security Council reporting)","role":"Incident reporting","contact":"https://www.imo.org"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["PAX recommended funding a salvage with environmental expertise and monitoring of Eritrean coasts including Barasole (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Red Sea attacks lead to environmental emergency","publisher":"PAX","date":"2025-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://paxforpeace.nl/news/red-sea-attacks-lead-to-environmental-emergency/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Search ends for missing crew after Red Sea ship attack by Houthis","publisher":"The Media Line","date":"2025-07-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://themedialine.org/headlines/search-ends-for-missing-crew-after-red-sea-ship-attack-by-houthis","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Red Sea Incidents update 9 July 2025 (annex to Security Council reporting)","publisher":"International Maritime Organization","date":"2025-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/MediaCentre/Documents/Red Sea Incidents update 9 July 2025.pdf","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 status of the Safer hull; coordinates not given in opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-HOD-FUELTANKS-2024"],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-HOD-SAFER-2024","title":"FSO Safer hull still holds oily residue off Hodeidah after the 2023 oil transfer, with scrapping unfunded","description":"The UN moved more than 1.1 million barrels from the decaying FSO Safer to the replacement vessel Yemen between 25 July and 11 August 2023. A UN explainer of 28 August 2023 said the Safer still poses a residual environmental threat and needed a further $22 million, and a UN page updated to mid-January 2024 says viscous residue mixed with sediment remains for a final cleaning. No source for 2025 or 2026 was found, so the current state of the hull is unverified.","location":{"name":"FSO Safer mooring off Hodeidah","type":"Derelict storage tanker","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["YE"],"detail":"Moored about 4.8 nautical miles off Hodeidah Governorate, Yemen.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","layer_rationale":"Residual oil and a deteriorated hull at a derelict floating storage vessel.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Funding gap"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The UN says the Safer still poses a residual environmental threat, with viscous oil residue mixed with sediment aboard; no new release is reported (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No restriction is cited since the transfer; the UN says a major spill would have wiped out 200,000 fishing livelihoods (ref 1).","scale":"The UN says oil from the Safer could reach Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, so the potential reach is regional (ref 1).","duration":"Operations stopped in 2015 and the inert gas system failed in 2017; residual risk persisted into 2024 per the UN page (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A UN-coordinated operation with an unfunded $22 million remainder is a formal UN programme step (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The UN said a major spill would have wiped out 200,000 fishing livelihoods (ref 1); that is a pre-transfer risk figure, not an affected count."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"UN: more than 1.1 million barrels moved off the Safer; an additional $22 million is required to finish the work and the Safer still poses a residual environmental threat."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil transferred to replacement vessel","value":1100000,"unit":"barrels","status":"Reported","note":"UN explainer, 28 August 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Funding still required","value":22,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"UN explainer, 28 August 2023 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Hodeidah and Saleef ports would have closed in a major spill (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Latest source reflects mid-January 2024; later status unverified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"United Nations Development Programme (project implementer)","role":"Implementer of the Safer operation","contact":"https://www.un.org/en/node/180219"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Oil transferred 25 July to 11 August 2023 (ref 2).","Final cleaning and green scrapping of the hull planned as phase 2 under UN responsibility, funding gap remains (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UN prevents catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea, critical work continues (explainer)","publisher":"United Nations in Yemen","date":"2023-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://yemen.un.org/ar/download/141254/243723","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"FSO Safer: oil transfer and remaining work (UN page, funding as of mid-January 2024)","publisher":"United Nations","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.un.org/en/node/180219","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Salvor appointed for oil removal from derelict FSO off Yemen","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2023-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/refining-processing/offshore-processing-storage/salvor-appointed-for-oil-removal-from-derelict-fso-off-yemen","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source 3 was read from the university research portal abstract, not the full paper."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-EGYPT-NORTHERNBLEACHING-2024"],"secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"id":"OC-RED-AQABA-MHW-2024","title":"Record 113-day marine heatwave in the Gulf of Aqaba off Eilat in 2024, peaking at 32.6 C","description":"A Hebrew University study of the northern Gulf of Aqaba reports that the 2024 marine heatwave lasted 113 days, peaked at 32.6 C (3.4 C above average) and accumulated about 30 degree heating weeks, the highest thermal stress recorded globally that year. The gulf had been regarded as a thermal refuge; five coral species survived without mass bleaching, but sporadic shallow bleaching suggests the refuge may be approaching its limit.","location":{"name":"Northern Gulf of Aqaba off Eilat","type":"Marine heatwave over a coral refuge","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IL","JO"],"detail":"Study site off Eilat, Israel; a Jordanian scientist reported bleaching about 5 km away on the Jordanian side.","coordinates":{"lat":29.55694,"lon":34.95167,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","layer_rationale":"A recorded marine heatwave in the Red Sea's northern gulf.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Climate change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"About 5% of corals in the Eilat study area bleached and a small fraction died, most recovered; Cyphastrea lost about 55% of its symbionts and recovered by January 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"No dive-tourism or fishery restriction is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The gulf is shared by Israel and Jordan and bleaching was reported on both sides, a regional gulf-scale event (ref 2).","duration":"The heatwave lasted 113 days (about four months) in summer 2024 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The evidence is a peer-reviewed study and press coverage; no agency notice or alert level is cited (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2024 heatwave lasted 113 days with a peak of 32.6 C, 3.4 C above average, and about 30 degree heating weeks."},"measures":[{"name":"Heatwave duration","value":113,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Kochman and Fine, Science of the Total Environment (ref 3)."},{"name":"Peak sea temperature","value":32.6,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 3."},{"name":"Degree heating weeks","value":30,"unit":"DHW","status":"Reported","note":"About 30 degree heating weeks, nearly eight times the bleaching threshold of 4 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Corals bleached in study area (estimate)","value":5,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Maoz Fine estimate quoted by Mongabay, 14 April 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Reef tourism at Eilat and Aqaba is the coastal economy behind the site; no loss is reported in the sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The study covers four summers of intensifying heatwaves, 2021 to 2024 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat / Hebrew University of Jerusalem","role":"Researchers monitoring the reefs","contact":null},{"name":"Israel Nature and Parks Authority","role":"Reef manager","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for urgent regional conservation of the gulf's reefs (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Gulf of Aqaba corals survive record-breaking heatwaves","publisher":"EcoMagazine (Hebrew University release)","date":"2025-09-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecomagazine.com/news/coastal/gulf-of-aqaba-corals-survive-record-breaking-heatwaves/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Even the Gulf of Aqaba's super-corals bleached during 2024 heat wave","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-04-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/even-the-gulf-of-aqabas-supercorals-bleached-during-2024-heat-wave/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of Aqaba as a thermal refuge: insights from four years of intensifying marine heatwaves","publisher":"Science of the Total Environment 1000:180463 (Hebrew University portal record)","date":"2025-10-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cris.huji.ac.il/en/publications/gulf-of-aqaba-as-a-thermal-refuge-insights-from-four-years-of-int/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":4,"title":"Eilat (coordinates of the city)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilat","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat / Hebrew University of Jerusalem\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Israel Nature and Parks Authority\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The policy brief text states lethal effects at 13.8% for S. pistillata, while the study abstract gives 12.8% (LC10). Both quoted."}],"missing_fields":["No measured brine plume or salinity data from operating plants; date of the policy brief taken from the document header (APR 2026) and its file name (21 April 2026)."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-SAUDI-REEFFISHOVERFISHING-2025","OC-RED-JED-MICROPLASTIC-2025"],"secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"id":"OC-RED-SAU-BRINE-2025","title":"Desalination brine from Saudi and Egyptian plants judged a risk to Red Sea corals; lab limit set at 10% excess salinity","description":"A KAUST policy brief of April 2026, based on a 2025 study in Desalination, says brine discharges from desalination in Saudi Arabia and Egypt threaten Red Sea coral reefs. In laboratory tests Acropora sp. and Stylophora pistillata declined above 5 to 10% added salinity, and lethal effects began at 19.6% and 12.8% above ambient, so the authors recommend keeping exposure under 10% above ambient. The evidence is experimental, not measurement at operating plants.","location":{"name":"Red Sea coasts of Saudi Arabia and Egypt","type":"Desalination brine discharge coastline","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SA","EG"],"detail":"Study coral species from the Saudi Red Sea; coral work done with Red Sea Global as a partner.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","layer_rationale":"Hypersaline brine and contaminants discharged to coastal waters by desalination plants.","secondary_drivers":["Water scarcity","Desalination expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Lab exposure caused tissue loss and lethal effects at 19.6% (Acropora) and 12.8% (Stylophora) above ambient salinity; no field mortality is reported (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism restriction is reported; the brief is a planning recommendation (ref 1).","scale":"The brief covers the arid Red Sea nations, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as a coastal risk (ref 1).","duration":"The brief describes a continuing risk as desalination investment grows but gives no duration of any exposure (ref 1).","significance":"A KAUST policy brief and a peer-reviewed study recommend a threshold; no regulator has adopted it in the cited sources (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Recommended maximum brine exposure of 10% above ambient salinity; lethal effects began at 13.8% (policy brief) or 12.8% and 19.6% (study abstract) above ambient."},"measures":[{"name":"Recommended salinity limit","value":10,"unit":"% above ambient","status":"Reported","note":"KAUST policy brief, April 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Lethal threshold, Acropora sp.","value":19.6,"unit":"% above ambient","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1; ref 2 gives LC10 values of 19.6% and 12.8% for the two species."},{"name":"Lethal threshold, Stylophora pistillata","value":12.8,"unit":"% above ambient","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2 (LC10); the policy brief text states 13.8% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Saudi Arabia and Egypt are investing in desalination as a water source (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No time series of brine exposure was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"KAUST Policy Institute and Red Sea Global (study partners)","role":"Researchers and project developer","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Authors call for hydrodynamic modelling, habitat mapping when siting outfalls and long-term in-situ monitoring (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Protecting Red Sea coral reefs from desalination risks (policy brief)","publisher":"KAUST Policy Institute","date":"2026-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kaust.edu.sa/docs/kaustlibraries/downloads/policy-publications/justo-et-al-pbrief-21april2026.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Effects of salinity stress on Acropora sp. and Stylophora pistillata in the Red Sea: a pre-construction risk assessment for desalination plants (abstract)","publisher":"KAUST BEM Lab / Desalination 616","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bemlab.kaust.edu.sa/publications/effects-of-salinity-stress-on-acropora-sp.-and-stylophora-pistillata-in-the-red-sea--a-pre-construction-risk-assessment-for-desalination-plants","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"KAUST Policy Institute and Red Sea Global (study partners)\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Pollution","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Abundance, sites and polymers beyond PET are in the full paper, which was not opened. The regulator named is a placeholder from general knowledge, not from a source."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-SAU-BRINE-2025"],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-JED-MICROPLASTIC-2025","title":"Weathered PET microplastics characterised along the Jeddah Red Sea coast in a 2025 study","description":"A King Abdulaziz University study published on 30 May 2025 characterised microplastics from the Red Sea coast of Jeddah and found significant weathering and degradation, with particles predominantly polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The authors link them to urban runoff, coastal activities and industrial discharge. The abstract gives no abundance figures. An earlier KAUST study found microplastics in about one in six Red Sea fish.","location":{"name":"Jeddah Red Sea coast","type":"Urban coastline microplastic sampling","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SA"],"detail":"Coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.","coordinates":{"lat":21.54333,"lon":39.17278,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","layer_rationale":"Plastic particles in coastal waters from land-based sources.","secondary_drivers":["Urban runoff","Industrial discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Microplastics showed significant weathering and were mostly PET; the abstract reports no ecological or health effect (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or beach restriction is reported (ref 1).","scale":"One city coastline, Jeddah; no abundance or area figure is given (ref 1).","duration":"A 2018 KAUST study already found microplastics in about one in six fish from the Red Sea, so the issue predates this 2025 study (ref 2).","significance":"An academic journal article with no agency notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastics from the Red Sea coast of Jeddah were predominantly PET and showed significant weathering and degradation."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish with ingested microplastics (2018, Red Sea)","value":17,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"About one in six of 178 fish from 26 species, KAUST Discovery, September 2018 (ref 2); context, not Jeddah-specific."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No time series in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Saudi National Center for Environmental Compliance (not named in sources)","role":"Coastal environmental regulator","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Characterization of microplastic pollution along the Red Sea coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia","publisher":"Indian Journal of Fibre and Textile Engineering 5(1) (Zenodo record)","date":"2025-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://zenodo.org/records/15400748","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Quantifying Red Sea plastics from coasts to fish","publisher":"KAUST Discovery","date":"2018-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://discovery.kaust.edu.sa/en/article/580/quantifying-red-sea-plastics-from-coasts-to-fish","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Jeddah (coordinates of the city)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeddah","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Saudi National Center for Environmental Compliance (not named in sources)\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No observed flooding events; the record rests on projections. The ministry named is a placeholder from general knowledge, not from a source."],"related_ids":[],"secondary_categories":[],"id":"OC-RED-EGY-SEALEVEL-2024","title":"Egyptian Red Sea coast from Suez to Hurghada projected to see 60 to 105 cm of sea-level rise by 2100","description":"A 2024 ensemble study of 28 climate models projects sea-level rise on the Egyptian Red Sea coast between Suez and Hurghada of about 60.5 cm (RCP 2.6) to 104.6 cm (RCP 8.5) by 2100. An earlier coastal sensitivity assessment found 31% of Egypt's roughly 1,200 km Red Sea coast very highly sensitive and estimated that 1 m of rise would inundate 106 square km. These are projections, not observed flooding.","location":{"name":"Egyptian Red Sea coast, Suez to Hurghada","type":"Low-lying resort and port coastline","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["EG"],"detail":"Coast between Suez and Hurghada; the sensitivity assessment covers the full 1,200 km Egyptian Red Sea coast.","coordinates":{"lat":27.25778,"lon":33.81167,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","layer_rationale":"Projected sea-level rise and inundation risk for a national coastline.","secondary_drivers":["Climate change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Potential harm only: a 1 m rise would inundate about 106 km2 of Egypt's Red Sea coast per the 2015 sensitivity study (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No flooding or closure is reported; the sources are projections (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The projections cover the Suez to Hurghada coast and the sensitivity study the whole 1,200 km Egyptian Red Sea coast, a national coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Projections run to 2100 and the rise is chronic and cumulative (ref 1).","significance":"Academic studies only; no official adaptation order or declaration is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Projected sea-level rise of 60.5 cm (RCP 2.6), 71 cm (RCP 4.5), 77.7 cm (RCP 6) and 104.6 cm (RCP 8.5) by 2100 between Suez and Hurghada."},"measures":[{"name":"Projected 2100 rise, RCP 2.6","value":60.5,"unit":"cm","status":"Estimated","note":"Ensemble of 28 GCMs, Elsaeed et al., 2024 (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"Projected 2100 rise, RCP 8.5","value":104.6,"unit":"cm","status":"Estimated","note":"Refs 1, 3."},{"name":"Area inundated by 1 m rise","value":106,"unit":"km2","status":"Estimated","note":"Hereher 2015 coastal sensitivity assessment (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Hurghada to Marsa Alam stretch hosts fringing reefs and resorts, flagged as sensitive to warming (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Projections rise with higher emissions pathways (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Egyptian Ministry of Environment (not named in sources)","role":"National coastal protection","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Enhancing the accuracy of future projections for sea-level rise by utilizing the ensemble of global circulation models in the Egyptian Red Sea coastal regions (October 2024)","publisher":"Engineering Research Journal 53(4) (Benha University record)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bu.edu.eg/staff/gelsaeed3-publications/56212","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Assessment of Egypt's Red Sea coastal sensitivity to climate change (2015)","publisher":"Environmental Earth Sciences 74(4) (FAO AGRIS record)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agris.fao.org/search/en/records/65dfc9717c7033e84beee02a","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Reducing the uncertainty of sea-level rise future projections using ensemble of global circulation models along the Egyptian Red Sea coastal zones (February 2024)","publisher":"Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research 10(10) (Benha University record)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bu.edu.eg/staff/gelsaeed3-publications/53768","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":4,"title":"Hurghada (coordinates of the city)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurghada","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Egyptian Ministry of Environment (not named in sources)\" set to null (was empty)."}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Casualty figures differ between sources and days: Reuters on 10 July 2025 reported four believed dead and 11 missing, Maritime Executive on 14 July reported nine presumed dead, and the IMO annex listed three fatalities confirmed."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-RED-ERI-MAGICSEAS-2025","OC-RED-BAB-RUBYMAR-2024","OC-RED-YEM-SOUNION-2024","OC-RED-SUEZ-CANALREVENUE-2024","OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-CABLECUTS-2025"],"id":"OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-HOUTHISINKINGS-2025","title":"Two bulk carriers sunk in the southern Red Sea in July 2025 during attacks on merchant shipping, with oil slicks reported at both wreck sites","description":"The IMO's report to the UN Security Council lists the Liberian-flagged bulk carriers Magic Seas and Eternity C as attacked in the southern Red Sea on 7 July 2025 and abandoned, with a large oil slick seen in satellite imagery near the Magic Seas. Press reports say 16 of the 25 people aboard Eternity C survived, nine were presumed dead, and analysts warned the slicks could harm ecosystems near Eritrea. The Houthis' campaign, begun in November 2023, has attacked more than 100 ships and sunk four, according to news reports.","location":{"name":"Southern Red Sea off Hodeidah","type":"Shipping lane and attack zone","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["YE","ER"],"detail":"Eternity C was about 50 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, Yemen, when attacked (ref 3). Coordinates are those of Hodeidah port, the nearest named place.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":14.8,"lon":42.95,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Attacks on merchant shipping in a regional sea lane, with maritime-safety reporting to the UN Security Council.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Vessel sinking and bunker oil leakage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Press reports put nine of the 25 people aboard Eternity C as presumed dead and satellite imagery showed oil slicks from the wrecks of both ships (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Lloyd's List Intelligence counted daily Bab al-Mandab sailings falling to 32 on 9 July from 43 on 1 July, and many shipping companies suspended voyages (ref 4).","scale":"The attacks span the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, one regional sea, rather than the whole basin (ref 1).","duration":"The campaign began in November 2023 and the IMO's annex covering 8 June to 9 July 2025 lists the 54th and 55th numbered incidents (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The IMO compiled the report in response to UN Security Council resolutions 2722 (2024), 2739 (2024) and 2768 (2025) (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Eternity C: of 25 crew, 16 survived and 9 are presumed dead; oil slicks extended from both wreck sites (Maritime Executive, 14 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Presumed dead, Eternity C","value":9,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Maritime Executive, 14 July 2025 (ref 2); Reuters via Cyprus Mail reported figures that changed day to day (ref 3)."},{"name":"Ships attacked since Nov 2023","value":100,"unit":"ships (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Reuters, 10 July 2025 (ref 3): more than 100 ships attacked."},{"name":"Daily Bab al-Mandab sailings","value":32,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"9 July 2025, down from 43 on 1 July, per Lloyd's List Intelligence (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Many shipping companies suspended voyages because of the risk of attack (ref 3).","Daily Bab al-Mandab sailings fell from 43 to 32 in nine days in July 2025 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Attacks paused and resumed over 2024 to 2025; the cited July 2025 update records two sinkings in one week (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"Compiles incident reports for the UN Security Council","contact":"https://www.imo.org"},{"name":"EU Operation Aspides","role":"Naval protection and rescue coordination","contact":"https://eunavfor.eu"}],"public_contact":"IMO Maritime Safety Division and the EU Aspides mission publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["EU Operation Aspides took part in the rescue of survivors (ref 4).","The vessel's owner called off the search for the missing (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report on Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, 8 June to 9 July 2025 (annex, update of 9 July 2025)","publisher":"International Maritime Organization","date":"2025-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/MediaCentre/Documents/Red%20Sea%20Incidents%20update%209%20July%202025.pdf","basis":"Agency report (IMO)"},{"ref":2,"title":"16 confirmed survivors, 9 presumed dead after Houthi attack on bulker","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/16-confirmed-survivors-9-presumed-dead-after-houthi-attack-on-bulker","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea, 11 still missing","publisher":"Cyprus Mail (Reuters)","date":"2025-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/07/10/rescuers-save-four-more-survivors-from-houthi-struck-ship-in-red-sea-11-still-missing","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Search ends for missing crew after Red Sea ship attack by Houthis","publisher":"The Media Line","date":"2025-07-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://themedialine.org/headlines/search-ends-for-missing-crew-after-red-sea-ship-attack-by-houthis","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Reported 2024 fall differs by source: 66% to $3.9 billion (Suez Canal Authority head, ref 1) against about 60% (FreightWaves, ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-HOUTHISINKINGS-2025","OC-RED-EILAT-PORTACTIVITY-2024"],"id":"OC-RED-SUEZ-CANALREVENUE-2024","title":"Suez Canal revenue fell 66% in 2024 as Red Sea attacks diverted shipping, with a partial tanker-led recovery reported in 2026","description":"Egypt's Suez Canal Authority head said canal revenue fell 66% in 2024 to $3.9 billion from about $10.2 billion in 2023, and President Sisi said in May 2026 that Egypt has lost about $10 billion. Reporting in September 2026 cites Egyptian statistics showing July 2026 revenue of $505 million, up 42% on July 2025, attributed partly to tankers avoiding the southern Red Sea.","location":{"name":"Suez Canal and northern Red Sea approaches","type":"Shipping canal and port approaches","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["EG"],"detail":"Suez Canal, Egypt, the northern gateway to the Red Sea. Coordinates are those of Suez city.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":29.97,"lon":32.55,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Loss of canal traffic and state revenue after carriers rerouted around the Red Sea.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Carrier rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":2,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports document economic losses and rerouting, with no ecological or human-health harm stated (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Egypt reported a 66% revenue fall in 2024 and FreightWaves said it had been 40 weeks through November 2024 since an ultra-large container ship transited, so a major route was largely out of use for those carriers (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Carriers rerouted global services around the Cape of Good Hope, and Marine Insight cites effects on Salalah, Barcelona and African ports (ref 4).","duration":"Revenue has been depressed from November 2023 into 2026, with Sisi citing a cumulative $10 billion loss in May 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"The losses are stated formally by the Suez Canal Authority head and the Egyptian president, but no enforcement or treaty action is involved (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Suez Canal revenue fell 66% in 2024, to $3.9 billion from about $10.2 billion in 2023 (Suez Canal Authority head Osama Rabie, quoted by Anadolu, 4 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Canal revenue 2024","value":3.9,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Quoted from the Suez Canal Authority head, down from about $10.2 billion in 2023 (ref 1). FreightWaves reported about a 60% fall (ref 2)."},{"name":"Cumulative revenue loss cited by the president","value":10,"unit":"USD billion (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Statement by President Sisi on 4 May 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Canal revenue, July 2026","value":505,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Egyptian statistics agency CAPMAS data cited by Bloomberg and OilPrice (ref 3); July 2025 was $355 million."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Canal tolls were about 15% of Egypt's foreign currency inflow in 2023 (ref 2).","July 2026 revenue rose, but OilPrice attributes it to tanker diversions rather than container traffic (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"A 66% fall in 2024 was followed by a reported 42% year-on-year rise in July 2026 driven by tankers (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Suez Canal Authority","role":"Canal operator","contact":"https://www.suezcanal.gov.eg"}],"public_contact":"Suez Canal Authority publishes general contact details on its website.","corrective_actions":["The Suez Canal Authority tested two-way transit through a dredged section in December 2024 to raise capacity (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Egypt incurs $10B in Suez Canal losses over Gaza war, president says","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","date":"2026-05-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/egypt-incurs-10b-in-suez-canal-losses-over-gaza-war-president-says/3926662","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Suez toll revenue drops 60%; canal tests two-way traffic","publisher":"FreightWaves","date":"2024-12-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.freightwaves.com/?p=521951","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Oil tankers flood back into Suez Canal as Red Sea risk grows","publisher":"OilPrice.com","date":"2026-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Oil-Tankers-Flood-Back-Into-Suez-Canal-As-Red-Sea-Risk-Grows.amp.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Suez Canal shipping 2026: risks, carrier strategies and impact on ports","publisher":"Marine Insight","date":"2026-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineinsight.com/know-more/suez-canal-2026-will-global-shipping-return-to-the-red-sea/","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Port status after July 2024 not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-SUEZ-CANALREVENUE-2024"],"id":"OC-RED-EILAT-PORTACTIVITY-2024","title":"Eilat port activity collapsed after Red Sea attacks began, with half of its workforce facing layoffs in 2024","description":"Israel's Eilat port, on the Gulf of Aqaba, was among the first Red Sea ports hit when carriers rerouted to avoid Houthi attacks. Its chief executive said activity had fallen 85% by December 2023, management announced in March 2024 that about 60 of 120 workers would be dismissed, and Anadolu reported in July 2024 that the port had been almost entirely closed for about eight months.","location":{"name":"Port of Eilat","type":"Commercial port","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IL"],"detail":"Northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, Israel, beside Aqaba, Jordan. Coordinates are those of the port area at Eilat.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":29.54,"lon":34.95,"precision":"site","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port throughput and employment lost after shipping lanes became unsafe.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Carrier rerouting"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports describe commercial and employment losses only, with no ecological or health harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Anadolu reported a near-total shutdown for about eight months and no cars arriving in 2024 against about 150,000 in 2023 (ref 3).","scale":"The effect is confined to one port at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba (ref 1).","duration":"Activity was down 85% by December 2023 and the shutdown had lasted about eight months by July 2024 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The reporting rests on company statements and a union dispute, and the owner's letter to the Transport Minister is not a formal ruling (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Port activity had fallen 85% since the Houthi attacks began, the chief executive told Reuters in December 2023 (Calcalist Tech, 20 March 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Port activity decline","value":85,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Chief executive to Reuters, December 2023, as relayed by Calcalist (ref 2)."},{"name":"Workers facing dismissal","value":60,"unit":"of 120 employees","status":"Reported","note":"Management plan reported 20 March 2024 (refs 1, 2, 4)."},{"name":"Cars arriving through the port, 2024","value":0,"unit":"cars","status":"Reported","note":"None arrived in 2024 as of July, against about 150,000 in 2023 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Owners bore maintenance and wage costs while the port was shut (ref 3).","Owner asked the Transport Minister for a meeting on the port's critical condition (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources run from December 2023 to July 2024; later status was not verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Israel Ministry of Transport","role":"Port regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.il/en/departments/ministry_of_transport_and_road_safety"}],"public_contact":"The port operator and the ministry publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action was documented in the cited sources; the CEO said the US-led security initiative was not resolving the problem (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Israel's Eilat port faces layoffs amid Red Sea shipping crisis, union says","publisher":"The Globe and Mail (Reuters)","date":"2024-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arc-dev.theglobeandmail.com/business/international-business/article-israels-eilat-port-faces-layoffs-amid-red-sea-shipping-crisis-union","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Half of Eilat Port employees face layoffs amid Red Sea shipping crisis","publisher":"Calcalist Tech","date":"2024-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/v4g6e9okp","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Israel's Eilat port in near-total shutdown amid Houthi attacks: report","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","date":"2024-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-s-eilat-port-in-near-total-shutdown-amid-houthi-attacks-report/3278043","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Israel's Eilat port faces layoffs amid Houthi ship attacks","publisher":"The New Arab","date":"2024-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newarab.com/news/israels-eilat-port-faces-layoffs-amid-houthi-ship-attacks","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":10000,"status":"Reported","note":"About 10,000 fishermen in Khokha and other Hodeidah coastal areas (ref 1)."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No catch statistics or fisheries-agency source found for 2023 to 2026."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-HOD-FUELTANKS-2024"],"id":"OC-RED-HODEIDAH-FISHERS-2024","title":"About 10,000 fishers on Yemen's Hodeidah coast reported lost fishing access and income after Red Sea shipping attacks and naval operations","description":"The National reported in February 2024 that about 10,000 fishermen in Khokha and other Hodeidah-province coastal areas had struggled to work since November 2023. Fishermen said they were kept to near-shore waters where fish are scarce, and the Sanaa-based NGO Mwatana for Human Rights said gunfire from task-force warships had targeted fishing boats. Some larger boat owners moved to Hadhramaut and Al Mahra.","location":{"name":"Khokha and Hodeidah coast","type":"Fishing coast","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["YE"],"detail":"Hodeidah province, Yemen's Red Sea coast. Coordinates are approximate for Khokha, the place named in the article.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":13.3,"lon":43.25,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Artisanal fishery access and catches reduced by conflict at sea.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Naval operations","Civil war"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers reported reduced catches and an NGO alleged gunfire from warships at fishing boats, but the article gives no casualty or stock data (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishermen said they are barred from productive fishing areas and one earned about 3,000 riyals on a good day against a boat cost of about 4 million riyals (ref 1).","scale":"The reported effect is on Hodeidah province's coast, not the whole Yemeni Red Sea coast (ref 1).","duration":"The reporting covers November 2023 to February 2024, a matter of months, on top of a fishery already hurt by the war (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The claims rest on fisher testimony and an NGO statement, with no formal notice or order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 10,000 fishermen in Khokha and other coastal areas of Hodeidah province have struggled to work since November 2023 (The National, 21 February 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishers affected, Hodeidah province","value":10000,"unit":"fishermen (about)","status":"Reported","note":"The National, 21 February 2024 (ref 1). The World Bank put registered fishermen in Hodeidah and its province at about 10,000 before the war (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["A Khokha fisherman reported about 3,000 riyals on a good day (ref 1).","Some larger boat owners moved to Hadhramaut and Al Mahra (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The in-window source is dated February 2024; later conditions were not verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Yemen Ministry of Fish Wealth (Sanaa and Aden authorities)","role":"Fisheries authority, split by control of territory","contact":"https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/countrysector/ye/en"}],"public_contact":"No single published channel; Yemen's fisheries authority is divided by control of territory.","corrective_actions":["None documented in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Red Sea attacks depriving Yemeni fishermen of their livelihood","publisher":"The National","date":"2024-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2024/02/21/red-sea-attacks-depriving-yemeni-fishermen-of-their-livelihood","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Yemen fishermen face starvation at home or death at sea","publisher":"Oman Observer (AFP)","date":"2018-11-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.omanobserver.om/ampArticle/42535","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2024 chapter's regional decline is modelled from 502 monitoring sites; the Gulf of Aden has no data after 2017 and the northern Red Sea is the best sampled subregion (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-RED-EGYPT-NORTHERNBLEACHING-2024"],"id":"OC-RED-REDSEA-HARDCORALDECLINE-2024","title":"Median hard coral cover across Red Sea and Gulf of Aden reefs fell from 36.9% to 21.0% between 2021 and 2024 after extreme heat stress","description":"The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network's 2025 regional chapter, written by PERSGA, Egyptian, Saudi and UNDP authors, reports modelled median hard coral cover falling by 15.9 percentage points between 2021 and 2024, a relative decline of 43.1%. Cover in the southern Red Sea fell to 13.1% in 2024, while northern Red Sea reefs stayed comparatively stable. The Gulf of Aden has no monitoring data after 2017.","location":{"name":"Red Sea and Gulf of Aden reefs","type":"Regional coral reef province","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["EG","SD","ER","DJ","SA","YE","JO","IL","SO"],"detail":"Reefs in the exclusive economic zones of nine countries, 12,590 km2 of reef in four subregions from the northern Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-stress bleaching and mortality reduced live coral cover across a regional reef province.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Coastal development","Low tides and calm winds in 2024"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Modelled median hard coral cover fell from 36.9% in 2021 to 21.0% in 2024, an absolute loss of 15.9 points, and southern Red Sea cover fell to 13.1% (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The chapter says the reefs support livelihoods for over 28 million people but documents no fishery or tourism closure from the 2023 to 2024 loss (ref 1).","scale":"The decline is reported across the whole Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region, one regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Extreme heat stress peaked in 2023 and 2024 and declined in 2025, so the documented loss is months to about two years of stress (ref 1).","significance":"It is a formal regional status assessment by PERSGA, Egypt's EEAA, Saudi Arabia's SHAMS and UNDP authors within the GCRMN report, not an enforcement action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Median hard coral cover declined from 36.9% to 21.0% between 2021 and 2024, an absolute loss of 15.9 percentage points and a relative decline of 43.1% (GCRMN Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2025, Chapter 7)."},"measures":[{"name":"Median hard coral cover, region, 2021","value":36.9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Modelled estimate (ref 1)."},{"name":"Median hard coral cover, region, 2024","value":21,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Modelled estimate (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hard coral cover, southern Red Sea, 2024","value":13.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Southern subregion, down from an average of 38.5% in 2000 to 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reef area in the region","value":12590,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"About 5.0% of global coral reef extent (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Reef tourism has historically accounted for nearly 2% of Egypt's GDP (ref 1).","Reefs contribute about USD 230 million a year from fisheries and USD 6 billion from reef-based tourism (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Cover was stable at 34.6% to 36.9% in 2017 to 2021 before the 2021 to 2024 decline; heat stress declined in 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"PERSGA (Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden)","role":"Regional sea convention secretariat","contact":"https://www.persga.org"},{"name":"GCRMN and ICRI","role":"Reef monitoring network","contact":"https://gcrmn.net"}],"public_contact":"PERSGA and GCRMN publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The chapter calls for continued long-term monitoring and adaptive management (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025, Chapter 7: Red Sea and Gulf of Aden","publisher":"Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and International Coral Reef Initiative","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gcrmn_2025_chapter-07_red-sea-gulf-of-aden.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025, Chapter 7, landing page","publisher":"Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/2025-report/rsga/","basis":"Agency page"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["HEPCA page shows no publication date (it refers to a 2025 Bleach Watch report); no mortality figures reported."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-REDSEA-HARDCORALDECLINE-2024","OC-RED-AQABA-MHW-2024"],"id":"OC-RED-EGYPT-NORTHERNBLEACHING-2024","title":"Bleaching in 2024 reached Hurghada and the Gulf of Aqaba for the first time, with up to 50.1% of colonies bleached on Egypt's southern reefs","description":"Egypt's Bleach Watch network, run by HEPCA with the Red Sea Protectorate Authority after a NOAA alert, found bleaching on up to 50.1% of colonies in the southern sector and 9% at Hurghada, and notable bleaching in the northern sectors and the Gulf of Aqaba for the first time compared with 2023. HEPCA reported preliminary 2025 recovery of 75 to 88%. The GCRMN chapter calls the 2024 event the first severe mass bleaching recorded north of 26 degrees N.","location":{"name":"Egypt's Red Sea coast and Gulf of Aqaba reefs","type":"Coral reef coast","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["EG"],"detail":"Egyptian Red Sea coast including the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba; coordinates are those of Hurghada, with Wadi El Gemal as a second point.","points":[{"lat":24.7,"lon":35.1,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Wadi El Gemal, highest bleaching prevalence"}],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":27.26,"lon":33.81,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat-stress bleaching of reefs along a national coastline, including a northern refuge area.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Calm seas","Exceptionally low tides in July 2024"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"HEPCA recorded up to 50.1% bleached colonies in the southern sector, but gives no mortality figure and reports preliminary 2025 recovery of 75 to 88% (ref 1).","livelihoods":"HEPCA's page documents no closure or dive-site restriction from the 2024 bleaching (ref 1).","scale":"Surveys covered Egypt's Red Sea and the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Bleaching followed prolonged heatwaves in 2024 and compares with events in 2012, 2020 and 2023, a recurring pattern but a single-season event here (ref 1).","significance":"A NOAA bleaching alert triggered a formal Bleach Watch response with the Red Sea Protectorate Authority (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Southern sector (for example Wadi El Gemal) showed the highest prevalence, up to 50.1% bleached and 7.7% fluorescent; Hurghada 9% bleached (HEPCA Bleach Watch 2024 update)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bleached colonies, southern sector","value":50.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Highest prevalence, for example Wadi El Gemal (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bleached colonies, Hurghada","value":9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Northern sector (ref 1)."},{"name":"Preliminary 2025 recovery","value":75,"unit":"% (lower bound of 75 to 88)","status":"Estimated","note":"HEPCA preliminary estimate, varies by species and location (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Reef tourism has historically accounted for nearly 2% of Egypt's GDP (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"HEPCA reports preliminary 2025 recovery of 75 to 88% after the 2024 event (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA)","role":"Runs Bleach Watch Egypt","contact":"https://www.hepca.org"},{"name":"Red Sea Protectorate Authority (Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency)","role":"Protected area manager","contact":"https://www.eeaa.gov.eg"}],"public_contact":"HEPCA and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Bleach Watch Egypt was activated and tagged colonies were revisited after 45 days to measure survival (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bleach Watch Report 2024 update: the 2024 coral bleaching event and recovery along the Egyptian coast","publisher":"HEPCA (Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hepca.org/projects/scientific-intervention/bleach-watch-report-2024-update","basis":"Agency page (NGO monitoring report)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025, Chapter 7: Red Sea and Gulf of Aden","publisher":"Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and International Coral Reef Initiative","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gcrmn_2025_chapter-07_red-sea-gulf-of-aden.pdf","basis":"Agency report"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The February 2024 cuts were attributed to the Houthis by Israeli media, but the cause was not confirmed by cable operators; AP reports the Houthis denied responsibility (refs 1, 3)."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-HOUTHISINKINGS-2025"],"id":"OC-RED-BABELMANDEB-CABLECUTS-2025","title":"Red Sea submarine cables were cut in February 2024 and again in September 2025, with the 2025 damage attributed to a dragged ship anchor","description":"Seacom confirmed a cut to its India-Europe cable in February 2024, and an Israeli outlet reported that AAE-1, EIG and TGN between Jeddah and Djibouti were also cut, with reports blaming Yemen's Houthis. On 6 September 2025 four cables (SEA-ME-WE 4, IMEWE, FALCON and later EIG) were cut; the International Cable Protection Committee said the probable cause was commercial shipping, and no sabotage was confirmed.","location":{"name":"Red Sea cable corridor off Jeddah to Bab el-Mandeb","type":"Submarine cable corridor","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SA","DJ","YE"],"detail":"About 15 cables pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait; the 2025 cuts were first reported off Jeddah but the location was not confirmed by Saudi authorities or the cable companies (ref 1). Coordinates are those of Jeddah.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":21.54,"lon":39.17,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Physical damage to seabed infrastructure in a heavily trafficked shallow sea lane.","secondary_drivers":["Anchor dragging","Armed conflict (2024 attribution unconfirmed)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports describe degraded internet connectivity only, with no ecological or health harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Microsoft Azure reported higher latency and Cloudflare reported delays of up to 30% between India and Europe after the September 2025 cuts (ref 2).","scale":"The cuts lie within the Red Sea corridor but disrupted traffic in at least 10 countries, so impact is regional (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Cables were cut in February 2024 and September 2025, and experts estimated disruption could last up to six weeks, so the problem has recurred (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The ICPC's analysis is an industry-body assessment and no enforcement or official attribution was reported (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The ICPC says 15 submarine cables pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and four were cut on 6 September 2025 (Associated Press, 8 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cables cut, September 2025","value":4,"unit":"cables","status":"Reported","note":"SEA-ME-WE 4, IMEWE, FALCON GCX and Europe India Gateway (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cables through Bab el-Mandeb","value":15,"unit":"cables","status":"Reported","note":"International Cable Protection Committee, via AP (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Providers lost some international transit capacity and traffic was rerouted at higher latency (ref 1).","Repairs are slowed because ships must navigate conflict zones and obtain permissions from several countries (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cuts occurred in February 2024 and September 2025; causes differ and the 2024 attribution was not confirmed (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Cable Protection Committee","role":"Industry body for submarine cable protection","contact":"https://www.iscpc.org"}],"public_contact":"ICPC publishes a general contact form on its website.","corrective_actions":["Operators rerouted traffic through alternative paths while repairs were arranged (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Commercial shipping likely cut Red Sea cables that disrupted internet access, experts say","publisher":"Associated Press (via KSAT)","date":"2025-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ksat.com/business/2025/09/09/commercial-shipping-likely-cut-red-sea-cables-that-disrupted-internet-access-experts-say/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Red Sea cable chaos: why the internet didn't go dark","publisher":"Gulf News","date":"2025-09-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfnews.com/technology/red-sea-cable-chaos-why-the-internet-didnt-go-dark-1.500263896","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Four undersea communication cables cut in the Red Sea: report","publisher":"MediaNama","date":"2024-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.medianama.com/2024/02/223-four-undersea-communication-cables-cut-red-sea-report/","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No primary government text of the joint statement was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-PORTSUDAN-RUSSIANBASE-2025"],"id":"OC-RED-ASSAB-ETHIOPIASEAACCESS-2026","title":"Ethiopia renewed its demand for a Red Sea outlet in October 2026 while Eritrea, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan said the sea is for littoral states","description":"Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told parliament in October 2026, after being sworn in for a second full term, that his government would work to give Ethiopia an outlet to the sea, with Eritrea's port of Assab long seen in Ethiopia as a possible prize. Before he spoke, Eritrea, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan issued a joint statement saying control of the Red Sea is the exclusive responsibility of the countries that border it. In March 2026 Abiy said Ethiopia would not go to war over sea access.","location":{"name":"Assab, Eritrea","type":"Port and maritime-access dispute","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["ER","ET","DJ"],"detail":"Assab is an Eritrean Red Sea port about 60 km from the Ethiopian border; Ethiopia lost direct sea access when Eritrea became independent, and most of its trade now passes through Djibouti (refs 1, 2). Coordinates are those of Assab.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":13.01,"lon":42.74,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A contested claim to Red Sea coastal access between a landlocked state and a littoral state.","secondary_drivers":["Border tensions","Landlocked-state trade dependence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No physical or ecological harm is reported in the cited sources; the concern is rising tension (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The sources record no route or port out of use, though Africanews says Ethiopia's reliance on Djibouti costs about $1.5 billion a year (ref 2).","scale":"Four littoral states issued a joint statement on Red Sea control, so the dispute is regional (ref 1).","duration":"The Assab question runs from Ethiopia's earlier maritime deal with Somaliland through statements in March and October 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A joint statement by Eritrea, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan and a pledge to parliament are formal diplomatic positions without treaty action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Eritrea, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan said control of the Red Sea is the 'exclusive responsibility' of the countries that border it, before Abiy told parliament Ethiopia would seek an outlet to the sea (Semafor, 7 October 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Annual cost of routing Ethiopian trade via Djibouti","value":1.5,"unit":"USD billion (estimated)","status":"Estimated","note":"Africanews estimate, 4 March 2026 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Ethiopia's trade runs through Djibouti at an estimated cost of about $1.5 billion a year (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Rhetoric and military displays escalated through 2026; the International Crisis Group warned of a possible regional war (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Ethiopia (Prime Minister's Office)","role":"Party seeking sea access","contact":"https://www.pmo.gov.et"},{"name":"Government of Eritrea (Ministry of Information)","role":"Party holding Assab","contact":"https://shabait.com"}],"public_contact":"Both governments publish contact details on their official sites.","corrective_actions":["Abiy said Ethiopia has no intention of invading or attacking others and wants to discuss access for trade (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ethiopia's PM Abiy Ahmed renews push for Red Sea access","publisher":"Semafor","date":"2026-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.semafor.com/article/10/07/2026/ethiopias-pm-abiy-ahmed-renews-push-for-red-sea-access","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Abiy Ahmed insists Ethiopia will not go to war over sea access","publisher":"Africanews","date":"2026-03-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.africanews.com/2026/03/04/abiy-ahmed-insists-ethiopia-will-not-go-to-war-over-sea-access/","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Saudi-Sudanese Red Sea Joint Commission\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Greenpeace, an advocacy organisation, is the only 2026 source; the company says activity is preparatory and the ministry says no licence is granted."}],"missing_fields":["No coordinates from a public source; no ISA or government primary document opened."],"related_ids":[],"id":"OC-RED-ATLANTISII-DEEPMINING-2026","title":"Licence applications to mine metal-rich sediments at Atlantis II Deep in the central Red Sea, while Saudi Arabia says no exploitation licence has been granted","description":"Greenpeace Germany reports that the Marine Mining Company has filed five licence applications with the Saudi-Sudanese Red Sea Joint Commission, including one for Atlantis II Deep, a roughly 60 km2 depression at 1,900 to 2,200 m. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources told the investigators that no exploitation licence is currently granted for the sea, and a company spokesperson said activities are at a preparatory and research level.","location":{"name":"Atlantis II Deep, central Red Sea","type":"Seabed mineral deposit","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SA","SD"],"detail":"Deep basin between Saudi Arabia and Sudan; a 1974 Saudi-Sudanese agreement made the seabed below 1,000 m a common zone governed by the Red Sea Joint Commission (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Proposed extraction of seabed metal deposits under a bilateral licensing regime.","secondary_drivers":["Mineral demand","Saudi Vision 2030 mining priority"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No mining is reported; Greenpeace describes potentially irreversible risks to deep-sea biodiversity if it proceeds, so harm is potential only (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources describe no closure, restriction or livelihood effect (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The deposit covers about 60 km2 at one deep basin (ref 1).","duration":"A 30-year lease was awarded in 2010, later revoked, and applications are pending in 2026, so the question has lasted more than a decade (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Licence applications are before the Joint Commission, which is a formal process, but the ministry says no exploitation licence has been issued (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Marine Mining Company has filed five licence applications with the Saudi-Sudanese Joint Commission, including one for Atlantis II Deep; the Saudi ministry says no exploitation licence is currently granted (Greenpeace Germany, 9 July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Licence applications filed with the Joint Commission","value":5,"unit":"applications","status":"Reported","note":"By the Marine Mining Company, per Greenpeace Germany (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated zinc in muds","value":3,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"World Ocean Review estimate with 740,000 t copper, 6,500 t silver and 46 t gold in about 89.5 million t of dry mud (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["A 2025 USD 1.44 billion fund deal was undermined when Saudi regulators revoked the fintech partner's licence (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One 2026 source reports pending applications; the 2010 lease was later revoked (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Saudi-Sudanese Red Sea Joint Commission","role":"Licensing authority for the common zone","contact":null},{"name":"Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources","role":"National mining ministry","contact":null}],"public_contact":"The Joint Commission has no published public channel found; the ministry publishes a general contact on its site.","corrective_actions":["Saudi Arabia's ministry said no exploitation licence is currently granted for the sea (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Deep sea, deep ties: Germany's Red Sea mining connection (part two)","publisher":"Greenpeace Deutschland","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.de/ueber-uns/investigative-recherche/deep-sea-mining-germanys-red-sea-mining-connection","basis":"NGO investigation"},{"ref":2,"title":"Metal-rich brines in the Red Sea","publisher":"World Ocean Review","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-3/mineral-resources/massive-sulphides/metal-rich-brines-in-the-red-sea/","basis":"Reference publication"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF)\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The NIOF findings were read through Divernet's summary of Egypt Independent reporting; the primary report was not opened. A 2022 committee found a Swiss diver's death was a diving accident, not a shark attack (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["NIOF final report not opened; no catch statistics from a fisheries agency."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-SAUDI-REEFFISHOVERFISHING-2025"],"id":"OC-RED-MARSAALAM-SHARKOVERFISHING-2024","title":"Egyptian scientists linked a fatal shark attack at Marsa Alam in December 2024 to Red Sea overfishing and proposed a fishing-boat ban","description":"An Italian tourist died after a shark attack near a resort jetty at Marsa Alam on 29 December 2024, and Egypt's National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF) scientific committee blamed overfishing by boats inside and outside nature reserves for the shark's aggression, according to Divernet's summary of Egypt Independent reporting. The committee recommended a year-long shark-monitoring programme and a ban on fishing boats across much of the Red Sea. Earlier Egyptian committees and NGOs made similar overfishing claims after 2022 and 2023 incidents.","location":{"name":"Marsa Alam, Egyptian Red Sea coast","type":"Coastal resort and reef area","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["EG"],"detail":"Marsa Alam, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt; the incident was near the Safaya Resort jetty (ref 1). Coordinates are those of Marsa Alam town.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":25.07,"lon":34.89,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Depleted reef fish stocks blamed for altered predator behaviour near shore.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal fishing inside reserves","Waste dumping from boats"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"One man died on 29 December 2024 and a second tourist who tried to help was bitten, per Divernet's account of the NIOF findings (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The committee recommended hotel-jetty rescue staff, workshops and swimming warnings, and Divernet reports no beach closure in this case (ref 1).","scale":"The committee proposed banning fishing boats from Ashrafi Reef to the Sudan border, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Similar overfishing links were drawn after the 2022 Marsa Alam and Sahl Hasheesh incidents and the June 2023 Hurghada death, so the pattern recurs (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A government institute's scientific committee issued a final report with formal recommendations, though no ban or order was reported as adopted (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NIOF's committee blamed overfishing by boats inside and outside nature reserves and said attacks will continue for years, even with a full fishing ban, until stocks recover (Divernet, 10 January 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reported annual catch versus claimed maximum, Egyptian Red Sea","value":20000,"unit":"tonnes per year (claimed)","status":"Reported","note":"ECESR cited a HEPCA adviser's claim of about 20,000 tonnes caught against a supposed maximum of 2,000 tonnes, in June 2023 (ref 3); not independently verified."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The committee proposed hotel-jetty rescue staff and sharks-awareness workshops for resort operators and boat captains (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Fatal incidents occurred in 2022, June 2023 and December 2024; the sources do not show a stock trend (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF)","role":"Scientific committee that issued the report","contact":null},{"name":"Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Red Sea Protectorates","role":"Nature reserve manager","contact":"https://www.eeaa.gov.eg"}],"public_contact":"NIOF and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency publish general contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The committee recommended a shark-monitoring programme, a shark-crisis committee and a ban on fishing boats across much of the Red Sea (ref 1).","A 2023 Ministry of Environment study of shark movements along 1,500 km of coast was announced (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Egyptians race to react to fatal shark incident","publisher":"Divernet","date":"2025-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://divernet.com/scuba-news/marine-biology/egyptians-race-to-react-to-fatal-shark-incident/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Diving accident, not shark attack, cause of Swiss tourist's death at Red Sea: researchers","publisher":"Egypt Independent","date":"2022-05-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://egyptindependent.com/diving-accident-not-shark-attack-cause-of-swiss-tourists-death-at-red-sea-researchers/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"After the recent shark incident in Hurghada, ECESR calls for an emergency plan to protect the marine ecosystem and stop poaching","publisher":"Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights","date":"2023-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecesr.org/en/after-the-recent-shark-incident-in-hurghada-the-egyptian-center-for-economic-and-social-rights-ecesr-recalls-for-an-emergency-plan-to-protect-marine-ecosystem-and-stop-poaching/","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Egypt to conduct shark behavior study in Red Sea","publisher":"Amwal Al Ghad","date":"2023-06-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.amwalalghad.com/?p=137157","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Source pages carry no exact publication date: the outlook slides are undated (file stamped June 2025) and the review gives only volume year 2026."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-SAU-BRINE-2025","OC-RED-MARSAALAM-SHARKOVERFISHING-2024"],"id":"OC-RED-SAUDI-REEFFISHOVERFISHING-2025","title":"Saudi Arabia's first coral reef outlook found large reef fish overfished and sharks, guitarfish and rays declining substantially on the Red Sea coast","description":"The SHAMS Outlook Report, a desktop review spanning more than 40 years, says large reef fishes such as reef sharks and groupers are overfished and often rare or absent except where fishers' access is limited. It also reports extensive bleaching damage on the Farasan Banks and nearshore reef impacts from coastal development in the central Red Sea. A 2026 review in the Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science says Vision 2030 coastal projects are pushing human use into reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves.","location":{"name":"Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast and Farasan Banks","type":"National Red Sea reef and fishing waters","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SA"],"detail":"Reefs from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Farasan Islands along Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Depleted reef fish and elasmobranch populations alongside coastal development pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal development and tourism","Bleaching","Data gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The outlook states sharks, guitarfish and rays have declined substantially and large reef fishes are overfished, with extensive bleaching damage on the Farasan Banks (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither source documents a fishery closure or income loss in Saudi waters (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The assessment covers the Saudi Red Sea coast, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The review spans more than 40 years from the 1980s, so overfishing is chronic (ref 1).","significance":"SHAMS, a Saudi government coral reef agency, issued the outlook as a formal assessment graded against a Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority method, without an enforcement order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In most areas large reef fishes (reef sharks and groupers) are overfished and often rare or absent from reefs, except where access by fishers is limited (SHAMS Outlook Report, presented at the Red Sea Coral Reef Forum)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Saudi Vision 2030 coastal tourism projects are increasing human use of reefs and seagrass beds (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The outlook reports substantial declines for sharks, guitarfish and rays and notes mangroves appear to be increasing from afforestation (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"SHAMS (General Organization for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea)","role":"Saudi coral reef authority","contact":"https://shams.gov.sa"}],"public_contact":"SHAMS publishes a general contact on its website.","corrective_actions":["The outlook identifies data gaps, research priorities and conservation strategies (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The SHAMS Outlook Report: Coral Reefs in the Red Sea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia","publisher":"SHAMS (via ICRI Coral Reef Forum)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icriforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/New-outlook-report.pdf","basis":"Agency report (slide presentation)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Impacts of coastal development and tourism on fisheries and aquatic biodiversity of the Red Sea: a review","publisher":"Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kauj.researchcommons.org/jmars/vol36/iss1/9","basis":"Peer-reviewed review"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"New record (RED in-depth pass)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Government of Sudan (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)\" set to null (was empty)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Status after February 2025 not verified; no primary government document opened."],"related_ids":["OC-RED-ASSAB-ETHIOPIASEAACCESS-2026"],"id":"OC-RED-PORTSUDAN-RUSSIANBASE-2025","title":"Sudan said in February 2025 that no obstacles remained to a Russian naval base at Port Sudan, with the deal not confirmed as ratified","description":"Sudan's foreign minister announced in Moscow on 12 February 2025 that the long-negotiated Russian naval logistics base at Port Sudan was agreed, reportedly for 25 years and able to host nuclear-armed ships. Atalayar reports the details were not finalised, and Russia's foreign minister had said in 2023 that ratification by a Sudanese legislature was still required. No later status was verified.","location":{"name":"Port Sudan","type":"Port and proposed naval base","sea":"RED","seas":["RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SD"],"detail":"Sudan's main Red Sea port, northeastern Sudan (ref 1). Coordinates are those of Port Sudan.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":19.62,"lon":37.22,"precision":"city","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A bilateral military-basing arrangement on a Red Sea coast.","secondary_drivers":["Great-power competition","Civil war in Sudan"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No physical or ecological harm is documented in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No port closure or restriction is attributed to the base proposal in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The proposed facility is at a single port, Port Sudan (ref 1).","duration":"Talks date from the Bashir era and an agreement was announced in February 2025, several years of negotiation but no operating base (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Only an announcement by the foreign minister is reported, and ratification is not confirmed (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sources cited by the BBC say the contract will last 25 years; the base could host nuclear-armed ships and more than 300 Russian troops (Atalayar, 13 February 2025)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No status after February 2025 was verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Sudan (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)","role":"Party to the proposed agreement","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Sudan's ministry publishes contact details on its official site.","corrective_actions":["None documented; the foreign minister said the base would not threaten other countries or Sudanese sovereignty (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Russia strengthens its influence in the Red Sea with a new naval base in Sudan","publisher":"Atalayar","date":"2025-02-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.atalayar.com/en/articulo/politics/russia-strengthens-its-influence-in-the-red-sea-with-new-naval-base-in-sudan/20250213170249211268.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Russia, Sudan agree on strategic Red Sea naval base","publisher":"VOA Africa","date":"2023-02-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.voaafrica.com/a/russia-sudan-agree-on-strategic-red-sea-naval-base/6982910.html","basis":"News"}]},{"id":"OC-BLK-KERCHSTRAIT-TANKERSPILL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fuel oil from two wrecked tankers fouls the Kerch Strait, Anapa and Crimea coasts, and a federal emergency follows","description":"Two Russian fuel-oil tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, wrecked in the Kerch Strait on 15 December 2024 and spilled about 2,400 tonnes of fuel oil according to Russia's Transport Ministry. Fuel oil reached the Anapa and Temryuk coasts and Crimea, regional and federal emergencies were declared, and Rospotrebnadzor declared 141 Anapa beaches and nine in Temryuk district unsuitable for recreation. By August 2026 pumping of fuel oil from the sunken tanker sections was reported complete, 111 Anapa beaches had received Rospotrebnadzor approval documents, and courts had ordered owners to pay about 84.9 billion rubles in environmental damage. After two tankers were damaged in a storm in the Kerch Strait on 14 December 2024, the Delfa Dolphin Rescue and Research Center reported 32 dolphin deaths it said were most likely related to the fuel-oil spill, most of them endangered Azov harbour porpoises. Russian authorities said up to 200,000 tons of soil may have been contaminated, and Rospotrebnadzor declared 141 Anapa beaches unfit for recreation, a status its head said still applied in February 2026. Local reports in March 2026 described dead birds and dolphins left uncollected on Anapa beaches.","location":{"name":"Kerch Strait, Anapa and Crimea coasts","type":"Strait and coastline fuel oil spill","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RU","UA"],"detail":"Spill from tankers wrecked in the Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov; oiled coasts in Krasnodar Territory (Anapa, Temryuk district) and Crimea including Kerch and Sevastopol (Crimea is internationally recognised as Ukraine and administered by Russia).","coordinates":{"lat":44.89,"lon":37.32,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":44.89,"lon":37.32,"precision":"city","source_ref":3,"role":"Anapa resort coast, most polluted beaches"},{"lat":45.36,"lon":36.47,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Kerch, municipal emergency, fuel oil ashore from 21 December 2024"},{"lat":44.62,"lon":33.52,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"Sevastopol, fuel oil reached the port area"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A fuel-oil spill from wrecked tankers contaminating beaches, sea and wildlife.","secondary_drivers":["Storm-related tanker wreck","Ship casualty"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Rospotrebnadzor declared 141 Anapa beaches and nine in Temryuk district unsuitable for recreation and over 185,000 tonnes of contaminated sand and soil were collected (ref 3); a Sochi-based NGO recorded 61 dead marine mammals, 32 of them found after 15 December (ref 7).","livelihoods":"Swimming bans were posted on Anapa and Temryuk beaches and the governor waived the tourist tax for the year while saying Anapa would be ready for tourists in the next season (ref 3); 111 Anapa beaches had approval documents by August 2026 (ref 1).","scale":"Oil reached the Krasnodar Territory coast and Crimea, with fuel oil also reported on the Odesa coast of Ukraine, so two national coastlines are affected (refs 2, 7); it is not basin-wide.","duration":"The wreck was on 15 December 2024 and pumping from the sunken sections was only reported complete on 21 August 2026, with coast monitoring continuing (ref 1).","significance":"Krasnodar Territory, Crimea and Sevastopol declared emergencies and a federal emergency is in effect (refs 1, 2), and the Krasnodar arbitration court ordered 49.46 billion rubles from the Volgoneft-212 owners (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 2,400 tonnes of fuel oil spilled from four damaged tanks; Rosprirodnadzor damage claims total about 84.9 billion rubles (Interfax, 21 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel oil spilled","value":2400,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Russian Transport Ministry estimate (refs 1, 5); other outlets give 26% to 40% of about 9,200 tonnes (ref 7)."},{"name":"Contaminated sand and soil collected","value":185000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Government commission statement of 12 December 2025, of which 160,000 tonnes disposed of (ref 3)."},{"name":"Anapa beaches declared unsuitable for recreation","value":141,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Plus nine in Temryuk district (ref 3)."},{"name":"Environmental damage awarded or claimed","value":84.9,"unit":"billion rubles","status":"Reported","note":"35.483 billion against Volgatransneft (Volgoneft-239) and 49.46 billion against Kama Shipping (Volgoneft-212) (ref 1); the 49.46 billion was ordered by the court on 13 August 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Anapa clean-up costs claimed by the city","value":211,"unit":"million rubles","status":"Reported","note":"Lawsuit announced 10 March 2025 against Volgatransneft and Kama Shipping (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Anapa beaches closed for recreation and a tourist-tax waiver announced for the year (ref 3).","The city of Anapa sued the tanker owners for 211 million rubles of clean-up costs (ref 6)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"By 21 August 2026 pumping from the wrecks and beach filling were complete and no new petroleum products were recorded ashore (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Emergency Situations (government commission chair)","role":"Leads the federal response","contact":"https://mchs.gov.ru"},{"name":"Rosprirodnadzor","role":"Environmental damage assessment and court claims","contact":"https://rpn.gov.ru"},{"name":"Rospotrebnadzor","role":"Beach sanitary approval","contact":"https://www.rospotrebnadzor.ru"},{"name":"Russian Ministry of Natural Resources","role":"Environment ministry","contact":"https://www.mnr.gov.ru/"},{"name":"Delfa Dolphin Rescue and Research Center","role":"Stranding recorder","contact":"https://www.delfa.net/"}],"public_contact":"Rosprirodnadzor and the Ministry of Emergency Situations publish general contact channels on their websites (rpn.gov.ru, mchs.gov.ru).","corrective_actions":["Pumping of fuel oil from the sunken tanker sections was completed and confirmed by a commission (ref 1).","Rosprirodnadzor won a 49.46 billion ruble judgment against the Volgoneft-212 owners and sued the Volgoneft-239 owner for 35.5 billion (refs 1, 4).","Rospotrebnadzor is issuing approval documents beach by beach (ref 1).","Clean-up of contaminated sand and soil ran in Anapa and Temryuk (ref 3).","The Kuban Ministry of Natural Resources sued the owners and charterer of the tankers in February 2026 (ref 4).","A beach lessee began adding quarried sand to a test site at Vityazevo in February 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Interfax, Krasnodar: pumping of fuel oil from sunken tanker parts complete","publisher":"Interfax","date":"2026-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/118816/","basis":"News agency"},{"ref":2,"title":"Interfax, Simferopol: Crimea head says spill to get federal emergency status","publisher":"Interfax","date":"2024-12-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/108864/","basis":"News agency"},{"ref":3,"title":"Authorities announced that 90% of the fuel oil spill near Anapa has been collected","publisher":"Caucasian Knot","date":"2025-12-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/71168","basis":"News (cites government commission statement)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kuban court orders payment of almost 50 billion rubles for fuel oil spill in Black Sea","publisher":"Caucasian Knot","date":"2025-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amp.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/67202","basis":"News (court ruling reported)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Interfax: Rosprirodnadzor to assess damage from Kerch spill, will sue owners if they do not pay","publisher":"Interfax","date":"2025-02-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/109853/","basis":"News agency"},{"ref":6,"title":"A Black Sea resort town is suing Russian ship companies after 10,000 people had to shovel spilled oil off its beaches","publisher":"Business Insider (via Yahoo News)","date":"2025-03-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/black-sea-resort-town-suing-075402751.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Black Sea: the oil spill from the tanker sinking continues spreading for three weeks","publisher":"ProtoThema English","date":"2025-01-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.protothema.gr/2025/01/08/black-sea-the-oil-spill-from-the-tanker-sinking-continues-spreading-for-three-weeks/","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"Dead dolphins and birds found on Russian Black Sea coast after oil spill","publisher":"Novaya Gazeta Europe","date":"2024-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/12/23/dead-dolphins-and-birds-found-on-russian-black-sea-coast-after-oil-spill-en-news","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Tackling the Russia-Ukraine War's Environmental Damage in the Black Sea","publisher":"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/02/tackling-the-russia-ukraine-wars-environmental-damage-in-the-black-sea","basis":"Think-tank commentary"},{"ref":10,"title":"More than 30 dolphins have died since an oil spill near southern Russia, experts say","publisher":"Associated Press","date":"2025-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2025/01/05/more-than-30-dolphins-have-died-since-an-oil-spill-near-southern-russia-experts-say/","basis":"News (wire service)"},{"ref":11,"title":"Bloggers have called for Anapa beaches to be cleared of dead birds and dolphins","publisher":"Caucasian Knot","date":"2026-03-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.caucasianknot.info/articles/73533","basis":"News"},{"ref":12,"title":"Anapa","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapa","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"},{"ref":13,"title":"Kerch Strait","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerch_Strait","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Spilled volume differs by source: about 2,400 tonnes per the Transport Ministry (refs 1, 5); a Polish water-affairs outlet cited nearly 40% of about 9,200 tonnes (about 3,700 tonnes), which was not used."},{"note":"The Business Insider article says a federal emergency was declared in mid-January 2025; Interfax of 26 December 2024 says Crimea's head announced federal status, and Interfax of August 2026 says a federal emergency is in effect."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BLK-KERCH-SPILLCETACEANS-2024 (Dolphins, birds and Anapa beaches affected by the December 2024 Kerch Strait fuel-oil spill, with clean-up and litigation still open in 2026): wildlife group filed the cetacean and bird deaths from the same spill"}],"missing_fields":["Dead-wildlife count rests on one NGO figure reported by ProtoThema; no official count opened.","Whether the August 2025 judgments were paid or appealed is not stated in the opened pages.","Interfax and Caucasian Knot are Russian-state-adjacent or independent outlets; no primary Rosprirodnadzor or court page was opened.","Delfa's count and Rospotrebnadzor's figures were read only as relayed by AP and Caucasian Knot; no agency page was opened.","The Carnegie commentary says Volgoneft-212 sank while AP and Novaya Gazeta say both tankers ran aground or were damaged; tonnages differ by source (Carnegie 4,300 t mazut, Russian ministry up to 200,000 t of soil)."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ODESA-FUELOIL-2025","OC-BLK-TUZLY-PORPOISES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-ODESA-FUELOIL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fuel oil clots from the Kerch Strait tanker spill wash up on the Odesa coast","description":"In late January 2025 Ukrainian environmental inspectors found fuel oil clots of 0.5 to 5 cm on the Odesa region coast, including a 1.5 km line at Katranka where a sand sample held 10.5% petroleum hydrocarbons by mass, and a petroleum film in Odesa port. The pollution was traced to the Russian tankers wrecked in the Kerch Strait on 15 December 2024. Collection of the clots began on 29 January and the environment ministry asked for wider monitoring and an assessment of risks to coastal nature reserves.","location":{"name":"Odesa region coast, Katranka to Mykolaivka","type":"Coastline fuel oil contamination","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["UA"],"detail":"Coast of Odesa oblast west and south of Odesa city (Katranka in Lyman community, Kurortne, Mykolaivka in Serhiivka community, Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park), Ukraine.","coordinates":{"lat":46.48,"lon":30.72,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil from a distant tanker wreck contaminating a national coast.","secondary_drivers":["Transboundary oil spill drift","Tanker wreck"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A sand sample at Katranka contained 10.5% petroleum hydrocarbons by mass (105 g/kg) along a 1.5 km oiled line (ref 1), and about 5,000 dead jellyfish on 2 km of shore were linked to the fuel oil by a Tuzly park biologist (ref 3).","livelihoods":"None of the cited reports documents a beach closure, fishing restriction or port stoppage on the Odesa coast; a petroleum film in Odesa port on 28 January is the only port-related finding (ref 1).","scale":"Findings are a few shoreline stretches within one oblast, from Katranka to Mykolaivka (ref 1), and on 8 January 2025 the Odesa coast had not been considered at risk (ref 2).","duration":"Fuel oil was found from 24 to 30 January 2025 and clean-up started on 29 January, with monitoring ongoing three weeks later (refs 1, 3): weeks.","significance":"The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection ordered stronger monitoring, wider zones and a risk analysis for reserves, and the oblast safety commission met in extraordinary session (refs 1, 3): a formal notice."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sand sample at Katranka held 10.5% petroleum hydrocarbons by mass (Ukrainian ministry data via USM, 3 February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Petroleum hydrocarbons in sand sample, Katranka","value":10.5,"unit":"% by mass","status":"Reported","note":"Sample 24 January 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Length of oiled shoreline line, Katranka","value":1.5,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Line 1.5 to 2 m wide, 24 m from the sea (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dead jellyfish on surveyed shore","value":5000,"unit":"individuals","status":"Estimated","note":"2 to 3 per metre along 2 km, counted by a park employee (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Reports cover only 24 January to 7 February 2025 (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine","role":"National environment ministry","contact":"https://mepr.gov.ua"},{"name":"State Environmental Inspectorate, South-Western District","role":"Coast and water monitoring in Odesa and Mykolaiv regions","contact":"https://dei.gov.ua"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, general channels on mepr.gov.ua.","corrective_actions":["Fuel oil clots are collected for disposal by licensed companies (ref 1).","Four laboratories test seawater samples (ref 1).","Utilities began cleaning oil from the coast on 29 January 2025 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fuel oil from Russian tankers: pollution monitoring work continues in the Odesa region","publisher":"USM (Ukrainian news outlet)","date":"2025-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.usm.media/?p=168407","basis":"News (reports ministry statements)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Environmental threat in the Black Sea: spread of fuel oil after a tanker accident","publisher":"Humanitarian Media Hub","date":"2025-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hmh.news/en/8951/environmental-threat-in-the-black-sea-spread-of-fuel-oil-after-a-tanker-accident/","basis":"News (cites Ukrainian environment ministry and UkrSCEM)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Jellyfish poisoned by fuel oil die en masse on the coast of Odesa region","publisher":"Intent","date":"2025-02-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://intent.press/en/news/ecology/2025/mass-jellyfish-deaths-linked-to-fuel-oil-pollution-in-the-black-sea/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"On 8 January 2025 the Odesa coast was not considered at risk (ref 2); oil was found there from 24 January (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Ukrainian-language ministry page not opened; figures come from English-language news reporting ministry statements.","The jellyfish die-off link to fuel oil is a park biologist's assessment (ref 3), not a laboratory result."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-KERCHSTRAIT-TANKERSPILL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-TUAPSE-PORTSPILL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Oil slick off Tuapse port after an April 2026 drone strike on the marine terminal","description":"Krasnodar regional emergency authorities said a drone strike on the port of Tuapse on 16 April 2026 damaged marine terminal infrastructure and caused an oil spill, detected about 2.7 km offshore on 19 April. Officials put the polluted area at about 10,000 square metres and deployed booms, while the monitoring group Transparent World estimated about 7 square kilometres from satellite imagery. Petroleum products also reached the Tuapse River, though officials described that contamination as localised.","location":{"name":"Port of Tuapse marine terminal","type":"Port oil terminal and offshore slick","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RU"],"detail":"Tuapse port and terminal, Krasnodar Territory, Russia's northeastern Black Sea coast; slick about 1.5 nautical miles offshore.","coordinates":{"lat":44.1,"lon":39.07,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Oil released at a port terminal into the sea after an attack.","secondary_drivers":["Military strike on oil infrastructure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Regional specialists estimated 10,000 square metres polluted and Transparent World about 7 square kilometres, with petroleum products reaching the Tuapse River (ref 1); no wildlife or sample results were published in the opened sources.","livelihoods":"Neither cited article reports a beach closure or fishing restriction, although the terminal was hit by fires and the port was attacked again on 20 April (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One port terminal and a slick about 2.7 km offshore, with a 10,000 square metre official area and a 7 square kilometre independent estimate (ref 1).","duration":"The strike was on 16 April, the slick was detected on 19 April and the articles date from 20 and 21 April 2026, so weeks at most are documented (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Krasnodar regional emergency response headquarters formally attributed the spill to the strike and deployed floating booms (ref 1); no enforcement order or court action found."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Official estimate of about 10,000 square metres polluted; independent satellite estimate of about 7 square kilometres (The Insider, 21 April 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Polluted area, official estimate","value":10000,"unit":"square metres","status":"Reported","note":"Regional specialists (ref 1)."},{"name":"Slick area, independent satellite estimate","value":7,"unit":"square kilometres","status":"Estimated","note":"Transparent World from satellite imagery; also cited by the Moscow Times (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Slick distance offshore","value":2.7,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"About 1.5 nautical miles, detected 19 April 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Rosneft-owned Tuapse refinery and export terminal were struck twice within a week (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the first days after the strike are documented (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Krasnodar Territory emergency response headquarters","role":"Regional spill response","contact":"https://admkrai.krasnodar.ru"},{"name":"Rosprirodnadzor","role":"Federal environmental supervision","contact":"https://rpn.gov.ru"}],"public_contact":"Krasnodar Territory administration general channels on admkrai.krasnodar.ru.","corrective_actions":["Floating containment booms were deployed at sea and containment work continues (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil spill off Tuapse after drone strike (Russian authorities and Transparent World)","publisher":"The Insider","date":"2026-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theins.co/en/news/291801","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ukrainian drone attack on Tuapse port kills 1","publisher":"The Moscow Times","date":"2026-04-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/05/01/ukrainian-drone-attack-on-tuapse-port-kills-1","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Official area (10,000 square metres) and independent estimate (about 7 square kilometres) differ by roughly 700 times; both are reported (ref 1)."},{"note":"The Moscow Times article is on a URL dated 1 May 2026 but its text is dated 20 April 2026; the page date was used."}],"missing_fields":["Cause is as stated by Russian regional authorities; no independent attribution was opened.","No follow-up on clean-up completion or water sampling was found.","A search showed Novorossiysk and CPC terminal strikes in November 2025 and March 2026; the opened articles report fires but no sea spill, so no record was made."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-NOVOROSSIYSK-CPCTANKERS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-BLACKSEA-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record Black Sea marine heatwave in 2024 with anomalies above 4.6 C and events lasting over 30 days","description":"A Copernicus Marine Ocean State Report chapter published in September 2026 found that the Black Sea and Mediterranean both had record marine heatwave intensities and durations in 2024, with anomalies above 4.6 degrees C along the Anatolian coast and events lasting over 30 days. Turkish marine scientists reported surface water near 27 C in September 2024 against a normal of about 22 C, and Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded record annual sea-surface temperatures for the Black Sea in 2024.","location":{"name":"Black Sea basin, strongest on the Anatolian coast","type":"Regional sea marine heatwave","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TR","BG","RO","UA","RU","GE"],"detail":"Whole Black Sea; the CMCC study singles out the Anatolian (Turkish) coast, the area west of Crimea and the central and south-western basin.","coordinates":{"lat":43.5,"lon":34,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Marine heatwaves are a physical climate extreme of ocean temperature.","secondary_drivers":["Atmospheric warming","Summer upwelling variability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A Turkish ecologist estimated warming may have raised the spread of Mediterranean alien species in Turkish seas by 5 to 6 times and warned warm surface water can reduce oxygen (refs 3, 5), but no mortality event is documented in these sources.","livelihoods":"A Karadeniz Technical University professor said anchovy fishing practices should be reconsidered (ref 2), but no closure or catch loss is documented.","scale":"The whole Black Sea is affected, with strong events covering more than 80% of the basin in the CMCC analysis (ref 1), which scores as a regional sea.","duration":"Events lasted over 30 days and moderate events were detected on more than 125 days in 2024 (ref 1), after a record-hot July 2023 reported by Turkish researchers (ref 5).","significance":"The Copernicus Marine Ocean State Report and the Copernicus Climate Change Service report record temperatures (refs 1, 4); no emergency or enforcement action."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In 2024 the Black Sea had record-high marine heatwave intensities and durations, with anomalies exceeding 4.6 C in places such as the Anatolian coast and events lasting over 30 days (Copernicus Marine OSR10, September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak SST-based marine heatwave anomaly, Anatolian coast","value":4.6,"unit":"C above threshold (exceeded)","status":"Reported","note":"2024 map in ref 1; reported as exceeding 4.6 C."},{"name":"Days with moderate marine heatwave conditions, 2024","value":125,"unit":"days (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Both SST and ocean-heat-content definitions (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of basin with strong events","value":80,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Black Sea mean SST 2023 against 1970-2023 mean","value":16.8,"unit":"C (mean 15.3)","status":"Reported","note":"Turkish figures cited by Istanbul University scientists (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A fisheries scientist said anchovy fishing practices should be reconsidered under the warmer conditions (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Record 2024 event after record July 2023 temperatures, per refs 1 and 5."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Copernicus Marine Service","role":"Ocean State Report and monitoring","contact":"https://marine.copernicus.eu"},{"name":"Turkish State Meteorological Service","role":"National met office","contact":"https://mgm.gov.tr"}],"public_contact":"Copernicus Marine Service helpdesk via marine.copernicus.eu.","corrective_actions":["CMCC authors propose a monitoring approach for marine heatwaves in the Black and Mediterranean Seas (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Establishing a monitoring approach for marine heatwaves in the Black and Mediterranean Seas (OSR10 chapter 2.2)","publisher":"State of the Planet (Copernicus), CMCC authors","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sp.copernicus.org/articles/7-osr10/5/2026/","basis":"Peer-reviewed report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Prof. Erüz: heated sea water creates flood risk on the Black Sea (Turkish, DHA)","publisher":"Habertürk","date":"2024-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.haberturk.com/karadeniz-deki-afetler-isinan-deniz-suyu-sel-riski-olusturuyor-3723836","basis":"News (Turkish language)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Species spreading to the Black Sea with warming threaten the marine ecosystem (Turkish)","publisher":"Haber7","date":"2024-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.haber7.com/teknoloji/haber/3446871-sicaklik-artisiyla-karadenize-yayilan-turler-deniz-ekosistemini-tehdit-ediyor","basis":"News (Turkish language)"},{"ref":4,"title":"European State of the Climate 2024: European ocean","publisher":"Copernicus Climate Change Service","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climate.copernicus.eu/esotc/2024/european-ocean","basis":"Agency report (page shows no publication date)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Experts warn: Black Sea water temperature at 53-year high (Turkish, DHA)","publisher":"GZT","date":"2023-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gzt.com/gundem/uzmanlar-endiselenmemiz-gerek-deyip-uyardi-karadenizde-su-sicakligi-53-yilin-zirvesinde-2038303","basis":"News (Turkish language, just before the window)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The C3S page does not give a Black Sea-specific figure and shows no publication date; the date given is inferred.","No Black Sea-specific mortality, fishery loss or coral-like impact documented in opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-MARMARA-MUCILAGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-MARMARA-MUCILAGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sea snot returns to the Sea of Marmara in 2024 as most promised wastewater plants are still unbuilt","description":"Mucilage returned to the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus and Dardanelles about three years after the 2021 outbreak, with a diver documenting it at 5 to 25 metres depth in the Gulf of Erdek in December 2024. Türkiye's environment ministry says almost 80% of the 169 advanced biological wastewater plants municipalities pledged under the 22-item Marmara action plan were not fully established, and fined four municipalities about TL 9 million in one month in January 2025.","location":{"name":"Sea of Marmara, Gulf of Erdek","type":"Inland sea mucilage bloom","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TR"],"detail":"Sea of Marmara and connecting straits (Bosphorus, Dardanelles), documented by diving in the Gulf of Erdek where the Gönen Stream enters; about 25 million people live around the sea.","coordinates":{"lat":40.4,"lon":27.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient-rich wastewater and warm, stagnant water drive mucilage blooms.","secondary_drivers":["Municipal wastewater","Warm, stagnant water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A diver documented mucilage at 5 to 25 m in the Gulf of Erdek, and fishers say fish die in large numbers in severe mucilage years (ref 1), but no measured mortality or standard exceedance is reported.","livelihoods":"Fishers told Bianet that mucilage sinks and breaks nets, buoys, reels and winches and that they avoid affected areas (ref 1).","scale":"The recurrence is reported across the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (ref 1), a national sea rather than a single bay.","duration":"The first outbreak was in 2021 (ref 3) and it returned in December 2024 and was still reported in January 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The environment ministry fined Istanbul, Bursa, Tekirdağ and Balıkesir municipalities about TL 9 million in one month for discharges (ref 2), an enforcement action."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Almost 80% of the 169 advanced wastewater plants pledged by municipalities under the Marmara action plan were not fully established ahead of the June 2025 deadline (Daily Sabah, 26 January 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Advanced biological wastewater plants pledged","value":169,"unit":"plants","status":"Reported","note":"Almost 80% not fully established (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fines on four municipalities in one month","value":9,"unit":"million TL","status":"Reported","note":"Istanbul 1.3, Bursa 3.3, Tekirdağ and Balıkesir 4.3 combined (ref 2)."},{"name":"Depth range where mucilage was observed","value":25,"unit":"m (maximum; seen from 5 m)","status":"Reported","note":"Dive in Gulf of Erdek (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers in the Gulf of Erdek report net and equipment damage and avoidance of affected areas (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A 2021 outbreak was followed by a reported return in December 2024 and a ministry warning in January 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (Türkiye)","role":"Marmara Sea action plan, wastewater inspections and fines","contact":"https://csb.gov.tr"},{"name":"Marmara Municipalities Union","role":"Local government coordination","contact":"https://marmara.gov.tr"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, general channels on csb.gov.tr.","corrective_actions":["The 22-item Marmara action plan (June 2021) requires advanced biological treatment at existing plants and wastewater monitoring (ref 3).","Ministry inspections and fines on municipalities for discharges, January 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fishery is dying: underwater video reveals return of sea snot in Türkiye's Marmara Sea","publisher":"Bianet English","date":"2024-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bianet.org/haber/underwater-video-reveals-return-of-sea-snot-in-marmara-sea-302811","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Turkish opposition-run cities accused of polluting Marmara Sea","publisher":"Daily Sabah","date":"2025-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/turkish-opposition-run-cities-accused-of-polluting-marmara-sea/news/amp","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ministry unveils action plan to tackle the sea snot problem in Marmara","publisher":"Bianet English","date":"2021-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bianet.org/haber/ministry-unveils-action-plan-to-tackle-the-sea-snot-problem-in-marmara-245252","basis":"News (background, 2021)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Daily Sabah, which reports the ministry's position, says the minister blames CHP-run municipalities and that the minister said not a single step of the most critical actions had been taken; the municipalities' own account was not opened (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["No ministry or measured nutrient or oxygen data opened for 2024; the Bianet piece rests on fisher and academic testimony.","The ministry's own Turkish-language action-plan progress report was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ISTANBUL-CANAL-2026","OC-BLK-BLACKSEA-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-ROMANIANSHELF-EUTROPHICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Romanian Black Sea waters remain eutrophic, with falling oxygen and rising Noctiluca blooms","description":"A 2024 assessment of the Romanian exclusive economic zone for 2020 to 2022, based on 68 stations and 617 water samples, found coastal waters carry higher nutrient levels and more algal blooms than offshore water. A 2025 analysis of 1960 to 2023 data on the Romanian coast found rising seawater temperature, falling oxygen and a rising nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio linked to more Noctiluca scintillans blooms.","location":{"name":"Romanian Black Sea coast and EEZ","type":"Coastal and shelf waters, eutrophication","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RO"],"detail":"Romanian coast and exclusive economic zone including Danube Delta transitional waters and the northwestern shelf, assessed by the Grigore Antipa institute in Constanța.","coordinates":{"lat":44.18,"lon":28.65,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Excess nitrogen and phosphorus drive blooms and oxygen loss in coastal water.","secondary_drivers":["Danube nutrient loads","Agricultural run-off","Warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Coastal waters need roughly 38% less phosphorus and 37% less nitrogen to reach good environmental status, and the 1960-2023 record shows falling oxygen and more Noctiluca blooms (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither peer-reviewed paper reports a fishery or beach restriction tied to the eutrophication findings.","scale":"The assessment covers the Romanian EEZ and coast, 68 stations in 2020 to 2022 (ref 1), a national coastline rather than the whole sea.","duration":"Eutrophication has affected the Black Sea since the 1980s and the Romanian record runs from 1960 to 2023 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Two peer-reviewed assessments by the national marine institute; no formal notice, listing or enforcement is reported in the opened abstracts (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Romanian coastal waters need about 38% less phosphorus and 37% less nitrogen, and Danube Delta transitional waters about 55% and 43%, to reach good environmental status (Lazar et al., Sustainability, June 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Phosphorus reduction needed, coastal waters","value":38,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Inorganic phosphorus, BEAST assessment 2020-2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nitrogen reduction needed, coastal waters","value":37,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Inorganic nitrogen (ref 1)."},{"name":"Phosphorus reduction needed, Danube Delta transitional waters","value":55,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Water samples analysed","value":617,"unit":"samples","status":"Reported","note":"68 stations, five expeditions 2020-2022 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The 1960-2023 coastal record shows rising temperature, falling oxygen and more frequent harmful blooms (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Institute for Marine Research and Development Grigore Antipa","role":"Black Sea monitoring and assessment","contact":"https://www.rmri.ro"},{"name":"Romanian Waters Administration (Apele Române)","role":"Water management and nutrient controls","contact":"https://rowater.ro"}],"public_contact":"Grigore Antipa Institute, Constanța, general channels on rmri.ro.","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend better wastewater treatment, stricter agricultural run-off controls, buffer zones and Marine Strategy Framework Directive aligned management (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Black Sea Eutrophication Comparative Analysis of Intensity between Coastal and Offshore Waters","publisher":"Sustainability (MDPI)","date":"2024-06-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125146","basis":"Peer-reviewed study; abstract read via RePEc, date from Crossref"},{"ref":2,"title":"A Long-Term Perspective of Seasonal Shifts in Nutrient Dynamics and Eutrophication in the Romanian Black Sea Coast","publisher":"Sustainability (MDPI)","date":"2025-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031090","basis":"Peer-reviewed study; abstract read via RePEc, date from Crossref"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only abstracts could be read; the MDPI full texts returned HTTP 403.","No news or agency page about the specific issue was opened beyond the two peer-reviewed papers."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ROMANIANCOAST-EROSION-2025","OC-BLK-BLACKSEA-COMMISSIONCHAIR-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-ROMANIANCOAST-EROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Romanian Black Sea coast and Danube Delta erode by up to 8 m a year as beach works run over budget","description":"Reporting by the Balkans and Caucasus observatory OBCT in August and September 2025 says 43% of Romania's coastline is highly sensitive to erosion and 37% is already receding, with the Danube Delta losing up to 8 m a year and peaks of 20 m. A coastal protection programme launched in 2013 with over 840 million euros of EU funding has added beaches and breakwaters between Mamaia and Eforie, and Apele Române defends the shift from nature-based solutions to breakwaters and nourishment.","location":{"name":"Romanian coast and Danube Delta","type":"Eroding sandy coast and delta","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RO"],"detail":"Romanian Black Sea coast of about 250 km: the southern resorts (Mamaia, Eforie, Costinești, Mangalia) and the Danube Delta coast, which is over 160 km and 65% eroding.","coordinates":{"lat":44.26,"lon":28.62,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":44.26,"lon":28.62,"precision":"city","source_ref":1,"role":"Mamaia, protected beach works"},{"lat":45.16,"lon":29.65,"precision":"city","source_ref":2,"role":"Sulina, delta mouth and navigation channel"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastline retreat from sea-level rise, subsidence and reduced Danube sediment.","secondary_drivers":["Reduced Danube sediment from dams","Port and channel structures","Land subsidence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"37% of the Romanian coastline is already receding, with up to 8 m a year lost in the Danube Delta (ref 1) and 65% of the delta coast eroding (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Beaches have shrunk each year at Mamaia, Eforie and Saturn-Mangalia, which receive over eight million visitors, but no closure or economic loss figure is documented (ref 1).","scale":"The Romanian national coastline of about 250 km is affected, not the whole sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The programme started in 2013 and the Danube now carries about a third of its former sediment, so retreat is long-running and chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A national Master Plan from 2012 and EU-funded protection programme are formal action, and Apele Române is the responsible agency (refs 1, 2); no enforcement order."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"43% of the Romanian coastline is highly sensitive to erosion and 37% is already receding; Danube Delta rates reach 8 m a year with peaks of 20 m (OBCT, 10 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Romanian coastline already receding","value":37,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Danube Delta coast eroding","value":65,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Peak delta erosion rate","value":8,"unit":"m per year","status":"Reported","note":"Peaks of 20 m (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-level rise over about 50 years","value":15,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1 and ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Mamaia, Eforie and Saturn-Mangalia receive over eight million visitors on beaches that are smaller every year (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Erosion continues despite two phases of works; beaches keep shrinking at southern resorts (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Apele Române (Romanian Waters Administration)","role":"Coastal protection works","contact":"https://rowater.ro"},{"name":"Delta-Hub (Horizon Europe project)","role":"Hydrodynamic studies for authorities","contact":"https://www.unibuc.ro"}],"public_contact":"Apele Române general channels on rowater.ro.","corrective_actions":["Phase 1 (about 170 million euros) added 60 hectares of beach and phase 2 adds transverse breakwaters, artificial reefs and over 220 hectares of beach (refs 1, 2).","Researchers propose a sediment bypass at the estuary jetties and deepening the Sulina discharge (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Romania and coastal erosion: sustainability can wait","publisher":"Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)","date":"2025-09-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/en/cp_article/romania-and-coastal-erosion-sustainability-can-wait/","basis":"News analysis"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sand, wind, concrete. Romania faces up to coastal erosion","publisher":"Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)","date":"2025-08-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/en/cp_article/sand-wind-concrete-romania-faces-up-to-coastal-erosion/","basis":"News analysis"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ref 1 gives over 840 million euros of EU funding for the overall project from 2013; ref 2 gives about 840 million euros for phase two alone."}],"missing_fields":["No Romanian agency report on erosion rates was opened; figures are the OBCT author's, citing researchers.","Bulgarian and Georgian coastal erosion not covered: no sourced page found."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ROMANIANSHELF-EUTROPHICATION-2025","OC-BLK-BLACKSEACOAST-BEACHPLASTIC-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-BLACKSEACOAST-BEACHPLASTIC-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic dominates litter on Bulgarian and Turkish Black Sea beaches, with none meeting the EU threshold in Bulgaria","description":"A 2023 survey of 45 Bulgarian beaches found 753 litter items per 100 m on average, down 48% from 1,462 in 2021, with plastics dominating and none of the beaches meeting the EU threshold of 20 items per 100 m. A 2025 study of 37 stations on the Turkish Black Sea shoreline recorded 29,610 items at 0.80 items per square metre, 88.2% of them plastics, with the highest pollution in the east and hazardous items such as syringes and broken glass at some sites.","location":{"name":"Bulgarian and Turkish Black Sea beaches","type":"Beach litter, two national coastlines","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BG","TR"],"detail":"Bulgarian sandy beaches (hotspots Kavatsite, Bolata, Slanchev Bryag, Nessebar South, Burgas Port Wall) and the Turkish Black Sea shoreline, highest litter in the eastern part.","coordinates":{"lat":42.5,"lon":29.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic litter accumulates on beaches along two national coastlines.","secondary_drivers":["Single-use plastics","Riverine litter","Tourism"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No surveyed Bulgarian beach met the EU threshold of 20 items per 100 m and Turkish beaches held 29,610 items, 88.2% plastics, with syringes, broken glass and sharp metal at some sites (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither study documents a beach closure or tourism loss; the Bulgarian study rates average cleanliness as moderate (ref 1).","scale":"Surveys span the Bulgarian coast and the Turkish shoreline, two national coastlines (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Bulgarian litter was 1,462 items per 100 m in 2021 and 753 in 2023, so the problem is chronic and recurring through surveys in 2021, 2023 and later Turkish work (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Two peer-reviewed surveys, no formal notice or enforcement action; the Turkish study calls for basin-wide monitoring and harmonised methods (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Bulgarian beaches averaged 753 items per 100 m in 2023, down 48% from 2021; Turkish shoreline surveys recorded 29,610 items, 88.2% plastics."},"measures":[{"name":"Bulgarian beach litter density, 2023","value":753,"unit":"items per 100 m","status":"Reported","note":"45 beaches; down 48% from 1,462 in 2021 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Turkish shoreline litter items recorded","value":29610,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"37 stations, average 0.80 items per square metre (ref 2)."},{"name":"Plastic share of Turkish shoreline litter","value":88.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Highest Bulgarian hotspot litter density","value":2000,"unit":"items per 100 m (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Slanchev Bryag, Nessebar South, Burgas Port Wall and Kavatsite each exceeded 2,000 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Bulgarian density fell 48% between 2021 and 2023, while the Turkish survey is a single baseline (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences","role":"Beach litter monitoring (Varna)","contact":"https://io-bas.bg"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (Türkiye)","role":"National coastal and waste policy","contact":"https://csb.gov.tr"}],"public_contact":"Institute of Oceanology BAS, Varna, general channels on io-bas.bg.","corrective_actions":["Turkish authors call for basin-wide monitoring, harmonised methods and integrated waste management (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Spatiotemporal variation in marine litter distribution along the Bulgarian Black Sea sandy beaches","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2024-06-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1416134/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine litter on the Turkish Black Sea shoreline: Abundance, composition, and sources","publisher":"Waste Management","date":"2025-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://avesis.ktu.edu.tr/yayin/2b998331-c11e-4fc9-b37b-20ff5116b832/marine-litter-on-the-turkish-black-sea-shoreline-abundance-composition-and-sources","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (volume 205, August 2025; day not shown, 1 August used as issue date)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Bulgarian study's abstract gives plastics as 88.62% of litter while its results give 86.62%, so the share is not used as a headline figure."}],"missing_fields":["No Georgian, Romanian or Ukrainian beach survey for 2024 to 2026 was found; no Danube plastic-input figure opened.","Only the survey abstracts and summary pages could be read for the Turkish study."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ROMANIANCOAST-EROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-TUZLY-PORPOISES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dozens of dead porpoises wash up on the Tuzly Lagoons coast of Odesa Oblast in 2026, with a criminal ecocide case open","description":"Researchers at Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park recorded 63 dead harbour porpoises on the Odesa Oblast coast between 18 May and early July 2026. The park's research head attributes the deaths to oil pollution and underwater noise from explosions, sonar and missile strikes, while the cited report says the precise causes have not been conclusively established. A specialised environmental prosecutor in Odesa Oblast is investigating the deaths within a criminal case into alleged ecocide.","location":{"name":"Tuzly Lagoons coast, Odesa Oblast","type":"Coastal protected area and stranding coast","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["UA"],"detail":"Ukraine's north-western Black Sea coast in Odesa Oblast, with carcasses also reported on the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts.","coordinates":{"lat":45.783,"lon":30,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Documented cetacean mortality on a protected coast.","secondary_drivers":["Underwater noise from military activity","Oil pollution (attributed by the park, unconfirmed)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Park researchers recorded 63 dead harbour porpoises between 18 May and early July 2026, a documented mortality count (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited report describes no fishery, beach or port restriction linked to the deaths (ref 1).","scale":"The report places the records on the Odesa Oblast coast and says carcasses have also washed up on the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts, so more than one site (ref 1).","duration":"The first case was logged on 18 May and new carcasses were still being found in the days before 3 July 2026, about six weeks (ref 1).","significance":"The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office in Odesa Oblast is investigating the deaths in a criminal case on alleged ecocide, a formal inquiry but no ruling (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"63 dead harbour porpoises recorded on the Odesa Oblast coast since 18 May 2026; the researcher says the true toll may be in the thousands."},"measures":[{"name":"Dead porpoises recorded","value":63,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Park count from 18 May to early July 2026 as relayed by Euromaidan Press (ref 1)."},{"name":"Recorded by 30 June","value":58,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Count at 30 June, with five more found in the following days (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited report gives no fishery or tourism impact."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One season of counts; the report does not compare with earlier years."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection of Ukraine","role":"Environment ministry responsible for protected areas","contact":"https://mepr.gov.ua/"},{"name":"Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office, Odesa Oblast","role":"Criminal investigation","contact":"https://www.gp.gov.ua/"}],"public_contact":"Contact channels published by Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office on gp.gov.ua.","corrective_actions":["Researchers keep records to support research and future legal proceedings (ref 1).","The Odesa Oblast environmental prosecutor is investigating the deaths in an ecocide case (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Russia's war keeps killing dolphins: Five more dead dolphins wash up in Odesa Oblast park - 63 since late May","publisher":"Euromaidan Press","date":"2026-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/07/03/five-more-dead-dolphins-wash-up-in-odesa-oblast-park-63-since-late-may/","basis":"News (relays a park researcher's Facebook post and Suspilne)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuzly_Lagoons_National_Nature_Park","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one news article describes the 2026 count; the park's own post and the prosecutor's case file were not opened.","The report calls the animals harbour porpoises while its headline says dolphins."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-KERCHSTRAIT-TANKERSPILL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-ODESA-SHIPATTACKS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Attacks on merchant ships and ports in the Odesa region and the Black Sea, including the July 2026 strike on the Golden Leo","description":"A Black Sea Strategic Studies Institute monitoring group counted 22 Russian attacks on ships in Odesa-region ports and the Black Sea in 2025, damaging 39 vessels. In July 2026, Ukraine's navy said Russia hit the corn-carrying Golden Leo with three cruise missiles off Odesa, and the seaports authority reported 10 dead; Reuters reports both sides are escalating strikes on shipping, and Ukraine says it hit Russian vessels. Reuters sources say Ukrainian attacks forced Russia to restrict shipping in the Sea of Azov.","location":{"name":"Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi ports corridor","type":"Port and shipping corridor","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["UA","RU"],"detail":"Ukraine's north-western Black Sea coast and export corridor; the Sea of Azov routes of Russia are also affected.","coordinates":{"lat":46.50361,"lon":30.74444,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Armed attacks closing and endangering merchant shipping routes and ports.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Strikes on port infrastructure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Ukraine's seaports authority said nine crew and one maritime pilot died on the Golden Leo, and the ship later sank, per Reuters (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Reuters reports Ukraine lost about a third of its Black Sea grain export capacity to attacks and Russia limited Azov shipping, restrictions rather than a closed route (refs 1, 3).","scale":"Attacks are recorded in the Odesa, Chornomorsk and Izmail ports, Danube ports, Black Sea waters and the Sea of Azov (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Counts cover all of 2025, with 22 attacks, and Reuters reports a weeks-long flare-up in July 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Ukraine's navy and seaports authority issued formal casualty reports, but no tribunal or order is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Russian troops carried out 22 attacks on ships in Odesa-region ports and the Black Sea in 2025, damaging 39 ships and vessels, per the Black Sea Strategic Studies Institute monitoring group."},"measures":[{"name":"Attacks on ships, 2025","value":22,"unit":"attacks","status":"Reported","note":"Monitoring group of the Black Sea Strategic Studies Institute (ref 2)."},{"name":"Ships and vessels damaged, 2025","value":39,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"30 civilian ships, eight barges or pontoons and one military ship (ref 2)."},{"name":"Deaths on the Golden Leo","value":10,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Nine crew and one maritime pilot, July 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ship calls at three export-corridor ports, 2025","value":2689,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"Odesa region ports in the corridor (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Reuters: Ukraine has lost about a third of its Black Sea grain export capacity (ref 1).","Russia's Azov route, about a quarter of its grain exports, is under restriction after Ukrainian attacks (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Damaged vessels peaked at nine in December and ten in November 2025 and the July 2026 flare-up killed ten on one ship (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority","role":"Port authority","contact":"https://www.uspa.gov.ua/"},{"name":"Ukrainian Navy","role":"Reporting body","contact":"https://www.navy.mil.gov.ua/"}],"public_contact":"Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority publishes contact details on uspa.gov.ua.","corrective_actions":["Search and rescue evacuated eight of 17 crew of the Golden Leo (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Russian Attack on Corn Ship Off Ukraine's Odesa Kills 10","publisher":"Reuters via gCaptain","date":"2026-07-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/russian-attack-on-corn-ship-off-ukraines-odesa-kills-10/","basis":"News (wire service)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Russia damaged 39 ships in ports in Odesa region and the Black Sea over the course of a year","publisher":"NikVesti (citing the Black Sea Strategic Studies Institute monitoring group)","date":"2026-02-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nikvesti.com/en/news/incidents/314499-russia-damaged-ships-odesa-black-sea-2026","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Russian attack on Odesa kills 3 as Ukraine strikes ships in Black Sea","publisher":"Reuters via The Moscow Times","date":"2026-07-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/07/15/russian-attack-on-odesa-kills-3-as-ukraine-strikes-ships-in-black-sea-a93251","basis":"News (wire service)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Port of Odesa","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Odesa","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Both sides' claims (Russian strikes on 'military cargo', Ukrainian hits on 20 vessels) are unverified and attributed in the sources.","The 2025-2026 insurance regime and ceasefire talks on Black Sea shipping were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-WESTBLACKSEA-MINECLEARANCE-2025","OC-BLK-NOVOROSSIYSK-CPCTANKERS-2026","OC-BLK-ANAKLIA-PORT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-NOVOROSSIYSK-CPCTANKERS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Drone strikes on the CPC terminal and tankers off Novorossiysk suspend crude loadings in November 2025 and July 2026","description":"The Caspian Pipeline Consortium said a drone-boat attack on 29 November 2025 left one of its offshore moorings unusable and halted loading, and that on 19 July 2026 the tankers Asia and Nissos Ios were hit during loading, with a fire on the Asia and no oil spill. CPC did not name those responsible, and Kazakhstan's foreign ministry condemned the attacks and reserved the right to seek compensation.","location":{"name":"CPC marine terminal, Novorossiysk","type":"Oil export terminal and port","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RU"],"detail":"Offshore single-point moorings of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium near the port of Novorossiysk, Russia's Black Sea coast; exports mainly Kazakh crude.","coordinates":{"lat":44.717,"lon":37.783,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution","offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Attacks on tankers and mooring infrastructure interrupt a major crude export route.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Drone and naval-drone attacks"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"CPC reported a fire on the tanker Asia and no spill or injuries in July 2026; emergency systems shut the pipelines to prevent a spill in November 2025, so harm is potential (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Loadings were suspended after both attacks and CPC said the damaged berth could no longer be used (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The incidents concern one terminal and its tankers (refs 1, 2).","duration":"CPC called the November 2025 incident its third such attack and further tankers were struck in July 2026, a recurring pattern over months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Kazakhstan's foreign ministry condemned the attacks and reserved the right to seek full compensation under international law (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"CPC said on 19 July 2026 that two tankers were hit during loading, a fire was put out, there was no oil spill and loadings were suspended."},"measures":[{"name":"Tankers hit during loading, 19 July 2026","value":2,"unit":"tankers","status":"Reported","note":"Asia and Nissos Ios per CPC via Reuters (ref 1)."},{"name":"Moorings reported out of use after the Nov 2025 attack","value":1,"unit":"mooring","status":"Reported","note":"CPC said the berth could no longer be used (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Crude loadings were suspended after both incidents (refs 1, 2).","Kazakhstan reserves the right to seek compensation (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Attacks on the terminal recur, with a third in November 2025 and tanker strikes in July 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Caspian Pipeline Consortium","role":"Terminal operator","contact":"https://www.cpc.ru/"},{"name":"Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy","role":"Shareholder state ministry","contact":"https://www.gov.kz/"}],"public_contact":"CPC publishes contact details on its website.","corrective_actions":["Emergency systems shut the pipelines in November 2025, preventing an oil spill (ref 2).","Loadings suspended pending a full assessment (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Caspian Pipeline Consortium oil loadings suspended after drone attacks on tankers","publisher":"Reuters via gCaptain","date":"2026-07-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/caspian-pipeline-consortium-oil-loadings-suspended-after-drone-attacks-on-tankers/","basis":"News (wire service)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Drone boats strike oil terminal in Novorossiysk, Russia","publisher":"Euromaidan Press","date":"2025-11-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/29/drone-boats-strike-oil-terminal-in-novorossiysk-russia/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Novorossiysk","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novorossiysk","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Neither source attributes the attacks; claims of responsibility were not found.","The Kerch Bridge strikes and other Novorossiysk port strikes were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-TUAPSE-PORTSPILL-2026","OC-BLK-ODESA-SHIPATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-WESTBLACKSEA-MINECLEARANCE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Drifting sea mines on the western Black Sea shipping lanes and the Bulgaria-Romania-Turkiye mine countermeasures task group","description":"Carnegie Europe reports that loose naval mines laid by Russia and Ukraine have drifted to the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts, with five incidents involving ships since 2022. In January 2024 Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye signed a memorandum creating the MCM Black Sea Task Group, whose fifth activation ran from Burgas in June 2025 and found no drifting mines, according to BTA.","location":{"name":"Western Black Sea: Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish waters","type":"Shipping lanes and naval mine-clearance area","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BG","RO","TR"],"detail":"Western Black Sea off Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye, where the task group operated from Burgas and Varna in June 2025.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Navigation hazard from drifting mines handled by an interstate task group.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict","Drifting naval mines"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Carnegie counts five incidents involving ships from drifting mines since 2022, with none reported in the June 2025 activation (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The task group's purpose is keeping the sea free of mines and safe for commercial shipping, which implies navigation restrictions rather than a closure (ref 2).","scale":"Mines have reached Bulgarian and Romanian coasts and three navies operate across the western basin (ref 1).","duration":"The hazard dates from 2022 and the task group was created in January 2024 and ran its fifth activation in June 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye signed a memorandum in January 2024 forming the task group, a formal but non-binding step (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"No drifting mines were discovered during the 5th activation of the MCM Black Sea Task Group (June 2025), per BTA."},"measures":[{"name":"Ship incidents from loose naval mines since 2022","value":5,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"As stated by Carnegie Europe's commentary, February 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Activation length","value":16,"unit":"days","status":"Estimated","note":"Fifth activation began at Burgas on 11 June 2025 and ended on 27 June 2025 (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Commercial shipping and insurance exposure are implied by the task group's stated purpose (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The sources cover one activation and one commentary."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bulgarian Navy","role":"Task group member and 2025 commander","contact":"https://www.navy-bg.com/"},{"name":"Romanian Naval Forces","role":"Task group member, command from July 2025","contact":"https://www.navy.ro/"},{"name":"Turkish Naval Forces","role":"Task group member","contact":"https://www.msb.gov.tr/"}],"public_contact":"Contact through each navy's published public-affairs office.","corrective_actions":["The MCM Black Sea Task Group activates mine-clearance missions from Burgas and Varna (refs 2, 3).","Romania took over command for six months from July 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tackling the Russia-Ukraine War's Environmental Damage in the Black Sea","publisher":"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/02/tackling-the-russia-ukraine-wars-environmental-damage-in-the-black-sea","basis":"Think-tank commentary"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group Ends 5th Activation","publisher":"BTA (Bulgarian News Agency)","date":"2025-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bta.bg/en/news/world/919775-mine-countermeasures-black-sea-task-group-ends-5th-activation","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group Begins Fifth Activation","publisher":"BTA (Bulgarian News Agency)","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bta.bg/en/news/908799-mine-countermeasures-black-sea-task-group-begins-fifth-activation","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Later activations in 2025-2026 and mine counts found by the group were not found in opened pages.","The five-incident figure is Carnegie's commentary and was not traced to a primary record."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ODESA-SHIPATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-NEPTUNDEEP-GAS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Neptun Deep offshore gas development in the Romanian Black Sea enters pipeline and platform construction, with first gas targeted for 2027","description":"OMV Petrom and Romgaz are building the Neptun Deep gas project about 160 km off the Romanian coast. Reuters reported in May 2026 that two Saipem vessels would lay about 160 km of pipeline to shore, around 50 ships were working in the Black Sea on the project this year, six deep-water wells remained to be drilled and gas is planned for 2027. The cited reports give no environmental assessment or monitoring details.","location":{"name":"Neptun Deep, Block XIX Neptun","type":"Offshore gas development","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RO"],"detail":"Deepwater block about 160 km off the Romanian coast in 100 to 1,000 m of water, with a 160 km pipeline to shore.","coordinates":{"lat":44.044,"lon":30.58,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Large new offshore gas infrastructure in a semi-enclosed sea.","secondary_drivers":["Energy security","Offshore construction traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Reuters report relayed by IENE has no environmental impact assessment or mitigation details, so no harm is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishing, shipping or tourism restriction is mentioned in the cited reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One project block, platform and 160 km pipeline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Construction runs through 2026 with gas planned for 2027, a multi-year build (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The cited articles describe a company construction programme, not a formal notice, listing or violation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 160 km of pipeline is being laid to shore, with an estimated 100 bcm of recoverable gas and production planned for 2027."},"measures":[{"name":"Offshore pipeline length","value":160,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Laid by Saipem vessels Castoro 10 and Castorone (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated recoverable gas","value":100,"unit":"bcm","status":"Reported","note":"As stated in Reuters reporting and Enerdata (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Planned annual production","value":8,"unit":"bcm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Enerdata, May 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Vessels working in the Black Sea on the project in 2026","value":50,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"Per Reuters via IENE (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The reports describe an investment expected to double Romania's gas output (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The sources cover the 2026 construction start only."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"OMV Petrom (operator)","role":"Project operator","contact":"https://www.omvpetrom.com/"},{"name":"Romgaz","role":"Joint-venture partner","contact":"https://www.romgaz.ro/"}],"public_contact":"Operators publish contact details on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Pipeline laying started in May 2026 and an onshore metering plant is under construction (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pipeline Work Starts on Romania's Biggest Black Sea Offshore Gas Project","publisher":"IENE (citing Reuters)","date":"2026-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iene.eu/energy-news/pipeline-work-starts-on-romanias-biggest-black-sea-offshore-gas-project-p8479.html","basis":"News (wire service)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Construction starts on Neptun Deep offshore pipeline in Romanian Black Sea","publisher":"Enerdata","date":"2026-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/construction-starts-neptun-deep-offshore-pipeline-romanian-black-sea.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Neptun Deep","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptun_Deep","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No environmental impact assessment, permit or ecological monitoring document was opened.","Romania Insider's January 2026 article on first-gas timing returned HTTP 429 and was not read."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ROMANIA-OFFSHOREWIND-2026","OC-BLK-FILYOS-SAKARYAGAS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-FILYOS-SAKARYAGAS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sakarya gas field expansion in the Turkish Black Sea: Phase 2 pipeline-laying and a floating production unit in 2026","description":"Turkiye's energy ministry said in December 2025 that the reel-lay vessel Seven Vega would lay Phase 2 subsea pipelines to the Osman Gazi floating production unit, aiming to raise output by about 10 million cubic metres per day on top of Phase 1's 9.5 million. Engineering News reported in March 2026 that the field lies about 170 km off Filyos and Phase 2 is expected to complete in 2027/28. The cited sources describe no environmental assessment or monitoring.","location":{"name":"Sakarya gas field, off Filyos","type":"Offshore gas field","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TR"],"detail":"Deepwater field about 170 km off Filyos, Zonguldak, in the Turkish Black Sea, with a pipeline to an onshore plant at Filyos.","coordinates":{"lat":42.69859,"lon":31.1792,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Expanding offshore gas production with subsea pipelines and a floating unit.","secondary_drivers":["Energy security"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Neither the ministry release nor the trade article describes ecological harm or an assessment (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No restriction on fishing, shipping or tourism is reported (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One field and its pipeline corridor to Filyos (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Phase 1 first gas was in 2023, Phase 2 is under way and completion is expected in 2027/28 (ref 2).","significance":"The sources are an energy-ministry announcement and a project profile, with no notice or violation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Phase 1 produces about 9.5 million m3/day; Phase 2 aims to add about 10 million m3/day, for about 20 million m3/day in total."},"measures":[{"name":"Current (Phase 1) output","value":9.5,"unit":"million m3 per day","status":"Reported","note":"Energy ministry release of 1 Dec 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned additional Phase 2 output","value":10,"unit":"million m3 per day","status":"Reported","note":"Energy ministry release (ref 1)."},{"name":"Distance offshore","value":170,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Engineering News, off Filyos (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Output expansion aims to double household gas supply from 4 to 8 million households (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the construction phase is covered by the opened sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources","role":"Energy ministry","contact":"https://enerji.gov.tr/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry general contact channels on enerji.gov.tr.","corrective_actions":["Pipe-laying vessel Seven Vega assigned to Phase 2 subsea pipelines (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Seven Vega Ship Will Lay Pipelines in the Sakarya Gas Field","publisher":"Republic of Turkiye Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources","date":"2025-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://enerji.gov.tr/news-detail?id=31655","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sakarya gasfield development project, Turkiye","publisher":"Engineering News","date":"2026-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/sakarya-gasfield-development-project-trkiye-2026-03-20","basis":"Trade news project profile"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sakarya gas field","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakarya_gas_field","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Timing differs: the ministry planned the floating unit for mid-2026 while Engineering News expects Phase 2 completion in 2027/28; the current status of Phase 2 first gas was not confirmed.","No environmental assessment document was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-NEPTUNDEEP-GAS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-ROMANIA-OFFSHOREWIND-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Romania consults on Black Sea offshore wind concession zones totalling 11.5 GW","description":"Romania's Law on offshore wind passed parliament in April 2024. In August 2026 Balkan Green Energy News reported the Ministry of Energy was taking comments until 27 August 2026 on six zones of about 4,000 km2 and 11.5 GW, with a first phase of 3.1 GW in three lots. The report gives no environmental assessments or dates for tenders.","location":{"name":"Romanian Black Sea offshore wind zones","type":"Planned offshore wind concession area","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["RO"],"detail":"Six proposed concession zones in Romania's Black Sea sector, about 4,000 km2 in total.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Planned industrial use of national waters under a new concession regime.","secondary_drivers":["Renewable energy policy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The August 2026 report has no environmental safeguards or impact data, so no harm is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishing or shipping restrictions are mentioned in the cited reports (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Six zones covering about 4,000 km2 of Romania's Black Sea sector, a national coastline scale (ref 1).","duration":"The framework has been in preparation since the 2024 law, with first projects expected around 2032 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Parliament passed the offshore wind law in April 2024 and a draft concession rule is in formal consultation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Planned zones total 11.5 GW across six zones of about 4,000 km2, with phase one at 3.1 GW."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned capacity, all phases","value":11.5,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Six zones in three phases (ref 1)."},{"name":"Phase 1 capacity","value":3.1,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Three lots: 1.9 GW and two of 600 MW (ref 1)."},{"name":"Zone area","value":4000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate area of the six zones (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The reports list no fishery or tourism impact."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The sources cover the 2024 law and the August 2026 consultation."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Romanian Ministry of Energy","role":"Concession authority","contact":"https://energie.gov.ro/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Energy public contact channels on energie.gov.ro.","corrective_actions":["The Ministry of Energy opened a public consultation on zones and concession rules, open until 27 August 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Romania to adopt offshore wind auction mechanism","publisher":"Balkan Green Energy News","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://balkangreenenergynews.com/romania-to-adopt-offshore-wind-auction-mechanism/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Romania's parliament endorses law on offshore wind energy","publisher":"Enerdata","date":"2024-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/romanias-parliament-endorses-law-offshore-wind-energy.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Ministry of Energy's own draft decision and map were not opened.","Capacity totals differ across reports (about 11 GW versus 11.5 GW); the opened source states 11.5 GW."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-NEPTUNDEEP-GAS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-ANAKLIA-PORT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Anaklia deep-sea port on Georgia's Black Sea coast moves to state-led dredging after the Chinese consortium drops out","description":"Georgia's prime minister said on 5 August 2026 that construction of the Anaklia port had entered an active phase, with the first stage due in 2029 and the Belgian firm Jan De Nul dredging the seabed to 17.5 m. Eurasianet reported in July 2026 that Georgia would develop the port under a state-owned landlord model after talks with a China Communications Construction Company consortium ended. The cited reports give no environmental assessment for the dredging.","location":{"name":"Anaklia deep-sea port","type":"Port construction and dredging site","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GE"],"detail":"Planned deep-water port at Anaklia on the Black Sea coast of western Georgia, with seabed dredging and a planned 1.38 km breakwater.","coordinates":{"lat":42.39361,"lon":41.56917,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"New port with capital dredging and a planned breakwater on the coast.","secondary_drivers":["Trade corridor development","Geopolitical competition over investors"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm or impact assessment is described in the Interfax or Eurasianet reports (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishing, shipping or tourism restriction is reported (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"One port site on Georgia's coast (ref 1).","duration":"The project dates from 2016 and first-stage completion is set for 2029 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A government contract with Jan De Nul and a cabinet decision for a state-owned model are formal government actions (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Seabed to be deepened to 17.5 m with a 1.38 km breakwater at the next stage; first stage due in 2029 (Interfax, 5 Aug 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned seabed depth","value":17.5,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Interfax (ref 1); Georgia Today cites at least 16 m (ref 3)."},{"name":"Planned breakwater length","value":1.38,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Interfax (ref 1)."},{"name":"First-phase investment under the new model","value":1.1,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Reported","note":"Interfax (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Project costs were cut by more than 25% in April 2026 and no major terminal operator is confirmed (refs 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Ownership changed from a Chinese-led plan to a state-led model within 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Georgia, Ministry of Economy","role":"Project owner","contact":"https://www.economy.ge/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development contact channels on economy.ge.","corrective_actions":["Dredging started in August 2026 under a contract with Jan De Nul (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Construction of deep-water port of Anaklia enters active phase - Georgian PM","publisher":"Interfax","date":"2026-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/118614/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"China walks away from Georgia's strategic deep-water port project","publisher":"Eurasianet via OilPrice.com","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/Asia/China-Walks-Away-From-Georgias-Strategic-Deep-Water-Port-Project.amp.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Kobakhidze: Anaklia port construction to resume in coming days","publisher":"Georgia Today","date":"2026-04-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://georgiatoday.ge/kobakhidze-anaklia-port-construction-to-resume-in-coming-days/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Anaklia","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaklia","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No environmental impact assessment for dredging was opened.","Reports differ on seabed depth (17.5 m versus at least 16 m)."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ODESA-SHIPATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-BLACKSEA-COMMISSIONCHAIR-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Black Sea Commission chairmanship blocked at the October 2024 session while the war stalls the Bucharest Convention","description":"At the 44th session of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution on 16 October 2024, Ukraine prevented the chairmanship from passing from Romania to Russia, with Ukraine's First Deputy Environment Minister arguing Russia cannot chair the body while at war with Ukraine. Carnegie Europe commented in February 2025 that the Bucharest Convention's trajectory has been negative since the early 2010s and that engagement with Russian authorities is unlikely in the short term.","location":{"name":"Bucharest Convention and Black Sea Commission","type":"Regional sea convention","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BG","GE","RO","TR","UA","RU"],"detail":"Intergovernmental commission of the six Black Sea parties to the Bucharest Convention.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The regional sea convention's chair rotation is blocked by a party-state dispute.","secondary_drivers":["Armed conflict between parties"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Carnegie says the war has accelerated marine degradation and notes low oxygen in nearly 90 percent of the sea's waters, so the lapse is a potential harm (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or port restriction follows from the chair dispute in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The convention covers all six Black Sea coastal states, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The chair dispute dates from October 2024 and Carnegie dates a negative trend to the early 2010s (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The 44th Commission session on 16 October 2024 did not pass the chairmanship to Russia, a treaty-body outcome (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Commission's chairmanship did not pass from Romania to Russia at its 44th session on 16 October 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Commission session","value":44,"unit":"session number","status":"Reported","note":"Held on 16 October 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited sources give no economic data for the dispute."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The sources do not cover Commission sessions after October 2024."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection of Ukraine","role":"Party-state ministry","contact":"https://mepr.gov.ua/"}],"public_contact":"Ukraine's environment ministry publishes general contact channels on mepr.gov.ua; the Commission's own site was not usable (see missing_fields).","corrective_actions":["Ukraine's delegation formally objected to Russia's chairmanship (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ukraine blocks Russia's chairmanship of Black Sea Commission","publisher":"LIGA.net","date":"2024-10-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biz.liga.net/en/all/news/ukraine-blocks-russias-chairmanship-of-black-sea-commission","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tackling the Russia-Ukraine War's Environmental Damage in the Black Sea","publisher":"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/02/tackling-the-russia-ukraine-wars-environmental-damage-in-the-black-sea","basis":"Think-tank commentary"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Commission sessions and chairmanship after October 2024 could not be confirmed; the Commission's own website returned unrelated content when opened and is not cited as a source.","Russia's position was not reported in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-ROMANIANSHELF-EUTROPHICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-TURKEY-ANCHOVY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Turkish Black Sea anchovy fishery under a 400,000-tonne quota amid volatile catches and expert warnings of depletion","description":"Turkiye introduced a quota system for anchovy from the 2024 season with a catch limit of 400,000 tons, according to Daily Sabah. Turkish Minute reported in April 2025 that Turkiye's anchovy catch swung from 125,980 tons in 2022 to 273,915 tons in 2023 and began importing Russian anchovy, with experts citing climate change, pollution and overfishing. A 2022 Hurriyet Daily News interview quotes an Ordu University professor describing the stock as depleted.","location":{"name":"Turkish Black Sea anchovy fishery","type":"Commercial fish stock and fishery","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TR","GE"],"detail":"Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) fishery along Turkiye's Black Sea coast and towards the Georgian border.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fishing pressure and a small-fish catch on a shared stock.","secondary_drivers":["Climate change","Pollution","Fish-finder technology"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Experts cited by Turkish Minute say overfishing reduced average fish size and nutritional value, and Prof. Aydin said the stock was depleted in 2022 (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"A 400,000-ton quota and seasonal bans restrict fishing and Turkiye began importing Russian anchovy in 2025 (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The fishery spans Turkiye's Black Sea coast to the Georgian border (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Catch swings from 96,452 tons in 2019 to 273,915 tons in 2023 show a multi-year pattern (ref 2).","significance":"The Agriculture Ministry set the quota regulation for the 2024 season and will monitor compliance (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Turkiye's anchovy catch was 273,915 tons in 2023, up 117% from 125,980 tons in 2022, as reported by Turkish Minute."},"measures":[{"name":"Anchovy catch, 2023","value":273915,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Turkish Minute, citing ministry data (ref 2)."},{"name":"Anchovy catch, 2022","value":125980,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Turkish Minute (ref 2)."},{"name":"Quota for the 2024 season","value":400000,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Daily Sabah, 30 Aug 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Turkiye began importing Russian anchovy, driven by price (ref 2).","Sur-Koop's president said anchovy would be scarce in the 2024 season (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Catch fell 17% in 2022 and rose 117% in 2023 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry public contact channels on tarimorman.gov.tr.","corrective_actions":["A catch quota for anchovy was introduced from the 2024 season (ref 1).","Seasonal bans and compliance monitoring apply (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Turkiye's fishing season begins: Mackerel stocks high, anchovy low","publisher":"Daily Sabah (Anadolu Agency)","date":"2024-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/turkiyes-fishing-season-begins-mackerel-stocks-high-anchovy-low/news/amp","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Turkey starts importing Russian anchovies despite being major global exporter","publisher":"Turkish Minute","date":"2025-04-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://turkishminute.com/2025/04/23/turkey-starts-importing-russian-anchovies-despite-being-major-global-exporter/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Anchovy stock depleting in Black Sea, expert warns","publisher":"Hurriyet Daily News","date":"2022-12-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hurriyetdailynews.com/anchovy-stock-depleting-in-black-sea-expert-warns-179176","basis":"News (background, before the research window)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No official stock assessment (GFCM or ministry) was opened.","A 2025 ministry catch figure reported elsewhere was not opened (page not readable), so 2024 and 2025 catches are not given.","Turkish Minute's date is taken from its URL, as the page shows only a relative date."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-TURKEYBULGARIA-BLUECRAB-2025","OC-BLK-RIZE-CAGEAQUACULTURE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-RIZE-CAGEAQUACULTURE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Women fishers protest a planned 12,000-tonne cage farm at Zelek, Rize, as Black Sea marine aquaculture expands","description":"BirGun reported on 30 August 2026 that Black Sea marine aquaculture rose from 13,000 to over 80,000 tonnes in seven years, almost all of it rainbow trout sold as Turkish salmon, and that women fishers have held a vigil at Zelek harbour in Pazar district, Rize against a planned cage farm of 12,000 tonnes capacity. A 2025 review found that reported Turkish aquaculture mortality and escape incidents roughly doubled between 2010-2015 and 2020-2024.","location":{"name":"Zelek (Balikci) coast, Pazar district, Rize","type":"Planned marine cage aquaculture site","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TR"],"detail":"Eastern Turkish Black Sea coast in Rize province, with wider cage farming along the coast to Artvin.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Conflict between expanding marine cage farming and small-scale fishing grounds.","secondary_drivers":["Export-oriented aquaculture growth"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"BirGun gives no pollution data or measured ecological impacts for the cages, and the review does not break out Black Sea marine cage events (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Fishers say a 12,000-tonne cage farm and the Rize-Artvin Airport restrict local fishing grounds (ref 1).","scale":"The protest concerns one planned site at Zelek (ref 1).","duration":"The women's vigil has run for months, per a 5 August 2026 BirGun report cited by the article (ref 1).","significance":"The sources describe a protest and a literature review, not a notice, violation or order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Black Sea marine aquaculture rose from about 13,000 to over 80,000 tonnes in seven years, with Turkish salmon at 75,000 tonnes (BirGun, 30 Aug 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Black Sea marine aquaculture output","value":80000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Over 80,000 tonnes, up from 13,000 in seven years (ref 1)."},{"name":"Turkish salmon (rainbow trout) output","value":75000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 16-fold rise in nine years (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned Zelek cage farm capacity","value":12000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"As described by BirGun (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Small-scale fishers say they may lose independent production (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Output grew about 16-fold for trout in nine years and incidents doubled between 2010-2015 and 2020-2024 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry","role":"Aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry public contact channels on tarimorman.gov.tr.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action is reported for Zelek in the cited sources (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Who owns the sea: Cage fishing in the Black Sea and the struggle for a livelihood","publisher":"BirGun","date":"2026-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.birgun.net/haber/who-owns-the-sea-cage-fishing-in-the-black-sea-and-the-struggle-for-a-livelihood-731903","basis":"News (English translation of a Turkish article)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tracing Fish Mortality and Escape Events in Turkiye's Aquaculture (2010-2024): A Newspaper-Based Review of Trends and Drivers","publisher":"Reviews in Aquaculture (Bal and Durrani)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://avesis.ktu.edu.tr/yayin/3fb16ba8-8e95-4b55-bc07-c61f1a5fdabc/tracing-fish-mortality-and-escape-events-in-turkiyes-aquaculture-2010-2024-a-newspaper-based-review-of-trends-and-drivers","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (university repository page; year 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["BirGun is a single news source quoting protesters; no regulator or company statement was opened.","The cage operator and permit status for Zelek were not given in the opened sources.","The review's page shows only the year (2025), so the source date is null."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-TURKEY-ANCHOVY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-TURKEYBULGARIA-BLUECRAB-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Invasive blue crab spreads along the Turkish and Bulgarian Black Sea coasts, with egg-bearing females recorded","description":"A 2024 monitoring study from Taskana Cape (Unye) to the Georgian border recorded the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus from 2017 to 2024, including two egg-bearing females and the easternmost record in Rize, and the authors suggest a possibly self-sustaining population. A 2025 ZooNotes paper reports a male caught near Cape Shabla, Bulgaria on 26 April 2024 and asks for monitoring of reproduction.","location":{"name":"Turkish and Bulgarian Black Sea coasts","type":"Invasive species range expansion","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TR","BG"],"detail":"Records from Unye (Ordu) to Rize on Turkiye's coast and Cape Shabla on Bulgaria's northern coast.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Spread of an invasive predator crab through a semi-enclosed sea.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive species introductions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The authors say the crab could affect the Black Sea ecosystem but document no mortality or habitat loss (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery impact or restriction is described in the abstracts (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Records span the Turkish coast from Unye to Rize and the Bulgarian coast, two national coastlines (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Turkish records run from 2017 to 2024 and the Bulgarian capture was on 26 April 2024, reported in 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Two scientific papers report the expansion; no official listing or control order was found (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Two of the examined females carried eggs, and the largest crab found on the Turkish Black Sea coast had a 20.3 cm carapace and weighed 565.1 g."},"measures":[{"name":"Largest carapace width, Turkish coast","value":20.3,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Aydin et al. 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Specimens measured","value":16,"unit":"crabs","status":"Reported","note":"Carapace widths 14.8 to 20.3 cm, 2017-2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The papers raise possible fishery and ecosystem effects but give no economic data."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Range reached Rize and Cape Shabla, with reproductive evidence (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/"},{"name":"Bulgarian Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.iara.government.bg/"}],"public_contact":"Regulators' published contact channels.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for cautious fisheries and ecosystem management and further monitoring (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Expansion of the Distribution Range and Size of the Invasive Blue Crab on the Turkish Coast of the Black Sea","publisher":"Journal of Anatolian Environmental and Animal Sciences (Aydin et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://avesis.erdogan.edu.tr/yayin/2f82aeda-7e68-466a-80e4-50929905a033/expansion-of-the-distribution-range-and-size-of-the-invasive-blue-crab-on-the-turkish-coast-of-the-black-sea","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (university repository page; year 2024)"},{"ref":2,"title":"A record of the invasive Blue Crab Rathbun, 1896 (Arthropoda: Crustacea) in Black Sea waters near Cape Shabla, Bulgaria","publisher":"ZooNotes (Plovdiv University Press)","date":"2025-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://doi.uni-plovdiv.bg/items/3b9a2afc-2172-4fbb-bc3c-8a3dab8b783b/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed note"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Turkish paper's page shows only the year 2024, so its date is null.","The Bulgarian repository page lists an implausible 70.09 cm carapace length, which is not used here.","Romanian records and any fishery or aquaculture impact were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-TURKEY-ANCHOVY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BLK-ISTANBUL-CANAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Kanal Istanbul canal project paused but not abandoned, with a 2026 peer-reviewed study warning of risks to the Marmara Sea","description":"Turkiye's environment minister said on 30 April 2025 that the project is not currently on the agenda, and the transport minister said on 1 May 2025 that it has not been abandoned, as summarised in a May 2025 analysis. A March 2026 peer-reviewed study by Istanbul Technical University authors says the project may pose notable environmental challenges, including wastewater pollution in the Marmara Sea, salinisation risks and marine damage from dredging and spoil disposal.","location":{"name":"Kanal Istanbul route, Marmara-Black Sea","type":"Proposed artificial shipping canal","sea":"BLK","seas":["BLK"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["TR"],"detail":"Proposed canal west of the Bosphorus linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara across Istanbul's European side.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed canal that would reshape shipping and water exchange between two seas.","secondary_drivers":["Bosphorus traffic congestion","Urban development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2026 study flags potential wastewater pollution, salinisation and dredging impacts rather than documented harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No current closure or restriction exists because the project is on hold (ref 2).","scale":"The study concerns the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea connection, a regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"The environmental impact assessment was approved in January 2020, the project was described as paused in May 2025 and a peer-reviewed study followed in March 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The final environmental impact assessment was approved in January 2020 per the cited analysis, and ministers made statements in 2025 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ministers said in April and May 2025 the canal is not on the current agenda but has not been abandoned; a 2026 study warns of notable environmental challenges."},"measures":[{"name":"Reported cost estimate","value":null,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Not reported","note":"A $15-20 billion figure is quoted by a blog summary of press reports and was not traced to a primary source (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Funding and cost are the stated barriers to restarting the project (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No post-May 2025 official status was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure","role":"Project owner","contact":"https://www.uab.gov.tr/"},{"name":"Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change","role":"EIA authority","contact":"https://csb.gov.tr/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry public contact channels on uab.gov.tr.","corrective_actions":["No construction has started; the project is described as shelved (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Scientific Anatomy of the Impact of Canal Istanbul on the Marmara Sea","publisher":"Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering (Sozen and Orhon, Istanbul Technical University)","date":"2026-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://research.itu.edu.tr/en/publications/scientific-anatomy-of-the-impact-of-canal-istanbul-on-the-marmara/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (university repository page)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Kanal Istanbul Explained: Environmental, Political, and Economic Impacts (As of May 2025)","publisher":"Erkan Saka (blog analysis citing Reuters, Hurriyet Daily News, Daily Sabah)","date":"2025-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://erkansaka.net/2025/05/02/kanal-istanbul-project-analysis-2025/","basis":"Blog analysis of press reports"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BLK in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ministers' statements were read only through a blog that cites Reuters, Hurriyet and Daily Sabah; the original reports were not opened.","The blog contains conflicting excavation volumes and was not used for numbers.","The 2026 study's page gives only an abstract."],"related_ids":["OC-BLK-MARMARA-MUCILAGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-GULFGUINEA-MHW-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent across the Gulf of Guinea, peer-reviewed analysis finds","description":"A peer-reviewed analysis of satellite and buoy temperatures from 1991 to 2020 found about two marine heatwave events a year in the eastern tropical Atlantic, with frequency rising, most sharply on the northern Gulf of Guinea coast. The longest events lasted roughly 47 to 49 days (2019) and anomalies above 2 C were strongest off the Congo-Gabon coast. A 2025 conference abstract by the same group extends the work to coastal ecosystems in Cote d'Ivoire's Grand-Bereby Marine Protected Area.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Guinea, eastern tropical Atlantic","type":"Regional sea (marine heatwave zone)","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CI","GA","CG"],"detail":"Three zones analysed: northern Gulf of Guinea coast, the equator, and the Congo-Gabon coast; Grand-Bereby MPA (Cote d'Ivoire) used as a coastal case study.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Recurring marine heatwaves are a physical ocean-warming signal.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Atlantic climate variability"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The paper does not measure ecosystem damage; it notes heatwaves can cause habitat loss, bleaching and harmful blooms generally, so harm is potential only (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or income loss is documented; the authors only note that the Gulf of Guinea supports Atlantic tuna fishing and upwelling-driven food webs (ref 1).","scale":"The analysis covers the whole eastern tropical Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea, a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"Frequency has risen since about 2015 and the longest equatorial and Congo-Gabon events in 2019 lasted roughly 47 to 49 days, a recurring pattern over decades (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Peer-reviewed paper and a conference abstract only; no agency notice or enforcement (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources do not quantify people affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About two marine heatwave events a year on average, with frequency rising since 2015, most sharply on the northern Gulf of Guinea coast."},"measures":[{"name":"Average marine heatwave events per year","value":2,"unit":"events/yr","status":"Reported","note":"Eastern tropical Atlantic, 1991-2020 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Longest events (equator and Congo-Gabon coast, 2019)","value":49,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Upper end of the roughly 47 to 49 day range given in ref 1."},{"name":"Strongest anomalies","value":2,"unit":"C above threshold","status":"Reported","note":"'Above 2 C' off the Congo-Gabon coast (refs 1, 2); the exact maximum is not given."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The paper notes tuna fishing and upwelling sustain the regional food web but does not quantify impacts (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Frequency has risen since about 2015 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Abidjan Convention Secretariat (UNEP regional seas, West, Central and Southern Africa)","role":"Regional sea convention"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The authors call for better monitoring and prediction tools, including subsurface temperature observations (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Characterization of marine heat waves in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Djakoure et al.)","date":"2023-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1293779/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Impacts of Marine Heat Waves on Coastal Ecosystems in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic: Insights from the Gulf of Guinea and Grand-Bereby Marine Protected Area (OOS2025-709)","publisher":"One Ocean Science Congress 2025 (EGU/Copernicus Meetings)","date":"2025-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/OOS2025/OOS2025-709.html","basis":"Conference abstract"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2026 event is described: the studies use data to 2020, so recent heatwaves are not covered.","Both sources come from the same research group; the paper's 'events per year' trend figure was not reproduced because the text is ambiguous."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-NGOG-SARGASSUM-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-NGOG-SARGASSUM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Recurrent Sargassum influxes strand on the northern Gulf of Guinea coast and disrupt fishing","description":"Satellite-based studies show Sargassum biomass in the northern Gulf of Guinea rose significantly from 2011 to 2022, peaking around September with a smaller peak in March to May. A 2026 study finds strandings arrive twice a year, mostly advected from the eastern tropical Atlantic and pushed ashore by winds after Cape Palmas. In Ghana, Sargassum-entangled nets reduce catches and communities have turned to food rationing and loans.","location":{"name":"Northern Gulf of Guinea coast (Sierra Leone to Ghana)","type":"Coastline affected by floating macroalgae","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GH","SL","LR"],"detail":"Ghana is the documented impact case; Sierra Leone is where spring biomass builds up offshore and Cape Palmas (Liberia) is the entry point for onshore transport.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Floating macroalgal bloom influx linked to sea-surface temperature, salinity and river inputs.","secondary_drivers":["Sargassum bloom","Sea-surface temperature","Atlantic Meridional Mode"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Phycology study reports no measured ecological damage; stranded biomass and possible metal uptake are flagged as unquantified risks, so harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"In Ghana, Sargassum-entangled nets reduce catches at peak months and communities use food rationing, loans and alternative income (ref 1).","scale":"The influx affects the northern Gulf of Guinea coast across several countries, a regional-sea scale (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Strandings recur every year since the 2011 influx, with peaks in March to May and September to November (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Peer-reviewed paper and a preprint only; no government notice or emergency declaration is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The studies describe affected fishing communities in Ghana but give no count."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Monthly floating Sargassum biomass in the northern study area reached roughly 2.7 million metric tons at its highest, with a significant rising trend from 2011 to 2022."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak monthly Sargassum biomass (northern area)","value":2.7,"unit":"million metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"MODIS-based estimate, 2011-2022; the authors say it may understate the true amount (ref 1)."},{"name":"Arrival peaks per year","value":2,"unit":"peaks/yr","status":"Reported","note":"March to May and September to November (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Ghanaian fishing communities report reduced catches and coping measures at peak months (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Biomass in the northern area rose significantly over 2011 to 2022 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ghana Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture","role":"Fisheries authority (affected fishery)"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Authors call for more research and better monitoring; cloud cover limits satellite detection (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sargassum Biomass Movement and Proliferation in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic","publisher":"Phycology (MDPI), Fidai et al.","date":"2025-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/server/api/core/bitstreams/59598ffd-01a1-4b8f-abce-c7d93d331a7f/content","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Seasonal and Interannual Drivers of Sargassum Inundations in the Northern Gulf of Guinea (egusphere-2026-2727)","publisher":"EGUsphere preprint, later published in Ocean Science (Thouvenin-Masson and Jouanno)","date":"2026-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2026/egusphere-2026-2727/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (preprint page; final paper listed as Ocean Science 22, 2835-2862, 16 Sep 2026)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No national agency or news report on a specific 2024-2026 Gulf of Guinea influx was opened; the finding rests on two scientific papers.","Category fit: a macroalgal bloom rather than nutrient pollution; assigned here as the nearest in-scope category.","Ghana Ministry named as a responsible body from general knowledge of the sector, not from a cited source."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-GULFGUINEA-MHW-2023","OC-GOG-KETA-EROSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-BONNY-OILSPILL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Pipeline rupture at Shell's Bonny terminal puts oil on the Rivers State shoreline","description":"NIMASA reported that on 14 December 2024 a ruptured pipeline caused an oil spill at the SPDC SMI loading terminal at Bonny, Rivers State, and that the spill had reached the shoreline. NOSDRA's director-general later visited SPDC for an emergency assessment, noted the spill had affected the Oyorokoto community in Andoni, and said the agency had given provisional approval for dispersants. The spill volume and source analysis were not published in the cited sources.","location":{"name":"SPDC Bonny terminal and Andoni shoreline","type":"Oil export terminal and coastal shoreline","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NG"],"detail":"Bonny Island, Rivers State, Niger Delta; the spill reached the shoreline including Oyorokoto community in Andoni Local Government Area.","coordinates":{"lat":4.44917,"lon":7.24,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Crude oil release from a loading terminal pipeline.","secondary_drivers":["Pipeline rupture","Oil terminal operations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NIMASA states the spill reached the shoreline and NOSDRA says it affected Oyorokoto community, but no contamination measurement is given (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishing ban, beach closure or shipping restriction is reported in the cited pages (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"A single terminal area and the adjacent Andoni shoreline (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The cited coverage spans mid to late December 2024 and gives no later outcome, so it scores as days to weeks (refs 1, 3).","significance":"NIMASA issued a public notice, and NOSDRA ran an emergency assessment ahead of a Joint Investigation Visit and gave provisional dispersant approval (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources name one affected community but give no population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Not reported","text":"Spill volume not reported; NIMASA says a ruptured pipeline caused the spill at the SMI loading terminal on 14 December 2024."},"measures":[{"name":"Spill volume","value":null,"unit":"barrels","status":"Not reported","note":"No volume in refs 1 to 3."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["SPDC deployed containment booms and vessels (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only December 2024 coverage was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)","role":"Spill regulator","contact":"https://oilspillmonitor.ng"},{"name":"Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)","role":"Maritime regulator and emergency operations","contact":"https://nimasa.gov.ng/oil-spill-at-spdc-bonny-terminal/"},{"name":"Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)","role":"Terminal operator"}],"public_contact":"NIMASA published phone lines +234 02016309590 to 92 on its notice page.","corrective_actions":["SPDC isolated the affected pipeline and deployed containment booms (ref 1).","NOSDRA approved dispersants provisionally and prepared a Joint Investigation Visit (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oil spill at SPDC Bonny terminal","publisher":"NIMASA","date":"2024-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nimasa.gov.ng/oil-spill-at-spdc-bonny-terminal/","basis":"Agency notice"},{"ref":2,"title":"NOSDRA Boss Conducts Emergency Evaluation of SPDC's Oil Spill Response in Bonny","publisher":"Prime Time Reporters","date":"2024-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://primetimereporters.com/2024/12/nosdra-boss-conducts-emergency-evaluation-of-spdcs-oil-spill-response-in-bonny","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"NOSDRA urges Shell to mitigate impact on communities","publisher":"Blueprint","date":"2024-12-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blueprint.ng/?p=683188","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Bonny Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonny_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Final JIV report, cause and volume were not found.","Coordinates are for Bonny Island, not the terminal buoys."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-NIGERDELTA-OILSPILLS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-NIGERDELTA-OILSPILLS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Nigeria records at least 589 oil spills in 2024 as fresh leaks hit Nembe Creek and Bukuma","description":"NOSDRA's Oil Spill Monitor data show at least 589 spill incidents in Nigeria in 2024, releasing over 19,000 barrels, most blamed on theft and sabotage. In the Niger Delta, NOSDRA confirmed a leak on the Nembe Creek Trunk Line in June 2024, and a gas leak at NNPCL's Well 8 on Bukuma Island, Degema, in January 2025 where investigators found stressed mangrove vegetation near the well-head.","location":{"name":"Niger Delta creeks (Bayelsa and Rivers States)","type":"Delta creek and mangrove coast","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NG"],"detail":"Nembe (Bayelsa) and Bukuma Island in Degema LGA (Rivers State); national totals cover onshore, swamp and inshore incidents and are not separated by marine share.","coordinates":{"lat":4.5369028,"lon":6.4062111,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[{"lat":4.8,"lon":6.8,"precision":"city","role":"Degema LGA (Bukuma Island well-head leak, Jan 2025)","source_ref":6}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Chronic crude oil and gas releases from pipelines and wells into delta waters.","secondary_drivers":["Oil theft and sabotage","Ageing pipelines"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"At Bukuma, investigators found gas emissions and stressed mangrove vegetation near the well-head (ref 3); no measured contamination figure is cited for the other incidents.","livelihoods":"The cited pages report no fishing ban, evacuation or route closure, only response and investigation steps (refs 1, 3, 4).","scale":"Incidents span Bayelsa and Rivers States, a national coastline-scale delta region, with 589 incidents nationally in 2024 (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The 589-incident total covers a full year and the BusinessDay editorial describes repeated spills, including three by one operator in May 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NOSDRA confirmed the Nembe leak and ran a Joint Investigation Visit at Bukuma with directives to NNPCL (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources give no population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nigeria recorded at least 589 oil spill incidents in 2024, releasing over 19,000 barrels of crude."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil spill incidents in Nigeria, 2024","value":589,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"'At least', from NOSDRA's Oil Spill Monitor data (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Crude released, 2024","value":19000,"unit":"barrels","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 19,000 barrels' per ref 2."},{"name":"Major SPDC incidents confirmed, 2024 operations","value":20,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"Per the ref 2 editorial; it also cites a 122 percent rise in SPDC spill incidents."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Aiteo moved crude by barge to a floating storage vessel after repeated vandalism of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, which can carry 180,000 barrels a day (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The editorial calls 2024 totals slightly lower than previous years (ref 2); no multi-year series was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)","role":"Spill regulator","contact":"https://oilspillmonitor.ng"},{"name":"Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)","role":"Operator of Well 8, Bukuma"},{"name":"Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Limited","role":"Operator, Nembe Creek Trunk Line"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["NOSDRA directed NNPCL to repair the Bukuma well-head and keep surveillance of its operating areas (ref 3).","NOSDRA signed an MoU with F1 Consulting in February 2025 to bring its spill contingency plan to host communities (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NOSDRA signs MoU with F1 Consulting to tackle oil spills in Niger Delta, other oil-producing communities","publisher":"Nairametrics","date":"2025-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nairametrics.com/2025/02/21/nosdra-signs-mou-with-f1-consulting-to-tackle-oil-spills-in-niger-delta-other-oil-producing-communities/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"A call to accountability in environmental negligence","publisher":"BusinessDay (editorial)","date":"2025-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://businessday.ng/editorial/article/a-call-to-accountability-in-environmental-negligence/","basis":"News (editorial)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Joint Investigation Visits: NOSDRA rallies partners to fight oil spill/gas fire disaster in Bukuma island forests","publisher":"BusinessDay","date":"2025-01-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://businessday.ng/news/article/joint-investigation-visits-nosdra-rallies-partners-to-fight-oil-spill-gas-fire-disaster-in-bukuma-island-forests/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"NOSDRA confirms oil leak at Aiteo-operated Nembe oilfields","publisher":"Gazette NGR (News Agency of Nigeria)","date":"2024-06-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gazettengr.com/nosdra-confirms-oil-leak-at-aiteo-operated-nembe-oilfields/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Nembe (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nembe","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Degema, Rivers State (coordinates; lists Bukuma)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degema,_Rivers_State","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Oil Spill Monitor dashboard itself loaded empty, so the 589 and 19,000 figures come from two news reports, not the dashboard.","Nembe leak volume, cause and area were not stated; Bukuma final JIV report was pending.","Share of the national total that is marine or inshore is not separable."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-BONNY-OILSPILL-2024","OC-GOG-BAYELSA-SHELLLEGACY-2025","OC-GOG-NIGERIA-MANGROVELOSS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-BAYELSA-SHELLLEGACY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Niger Delta legacy oil pollution: $12 billion Bayelsa clean-up estimate as Shell exits onshore, London trial set for 2027","description":"A four-year Bayelsa state investigation estimated that cleaning up the state would cost $12 billion. Shell announced in March 2025 that the sale of its onshore Nigerian assets to Renaissance Africa Energy had concluded, and in July 2026 a Bayelsa federal court dismissed a community suit to block the exit as premature and statute-barred. In London, the High Court ruled in June 2025 that the Bille and Ogale claims against Shell can go to a full trial from March 2027; Shell blames most spills on theft, sabotage and illegal refining.","location":{"name":"Bayelsa State and Bille (Rivers State) delta communities","type":"Delta oil-field communities and creeks","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NG"],"detail":"Bayelsa State and Bille in Degema LGA, Rivers State, in the Niger Delta; the Ogale claimants are in Rivers State and are onshore, so the marine share of this legacy is not separated.","coordinates":{"lat":4.75,"lon":6.083,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Decades of crude oil pollution and an unresolved clean-up liability.","secondary_drivers":["Legacy oil spills","Oil theft and illegal refining (Shell's position)","Corporate divestment"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Bayelsa commission's clean-up cost estimate implies widespread contamination, but its report was not opened and the London court has not made findings on spills (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Claimants say the Bille and Ogale communities lack clean water and cannot farm or fish (ref 3); these are allegations in litigation.","scale":"The claims centre on two community areas and Bayelsa State, a local delta scale (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Claimants have sought clean-up and compensation since 2015, and the Bayelsa clean-up remains unfunded (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The UK High Court ruled on 20 June 2025 that the case proceeds to trial, and a Bayelsa federal court dismissed a related suit in July 2026 (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":50000,"status":"Reported","note":"Combined population of the Bille and Ogale communities, as stated by the claimants' lawyers (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A four-year state investigation concluded in 2023 that cleaning up Bayelsa would cost $12 billion."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated Bayelsa clean-up cost","value":12,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission figure as reported in refs 1 and 5; the report itself was not opened."},{"name":"Spills identified so far in the London case","value":85,"unit":"spills","status":"Reported","note":"Judge noted about 85 spills identified, case at a very early stage (ref 2)."},{"name":"Full trial length from March 2027","value":4,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Shell's onshore sale to Renaissance Africa Energy concluded in March 2025 amid clean-up liability disputes (refs 1, 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Court steps in 2025 and 2026; no pollution measurements."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Renaissance Africa Energy Company (successor to SPDC)","role":"Onshore operator and defendant"},{"name":"Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)","role":"Upstream regulator"},{"name":"National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)","role":"Spill regulator","contact":"https://oilspillmonitor.ng"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The English High Court scheduled a four-month full trial from March 2027 (ref 2).","Civil-society groups asked NUPRC to publish the S&P Global review of the divestment (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coalition of 175 CSOs urges Nigerian government to uphold Shell divestment block over environmental and transparency concerns","publisher":"HEDA Resource Centre","date":"2024-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hedang.org/coalition-of-175-csos-urges-nigerian-government-to-uphold-shell-divestment-block-over-environmental-and-transparency-concerns/","basis":"Civil-society statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Shell to face High Court trial over legacy oil pollution in 2027","publisher":"City AM","date":"2025-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cityam.com/?p=2341811","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Shell trial over oil pollution which has devastated two Nigerian communities begins at the High Court in London","publisher":"Leigh Day (claimants' solicitors)","date":"2025-02-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.leighday.co.uk/news/press-releases/2025-news/shell-trial-over-oil-pollution-which-has-devastated-two-nigerian-communities-begins-at-the-high-court-in-london/","basis":"Law firm press release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nigerian court dismisses suit challenging Shell's divestment","publisher":"eNCA","date":"2026-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enca.com/business/nigerian-court-dismisses-suit-challenging-shells-divestment","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"UK: High Court confirms Shell Niger Delta oil pollution case can proceed to trial","publisher":"Business and Human Rights Resource Centre","date":"2025-06-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.business-humanrights.org/ko/latest-news/uk-high-court-confirms-shell-oil-pollution-case-can-proceed-to-trial/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Bayelsa State (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayelsa_State","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Bayelsa Oil and Environment Commission report and the S&P Global review were not opened.","The Ogale claimants live onshore near Port Harcourt, so part of this record is outside marine and coastal scope.","Shell's claim that most pollution is caused by theft and sabotage is its stated position, not a finding."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-NIGERDELTA-OILSPILLS-2024","OC-GOG-OGONILAND-SHORELINE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-OGONILAND-SHORELINE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ogoniland clean-up reaches its tenth year with 1,432 workers on shoreline and mangrove restoration","description":"HYPREP says 1,432 community workers were recently engaged for shoreline clean-up and mangrove restoration in Ogoniland, ten years after the Federal Government launched the clean-up at Bodo on 2 June 2016. The agency's July 2026 briefing to the UN gave no remediation figures, and its own updates are promotional. The record tracks an unfinished clean-up of a coastal oil-polluted area, not independently verified progress.","location":{"name":"Ogoniland and Bodo creeks, Rivers State","type":"Creek shoreline and mangrove clean-up area","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NG"],"detail":"Ogoniland, Rivers State, Niger Delta; clean-up launched at Bodo, Gokana LGA.","coordinates":{"lat":4.617,"lon":7.267,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Oil-polluted creek shoreline and mangroves under a federal remediation programme.","secondary_drivers":["Legacy oil spills"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The programme is cleaning polluted shoreline and restoring mangroves, but the cited pages give no contamination measurements (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"HYPREP runs livelihood and skills programmes, with over 8,500 direct jobs and 2,400 youths trained, implying disrupted local income (ref 1).","scale":"A single area of creek communities in Ogoniland (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The clean-up was launched on 2 June 2016 and continues in October 2026 (ref 2).","significance":"A formal federal programme with a UN briefing in July 2026, but no regulatory order or court ruling is cited (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources count jobs and trainees, not people affected by the pollution."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"1,432 community workers were recently engaged for shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration projects."},"measures":[{"name":"Community workers engaged for shoreline clean-up and mangrove restoration","value":1432,"unit":"workers","status":"Reported","note":"HYPREP, 9 October 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Direct jobs created for Ogoni youths and women","value":8500,"unit":"jobs","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 8,500', HYPREP (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Funding support was sought from the UN and climate funds in July 2026 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"HYPREP reports expanding mangrove and shoreline work; this is the agency's own claim (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP)","role":"Federal clean-up agency","contact":"https://hyprep.gov.ng"}],"public_contact":"HYPREP lists info@hyprep.gov.ng and +234 816 8252 624 on its website.","corrective_actions":["Shoreline clean-up and mangrove restoration by community workers (ref 1).","Request to the UN for support and climate finance (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ogoni youths' peaceful disposition, support contributing to cleanup success - PC Zabbey","publisher":"HYPREP","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hyprep.gov.ng/ogoni-youths-peaceful-disposition-support-contributing-to-cleanup-success-pc-zabbey/","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Environment Minister Balarabe Lawal leads HYPREP to United Nations, seeks renewed support for Ogoni cleanup","publisher":"HYPREP","date":"2026-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hyprep.gov.ng/environment-minister-balarabe-lawal-leads-hyprep-to-united-nations-seeks-renewed-support-for-ogoni-cleanup/","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bodo, Nigeria (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodo,_Nigeria","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Both substantive sources are HYPREP press releases; no independent report or hectares/sites-remediated figure was opened.","The UNEP Ogoniland assessment was linked but not opened.","Trend 'Improving' rests on the agency's own claims."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-BAYELSA-SHELLLEGACY-2025","OC-GOG-NIGERIA-MANGROVELOSS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-HANN-SEWAGE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dakar's Hann Bay is contaminated by sewage and industrial effluent while a EUR 184.5 million clean-up nears completion","description":"An IRD marine specialist found E. coli at 13 to 100 times the permitted limit in Hann Bay, plus salmonella, microplastics and aluminium, chromium and zinc above standards, with factories, a tannery and sewage pipes discharging directly. A treatment plant for 26,000 cubic metres a day is reported 95 percent complete, but the sea outfall has not started pending extra financing. The minister says the project could finish by 2027.","location":{"name":"Hann Bay, Dakar","type":"Urban bay receiving sewage and industrial effluent","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SN"],"detail":"Hann Bay, Dakar, Senegal; the zone holds most of the country's manufacturing, and about 500,000 people in nine Dakar communes are project beneficiaries.","coordinates":{"lat":14.72111,"lon":-17.43694,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","plastics-marine-debris"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Industrial effluent and untreated sewage discharged into a coastal bay.","secondary_drivers":["Untreated sewage","Industrial effluent","Stormwater canal discharges"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"E. coli at 13 to 100 times the permitted limit, and aluminium, chromium and zinc above standards, with residents reporting throat burning and illness (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A fisherman says nets come up with rubbish and pollution affects fish breeding grounds, though no closure is reported (ref 1).","scale":"One bay on the Dakar coast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The AFD project began in September 2020 and the bay was still unclean in March 2026 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A state-run EUR 184.5 million clean-up with a pollution tax and industrial sanitation fee is under way, but no court or enforcement order is cited (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":500000,"status":"Estimated","note":"Project beneficiaries in nine Dakar communes, used as a proxy for people living around the bay (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"E. coli at 13 to 100 times the permitted limit, plus salmonella, microplastics, aluminium, chromium and zinc above standards."},"measures":[{"name":"Project cost","value":184.5,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"Sud Quotidien, March 2026 (ref 3); AFD's own share is EUR 83.1 million (ref 2)."},{"name":"Treatment plant capacity","value":26000,"unit":"m3/day","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 1 and 3 context."},{"name":"Treatment plant progress in 2025 (minister)","value":95,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"The coordinator gives about 96% for the station and 59% overall execution (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing and tourism are expected to benefit from cleaner water (ref 2).","Sea outfall delayed pending complementary financing (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No pollution measurements after the 2024 survey were opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Office national de l'assainissement du Senegal (ONAS)","role":"Project owner and sanitation operator"},{"name":"Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD)","role":"Lead financier","contact":"https://www.afd.fr/fr/carte-des-projets/depolluer-la-baie-de-hann"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Treatment plant, interceptor and pumping stations under construction (ref 3).","Industrial pollution tax and sanitation fee on connected industries (ref 2).","Pilot agreement with industrialists on pre-treatment (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Senegal's Hann Bay, a paradise turned sewer, awaits clean up","publisher":"eNCA (AFP)","date":"2024-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://enca.com/opinion/senegals-hann-bay-paradise-turned-sewer-awaits-clean","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Depolluer la baie de Hann","publisher":"Agence Francaise de Developpement","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.afd.fr/fr/carte-des-projets/depolluer-la-baie-de-hann","basis":"Agency project page (French)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Senegal: Entre contraintes, avancees et mise en oeuvre du projet - La depollution de la baie de Hann en marche","publisher":"Sud Quotidien via AllAfrica","date":"2026-03-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/202603110414.html","basis":"News (French)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Hann Bay (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hann_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Share of Senegal's industry on the bay: about 60 percent (AFD, ref 2) versus about 80 percent of industrial establishments (Sud Quotidien, ref 3); treatment-plant progress 95 percent (minister) versus about 96 percent (coordinator)."}],"missing_fields":["The 2018 launch and the 18-month suspension after a contractor bankruptcy come from ref 1 only.","The AFD page carries no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-SAINTLOUIS-GTAEXCLUSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-KETA-EROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"The sea has swallowed Fuveme and other Keta-coast villages as World Bank-backed sea defences stay at design stage","description":"Ghana News Agency reported in 2023 that the sea had overtaken three fishing communities in Keta Municipality (Kporkporgbor, Gbakpeygbor and Fuveme) with eight more at risk. After tidal waves hit Fuveme and Blekusu in April 2026, the President said the $150 million WACA sea-defence project had finished feasibility studies, is at design stage and had stalled in 2024. Erosion is also pushing the sea to open a second estuary at Fuveme, threatening the Keta Lagoon and fisherfolk.","location":{"name":"Keta coast, Volta Region (Fuveme to Blekusu)","type":"Eroding sand barrier coast","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GH"],"detail":"Keta Municipality, Anloga and Ketu South, Volta Region, Ghana; Keta Lagoon reaches the sea through the Volta estuary at Ada Foah.","coordinates":{"lat":5.917,"lon":0.983,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Marine erosion and tidal inundation of a low-lying coast.","secondary_drivers":["Sand extraction","Silted Volta estuary","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fuveme and two other communities are described as overtaken by the sea, with Keta reported to have lost about two-thirds of its land (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Residents have moved elsewhere in Ghana and to neighbouring countries to find work; the lagoon-linked fisherfolk's livelihoods are threatened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"A local stretch of the Volta Region coast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Keta stopped being the regional capital in 1986 because of land loss, and tidal waves struck again in April 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A presidential working visit and a $150 million World Bank WACA project, but no emergency declaration is cited (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of displaced people is given in refs 1 to 4."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The sea has overtaken three fishing communities in Keta Municipality, with eight more considered at risk (June 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Communities overtaken by the sea","value":3,"unit":"communities","status":"Reported","note":"Kporkporgbor, Gbakpeygbor and Fuveme (ref 1)."},{"name":"Communities considered at risk","value":8,"unit":"communities","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"WACA sea-defence funding","value":150,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"World Bank-funded project, funds protected per President Mahama (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fisherfolk livelihoods on Keta Lagoon are threatened (ref 2).","The commercial port and defences are expected to reclaim about one kilometre of land (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Tidal waves hit Fuveme and Blekusu in April 2026 and the sea is trying to open a second estuary (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Ghana (Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources and Volta Regional Coordinating Council) with the World Bank WACA programme","role":"Sea defence implementers"},{"name":"Volta River Authority","role":"Asked to dredge the Volta estuary"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Existing defences at Keta, Agbletorkor and Blekusu 1 and 2 (ref 2).","The VRA will be asked to dredge the Volta estuary; mangroves, coconut trees, groynes and sea walls are planned (ref 2).","Digital Earth Africa coastline monitoring feasibility study at Keta Lagoon (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The sea continues its relentless roar at Ghana's Keta","publisher":"Ghana News Agency","date":"2023-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gna.org.gh/?p=289047","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"President Mahama visits tidal waves hit Fuveme in Volta Region","publisher":"Ghana News Agency","date":"2026-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gna.org.gh/2026/04/president-mahama-visits-tidal-waves-hit-fuveme-in-volta-region/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pres Mahama visits tidal waves-hit Fuveme, Blekusu","publisher":"Ghanaian Times","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/pres-mahama-visits-tidal-waves-hit-fuveme-blekusu/amp/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"DE Africa's tools are revolutionising how coastal erosion is studied in Ghana","publisher":"Digital Earth Africa","date":"2025-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://digitalearthafrica.org/fr/?p=2462","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":5,"title":"Keta, Ghana (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keta,_Ghana","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Dialogue Earth feature on Fuveme (Oct 2024 visit) returned 403 and was not opened.","Ghanaian Times article page shows only '6 months ago', so its date is null.","Responsible-body names are inferred from the articles (ministers named) rather than a published contact."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-NGOG-SARGASSUM-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-GHANA-SAIKOLICENCES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ghana suspends licences of four trawlers for one year over saiko transshipment, juvenile fish and restricted-zone fishing","description":"In April 2025 Ghana's Fisheries Commission and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture suspended the licences of four Ghana-flagged trawlers (Meng Xin 10, Florence 2, Long Xiang 607 and Long Xiang 608) for one year. The violations cited were unauthorised transshipment at sea (saiko), dumping, fishing in restricted zones and harvesting juvenile fish. The Environmental Justice Foundation says Chinese corporations own about 90% of Ghana's industrial trawlers, and artisanal fishers report incomes down by as much as 40% per canoe over about 15 years.","location":{"name":"Ghana industrial trawl fishery","type":"National fishing fleet and EEZ","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GH"],"detail":"Ghana's Atlantic coast and EEZ; saiko is the at-sea sale of trawler catch to canoes.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Overfishing and illegal transshipment pressure on small pelagic stocks shared with artisanal fishers.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal transshipment (saiko)","Juvenile fish catches","Beneficial ownership by foreign companies"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Environmental Justice Foundation's Steve Trent said saiko is 'precipitating the collapse of Ghana's staple fish stock' and the vessels were cited for harvesting juvenile fish and dumping (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Artisanal fishers' average annual income has fallen by as much as 40% per canoe over roughly 15 years, and more than 100,000 artisanal fishermen are affected (ref 1).","scale":"The enforcement covers one country's industrial fleet and EEZ, and the article puts IUU losses to Ghana at $14.4 million to $23.7 million a year (ref 2).","duration":"The article describes a roughly 15-year income decline for canoe fishers and a five-year-old EU yellow card for Ghana (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Ghana's Fisheries Commission and Ministry suspended four licences for one year in April 2025, an administrative enforcement action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ghana suspended four trawler licences for one year in April 2025 for unauthorised transshipment, dumping, restricted-zone fishing and juvenile fish (Africa Defense Forum, 13 May 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Trawler licences suspended","value":4,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Meng Xin 10, Florence 2, Long Xiang 607, Long Xiang 608; one year (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated annual cost of IUU fishing to Ghana","value":null,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Stated as a range of $14.4 million to $23.7 million a year (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of industrial trawlers owned by Chinese corporations","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Environmental Justice Foundation estimate cited in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Artisanal canoe incomes down by as much as 40% over about 15 years (ref 1).","Ghana's tuna exports of nearly $400 million a year are exposed to an EU red card if the existing yellow card is not lifted, per the fisheries minister (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Licence suspensions in 2025 and an expanded inshore exclusion zone, but a 2026 EJF report finds illegal juvenile catches persist (ref 2, see related record)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries Commission, Ghana","role":"Licensing and enforcement","contact":"https://fisheriescommission.gov.gh/"},{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ghana","role":"Fisheries ministry","contact":"https://mofad.gov.gh/"},{"name":"Environmental Justice Foundation","role":"Investigating NGO","contact":"https://ejfoundation.org/"}],"public_contact":"Ghana Fisheries Commission, published contact page: https://fisheriescommission.gov.gh/","corrective_actions":["Licences of Meng Xin 10, Florence 2, Long Xiang 607 and Long Xiang 608 suspended for one year in April 2025 (ref 1).","Ghana endorsed the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency in April 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ghana suspends licenses of Chinese trawlers over illegal fishing","publisher":"Africa Defense Forum","date":"2025-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://adf-magazine.com/2025/05/ghana-suspends-licenses-of-chinese-trawlers-over-illegal-fishing/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ghana expands inshore exclusion zone to curb IUU fishing","publisher":"Africa Defense Forum","date":"2025-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://adf-magazine.com/2025/09/ghana-expands-inshore-exclusion-zone-to-curb-iuu-fishing/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ownership and bribery claims are attributed to Ghana Business News, the Environmental Justice Foundation and a BBC-interviewed observer as reported by ADF; the cited pages do not show a company response."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the one-year suspensions have been renewed or lifted is not stated in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-GHANA-TRAWLERBYCATCH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-GHANA-TRAWLERBYCATCH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"EJF finds Ghana's industrial trawlers still land mostly juvenile bycatch despite the saiko crackdown","description":"An Environmental Justice Foundation report of February 2026, summarised by Africa Defense Forum, found that bycatch makes up 53% to 60.5% of Ghanaian trawler landings against a 15% government allowance. EJF reports that 70% of the 58 trawler crew members it interviewed admitted fishing with modified nets that target small, juvenile fish. A Business and Financial Times headline on the report states that 94% of fishers register declining catches.","location":{"name":"Ghana industrial trawl fishery","type":"National fishing fleet and EEZ","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GH"],"detail":"Ghana's Atlantic coast and EEZ; landings of small pelagic fish by industrial trawlers.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Industrial targeting of juvenile small pelagic fish depletes stocks that artisanal fishers depend on.","secondary_drivers":["Modified trawl nets","Weak enforcement","Foreign beneficial ownership"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"EJF found up to 60% of trawler catch is undersized pelagic fish and bycatch of 53% to 60.5% of landings against a 15% allowance (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Artisanal canoe incomes are reported down by up to 40% over about 15 years and 94% of surveyed fishers report declining catches (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The report concerns Ghana's whole industrial trawl fleet and national waters (ref 1).","duration":"The article links the pattern to a 15-year income decline and to the saiko trade that preceded the 2025 enforcement (ref 1).","significance":"The reported bycatch share exceeds the 15% allowance set by the Ghanaian government, a documented breach of a national rule, per EJF (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"EJF found bycatch makes up 53% to 60.5% of Ghanaian trawler landings, well above the 15% allowance, and up to 60% of trawler catch is undersized pelagic fish (Africa Defense Forum, 10 March 2026, citing EJF)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bycatch share of trawler landings (lower bound)","value":53,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"EJF range of 53% to 60.5% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Government bycatch allowance","value":15,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Allowance set by the Ghanaian government (ref 1)."},{"name":"Interviewed crew admitting modified nets","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of 58 trawler crew members interviewed by EJF (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishers reporting declining catches","value":94,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Headline figure of the Business and Financial Times report, 12 February 2026; body text not available (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Small pelagic fish are the artisanal and processing sector's staple catch, with over 100,000 artisanal fishermen (ref 1).","Artisanal canoe incomes down by up to 40% over about 15 years (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"EJF says the problem persists after the transshipment crackdown, with trawlers modifying nets to target juveniles (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries Commission, Ghana","role":"Licensing and enforcement","contact":"https://fisheriescommission.gov.gh/"},{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ghana","role":"Fisheries ministry","contact":"https://mofad.gov.gh/"}],"public_contact":"Ghana Fisheries Commission, published contact page: https://fisheriescommission.gov.gh/","corrective_actions":["Ghana's new Fisheries and Aquaculture Act expanded the inshore exclusive zone for artisanal fishers from 6 to 12 nautical miles (ref 1).","Licence suspensions of four trawlers in April 2025 (see related record)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Chinese trawlers continue decimating Ghana's fisheries","publisher":"Africa Defense Forum","date":"2026-03-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://adf-magazine.com/2026/03/chinese-trawlers-continue-decimating-ghanas-fisheries/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Illegality at sea: 94% of fishers register declining catches - report","publisher":"Business and Financial Times","date":"2026-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thebftonline.com/2026/02/12/illegality-at-sea-94-of-fishers-register-declining-catches-report/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ADF's March 2026 article gives the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act signing date as 21 November 2025; its September 2025 article says 19 August 2025. The record states only that the Act was passed in 2025."}],"missing_fields":["EJF's original report page could not be opened; figures come from ADF's summary. The Business and Financial Times page showed only its headline."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-GHANA-SAIKOLICENCES-2025","OC-GOG-SIERRALEONE-TRAWLERIEZ-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-SENEGAL-EUFISHAGREEMENT-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Senegal lets its EU fisheries agreement lapse after the European Commission's IUU yellow card","description":"The European Commission issued Senegal a yellow card on 27 May 2024 over shortcomings in monitoring, control and surveillance, including weak controls on foreign vessels in the port of Dakar. The 2019 EU-Senegal fisheries agreement expired on 17 November 2024 and was not renewed, and European vessels stopped fishing in Senegal's EEZ. Senegal's prime minister's office says the government chose not to renew in order to better protect fish resources.","location":{"name":"Senegal EEZ and Port of Dakar","type":"National fishing waters and treaty process","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SN"],"detail":"Senegal's Atlantic EEZ; the Commission cited inspection gaps for foreign vessels in the port of Dakar.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A bilateral access agreement and an EU IUU sanction process decide who fishes Senegal's waters.","secondary_drivers":["IUU fishing controls","EU yellow card","Foreign fleet access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Commission cited serious shortcomings in monitoring of Senegalese vessels abroad, weak port controls in Dakar and illegal exports, a potential rather than quantified stock harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishing supports about 600,000 people and 50,000 fishermen, and the end of the accord stops 18 Spanish and French tuna and hake vessels fishing in the EEZ (ref 2).","scale":"The agreement and card concern Senegal's national waters and fleet (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The yellow card dates from 27 May 2024 and the agreement ended 17 November 2024, with a new agreement expected to take months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Commission pre-identified Senegal as a non-cooperating country and the 2019 treaty-level agreement expired without renewal (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The EU-Senegal fisheries agreement expired at midnight on 17 November 2024 and was not renewed, after the Commission's 27 May 2024 yellow card (Commission notice via MaritimAfrica; eNCA, 12 November 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"National licences issued in 2024","value":132,"unit":"licences","status":"Reported","note":"144 in 2023, per the prime minister's office (ref 3)."},{"name":"Foreign-flag EU licences in 2024","value":19,"unit":"licences","status":"Reported","note":"Of which only 11 vessels fished in Senegal's EEZ in 2024 (ref 3)."},{"name":"EU vessels affected by the halt","value":18,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Spanish and French tuna and hake vessels, per the EU ambassador as reported by eNCA (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["EU yellow card could become a red card with a ban on fishery exports to the EU if non-compliance continues (ref 1).","Senegal receives no further EU financial contribution under the agreement (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No source opened after the primature page shows whether the yellow card was lifted or a new agreement signed."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"IUU carding and partnership agreements","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"},{"name":"Primature du Senegal","role":"Government of Senegal, announced non-renewal","contact":"https://primature.sn/"}],"public_contact":"European Commission oceans and fisheries contact page: https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/","corrective_actions":["Senegal's new government published the fishing licence list and audited the fleet, as acknowledged by the Commission (ref 1).","EU opened a formal dialogue with Senegal and offered support on IUU fishing (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: the European Union issues a yellow card to Senegal","publisher":"MaritimAfrica (reproducing the Commission announcement)","date":"2024-05-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritimafrica.com/en/fight-against-illegal-unreported-and-unregulated-fishing-the-european-union-issues-a-yellow-card-to-senegal/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"EU vessels to cease fishing in Senegal after accord expires","publisher":"eNCA (AFP)","date":"2024-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://enca.com/news/eu-vessels-cease-fishing-senegal-after-accord-expires","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Suspension de l'Accord de peche avec l'Union europeenne","publisher":"Primature du Senegal","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://primature.sn/actions-et-realisations/peche-et-economie-maritime/suspension-de-laccord-de-peche-avec-lunion","basis":"Official government page (French)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Financial totals differ: eNCA reports 8.5 million euros over five years; Senegal's fisheries minister is reported elsewhere as 9.95 million euros (not opened)."}],"missing_fields":["Current status of the yellow card and any successor agreement is not in the cited sources.","Primature page shows no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-MAURITANIA-FISHMEAL-2026","OC-GOG-SAINTLOUIS-GTAEXCLUSION-2026","OC-GOG-WSAHARA-EUMOROCCOFISH-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-WSAHARA-EUMOROCCOFISH-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"EU Court of Justice confirms annulment of the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement as applied to Western Sahara waters","description":"On 4 October 2024 the Court of Justice of the EU confirmed the annulment of the EU-Morocco fisheries and agricultural agreements, finding they were concluded without the consent of the people of Western Sahara. The fisheries agreement had been suspended since July 2023 after an earlier General Court ruling. Morocco says it is not a party to the case and calls the ruling's content legally erroneous and politically biased.","location":{"name":"Western Sahara and Moroccan Atlantic fishing zone","type":"Disputed-territory fishing waters","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["EH","MA"],"detail":"Atlantic waters off Western Sahara covered by the EU-Morocco sustainable fisheries partnership.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court ruling on consent and territorial scope decides foreign fleet access to disputed waters.","secondary_drivers":["Court ruling","Disputed territory","Foreign fleet access"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is documented in the cited reports, which concern the legality of access rather than stock status (ref 1).","livelihoods":"92 of the 138 EU licences in the area are tied to Andalusian, Canary Islands and Galician fleets, which lost access under the suspension (ref 1).","scale":"The ruling concerns the coastline and waters of Western Sahara as a national-scale area (ref 1).","duration":"The fisheries protocol expired 17 July 2023 and the agreement has been suspended since July 2023, with the final ruling in October 2024 (ref 1).","significance":"The Court of Justice dismissed the Council and Commission appeals and confirmed the annulment, a court ruling (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Court of Justice of the EU confirmed on 4 October 2024 that the EU-Morocco agreements were concluded without the consent of the people of Western Sahara (Atalayar, 4 October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"EU fishing licences in the area","value":138,"unit":"licences","status":"Reported","note":"92 relate to Andalusian, Canary Islands and Galician fleets; described as licences, not vessels (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["EU access to the zone has been suspended since July 2023 (ref 1).","Morocco rejects the ruling and says it is not affected (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No source opened after October 2024 shows a replacement agreement or status change."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Court of Justice of the European Union","role":"Court that issued the ruling","contact":"https://curia.europa.eu/"},{"name":"European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries","role":"Negotiates EU fisheries agreements","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/"}],"public_contact":"European Commission oceans and fisheries contact page: https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/","corrective_actions":["The agricultural agreement was left in force for 12 months for legal certainty; the fisheries annulment took effect immediately (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"European Court of Justice overturns EU-Morocco fisheries and agricultural agreements","publisher":"Atalayar","date":"2024-10-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.atalayar.com/en/articulo/politics/european-court-of-justice-overturns-eu-morocco-fisheries-and-agricultural-agreements/20241004150122205984.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"EU court strikes down fishing agreement with Morocco","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2024-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2024/10/07/eu-court-strikes-down-fishing-agreement-with-morocco/","basis":"News (paywalled; headline and lead only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Court's own press release could not be opened; the second source was paywalled beyond its headline. Fee and vessel figures were not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-SENEGAL-EUFISHAGREEMENT-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-GULFGUINEA-PIRACY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Gulf of Guinea records 21 piracy incidents and 23 crew kidnapped in 2025, IMB reports","description":"The ICC International Maritime Bureau's 2025 annual report records 21 incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, against 18 in 2024 and 22 in 2023. The region accounted for 23 crew kidnapped in four separate incidents, along with three hostages and one injured crew member. IMB Director Michael Howlett commended Gulf of Guinea authorities for steps to reduce reported incidents.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Guinea","type":"Regional shipping lanes","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NG","BJ","TG","GH","CI","CM","GQ","GA","ST"],"detail":"Open waters off the Gulf of Guinea coast; the IMB report does not name individual coastal states.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Piracy and kidnapping at sea are a maritime security risk for shipping and seafarers.","secondary_drivers":["Piracy and armed robbery","Crew kidnapping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"23 crew were kidnapped in four incidents in 2025 (ref 1), with three hostages and one injured crew (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited IMB pages record no shipping restriction or route closure for the Gulf of Guinea (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The incidents span the Gulf of Guinea as a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"IMB counts 22, 18 and 21 incidents in 2023, 2024 and 2025, a recurring pattern over three years (ref 1).","significance":"The IMB, a formal reporting centre, published the counts in its annual piracy report of January 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":23,"status":"Reported","note":"Crew members kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea in 2025 per IMB (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IMB recorded 21 Gulf of Guinea incidents in 2025 (18 in 2024, 22 in 2023), with 23 crew kidnapped in four incidents (ICC IMB, 15 January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Gulf of Guinea incidents 2025","value":21,"unit":"incidents","status":"Reported","note":"18 in 2024 and 22 in 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Crew kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea 2025","value":23,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"In four separate incidents (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hostages in the Gulf of Guinea 2025","value":3,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"One crew member injured (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["IMB says timely reporting is key to preventing further incidents (ref 2).","Global incidents rose to 137 in 2025 from 116 in 2024 (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Incidents were 22, 18 and 21 in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ICC International Maritime Bureau","role":"Piracy reporting centre","contact":"https://icc-ccs.org/"}],"public_contact":"ICC International Maritime Bureau, published contact page: https://icc-ccs.org/","corrective_actions":["IMB urges timely reporting of incidents and commended Gulf of Guinea authorities for steps to reduce incidents (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Global maritime piracy and armed robbery increased in 2025","publisher":"ICC International Maritime Bureau","date":"2026-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.icc-ccs.org/news/global-maritime-piracy-and-armed-robbery-increased-in-2025","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Global maritime piracy and armed robbery increased in 2025 (IMB report)","publisher":"Hellenic Shipping News","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/?p=1119392","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The IMB report does not name the coastal states or locations of the Gulf of Guinea incidents; countries listed are the Gulf of Guinea coastal states in scope, not taken from the report."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-SIERRALEONE-TRAWLERIEZ-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-SAINTLOUIS-GTAEXCLUSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Saint-Louis fishers say Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG exclusion zone has cut access to fishing grounds","description":"The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project off Senegal and Mauritania loaded its first cargo on 17 April 2025, with the floating LNG vessel about 10 km offshore. A July 2026 DeSmog investigation reports that an agreement keeps fishers 500 m from LNG facilities but that navy patrols in practice keep them more than six kilometres away, and no compensation has been reported. Kosmos says the partnership does not prohibit fishing outside the exclusion zone, and BP declined to comment.","location":{"name":"Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field, off Saint-Louis","type":"Offshore gas field and fishing grounds","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SN","MR"],"detail":"Gas field about 10 km offshore near the mouth of the Senegal River, between Senegal and Mauritania; pirogue fishers from Saint-Louis.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":16.0333,"lon":-16.5,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An offshore gas project's exclusion zone restricts artisanal fishing grounds.","secondary_drivers":["Exclusion zone","LNG production","Artisanal fishing displacement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Greenpeace's Aliou Ba says the field leaked methane for three weeks in 2025, which BP calls 'low-flow and negligible'; a fisher says the terminal is where they used to fish (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishers are kept 500 m from facilities by agreement and, per the article, more than six kilometres in practice by navy patrols, with no compensation reported (ref 1).","scale":"The zone and field sit at one site about 10 km off Saint-Louis (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Production began at the end of 2024 and the first cargo was loaded on 17 April 2025, with the issue still reported in July 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"An OECD complaint by Gaalou Guett and Lumiere Synergie pour le Developpement received a preliminary 'further examination' in February 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fishers are formally kept 500 m from LNG facilities but navy patrols in practice keep them more than six kilometres away, DeSmog reported on 24 July 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Formal exclusion distance from LNG facilities","value":500,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Per the agreement described in ref 1."},{"name":"Distance fishers are kept away in practice","value":6,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"'More than six kilometres' per the article, attributed to navy patrols (ref 1)."},{"name":"Phase 1 LNG capacity","value":2.4,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Expected once fully operational (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fisheries employ around 15% of Senegal's population and the sea supplies about 30% of animal protein, per the article (ref 1).","No compensation has been reported (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only one 2026 investigation addresses fisher impacts."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"BP (operator)","role":"Project operator, 56% holder","contact":"https://www.bp.com/"},{"name":"Kosmos Energy","role":"Partner, 27% holder","contact":"https://www.kosmosenergy.com/"},{"name":"Petrosen","role":"Senegal state company, 10% holder"}],"public_contact":"BP Senegal and Kosmos Energy publish contact pages on their websites; Senegal's ministry channels are not given in the sources.","corrective_actions":["Kosmos says the partnership does not prohibit fishing outside the exclusion zone (ref 1).","An OECD complaint is under preliminary further examination since February 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"'They Want Us Gone': BP Gas Field Forces Out Senegal's Fishers","publisher":"DeSmog","date":"2026-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.desmog.com/2026/07/24/they-want-us-gone-bp-gas-field-forces-out-senegals-fishers/","basis":"News (investigation)"},{"ref":2,"title":"bp and Kosmos Energy GTA project exports first LNG cargo","publisher":"Offshore Technology","date":"2025-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/bp-kosmos-energ-gta-project-exports-first-lng-cargo/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Saint-Louis, Senegal","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Louis%2C_Senegal","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 500 m agreement and the navy's wider practical exclusion are reported only by DeSmog; BP described the methane leak as negligible while Greenpeace says it lasted three weeks."}],"missing_fields":["Total exclusion-zone area and the number of affected fishers are not given in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-MAURITANIA-FISHMEAL-2026","OC-GOG-SENEGAL-EUFISHAGREEMENT-2024","OC-GOG-HANN-SEWAGE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-MAURITANIA-FISHMEAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mauritania cuts fishmeal licences and bans sardinella use as small pelagic stocks decline","description":"Mongabay reported in January 2026 that Mauritania had 44 authorised fishmeal plants in 2021 and has since withdrawn licences, banned species including round sardinella from fishmeal and cut output to 59,158 tonnes in 2024 from 128,789 tonnes in 2020. Scientists cited by Mongabay found round sardinella declined rapidly from 2018 and flat sardinella shows signs of overexploitation. The fisheries ministry says industrial vessels were cut from over 70 to fewer than 15, and artisanal fishers describe empty seas.","location":{"name":"Nouadhibou fishmeal plants","type":"Fishmeal industry and small pelagic fishery","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["MR"],"detail":"Plants at Nouadhibou (Bountiya), PK28 near Nouakchott and Port Tanit, drawing on Mauritania's small pelagic stocks.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":20.9333,"lon":-17.0333,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Reduction fisheries for fishmeal pressure small pelagic stocks used for food.","secondary_drivers":["Fishmeal and fish oil industry","Small pelagic overexploitation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Round sardinella declined rapidly from 2018 and flat sardinella shows signs of overexploitation, per scientists cited by Mongabay; scientists call for a 60% cut in fish mortality (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"A Nouadhibou fisherman says 'there is nothing in the sea now' and fishing supports up to 300,000 jobs (ref 2).","scale":"Plants operate at Nouadhibou, PK28 and Port Tanit, covering Mauritania's national waters (ref 1).","duration":"The 2015 strategy, May 2021 decree and November 2022 plan show a decade of regulation, with flat sardinella still 15% of fishmeal inputs in 2024 (ref 1).","significance":"Decree 643-2021 banned species from fishmeal and a November 2022 small pelagics management law bans fishmeal fishing within 12 nautical miles; six Nouadhibou licences were withdrawn (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mauritanian fishmeal output fell to 59,158 tonnes in 2024 from 128,789 tonnes in 2020, and six of 30 Nouadhibou plant licences were withdrawn (Mongabay, 13 January 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fishmeal output 2024","value":59158,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 128,789 t in 2020 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Authorised fishmeal plants 2021","value":44,"unit":"plants","status":"Reported","note":"Second-highest number globally after Peru; Mongabay estimates only eight active as of September 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Flat sardinella share of fishmeal inputs 2024","value":15,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"17% in 2023, per IMROP as cited by Mongabay (ref 1)."},{"name":"Industrial vessels after cuts","value":15,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Fewer than 15, from over 70, per the fisheries ministry (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishing is over a third of Mauritania's exports and about a quarter of government revenue (ref 2).","Fishmeal and oil exports go mainly to China (68% in 2023) (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Output halved from 2020 to 2024, plants are closing and vessels reduced, but flat sardinella is still used (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Mauritania","role":"Licensing and regulation"},{"name":"IMROP (Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic and Fisheries Research)","role":"Stock assessment"}],"public_contact":"Mauritania's fisheries ministry channels are not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Decree 643-2021 required freezing facilities and banned round sardinella, horse mackerel, chub mackerel and yellow mullet from fishmeal; flat sardinella and bonga added in 2022 (ref 1).","November 2022 management plan limits vessels over 40 m to waters deeper than 30 m and bans fishmeal fishing within 12 nautical miles (ref 1).","No new fishmeal licences since 2021; six Nouadhibou licences withdrawn (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mauritania's fishmeal fever ends as government tightens regulation","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/mauritanias-fishmeal-fever-ends-as-government-tightens-regulation/","basis":"News (investigation)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Balancing profit and preservation: Mauritania pushes for sustainable fishing with EU support","publisher":"Euronews (produced in partnership with the European Commission)","date":"2025-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/06/24/balancing-profit-and-preservation-mauritania-pushes-for-sustainable-fishing-with-eu-suppor","basis":"News (partner content)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mauritanian fishermen struggle to survive 15 years after Chinese deal","publisher":"Africa Defense Forum","date":"2025-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://adf-magazine.com/2025/09/mauritanian-fishermen-struggle-to-survive-15-years-after-chinese-deal/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nouadhibou","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouadhibou","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ADF (ref 3) says about 550,000 tons of fish are processed into fishmeal and oil in Nouadhibou each year, while Mongabay (ref 1) reports fishmeal output of 59,158 tonnes in 2024; these measure raw fish input and meal output and are not directly comparable."},{"note":"Euronews says the EU pays 57 million euros a year; Mongabay says 60.8 million euros (December 2021 renewal)."}],"missing_fields":["Euronews piece is produced in partnership with the European Commission, so its claims on regulation are treated as attributed.","Neighbouring Senegal and Gambia fishmeal plants were not covered: no source dated in the research window was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-SENEGAL-EUFISHAGREEMENT-2024","OC-GOG-SAINTLOUIS-GTAEXCLUSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-GABON-MBANIE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"ICJ rules Equatorial Guinea holds title to Mbanie, Cocotiers and Conga islands in dispute with Gabon","description":"On 19 May 2025 the International Court of Justice found by 13 votes to two that the title to the islands of Mbanie, Cocotiers and Conga is the one held by Spain on 12 October 1968, to which Equatorial Guinea succeeded. It found by 14 votes to one that the Bata Convention relied on by Gabon is not a treaty with the force of law. The waters around the islands are described by Reuters as potentially rich in oil, and Gabon must withdraw its soldiers from Mbanie.","location":{"name":"Mbanie, Cocotiers and Conga islands","type":"Disputed islands and maritime boundary","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GA","GQ"],"detail":"Small islands off Gabon's Atlantic coast claimed by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, with a land and maritime boundary at stake.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":0.8106,"lon":9.3794,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A maritime boundary and island sovereignty dispute settled by the ICJ.","secondary_drivers":["Sovereignty dispute","Possible offshore hydrocarbons"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental harm is documented in the cited reports, which concern title to the islands (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The sources describe the islands as mostly uninhabited and report no fishery or port restriction (ref 1).","scale":"The dispute concerns three small islands and the boundary starting from the 1900 Convention terminus (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The dispute dates from Gabon's 1972 removal of Equatorial Guinea's soldiers from Mbanie and went to the ICJ in 2021 after a 2016 agreement (ref 2).","significance":"The ICJ delivered a final and binding judgment on 19 May 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The ICJ held by 13 votes to two on 19 May 2025 that sovereignty over Mbanie, Cocotiers and Conga follows Spain's 1968 title, to which Equatorial Guinea succeeded (World Oil/Bloomberg, 19 May 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Islands in dispute","value":3,"unit":"islands","status":"Reported","note":"Mbanie, Cocotiers and Conga; Mbanie is under one kilometre long (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"ICJ vote on island title","value":13,"unit":"votes in favour of 15","status":"Reported","note":"13 to 2 (refs 1, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Reuters describes the surrounding waters as potentially rich in oil and both countries as significant oil producers (ref 2).","Gabon has expanded state control of domestic energy production since 2023, per Bloomberg (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources do not show whether Gabon has withdrawn from Mbanie or whether a maritime line has been agreed."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Court of Justice","role":"Court that issued the judgment","contact":"https://www.icj-cij.org/"}],"public_contact":"International Court of Justice registry, published contact page: https://www.icj-cij.org/","corrective_actions":["Gabon must withdraw its soldiers from Mbanie under the ruling, per Reuters (ref 2).","The ICJ found the 1900 Convention's Article IV terminus is the start of the maritime boundary and that UNCLOS governs the delimitation (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Equatorial Guinea wins rights to islands following long dispute with Gabon","publisher":"World Oil (Bloomberg)","date":"2025-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.worldoil.com/news/2025/5/19/equatorial-guinea-wins-rights-to-islands-following-long-dispute-with-gabon/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"ICJ rules for Equatorial Guinea in islands dispute with Gabon","publisher":"Business Day (Reuters)","date":"2025-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.businessday.co.za/bd/world/2025-05-19-icj-rules-for-equatorial-guinea-in-islands-dispute-with-gabon","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"The ICJ rules on land and maritime dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Gabon","publisher":"Fietta LLP","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fiettalaw.com/pil_news/the-icj-rules-on-land-and-maritime-dispute-between-equatorial-guinea-and-gabon/","basis":"Law firm summary of the judgment"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mbanie Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbani%C3%A9","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The ICJ's own judgment and press release returned HTTP 403 and could not be opened; holdings come from news and a law-firm summary."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-BIJAGOS-WORLDHERITAGE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-NIGERIA-MANGROVELOSS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Studies document large mangrove loss in Nigeria's Niger Delta, with oil spills and invasive nypa palm as drivers","description":"A University of Galway study reported in February 2025 estimates about 5,644 hectares of Niger Delta mangrove are lost to oil spills each year. A 2025 study led by Fatoyinbo puts Nigeria's 2023 mangrove area at 957,747 hectares, with 4.5% lost since 1990, at least 37% of the loss directly caused by oil spills, and invasive nypa palm covering almost 10% of mangroves. A Land journal study reports a 54% fall in mangrove area across the Niger Delta region between 1986 and 2024, and a January 2026 analysis links mangrove loss to higher coastal vulnerability.","location":{"name":"Niger Delta mangroves","type":"Mangrove forest","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NG"],"detail":"Niger Delta coast of Nigeria on the Gulf of Guinea, including Rivers State.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":5.3167,"lon":6.4667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Satellite-documented loss of a coastal mangrove habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Oil spills","Invasive nypa palm","Dredging and land-use change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Satellite analysis estimates 5,644 hectares of mangrove lost to oil spills a year and at least 37% of Nigerian mangrove loss caused directly by oil spills (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"Communities that lost mangroves rely on sandbags and embankments the author calls limited and temporary against flooding and erosion (ref 3).","scale":"The studies cover the Niger Delta's roughly 9,000 sq km of mangroves and Nigeria's national mangrove estate (refs 1, 4).","duration":"The Land study covers 1986 to 2024 and the Fatoyinbo study 1990 to 2023, so the loss is chronic (refs 2, 4).","significance":"The cited pages are peer-reviewed studies and an academic commentary, with no formal notice or enforcement order (refs 1 to 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 5,644 hectares of Niger Delta mangrove are lost to oil spills each year, per a University of Galway-led study (Silicon Republic, 17 February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mangrove lost to oil spills per year","value":5644,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Satellite and AI analysis of about 9,000 sq km of Niger Delta mangrove (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nigeria mangrove area 2023","value":957747,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"4.5% lost from 1990 to 2023 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Share of loss caused directly by oil spills","value":37,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'At least 37%', Fatoyinbo et al. (ref 4)."},{"name":"Niger Delta mangrove area change 1986 to 2024","value":-54,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"About 14,350 km2 per Agumagu et al., Land (ref 2); methods differ from ref 4."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Mangroves reduce wave energy and storm surge for coastal communities, per the Conversation Africa author (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Studies report continued loss and nypa expansion of about 70,000 hectares in 15 years (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria","role":"National environment ministry","contact":"https://environment.gov.ng/"}],"public_contact":"Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria, published website: https://environment.gov.ng/","corrective_actions":["The Conversation Africa author recommends mangrove conservation in coastal planning and restoration of flood-prone degraded areas (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Galway-led study finds major damage to Niger Delta mangroves","publisher":"Silicon Republic","date":"2025-02-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://siliconrepublic.com/?p=1109506","basis":"News (reporting a Remote Sensing study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Land Use and Land Cover Change Dynamics in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria from 1986 to 2024","publisher":"Land (MDPI), Agumagu, Marchant and Stringer","date":"2025-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/226700","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nigeria: Mangrove Loss Is Making the Niger Delta More Vulnerable","publisher":"AllAfrica (The Conversation Africa)","date":"2026-01-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://allafrica.com/stories/202601120666.html","basis":"Academic commentary"},{"ref":4,"title":"Oil spills and invasive species drive losses in Nigeria's mangrove forests","publisher":"Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (Fatoyinbo et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.citedrive.com/en/discovery/oil-spills-and-invasive-species-drive-losses-in-nigerias-mangrove-forests/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (abstract page; journal identified from DOI 10.1098/rstb.2024.0480)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Niger Delta","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger_Delta","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Land study reports a 54% fall in mangrove area (about 14,350 km2) across the Niger Delta region, while Fatoyinbo et al. report a 4.5% national loss since 1990 and a national 2023 area of 957,747 ha; the figures use different areas, periods and classification methods and are not comparable."}],"missing_fields":["Cameroon's mangrove loss was not documented in a source opened in this pass.","The Philosophical Transactions page showed no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-NIGERDELTA-OILSPILLS-2024","OC-GOG-OGONILAND-SHORELINE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-SIERRALEONE-TRAWLERIEZ-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sierra Leone artisanal fishers report trawler incursions and destroyed nets in the inshore exclusion zone","description":"Sierra Leone's Fishermen's Union says average artisanal catches are down about 40% in recent years and alleges trawlers come close to shore at night and cut lines and damage nets. Under the 2018 Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, industrial vessels found in the inshore exclusion zone face fines starting at $1.5 million. A Ministry of Fisheries director disputed the corruption allegation, saying all international vessels must carry tracking transponders and are checked often.","location":{"name":"Sierra Leone inshore exclusion zone","type":"Inshore exclusion zone and artisanal fishing grounds","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["SL"],"detail":"Coastal waters from Freetown peninsula wharves to Sherbro Island, with 641 landing sites.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Industrial trawling in waters reserved for artisanal fishers reduces small-scale catches.","secondary_drivers":["Industrial trawling in the IEZ","Enforcement gaps","Gear destruction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers report destroyed nets and idle boats, and a net costs about $250 to replace, but no stock assessment is cited (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The Fishermen's Union says average catches are down about 40% and many boats sit idle because nets were destroyed with no restitution (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Complaints span Tombo, Sherbro Island, Aberdeen, Portee and Goderich, a national coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Goderich gathering reported in 2025 and the August 2026 article describe repeated incursions over recent years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The 2018 Act sets IEZ fines from $1.5 million and the allegations concern violations of that statutory zone, though the ministry disputes corruption claims (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Fishermen's Union says average artisanal catches in Sierra Leone are down about 40% in recent years (Africa Defense Forum, 4 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Decline in average artisanal catch","value":40,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Union claim, 'in recent years' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Minimum IEZ fine for industrial vessels","value":1.5,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Under the 2018 Fisheries and Aquaculture Act (ref 2)."},{"name":"Landing sites","value":641,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Sierra Leone landing sites (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Sierra Leone loses about $50 million a year to illegal fishing, per ADF (ref 1).","Compensation claims reportedly settle far below claimed losses, e.g. NLe 75,000 claimed against NLe 25,000 paid (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two reports a year apart describe the same complaints; no counts are given."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Sierra Leone","role":"Fisheries management and IEZ enforcement"}],"public_contact":"Sierra Leone's fisheries ministry channels are not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The government has invested in at least six patrol boats and provided radios, tablets and phones for monitoring (ref 1).","Harbour masters are urged to report trawler incidents within three days (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sierra Leonean fishermen cry foul over illegal fishing","publisher":"Africa Defense Forum","date":"2026-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://adf-magazine.com/2026/08/sierra-leonean-fishermen-cry-foul-over-illegal-fishing/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fishermen Demand Crackdown on Trawlers Threatening Coastal Livelihoods","publisher":"Premier Media Sierra Leone","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.premiermedia-sl.com/?p=25415","basis":"News (page shows '22 Sep' without a year; likely 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Fishers allege corruption and ministry collusion with industrial operators; the Ministry of Fisheries director denies it and says transponders are not switched off in Sierra Leone (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["The Premier Media article shows no year, so its date is left null.","Trawler nationalities and individual violations are not documented in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-GHANA-TRAWLERBYCATCH-2026","OC-GOG-GULFGUINEA-PIRACY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-GOG-BIJAGOS-WORLDHERITAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bijagos Archipelago inscribed on the World Heritage List as Guinea-Bissau's first site","description":"On 13 July 2025 the World Heritage Committee inscribed the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagos Archipelago, Omati Minho, on the World Heritage List, per IUCN. The release cites about 50,000 green sea turtle nests and up to 850,000 migrating birds a year at the site. Anadolu reports the archipelago spans about 12,950 sq km with 88 islands and islets, about 30,000 people live on 20 of them.","location":{"name":"Bijagos Archipelago","type":"World Heritage marine and coastal site","sea":"GOG","seas":["GOG"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GW"],"detail":"Island archipelago off Guinea-Bissau's Atlantic coast, including intertidal and marine habitats.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":11.25,"lon":-16.0833,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A protection listing for a high-value coastal habitat, recorded as a conservation milestone rather than a harm.","secondary_drivers":["World Heritage listing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"IUCN's release lists no threats and records no habitat damage at the site (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages report no closure or restriction; about 30,000 people live on 20 of the islands (ref 2).","scale":"The listing concerns one archipelago site (refs 1, 2).","duration":"This is a single decision of 13 July 2025, so it is scored as a point event (ref 1).","significance":"The World Heritage Committee inscribed the site under its 2025 session decision, a treaty-body action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The World Heritage Committee inscribed the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagos Archipelago on 13 July 2025; the site hosts about 50,000 green turtle nests and up to 850,000 migrating birds a year (IUCN, 14 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Green sea turtle nests","value":50000,"unit":"nests per year","status":"Reported","note":"About 50,000, per the IUCN release (ref 1)."},{"name":"Migrating birds","value":850000,"unit":"birds per year","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 850,000 per IUCN; Anadolu cites more than 870,000 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Archipelago area","value":12950,"unit":"sq km","status":"Reported","note":"Per Anadolu (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A new listing; no monitoring data in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNESCO World Heritage Committee","role":"Inscribing body","contact":"https://whc.unesco.org/"},{"name":"IUCN","role":"Advisory body for natural heritage","contact":"https://iucn.org/"}],"public_contact":"UNESCO World Heritage Centre, published contact page: https://whc.unesco.org/","corrective_actions":["Inscription on the World Heritage List on 13 July 2025 (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rainforests and reefs: new World Heritage sites signal conservation breakthroughs","publisher":"IUCN","date":"2025-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iucn.org/press-release/202507/rainforests-reefs-new-world-heritage-sites-signal-conservation-breakthroughs","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Three new African sites inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","date":"2025-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aa.com.tr/en/africa/three-new-african-sites-inscribed-on-unesco-world-heritage-list/3630085","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bijagos Islands","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bissagos_Islands","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (GOG in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Migrating bird numbers differ: IUCN says up to 850,000; Anadolu cites more than 870,000."}],"missing_fields":["The UNESCO decision text and listing page returned HTTP 403; no threats or management details were verified.","Included as a protection milestone; it records no documented harm."],"related_ids":["OC-GOG-GABON-MBANIE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-SALVADOR-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Recurrent marine heatwaves off Salvador, Bahia, with a record event in March 2024","description":"A peer-reviewed study of a coastal buoy off Salvador found 42 marine heatwave events between August 2019 and April 2024, including a particularly significant event in March 2024 with a maximum sea-surface temperature anomaly of 2.61 C. A separate 2025 study of 40 years of satellite temperature records at 33 South Atlantic reef sites, mostly off Brazil and Africa, reports that heat-stress episodes rose to 81 in 2010-19 and 75 in 2020-24.","location":{"name":"Coast off Salvador, Bahia","type":"Coastal buoy monitoring site","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Atlantic coast of Bahia, north-east Brazil; SiMCosta BA01 buoy off Salvador, with regional context from South Atlantic reef sites","coordinates":{"lat":-12.97,"lon":-38.48,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Thermal extremes in coastal surface waters are a physical climate driver.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino","Climate change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study documents temperature extremes but no mortality or damage; the authors call for monitoring of effects on marine ecosystems (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither cited source reports closures, restrictions or lost income linked to the Salvador events (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The buoy record covers one site off Salvador; the wider reef-site analysis is context only (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The buoy recorded 42 events over almost five years, August 2019 to April 2024, so the pattern is recurring (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed brief communication and a news report on a journal paper; no agency notice or order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A particularly significant event occurred in March 2024, with a maximum SST anomaly of 2.61 C; the buoy identified 42 events against 23 from the satellite tracker (Aug 2019 to Apr 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine heatwave events, SiMCosta buoy","value":42,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"August 2019 to April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Marine heatwave events, satellite tracker","value":23,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Same period; the authors attribute the gap to local dynamics (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maximum SST anomaly, March 2024 event","value":2.61,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Reef-site heat-stress episodes, 2020-24","value":75,"unit":"episodes","status":"Reported","note":"33 South Atlantic reef sites, 81 in 2010-19 (ref 2); mostly Brazil and Africa, not only Salvador."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited sources name no fishery, port or tourism effect."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The reef-site study reports heat-stress episodes rising from 31 in 2000-09 to 81 in 2010-19 and 75 in 2020-24 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"SiMCosta buoy network (BA01 buoy, Salvador)","role":"Data source for the study"}],"public_contact":"No public enquiry channel is named in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend continuous, detailed monitoring of meteorological and oceanographic data (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Monitoring marine heatwaves in Salvador-BA using SiMCosta data","publisher":"Ocean and Coastal Research (Destefani and Garcia)","date":"2025-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://revistas.usp.br/ocr/article/view/237949","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Scientists underestimate frequency of South Atlantic heating events: Study","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-05-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/scientists-underestimate-frequency-of-south-atlantic-heating-events-study","basis":"News on peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["effects on ecosystems or fisheries off Salvador","named monitoring agency responsible"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-NORTHEASTREEFS-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-ATAFONA-COASTALEROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sea advance has destroyed about 500 buildings at Atafona, Rio de Janeiro state","description":"Atafona, at the mouth of the Paraiba do Sul river in Sao Joao da Barra, has lost an estimated 500 houses and other buildings to coastal erosion over about six decades. Reporting in 2024 and 2026 puts the retreat at 3 to 5 metres a year, links it to river dams that cut sediment supply and to sea-level rise, and notes that the municipality ordered a feasibility study for coastal protection in July 2026.","location":{"name":"Atafona, Sao Joao da Barra","type":"Eroding coastal district","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"North Rio de Janeiro state, mouth of the Paraiba do Sul river","coordinates":{"lat":-21.62,"lon":-41.01,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Erosion driven by sea-level rise, wave energy and reduced river sediment supply.","secondary_drivers":["River damming and reduced sediment","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The sea has taken about 500 buildings, a lighthouse, a school and churches, and storm surges have advanced the shore about 20 metres at once (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"An island that housed 300 fishing families was swallowed, and relocation of residents is under discussion (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The loss is concentrated along roughly 1.2 to 2 km of one district's shore (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Erosion has run for about six decades and accelerated in the last decade (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The UN report lists Atafona among 31 localities most threatened by sea-level rise, and the municipality issued a service order for a feasibility study in July 2026 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Sources give 6,000 residents (Reuters, ref 1) and about 32,000 in the district (ref 2); no count of people displaced."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The sea advances 3 to 5 metres a year and more than 500 buildings have been lost (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Buildings lost to the sea","value":500,"unit":"buildings","status":"Reported","note":"Estimate, roughly 500; more than 500 in ref 3 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},{"name":"Shoreline retreat rate","value":5,"unit":"m/year","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2 gives about 5 m a year; ref 3 gives 3 to 5 m a year."},{"name":"Regional sea-level rise, 1990-2020","value":13,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 2 and 3; ref 1 says 13 cm over 30 years."},{"name":"Land lost to the sea","value":1.2,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 3; ref 1 gives about 2 km of coastline affected."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishing and tourism sustain the community, per Reuters (ref 1).","Shops, a hotel and a boat fuel station have been lost (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Climate change has accelerated erosion over the last decade (ref 1); the same source projects a further sea-level rise to 2050."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Prefeitura de Sao Joao da Barra","role":"Municipal authority, coastal protection study"}],"public_contact":"Prefeitura de Sao Joao da Barra, municipal channels.","corrective_actions":["The municipality issued a service order in July 2026 for a technical, economic and environmental feasibility study of coastal protection (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ONU destaca em estudo devastacao no litoral brasileiro com avanco acelerado do mar","publisher":"InfoMoney (Reuters)","date":"2024-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infomoney.com.br/?p=2616082","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Conheca a 'Atlantida brasileira', onde o mar ja engoliu centenas de construcoes","publisher":"Seu Dinheiro","date":"2026-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seudinheiro.com/2026/economia/atafona-cidade-engolida-pelo-mar-isca/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Casas viraram ruinas na areia e o mar continua avancando nesta praia que perde metros de terreno todos os anos","publisher":"O Povo Trends","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://opovo.com.br/trends/casas-viraram-ruinas-na-areia-e-o-mar-continua-avancando-nesta-praia-que-perde-metros-de-terreno-todos-os-anos/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"population","values":["6,000 residents (ref 1)","about 32,000 in the district (ref 2)"],"note":"Sources differ; the record reports no population figure."},{"field":"sea-level projection to 2050","values":["another 16 cm (ref 1)","up to 21 cm (refs 2, 3)"],"note":"Projections differ between reports."}],"missing_fields":["official municipal erosion survey","number of people displaced"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-PONTANEGRA-BEACHEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-PONTANEGRA-BEACHEROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ponta Negra beach in Natal rebuilt with a 4.6 km sand fill after two decades of erosion","description":"Ponta Negra beach in Natal lost about 30 metres of sand over two decades, the boardwalk is gone and the beach was usable only at low tide, according to Reuters in September 2024. Natal finished a roughly R$75 million, 4.6 km sand replenishment in January 2025, but a university professor quoted by Reuters says it may need redoing within 5 to 7 years.","location":{"name":"Ponta Negra beach, Natal","type":"Urban beach","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Rio Grande do Norte, north-east Brazil; Via Costeira to Morro do Careca","coordinates":{"lat":-5.88,"lon":-35.17,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal erosion of an urban beach, with sea-level rise and development named as pressures.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal development","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 30 metres of sand were lost over two decades and the boardwalk is gone (ref 1); erosion threatened the boardwalk and Morro do Careca (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The beach was usable only at low tide, and 88% of Natal's hotel beds are on the waterfront, 70% of them at Ponta Negra (ref 1).","scale":"The affected shore is a 4.6 km urban beach stretch (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The 30 m loss accrued over two decades, so the problem is chronic (ref 1).","significance":"A formal public works programme of about R$75 million was delivered by the city of Natal (refs 2, 3); no enforcement order."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sand replenishment covers 4.6 km of the seafront, with over 1 million cubic metres of sand placed for about R$75 million (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Length of replenished shoreline","value":4.6,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Via Costeira to Morro do Careca (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Sand placed","value":1000000,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"Over 1 million m3 (ref 2); about 1 million (ref 3)."},{"name":"Project cost","value":75,"unit":"R$ million","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 2 and 3; Reuters in Sept 2024 had expected about R$100 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sand lost over two decades","value":30,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["88% of Natal's hotel beds are on the waterfront, 70% at Ponta Negra (ref 1).","Fecomercio estimates the area generates about R$400 million in state sales tax (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The fill was completed in January 2025; rain flooding on the new beach was reported on 26 January 2025 (ref 3) and a professor expects redoing in 5 to 7 years (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Prefeitura do Natal","role":"Project owner (Natal city government)"},{"name":"DTA Engenharia","role":"Contractor"}],"public_contact":"Prefeitura do Natal, municipal channels.","corrective_actions":["Dredged sand replenishment of 4.6 km, completed 25 to 26 January 2025 (refs 2, 3).","Beachfront drainage work continues (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ONU destaca em estudo devastacao no litoral brasileiro com avanco acelerado do mar","publisher":"InfoMoney (Reuters)","date":"2024-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infomoney.com.br/?p=2616082","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"De olho no turismo, Natal conclui engorda da Praia de Ponta Negra","publisher":"Movimento Economico","date":"2025-01-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://movimentoeconomico.com.br/infraestrutura-2/2025/01/27/de-olho-no-turismo-natal-conclui-engorda-da-praia-de-ponta-negra/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Engorda da praia de Ponta Negra, em Natal, e concluida apos ampliacao de 4,6 quilometros da orla","publisher":"Paraiba Business","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://paraibabusiness.com.br/engorda-da-praia-de-ponta-negra-em-natal-e-concluida-apos-ampliacao-de-46-quilometros-da-orla/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"completion date","values":["26 January 2025 (ref 2)","25 January 2025 (ref 3)"],"note":"Sources differ by a day."}],"missing_fields":["independent post-fill erosion survey"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-ATAFONA-COASTALEROSION-2026","OC-BRA-GRANDERECIFE-COASTALEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-GRANDERECIFE-COASTALEROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Shoreline retreat of up to 1.05 m a year along Greater Recife as protective reefs weaken","description":"UFPE researchers report intense erosion in Paulista, Olinda, Recife and Jaboatao dos Guararapes, with retreat of up to 1.05 metres a year in parts of Paulista, while sea level is rising 5.2 mm a year. Hard defences at Olinda and Boa Viagem have moved or worsened erosion elsewhere, and Pernambuco's environment secretariat has agreed to contract coastal engineering for beach restoration estimated at R$20.5 million.","location":{"name":"Greater Recife coast, Pernambuco","type":"Eroding urban coastline","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Metropolitan Recife shore: Paulista, Olinda, Recife and Jaboatao dos Guararapes, north-east Brazil","coordinates":{"lat":-8.05,"lon":-34.88,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Erosion and flooding exposure from sea-level rise and loss of natural reef protection.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Coastal armouring","Reef degradation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Retreat of up to 1.05 m a year at Pau Amarelo, Janga and Enseadinha, and narrower beaches where rock armour was placed at Boa Viagem and Pina (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The article reports homes and beaches threatened but names no closure, advisory or loss of income (ref 1).","scale":"The study covers four municipalities of one metropolitan coast (ref 1).","duration":"Retreat at Pina and Boa Viagem has been recorded since the 1990s, and sea level has risen 5.2 mm a year in recent decades (ref 1).","significance":"A formal technical cooperation agreement among Semas, CEHAB and SEPE sets out restoration projects costed at R$20.5 million (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Retreat of up to 1.05 metres a year in some Paulista stretches; mean sea level rising 5.2 mm a year (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum shoreline retreat, Paulista","value":1.05,"unit":"m/year","status":"Reported","note":"Pau Amarelo, Janga and Enseadinha (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mean sea-level rise","value":5.2,"unit":"mm/year","status":"Reported","note":"Recent decades (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated restoration programme cost","value":20.5,"unit":"R$ million","status":"Reported","note":"State agreement to review studies and design beach restoration (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Homes and beaches are described as threatened (ref 1).","A 2022 UFPE study finds historic districts, including a medical hub and tourist areas, face sunny-day tidal flooding as sea level rises (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The researchers say that without new measures territory loss may intensify in the coming years (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Semas Pernambuco (Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Sustentabilidade e de Fernando de Noronha)","role":"State environment authority"},{"name":"CEHAB and SEPE","role":"State partners in the technical agreement"}],"public_contact":"Semas Pernambuco, state channels.","corrective_actions":["Technical cooperation agreement to hire coastal engineers, design restoration for Itamaraca, Paulista, Olinda and Jaboatao beaches and locate offshore sand deposits (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Avanco do mar ameaca casas e praias no Grande Recife enquanto litoral perde protecao natural","publisher":"Diario de Pernambuco","date":"2025-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.diariodepernambuco.com.br/vida-urbana/2025/09/11696835-avanco-do-mar-ameaca-casas-e-praias-no-grande-recife-enquanto-litoral-perde-protecao-natural.html","basis":"News on peer-reviewed UFPE study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Areas vulneraveis ao aumento do nivel do mar em cidades costeiras: um estudo na cidade do Recife, Brasil","publisher":"Journal of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing (UFPE authors)","date":"2022-05-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://periodicos.ufpe.br/revistas/jhrs/article/view/252409","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["the original Quaternary and Environmental Geosciences paper was not opened; figures are from the newspaper report"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-PONTANEGRA-BEACHEROSION-2025","OC-BRA-NORTHEASTREEFS-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-BUENOSAIRES-STORMSURGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated sudestada surges push the Rio de la Plata to about 3 m at Buenos Aires","description":"Argentina's Naval Hydrography Service issued alerts for sudestada floods on the Rio de la Plata in November 2024 and May 2025, forecasting levels of up to about 3 m at San Fernando and around 2.9 m at Buenos Aires port, with 2.4 m peaks on the Atlantic coast in November 2024. The May 2025 episode closed the Paseo Davila in Mar del Plata and was reported alongside water entering homes in a northern suburb.","location":{"name":"Rio de la Plata shore, Buenos Aires","type":"Estuarine coast, storm surge","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AR"],"detail":"City of Buenos Aires, northern and southern conurbano and the Buenos Aires Atlantic coast to Mar del Plata","coordinates":{"lat":-34.6,"lon":-58.38,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge raises estuary levels above tide tables and floods low shorelines.","secondary_drivers":["Sudestada southeast wind surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Water entered homes in Los Talas, General Pacheco, where families lost belongings during the May 2025 alert; the article ties it to arroyo overflow, not the river alone (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Mar del Plata closed the Paseo Davila preventively and Tigre urged people to avoid unnecessary travel (ref 3).","scale":"The alerts spanned the city, conurbano shores and the Atlantic coast from Mar del Plata to San Clemente del Tuyu (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Alerts came in November 2024 and again in May 2025, so the hazard recurs (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"The Servicio de Hidrografia Naval issued formal flood alerts and SINAGIR published safety recommendations (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Naval Hydrography Service forecast about 1.70 m above tide tables in November 2024 (2.90 m at Buenos Aires port, 3.00 m at San Fernando) and above 3 m at several points in May 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Forecast peak, Buenos Aires port, Nov 2024","value":2.9,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 1 and 2; La Plata 2.80 m, San Fernando 3.00 m."},{"name":"Forecast rise above tide tables, Nov 2024","value":1.7,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 1 and 2."},{"name":"Atlantic coast peak, Nov 2024","value":2.4,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Mar del Plata, Santa Teresita, San Clemente del Tuyu (ref 2)."},{"name":"Forecast level, May 2025","value":3,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Several control points; 3.10 m expected at La Plata (ref 4); ref 3 gives a 2.9 m peak at San Fernando."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Low riverside districts of Quilmes, San Fernando, Tigre and the Delta were flagged for flooding (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Alerts recur with southeast wind events; the cited sources compare only two episodes."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Servicio de Hidrografia Naval (SHN)","role":"Issuer of flood alerts"},{"name":"SINAGIR (Ministerio de Seguridad)","role":"Civil protection guidance"}],"public_contact":"Servicio de Hidrografia Naval, public alert channels.","corrective_actions":["SINAGIR advised residents to prepare supplies, shut off utilities if needed and follow official channels (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Advierten por una crecida en el Rio de la Plata con picos de hasta 3 metros de altura","publisher":"La Nacion","date":"2024-11-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/advierten-por-una-crecida-en-el-rio-de-la-plata-con-picos-de-hasta-3-metros-de-altura-nid07112024/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Alerta por crecidas en el Rio de la Plata con inundaciones en zonas costeras","publisher":"Cronica","date":"2024-11-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cronica.com.ar/sociedad/alerta-por-crecidas-en-el-rio-de-la-plata-con-inundaciones-en-zonas-costeras-cuando-ocurrira-20241108-0066.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Alerta por crecida del Rio de la Plata: advierten posibles inundaciones en el AMBA y zonas costeras bonaerenses","publisher":"Perfil","date":"2025-05-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.perfil.com/noticias/clima/alerta-por-crecida-del-rio-de-la-plata-advierten-posibles-inundaciones-en-el-amba-y-zonas-costeras-bonaerenses.phtml","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Crecidas en el Rio de la Plata: alerta por inundaciones y olas que superan los tres metros de altura","publisher":"Canal 26","date":"2025-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canal26.com/general/crecidas-en-el-rio-de-la-plata-alerta-por-inundaciones-y-olas-que-superan-los-tres-metros-de-altura--425312","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"May 2025 forecast peak","values":["up to 2.9 m at San Fernando (ref 3)","above 3 m at several points (ref 4)"],"note":"Press reports of the same SHN alert differ; Perfil also gives both 1.5 m and 2 m above normal."}],"missing_fields":["observed (not forecast) peak levels","damage tally","primary SHN bulletin"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-MARDELPLATA-CLIFFEROSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-GUANABARA-SEWAGE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Guanabara Bay sewage and leachate: bathing quality improving from a very low base","description":"Rio state's environment institute Inea monitors Guanabara Bay at 119 points, and reported gains in bathing-water quality at Botafogo, Flamengo and Gloria beaches in 2025. At Praia da Bica on Ilha do Governador, Inea's general bathing-quality index rose from 8.33% in the first five months of 2024 to 57%, while the NGO Baia Viva alleges about 3 million litres of landfill leachate a day reach the bay, which Inea says it has no evidence of.","location":{"name":"Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro","type":"Urban bay, sewage-impacted","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region, south-east Brazil","coordinates":{"lat":-22.79,"lon":-43.16,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Untreated sewage and leachate load the bay with nutrients, pathogens and contaminants.","secondary_drivers":["Untreated sewage","Landfill leachate"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Inea's general bathing-quality index for Praia da Bica was 8.33% in January to May 2024 (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Baia Viva reports illness among artisanal fishers and crab collectors, an NGO allegation Inea does not confirm (ref 1); bathing was restored at Flamengo and Gloria (ref 3).","scale":"The findings concern one bay and its beaches (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Baia Viva puts leachate inflow at about 1 billion litres a year (ref 1), and the Bica index stayed low until 2025 (ref 3).","significance":"Inea runs a formal monitoring programme at 119 points and Aguas do Rio is the sewage concessionaire with an investment plan to 2033 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Praia da Bica's general bathing-quality index rose from 8.33% in the first five months of 2024 to 57% in 2025, a level maintained in 2026 (Inea data, ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bathing-quality index, Praia da Bica, Jan-May 2024","value":8.33,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Inea, as cited by Correio da Manha (ref 3)."},{"name":"Bathing-quality index, Praia da Bica, 2025","value":57,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Maintained in 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Monitoring points in the bay","value":119,"unit":"points","status":"Reported","note":"Inea (ref 2)."},{"name":"Landfill leachate reaching the bay (alleged)","value":3000000,"unit":"litres/day","status":"Estimated","note":"Baia Viva figure, about 1 billion litres a year; Inea says it has no evidence of irregular dumping (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sewage kept from the bay by the first dry-weather collector, Ilha do Governador","value":490000,"unit":"litres/day","status":"Reported","note":"Aguas do Rio, as reported by Correio da Manha (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Bathing at Flamengo and Gloria beaches resumed after clean-up works (ref 3).","Artisanal fishing and crab-gathering communities are named as affected (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Inea-reported bathing indices rose from 2024 to 2025 and held in 2026 (refs 2, 3); independent bay-wide data were not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Inea (Instituto Estadual do Ambiente)","role":"State environmental regulator and monitor"},{"name":"Aguas do Rio","role":"Sewage concessionaire"},{"name":"Seas (Secretaria de Estado do Ambiente e Sustentabilidade)","role":"State environment secretariat"}],"public_contact":"Inea, state public channels.","corrective_actions":["Aguas do Rio plans R$19 billion for sewage universalisation by 2033, including R$2.7 billion for dry-weather collectors (ref 1).","First dry-weather collector delivered at Ilha do Governador, July 2026 (ref 3).","Inea reports 15 clandestine dumps shut or embargoed in three years (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"CRIME AMBIENTAL: Baia de Guanabara recebe 3 milhoes de litros de chorume por dia","publisher":"Jornal do Brasil","date":"2025-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jb.com.br/brasil/meio-ambiente/2025/05/amp/1055406-crime-ambiental-baia-de-guanabara-recebe-3-milhoes-de-litros-de-chorume-por-dia.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Estado tem avanco historico na balneabilidade no Rio","publisher":"Correio da Manha","date":"2025-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.correiodamanha.com.br/nacional/sudeste/2025/06/202069-estado-tem-avanco-historico-na-balneabilidade-no-rio.html","basis":"News on Inea bulletins"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ilha do Governador com sistema que limpou praias da Zona Sul","publisher":"Correio da Manha","date":"2026-07-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.correiodamanha.com.br/rio-de-janeiro/2026/07/299743-ilha-do-governador-com-sistema-que-limpou-praias-da-zona-sul.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"leachate reaching the bay","values":["about 3 million litres a day (Baia Viva, ref 1)","no evidence of irregular dumping (Inea, ref 1)"],"note":"Disputed; the record reports both positions."}],"missing_fields":["bay-wide water-quality index from the original Inea bulletin","independent assessment of the concession targets"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-CAMPOS-PETROBRASPOLLUTION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-CAMPOS-PETROBRASPOLLUTION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Court upholds R$36.2 million against Petrobras for oil and sewage pollution in the Campos Basin","description":"Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ) on 25 March 2025 upheld without changes an appeals-court order for Petrobras to pay about R$36.2 million for three marine pollution episodes between 2012 and 2019 in the Bacia de Campos: a 7.05 m3 spill of oily mixture, a 15.36 m3 oil leak and irregular discharge of untreated sewage and grey water at sea. Federal prosecutors brought the case in 2022; the money goes to a diffuse-rights fund.","location":{"name":"Bacia de Campos, off Rio de Janeiro","type":"Offshore oil basin","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Offshore north Rio de Janeiro state, south-east Brazil; platforms not named in the sources","coordinates":{"lat":-22.5,"lon":-40,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Operational oil spills and sewage discharges at sea by an offshore operator.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore oil production","Untreated sewage discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The court-upheld case covers 7.05 m3 of oily mixture and 15.36 m3 of oil, small volumes, with no mortality count in either source (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Prosecutors describe harm to artisanal fishing and the food chain, an allegation the sources do not quantify (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Three episodes within one offshore basin (ref 1).","duration":"The incidents ran from 2012 to 2019, then 2022 to 2025 in court (ref 1).","significance":"The STJ upheld the TRF-2 judgment in Recurso Especial 2132809/RJ on 25 March 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Petrobras must pay about R$36.2 million for marine pollution in the Bacia de Campos; the STJ upheld the order on 25 March 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Damages ordered against Petrobras","value":36.2,"unit":"R$ million","status":"Reported","note":"To be adjusted for interest and monetary correction; paid to the Fundo de Defesa dos Direitos Difusos (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oily mixture spilled","value":7.05,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"One of three episodes, 2012-2019 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Oil leaked","value":15.36,"unit":"m3","status":"Reported","note":"Second episode, 2012-2019 (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The basin supplies over 80% of Brazil's oil, per the sources (ref 1).","Artisanal fishing is described as harmed (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single court outcome covering 2012-2019 episodes; no later incident is cited."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petrobras","role":"Operator ordered to pay damages"},{"name":"Ministerio Publico Federal (MPF), Procuradoria da Republica no Rio de Janeiro","role":"Plaintiff, federal prosecutors"}],"public_contact":"MPF Procuradoria da Republica no Rio de Janeiro, public press office.","corrective_actions":["Petrobras ordered to pay about R$36.2 million; funds to finance environmental repair and protection (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Em acao do MPF, STJ confirma condenacao da Petrobras a cerca de R$ 36 milhoes por dano ambiental no RJ","publisher":"Ministerio Publico Federal (PR-RJ)","date":"2025-03-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mpf.mp.br/o-mpf/unidades/pr-rj/noticias/em-acao-do-mpf-stj-confirma-condenacao-da-petrobras-a-cerca-de-r-36-milhoes-por-dano-ambiental-no-rj","basis":"Official prosecutor press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Petrobras tera que pagar R$ 36 milhoes por danos ambientais","publisher":"Agencia Brasil","date":"2025-03-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/economia/noticia/2025-03/petrobras-tera-que-pagar-r-36-milhoes-por-danos-ambientais/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["platform names and exact locations of the three episodes","Petrobras response (not yet received by Agencia Brasil)"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-GUANABARA-SEWAGE-2026","OC-BRA-FOZAMAZONAS-MORPHODRILLING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BRA-MARDELPLATA-CLIFFEROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chronic cliff erosion on the southern Mar del Plata coast despite coastal defence works","description":"A March 2026 paper in the Revista de la Asociacion Geologica Argentina finds that 76% of the cliffs south of Mar del Plata are active and retreat more than 0.5 m a year, with ramp-dune sections retreating about 1.5 m a year. It attributes changes to storms, past sand extraction, resort management and poorly implemented defence works, with sea-level rise adding future pressure. Buenos Aires province is building 8.5 km of rock revetments and sand fills there.","location":{"name":"Southern Mar del Plata cliffs","type":"Eroding cliff coast","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AR"],"detail":"General Pueyrredon, Buenos Aires province; 26 km of coast between 38 05' S and 38 14' 45\" S","coordinates":{"lat":-38.1,"lon":-57.6,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Cliff and beach erosion driven by storms, sea-level rise and altered sand supply.","secondary_drivers":["Storms","Coastal defence works","Past sand extraction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"76% of cliffs in the sector are active and retreat above 0.5 m a year, and the province says wave action has left almost no beach at the cliff base (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither the paper nor the provincial page reports closures, restrictions or lost income (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The study covers 26 km of one municipality's coast (ref 1).","duration":"The paper describes intense, chronic erosion that has required defence works since the early 20th century (ref 1).","significance":"A provincial coastal defence contract of about 575 million pesos for 8.5 km is a formal public works programme (ref 2); no enforcement order."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"76% of cliffs in the studied sector are active and retreat at more than 0.5 m a year; ramp-dune cliffs about 1.5 m a year (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Active cliffs retreating over 0.5 m a year","value":76,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Southern General Pueyrredon, citing Isla and Cortizo 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Retreat of ramp-dune cliffs","value":1.5,"unit":"m/year","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Length of provincial defence works","value":8.5,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Houssay to Santa Clara del Mar; 7 revetments and 5 sand fills (ref 2, December 2022)."},{"name":"Study coast length","value":26,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Beach resort concessions and a coastal tourism economy depend on sand beaches (ref 1 discusses resort management impacts)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The paper finds legacy erosion rates above 0.5 m a year have declined in some sectors and increased in others (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Subsecretaria de Recursos Hidricos, Province of Buenos Aires","role":"Coastal defence works"},{"name":"ALPA VIAL S.A.","role":"Contractor"}],"public_contact":"Provincial Ministry of Infrastructure, public channels.","corrective_actions":["Defensa Costera en la Ruta 11: 7 longitudinal revetments and 5 artificial sand fills over 8.5 km, 12 sectors, full term of 4 years (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Erosion diferencial de acantilados y plataformas de abrasion en Mar del Plata, Argentina","publisher":"Revista de la Asociacion Geologica Argentina (Isla, Mojica, Gutierrez)","date":"2026-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://revista.geologica.org.ar/raga/article/download/1839/1834/12496","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (accepted 13 March 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Provincia avanza con la obra de defensa costera","publisher":"Province of Buenos Aires, Recursos Hidricos","date":"2022-12-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gba.gob.ar/recursoshidricos/noticias/provincia_avanza_con_la_obra_de_defensa_costera","basis":"Provincial agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["current progress of the provincial works after 2022","measured beach-width loss"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-BUENOSAIRES-STORMSURGE-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-FOZAMAZONAS-MORPHODRILLING-2025","title":"Petrobras drills the Morpho exploration well off Amapá after a contested Ibama licence and a drilling-fluid discharge","description":"Ibama licensed Petrobras to drill the Morpho well in block FZA-M-59 in the Foz do Amazonas basin in October 2025, after refusing a licence in 2023. Drilling stopped for weeks after an 18.44 m³ discharge of synthetic drilling fluid on 4 January 2026 that Ibama fined at R$ 2.5 million; Petrobras announced oil discoveries in August and October 2026. Federal prosecutors and civil-society groups contest the licence in court, citing reef, spill-modelling and consultation concerns, while Petrobras says it met all of Ibama's requirements. Ibama issued Petrobras an operating licence on 20 October 2025 to drill exploratory well FZA-M-059, about 175 km off Amapa, after a 2023 refusal. Ibama's technical staff were divided after the August 2025 emergency simulation, and the agency required a revised wildlife plan, a second wildlife rehabilitation centre at Oiapoque and a new drill during drilling.","location":{"name":"Block FZA-M-59, Foz do Amazonas basin","type":"Deep-water exploration block","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Brazil, Equatorial Margin, about 175 km off the Amapá coast in about 2,886 m of water; Oiapoque (AP) hosts the spill-response base.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Licensing and litigation over the first deep-water exploration well at the Amazon mouth.","secondary_drivers":["Oil and gas exploration","Drilling-fluid discharge","Licensing dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Ibama rated the 18.44 m³ drilling-fluid discharge a medium risk to health and the marine environment, and Petrobras disputes any harm; no mortality is documented (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure is reported; prosecutors argue artisanal fishing communities in Amapá and Pará were not consulted, which is an allegation, not a documented disruption (ref 5).","scale":"A single exploration block about 175 km offshore (ref 1).","duration":"Drilling began in October 2025 and continues in October 2026, with licence amendments for three more wells (refs 1, 4, 6).","significance":"Ibama issued a licence and an R$ 2.5 million fine; a first-instance court rejected the prosecutors' suit and an appeal sits with the TRF1 (refs 2, 3, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ibama fined Petrobras R$ 2.5 million for discharging 18.44 m³ of non-aqueous drilling fluid on 4 January 2026 from the drillship NS-42 at the Morpho well (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Drilling fluid discharged","value":18.44,"unit":"m³","status":"Reported","note":"Ibama figure for the 4 January 2026 discharge; prosecutors cite about 18,000 litres (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Distance from the Amapá coast","value":175,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Agência Brasil, October 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Water depth","value":2886,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Agência Brasil, 2 October 2026 (ref 6)."},{"name":"Fine imposed by Ibama","value":2.5,"unit":"million R$","status":"Reported","note":"Lei do Óleo (Law 9,966) fine (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Further Morpho-area wells and five adjacent blocks depend on new Ibama licences (ref 4).","Ibama's amended licence limits operations to one rig at a time (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Scope grew from one well to four wells with activity through 2029, according to prosecutors (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ibama (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources)","role":"Licensing authority","contact":"https://www.gov.br/ibama"},{"name":"Petrobras","role":"Operator","contact":"https://petrobras.com.br"},{"name":"ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels)","role":"Petroleum regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.br/anp"},{"name":"Ministério Público Federal","role":"Plaintiff in the federal court case","contact":"https://www.mpf.mp.br"},{"name":"Ibama","role":"Licensing authority"}],"public_contact":"Ibama and the MPF publish contact channels on their gov.br and mpf.mp.br websites.","corrective_actions":["Ibama required response centres in Oiapoque (AP) and Belém (PA) and added two manatee rehabilitation centres in the amended licence (refs 1, 4).","ANP temporarily suspended the rig after the January 2026 discharge and later allowed drilling to resume under safety conditions (ref 2).","Revised wildlife protection plan to be simulated during drilling under Ibama oversight (ref 1).","Second wildlife rehabilitation centre at Oiapoque, three offshore wildlife vessels and four nearshore response vessels (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ambientalistas criticam aval para poço de petróleo na Foz do Amazonas","publisher":"Agência Brasil","date":"2025-10-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/meio-ambiente/noticia/2025-10/ambientalistas-criticam-aval-para-poco-de-petroleo-na-foz-do-amazonas","basis":"News (Portuguese, public broadcaster)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ibama multa Petrobras em R$ 2,5 milhões por vazamento na Foz do Amazonas","publisher":"Eixos (Estadão Conteúdo)","date":"2026-02-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eixos.com.br/petroleo-e-gas/ibama-multa-petrobras-em-r-25-milhoes-por-vazamento-na-foz-do-amazonas/","basis":"News (Portuguese)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ministério Público recorre para tentar suspender poço de petróleo na Foz do Amazonas","publisher":"Jornal de Brasília (Folhapress)","date":"2026-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://jornaldebrasilia.com.br/noticias/economia/ministerio-publico-recorre-para-tentar-suspender-poco-de-petroleo-na-foz-do-amazonas/","basis":"News (Portuguese)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Petrobras cleared to drill additional wells at Morpho discovery site","publisher":"bne IntelliNews","date":"2026-09-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://new.intellinews.com/articles/petrobras-cleared-to-drill-additional-wells-at-morpho-discovery-site-466988","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"MPF apresenta novo recurso contra exploração na Foz do Amazonas","publisher":"Agência Brasil","date":"2026-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/justica/noticia/2026-09/mpf-apresenta-novo-recurso-contra-exploracao-na-foz-do-amazonas","basis":"News (Portuguese, public broadcaster)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Petrobras faz 2ª descoberta de petróleo em poço da Margem Equatorial","publisher":"Agência Brasil","date":"2026-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/economia/noticia/2026-10/petrobras-faz-2a-descoberta-de-petroleo-em-poco-da-margem-equatorial","basis":"News (Portuguese, public broadcaster)"},{"ref":7,"title":"Por que processamos o Ibama: três razões para anular a licença de exploração na Foz do Amazonas","publisher":"Greenpeace Brasil","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/brasil/blog/por-que-processamos-o-ibama-tres-razoes-para-anular-a-licenca-de-exploracao-na-foz-do-amazonas/","basis":"NGO statement (advocacy, undated; names eight plaintiffs in the Federal Court of Pará)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Ibama aprova ultima fase de licenciamento para Petrobras explorar Margem Equatorial","publisher":"O Liberal","date":"2025-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oliberal.com/economia/ibama-aprova-ultima-fase-de-licenciamento-para-petrobras-explorar-margem-equatorial-1.1025555","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Petrobras obtem licenca de operacao para pesquisa exploratoria na Margem Equatorial","publisher":"Band","date":"2025-10-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.band.com.br/nacional/brasil/petrobras-obtem-licenca-de-operacao-para-pesquisa-exploratoria-na-margem-equatorial","basis":"News"},{"ref":10,"title":"Petrobras recebe licenca do Ibama para perfurar Margem Equatorial","publisher":"Tribuna de Minas","date":"2025-10-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tribunademinas.com.br/noticias/brasil-e-mundo/20-10-2025/petrobras-licenca-ibama-margem-equatorial.html?amp=1","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"The court where NGOs sued is given as the Federal Court of Pará (Greenpeace, ref 7) and the Federal Court of Amapá (ref 2); the cited pages do not settle which."},{"note":"Ibama says the licence covered one well over about five months; prosecutors say the schedule changed to four wells through 2029 (ref 5)."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BRA-EQUATORIALMARGIN-SPILLRISK-2025 (Ibama licenses first Equatorial Margin well off Amapa after a 2023 refusal; spill-response gaps flagged): pollution group filed the spill-response angle on the same licence"}],"missing_fields":["coordinates (no public coordinate source for the block was opened)","block coordinates","drilling outcome after October 2025","Ibama primary licence text (Portuguese news sources only)"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-FOZAMAZONAS-BLOCKAUCTION-2025","OC-BRA-CAMPOS-PETROBRASPOLLUTION-2025"],"confidence":"High","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-FOZAMAZONAS-BLOCKAUCTION-2025","title":"19 Foz do Amazonas oil blocks sold in the ANP auction of 17 June 2025 over prosecutors' and NGOs' objections","description":"In the ANP permanent-offer auction of 17 June 2025, 19 of the 47 blocks offered in the Foz do Amazonas basin were sold to Petrobras with ExxonMobil and to Chevron with CNPC, for R$ 844 million. Federal prosecutors had sued in Pará four days earlier to suspend the sale, arguing no climate impact study, strategic environmental assessment or consultation under ILO Convention 169 had been done; the ANP denies any overlap with Indigenous lands or conservation units.","location":{"name":"Foz do Amazonas basin, off Amapá and Pará","type":"Offshore oil licensing area","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Brazil, Equatorial Margin at the mouth of the Amazon; more than 16,000 km² sold.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A licensing round opening a sensitive basin to oil exploration, contested in court.","secondary_drivers":["Oil and gas licensing","Indigenous and community consultation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No physical harm is documented from the sale itself; prosecutors cite missing impact studies and Greenpeace points to reef sensitivity as potential risk (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or displacement is reported from the auction; the ANP denies overlap with Indigenous lands (ref 1).","scale":"The sold area is a set of blocks in one basin, more than 16,000 km² (ref 1).","duration":"The dispute runs from the June 2025 sale through October 2026 court appeals over the first well (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A regulator-run auction and a federal prosecutors' lawsuit filed in the Pará federal court four days earlier are formal acts, but the sources report no ruling on the auction itself (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"19 of 47 Foz do Amazonas blocks were sold for R$ 844 million; 34 of 172 blocks were sold nationwide for R$ 989 million (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Foz do Amazonas blocks sold","value":19,"unit":"blocks of 47 offered","status":"Reported","note":"ANP auction, 17 June 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Area sold in the basin","value":16000,"unit":"km² (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace Brasil calculation reported as more than 16,000 km² (ref 1)."},{"name":"Payment for the 19 blocks","value":844,"unit":"million R$","status":"Reported","note":"AFP report (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Companies still need environmental licences, which can take years (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Block sales were followed by an Ibama drilling licence at an adjacent block in October 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels)","role":"Auction organiser and regulator","contact":"https://www.gov.br/anp"},{"name":"Ibama","role":"Environmental licensing authority","contact":"https://www.gov.br/ibama"},{"name":"Ministério Público Federal","role":"Plaintiff in the suit to suspend the auction","contact":"https://www.mpf.mp.br"}],"public_contact":"The ANP publishes contact channels on its gov.br website.","corrective_actions":["Winning companies must still obtain Ibama environmental licences before drilling (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mais de 13 milhões de piscinas olímpicas foram leiloadas na Foz do Amazonas","publisher":"Greenpeace Brasil","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/brasil/blog/mais-de-13-milhoes-de-piscinas-olimpicas-foram-leiloadas-na-foz-do-amazonas/","basis":"NGO statement (advocacy, undated; describes the 17 June 2025 auction)"},{"ref":2,"title":"ANP concede 19 blocos de exploração de petróleo na Foz do Amazonas a poucos meses da COP30","publisher":"Diario de Pernambuco (AFP)","date":"2025-06-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.diariodepernambuco.com.br/economia/2025/06/3895820-anp-concede-19-blocos-de-exploracao-de-petroleo-na-foz-do-amazonas-a-poucos-meses-da-cop30.html","basis":"News (Portuguese, wire)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Greenpeace Brasil gives the Petrobras and ExxonMobil group 10 blocks and Chevron and CNPC 9 (ref 1); other outlets give different splits, so the official ANP result should be checked."}],"missing_fields":["coordinates","official ANP result document (not opened)"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-FOZAMAZONAS-MORPHODRILLING-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-PUNTACOLORADA-OILTERMINALFLNG-2026","title":"Oil export terminal and floating LNG plans in Golfo San Matías draw a UNESCO request to suspend works near Península Valdés","description":"The Vaca Muerta Oil Sur pipeline (437 km) is to end at an oil terminal at Punta Colorada, Río Negro, and a consortium plans floating LNG vessels in the same gulf. In July 2026 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, as reported by Argentine media, asked Argentina to suspend works on the pipeline and terminal until studies show no harm to Península Valdés, citing tanker traffic, whale collisions, noise, lighting and spill risk. Argentina told UNESCO the project has an impact assessment, mitigation measures and a spill contingency plan. At its 48th session in July 2026 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee asked Argentina to suspend works on the Vaca Muerta Sur pipeline and the Punta Colorada oil terminal until studies show no harm to Peninsula Valdes, about 30 km away, citing tanker traffic, whale collisions, noise and possible hydrocarbon spills. A 2025 NOAA GNOME spill model by WCS and the Foro para la Conservacion del Mar Patagonico found that oil would reach the coast within 6 to 8 days in every scenario.","location":{"name":"Punta Colorada, Golfo San Matías","type":"Oil export terminal site and whale nursery gulf","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AR"],"detail":"Argentina, Río Negro Province; the gulf borders Península Valdés (UNESCO World Heritage site) and is a southern right whale breeding area.","coordinates":{"lat":-41.767,"lon":-65,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","shipping-ports-noise","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Energy export infrastructure in a protected-area gulf, with a treaty-body review of the approvals.","secondary_drivers":["Oil tanker traffic","LNG export","Cumulative impact assessment gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No harm is documented yet; the World Heritage Committee flagged potential whale collisions, underwater noise and spill risk (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No closure is reported; the Golfo Azul Para Siempre campaign warns of effects on fishing and tourism (ref 4).","scale":"A single gulf and its terminal, about 30 km from the protected area (ref 3).","duration":"Law 3308 was amended in 2022, hearings ran from August 2023 to September 2025 and pipeline works began in February 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The World Heritage Committee asked Argentina to suspend works and to report by 1 February 2027 for review at its 49th session (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Sierra Grande (about 9,000) and San Antonio Oeste (about 40,000) are the nearest towns (ref 1); no affected-population figure is given."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"UNESCO World Heritage Committee asked Argentina to preventively suspend the Vaca Muerta Sur pipeline and Punta Colorada terminal works and to report by 1 February 2027 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vaca Muerta Oil Sur pipeline length","value":437,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay Latam, June 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pipeline capacity","value":700000,"unit":"barrels per day (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"iProfesional, May 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Hilli Episeyo FLNG capacity","value":2.45,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"First floating LNG unit, planned for 2027 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Terminal distance from the protected area","value":30,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"As stated in Argentine press on the UNESCO decision (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Government and YPF estimate about USD 20,000 million a year in exports (ref 1).","Pipeline cost about USD 3,000 million and the Punta Colorada works about USD 2,500 million (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Works are advancing while the UNESCO request and court actions are open."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UNESCO World Heritage Committee","role":"Treaty body reviewing Península Valdés","contact":"https://whc.unesco.org"},{"name":"Provincia de Río Negro","role":"Provincial government and approvals","contact":"https://www.rionegro.gov.ar"},{"name":"YPF","role":"Project promoter","contact":"https://www.ypf.com"},{"name":"Ministerio de Ambiente de la Nación (Argentina)","role":"National environment authority","contact":"https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ambiente"},{"name":"Government of Argentina","role":"State party to the Convention"}],"public_contact":"UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Río Negro government publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Argentina must submit the pipeline route, vessel routes inside and outside the gulf, the full impact assessment and management plan, public participation records and a cumulative-effects assessment by 1 February 2027 (ref 4).","Argentina to deliver the full impact assessment, tanker routes and public participation records by 1 February 2027 (ref 2).","Argentina submitted an environmental assessment on 15 December 2025, which UNESCO considers insufficient (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Argentina: un reducto para las ballenas corre el riesgo de convertirse en zona de sacrificio","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":"2025-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2025/06/argentina-ballenas-riesgo-zona-sacrificio/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Alerta en la Patagonia por 3 megaproyectos petroleros que ponen en jaque \"el paraíso de las ballenas\"","publisher":"iProfesional (reporting by EconomiaSustentable)","date":"2026-05-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iprofesional.com/energia/454785-patagonia-alerta-megaproyectos-petroleros-ponen-en-jaque-paraiso-ballenas","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Unesco demands halt to oil projects in San Matías Gulf due to environmental risks","publisher":"Noticias Ambientales","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://noticiasambientales.com/?p=164511","basis":"News (UNESCO decision reported second-hand)"},{"ref":4,"title":"La Unesco pide frenar las obras petroleras en el Golfo San Matías por riesgos ambientales","publisher":"EconomiaSustentable","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://economiasustentable.com/noticias/la-unesco-suspender-obras-oleoducto-vaca-muerta-riesgo-ambiental-golfo-san-matias/amp/?swcfpc=1","basis":"News (Spanish, no date shown)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Punta Colorada, Río Negro","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_Colorada,_R%C3%ADo_Negro","basis":"Encyclopedia (coordinates only: 41°46′S 65°00′W)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Estudio cientifico alerta sobre graves impactos por derrames de hidrocarburos en el Golfo San Matias","publisher":"WCS Argentina","date":"2025-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://argentina.wcs.org/es-es/Quienes-somos/Noticias/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/24858.aspx","basis":"NGO study release"},{"ref":7,"title":"La Unesco pidio suspender las obras del oleoducto Vaca Muerta Sur por el riesgo ambiental en el Golfo San Matias","publisher":"Economia Sustentable","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://economiasustentable.com/noticias/la-unesco-suspender-obras-oleoducto-vaca-muerta-riesgo-ambiental-golfo-san-matias/","basis":"News on World Heritage Committee decision"},{"ref":8,"title":"El Foro para la Conservacion del Mar Patagonico avisa sobre los derrames de hidrocarburos en el Golfo San Matias","publisher":"Ecoticias (EFE)","date":"2025-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ecoticias.com/eco-america/foro-conservacion-mar-patagonico-avisa-derrames-hidrocarburos-golfo-san-matias","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"La Unesco pidio frenar las obras del oleoducto de Vaca Muerta en Rio Negro","publisher":"Diario Uno","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.diariouno.com.ar/sociedad/la-unesco-pidio-frenar-las-obras-del-oleoducto-vaca-muerta-rio-negro-n1578890/amp","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"An aggregator summary describes the UNESCO outcome as a postponement to 2027; the two articles opened describe a request to suspend works with a 1 February 2027 deadline (refs 3, 4)."},{"field":"spill risk","values":["99.9% spill risk from simulations (iProfesional, ref 5)","oil reaches coast in 6 to 8 days in all modelled scenarios (WCS, ref 1)"],"note":"The 99.9% figure is quoted from environmental groups and is not reproduced in the record's measures."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-BRA-PUNTACOLORADA-OILTERMINAL-2026 (UNESCO asks Argentina to suspend Punta Colorada oil terminal works over spill risk to the Golfo San Matias): pollution group filed the spill-risk angle on the same terminal"}],"missing_fields":["official UNESCO decision text (the World Heritage Centre page returned HTTP 403)","final environmental approvals (not stated in the cited sources)","terminal coordinates from an official register","government response to the UNESCO decision","operator spill-contingency plan text"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-GOLFOSANMATIAS-LAW3308DISPUTE-2022","OC-BRA-PENINSULAVALDES-ELEPHANTSEALH5N1-2023","OC-BRA-MARDELPLATA-ARGERICHWELL-2024"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-GOLFOSANMATIAS-LAW3308DISPUTE-2022","title":"Río Negro amended its 1999 ban on hydrocarbon projects in Golfo San Matías; hearings and legal challenges continue","description":"Río Negro Law 3308 of 1999 banned hydrocarbon projects in Golfo San Matías until it was amended in September 2022. Critics, including researcher Hernán Pérez Orsi quoted by Mongabay Latam, say this was done without consultation; one lawsuit was dismissed by the provincial supreme court and another seeking to annul the public hearings was pending. Hearings for the oil terminal and two floating LNG units were held between August 2023 and September 2025 and criticised as restricted and fragmented.","location":{"name":"Golfo San Matías, Río Negro","type":"Gulf under provincial hydrocarbon law","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AR"],"detail":"Argentina, Río Negro Province, northern Patagonia; the gulf lies north of Península Valdés.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A provincial law change and litigation over consultation shaped approvals of gulf oil and gas projects.","secondary_drivers":["Legal change","Public consultation disputes"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The legal change enables projects whose risks to whales and the gulf are cited as potential harm, with none yet documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction or closure is reported from the law change (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One gulf in one province (ref 1).","duration":"The 1999 ban was amended in September 2022 and the hearings and lawsuits run to 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The provincial supreme court dismissed one lawsuit and a second, seeking to annul the hearings, was pending without a ruling in June 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Law 3,308 (1999) banned hydrocarbon projects in the gulf and was amended in September 2022; a lawsuit over this was dismissed by the Tribunal Supremo de Río Negro (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Public hearings held for gulf projects","value":3,"unit":"hearings (VMOS 2023, FLNG I 2024, FLNG II 2025)","status":"Reported","note":"iProfesional lists three hearings; Mongabay mentions two for the oil project (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The province, YPF and partners have large export projects waiting on the approvals (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Provincia de Río Negro","role":"Legislature and approvals","contact":"https://www.rionegro.gov.ar"},{"name":"Tribunal Supremo de Río Negro (Superior Tribunal de Justicia)","role":"Court","contact":"https://www.jusrionegro.gov.ar"}],"public_contact":"The provincial government and judiciary publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Environmental groups ask for a strategic environmental assessment of the combined projects (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Argentina: un reducto para las ballenas corre el riesgo de convertirse en zona de sacrificio","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":"2025-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2025/06/argentina-ballenas-riesgo-zona-sacrificio/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Alerta en la Patagonia por 3 megaproyectos petroleros que ponen en jaque \"el paraíso de las ballenas\"","publisher":"iProfesional (reporting by EconomiaSustentable)","date":"2026-05-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iprofesional.com/energia/454785-patagonia-alerta-megaproyectos-petroleros-ponen-en-jaque-paraiso-ballenas","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"The two articles differ on how many hearings were held for the oil project (two in Mongabay; the iProfesional list gives one in August 2023)."}],"missing_fields":["court case numbers and rulings (not opened)","coordinates"],"related_ids":["OC-BRA-PUNTACOLORADA-OILTERMINALFLNG-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-MARDELPLATA-ARGERICHWELL-2024","title":"Equinor's Argerich-1 deep-water well off Mar del Plata drilled dry in 2024 after court challenges","description":"Equinor, with YPF and Shell, drilled the Argerich-1 exploration well in block CAN-100 about 307 km off Mar del Plata and reported it dry in June 2024, with no clear signs of hydrocarbons. The project had faced public hearings with hundreds of speakers and amparo suits by environmental groups that reached the Supreme Court, and further 3D seismic surveys were planned for other blocks.","location":{"name":"Block CAN-100, Argentine North Basin","type":"Deep-water exploration well","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AR"],"detail":"Argentina, Buenos Aires Province offshore; about 307 km from Mar del Plata in about 1,535 m of water.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Frontier offshore exploration contested through hearings and courts.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore exploration","Seismic surveys"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The well was drilled safely and abandoned; the cited reports document no environmental damage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Ámbito article does not describe fishing or tourism opposition or any closure (ref 1).","scale":"One well in one block 307 km offshore (ref 1).","duration":"Court challenges preceded drilling and the well finished in June 2024, so the episode spans months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The activity was authorised and heard in public hearings, with amparo suits reaching the Supreme Court; no ruling is reported in the opened pages (ref 1)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Equinor classified Argerich-1 as dry: \"no clear signs of hydrocarbons\", about 307 km from Mar del Plata in block CAN-100 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Distance from Mar del Plata","value":307,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Ámbito (ref 1)."},{"name":"Water depth","value":1535,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Ámbito also gives 1,527 m to the seabed (ref 1)."},{"name":"Well cost","value":100,"unit":"million USD (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Ámbito (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The result left local investment hopes in doubt; industry sources say it should not be extended to other blocks (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The well was abandoned; seismic work in other blocks continues (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Equinor Argentina","role":"Operator","contact":"https://www.equinor.com"},{"name":"Ministerio de Ambiente de la Nación (Argentina)","role":"Environmental approval (Resolución 19/2022)","contact":"https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ambiente"}],"public_contact":"Equinor and the ministry publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The well was to be abandoned and sealed (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Offshore frente a Mar del Plata: Equinor informó que el pozo Argerich dio \"seco\" y no hay hidrocarburos","publisher":"Ámbito","date":"2024-06-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ambito.com/energia/offshore-frente-mar-del-plata-equinor-informo-que-el-pozo-argerich-dio-seco-y-no-hay-hidrocarburos-n6021463","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Equinor no encontró petróleo en la primera perforación a aguas profundas en Argentina","publisher":"Bloomberg Línea","date":"2024-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bloomberglinea.com/latinoamerica/argentina/equinor-no-encontro-petroleo-en-la-primera-perforacion-a-aguas-profundas-en-argentina/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Block distance: Bloomberg Línea says about 300 km, Ámbito 307 km."}],"missing_fields":["coordinates","final outcome of the court cases (not stated in the opened pages)"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":2,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-BRA-PUNTACOLORADA-OILTERMINALFLNG-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-PENINSULAVALDES-ELEPHANTSEALH5N1-2023","title":"Avian influenza killed about 97% of southern elephant seal pups at Península Valdés in 2023; the colony fell about 61%","description":"The 2023 H5N1 avian influenza epidemic killed about 97% of the southern elephant seal pups born that year at Península Valdés, Chubut, and an uncertain number of breeding adults. A WCS Argentina census of October 2024, reported in September 2025, estimated 19,871 animals older than one year, down about 61% from roughly 60,000, and says the population would move from Least Concern to Endangered under IUCN criteria. A Marine Mammal Science study projects recovery to 2022 levels by 2029 to 2051 if only pups were affected, and around 2091 if breeding females were also affected.","location":{"name":"Península Valdés elephant seal colony","type":"Marine mammal breeding colony","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AR"],"detail":"Argentina, Chubut Province; Punta Delgada and the Península Valdés coast (UNESCO World Heritage site).","coordinates":{"lat":-42.5,"lon":-64,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease-driven mass mortality of a breeding marine mammal population.","secondary_drivers":["H5N1 avian influenza"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"WCS Argentina estimates the virus killed 97% of the 2023 pups and an uncertain number of breeding adults; Mongabay cites 17,500 of 18,000 pups (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or economic loss is reported in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"One colony at one peninsula, though it is the main South American breeding population (ref 1).","duration":"Recovery to 2022 levels is projected between 2029 and about 2091, and pup production in 2025 was still 5,677 against 14,427 in 2022 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"WCS and CONICET-linked authors report the population would qualify as Endangered under IUCN criteria; no formal Red List change is reported (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Wildlife record; no human population affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Population down about 61% to 19,871 individuals older than one year; 5,677 pups born in 2025 against 14,427 in 2022 (WCS Argentina, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Decline in colony since the epidemic","value":61,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"WCS Argentina census, October 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Population older than one year","value":19871,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"WCS Argentina (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pups dead of the 2023 cohort","value":97,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"WCS Argentina; Mongabay gives 17,500 of 18,000 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Pup production 2025 versus 2022","value":5677,"unit":"pups (2025; 14,427 in 2022)","status":"Reported","note":"Same sectors counted (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Península Valdés is a UNESCO World Heritage wildlife-tourism destination (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Pup production in 2025 was well below 2022; recovery is projected over decades (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"WCS Argentina","role":"Census and conservation partner","contact":"https://argentina.wcs.org"},{"name":"CONICET (CESIMAR / CENPAT)","role":"Research institution","contact":"https://www.conicet.gov.ar"},{"name":"Provincia del Chubut","role":"Wildlife management authority","contact":"https://chubut.gov.ar"}],"public_contact":"WCS Argentina lists press contacts on its website.","corrective_actions":["A new census was announced to begin in October 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"En peligro: nueva categoría de conservación para los elefantes marinos en Chubut","publisher":"WCS Argentina","date":"2025-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://argentina.wcs.org/es-es/Quienes-somos/Noticias/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/25265.aspx","basis":"NGO and research institution press release (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Elefantes marinos podrían tardar 100 años en recuperarse del impacto de la gripe aviar en Argentina","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":"2025-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2025/05/elefantes-marinos-gripe-aviar-argentina/","basis":"News (Spanish), summarising Campagna et al. 2025, Marine Mammal Science"},{"ref":3,"title":"Península Valdés","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen%C3%ADnsula_Vald%C3%A9s","basis":"Encyclopedia (coordinates only: 42°30′S 64°0′W)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay reports 18,000 healthy breeding females in 2022 while WCS reports 14,427 pups born in 2022; the two pages count different things and the figure is not used as a measure."}],"missing_fields":["peer-reviewed paper itself (not opened; summarised through Mongabay)","official IUCN Red List category"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-BRA-PUNTACOLORADA-OILTERMINALFLNG-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-NORTHEASTREEFS-BLEACHING-2024","title":"Brazil's 2024 coral bleaching event was the most severe on record, with high mortality on northeast reefs","description":"Bleaching began in March 2024 on reefs at Tamandaré (Pernambuco) and Sergipe and spread across the northeast. A Ministry of Environment and Climate Change presentation by Prof. Beatrice Padovani Ferreira (UFPE) to ICRI describes 2024 as the most extreme event on record, with over 90% bleaching at Tamandaré, Maragogi and Fernando de Noronha and mortality of 50 to 90% at Maragogi and Sergipe. The Coral Vivo project's 2024 report says it was Brazil's second major bleaching episode after 2019.","location":{"name":"Northeast Brazil reefs (Costa dos Corais, Noronha)","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR"],"detail":"Brazil, northeast coast from Rio Grande do Norte to Bahia, plus Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas; Abrolhos was least affected.","points":[{"lat":-3.855,"lon":-32.425,"precision":"site","role":"Fernando de Noronha, one of the monitored sites","source_ref":6}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss on reefs driven by thermal stress.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","El Niño"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The ICRI presentation lists mortality of 50 to 90% at Maragogi and Sergipe and 10 to 50% at Tamandaré (ref 4).","livelihoods":"No closure is reported; the 2025 coalition article values reefs at up to R$ 167 billion a year for protection and tourism (ref 5).","scale":"Reefs along Brazil's northeast coastline were affected (refs 1, 4).","duration":"The Coral Vivo report calls 2024 the second major episode after 2019, a recurring pattern (ref 3).","significance":"A ministry presentation to ICRI and monitoring by ICMBio-linked researchers give formal recognition, but no emergency declaration is reported (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The ICRI slides cite 18 million people on the northeast coast but not how many were affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 90% of corals bleached at Tamandaré, Maragogi and Fernando de Noronha, with 50 to 90% mortality at Maragogi and Sergipe (ICRI presentation, ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maragogi, bleached","value":90,"unit":"% (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Mortality 50-90% (ref 4)."},{"name":"Tamandaré, bleached","value":90,"unit":"% (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Mortality 10-50% (ref 4)."},{"name":"Costa dos Corais degree heating weeks","value":20.9,"unit":"DHW","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA virtual station values quoted in the slides: Maracajaú 22.1, Todos os Santos 20.1, Noronha 18.5, Abrolhos 14.6 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Abrolhos, bleached","value":1,"unit":"% (1-10%)","status":"Reported","note":"Mortality shown as 0-50% in the slide (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Northeast reef tourism and coastal protection are valued at up to R$ 167 billion for Brazil (2023 study cited in ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Described as the most extreme event on record, after 2019 (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima","role":"Policy and bleaching response","contact":"https://www.gov.br/mma"},{"name":"ICMBio","role":"Reef protected-area manager","contact":"https://www.gov.br/icmbio"},{"name":"Coral Vivo project","role":"Monitoring network","contact":"https://coralvivo.org.br"}],"public_contact":"MMA and ICMBio publish contact channels on their gov.br websites.","corrective_actions":["The ministry set up a bleaching monitoring network and a BNDES call of R$ 30 million for monitoring projects (ref 4).","A Coalizão Corais do Brasil was launched at COP30 in November 2025 (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Nova onda de branqueamento afeta corais brasileiros","publisher":"Agência Brasil","date":"2024-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2024-03/nova-onda-de-branqueamento-afeta-corais-brasileiros","basis":"News (Portuguese, public broadcaster)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Branqueamento de corais avança no Nordeste, mostra pesquisa","publisher":"Agência Brasil","date":"2024-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2024-03/branqueamento-de-corais-avanca-no-nordeste-mostra-pesquisa","basis":"News (Portuguese, public broadcaster)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Relatório indica intensa mortandade de corais no Nordeste em 2024","publisher":"Agência Brasil","date":"2024-12-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/meio-ambiente/noticia/2024-12/relatorio-indica-intensa-mortandade-de-corais-no-nordeste-em-2024","basis":"News (Portuguese) on the Coral Vivo annual report"},{"ref":4,"title":"The Current Status of Coral Bleaching in the Brazil Region (ICRI presentation)","publisher":"ICRI, for Brazil Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (B. Padovani Ferreira, UFPE)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icriforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/6.-Beatrice__V2Apresentacao-Brazil-ICRI-Coral-Bleaching-.pdf","basis":"Agency presentation slides (English; no date on slides, filed May 2024)"},{"ref":5,"title":"COP30: Coalizão Corais do Brasil trabalhará por conservação de recifes","publisher":"Agência Brasil","date":"2025-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/meio-ambiente/noticia/2025-11/cop30-coalizao-corais-do-brasil-trabalhara-por-conservacao-de-recifes","basis":"News (Portuguese, public broadcaster)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Fernando de Noronha","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_de_Noronha","basis":"Encyclopedia (coordinates only: 3.855°S 32.425°W)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Agência Brasil's Coral Vivo report article gives no mortality percentages, so the percentages come only from the ICRI slides (ref 4), whose methodology was not stated."}],"missing_fields":["coral-sol (Tubastraea) invasion not covered","peer-reviewed bleaching paper"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-BRA-SALVADOR-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024","OC-BRA-GRANDERECIFE-COASTALEROSION-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-MILLA201-ILLEXFLEET-2026","title":"Foreign squid fleets gather at the edge of Argentina's 200-mile line each season, while Chinese capital grows in the national fleet","description":"Argentina's Prefectura Naval reported in December 2025 that 148 foreign vessels were already heading to the 200-mile line (\"Milla 201\"), with about 500 expected, mostly from China, South Korea and Taiwan, to fish Illex argentinus. Press analyses quote researchers estimating a 65% to 85% rise in Chinese fishing effort there between 2019 and 2024 and Chinese control of nearly two-thirds of the squid fleet under Argentine flag; these are researcher estimates, not official findings. Argentina can enforce inside its EEZ but has limited tools beyond it.","location":{"name":"Argentine shelf edge, Milla 201","type":"Fishing grounds at EEZ boundary","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA","SATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["AR","ABNJ"],"detail":"Southwest Atlantic, the Argentine 200-nautical-mile line and adjacent high seas, mainly between about 43°S and 47°S.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Concentrated fishing pressure on a shared squid stock at the edge of national jurisdiction.","secondary_drivers":["High-seas fishing","Illegal fishing","Foreign ownership of fleets"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No stock assessment below a reference point is cited; commentators warn a squid decline could affect whales, hake and tuna (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure is reported; the Argentine fleet landed 48,178 t from 2 January to 17 February 2025 (ref 4).","scale":"The pressure spans the shelf edge and adjacent high seas of the Southwest Atlantic (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Fleets arrive for five to six months every year, and effort growth is measured from 2019 to 2024 (ref 2).","significance":"The Prefectura Naval publishes vessel counts and runs patrols, but the cited pages report no sanction or court action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Prefectura Naval had registered 148 foreign vessels heading to Milla 201 and expected about 500 for the 2026 squid season (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Foreign vessels registered heading to Milla 201","value":148,"unit":"vessels (of about 500 expected)","status":"Reported","note":"Prefectura Naval, reported December 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rise in intensive fishing at Milla 201, 2019-2024","value":65,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Diario de Cuyo estimate; iProfesional cites 85% from a Spanish study (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Argentine squid landings, 2 Jan to 17 Feb 2025","value":48178,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"INIDEP technical report 08/2025 via Pescare (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["An unnamed-source estimate of illegal fishing in the EEZ of about USD 1 billion a year is repeated by iProfesional (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Press analyses cite rising Chinese effort and ownership (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Prefectura Naval Argentina","role":"Maritime enforcement","contact":"https://www.argentina.gob.ar/prefecturanaval"},{"name":"INIDEP (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero)","role":"Fisheries research and stock monitoring","contact":"https://www.argentina.gob.ar/inidep"}],"public_contact":"The Prefectura Naval and INIDEP publish contact channels on argentina.gob.ar.","corrective_actions":["Prefectura Naval runs planned patrols and uses its Sistema Guardacostas (ref 1).","Commentators urge implementing the UN High Seas Treaty (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pesca ilegal en la ZEE de Argentina: se estima que llegarán 500 buques extranjeros al Mar Argentino","publisher":"Canal 26","date":"2025-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.canal26.com/internacionales/2025/12/08/pesca-ilegal-en-la-zona-economica-exclusiva-de-argentina-se-estima-que-llegaran-500-buques-extranjeros-al-mar-argentino/","basis":"News (Spanish), citing Prefectura Naval"},{"ref":2,"title":"La recurrente presencia de buques extranjeros dentro del área de pesca del Mar Argentino","publisher":"Diario de Cuyo","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.diariodecuyo.com.ar/edicionimpresa/la-recurrente-presencia-de-buques-extranjeros-dentro-del-area-de-pesca-del-mar-argentino-1823257.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"China avanza sobre la pesca en Mar Argentino y controla el 63% de una flota clave nacional","publisher":"iProfesional","date":"2026-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iprofesional.com/negocios/459814-china-avanza-sobre-la-pesca-en-mar-argentino-y-controla-el-63-de-una-flota-clave-nacional","basis":"News (Spanish), citing researcher Milko Schvartzman and a Spanish study"},{"ref":4,"title":"Informe técnico oficial sobre la pesquería de calamar en la temporada 2025","publisher":"Pescare (INIDEP Informe Técnico 08/2025)","date":"2025-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pescare.com.ar/informe-tecnico-oficial-sobre-la-pesqueria-de-calamar-en-la-temporada-2025","basis":"Trade news reporting an official INIDEP report (Spanish)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Effort growth 2019-2024 is 65% in Diario de Cuyo and 85% in iProfesional; the Chinese share of the Argentine squid fleet is \"almost two-thirds\" in the text and 63% in the URL (refs 2, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Illex stock assessment relative to reference points","the original Schvartzman report and Spanish study (not opened)","coordinates"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-BRA-RIOGRANDERISE-SEABEDCLAIM-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-BRA-RIOGRANDERISE-SEABEDCLAIM-2025","title":"Brazil's extended continental shelf claim over the mineral-rich Rio Grande Rise remains undecided after its ISA crust contract ended","description":"Brazil asked the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in December 2018 to recognise its shelf beyond 200 nautical miles on the Brazilian Oriental and Meridional Margins, an area reported to include the Rio Grande Rise about 1,200 km offshore. Meteored reported in July 2025 that the claim had been under review since February 2025 and that the area is treated as common heritage of humankind until decided. The ISA contractor listing shows the sponsored cobalt-crust exploration contract of the CPRM, dated 9 November 2015, ended by voluntary termination effective 27 June 2022.","location":{"name":"Rio Grande Rise, South Atlantic","type":"Seamount plateau, seabed claim area","sea":"BRA","seas":["BRA","SATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BR","ABNJ"],"detail":"South Atlantic about 1,200 km off Rio Grande do Sul, in areas currently treated as outside national jurisdiction.","coordinates":{"lat":-31,"lon":-35,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Jurisdiction over seabed minerals is decided through the UN shelf commission and the seabed authority.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed mineral interest","Continental shelf delimitation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No mining has taken place and the sources document no damage; the USP researcher Luigi Jovane calls for understanding ecosystem services before any use (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community is reported as affected (refs 2, 3).","scale":"A single seabed plateau, though one the reports describe as about the size of Spain (ref 1).","duration":"The claim dates from December 2018 and is still undecided in July 2025 (refs 2, 4).","significance":"A formal CLCS submission was filed on 7 December 2018 and the ISA register lists the exploration contract as ended by voluntary termination in 2022 (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population is affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Brazil's revised CLCS submission for the Oriental and Meridional Margins is dated 7 December 2018; the listed ISA crust contract carries \"Voluntary termination effective 27 Jun 2022\" (refs 3, 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Distance from the Brazilian coast","value":1200,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"FAPESP (ref 1)."},{"name":"Depth of the seabed","value":5000,"unit":"m (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Meteored (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The area is reported to hold cobalt, nickel, lithium and rare earths (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf","role":"Reviews the submission","contact":"https://www.un.org/depts/los"},{"name":"International Seabed Authority","role":"Administers seabed minerals beyond national jurisdiction","contact":"https://www.isa.org.jm"},{"name":"Serviço Geológico do Brasil (CPRM)","role":"Former ISA exploration contractor","contact":"https://www.sgb.gov.br"}],"public_contact":"The ISA and the UN Division for Ocean Affairs publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Estudo revela que Elevação do Rio Grande era gigantesca ilha tropical próxima ao Brasil e rica em minério","publisher":"Agência FAPESP","date":"2023-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agencia.fapesp.br/estudo-revela-que-elevacao-do-rio-grande-era-gigantesca-ilha-tropical-proxima-ao-brasil-e-rica-em-minerio/50249","basis":"News on a peer-reviewed study (Portuguese; Scientific Reports)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Brasil reclama una gigantesca \"isla sumergida\" rica en minerales estratégicos","publisher":"Meteored México","date":"2025-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.meteored.mx/noticias/actualidad/brasil-reclama-una-gigantesca-isla-sumergida-rica-en-minerales-estrategicos.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Exploration contracts: cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.isa.org.jm/exploration-contracts/cobalt-rich-ferromanganese-crusts/","basis":"Agency contractor register (no page date; supports the contract dates only)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf","publisher":"United Nations, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/commission_submissions.htm","basis":"Agency submissions table (no page date; supports the 7 December 2018 date only)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Rio Grande Rise","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_Rise","basis":"Encyclopedia (coordinates only: 31°S 35°W)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Meteored says the claim has been under CLCS review since February 2025; the UN submissions table opened lists no adopted recommendation for this submission and does not mention the Rio Grande Rise by name (refs 2, 4)."},{"note":"Meteored gives a claim area of about 1.5 million km² and also says the formation is the size of Spain; the area is not used as a measure."}],"missing_fields":["2024-2026 developments at the ISA or CLCS from an official page","CLCS recommendation, if any"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BRA in-depth pass, industry and governance categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-BRA-MILLA201-ILLEXFLEET-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-DURBAN-SEWAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Durban beaches closed repeatedly for E. coli as failing sewage works pollute rivers and the sea","description":"eThekwini Municipality closed beaches along the Durban coast in January 2025 and again in December 2025 after E. coli contamination and wastewater pump and plant failures. On 18 December 2025 the KwaZulu-Natal High Court found the municipality had failed to prevent sewage spills into its rivers and the ocean and had reopened five beaches without provincial approval. The municipality later put the cost of restoring its wastewater infrastructure at R6 to R8 billion.","location":{"name":"Durban beaches, eThekwini","type":"Urban beach coastline","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Indian Ocean coast from uMhlanga to Amanzimtoti","coordinates":{"lat":-29.88333,"lon":31.05,"precision":"city","source_ref":9},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Untreated sewage and faecal bacteria reach the coast from failing wastewater works and pump stations.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater treatment failure","Sewer and pump-station breakdowns","April 2022 flood damage to infrastructure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"eThekwini detected E. coli in 'significant quantities' at four central beaches in December 2025 (ref 5) and the High Court described levels as 'high', indicating untreated waste (ref 1); no numeric readings are published in the cited reports, so harm is scored as potential health harm.","livelihoods":"Blue Lagoon, eThekwini, Country Club and Battery beaches were closed in December 2025 while 19 others stayed open (ref 4); the hospitality association said the closures were 'not a disaster' (ref 5).","scale":"The closures affect a handful of beaches inside one metropolitan municipality, about four of 23 bathing beaches at the December 2025 peak (refs 4, 7).","duration":"Beach closures for sewage reach back to the April 2022 floods (ref 1) and recurred in January 2025 (ref 6) and December 2025 (ref 4); in August 2026 the city still said it needs R6 to R8 billion to restore its works (ref 8).","significance":"A three-judge KwaZulu-Natal High Court bench ruled on 18 December 2025 that the municipality breached NEMA and the National Water Act and ignored at least seven directives (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Four central Durban beaches (Blue Lagoon, eThekwini, Country Club and Battery) were closed in December 2025 after E. coli was detected, with 19 other bathing beaches reported open (refs 4, 5)."},"measures":[{"name":"Beaches closed for E. coli (December 2025)","value":4,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Blue Lagoon, eThekwini, Country Club, Battery (ref 4)."},{"name":"Wastewater works with expired licences","value":10,"unit":"works","status":"Reported","note":"Disclosed in court papers in the DA case; the municipality conceded some licences and exemptions had expired (ref 3)."},{"name":"Estimated cost to restore wastewater infrastructure","value":8,"unit":"billion rand (upper estimate)","status":"Reported","note":"eThekwini sanitation director quoted R6 to R8 billion, treatment works only (ref 8)."},{"name":"Sea outfall pipeline needing replacement","value":8,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Reported during a national water ministry oversight visit on 21 August 2026 (ref 8)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The hospitality association chair said the December 2025 closures were 'not a disaster' because 19 beaches stayed open (ref 5).","Beach closures fall in the festive holiday season for the Durban beachfront (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Closures recurred in January and December 2025 and some beaches reopened within days (ref 7), while the underlying infrastructure deficit remained unfunded in August 2026 (ref 8)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality","role":"Operator of the wastewater works, pump stations and beaches","contact":null},{"name":"KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs","role":"Provincial approval for beach reopening agreed in November 2022","contact":null},{"name":"Department of Water and Sanitation","role":"National water regulator that issued directives to the municipality","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources; the municipality posts beach notices (ref 4).","corrective_actions":["The High Court found the municipality in breach and News24 reports it ordered an urgent plan to repair sewer infrastructure (refs 2, 5).","eThekwini said pump-station repairs were under way and that investigations were tracing the pollution source (refs 4, 5).","The municipality estimates R6 to R8 billion is needed to restore wastewater works (ref 8)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court slams eThekwini Municipality for unlawful beach re-openings amid E. coli risks","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2025-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/12/18/court-slams-ethekwini-municipality-for-unlawful-beach-re-openings-amid-e-coli-risks","basis":"Court judgment report (news)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Judicial blow for eThekwini: High Court finds city failed to prevent river and beach pollution","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2025-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/12/18/judicial-blow-for-ethekwini-high-court-finds-city-failed-to-prevent-river-and-beach-pollution","basis":"Court judgment report (news)"},{"ref":3,"title":"eThekwini operating 10 wastewater treatment plants without valid licences","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/12/19/ethekwini-operating-10-wastewater-treatment-plants-without-valid-licences","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"eThekwini shuts four beaches amid pollution concerns","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/12/19/ethekwini-shuts-four-beaches-amid-pollution-concerns","basis":"News quoting municipal statement"},{"ref":5,"title":"Sewage on sea: eThekwini's festive water woes as beaches close","publisher":"News24","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.news24.com/southafrica/news/sewage-on-sea-ethekwinis-festive-water-woes-as-beaches-close-20251219-0869","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"More Durban beaches closed","publisher":"Independent on Saturday","date":"2025-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://independentonsaturday.co.za/news/2025-01-10-more-durban-beaches-closed/","basis":"News (date taken from the article URL; the page shows only 'a year ago')"},{"ref":7,"title":"eThekwini beaches reopen following quick repair of pump station fault","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/12/10/ethekwini-beaches-reopen-following-quick-repair-of-pump-station-fault","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"eThekwini municipality needs R8 billion to replace ageing sewer pipelines","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2026-08-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/08/22/ethekwini-municipality-needs-r8-billion-to-replace-ageing-sewer-pipelines","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Durban (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durban","basis":"Reference gazetteer for the city coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"January 2025: activist Desmond D'Sa said four beaches closed for high E. coli while the mayor named one, and the municipality said 7 January samples showed 'very low' contamination (ref 6)."},{"note":"EWN's report of the 18 December 2025 judgment lists no specific orders (ref 2); News24 reports a court order to implement an urgent sewer repair plan (ref 5)."}],"missing_fields":["No numeric E. coli readings in the cited sources.","The beaches reopened after December 2025 were not checked."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-CAPETOWN-OUTFALLS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-CAPETOWN-OUTFALLS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cape Town's three marine sewage outfalls face a permit appeal, a flow-limit suspension and an ActionSA challenge","description":"Cape Town discharges screened but otherwise untreated sewage into the Atlantic through marine outfalls at Green Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay, under permits issued in 2019 and 2022 to 2023. ActionSA and others appealed the permits, the environment minister suspended the daily flow limits in August 2024 pending appeals, and the appeal was still before an independent panel in December 2025. The City's monitoring reports about 99% of samples within guidelines and says the outfalls do not affect Blue Flag beaches; ActionSA disputes that the permits are being met.","location":{"name":"Green Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay outfalls","type":"Marine sewage outfalls","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa; Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula","coordinates":{"lat":-33.9,"lon":18.4,"precision":"city","source_ref":7},"points":[{"lat":-33.9,"lon":18.4,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"Green Point outfall area"},{"lat":-33.95,"lon":18.38333,"precision":"city","source_ref":8,"role":"Camps Bay outfall area"},{"lat":-34.03333,"lon":18.35,"precision":"city","source_ref":9,"role":"Hout Bay outfall area"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Sewage effluent with nutrients, bacteria and some metals is discharged to coastal waters under permit.","secondary_drivers":["Permitted marine sewage discharge","Permit appeals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Nine of 1,107 samples (0.8%) from July 2025 to January 2026 exceeded the single-sample enterococci guideline and some metals and suspended solids exceeded limits (ref 5); no ecological harm is documented.","livelihoods":"The City says the outfalls do not affect recreational areas or Blue Flag beaches and disputes ActionSA's link to beach closures (ref 4); no closure is documented in the cited reports.","scale":"Three outfalls serving one city, which the City says handle 5% of its wastewater (ref 4).","duration":"The permits date from 2019 (Hout Bay), December 2022 (Green Point) and January 2023 (Camps Bay) (ref 1) and the appeal remained open in August 2026 (ref 6).","significance":"The minister suspended the flow limits on 28 August 2024 pending appeals, and a criminal docket on Hout Bay went to the prosecutor (ref 1); the appeals panel had not ruled by December 2025 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Of 513 seawater samples taken April to June 2026 around the Camps Bay, Green Point and Hout Bay outfalls, 98.6% met water quality guidelines and seven exceeded allowable bacteria levels (ref 6)."},"measures":[{"name":"Permitted daily flow, Green Point","value":25,"unit":"million litres per day","status":"Reported","note":"Permit of December 2022; limit suspended 28 August 2024 pending appeal (ref 1)."},{"name":"Permitted daily flow, Camps Bay","value":11.3,"unit":"million litres per day","status":"Reported","note":"Permit of January 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Permitted daily flow, Hout Bay","value":5,"unit":"million litres per day","status":"Reported","note":"Permit of 2019; the City exceeded discharge volumes on 104 of 181 days in the first half of 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seawater samples exceeding enterococci guideline, July 2025 to January 2026","value":0.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Nine of 1,107 samples (ref 5)."},{"name":"Untreated sewage alleged discharged over the two-year appeal","value":19,"unit":"billion litres (ActionSA estimate)","status":"Estimated","note":"ActionSA's own estimate presented at Green Point; ActionSA gave about 20 billion in another report (refs 2, 3). The City rejects the claims (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Short-term refurbishment of the outfall pump stations is scheduled for completion in December 2027, with treatment options costed at up to about R12 billion (refs 4, 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The City's compliance figures were similar across 2024 to 2026 (refs 5, 6), but the permit appeal remains unresolved."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"City of Cape Town (Water and Sanitation)","role":"Outfall operator and permit holder","contact":null},{"name":"Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment","role":"Issued the coastal waters discharge permits and runs the appeals process","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The City commissioned independent receiving-environment monitoring and presents results at a Permit Advisory Forum (refs 4, 5, 6).","A R200 million outfall refurbishment tender was awarded in November 2025 (ref 4).","The City asked DFFE to review inconsistent permit conditions (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cape Town may pump as much sewage into the sea as it likes","publisher":"GroundUp","date":"2024-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://groundup.org.za/article/cape-town-can-pump-as-much-sewage-into-sea-as-it-likes","basis":"News investigation"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cape Town marine sewage outfall dispute heads to independent appeals panel","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2025-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/12/15/cape-town-marine-sewage-outfall-dispute-heads-to-independent-appeals-panel","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Battle over marine outfalls: ActionSA flags health risks as City defends discharge permits","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2025-12-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ewn.co.za/2025/12/16/battle-over-marine-outfalls-actionsa-flags-health-risks-as-city-defends-discharge-permits","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"City of Cape Town refutes ActionSA's claims of unlawful sewage discharge into the ocean","publisher":"Cape Argus","date":"2025-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://capeargus.co.za/news/2025-12-18-city-of-cape-town-refutes-actionsas-claims-of-unlawful-sewage-discharge-into-the-ocean/","basis":"News carrying the City's statement (date taken from the article URL)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Marine outfalls comply with permit limits despite sewage pollution concerns","publisher":"Cape Argus","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://capeargus.co.za/news/2026-03-02-marine-outfalls-comply-with-permit-limits-despite-sewage-pollution-concerns/","basis":"News carrying City monitoring results (date taken from the article URL)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Cape Town says seawater quality near marine sewage outfalls remains stable","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2026-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ewn.co.za/cape-town-says-seawater-quality-near-marine-sewage-outfalls-remains-stable/","basis":"News carrying City monitoring results"},{"ref":7,"title":"Green Point, Cape Town (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Point,_Cape_Town","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates only"},{"ref":8,"title":"Camps Bay (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camps_Bay","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates only"},{"ref":9,"title":"Hout Bay (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hout_Bay","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"ActionSA's estimate of untreated discharge is about 19 billion litres in one report and about 20 billion in another (refs 2, 3)."},{"note":"The City says the Hout Bay exceedance claims rest on outdated permits (ref 4)."}],"missing_fields":["Date of an appeals panel ruling: none found.","Outfall coordinates are place-level, not surveyed outfall positions."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-DURBAN-SEWAGE-2025","OC-SAFR-MILNERTON-LAGOON-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-DORINGBAAI-ULTRAGALAXY-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"MV Ultra Galaxy wreck spills more than 500 tonnes of fuel and fertiliser cargo on the West Coast","description":"The Panama-flagged cargo ship MV Ultra Galaxy grounded near Doringbaai in July 2024 and broke up in storms, and SAMSA said only about 8 tonnes of marine gas oil was removed before the rest of its fuel and fertiliser cargo was lost to the sea. Oil reached mining beaches, Papendorp and Strandfontein, and about 180 people in 12 teams were cleaning a 40 km stretch of coast in February 2025 while the wreck was removed. Oiled wildlife was limited to one dead Cape gannet and one oiled plover in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Ultra Galaxy wreck, Doringbaai","type":"Shipwreck and oil spill site","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"West Coast, Western Cape, South Africa; wreck at Duiwegat south of Brand se Baai, near the Olifants River mouth","coordinates":{"lat":-31.81667,"lon":18.23333,"precision":"city","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Bunker fuel and bagged fertiliser from a wrecked ship contaminated beaches and coastal water.","secondary_drivers":["Shipwreck","Severe winter storms","Fuel removal not feasible"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"SAMSA said over 500 tonnes of oil, fuel and fertiliser were lost (ref 3) and oil came ashore along the coast, yet CapeNature found no oiled birds at the Lambert's Bay gannet colony and SANCCOB reported only one oiled gannet carcass and one oiled plover (refs 4, 5).","livelihoods":"Oil reached ramps 3, 4 and 7 of the Tormin mineral sands mine and parts of the Transhex area, and clean-up crews of about 180 worked a 40 km coastline (ref 4).","scale":"Oiling was patchy along a roughly 40 km section of the West Coast (ref 4), a local rather than regional extent.","duration":"The ship grounded in early July 2024 (ref 3), oil re-emerged during wreck removal that began in December 2024, and clean-up was still under way on 7 February 2025 (ref 4).","significance":"SAMSA activated its national oil spill contingency plan and the ship's insurer tendered the wreck removal, with removal of material from the seabed under way by February 2025 (refs 2, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"SAMSA reported 332 tonnes of VLSFO and 180 tonnes of marine gas oil aboard, with about 8 tonnes of MGO removed before the rest was presumed released after the wreck broke up (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel on board at grounding (VLSFO plus MGO)","value":512,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"332 t VLSFO and 180 t MGO per SAMSA (ref 3)."},{"name":"Fuel removed before break-up","value":8,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Marine gas oil, per SAMSA (ref 3)."},{"name":"Coastline under clean-up","value":40,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"About 180 people in 12 teams, February 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Wreck material removed from the seabed","value":4200,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Just over 4,200 tons by the time of SAMSA's early-February 2025 statement (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Oil reached beaches at the Tormin mineral sands mine and the Transhex mining area (ref 4).","The spill lay on a route used by endangered African penguins, and SANCCOB warned the Olifants River estuary could be threatened (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"SAMSA reported no visible slick along the beaches north to the Olifants River mouth by 21 August 2024 (ref 3), but oil leaked again during wreck removal and clean-up continued in February 2025 (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)","role":"Oil spill response authority","contact":null},{"name":"CapeNature","role":"Wildlife monitoring on the affected coast","contact":null},{"name":"Shanghai Salvage Co (wreck removal contractor)","role":"Appointed to remove the wreck, per SAMSA","contact":null}],"public_contact":"SAMSA asked the public to report oiled wildlife or oil residue to its Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre on 021 938 3310 (ref 4).","corrective_actions":["SAMSA activated the oil spill contingency plan and clean-up teams stayed for at least two storm cycles (refs 2, 3).","Shanghai Salvage Co began removing the wreck in December 2024, and it was towed to Saldanha Bay for disposal (ref 4).","The wreck's fertiliser cargo and hazardous materials were handled at the Vissershok waste site and steel processed in Cape Town (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Salvage team to start pumping fuel from grounded ship on west coast","publisher":"Business Day (Reuters)","date":"2024-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.businessday.co.za/bd/national/2024-07-17-salvage-team-to-start-pumping-fuel-from-grounded-ship-on-west-coast/","basis":"News (wire)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Effort stepped up to contain oil spill from vessel off Cape coast","publisher":"Business Day (Reuters)","date":"2024-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.businessday.co.za/bd/national/2024-07-29-effort-stepped-up-to-contain-oil-spill-from-vessel-off-cape-coast/","basis":"News (wire)"},{"ref":3,"title":"LATEST: Grounded MV Ultra Galaxy - oil and fuel removal a lost cause, wreck removal the next target - SAMSA","publisher":"South African Maritime Safety Authority","date":"2024-08-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blog.samsa.org.za/2024/08/23/latest-grounded-mv-ultra-galaxy-oil-and-fuel-removal-a-lost-cause-wreck-removal-the-next-target-samsa/","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Wreck of MV Ultra Galaxy confirmed as source of West Coast oil spill","publisher":"GroundUp","date":"2025-02-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://groundup.news/article-print/big-oil-spill-clean-up-continues-along-west-coast/","basis":"News reporting SAMSA's statement"},{"ref":5,"title":"Update: Oiled seabirds sighted in Strandfontein days after oil spill","publisher":"SANCCOB","date":"2025-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanccob.co.za/news/update-oiled-seabirds-sighted-in-strandfontein-days-after-oil-spill/","basis":"NGO seabird rescue centre"},{"ref":6,"title":"Doringbaai (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doringbaai","basis":"Reference gazetteer for the town coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Business Day piece of 29 July 2024 says about 500 tonnes of fuel remained aboard; SAMSA on 23 August 2024 put the total at 332 t VLSFO plus 180 t MGO (refs 2, 3)."},{"note":"GroundUp's report names Duiwegat south of Brand se Baai as the wreck site, while Business Day says near Doring Bay (refs 2, 4)."}],"missing_fields":["Completion of the wreck removal after February 2025 was not found.","Coordinates are for Doringbaai town, not the wreck."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-ALGOABAY-OILSPILLS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-ALGOABAY-OILSPILLS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated oil incidents in Algoa Bay and along the Eastern Cape coast oil seabirds and wash up tar balls","description":"Oil from the MSC Apollo at anchor in Algoa Bay on 7 September 2024 oiled penguins at St Croix Island, and SAMSA investigated the source. In January and February 2026, two fishing vessels burned off Gqeberha and St Francis Bay carrying 14 and 2 tonnes of diesel, and tar balls of unidentified origin were reported on beaches in Algoa Bay, the Garden Route and Struisbaai. Algoa Bay also saw ship-to-ship bunkering spills before 2024, which led South Africa to suspend fuelling there.","location":{"name":"Algoa Bay and Gqeberha coast","type":"Bay and port anchorage","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"Eastern Cape, South Africa; Algoa Bay near Gqeberha, Port of Ngqura and St Croix Island","coordinates":{"lat":-33.83333,"lon":25.83333,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil and diesel from ships and fishing vessels enter coastal water and affect seabirds.","secondary_drivers":["Ship oil leak at anchor","Fishing vessel fires","Unidentified tar balls"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Six oiled African penguins were found on St Croix Island after the September 2024 spill and SAMSA reported two more uncaptured (ref 1); the spill size was unknown and no slick or beach oiling was seen (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited reports describes a beach, port or fishery closure from these incidents (refs 1, 2, 3, 4).","scale":"Tar balls were reported across Algoa Bay, the Garden Route and the Struisbaai region (ref 3), so impacts span more than one bay.","duration":"Incidents recur from the 7 September 2024 spill (ref 1) to the 12 January 2026 fire off Gqeberha (ref 2) and the 2 February 2026 sinking (ref 4), with bunkering suspended after earlier spills (ref 1).","significance":"SAMSA formally investigated the MSC Apollo leak and coordinated wildlife surveillance with SANCCOB (ref 1), and SANCCOB reported the tar balls to the authorities (ref 3); no enforcement outcome is documented."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rangers identified six oiled penguins on St Croix Island after the 7 September 2024 spill, three heavily and three lightly oiled, and SAMSA reported two more that evaded capture (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oiled penguins captured at St Croix Island (September 2024)","value":6,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Three heavily and three lightly oiled, taken to SANCCOB (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oiled penguins not captured","value":2,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by SAMSA (ref 1)."},{"name":"Diesel aboard FV Silver Dorado when it burned and grounded (12 January 2026)","value":14,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Pollution risk 'remains unknown' at the time of SANCCOB's report (ref 2)."},{"name":"Diesel aboard FV Western Star when it sank (2 February 2026)","value":2,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Amount released not stated (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Algoa Bay's port anchorage and the Port of Ngqura are the setting for the September 2024 spill, and bunkering was suspended there after earlier spills (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Incidents appear at irregular intervals between September 2024 and February 2026 with no confirmed source for the 2026 tar balls (refs 1, 2, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)","role":"Oil spill investigation and response authority","contact":null},{"name":"SANCCOB (Gqeberha)","role":"Oiled seabird rescue and rehabilitation","contact":null},{"name":"Transnet","role":"Port operator whose fast response boat found the oil at the anchorage","contact":null}],"public_contact":"SANCCOB Gqeberha asks the public to report oiled seabirds on +27 41 583 1830 and tar balls to SAMSA's rescue centre on +27 21 938 3300 (ref 3).","corrective_actions":["SAMSA coordinated wildlife surveillance with SANCCOB and asked the public to report oiled birds (ref 1).","SANCCOB advises the public not to handle tar balls and reports them to the authorities (ref 3).","SANCCOB's Gqeberha team monitored for affected seabirds after the January and February 2026 vessel incidents (refs 2, 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Oiled birds found as South Africa investigates spill from MSC vessel","publisher":"Maritime Executive","date":"2024-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/oiled-birds-found-as-south-africa-investigates-spill-from-msc-vessel","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"This is a developing story: FV Silver Dorado fire and grounded late on 12 January 2026","publisher":"SANCCOB","date":"2026-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanccob.co.za/news/this-is-a-developing-story-fv-silver-dorado-fire-and-grounded-late-on-12-january-2026-2/","basis":"NGO seabird rescue centre"},{"ref":3,"title":"Coastal Tar Ball Sightings: What the Public Needs to Know","publisher":"SANCCOB","date":"2026-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanccob.co.za/news/coastal-tar-ball-sightings-what-the-public-needs-to-know/","basis":"NGO seabird rescue centre"},{"ref":4,"title":"This is a developing story: FV Western Star fire and sinking","publisher":"SANCCOB","date":"2026-02-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sanccob.co.za/news/this-is-a-developing-story-fv-western-star-fire-and-sinking/","basis":"NGO seabird rescue centre"},{"ref":5,"title":"Algoa Bay (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algoa_Bay","basis":"Reference gazetteer for the bay coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No SAMSA statement on the 2026 incidents or the tar ball source was opened.","Final SAMSA findings on the MSC Apollo leak not found.","Bunkering history is from the Maritime Executive report, not an official source."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-WESTCOAST-PENGUINNOTAKE-2025","OC-SAFR-DORINGBAAI-ULTRAGALAXY-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-WALVISBAY-LOWOXYGEN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mass die-offs of octopus, lobster and fish along the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay coast, with low oxygen suspected","description":"In April 2025 thousands of dead and dying octopuses, crustaceans and small fish washed up between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, after a similar event near Henties Bay about two months earlier. Residents and the reporting suspected low oxygen from river runoff, sulphur eruptions or a Benguela Nino, but no official cause was reported. Namibia's most recent major red tide was in January 2024, and the northern Benguela is prone to low-oxygen events.","location":{"name":"Swakopmund to Walvis Bay coast","type":"Coastline subject to mass die-offs","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NA"],"detail":"Erongo Region, Namibia; Walvis Bay lagoon and the coast between Swakopmund and Henties Bay","coordinates":{"lat":-22.95611,"lon":14.50806,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":-22.95611,"lon":14.50806,"precision":"city","source_ref":4,"role":"Walvis Bay"},{"lat":-22.68333,"lon":14.53333,"precision":"city","source_ref":5,"role":"Swakopmund"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Suspected low-oxygen conditions in the Benguela upwelling system cause marine mortality.","secondary_drivers":["Suspected hypoxia","Harmful algal bloom risk","Benguela Nino (suspected)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Daily Maverick described 'thousands' of dead or dying octopuses, crustaceans and small fish between Afrodite Beach and Bird Island, and a resident said he had never seen such a die-off on this scale (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited pieces documents a fishery, beach or port closure from the April 2025 die-off (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The die-offs cover a stretch of the central Namibian coast from Henties Bay to Walvis Bay, a local to coastal extent (ref 1).","duration":"A major red tide struck in January 2024 (ref 2), a similar die-off occurred about February 2025 south of Jakkalsputz and the April 2025 event followed (ref 1), so episodes recur over more than a year.","significance":"Only press reports and an advocacy-group article exist; the cited pieces contain no ministry statement or formal notice (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Daily Maverick reported thousands of dead or dying octopuses, lobsters, crabs and small fish on the beaches from Swakopmund to Walvis Bay in April 2025, with no official cause given (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Benguela Nino events recorded in the oceanographic literature cited by Daily Maverick","value":5,"unit":"events (1934, 1949, 1963, 1984, 1995)","status":"Reported","note":"Described by Shannon and O'Toole as roughly once a decade (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Walvis Bay and Luderitz fisheries and tourism businesses were described as hurt by lobster, hake and sardine losses linked to warming and low-oxygen events (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"A red tide in January 2024 (ref 2) and die-offs in early and April 2025 (ref 1) show recurring but irregular events."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (Namibia)","role":"Fisheries and marine research authority","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Ocean Conservation Namibia advises people not to collect or eat washed-up marine life after a bloom (ref 2).","No official response to the April 2025 die-off appeared in the sources opened."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Huge octopus die-off on Namibian beaches","publisher":"Daily Maverick","date":"2025-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-17-huge-octopus-die-off-on-namibian-beaches/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"The silent red tide: a growing threat to our marine life","publisher":"The Namibian","date":"2025-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.namibian.com.na/the-silent-red-tide-a-growingthreat-to-our-marine-life/","basis":"Regional news (op-ed by Ocean Conservation Namibia staff)"},{"ref":3,"title":"What does a warming ocean mean for Namibia's economy?","publisher":"The Namibian","date":"2026-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.namibian.com.na/what-does-a-warming-ocean-mean-for-namibias-economy/","basis":"Regional news (op-ed by Ocean Conservation Namibia staff)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Walvis Bay (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walvis_Bay","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates only"},{"ref":5,"title":"Swakopmund (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swakopmund","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates only"},{"ref":6,"title":"Managing the impact of the Benguela losing breath","publisher":"University of Cape Town News","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.uct.ac.za/article/-2023-01-16-managing-the-impact-of-the-benguela-losing-breath","basis":"University research news (mechanism of Benguela hypoxia; background only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2025 cause is unconfirmed: sources offer freshwater runoff from the Swakop River, sulphur eruptions and a Benguela Nino as hypotheses (ref 1)."},{"note":"The UCT piece describes the southern Benguela; it is used for the general mechanism only (ref 6)."}],"missing_fields":["No ministry or scientific confirmation of low oxygen as the cause.","Hydrogen sulphide eruptions off Walvis Bay for 2024 to 2026 could not be sourced; no official event report was found.","The UCT page showed conflicting dates (26 January 2023 in text, 16 January 2023 in the URL), so no date is given."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-WALVISBAY-PHOSPHATEMINING-2026","OC-SAFR-ORANGEBASIN-OFFSHOREOIL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-MILNERTON-LAGOON-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lagoon Beach at Milnerton closed to swimming for chronic Diep River and lagoon pollution","description":"In September 2024 the City of Cape Town said Lagoon Beach at Milnerton remained closed to swimming because of chronic pollution in the Diep River, with warning signs in place. A campaign group described regular outflows of basically raw sewage into the lagoon near Milnerton High School and said fixes could take until 2028. City tests reported in 2019 found E. coli at up to 300 times the guideline in parts of the lagoon.","location":{"name":"Milnerton Lagoon and Lagoon Beach","type":"Coastal lagoon and beach","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"Milnerton, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa; Diep River estuary on Table Bay","coordinates":{"lat":-33.86667,"lon":18.5,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Faecal contamination from sewage and polluted river inflow reaches a coastal lagoon and beach.","secondary_drivers":["Sewage overflows","Diep River catchment pollution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"City Scientific Services samples of 17 September 2019 found 99,000 E. coli CFU per 100 ml in the lagoon against a 1,000 guideline (ref 2); in 2024 the City still described 'chronic pollution' (ref 1), but no 2024 readings were found.","livelihoods":"Lagoon Beach was closed to swimming and residents said water sports had stopped because of health risks (ref 1).","scale":"One lagoon and one beach in Table Bay (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The 2019 results (ref 2) and the 2024 'chronic pollution' closure (ref 1) show the problem persisting for five years, with fixes for the school-area outflow not planned before 2028 (ref 1).","significance":"The City posted formal warning signs and kept a swimming closure in force (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The City said in September 2024 that Lagoon Beach remained closed for swimming due to chronic pollution in the Diep River, with warning signs in place (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"E. coli in the middle of Milnerton Lagoon, 17 September 2019","value":99000,"unit":"CFU per 100 ml","status":"Reported","note":"National intermediate-contact guideline is 1,000 CFU per 100 ml or less; City Scientific Services samples (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A canoe club and other water-sports users reported giving up the lagoon (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The only in-window source gives no new readings; the 2019 data is background (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"City of Cape Town","role":"Local authority responsible for the Diep River catchment sewers and beach advisories","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The City said dredging and removal of built-up sediment and pollution was being actioned and that improvements would come gradually (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Advocacy group calls for speedy resolution to Cape Town's raw sewage problem","publisher":"Eyewitness News","date":"2024-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ewn.co.za/2024/09/16/advocacy-group-calls-for-speedy-resolution-to-sewage-pollution","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Polluted Milnerton lagoon 'particularly disgusting'","publisher":"GroundUp","date":"2019-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://groundup.news/article/polluted-milnerton-lagoon-particularly-disgusting/","basis":"News (older, used for measured E. coli background)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Milnerton (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milnerton","basis":"Reference gazetteer for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 status or water-quality readings were found.","A single in-window source."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-CAPETOWN-OUTFALLS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-WALVISBAY-PHOSPHATEMINING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Namibia grants an environmental clearance for the Sandpiper seabed phosphate dredging project; the agriculture minister appeals","description":"Namibia's environment commissioner issued an environmental clearance certificate on 5 August 2026 to Namibian Marine Phosphate for the Sandpiper project, which would dredge phosphate-rich seabed sediments on a concession off Walvis Bay. The fishing federation CNFA, the president and conservation groups have opposed the project, and on 2 September 2026 the agriculture minister lodged an appeal against the decision in its entirety. The company says active mining will not start immediately and depends on further permits and an oversight committee.","location":{"name":"Mining licence 170, off Walvis Bay","type":"Seabed mining concession","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NA"],"detail":"Namibia, Exclusive Economic Zone off the central coast near Walvis Bay; phosphate sediments at 180 to 250 m depth in the northern Benguela upwelling zone.","coordinates":{"lat":-22.96,"lon":14.5,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A permitting decision and appeal over whether seabed dredging may proceed in a fishing ground.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed dredging proposal","Permitting dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No mining has begun; critics cited by Mongabay warn dredging could hit spawning grounds and mobilise metals, and a retired marine scientist said risks from heavy metals and uranium were not adequately tested (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The project has not started, so no fishery closure or disruption is documented; the fishing federation CNFA opposes it over potential impacts on fishing (ref 2).","scale":"The licence covers about 2,234 square kilometres of seabed and mining would sweep about 1.7 square kilometres a year on average, a single concession (ref 1).","duration":"The permitting dispute has run for roughly a decade; the 2021 High Court case and the 5 August 2026 clearance are part of one long process (ref 1).","significance":"The High Court ruled in 2021 that no physical mining could occur without a clearance certificate (ref 1), and the clearance issued on 5 August 2026 is under a ministerial appeal filed 2 September 2026 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Environmental clearance certificate issued 5 August 2026 to Namibian Marine Phosphate; appealed by the agriculture minister on 2 September 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Concession area","value":2234,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Area of seabed in the licence per the company website as cited by Mongabay (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned output","value":3,"unit":"million tonnes per year of phosphate concentrate","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 3 million tonnes a year with onshore processing (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average seabed area mined per year","value":1.7,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"34 square kilometres over 20 years (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishery and aquaculture exports were valued at $794 million in 2024 by the FAO, cited as the sector at stake (ref 1).","Critics cite about 20,000 direct fisheries jobs against about 2,000 projected mining jobs (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Clearance and appeal both occurred within the past two months; no ruling on the appeal yet."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (Namibia)","role":"Environmental regulator and appeal authority","contact":"https://www.meft.gov.na"},{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (Namibia)","role":"Fisheries ministry, appellant","contact":"https://www.mfmr.gov.na"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Windhoek: see the ministry website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Agriculture minister filed an appeal against the clearance in its entirety on 2 September 2026 (ref 2).","The company states mining depends on land-based processing permits and a government-led oversight committee (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Namibia greenlights controversial project to dredge phosphate from seabed","publisher":"DredgeWire (republished from Mongabay)","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dredgewire.com/namibia-greenlights-controversial-project-to-dredge-phosphate-from-seabed/","basis":"News (republication of Mongabay reporting)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Zaamwani appeals Sandpiper phosphate clearance","publisher":"The Namibian","date":"2026-09-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.namibian.com.na/zaamwani-appeals-sandpiper-phosphate-clearance/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Exact concession coordinates were not given in the cited pages; the point shown is the nearest city, Walvis Bay.","A seafoodsource.com report on the clearance returned HTTP 403 and was not read."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-WALVISBAY-LOWOXYGEN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-WESTCOAST-PENGUINNOTAKE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Court order sets ten-year no-take zones for sardine and anchovy fishing around six African penguin colonies","description":"On 18 March 2025 the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria made a settlement an order, setting interim closures to small-pelagic purse-seine fishing around six African penguin breeding colonies for ten years, with a review after six years. The case was brought by BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB, who argued an earlier closure decision did not protect the penguins food supply. GroundUp reports the population has crashed and could be extinct in the wild as early as 2035 without intervention.","location":{"name":"Six African penguin colonies, South Africa","type":"Seabird breeding colonies and foraging areas","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"Dassen Island, Robben Island, Stony Point (Betty's Bay), Dyer Island, St Croix Island and Bird Island in Algoa Bay, on the West Coast, southern Cape and Algoa Bay.","coordinates":{"lat":-33.42,"lon":18.09,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":-33.8,"lon":18.37,"precision":"site","role":"Robben Island colony, 20 km exclusion zone","source_ref":1},{"lat":-34.37,"lon":18.89,"precision":"site","role":"Stony Point colony, new closure","source_ref":1},{"lat":-34.68,"lon":19.42,"precision":"site","role":"Dyer Island colony","source_ref":1},{"lat":-33.8,"lon":25.77,"precision":"site","role":"St Croix Island colony, new closure","source_ref":1},{"lat":-33.85,"lon":26.29,"precision":"site","role":"Bird Island colony, 20 km closure radius","source_ref":1}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A threatened seabird whose food supply competes with a commercial forage-fish fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Competition with purse-seine fishery for sardine and anchovy"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"GroundUp reports the African penguin population has crashed in recent decades and could become extinct in the wild as early as 2035 without intervention (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The order closes defined areas to the sardine and anchovy purse-seine fleet year-round for ten years, a restriction on the pelagic industry (ref 2).","scale":"Six colonies from Dassen Island on the West Coast to Bird Island in Algoa Bay, along much of the national coastline (ref 2).","duration":"The closures run ten years with a review after six; the dispute dates to a July 2023 ministerial decision (ref 2).","significance":"Deputy Judge President Ledwaba made the settlement an order of the Gauteng High Court on 18 March 2025, setting aside the 2023 decision (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Closures last ten years, reviewed after six, for the sardine, anchovy and red-eye purse-seine fishery around six colonies (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Breeding pairs, Dassen Island (2024 season)","value":2300,"unit":"pairs","status":"Reported","note":"Now the largest colony (ref 1)."},{"name":"Breeding pairs, Bird Island (2024 season)","value":1650,"unit":"pairs","status":"Reported","note":"Algoa Bay (ref 1)."},{"name":"Breeding pairs, St Croix Island (2024 season)","value":1350,"unit":"pairs","status":"Reported","note":"Once the largest colony (ref 1)."},{"name":"Closure duration","value":10,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"With a review after six years (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The pelagic fishing industry is a respondent and accepted the settlement process; it will have permits amended within 14 days (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"GroundUp describes the colonies as having crashed in recent decades; the order is new and effects are not yet reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (South Africa)","role":"Fisheries and species regulator","contact":"https://www.dffe.gov.za"},{"name":"BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB","role":"Applicants and conservation partners","contact":"https://www.birdlife.org.za"},{"name":"CapeNature","role":"Manages Stony Point, Dyer Island and Dassen Island","contact":"https://www.capenature.co.za"}],"public_contact":"DFFE call centre via the departmental website.","corrective_actions":["Court-ordered no-take zones for the purse-seine fishery around six colonies (ref 2).","A working group seeks consensus on island closures (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Settlement reached in African Penguin case","publisher":"GroundUp","date":"2025-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://groundup.news/article/settlement-reached-in-legal-battle-over-critically-endangered-african-penguins/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Court limits fishing to protect African Penguins","publisher":"GroundUp","date":"2025-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://groundup.news/article/court-orders-fishing-exclusion-zones-to-protect-african-penguins/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coordinates for the colonies are approximate island positions, not read from the cited pages.","No 2025 or 2026 national penguin count was opened; the IUCN listing page returned HTTP 403 and was not read."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-ALGOABAY-OILSPILLS-2024","OC-SAFR-MARION-MOUSEATTACKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-WESTCOAST-ROCKLOBSTER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"West Coast rock lobster stock at 1.4% of pristine abundance as the 2025/26 catch limit rises to 800 tonnes","description":"South Africa raised the West Coast rock lobster total allowable catch by 58.4% to 800 tonnes for 2025/26 after an assessment showed signs of recovery, while GroundUp reports the stock is still at 1.4% of pristine abundance. The scientific working group warned that poaching remains very high, and the department kept the season to four months to limit effort. Illegal trade is estimated at at least twice the annual catch limit.","location":{"name":"West Coast rock lobster fishing zones","type":"Nearshore and offshore rock lobster fishery","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"South Africa, Western Cape and Northern Cape west coast, Benguela system; commercial, small-scale and recreational sectors.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A heavily depleted fishery stock facing catch limits and poaching pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal harvesting","Historical overfishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The stock is estimated at 1.4% of pristine abundance against a collapse threshold of 20%, with a 2023 low of 1.1% (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Seasons are capped at four months per zone and the recreational season at 12 days, and the department rejected a request for six months (ref 1).","scale":"The West Coast fishery covers the Western and Northern Cape coasts, a national coastline rather than one bay (ref 1).","duration":"GroundUp says TACs have mostly been reduced steadily over 15 years and commercial catches peaked in the early 1950s (ref 2).","significance":"A formal ministerial TAC and total allowable effort decision announced late September 2025, open to appeal within 30 days (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"TAC rises from 505 tonnes to 800 tonnes (58.4%) for 2025/26 (ref 1); stock estimated at 1.4% of pristine abundance (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Total allowable catch 2025/26","value":800,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Up 58.4% from 505 tonnes per the department (ref 1)."},{"name":"Stock relative to pristine abundance","value":1.4,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Historical low of 1.1% in 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Season length","value":4,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"Typically 15 November to 15 March (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sector jobs","value":4300,"unit":"jobs","status":"Reported","note":"Sea and land-based jobs, mainly West Coast communities (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Fishery valued at more than R500 million a year (ref 2).","Small-scale fisher groups said the commercial sector received the largest share of the increase (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The scientific group says the 2024 assessment was the first in over ten years to indicate recovery in most super-areas and the trend continued in 2025 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (South Africa)","role":"Fisheries manager","contact":"https://www.dffe.gov.za"}],"public_contact":"DFFE appeals address for TAC decisions: MLRAAppeals@dffe.gov.za","corrective_actions":["Four-month season retained to curb poaching (ref 1).","Scientific group urged additional measures to reduce poaching and improve compliance (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Big catch ahead for this West Coast Rock Lobster fishing season","publisher":"SAnews","date":"2025-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sanews.gov.za/node/77426","basis":"News (government news agency)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Let them eat kreef!","publisher":"GroundUp","date":"2025-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://groundup.news/article-print/let-them-eat-kreef/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"SAnews gives the 2024/25 TAC as 505 tonnes; GroundUp says last year's approved TAC was 460 tonnes with 391 tonnes landed. The difference is not explained in either article."}],"missing_fields":["The SAnews page date was read from the page text as 1 October 2025."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-WESTERNCAPE-ABALONEPOACHING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-NAMIBIA-FISHROTTRIAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Namibia Fishrot quota-corruption trial set for March 2026 as the Supreme Court upholds frozen assets","description":"Ten accused, including two former ministers, face 42 charges including corruption, fraud and racketeering over allegations that they helped Icelandic company Samherji obtain Namibian fishing quotas by corrupt means. In January 2026 the High Court refused postponements and set the trial for 9 to 20 March 2026; in April 2026 the Supreme Court upheld the order keeping forfeited assets frozen. The accused are presumed innocent and the cited sources do not report whether the trial began.","location":{"name":"Namibian fishing quota system","type":"Fisheries governance and corruption case","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NA"],"detail":"Namibia, High Court and Supreme Court proceedings in Windhoek concerning allocation of horse mackerel quotas in Namibian waters.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A prosecution about how fishing rights in the national EEZ were allegedly allocated.","secondary_drivers":["Alleged corruption in quota allocation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The State alleges the accused helped obtain quotas through corrupt means (ref 1); no ecological harm is documented in the cited reports, so harm is scored as potential only.","livelihoods":"Neither cited article documents a closure or lost fishery from the case itself, so no livelihood disruption is scored (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The allegations concern national quota allocation in Namibia's waters, a national rather than local scale (ref 1).","duration":"Suspects were arrested in November 2019 and the matter has been on the High Court roll since September 2021 (ref 2).","significance":"The High Court refused postponement applications in January 2026 (ref 1) and the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal with costs in April 2026 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"42 charges against ten accused; trial set for 9 to 20 March 2026 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Charges","value":42,"unit":"charges","status":"Reported","note":"Corruption, fraud, racketeering and other offences (ref 1)."},{"name":"Accused","value":10,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Named in the January 2026 report (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited articles give no economic figures for the quota allocations."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Repeated postponements and challenges, then a firm trial date and a Supreme Court ruling for the State in April 2026."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Anti-Corruption Commission of Namibia","role":"Investigator","contact":"https://www.acc.gov.na"},{"name":"High Court of Namibia","role":"Trial court","contact":"https://www.ejustice.moj.na"}],"public_contact":"Namibia Anti-Corruption Commission: see its website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Trial dates 9 to 20 March 2026 set; postponement requests refused (ref 1).","Supreme Court upheld the order barring access to forfeited assets pending the criminal trial (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Namibia: Fishrot Trial Starts in March","publisher":"New Era via AllAfrica","date":"2026-01-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://allafrica.com/stories/202601270362.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Namibia: Fishrot Assets to Remain Frozen","publisher":"New Era via AllAfrica","date":"2026-04-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://allafrica.com/stories/202604090057.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the trial actually resumed on 9 March 2026 and its outcome were not reported in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-NAMIBIA-HORSEMACKEREL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-CAPECOAST-SEALRABIES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Rabies established in Cape fur seals along the South African and Namibian coasts","description":"WOAH reports more than 100 confirmed rabies cases in Cape fur seals in South Africa and Namibia since 2024, the first known establishment of rabies in a free-ranging marine mammal population, with more than 145 human exposure incidents by May 2026. Mongabay reports that retrospective testing found cases back to 2021 and 2022, and that a July 2025 workshop judged the disease likely endemic and no longer eradicable. No human rabies case from a seal has been recorded by the national institute.","location":{"name":"Cape fur seal colonies, Cape Town to Namibia","type":"Marine mammal disease outbreak","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA","NA"],"detail":"Western, Northern and Eastern Cape coasts of South Africa and the Namibian coast; Cape Town sites include Kommetjie, Simon's Town, Fish Hoek, Duiker Island and Seal Island.","coordinates":{"lat":-34.14,"lon":18.33,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A new wildlife disease in a coastal marine mammal with human health spillover.","secondary_drivers":["Spillover from black-backed jackals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"More than 100 seals have tested positive and more than 145 human exposure incidents had been reported by May 2026 (ref 1); Cape Town recorded 73 bite injuries from 135 aggressive seal incidents since 2021 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited reports describe no fishery or beach closure, and no economic disruption is documented (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Cases are confirmed along the coasts of two countries, from the Northern Cape to the Eastern Cape and in Namibia (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Retrospective testing found positives from 2021 and a Kommetjie seal from July 2022, and cases continue to 2026 (ref 2).","significance":"WOAH issued a formal statement on 17 July 2026 and a South African government report of October 2024 judged mass vaccination not feasible (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 100 rabies cases confirmed in Cape fur seals since 2024; more than 145 human exposure incidents as of May 2026 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Confirmed seal rabies cases since 2024","value":100,"unit":"cases (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"South Africa and Namibia combined (ref 1)."},{"name":"Human exposure incidents to May 2026","value":145,"unit":"incidents (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"WOAH (ref 1)."},{"name":"Western Cape cases, May 2024 to January 2025","value":39,"unit":"cases","status":"Reported","note":"Northern Cape recorded 16 in the same period (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic impact is reported in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The first Eastern Cape case came in June 2025 and WOAH reports continued spread into 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)","role":"Reporting body","contact":"https://www.woah.org"},{"name":"City of Cape Town and Western Cape authorities","role":"Rapid response and euthanasia of rabid seals","contact":"https://www.capetown.gov.za"},{"name":"National Institute for Communicable Diseases (South Africa)","role":"Public health guidance","contact":"https://www.nicd.ac.za"}],"public_contact":"NICD: see the institute website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["World-first rabies vaccination trial in marine mammals at Kalk Bay harbour in August 2024 (ref 2).","Rapid response and euthanasia of seals showing behavioural markers; NICD advises washing bites and seeking treatment (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rabies detected in Cape fur seals highlights an unprecedented shift in rabies ecology","publisher":"World Organisation for Animal Health","date":"2026-07-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.woah.org/en/rabies-detected-in-cape-fur-seals-highlights-an-unprecedented-shift-in-rabies-ecology/","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"A deadly cross-over in South Africa: rabies moves from land animals to seals","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-deadly-cross-over-in-south-africa-rabies-moves-from-land-animals-to-seals/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases article (vol. 32, no. 10) was a binary PDF and could not be read.","Namibian case counts were not confirmed in an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-GANSBAAI-WHITESHARKS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-WILDCOAST-SHELLSEISMIC-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Constitutional Court sets aside Shell and Impact Africa's Wild Coast exploration right","description":"On 14 August 2026 South Africa's Constitutional Court, by majority, overturned a 2024 Supreme Court of Appeal judgment and set aside the 2014 exploration right and two later renewals held by Shell and Impact Africa off the Wild Coast. Communities and environmental groups had argued there was insufficient public consultation before the planned seismic surveys. Shell said it noted the ruling; an industry alliance criticised it.","location":{"name":"Wild Coast exploration block","type":"Offshore oil and gas exploration right","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"South Africa, Eastern Cape Wild Coast, Indian Ocean; communities such as Kei Mouth are named by TimesLIVE.","coordinates":{"lat":-32.6,"lon":28.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A legal dispute over consent and public participation for offshore exploration.","secondary_drivers":["Seismic survey proposal","Consultation of coastal communities"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Seismic surveys were planned but not carried out under the right, so only potential harm is scored; the cited reports describe community and fisher concerns (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction took effect; fishers quoted by TimesLIVE welcomed the ruling (ref 2).","scale":"The right covers a stretch of the Eastern Cape Wild Coast and a related proposal runs from Plettenberg Bay to Algoa Bay, a coastline-scale area (ref 2).","duration":"Communities sought an interdict in late 2021 and the case ran to August 2026, nearly five years (ref 2).","significance":"The Constitutional Court set aside the Supreme Court of Appeal order and both renewals of the exploration right on 14 August 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Constitutional Court set aside the exploration right and two renewals on 14 August 2026; Shell and Impact Africa no longer hold a right off the Wild Coast (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Years from interdict to final ruling","value":5,"unit":"years (approx.)","status":"Estimated","note":"Late 2021 interdict application to the 14 August 2026 judgment, per the case history in ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Reuters notes the ruling is the latest of several cases dampening investor appetite for offshore exploration (ref 1).","EnerGeo Alliance said legal challenges delay exploration (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The right is set aside; the sources report no further proceedings for this right."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (South Africa)","role":"Exploration right authority","contact":"https://www.dmpr.gov.za"},{"name":"Constitutional Court of South Africa","role":"Court","contact":"https://www.concourt.org.za"}],"public_contact":"Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources: see its website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Court set aside the exploration right and renewals (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"South Africa's top court blocks Shell's Wild Coast exploration plans","publisher":"Reuters via Engineering News","date":"2026-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/south-africas-top-court-rules-shell-exploration-off-wild-coast-cannot-proceed-2026-08-14","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mixed reaction after ConCourt blocks Shell's Wild Coast exploration","publisher":"TimesLIVE","date":"2026-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-14-mixed-reaction-after-concourt-blocks-shells-wild-coast-exploration/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":6,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The judgment text itself was not opened; the coordinate is an approximate Wild Coast position, not from the cited pages.","The Reuters page was partly paywalled."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-ORANGEBASIN-OFFSHOREOIL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-WESTERNCAPE-ABALONEPOACHING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated abalone poaching seizures on the Western and Eastern Cape coasts, 2025 to 2026","description":"South African agencies reported large abalone (perlemoen) seizures between July 2025 and May 2026, including 13,341 dried abalone weighing about 840 kg intercepted near Rawsonville in September 2025 and 8,686 shucked units weighing 892.41 kg in May 2026. A private anti-poaching firm quoted by Daily Maverick estimated that only about 10% of illegal harvesting is stopped; that figure is the firm's own estimate and was not supported by official data in the article.","location":{"name":"Robben Island, Simon's Town and Nelson Mandela Bay coasts","type":"Abalone fishery and poaching hotspots","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"South Africa, Western Cape (Robben Island, Partridge Point near Simon's Town, Grabouw route) and Eastern Cape (Sardinia Bay and Summerstrand, Nelson Mandela Bay).","coordinates":{"lat":-33.8,"lon":18.37,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":-34.2,"lon":18.41,"precision":"coastline","role":"Partridge Point, Simon's Town arrests May 2026","source_ref":3},{"lat":-33.99,"lon":25.51,"precision":"coastline","role":"Sardinia Bay, 861 units found July 2025","source_ref":2}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Illegal harvesting of a valuable shellfish stock.","secondary_drivers":["Organised illegal harvesting"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The seizures show extraction of wild abalone, but none of the three articles gives stock levels, so harm is scored as potential only (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or loss of livelihood is documented in the cited articles (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"Operations span the Cape Peninsula, Robben Island, the Grabouw to Gordons Bay route and Nelson Mandela Bay, a multi-coast pattern (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"Seizures are reported in July 2025, September 2025 and May 2026, a recurring pattern over most of a year (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Arrests and seizures under the Marine Living Resources Act were announced by the Department and a minister in September 2025 and May 2026 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"13,341 dried abalone, about 840 kg, valued at R5 million seized near Rawsonville on 22 September 2025 (ref 1); 8,686 shucked units, 892.41 kg, seized in May 2026 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dried abalone seized 22 Sept 2025","value":13341,"unit":"units","status":"Reported","note":"About 840 kg, estimated at R5 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Shucked abalone seized 21 to 22 May 2026","value":8686,"unit":"units","status":"Reported","note":"892.41 kg, street value about R1.64 million (ref 3)."},{"name":"Share of illegal harvest stopped (private estimate)","value":10,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimate by Dark Water Ops quoted in ref 2; no official data supports it."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Seizure values of R1.3 million to R5 million per operation are reported by agencies (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Seizures recur through 2025 and 2026 but no stock trend is reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (South Africa)","role":"Fisheries enforcement","contact":"https://www.dffe.gov.za"},{"name":"South African Police Service","role":"Criminal enforcement","contact":"https://www.saps.gov.za"}],"public_contact":"DFFE: 086 111 2468 (reporting line published by the department in its 25 September 2025 statement).","corrective_actions":["Joint DFFE, SAPS and City of Cape Town operations; arrests and drone-assisted apprehension (ref 1).","The minister stated zero tolerance for the activities in May 2026 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Law enforcement disrupts illegal abalone poaching operation","publisher":"SAnews","date":"2025-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sanews.gov.za/node/77328","basis":"News (government news agency)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Police seize R400,000 in abalone as poachers exploit favourable full moon conditions","publisher":"Daily Maverick","date":"2025-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-08-05-police-seize-r400000-in-abalone-as-poachers-exploit-favourable-full-moon-conditions.md","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"R1.6 million abalone bust leads to arrests of two poachers in Simon's Town and Grabouw","publisher":"Cape Argus","date":"2026-05-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://capeargus.co.za/news/2026-05-24-r16-million-abalone-bust-leads-to-arrests-of-two-poachers-in-simons-town-and-grabouw/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Cape Argus page showed only \"published 4 months ago\"; its date is taken from the date in the URL.","No abalone stock assessment was opened; coordinates are approximate positions of named places."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-WESTCOAST-ROCKLOBSTER-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-NAMIBIA-HORSEMACKEREL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Namibia cuts the 2026 horse mackerel quota by 5% while relaxing the trawling depth limit for wet-landed vessels","description":"Namibia's fisheries ministry set the 2026 horse mackerel total allowable catch at 197,000 tonnes, down 5% from 208,000 tonnes, citing a precautionary approach, after the figure was first withheld at the start of the season. In May 2026 Cabinet approved a 12-month relaxation of the trawling depth boundary from 200 m to 150 m for the wet-landed subsector, which critics cited by New Era say could affect spawning and nursery grounds.","location":{"name":"Namibian horse mackerel fishery","type":"Trawl fishery","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NA"],"detail":"Namibia, national waters in the northern Benguela; freezer and wet-landed fleets, with onshore processing.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A quota and fishing-depth decision affecting a commercial stock and its nursery areas.","secondary_drivers":["Overcapacity","Relaxed depth restriction"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Biomass is estimated at 784,011 tonnes, within sustainable limits but recently declining (ref 1), and critics warn shallower trawling may affect spawning and nursery grounds (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Wet-landed factories stopped operating on 31 October 2025 and retrenchments continue into 2026 (ref 1).","scale":"The TAC and the depth exemption apply to the national fishery in Namibian waters (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The disruption runs from late 2025 through the 2026 season and the 12-month depth exemption from May 2026 to April 2027 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A ministerial TAC decision and a Cabinet approval of the depth exemption are formal decisions, not enforcement or court orders (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2026 horse mackerel TAC 197,000 tonnes, down 5% from 208,000 tonnes in 2025 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Horse mackerel TAC 2026","value":197000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Down 5% from 208,000 tonnes (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated biomass","value":784011,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Latest scientific survey per the ministry (ref 1)."},{"name":"Non-commercial share of TAC","value":35,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"69,706.01 tonnes (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Wet-landed operators reported planning difficulties and continuing retrenchments (ref 1).","Critics say the depth relaxation could act as an in-kind subsidy in an overcapitalised fishery (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Quota cut and depth relaxation point in opposite directions for stock pressure."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (Namibia)","role":"Fisheries manager","contact":"https://www.mfmr.gov.na"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform: see its website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Precautionary 5% TAC reduction (ref 1).","Depth exemption limited to 12 months and to the wet-landed subsector (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ministry announces 197 000 tonnes of total allowable catch","publisher":"The Namibian","date":"2026-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.namibian.com.na/ministry-announces-197-000-tonnes-of-total-allowable-catch/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Namibia: Relaxed Fishing Depths Raises Sustainability Questions","publisher":"New Era via AllAfrica","date":"2026-05-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://allafrica.com/stories/202605110731.html","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2026 hake TAC or hake stock status was found in an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-NAMIBIA-IUUFISHING-2026","OC-SAFR-NAMIBIA-FISHROTTRIAL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-MARION-MOUSEATTACKS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"House mice attack adult wandering albatrosses on Marion Island as the eradication timeline moves to 2029","description":"A 2025 study reports that house mice are wounding adult wandering albatrosses across Marion Island, with 11 injured adults among nests surveyed in 2024 and lower breeding success at affected nests. A May 2026 update to the albatross and petrel agreement ACAP says the Mouse-Free Marion eradication is now targeted for 2029, subject to funding and approvals, after a larger aerial baiting trial planned for 2027.","location":{"name":"Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands","type":"Sub-Antarctic island seabird colonies","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"Prince Edward Islands Special Nature Reserve, South Africa; the largest breeding site for wandering albatrosses according to ACAP.","coordinates":{"lat":-46.9,"lon":37.75,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An invasive predator is harming threatened seabirds on a remote island.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive house mice","Warmer conditions favour mouse abundance"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Of 2,979 nests counted in January 2024, 11 adults had mouse wounds, two fresh carcasses were found and nests with injured adults fledged 45% against 61% island-wide (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The island is a nature reserve and no fishery or community disruption is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The impact is on one island, with injured birds in every wandering albatross colony on it (ref 1).","duration":"Mouse attacks on adult albatrosses were first recorded at Cape Davis in 2023 and the eradication is not targeted before 2029 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"ACAP, the international albatross agreement, tabled a formal working paper in May 2026, and the island is a statutory special nature reserve (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Breeding success 45% at nests with injured adults versus 61% island-wide; 28% at Cape Davis (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Wandering albatross nests counted, January 2024","value":2979,"unit":"nests","status":"Reported","note":"Island-wide count (ref 1)."},{"name":"Adults with mouse-inflicted wounds","value":11,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"About 1% of attended nests, 10 of them male (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned aerial baiting trial","value":975,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Planned for 2027 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Eradication target year","value":2029,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Subject to full funding and approvals (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The cited sources describe a conservation project funded by donors and government, with a funding gap (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The study describes attacks as spreading in range and severity across the island (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (South Africa)","role":"Reserve manager and project partner","contact":"https://www.dffe.gov.za"},{"name":"BirdLife South Africa (Mouse-Free Marion Project)","role":"Project partner","contact":"https://mousefreemarion.org"}],"public_contact":"Mouse-Free Marion Project: see mousefreemarion.org for its published channel.","corrective_actions":["Field bait trials in 2025 and helicopter calibration trials in 2025 and 2026 (ref 2).","A 975 ha aerial baiting trial planned for 2027 and eradication targeted for 2029 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"House Mice are now killing adult Wandering Albatrosses on Marion Island, not just their chicks","publisher":"ACAP","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://acap.aq/latest-news/house-mice-are-now-killing-adult-wandering-albatrosses-on-marion-island-not-just-their-chicks","basis":"Agency news item"},{"ref":2,"title":"An update on the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, PaCSWG9 Inf 05","publisher":"ACAP Population and Conservation Status Working Group","date":"2026-05-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://acap.aq/fr/documents/grupes-de-travail/population-and-conservation-status-working-group/pacswg9/pacswg9-information-papers/5107-pacswg9-inf-05-an-update-on-the-mouse-free-marion-mfm-project/file","basis":"Agency working paper"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Earlier project material found only in search results gave winter 2026 or 2027 for the eradication; the May 2026 ACAP paper, which was opened, states 2029."}],"missing_fields":["The coordinate is the approximate island position, not read from the cited pages.","The Risi et al. paper itself was read only through the ACAP summary."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-WESTCOAST-PENGUINNOTAKE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-ORANGEBASIN-OFFSHOREOIL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Namibia's Orange Basin oil projects: Venus decision expected in late 2026 and Mopane appraisal drilling under way","description":"TotalEnergies' Venus development in the Orange Basin, with a target of about 150,000 barrels a day, had not reached a final investment decision by early September 2026, with the petroleum commissioner expecting one in the last quarter. TotalEnergies became operator of the Mopane licence PEL 83 on 4 September 2026 and a campaign of at least three appraisal wells runs through 2026 and 2027. The cited reports do not discuss fishing or environmental objections.","location":{"name":"Orange Basin offshore blocks (Venus, Mopane)","type":"Offshore oil and gas licences","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NA"],"detail":"Namibia, southern offshore Orange Basin, licences PEL 56 and PEL 91 (Venus) and PEL 83 (Mopane); first oil expected around 2029 to 2030.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Licensing and investment decisions for new offshore oil production in Namibian waters.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore oil development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No spill or ecological damage is reported; the sources describe appraisal drilling and a planned floating production unit, so only potential harm is scored (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery restriction is reported; the sources instead describe local spending of about N$70 million a month during drilling (ref 3).","scale":"Licences cover national offshore waters in the Orange Basin and would produce at a national scale (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Discoveries date from 2022 and first oil is expected around 2029 or 2030, so the activity spans years (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A licence operatorship change to TotalEnergies on 4 September 2026 is a formal regulatory step but not an enforcement or court order (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Venus final investment decision expected in the last quarter of 2026; Mopane operatorship passed to TotalEnergies on 4 September 2026 (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Venus target plateau output","value":150000,"unit":"barrels per day","status":"Reported","note":"Floating production unit concept (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Venus resource estimate","value":750,"unit":"million barrels of oil equivalent","status":"Reported","note":"Rio Times estimate; The Villager cites about 5.1 billion barrels recoverable (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Mopane appraisal wells planned","value":3,"unit":"wells (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"2026 to 2027 campaign (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Venus economics depend on keeping costs under $20 a barrel, and heavy gas content creates a reinjection cost issue (ref 2).","Namibia has no offshore oil supply chain at scale (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Decisions were postponed from 2025 to 2026 and remain pending."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Mines, Energy and Industry (Namibia)","role":"Petroleum licensing authority","contact":"https://www.mme.gov.na"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Mines, Energy and Industry: see its website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Venus final investment decision targeted for late 2026, subject to talks with the government (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"TotalEnergies, Galp reaffirm Namibia commitment as Venus, Mopane projects advance","publisher":"World Oil","date":"2026-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://worldoil.com/news/2026/1/30/totalenergies-galp-reaffirm-namibia-commitment-as-venus-mopane-projects-advance/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Namibia oil and green hydrogen 2026","publisher":"Rio Times","date":"2026-09-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.riotimesonline.com/namibia-oil-green-hydrogen-2026/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"2026: the year of key final investment decisions on Namibian oil","publisher":"The Villager","date":"2026-03-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thevillager.com.na/top-stories/2026/2026-the-year-of-key-final-investment-decisions-on-nam-oil/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Venus resource estimates differ: about 750 million barrels of oil equivalent (Rio Times) against about 5.1 billion barrels recoverable (The Villager)."}],"missing_fields":["No source opened documents fishing-community or environmental objections to the Orange Basin projects.","Shell's Graff write-down and the Galp Mopane development decision timing were not confirmed from opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-WILDCOAST-SHELLSEISMIC-2026","OC-SAFR-WALVISBAY-LOWOXYGEN-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-GANSBAAI-WHITESHARKS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sightings of white sharks at Gansbaai have declined since 2017, a 2025 study finds","description":"A peer-reviewed study of cage-diving boat records from Gansbaai for 2009 to 2024 recorded 423 white sharks with only five re-sightings across years and found no evidence of site fidelity. The authors report sightings declined from 2017 and suggest a pair of transient killer whales and climate change may be involved, and say cage diving does not appear to have increased shark numbers or residency. The cause of the decline is not established.","location":{"name":"Gansbaai, Western Cape","type":"White shark aggregation site","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ZA"],"detail":"South Africa, Western Cape south coast near Dyer Island, a long-running white shark cage-diving area.","coordinates":{"lat":-34.58,"lon":19.35,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A change in the presence of a protected apex predator at a known site.","secondary_drivers":["Killer whale predation (suggested)","Climate change (suggested)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The authors describe the local white shark population as in serious ecological disarray since 2017 but report sightings, not mortality counts (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The study does not report any effect on the cage-diving businesses whose boat records it used (ref 1).","scale":"Data come from one site, the Gansbaai cage-diving grounds (ref 1).","duration":"Sightings declined from 2017 to the end of the 2009 to 2024 record, about seven years (ref 1).","significance":"A single peer-reviewed paper with no regulator or court action attached in the opened sources (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"423 white sharks sighted over about 560 hours of observation, 2009 to 2024, with only five re-sightings across years (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"White sharks sighted","value":423,"unit":"sharks","status":"Reported","note":"About 560 hours of observation, pandemic years excluded (ref 1)."},{"name":"Re-sightings in more than one year","value":5,"unit":"sharks","status":"Reported","note":"Indicates transient use of the site (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The study is based on cage-diving boat records but reports no economic data."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Sightings declined from 2017 onward per the authors (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (South Africa)","role":"Protected species and permit authority","contact":"https://www.dffe.gov.za"}],"public_contact":"DFFE: see the department website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Authors call for further research on the energy costs of cage diving to sharks (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Observations on the Frequency of Sightings of White Sharks in the Population of Gansbaai, South Africa, in the Presence of Cage Diving","publisher":"Biology (MDPI)","date":"2025-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12292345/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one source was opened; no second report on the orca findings or a government statement was verified.","The coordinate is the approximate Gansbaai position, not read from the cited page."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-CAPECOAST-SEALRABIES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SAFR-NAMIBIA-IUUFISHING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Foreign-flagged vessel impounded off northern Namibia as officials report more illegal fishing near the Angola border","description":"The Namibian Navy intercepted the foreign-flagged vessel Fu Yuan Yu 9878 near the northern border with Angola in May 2026; the ministry says it had no valid permit and its AIS had been deactivated, and 22 crew were arrested. The fisheries ministry says more foreign vessels have been detected near the border and that some licensed Namibian vessels also fish illegally. The vessel owner's position was not reported, and the suspects face multiple charges.","location":{"name":"Northern Namibia-Angola maritime border","type":"Border waters under illegal fishing pressure","sea":"SAFR","seas":["SAFR"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["NA","AO"],"detail":"Namibia, northern territorial waters near the Cunene river mouth and the Angola border; vessel brought to Walvis Bay for court.","coordinates":{"lat":-17.26,"lon":11.76,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing removing fish from a national fishery.","secondary_drivers":["IUU fishing","AIS switch-off"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The vessel was found with a full net of catch and no permit (ref 1); no stock or habitat damage figure is given.","livelihoods":"ADF reports Namibia loses more than $83.7 million a year to illegal fishing and cites more than 18,000 fisheries jobs at risk (ref 3).","scale":"The ministry reports increased foreign vessel activity along the northern maritime border, a national-waters issue (ref 2).","duration":"ADF described the pattern in July 2025 and the ministry reported continued detections in May 2026 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The Navy impounded the vessel, 22 crew were arrested and appeared in Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court, and Cabinet approved higher penalties (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fu Yuan Yu 9878 impounded and 22 crew arrested; Namibia reportedly loses more than $83.7 million a year to IUU fishing (refs 1, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Crew arrested","value":22,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Four Chinese nationals and 18 Angolans per the Ministry of Defence statement (ref 1)."},{"name":"Annual loss to IUU fishing in Namibia","value":83.7,"unit":"USD million (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Figure cited by ADF without a stated method (ref 3)."},{"name":"Proposed maximum fine","value":10,"unit":"million N$","status":"Reported","note":"Against a current N$400 penalty in a 1950s law (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["More than 18,000 fisheries jobs said to be at risk (ref 3).","The CNFA chair called for urgent action in a letter to the ministry (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The ministry reports more foreign vessels near the northern border in May 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (Namibia)","role":"Fisheries enforcement","contact":"https://www.mfmr.gov.na"},{"name":"Namibian Navy","role":"Maritime patrol","contact":"https://www.mod.gov.na"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform: see its website for its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Vessel impounded and crew prosecuted (refs 1, 2).","Inter-ministerial memorandum on IUU fishing being finalised and Cabinet-approved penalty increases (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Navy intercepts illegal fishing vessel in Namibian waters","publisher":"The Namibian","date":"2026-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.namibian.com.na/navy-intercepts-illegal-fishing-vessel-in-namibian-waters/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Plundering Namibian fish is over: ministry detects more illegal activities","publisher":"New Era","date":"2026-05-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://neweralive.na/?p=389503","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Namibia struggles to contain illegal fishing by foreign trawlers","publisher":"Africa Defense Forum","date":"2025-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://adf-magazine.com/2025/07/namibia-struggles-to-contain-illegal-fishing-by-foreign-trawlers/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SAFR in-depth pass, industry and living-resources categories)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The vessel's flag state was not named in the opened reports; the vessel is described only as foreign-flagged."}],"missing_fields":["The interception date is not given in ref 1 beyond \"Sunday\"; the coordinate is an approximate position at the Angola border, not from the cited pages.","The owner's response to the allegations was not reported."],"related_ids":["OC-SAFR-NAMIBIA-HORSEMACKEREL-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The bleaching and mortality outcomes belong to the coral-reefs lane; only the heat stress is scored here."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-NAIROBI-COP12-2026","OC-WIND-REGION-BLEACHING-2024","OC-WIND-ZANZIBAR-SEAWEED-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-REGIONAL-HEATWAVE-2024","title":"Record 2024 marine heat stress across the Western Indian Ocean, with more than 20 degree heating weeks for the first time","description":"El Nino, a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and record global ocean temperatures built heat stress across the region from late 2023. CORDIO East Africa reported more than 8 degree heating weeks by February 2024 and over 12 by April, with pockets in Seychelles reaching 16. The 2026 GCRMN regional chapter states that 93% of the region's reefs passed 4 degree heating weeks in 2024-2025 and that values above 20 were documented for the first time.","location":{"name":"Western Indian Ocean reef waters","type":"Regional sea (marine heatwave)","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["KE","TZ","SC","MU","MG","KM","RE"],"detail":"Heat stress mapped from the equator to about 20 S, strongest on the East African coast, the Seychelles and the Mascarenes; Mozambique Channel and southwest Madagascar saw less heat stress in 2024.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A basin-scale thermal event driven by ENSO, the Indian Ocean Dipole and long-term warming.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino","Positive Indian Ocean Dipole","Long-term ocean warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"CORDIO East Africa found about 80% of observed locations bleached and 40% with moderate to extreme mortality, and GCRMN reports more than 20 degree heating weeks for the first time (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources documents a fishery closure or advisory tied to the heat stress itself; Down To Earth only flags tuna-route concern in 2026 (ref 4).","scale":"The heat stress spans the regional sea from the equator to about 20 S rather than a single reef (ref 1).","duration":"Record global temperatures from April 2023 and heat stress through 2024-2025 mean a year or more of exposure (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A regional CORDIO report and the GCRMN Status of Coral Reefs 2025 chapter formally assess the event, but no emergency declaration is cited (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited reports give reef and observation counts, not people affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"93% of the region's reefs experienced more than 4 degree heating weeks in 2024-2025, and values exceeding 20 were documented in the region for the first time (GCRMN, 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reefs exposed to more than 4 degree heating weeks, 2024-2025","value":93,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"GCRMN Western Indian Ocean chapter (ref 3)."},{"name":"Peak heat stress reported by CORDIO, April 2024","value":12,"unit":"degree heating weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Heat stress built to over 8 by February and over 12 by April 2024; some Seychelles pockets reached 16 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Long-term SST warming rate over the region's reefs, 1985-2025","value":0.18,"unit":"C per decade","status":"Reported","note":"SST rose 0.74 C over the period (ref 3)."},{"name":"Observed locations that bleached, 2024 season","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"From 238 field observations submitted by end of June 2024 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Down To Earth reports India's INCOIS flagged about 4% of waters south of Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles under Alert or Warning in April 2026, with concern for tuna migration routes (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"GCRMN reports warming of 0.18 C per decade and conditions warmer than average almost every year since 2009; 2024-2025 was the most severe heat stress on record for the region (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CORDIO East Africa","role":"Regional bleaching monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://cordioea.net/2024-wio-bleaching-report/"},{"name":"Nairobi Convention (UNEP)","role":"Regional seas convention for the Western Indian Ocean","contact":"https://www.nairobiconvention.org/"}],"public_contact":"CORDIO East Africa bleaching reporting channel published on its site (bleaching@cordioea.net as listed in the report).","corrective_actions":["CORDIO East Africa ran a bleaching alert webinar on 16 January 2024 with over 200 participants and collects field bleaching observations regionally (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Western Indian Ocean Regional Coral Bleaching Report 2024","publisher":"CORDIO East Africa (via ICRI)","date":"2024-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icriforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/WIO-bleaching-2024_summary-report.pdf","basis":"Regional agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"The 2024 WIO Coral Bleaching Summary","publisher":"CORDIO East Africa","date":"2024-07-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cordioea.net/2024-wio-bleaching-report/","basis":"Regional agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025, Chapter 10 Western Indian Ocean","publisher":"GCRMN and ICRI","date":"2026-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gcrmn_2025_chapter-10_western-indian-ocean.pdf","basis":"Regional assessment report (date from DOI registration, 10.59387/LFPR6347.WIO)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Indian Ocean heats up to dangerous levels, putting fish, reefs and livelihoods at risk, warns watchdog","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2026-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/indian-ocean-heats-up-to-dangerous-levels-putting-fish-reefs-and-livelihoods-at-risk-warns-watchdog","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Daily Nation headline cites 50 metres, but the article body gives up to 50 cm of relative sea-level rise by 2050; the body figure is used."}],"missing_fields":["The Daily Nation page was read through a fetch summary; figures from it (subsidence, mangrove loss, KALRO loss) were not independently confirmed."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-TANZANIA-ISLANDEROSION-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Mombasa County Government\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (Kenya)\" set to null (was empty)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-KENYA-COASTVULN-2026","title":"A third of Kenya's coast rated highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, with Mombasa and Kilifi-Malindi most exposed","description":"A national coastal vulnerability index published in Frontiers in Marine Science in May 2026 placed 31.7% of 7,555 shoreline segments in the High or Very High class, with the Kilifi-Malindi corridor and the Mombasa urban core most vulnerable. Every heritage site among the 46 heritage sites, hotels and biodiversity areas inventoried fell in the High or Very High class. A July 2025 Daily Nation report on an IPCC authors' meeting in Mombasa described sinking land, brackish wells and erosion on the city's coast.","location":{"name":"Mombasa and the Kenyan coast","type":"Coastal city and shoreline","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["KE"],"detail":"Kenya's 640 km coastline; hotspots on Mombasa Island and the Kilifi-Malindi corridor.","coordinates":{"lat":-4.05,"lon":39.667,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":-3.633,"lon":39.85,"precision":"city","role":"Kilifi, on the Kilifi-Malindi corridor","source_ref":4},{"lat":-3.2236,"lon":40.13,"precision":"city","role":"Malindi, on the Kilifi-Malindi corridor","source_ref":5}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise and shoreline change are physical climate hazards to the coast.","secondary_drivers":["Land subsidence","Groundwater extraction","Mangrove loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Frontiers index finds 31.7% of 7,555 segments High or Very High and all mapped heritage sites at high risk, while the Daily Nation relays brackish wells in Tudor reported by residents (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The Daily Nation cites a KALRO estimate of about USD 12 million per year in lost coastal agricultural productivity, a loss of income but not a closure (ref 2).","scale":"The assessment covers Kenya's whole 640 km coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Shoreline erosion, land subsidence of up to 5 mm per year in parts of Mombasa and a trend in sea level make this chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Mombasa's Climate Action Plan 2023-2050 is cited by its governor as the formal city response, but no enforcement action or emergency declaration appears (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":1200000,"status":"Reported","note":"The Daily Nation gives Mombasa as home to about 1.2 million people; this is the city population, not the number exposed (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"31.7% of coastal segments fall in the High or Very High vulnerability class (mean CVI 51.66), concentrated along the Kilifi-Malindi corridor and near the Mombasa urban core (Frontiers in Marine Science, 12 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Shoreline segments in High or Very High vulnerability class","value":31.7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"7,555 segments of about 200 m (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mean vulnerability index of inventoried heritage sites","value":74.14,"unit":"CVI score","status":"Reported","note":"46 heritage sites, hotels and biodiversity areas mapped; all heritage sites High or Very High (ref 1)."},{"name":"Relative sea-level rise by 2050 in some Mombasa areas","value":50,"unit":"cm (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Figure as stated in the Daily Nation article (ref 2)."},{"name":"Land subsidence in parts of Mombasa","value":5,"unit":"mm per year (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Daily Nation, July 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Mombasa handles about 95% of Kenya's international trade and sits just metres above sea level (ref 2).","KALRO estimates about USD 12 million a year lost in coastal agriculture (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The Frontiers paper describes escalating exposure; the Nation reports population growth in low-lying areas and subsidence (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Mombasa County Government","role":"Climate Action Plan 2023-2050 and urban resilience","contact":null},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (Kenya)","role":"National climate adaptation policy","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Mombasa County Government and Ministry of Environment published general enquiry channels.","corrective_actions":["Mombasa's Climate Action Plan 2023-2050 is cited as the city's resilience model (ref 2).","A seawall at Fort Jesus reduces wave intensity at the Old Town (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Assessment of coastal vulnerability to sea level rise: a case study of the Kenyan coastline","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2026-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1812200/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mombasa's disappearing coastline as sea levels rise (IPCC cities report authors meet in Mombasa)","publisher":"Daily Nation (Nation Media Group)","date":"2025-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://beta.nation.co.ke/kenya/counties/mombasa/50-metres-and-shrinking-mombasa-s-disappearing-coastline-as-sea-levels-rise-5136026","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mombasa","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mombasa","basis":"Reference for coordinates"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kilifi","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilifi","basis":"Reference for coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"Malindi","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malindi","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Citizen article gives no measured shoreline retreat distances."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-NAIROBI-COP12-2026","OC-WIND-KENYA-COASTVULN-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Vice President's Office (Environment), Tanzania\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Zanzibar Department of Environment, First Vice President's Office\" set to null (was empty)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-TANZANIA-ISLANDEROSION-2026","title":"Rising seas and erosion breach sea walls and shrink Tanzania's Mafia, Unguja and Pemba coasts","description":"Tanzania's environment minister told Parliament in April 2024 that sea level at Dar es Salaam has risen by an average of 6 mm a year since 2002, with erosion, loss of beaches and saltwater intrusion. The Citizen documented walls breached at Kilindoni on Mafia Island and a 2019 Zanzibar survey listing severely eroded sites on Unguja and Pemba. In September 2026 the Vice President told a UN General Assembly meeting that erosion, saltwater intrusion and flooding are growing risks, and a July 2026 review found coastal flood adaptation insufficient.","location":{"name":"Mafia Island, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam coasts","type":"Island and coastal erosion zone","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TZ"],"detail":"Kilindoni and Banja on Mafia Island; Nungwi, Jambiani and other Unguja sites; Msuka, Gando and Kisiwa Panza on Pemba; Dar es Salaam coast.","coordinates":{"lat":-7.85,"lon":39.783,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[{"lat":-5.9,"lon":39.3,"precision":"coastline","role":"Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba) erosion sites","source_ref":6},{"lat":-6.816,"lon":39.28,"precision":"city","role":"Dar es Salaam sea-level measurement","source_ref":7}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise and erosion physically reshaping an island coastline.","secondary_drivers":["Beach erosion","Saltwater intrusion","Mangrove die-back"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Citizen reports a protective wall at Kilindoni breached, coconut trees uprooted and mangroves withering in Kirongwe, and a 2019 survey naming severely affected sites on Unguja and Pemba (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Villagers in Kibada said sea-level rise disrupted fishing and freshwater access, and Zanzibar hotel investors are consulting the government over erosion (ref 2).","scale":"Impacts are documented on three islands and the Dar es Salaam coast, a national coastline rather than a single bay (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"The minister dated the Dar es Salaam measurements from 2002, giving more than two decades of rise (ref 1).","significance":"A minister's statement to Parliament and the Vice President's September 2026 UN statement are formal government positions, without an emergency declaration (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources describe villages and residents but give no total."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea level on the Dar es Salaam coast has risen by an average of 6 mm per year since 2002, according to the minister (Parliament, 5 April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea-level rise on the Dar es Salaam coast since 2002","value":6,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"Minister's statement to Parliament, 5 April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Unguja sites surveyed in the 2019 Zanzibar erosion study","value":11,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Nine Unguja places are listed as severely affected; Pemba had 8 surveyed sites and 14 seriously affected places listed (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Zanzibar hotel investors are affected by erosion and have consulted the government (ref 2).","The Vice President says millions depend on fishing, tourism and trade along the Indian Ocean coast and Zanzibar (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The Citizen notes satellite and tide-gauge data show a rising rate per decade, and the Zanzibar official says the island will keep shrinking without adaptation (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Vice President's Office (Environment), Tanzania","role":"National environment and climate policy","contact":null},{"name":"Zanzibar Department of Environment, First Vice President's Office","role":"Zanzibar coastal adaptation","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Vice President's Office and Zanzibar Department of Environment published general enquiry channels.","corrective_actions":["Government is drafting a Blue Economy Policy and plans sea walls in the worst-hit areas (ref 1).","A World Bank-funded wall at Forodhani, walls at Kisiwa Panza and mangrove planting are cited (ref 2).","Feasibility and design funds were allocated in the 2023-24 fiscal year for Zanzibar (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tanzania outlines measures to counter the impacts of rising sea levels","publisher":"The Citizen","date":"2024-04-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/tanzania-outlines-measures-to-counter-the-impacts-of-rising-sea-levels-4580214","basis":"News (parliamentary statement)"},{"ref":2,"title":"How rising sea level threatens islands' existence in Tanzania","publisher":"The Citizen","date":"2024-04-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/how-rising-sea-level-threatens-islands-existence-in-tanzania-4588022","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tanzania calls for global action on sea-level rise","publisher":"Xinhua via The Star (Malaysia)","date":"2026-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/09/26/tanzania-calls-for-global-action-on-sea-level-rise","basis":"News (government statement)"},{"ref":4,"title":"A review of flooding vulnerability and governance constraints in coastal Tanzania","publisher":"Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/305726","basis":"Peer-reviewed review"},{"ref":5,"title":"Mafia Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_Island","basis":"Reference for coordinates"},{"ref":6,"title":"Zanzibar","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanzibar","basis":"Reference for coordinates"},{"ref":7,"title":"Dar es Salaam","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The October 2025 press release shows 'Octobre 2025' without a day, so its date is null; no 2025 tonnage estimate was published in the pages read."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-STBRANDON-PLASTIC-2025","OC-WIND-SEYCHELLES-MSPAGENCY-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Seychelles Islands Foundation\" set to null (was empty)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-ALDABRA-PLASTIC-2025","title":"Over 500 tonnes of plastic litter Aldabra Atoll as a Giant Clean-Up is planned for 2027-2028","description":"A 2020 Oxford and Seychelles Islands Foundation study estimated about 513 tonnes of marine litter remain on Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage atoll, after a 2019 clean-up removed 25 tonnes. In October 2025 Plastic Odyssey, UNESCO and the Seychelles Islands Foundation mapped over 40 km of coastline by drone and recorded 115 geolocated points. The partners plan a large clean-up on Grande Terre from late 2027.","location":{"name":"Aldabra Atoll","type":"World Heritage atoll","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SC"],"detail":"Southern and eastern shores of Grande Terre, Aldabra group, outer islands of Seychelles.","coordinates":{"lat":-9.417,"lon":46.35,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Imported plastic and fishing debris accumulating on a protected shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean-current transport of fishing gear","Regional plastic waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Plastic Odyssey states more than 500 tonnes of plastic litter Aldabra's beaches, threatening nesting and coral reefs, and the 2020 study put 513 tonnes remaining (refs 7, 5).","livelihoods":"Aldabra is uninhabited and the cited sources record no closure, advisory or livelihood loss (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The finding concerns one atoll, with 40 km of its coastline mapped in October 2025 (refs 2, 4).","duration":"The 2019 clean-up removed 25 tonnes, about 5% of the litter, and 513 tonnes were estimated to remain, with Plastic Odyssey still citing over 500 tonnes in 2025 (refs 5, 7).","significance":"UNESCO and Plastic Odyssey signed a partnership at UNOC in June 2025 naming Aldabra the next operation, and the site is on the World Heritage List since 1982 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Uninhabited atoll; no human population is affected in the sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 513 tonnes of litter remain on Aldabra after the 2019 clean-up removed 25 tonnes (Oxford and Seychelles Islands Foundation study, as reported 2020); more than 500 tonnes per Plastic Odyssey 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Litter remaining on Aldabra","value":513,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"2020 Oxford and SIF study; the 2025 pages read give no new tonnage (refs 5, 7)."},{"name":"Share of remaining litter linked to fishing, by weight","value":83,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Marine Technology News on the 2020 study (ref 5)."},{"name":"Coastline mapped in October 2025","value":40,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Drone and ground survey with 115 geotagged points, 11-19 October 2025 (refs 2, 4)."},{"name":"Estimated cost to clean the whole island","value":4.68,"unit":"USD million","status":"Estimated","note":"From the 2020 study as reported (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Aldabra is managed as a protected World Heritage site with controlled visitor access; no loss figure was cited (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources compare a 2019-2020 estimate with the 2025 mission but give no remeasured tonnage."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Seychelles Islands Foundation","role":"Manager of Aldabra Atoll","contact":null},{"name":"UNESCO World Heritage Centre","role":"World Heritage site oversight and Plastic Odyssey partner","contact":"https://whc.unesco.org/fr/actualites/2779"},{"name":"Plastic Odyssey","role":"Clean-up expedition operator","contact":"https://aldabra.plasticodyssey.org/"}],"public_contact":"Plastic Odyssey press contact is published in its release; the Seychelles Islands Foundation publishes its own channels.","corrective_actions":["Reconnaissance mission on 11-19 October 2025 (refs 2, 4).","A two-phase Giant Clean-Up on Grande Terre is planned from late 2027: collection from August to October and extraction from January to February (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UNESCO and Plastic Odyssey Join Forces to Tackle Plastic Pollution in Marine World Heritage Sites","publisher":"UNESCO World Heritage Centre","date":"2025-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://whc.unesco.org/fr/actualites/2779","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Plastic Odyssey et l'UNESCO preparent un Clean-Up Geant sur l'atoll d'Aldabra (press release, French, October 2025; page shows month only)","publisher":"Plastic Odyssey","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://plasticodyssey.org/files/press/31102025-CP-UNESCO-Plastic-Odyssey-Aldabra-FR.pdf","basis":"NGO press release (French)"},{"ref":3,"title":"November 2025: News from the Plastic Odyssey expedition","publisher":"Plastic Odyssey","date":"2025-11-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://plasticodyssey.org/en/news-november-2025/","basis":"NGO expedition report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Aldabra Expedition Report, October 2025","publisher":"Plastic Odyssey","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://plasticodyssey.org/files/expedition/Plastic-Odyssey-Aldabra-Expedition-Report-October-2025.pdf","basis":"NGO expedition report (undated PDF)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Ocean trash: putting a price on it (Aldabra clean-up study)","publisher":"Marine Technology News","date":"2020-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinetechnologynews.com/news/ocean-trash-putting-price-604763","basis":"News on peer-reviewed study (Scientific Reports)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Aldabra","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldabra","basis":"Reference for coordinates"},{"ref":7,"title":"2025 Aldabra Expedition: The Impossible Cleanup","publisher":"Plastic Odyssey","date":"2025-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aldabra.plasticodyssey.org/","basis":"NGO expedition page"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No independent regulator or government source on the Coco Island debris was available; both dated sources are from the clean-up operator."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-ALDABRA-PLASTIC-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-STBRANDON-PLASTIC-2025","title":"Coco Island in Saint Brandon found covered in plastic, far more than expected after a 5.3-tonne clean-up","description":"In November 2025 the Plastic Odyssey team expected 500 kg to 2 tonnes of stranded waste on Coco Island in the Saint Brandon archipelago of Mauritius. After one day of work nearly two tonnes had been collected, and in the end 5.3 tonnes were removed. The team estimates about twice as much remains on the 5 km island, and says the plastic is fragmenting towards microplastics.","location":{"name":"Coco Island, Saint Brandon","type":"Remote island beach","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MU"],"detail":"Coco Island, one of the outer islands of the Saint Brandon (Cargados Carajos) archipelago of Mauritius.","coordinates":{"lat":-16.583,"lon":59.617,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Stranded plastic accumulating on an isolated island shore.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean-current transport of debris"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Plastic Odyssey describes the beach as a multicoloured mosaic of plastic across square kilometres, fragmenting towards microplastics, a potential ecological harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishing or access restriction is reported in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The finding concerns a single 5 km by 1 km island (ref 1).","duration":"Only the November 2025 mission is documented, though the debris is described as stranded accumulation (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are the expedition operator's own reports, with no regulator notice (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No resident population figure in the sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"5.3 tonnes of waste were removed from Coco Island, the vessel's safe load limit, and the team believes there is likely twice as much still stranded (Plastic Odyssey, November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Plastic removed from Coco Island","value":5.3,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Plastic Odyssey, November 2025 mission (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Pre-mission estimate of waste on the island","value":2,"unit":"tonnes (upper bound)","status":"Estimated","note":"Experts estimated 500 kg to two tonnes; the team found at least 2.5 times more (ref 2)."},{"name":"Plastic still stranded after the mission","value":10.6,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Computed as twice the 5.3 tonnes removed, the team's own 'likely twice as much' estimate (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One visit documented; no earlier survey is cited beyond limited studies (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Plastic Odyssey","role":"Clean-up expedition operator","contact":"https://plasticodyssey.org/en/news-november-2025/"}],"public_contact":"Plastic Odyssey publishes a press contact on its site.","corrective_actions":["5.3 tonnes were extracted and processed on board in November 2025 (ref 1).","The team calls leaving the island in this state not an option and a challenge for the years ahead (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"November 2025: News from the Plastic Odyssey expedition","publisher":"Plastic Odyssey","date":"2025-11-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://plasticodyssey.org/en/news-november-2025/","basis":"NGO expedition report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Engineering the Unreachable: Innovation in Remote Island Plastic Cleanups","publisher":"Plastic Odyssey","date":"2026-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://plasticodyssey.org/en/engineering-the-unreachable-innovation-in-remote-island-plastic-cleanups/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cargados Carajos Shoals","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargados_Carajos_Shoals","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Sampling was 2019-2021; the abstract does not give more recent counts."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-METALS-2024","OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-DPWORLDPORT-2024"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Nipe-Fagio and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam\" set to null (was empty)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-LITTER-2024","title":"Dar es Salaam beaches and rivers carry marine litter, higher in the wet season, with 70% of it made locally","description":"A peer-reviewed study of litter sampled in 2019-2021 counted 127,658 items weighing 470 kg on Dar es Salaam beaches and 1,365 items in two rivers. Litter densities were significantly higher in the wet season, which the authors attribute to river transport of plastics, and 70% of the litter was produced locally. Marine litter density fell by 61% over the three years of the study, but the authors call for a policy to cut marine litter.","location":{"name":"Dar es Salaam coast and rivers","type":"Urban coastline","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TZ"],"detail":"Beach transects and river nets across two rivers feeding the Dar es Salaam coast, Tanzania.","coordinates":{"lat":-6.816,"lon":39.28,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Land-based plastic and solid waste entering the sea via rivers and beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Poor waste disposal","River transport in the wet season"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study sampled 127,658 beach litter items (470 kg) and 1,365 river items in nine categories (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or advisory is mentioned in the study abstract (ref 1).","scale":"The sampling covers the Dar es Salaam city coast and two rivers (ref 1).","duration":"Monitoring ran for three years from 2019 to 2021 and the authors describe poor disposal as an ongoing driver (ref 1).","significance":"It is a peer-reviewed study with no regulator or court action cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the study abstract."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"127,658 marine litter items weighing 470 kg were sampled from Dar es Salaam beaches over three years; 70% was produced locally and density fell 61% (WIOJMS, October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Beach litter items sampled, 2019-2021","value":127658,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"Total weight 470 kg (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of litter produced locally","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Change in marine litter density over the three years","value":-61,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Decrease, ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The study reports a 61% decrease in marine litter density over three years, while calling for a reduction policy (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Nipe-Fagio and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam","role":"Marine litter monitoring (study authors)","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend that a policy to minimise and reduce marine litter be developed and implemented (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seasonal difference in marine litter along the coast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania","publisher":"Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science","date":"2024-10-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/259473","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Dar es Salaam","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Concentrations and comparison with a quality standard were not read; only the abstract was available."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-LITTER-2024"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI)\" set to null (was empty)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-METALS-2024","title":"Metal bioaccumulation found in Dar es Salaam mangroves nearest the city centre","description":"A TAFIRI study of sediments, water, invertebrates and mangrove leaves along the Dar es Salaam coast and at Mbegani found metal bioaccumulation, mostly at sites close to the city centre, decreasing with distance. The non-essential metals named include aluminium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc. The authors identify Avicennia marina leaves and two invertebrates as suitable local biomonitors.","location":{"name":"Dar es Salaam mangroves","type":"Mangrove estuary","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TZ"],"detail":"Mangrove ecosystems along the Dar es Salaam coast and Mbegani, Tanzania.","coordinates":{"lat":-6.816,"lon":39.28,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Urban and industrial metal contamination of coastal sediments and food webs.","secondary_drivers":["Urban runoff","Industrial discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Bioaccumulation of Al, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn was mostly found at sites near the city centre; no exceedance of a standard is stated in the abstract (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or access restriction is reported (ref 1).","scale":"The study covers mangrove sites around one city and Mbegani (ref 1).","duration":"The abstract gives no sampling period, so no persistence is documented (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study; no regulator notice is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the study abstract."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Evidence of metal bioaccumulation of non-essential metals (Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) was mostly found at sites close to Dar es Salaam city centre and decreased with distance (WIOJMS, December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Metals analysed in sediments, water, invertebrates and mangrove leaves","value":12,"unit":"metals","status":"Reported","note":"Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single study; no repeat sampling in the cited source."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI)","role":"Study authors and fisheries research","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["The authors propose Avicennia marina, Uca spp. and Terebralia palustris as local biomonitors for ongoing metal monitoring (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Metal pollution in mangrove ecosystems in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania","publisher":"Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science","date":"2024-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/261332","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Dar es Salaam","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The PDF metadata date is 2025-10-02 but the report was produced in 2022; Wikipedia says it stayed confidential until 2025. The exact release date was not read from a news article (L'Express was blocked)."}],"missing_fields":["The 2020 compensation settlement and any 2024-2026 compensation payments were not found in a source read this session."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-REGIONAL-OILRISK-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-MAURITIUS-WAKASHIO-2025","title":"Wakashio Court of Investigation report made public in 2025: 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil, reef sediment and oiled mangroves","description":"Mauritius's Court of Investigation report on the July 2020 grounding of the MV Wakashio at Pointe d'Esny, posted on the government's Blue Economy site with a 2 October 2025 file date, finds the bulk carrier spilled about 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. A joint survey found a 3,000 m by 150 m reef area under sediment, up to 1 m thick at the grounding site, and oil on mudflats and mangrove roots. A 2025 coral study three years after the spill found no significant bioactivity difference between oil-affected and unaffected corals.","location":{"name":"Pointe d'Esny, southeast Mauritius","type":"Oil spill site and lagoon","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MU"],"detail":"Grounding on the outer reef off Pointe d'Esny; oil drifted north through Blue Bay Marine Park and Pointe du Diable.","coordinates":{"lat":-20.443,"lon":57.743,"precision":"exact","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A ship-source fuel oil spill contaminating a lagoon, reef and mangroves.","secondary_drivers":["Ship grounding","Navigation failures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Court of Investigation records about 1,000 t of heavy oil spilled, several hundred metres of reef physically damaged and a 3,000 m by 150 m sediment-covered area, with mangrove roots and mudflats oiled (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The report notes witness evidence and recommendations seeking compensation for loss of livelihood, but no closure order is quoted from it (ref 1).","scale":"The impact is on the southeast Mauritius lagoon and coast (ref 1).","duration":"The 2020 spill still drove a 2025 research study of its effect on corals and a 2025 report release (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A formal Court of Investigation under the Merchant Shipping Act 2007 made findings and recommendations, without being a ruling on liability (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not summarised in the parts of the report read."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Wakashio broke in two and spilled an estimated 1,000 t of heavy oil (Court of Investigation report, posted 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Heavy oil spilled","value":1000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimated amount per the Court of Investigation synopsis (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reef area covered by sediment","value":45,"unit":"ha","status":"Estimated","note":"3,000 m by 150 m reported in the joint survey, 27 February 2022, area computed here (ref 1)."},{"name":"Reef drift of the grounded ship along the reef","value":1800,"unit":"metres","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The report records recommendations for compensation for physical damage and loss of livelihood (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Shoreline clean-up endpoints were met in January 2021 per CEDRE, while reef sedimentation and long-term effects remain studied (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Mauritius, Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping","role":"Publisher of the Court of Investigation report","contact":"https://blueconomy.govmu.org/"}],"public_contact":"Ministry of Blue Economy published general enquiry channels on its site.","corrective_actions":["The report recommends updating the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, adopting a regional contingency plan, a unified lead agency and regular exercises (ref 1).","CEDRE assessed shoreline clean-up endpoints on 19-25 January 2021 and found all inspected sites eligible for no further treatment (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report of Court of Investigation into the Grounding of MV Wakashio off Pointe d'Esny on 25th July 2020","publisher":"Government of Mauritius, Ministry of Blue Economy (Court of Investigation)","date":"2025-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blueconomy.govmu.org/Documents/Publications/Report%20Court%20of%20Investigation-MV%20Wakashio.pdf","basis":"Official report (date is the PDF modification date; the report itself is dated 2022)"},{"ref":2,"title":"MV Wakashio","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wakashio","basis":"Reference (states the report was kept secret until 2025)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Comparative bioactivity analysis of hard corals: antioxidant and antimicrobial responses three years after the MV Wakashio oil spill in Mauritius","publisher":"Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science","date":"2025-04-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ajol.info/index.php/wiojms/article/view/282075","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Standard says residents place the Kikambala grounding about four months before July 2026, while the capsizing off Tanga was on 17 April 2026; the article does not reconcile the two."}],"missing_fields":["Pollution claims are residents' allegations with no regulator, NEMA or KWS response; the two wrecks may be unrelated cases."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-REGIONAL-OILRISK-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Kenya Maritime Authority\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Kenya Coast Guard Service\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs (Kenya)\" set to null (was empty)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-KENYA-WRECKS-2026","title":"Grounded vessels off Nyali and Kikambala prompt oil and chemical pollution fears on Kenya's north coast","description":"MV Adan ran aground on a coral reef off Nyali beach, Mombasa, on 18 May 2026, and the Kenya Maritime Authority said refloating would begin in mid-August 2026 while maritime sources warned of possible fuel discharge. Separately, Kikambala residents in Kilifi County alleged oil and chemical spills from salvage of the wrecked cement carrier MV Jozani II, with dead marine animals and halted fishing; no official response was quoted. Both items come from newspaper reports of July 2026.","location":{"name":"Nyali and Kikambala coast, Kenya","type":"Shipwreck sites","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["KE"],"detail":"MV Adan off Nyali beach, Mombasa; MV Jozani II ashore at Kikambala, Mtepeni Ward, Kilifi County.","coordinates":{"lat":-4.05,"lon":39.667,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Possible oil and chemical release from wrecked and salvaged ships.","secondary_drivers":["Ship grounding","Salvage operations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Kikambala residents allege dead marine animals including green turtles and destroyed breeding grounds, and maritime sources warn MV Adan could discharge fuel, but no sampling is cited (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Residents say fishing has stopped and tourism declined at Kikambala, a reported livelihood loss without an official restriction (ref 1).","scale":"Two wreck sites on the Mombasa-Kilifi coast are involved (refs 1, 2).","duration":"MV Adan grounded on 18 May 2026 and the pollution claims were still being made in late July 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The KMA statement is oversight of a salvage plan, not a pollution order, and no regulator confirmation of leaks was quoted (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure; claims come from the Kikambala Beach Management Unit."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"MV Adan ran aground off Nyali on 18 May 2026 with refloating planned for mid-August 2026 (KMA, 27 July 2026); Kikambala residents allege oil and chemical spills from the MV Jozani II salvage."},"measures":[{"name":"Cement on board MV Jozani II when it capsized off Tanga on 17 April 2026","value":800,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Per a KMA report cited by The Standard (ref 1)."},{"name":"Distance MV Jozani II drifted north before washing ashore","value":240,"unit":"km (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Kikambala fishers say fishing has stopped and tourism declined (ref 1).","Nyali is a beach and hotel area of Mombasa; the KMA is guarding against looting and fuel discharge (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only two July 2026 reports; whether MV Adan was refloated by October 2026 was not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Kenya Maritime Authority","role":"Maritime safety and wreck oversight","contact":null},{"name":"Kenya Coast Guard Service","role":"Security and surveillance of the stranded vessel","contact":null},{"name":"Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs (Kenya)","role":"Ministry appealed to by residents","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Kenya Maritime Authority emergency hotline, as cited by residents (number not reproduced here).","corrective_actions":["KMA's salvage plan for MV Adan is under regulatory and technical review, with equipment being mobilised and refloating scheduled for mid-August 2026 (ref 2).","Kikambala residents demand an independent environmental assessment and suspension of salvage (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Residents claim grounded ship spilling oil and chemicals","publisher":"The Standard (Kenya)","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/shipping-logistics/article/2001553977/residents-claim-grounded-ship-spilling-oil-and-chemicals","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"KMA explains delay in salvaging grounded ship off Nyali beach","publisher":"The Standard (Kenya)","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/shipping-logistics/article/2001553863/kma-explains-delay-in-salvaging-grounded-ship-off-nyali-beach","basis":"News (quotes KMA Director General)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nyali","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyali","basis":"Reference for coordinates"}]},{"revision":2,"change_type":"changed","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Indian Ocean Commission study itself was not located; the hotspot count comes from a partly paywalled article."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-NAIROBI-COP12-2026","OC-WIND-MAURITIUS-WAKASHIO-2025","OC-WIND-KENYA-WRECKS-2026","OC-WIND-SOMALIA-PIRACY-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass, climate and pollution categories)."},{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"Correction run (contract 1.0.1), no change to the finding: contact of \"Kenya Maritime Authority\" set to null (was empty); contact of \"Indian Ocean Commission\" set to null (was empty)."}],"id":"OC-WIND-REGIONAL-OILRISK-2026","title":"Kenya-Tanzania border flagged as an oil pollution hotspot as the Western Indian Ocean finalises a regional spill plan","description":"A study by the Indian Ocean Commission, reported in July 2025, named the Kenya-Tanzania border near Mombasa and Dar es Salaam as one of seven hotspots for oil pollution from ships. Kenya ran a five-day response exercise in Mombasa on 7-11 July 2025, and in January 2026 experts from ten countries met in Zanzibar under the Nairobi Convention to finalise a Regional Contingency Plan.","location":{"name":"Kenya-Tanzania maritime border waters","type":"Shipping lane and oil spill risk area","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["KE","TZ"],"detail":"Waters between Mombasa and Dar es Salaam; response exercise held at Bandari Maritime Academy and Nyali Beach, Mombasa.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Shipping-related oil spill risk and the regional response framework.","secondary_drivers":["Ship traffic","Spill response capacity gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No spill is documented; the Indian Ocean Commission study flags the border as one of seven ship oil-pollution hotspots, a potential harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or advisory results from the finding (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The risk and the regional plan span the Western Indian Ocean's ten Nairobi Convention countries (ref 3).","duration":"The cited items run from July 2025 to January 2026, several months of work on the plan (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The Nairobi Convention press release on a meeting to finalise the Regional Contingency Plan is a formal treaty process step (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable to a risk assessment in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Kenya-Tanzania border is one of seven oil pollution hotspots for ships in the region's Indian Ocean waters, per an Indian Ocean Commission study (The Standard, 10 July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Oil pollution hotspot areas identified by the Indian Ocean Commission study","value":7,"unit":"hotspots","status":"Reported","note":"The Standard, 10 July 2025 (ref 1; article body partly behind a paywall)."},{"name":"Countries meeting in Zanzibar on spill preparedness, 19-25 January 2026","value":10,"unit":"countries","status":"Reported","note":"Nairobi Convention press release (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The study ties the hotspot to the proximity of the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Preparedness steps are documented; no spill is recorded in the cited sources."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Kenya Maritime Authority","role":"Lead of the national oil spill contingency plan","contact":null},{"name":"Nairobi Convention (UNEP)","role":"Regional contingency plan under the regional seas convention","contact":"https://www.nairobiconvention.org/news/press-release"},{"name":"Indian Ocean Commission","role":"Regional study and exercise support","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Nairobi Convention secretariat contact listed on its website.","corrective_actions":["MASEPOLREX25 simulated a two-tanker collision at the Kenya-Tanzania border and a Nyali Beach cleanup on 7-11 July 2025 (ref 2).","Meeting in Zanzibar on 19-25 January 2026 to finalise the Regional Contingency Plan (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kenya, Tanzania border flagged as oil spill hotspot in new study","publisher":"The Standard (Kenya)","date":"2025-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/shipping-logistics/article/2001523863/kenya-tanzania-border-flagged-as-oil-spill-hotspot-in-new-study","basis":"News (paywalled after the opening paragraphs)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Kenya host training to boost maritime disaster readiness","publisher":"The Star (Kenya)","date":"2025-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/coast/2025-07-08-kenya-host-training-to-boost-maritime-disaster-readiness-1","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Press Release: regional preparedness for marine pollution emergencies, Zanzibar, 19-25 January 2026","publisher":"Nairobi Convention (UNEP)","date":"2026-01-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nairobiconvention.org/news/press-release","basis":"Treaty secretariat page"}]},{"id":"OC-WIND-REGION-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Severe 2024 mass coral bleaching across the Western Indian Ocean erases two decades of hard coral gain","description":"CORDIO East Africa's regional report found that 2024 heat stress, driven by El Nino and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, caused widespread bleaching and mortality on reefs from Kenya and Tanzania to Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and the Comoros. The 2025 GCRMN regional chapter models regional hard coral cover falling from 33.9% in 2023 to 25.9% in 2024, comparable to 1999 levels, and reports 66% cumulative coral mortality at Mayotte after the bleaching and Cyclone Chido.","location":{"name":"Western Indian Ocean coral reefs","type":"Coral reef region","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["KE","TZ","SC","MU","MG","KM","YT","RE"],"detail":"Reefs from the Kenyan and Tanzanian coast to Seychelles, the Mascarenes, Madagascar, the Comoros and Mayotte; bleaching reported between the equator and 20 degrees S","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Heat stress killed and bleached reef-building corals, a loss of marine habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","El Nino and positive Indian Ocean Dipole","Cyclone damage (Chido, Mayotte)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"CORDIO's 238 observations (to end June 2024) put high and extreme mortality at 10.6% of sites and medium to extreme mortality at about 40% (ref 1); the GCRMN chapter models hard coral cover down from 33.9% in 2023 to 25.9% in 2024 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited sources describe reef dependence of coastal communities (ref 2) but report no fishery or tourism closure tied to the 2024 bleaching, so no disruption is scored.","scale":"Bleaching was reported from eight countries and heat stress above 12 Degree Heating Weeks spanned the equator to 20 degrees S (ref 1), a regional-sea scale.","duration":"The GCRMN chapter calls 2024 to 2025 the most severe regional heat stress event and states 93% of reefs exceeded 4 DHW, with recovery outlook uncertain (ref 2).","significance":"A regional bleaching report by the GCRMN regional coordinator (ref 1) and the 2025 GCRMN chapter (ref 2) are formal assessments, but no enforcement or legal action applies."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"CORDIO East Africa: about 80% of observed locations bleached, 40% with medium to extreme mortality; GCRMN: regional hard coral cover fell from 33.9% (2023) to 25.9% (2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bleaching observations submitted","value":238,"unit":"observations","status":"Reported","note":"From eight countries by end June 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Locations with medium to extreme bleaching","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Report body, excluding no-data and none (ref 1); its executive summary gives 73% for moderate to severe, so the two differ."},{"name":"Observations with high or extreme coral mortality","value":10.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"High 10% plus extreme 0.6%, observations to June 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak heat stress","value":16,"unit":"DHW","status":"Reported","note":"Some pockets in Seychelles reached 16 DHW; over 12 DHW elsewhere by April 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Regional hard coral cover, 2024","value":25.9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Modelled; 33.9% in 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Cumulative coral mortality at Mayotte","value":66,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"After the 2024 bleaching and Cyclone Chido, with 35% loss of hard coral cover (ref 2, citing Nicet et al. 2025)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The GCRMN chapter states 10.5 million people lived within 5 km of the region's coral reefs by 2020 and that reefs support livelihoods and food security (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Heat stress built from January 2024 and the GCRMN chapter calls 2024 to 2025 the most severe event on record for the region (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CORDIO East Africa","role":"GCRMN regional coordinator and bleaching report compiler","contact":"https://cordioea.net/"},{"name":"Nairobi Convention Secretariat","role":"Regional seas convention for the Western Indian Ocean","contact":"https://www.nairobiconvention.org/"}],"public_contact":"CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa; bleaching reports go to its published bleaching address.","corrective_actions":["CORDIO East Africa ran a regional bleaching reporting dashboard and a preparatory webinar on 16 January 2024 (ref 1).","CORDIO's report recommends targeted conservation and mitigation action; recovery planning is ongoing (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Western Indian Ocean regional coral bleaching report 2024","publisher":"CORDIO East Africa (via ICRI)","date":"2024-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://icriforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/WIO-bleaching-2024_summary-report.pdf","basis":"Regional agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2025, Chapter 10: Western Indian Ocean","publisher":"GCRMN and ICRI","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gcrmn_2025_chapter-10_western-indian-ocean.pdf","basis":"Network report (citation year 2026; no day shown)"},{"ref":3,"title":"NOAA and ICRI confirm fourth global coral bleaching event (press release)","publisher":"CORDIO East Africa","date":"2024-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cordioea.net/fourth-global-bleaching-event/","basis":"Agency press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The CORDIO report's executive summary gives 73% of observations as moderate to severe bleaching, while its body gives about 80% as medium to extreme; both are quoted from the same report (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No Mozambique, South Africa or Somalia observations are in the CORDIO report (ref 1); the Mayotte figure rests on the GCRMN chapter's citation of Nicet et al. 2025, which was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-NAIROBI-COP12-2026","OC-WIND-REGIONAL-HEATWAVE-2024","OC-WIND-MOZAMBIQUE-AFUNGILNG-2026"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-CHAGOS-TREATYMPA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chagos treaty ratification stalls as the future of the 640,000 km2 marine protected area stays undecided","description":"The UK and Mauritius signed a treaty on 22 May 2025 recognising Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, with Mauritius committed to create its own marine protected area and the UK support terms left to a separate instrument. In April 2026 a Loughborough University legal expert reported the UK had shelved the implementing legislation after the US withdrew support, and Mauritius said it was exploring legal avenues.","location":{"name":"Chagos Archipelago and its marine protected area","type":"Marine protected area and treaty process","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["IO","MU","GB"],"detail":"British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago), central Indian Ocean, including the 640,000 km2 UK-declared no-take MPA","coordinates":{"lat":-6.167,"lon":72,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A sovereignty treaty process decides who governs and protects one of the largest no-take marine protected areas.","secondary_drivers":["Sovereignty transfer","Treaty ratification delay"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Mongabay describes the MPA's reefs as among the healthiest in the world, with nearly 300 reef-building coral species, and the cited sources document no ecological harm from the treaty process (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The MPA is a no-take reserve that Chagossians criticise as a pretext to keep them out, and Bernadette Dugasse said she was not consulted (ref 1).","scale":"The MPA covers about 640,000 km2 of ocean, a national-waters scale (ref 1).","duration":"The MPA dates from 2010 and the treaty was signed on 22 May 2025 but ratification was still unresolved in April 2026 (refs 1, 5).","significance":"A signed UK-Mauritius treaty on 22 May 2025 (ref 1), written answers in the UK House of Commons on MPA support (refs 2, 3) and a shelved ratification bill (ref 5) are treaty-level actions."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mongabay: the UK-declared Chagos MPA covers 640,000 sq km, and Mauritius has committed to create its own MPA with UK help, details still being negotiated."},"measures":[{"name":"MPA area","value":640000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"UK-established no-take MPA from 2010 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Treaty signing date","value":null,"unit":"date","status":"Not reported","note":"Signed 22 May 2025 (ref 1); no numeric value."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Treaty signed May 2025, then reported shelved in April 2026 while the UK government disputed that characterisation (refs 4, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office","role":"Treaty party and administrator of the British Indian Ocean Territory","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office"},{"name":"Government of Mauritius","role":"Treaty party; committed to create a Chagos MPA","contact":"https://www.govmu.org/"}],"public_contact":"UK FCDO and Government of Mauritius published general channels.","corrective_actions":["The treaty says UK support for the Chagos MPA will be set out in a separate written instrument (ref 2).","The UK minister said the UK would make no additional direct payments to Mauritius for MPA activity (ref 3).","Mauritius said in March 2026 it was consulting international law firms and exploring legal avenues (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UK signs deal handing over Chagos to Mauritius but tensions remain","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/05/uk-signs-deal-handing-over-chagos-to-mauritius-but-tensions-remain/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Chagos Islands: Marine Protected Areas (Written Question 62074, answer by Stephen Doughty)","publisher":"UK House of Commons via Westminster Brief","date":"2025-07-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://westminsterbrief.co.uk/archive/pq/62074","basis":"Parliamentary record"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chagos Islands: Marine Protected Areas (Written Question 64024, answer by Stephen Doughty)","publisher":"UK House of Commons via Westminster Brief","date":"2025-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://westminsterbrief.co.uk/archive/pq/64024","basis":"Parliamentary record"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mauritius to sue Britain over Chagos delay","publisher":"The Telegraph (via Yahoo News)","date":"2026-03-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mauritius-sue-britain-over-chagos-130241576.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Chagos Islands deal shelved: legal expert explains what happens next","publisher":"Loughborough University","date":"2026-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lboro.ac.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2026/april/chagos-islands-deal-mauritius-shelved/","basis":"University press release"},{"ref":6,"title":"Chagos Marine Protected Area","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagos_Marine_Protected_Area","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates and the 2015 arbitration ruling"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sources differ on whether the process is paused: a UK minister said in February 2026 the UK was pausing it, while a government source denied any pause (ref 4); the Loughborough release says legislation is shelved (ref 5)."},{"note":"The Telegraph and Loughborough give different payment totals for the treaty; neither figure is used here."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the UK has since certified Mauritian MPA protections as equivalent, and the final text of the separate MPA instrument, were not found."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-IOTC-YELLOWFIN-2026"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-IOTC-YELLOWFIN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"IOTC adopts yellowfin catch limits for 2027 to 2028 while the 2024 stock assessment stays contested","description":"At its 30th session in the Maldives in May 2026 the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission adopted Resolution 26/01 on interim catch limits for yellowfin tuna, reported by industry body Europeche as a 436,867 tonne total allowable catch for 2027 and 2028 against current catches of 489,742 tonnes. The 2024 assessment found the stock not overfished with an 86% probability of Kobe Green, but the Commission recorded important data uncertainties, and an NGO submission says objecting fleets, notably Oman, expanded catches sharply.","location":{"name":"Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna fishery (IOTC area)","type":"Tuna stock and regional fisheries management area","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND","EIND","GULF"],"basin":"IND","countries":["ABNJ","SO","KE","TZ","MZ","MG","SC","MU","KM","OM","IN","IR"],"detail":"Indian Ocean high seas and coastal-state waters from Somalia and Oman to Mozambique, Madagascar, Seychelles and the Mascarenes","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"The finding concerns the exploitation and management of a commercially fished tuna stock.","secondary_drivers":["Purse seine and handline catches","Objections to catch limits","Stock assessment uncertainty"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The 2024 assessment found yellowfin not overfished (86% probability of Kobe Green) but the Commission recorded important data uncertainties, and an earlier overfished declaration dates from 2015 (refs 1, 5).","livelihoods":"Resolution 26/01 sets catch limits and quotas that constrain fleets, and a Galmudug State fisheries minister estimated USD 300 million a year is lost to IUU fishing in Somalia (refs 2, 3, 4).","scale":"The IOTC area of competence is the whole Indian Ocean basin and the stock is fished by over two dozen members (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Yellowfin was declared overfished in 2015 and interim plans have run since then, with the Commission deferring yellowfin proposals in 2024 and 2025 (refs 1, 2, 5).","significance":"Resolution 26/01 was adopted by the Commission on 11 to 15 May 2026 and binds members from 19 September 2026 unless objections are lodged (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IOTC Circular 2026-23: Resolution 26/01 on interim catch limits for yellowfin tuna was adopted at the 30th Session (11 to 15 May 2026); Europeche reports a 436,867 t TAC for 2027 and 2028 against current catches of 489,742 t."},"measures":[{"name":"Yellowfin TAC for 2027 and 2028","value":436867,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by Fish Focus citing Europeche; the IOTC circular does not state the figure (ref 4)."},{"name":"Current yellowfin catch","value":489742,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Fish Focus citing Europeche (ref 4)."},{"name":"Probability stock is in Kobe Green quadrant (2024 assessment)","value":86,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"IOTC S29 report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oman yellowfin catch, 2024","value":88942,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 7,208 t in 2014, per a Blue Marine Foundation submission to the 30th session (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Mongabay put Indian Ocean tuna landings at about 920,000 t a year worth an estimated USD 2.3 billion (ref 2).","Blue Marine says five objectors to Resolution 21/01 took 35% of the 2024 yellowfin catch (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Stock status estimates improved in 2024 but are disputed, while catches rose after 2015 (refs 1, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://iotc.org/"},{"name":"IOTC Scientific Committee","role":"Stock assessment advice","contact":"https://iotc.org/"}],"public_contact":"IOTC Secretariat, Victoria, Seychelles, published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Resolution 26/01 on interim yellowfin catch limits adopted 11 to 15 May 2026, binding 19 September 2026 unless an objection is lodged (ref 3).","The Commission asked its Scientific Committee in 2025 to resolve uncertainties in the 2024 CPUE standardisation (ref 1).","The 2024 session agreed an EU and Seychelles FAD proposal and a FAD register (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report of the 29th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (La Reunion, 13 to 17 April 2025)","publisher":"Indian Ocean Tuna Commission","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iotc.org/sites/default/files/documents/2025/07/IOTC-2025-S29-RE.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body report"},{"ref":2,"title":"No mercy for overfished yellowfin tuna at Indian Ocean fisheries meeting","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2024-05-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/no-mercy-for-overfished-yellowfin-tuna-at-indian-ocean-fisheries-meeting/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"IOTC Circular 2026-23: Conservation and management measures adopted at the 30th annual session","publisher":"Indian Ocean Tuna Commission","date":"2026-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iotc.org/sites/default/files/documents/2026/05/Circular_2026-23-CMMs_adopted_at_S30_in_2026E.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body notice"},{"ref":4,"title":"EU secures sustainable tuna management and fairer rules at IOTC 2026","publisher":"Fish Focus","date":"2026-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishfocus.co.uk/eu-secures-sustainable-tuna-management-and-fairer-rules-at-iotc-2026/","basis":"Trade news citing Europeche"},{"ref":5,"title":"An overview of Oman's yellowfin tuna fishery and potential non-compliance with IOTC Resolution 19/01","publisher":"Blue Marine Foundation (IOTC document IOTC-2026-S30-NGO17)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iotc.org/sites/default/files/documents/2026/05/IOTC-2026-S30-NGO17.pdf","basis":"NGO submission to the 30th Session, May 2026 (no exact date on the document)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay reports 2022 catches of 410,332 t above an MSY of 349,000 t (ref 2), while the 2024 assessment reported by the IOTC found the stock not overfished (ref 1); the Commission attributes the change largely to a revised longline CPUE standardisation."}],"missing_fields":["The text of Resolution 26/01 was not readable in the circular, so the TAC and quota figures rest on Europeche via Fish Focus; whether any member objected before 19 September 2026 was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-CHAGOS-TREATYMPA-2026","OC-WIND-SAYADEMALHA-FISHING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-SOMALIA-PIRACY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Four vessels hijacked off Somalia in April and May 2026 as the IMB reports a persistent piracy threat","description":"The ICC International Maritime Bureau's mid-year report for January to June 2026 recorded four hijackings in the Somali region between April and May 2026, plus further attacks and suspicious approaches in June. The IMB attributes 94% of crew taken hostage worldwide in the period to Somali pirates and says they often operate from hijacked fishing vessels or dhows used as mother ships.","location":{"name":"Somali coast and western Indian Ocean shipping lanes","type":"Maritime piracy risk area","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND","RED"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SO"],"detail":"Waters off the Somali coast, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean; the sources give no precise positions for the 2026 hijackings","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Piracy is a security and governance risk to commercial shipping and fishing vessels, not a pollutant or habitat issue.","secondary_drivers":["Piracy","Hijacked fishing vessels and dhows used as mother ships"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The IMB recorded 67 crew taken hostage worldwide in January to June 2026 and attributes 94% of hostages to Somali pirates (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The IMB urged ships transiting the Somali coast and Gulf of Aden to keep strict anti-piracy watches and follow Best Management Practices (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The four hijackings and further attacks span the Somali coast, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, a regional sea (ref 2).","duration":"The IMB says Somali piracy remains a persistent threat and that vessels were previously targeted more than 1,000 nautical miles from the Somali coast (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The IMB, as the ICC's reporting centre, issued a formal mid-year advisory on 9 July 2026 asking for continued naval presence (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"IMB: four vessels hijacked in the Somali region between April and May 2026; Somali pirates accounted for 94% of crew taken hostage worldwide in January to June 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessels hijacked worldwide, January to June 2026","value":5,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Four of the hijackings were in the Somali region in April and May (ref 1)."},{"name":"Crew taken hostage worldwide, January to June 2026","value":67,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"The IMB attributes 94% to Somali pirates (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of hostages taken by Somali pirates","value":94,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"IMB mid-year report (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The IMB asks shipmasters to keep strict anti-piracy watches in the Somali coast and Gulf of Aden transit (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Global incidents fell to 38 in the first half of 2026 from 90 in 2025 while Somali hijackings occurred in April and May (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB)","role":"Piracy reporting centre","contact":"https://iccwbo.org/"},{"name":"International naval forces in the Somali region","role":"Patrol and response","contact":"https://iccwbo.org/"}],"public_contact":"IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, published through the ICC website.","corrective_actions":["The IMB and ICC urge international naval forces to keep a strong, visible presence (ref 1).","Adherence to Best Management Practices is credited with preventing further boardings (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Maritime piracy incidents fall to lowest since 1992, but risk remains","publisher":"ICC International Maritime Bureau","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iccwbo.org/news-publications/news/maritime-piracy-incidents-fall-to-lowest-since-1992-but-risk-remains/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Roundup: IMB warns vessels off Somalia coast amid piracy resurgence","publisher":"The Star (Malaysia), Xinhua","date":"2026-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/07/10/roundup-imb-warns-vessels-off-somalia-coast-amid-piracy-resurgence","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Names, dates and positions of the four 2026 hijackings and the 2024 hijackings were not in the pages opened; the 67 hostages are a worldwide figure, not Somali-only."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-REGIONAL-OILRISK-2026"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-MOZAMBIQUE-AFUNGILNG-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Mozambique LNG restarts at Afungi while resettled fishing villages remain about 10 km from the sea","description":"TotalEnergies and Mozambique announced the full restart of the USD 20 billion Mozambique LNG project at Afungi on 29 January 2026 after a force majeure that began in 2021, with first LNG targeted for 2029. Mongabay reports that NGOs and affected communities say several fishing villages were resettled about 10 km inland, far from traditional fishing grounds, with insufficient mitigation, and Reuters describes the site as an enclave reachable only by sea or air.","location":{"name":"Afungi LNG site, Palma, Cabo Delgado","type":"LNG plant and coastal resettlement area","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MZ"],"detail":"Afungi Peninsula near Palma, Cabo Delgado Province, northern Mozambique, on the Mozambique Channel and Rovuma basin coast","coordinates":{"lat":-10.776,"lon":40.467,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"An offshore-gas LNG development shapes coastal fishing access, resettlement and local economies.","secondary_drivers":["LNG construction","Resettlement of fishing communities","Armed conflict in Cabo Delgado"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Friends of the Earth alleges killings and communities fleeing, and TotalEnergies rejects all accusations, while Justiça Ambiental warns of environmental risks in an ecologically sensitive area (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Several fishing villages were resettled about 10 km inland, far from traditional fishing grounds, with NGOs and communities saying livelihoods were harmed and mitigation insufficient (ref 2).","scale":"The documented resettlement and containment concern one coastal site at Afungi and Palma (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Force majeure ran from 2021 to the lifting announced in late 2025, with the full restart on 29 January 2026 and first LNG targeted for 2029 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Two legal proceedings against TotalEnergies are under way in France, including a manslaughter investigation, and the UK withdrew USD 1.15 billion in export finance (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Al Jazeera: TotalEnergies restarted construction of the USD 20bn Mozambique LNG project, designed for more than 13 million tonnes of LNG a year and expected online in 2029."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned LNG output","value":13,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 13 million', per Al Jazeera (ref 1)."},{"name":"Project cost","value":20,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Al Jazeera (ref 1)."},{"name":"Financial losses from the pause","value":4.5,"unit":"USD billion","status":"Reported","note":"Roughly 4.5 billion, per Mongabay and Reuters (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Distance of resettled fishing villages from the coast","value":10,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Several villages resettled about 10 km inland (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["TotalEnergies requested a 10-year extension of the production period, partly to offset about USD 4.5 billion of cost increases (ref 3).","Reuters reports local residents feel cut off from expected economic benefits by the enclave model (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Construction resumed in January 2026 under a closed-enclave security model, with civil society warning of continued displacement and insecurity (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Mozambique LNG (TotalEnergies-led consortium)","role":"Project operator","contact":"https://totalenergies.com/"},{"name":"Government of Mozambique","role":"Licensor and approving authority","contact":"https://www.gov.mz/"}],"public_contact":"TotalEnergies and Government of Mozambique published general channels.","corrective_actions":["TotalEnergies and Mozambique announced full restart of onshore and offshore activities on 29 January 2026 (ref 1).","TotalEnergies says contracts to local companies are expected to exceed USD 4 billion (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"TotalEnergies restarts $20bn LNG project in Mozambique after five-year freeze","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2026-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/29/total-restarts-20bn-lng-project-in-mozambique-after-five-year-freeze","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"TotalEnergies moves to restart Mozambique LNG project despite security, eco concerns","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-11-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/totalenergies-moves-to-restart-mozambique-lng-project-despite-security-eco-concerns/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"FEATURE: Mozambique LNG project risks alienating locals, fuelling insurgency","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-11-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/shipping/tankers/gas/feature-mozambique-lng-project-risks-alienating-locals-fuelling-insurgency","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Palma, Mozambique","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palma,_Mozambique","basis":"Reference page used for town coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No independent count of displaced fishers or the area of sea access restricted was found; the resettlement claim is as reported by Mongabay citing NGOs and communities, and the 2024 to 2026 human rights findings and Coral South FLNG were not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-REGION-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-DPWORLDPORT-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dar es Salaam port congestion eases under DP World concession while sovereignty concerns persist","description":"Tanzania Ports Authority signed a 30-year concession for DP World to operate Dar es Salaam port in October 2023, and DP World took over operations on 15 April 2024. Tanzania's government told Parliament average vessel waiting time fell from 46 days in May 2024 to 7 days in September 2024, while opposition politicians, activists and clerics criticised the deal as a threat to sovereignty and security.","location":{"name":"Port of Dar es Salaam","type":"Container and multipurpose port","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TZ"],"detail":"Tanzania's main seaport on the Indian Ocean coast at Dar es Salaam","coordinates":{"lat":-6.8351,"lon":39.2938,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port capacity, congestion and concession terms are an economic and governance matter for coastal shipping.","secondary_drivers":["Port concession","Cargo congestion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited pages document no pollution, dredging or habitat effect at the port, and neither mentions environmental impact (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Vessel waiting time averaged 46 days in May 2024 before falling to 7 days in September 2024, a shipping delay that affected cargo flows (ref 2).","scale":"The congestion and concession concern a single port (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The delays are documented over May to September 2024 and the concession runs 30 years from October 2023 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The concession is a signed agreement with the Tanzania Ports Authority and the throughput figures were given in a Parliament statement on 1 November 2024 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Citizen: average vessel waiting time fell from 46 days in May 2024 to 7 days in September 2024, and monthly throughput reached about 27,000 TEUs against a previous peak of 15,000."},"measures":[{"name":"Average vessel waiting time","value":7,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"September 2024, down from 46 days in May 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Monthly container throughput","value":27000,"unit":"TEU","status":"Reported","note":"September 2024, against a previous peak of 15,000 (ref 2)."},{"name":"DP World investment commitment","value":250,"unit":"USD million over five years","status":"Reported","note":"The company says initial investment above USD 250 million, possibly rising to USD 1 billion over the concession (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Opposition politicians, activists and clerics criticised the concession over sovereignty and security (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Waiting time and throughput improved between May and September 2024 per the government (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tanzania Ports Authority","role":"Port authority and concession grantor","contact":"https://www.ports.go.tz/"},{"name":"DP World Dar es Salaam","role":"Port operator","contact":"https://www.dpworld.com/"}],"public_contact":"Tanzania Ports Authority and DP World published general channels.","corrective_actions":["DP World took over operations on 15 April 2024 and began equipment and IT upgrades (ref 2).","The government reported reinvesting port revenue in Mtwara's Mgao port and a new oil unloading station (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"DP World signs 30-year concession to operate multi-purpose Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania","publisher":"DP World","date":"2023-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dpworld.com/en/news/dp-world-signs-30-year-concession-to-operate-multi-purpose-dar-es-salaam-port-in-tanzania","basis":"Operator press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tanzania reveals milestones at Dar es Salaam port after partnership with DP World","publisher":"The Citizen","date":"2024-11-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/tanzania-reveals-milestones-at-dar-es-salaam-port-after-partnership-with-dp-world-4809376","basis":"News citing a Parliament statement"},{"ref":3,"title":"Port of Dar es Salaam","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Dar_es_Salaam","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 source on the concession disputes, dredging or environmental assessment was opened; figures are the government's, as reported by The Citizen."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-LITTER-2024"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-ZANZIBAR-SEAWEED-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Zanzibar seaweed farmers report heat-driven losses as yields fall and women turn to sponge farming","description":"Zanzibar has nearly 25,000 seaweed farmers, about 90% of them women, and the Citizen reported in August 2024 that seaweed production fell 47% between 2002 and 2021. A peer-reviewed survey of 183 farmers in Micheweni, Pemba, found average household yields fell from 4,480 kg in 2016 to 2,422 kg in 2020, attributed to heat stress and winds, and AFP reported in November 2025 that some farmers are switching to sponge cultivation.","location":{"name":"Zanzibar seaweed farms, Unguja and Pemba","type":"Seaweed farming coast","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["TZ"],"detail":"Seaweed farms at Jambiani on Unguja's south-east coast and in Micheweni District, Pemba, Zanzibar, Tanzania","coordinates":{"lat":-6.317,"lon":39.55,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":-4.984,"lon":39.755,"precision":"city","source_ref":5,"role":"Micheweni District, Pemba, survey area of ref 3"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Warming seas are damaging a marine crop that supports coastal farming livelihoods.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean warming","Winds","Declining fish stocks"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Farmers say hot temperatures have killed or rotted seaweed, and an AFP report quotes project manager Ali Mahmudi that 'hot temperatures have killed seaweed' (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Seaweed is Zanzibar's third-largest income source for nearly 25,000 farmers, and Micheweni household yields fell from 4,480 kg to 2,422 kg between 2016 and 2020 (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The 47% production decline is reported for Zanzibar as a whole while the yield survey covers two shehias in Pemba (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The Citizen cites a 47% fall between 2002 and 2021, and the declines are still being reported in 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The evidence is a peer-reviewed survey and news reports with no notice, order or listing by an authority (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":25000,"status":"Estimated","note":"'Nearly 25,000' seaweed farmers in Zanzibar, about 90% women (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Citizen: seaweed production in Zanzibar fell 47% between 2002 and 2021; Ghana Journal of Geography: Micheweni household yields fell from 4,480 kg (2016) to 2,422 kg (2020)."},"measures":[{"name":"Zanzibar seaweed production change, 2002 to 2021","value":-47,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by The Citizen (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seaweed farmers in Zanzibar","value":25000,"unit":"farmers","status":"Estimated","note":"'Nearly 25,000', about 90% women (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average household yield, Micheweni (Pemba)","value":2422,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"2020, down from 4,480 kg in 2016, survey of 183 smallholders (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Seaweed farming is Zanzibar's third-largest source of income (ref 1).","More than a quarter of Zanzibar's 1.9 million people live below the poverty line (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Production and household yield declines are reported across 2002 to 2021 and 2016 to 2020, with heat losses still cited in 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Zanzibar Ministry responsible for blue economy and fisheries","role":"Seaweed sector regulator","contact":"https://www.zanzibar.go.tz/"},{"name":"Marine Cultures","role":"Sponge-farming adaptation project in Jambiani","contact":"https://www.marinecultures.org/"}],"public_contact":"Zanzibar government and Marine Cultures published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Marine Cultures runs a sponge-farming cooperative in Jambiani as an alternative livelihood (ref 2).","Farmers are reported moving to deeper water, which strong currents and limited swimming skills make hard (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Rising ocean temperatures challenge women seaweed farmers in Zanzibar","publisher":"The Citizen","date":"2024-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/zanzibar/rising-ocean-temperatures-challenge-women-seaweed-farmers-in-zanzibar-4725312","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Zanzibar women turn to sponge farming as oceans heat up","publisher":"Arab News (AFP)","date":"2025-11-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arabnews.com/node/2622468/world","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Vulnerability of seaweed farmers and adaptation to climate change on Pemba Island, Zanzibar","publisher":"Ghana Journal of Geography, vol. 17 no. 3 (A. O. Mussa)","date":"2025-12-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://journals.ug.edu.gh/index.php/gjg/article/view/5036","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":4,"title":"Jambiani","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambiani","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"Micheweni District","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micheweni_District","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 47% production figure covers 2002 to 2021 for Zanzibar while the yield data cover 2016 to 2020 in two Pemba shehias, so the figures are not directly comparable."}],"missing_fields":["No Zanzibar-wide production figure for 2023 to 2025 and no sea temperature values were in the pages opened (refs 1, 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-REGIONAL-HEATWAVE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-SAYADEMALHA-FISHING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Distant-water fleet fishes the Saya de Malha Bank with little tracking as protection calls continue","description":"The Outlaw Ocean Project reported in March 2025 that more than 200 distant-water vessels, mostly from Sri Lanka and Taiwan, have gathered along the deeper edge of the Saya de Malha Bank between Mauritius and Seychelles, and that virtually no one tracks or polices them. The bank, about 40,000 km2, is described in the reporting as one of the world's largest seagrass meadows and a candidate for protection, while the extent of seagrass there is not settled in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Saya de Malha Bank, Mascarene Plateau","type":"Offshore bank and fishing ground","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MU","SC","ABNJ"],"detail":"Submerged bank on the Mascarene Plateau between Mauritius and Seychelles, largely beyond national jurisdiction","coordinates":{"lat":-10.5,"lon":61.36,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Largely unregulated high-seas fishing pressure on an offshore bank and its seabed habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Distant-water fishing","Weak monitoring on the high seas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Outlaw Ocean Project says the area is being decimated by a multinational fleet, an assertion not backed by a catch or habitat survey in the pages opened (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited articles report no fishery closure or loss of local access linked to the bank (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The reporting concerns one offshore bank of about 40,000 km2 (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The article says the fleet has gathered 'in recent years' and the bank has been the subject of protection calls since at least UNESCO's 2012 candidate listing (ref 1).","significance":"The evidence is investigative journalism and advocacy quotes, including an IUCN official, with no regulatory notice or order (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Outlaw Ocean Project (Maritime Executive): more than 200 distant-water vessels, mostly from Sri Lanka and Taiwan, have gathered along the deeper edge of the bank in recent years."},"measures":[{"name":"Distant-water vessels on the bank","value":200,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 200', mostly Sri Lankan and Taiwanese, per the Outlaw Ocean Project (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bank area","value":40000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"About 40,000 km2 per Monaco Explorations (ref 3); Wikipedia gives 40,808 km2 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only 2025 reporting on fleet presence was opened; no earlier vessel count was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)","role":"Regional fisheries body for non-tuna fisheries","contact":"https://siofa.org/"},{"name":"Government of Mauritius","role":"Administers part of the bank within its EEZ and jointly manages the extended shelf seabed with Seychelles","contact":"https://www.govmu.org/"}],"public_contact":"SIOFA Secretariat and the Governments of Mauritius and Seychelles, published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Monaco Explorations ran a 2022 mission to assess whether the bank needs special protection (ref 3).","Seychelles' climate ambassador and an IUCN official called for protection of the bank's seagrass in the Outlaw Ocean report (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mowing down an ecosystem","publisher":"The Maritime Executive (Ian Urbina, The Outlaw Ocean Project)","date":"2025-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/mowing-down-an-ecosystem","basis":"Investigative journalism"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Saya de Malha Bank, a 'forgotten ecosystem' in need of protection","publisher":"Island Innovation","date":"2025-05-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.islandinnovation.com/news/the-saya-de-malha-bank-a-forgotten-ecosystem-in-need-of-protection","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Protecting Saya de Malha, 'the invisible island' (post of 14 September 2022)","publisher":"Monaco Explorations","date":"2022-09-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.monacoexplorations.org/en/?p=42697","basis":"Expedition page (background, before the window)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Saya de Malha Bank","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saya_de_Malha_Bank","basis":"Reference page used for coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"Carbonate platform drowning caught in the act: the sedimentology of Saya de Malha Bank (Indian Ocean)","publisher":"Sedimentology (via Crossref record)","date":"2022-09-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13032","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (abstract only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Outlaw Ocean report describes one of the world's biggest seagrass meadows (ref 1), while the Wikipedia article for the bank says a recent seafloor survey of the centre and south found no seagrass (ref 4); the Sedimentology abstract describes mesophotic coral and red algal facies and does not address seagrass (ref 5). Seagrass extent is unresolved here."}],"missing_fields":["Bottom trawling on the bank was not documented: the Outlaw Ocean article does not mention trawling and the Wikipedia statement is uncited. No SIOFA measure, vessel flag detail or enforcement record was verified."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-IOTC-YELLOWFIN-2026","OC-WIND-ISA-INDIANOCEANMINING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-ISA-INDIANOCEANMINING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Seabed mining rules and an Indian Ocean environmental plan remain unfinished as India holds three ISA exploration contracts","description":"The International Seabed Authority says India holds three exploration contracts for Indian Ocean marine minerals: polymetallic nodules (2002) and polymetallic sulphides (2016 and 2025). The ISA is developing a Regional Environmental Management Plan for the Indian Ocean, with the draft not yet released, and member states have asked for a roadmap and an advanced negotiating text on exploitation regulations for the first part of the 32nd Session.","location":{"name":"ISA exploration areas in the Indian Ocean","type":"Seabed mineral exploration areas","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND","EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["ABNJ","IN"],"detail":"International seabed area of the central and southwestern Indian Ocean; the pages opened do not name the exact contract areas","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding concerns regulation of seabed mineral exploration and the environmental plan for the Indian Ocean seabed.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed mineral exploration","Pending exploitation regulations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The ISA says its regional environmental plans protect the marine environment and the Indian Ocean plan is still being developed, so only potential harm is indicated (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery, coastal or community disruption is described in the ISA pages opened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The ISA contract regions listed cover one polymetallic nodule contract area and sulphide contract areas in the Central and South West Indian Ridge, a regional rather than basin-wide footprint (ref 3).","duration":"India's nodule contract dates from 2002 and the ISA's Indian Ocean plan is scheduled to finish by 2027 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The ISA lists the contracts and process formally, including a 2025 sulphide contract, with exploitation regulations still unadopted (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ISA: India holds exploration contracts for polymetallic nodules (2002) and polymetallic sulphides (2016 and 2025) in the Indian Ocean; the Indian Ocean environmental management plan is to be completed by 2027."},"measures":[{"name":"Indian exploration contracts in the Indian Ocean","value":3,"unit":"contracts","status":"Reported","note":"Nodules 2002, sulphides 2016 and 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Dated ISA items cover September to October 2026 only."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Seabed Authority","role":"Regulator of seabed mineral activities in the Area","contact":"https://www.isa.org.jm/"},{"name":"Ministry of Earth Sciences (India)","role":"Government sponsor of Indian contracts","contact":"https://www.moes.gov.in/"}],"public_contact":"ISA Secretariat, Kingston, published general channel.","corrective_actions":["ISA ran a training session on Indian Ocean environmental plans in Alexandria on 20 to 25 September 2026, with a workshop planned in Mauritius in April 2027 (ref 2).","Member states asked the Secretariat for a roadmap and an advanced negotiating text on exploitation regulations (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Advancing capacity development and deep-sea science: Madam Secretary-General reflects on her official visit to India","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":"2026-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://isa.org.jm/news/advancing-capacity-development-and-deep-sea-science-madam-secretary-general-reflects-on-her-official-visit-to-india/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"ISA-Egypt Training Session on REMPs for the Indian Ocean concludes in Alexandria","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":"2026-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://isa.org.jm/news/isa-egypt-training-session-on-remps-for-the-indian-ocean-concludes-in-alexandria/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Exploration contracts","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.isa.org.jm/exploration-contracts/","basis":"Agency page (no date shown)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The ISA exploration page says seven sulphide contracts but its regional rows and table total add up to eight."}],"missing_fields":["The exact Indian Ocean contract areas, Germany's and Korea's contracts and any 2024 to 2026 Council decisions on them were not found in the pages opened; whether the areas lie in WIND or EIND is not stated."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-SAYADEMALHA-FISHING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-WIND-SEYCHELLES-MSPAGENCY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Seychelles completes its marine spatial plan but the agency to run it still awaits legislation","description":"The Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative marked the official conclusion of its zoning work and plan on 27 June 2025, and its website states 32.6% of waters, over 441,456 km2, are marine protection areas. Cabinet approved a Seychelles Marine Spatial Planning Agency on 24 December 2025 and authorised drafting of its enabling law, and the Environment Ministry opened a draft Aldabra Group Marine National Park management plan for comment in April 2026.","location":{"name":"Seychelles exclusive economic zone","type":"National marine spatial plan area","sea":"WIND","seas":["WIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["SC"],"detail":"Seychelles EEZ including the Aldabra Group, Amirantes to Fortune Bank, Cosmoledo and Astove, Denis and Farquhar management areas","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Marine zoning and the institution to implement it are a national ocean-governance process.","secondary_drivers":["Marine spatial planning","Protected-area implementation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The GCRMN chapter reports over 95% of Seychelles reefs within protected areas, but it also records 2024 bleaching, and no harm is attributed to the plan itself (refs 4, 5).","livelihoods":"The pages opened describe zoning and management plans without any fishery closure, restriction figure or livelihood impact (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The plan covers the Seychelles EEZ, with 441,456 km2 stated as protected, a national-waters scale (ref 4).","duration":"The plan concluded on 27 June 2025 and the agency's enabling law was still to be drafted after 7 January 2026, with the Aldabra plan under review to 8 May 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"Cabinet approved the SMSP Agency on 24 December 2025 and the Aldabra draft plan went to formal public review (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"SMSP Initiative: 32.6% of Seychelles waters, over 441,456 km2, are marine protection areas; Cabinet approved a Marine Spatial Planning Agency on 24 December 2025."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of Seychelles waters in marine protection areas","value":32.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"As stated on the SMSP Initiative website (ref 4)."},{"name":"Protected sea area","value":441456,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 441,456 km2' (ref 4)."},{"name":"Seychelles coral reefs within protected areas","value":95,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 95%', 18.5% in strict no-take zones (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Plan concluded June 2025, agency approved December 2025, Aldabra plan out for review April 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative","role":"Plan developer and coordinator","contact":"https://seymsp.com/"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources (Seychelles)","role":"Management plan reviewer and manager","contact":"https://www.env.gov.sc/"}],"public_contact":"Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative, published through seymsp.com.","corrective_actions":["Cabinet approved a Seychelles Marine Spatial Planning Agency and began the legislative process on 24 December 2025 (ref 2).","Draft Aldabra Group Marine National Park management plan opened for comment to 8 May 2026 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Livestream SMSP Final Ceremony Fri 27 June","publisher":"Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative","date":"2025-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seymsp.com/news/livestream-smsp-final-ceremony-fri-27-june/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cabinet approved SMSP governance mechanism","publisher":"Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative","date":"2026-01-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seymsp.com/news/cabinet-approved-smsp-governance-mechanism/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Public review of draft Aldabra Group MNP management plan","publisher":"Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative","date":"2026-04-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seymsp.com/news/public-review-of-draft-aldabra-group-mnp-management-plan/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative home page","publisher":"Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seymsp.com/","basis":"Agency page (no date shown)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2025, Chapter 10: Western Indian Ocean","publisher":"GCRMN and ICRI","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcrmn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gcrmn_2025_chapter-10_western-indian-ocean.pdf","basis":"Network report (citation year 2026; no day shown)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (WIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The SMSP site gives 32.6% protected in its statistics while its slide text says 30%; the 32.6% figure is used."}],"missing_fields":["The debt-for-nature conversion terms were not described on the pages opened, and the enabling law's passage was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-WIND-REGION-BLEACHING-2024","OC-WIND-ALDABRA-PLASTIC-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-WACOAST-MARINEHEATWAVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record 2024-25 marine heatwave along more than 1,500 km of Western Australia's coast","description":"The WA Coral Bleaching Group, convened by the Australian Institute of Marine Science, reported that the 2024/25 marine heatwave was the longest, largest and most intense on record for Western Australia. Surface temperatures reached up to 4 degrees C above average and heat stress peaked in December 2024 to January 2025 and again in March to April 2025 before receding in May. Heat stress reached 20 degree heating weeks at central Ningaloo and up to 30 at some Pilbara reefs, with bleaching and mortality following; coral outcomes are covered separately.","location":{"name":"Northwest and west coast of WA (Kimberley to Ningaloo)","type":"Coastal marine heatwave region","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Western Australia, from the Kimberley and Rowley Shoals south through the Pilbara to Ningaloo; heat spread along more than 1,500 km of coastline (ref 1).","coordinates":{"lat":-22.5625,"lon":113.8103,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A prolonged thermal anomaly in coastal waters, with the physical heat event itself as the primary issue.","secondary_drivers":["Climate change","Absence of monsoonal storms and cyclones"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Surveys found coral bleaching and death from medium (11-30%) to extreme (over 90%) across systems up to 1,500 km apart, including 61-90% death at Rowley Shoals' Mermaid and Clerke Reefs in April 2025 (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"The cited sources describe no closure, restriction or advisory tied to the heatwave itself, so no livelihood disruption is scored.","scale":"Heat affected seas along more than 1,500 km of the Western Australian coast, a national coastline rather than a single site (ref 1).","duration":"AIMS partners began monitoring in September 2024 and temperatures only began to recede in May 2025, roughly eight months of heat stress (ref 2).","significance":"Scientists and managers of the WA Coral Bleaching Group formally described it as the longest, largest and most intense on record for the state, but no enforcement or emergency declaration is cited (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Heat stress reached 20 degree heating weeks at central Ningaloo and a maximum of 30 at central Pilbara reefs; 4 DHW is where bleaching is likely (AIMS scientist, The Conversation, 12 Aug 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum heat stress, central Pilbara reefs","value":30,"unit":"degree heating weeks","status":"Reported","note":"January to May 2025 maximum (ref 1)."},{"name":"Heat stress at central Ningaloo","value":20,"unit":"degree heating weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Early estimates; the group's own release says final per-reef figures were still being calculated (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Coastline affected","value":1500,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Heatwave and bleaching spanned more than 1,500 km (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak sea-surface temperature anomaly","value":4,"unit":"degrees C above average","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 4 C above average in places (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The cited sources do not report tourism or fishery losses from the heatwave."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Heat receded from May 2025; the source warns temperatures will keep rising in coming years (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Institute of Marine Science (convener, WA Coral Bleaching Group)","role":"Monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.aims.gov.au"},{"name":"WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions","role":"Marine park manager","contact":"https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au"},{"name":"Bureau of Meteorology","role":"National weather and marine heatwave information","contact":"https://www.bom.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"AIMS general enquiries through the contact page on aims.gov.au","corrective_actions":["The WA Coral Bleaching Group began monitoring in September 2024 and issued a summary newsletter (ref 2).","A Marine Heatwave Symposium at the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre in Perth reviewed findings with researchers and managers, with an open forum to follow (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Safe no more: off-the-charts marine heat has severely damaged Ningaloo and other pristine coral reefs","publisher":"The Conversation (author: AIMS research scientist)","date":"2025-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theconversation.com/safe-no-more-off-the-charts-marine-heat-has-severely-damaged-ningaloo-and-other-pristine-coral-reefs-263028","basis":"News (expert commentary by an AIMS scientist)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Worst Bleaching Event on Record for Western Australian Coral Reefs Following Long-Lasting and Widespread Marine Heatwave","publisher":"Eco Magazine (reprint of AIMS and WA Coral Bleaching Group release)","date":"2025-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecomagazine.com/news/coastal/worst-bleaching-event-on-record-for-western-australian-coral-reefs-following-long-lasting-and-widespread-marine-heatwave/","basis":"News (agency release reprint)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ningaloo Coast (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ningaloo","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Bureau of Meteorology marine heatwave report not opened; AIMS page returned HTTP 503 and was read through its release reprint and author article."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-WA-MASSBLEACHING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-SAGULFS-KARENIABLOOM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Prolonged Karenia algal bloom kills marine life along South Australia's gulf and island coasts","description":"A harmful algal bloom dominated by Karenia species was first detected off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March 2025 during a marine heatwave and had spread across Gulf St Vincent, Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and parts of Spencer Gulf. The SARDI chief said it affected about 30 per cent of the state's coastline; it caused mass deaths of marine life, foam on Adelaide beaches, respiratory irritation and fishing and tourism losses. A government report released in July 2026 concluded that floodwater nutrients, a coastal upwelling and the marine heatwave together created the conditions, and by February 2026 the main activity had moved to south-western Yorke Peninsula.","location":{"name":"Gulf St Vincent, Fleurieu, Yorke and Kangaroo Island coasts","type":"Gulf and coastal bloom region","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"South Australia; Gulf St Vincent, Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and parts of Spencer Gulf and the Eyre Peninsula coast.","coordinates":{"lat":-35,"lon":138,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":7},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A nutrient-fuelled harmful algal bloom in coastal waters, with nutrient input, upwelling and marine heat as drivers.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","River Murray flood nutrients (2022-23)","Coastal upwelling (summer 2023-24)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AAP reported hundreds of reports of marine deaths including sharks, penguins, flathead, squid, crabs and rock lobsters, and OzFish counted more than 200 species killed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Commercial fishing catches dwindled (ref 2) and the SA government has restricted commercial scalefish and blue crab fishing in the Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Island zone from 1 November 2025 and committed 48 million dollars to coastal communities and businesses (ref 3, ref 6).","scale":"SARDI's chief estimated the bloom affected about 30 per cent of the state's coastline, roughly 1,500 km, across two gulfs and several peninsulas (ref 2).","duration":"First detected in March 2025, still present in January 2026 with a hotspot on south-western Yorke Peninsula, and described as lasting over 12 months by July 2026 (refs 3, 5).","significance":"SA Health issued advice for people with asthma, the state and federal governments funded response packages and the SA government released a SARDI peer-reviewed drivers report in July 2026, but no emergency declaration is cited (refs 4, 6)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The bloom had affected about 30 per cent of South Australia's coastline, roughly 1,500 km (SARDI executive director Mike Steer, ABC News, 1 Oct 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bloom area (mid-2025)","value":4400,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"More than 4,400 sq km and as deep as 25 m, close to the size of Kangaroo Island (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastline affected","value":30,"unit":"% of SA coastline","status":"Reported","note":"About 1,500 km, per SARDI (ref 2)."},{"name":"Karenia concentration at West Cape, Yorke Peninsula","value":2500000,"unit":"cells per litre","status":"Reported","note":"Late January 2026; fell to about 400,000 cells per litre days later (ref 3)."},{"name":"Government support for coastal communities and businesses","value":48,"unit":"million AUD","status":"Reported","note":"Stated by the SA Environment Minister in early 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Marine species reported killed","value":200,"unit":"species (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"OzFish count quoted by AAP, July 2025 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["AAP reported fishing and tourism operators significantly affected (ref 1).","A 48 million dollar support package for coastal communities and businesses was cited in 2026 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Karenia had virtually disappeared from metropolitan beaches by February 2026 while a hotspot grew on south-western Yorke Peninsula (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"South Australian Research and Development Institute (PIRSA)","role":"Bloom monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.pir.sa.gov.au"},{"name":"South Australian Government algal bloom response","role":"Response coordination and public information","contact":"https://www.algalbloom.sa.gov.au"},{"name":"SA Health","role":"Public health advice","contact":"https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"South Australian algal bloom information website and hotline (algalbloom.sa.gov.au)","corrective_actions":["SA Government released a SARDI preliminary investigation of bloom drivers in July 2026 and said an Algal Bloom Taskforce will continue research (ref 4).","Additional beach clean-ups and twice-weekly testing were deployed to southern Yorke Peninsula (ref 3).","Temporary fishing restrictions from 1 November 2025 (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Algal bloom turns coast into a 'marine graveyard'","publisher":"AAP News","date":"2025-07-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/algal-bloom-turns-coast-into-a-marine-graveyard","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Algal bloom has left the SA coast in uncharted waters","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2025-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-01/algal-bloom-has-left-the-sa-coast-in-uncharted-waters/105784050","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Algal bloom brings 'sense of grief' to parts of Yorke Peninsula","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-02-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-01/yorke-peninsula-algal-bloom/106277644","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Report reveals what triggered SA's catastrophic algal bloom","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-24/report-into-sa-algal-bloom-crisis/106954524","basis":"News (reporting a SARDI report)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Algae which caused brevetoxins in SA algal bloom most toxic species studied of its kind","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-08/karenia-cristata-most-toxic-algae-sa-algal-bloom/106890474","basis":"News (reporting peer-reviewed research)"},{"ref":6,"title":"2025 algal bloom in South Australia","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_algal_bloom_in_South_Australia","basis":"Reference compilation (status as of February 2026; fishing restrictions)"},{"ref":7,"title":"Gulf St Vincent (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_St_Vincent","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Species composition: early reports named Karenia mikimotoi; later research identified K. cristata as dominant for much of the bloom with other Karenia species present (refs 5, 6)."}],"missing_fields":["The PIRSA fish-stock and bloom pages and the algalbloom.sa.gov.au site returned HTTP 403, so the 1 November 2025 fishing restrictions rest on a Wikipedia summary (ref 6) rather than the primary government notice."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-SA-ALGALBLOOM-FISHERIES-2026","OC-EIND-SA-GIANTCUTTLEFISH-2026","OC-EIND-AUSTRALIA-SEALION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-COLOMBO-XPRESSPEARL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sri Lanka's Supreme Court orders US$1 billion for the X-Press Pearl disaster; first payment not made","description":"The container ship X-Press Pearl burned and sank off Colombo in 2021, releasing an estimated 70 to 75 billion plastic nurdles plus chemicals and bunker oil along Sri Lanka's west coast. On 24 July 2025 the Supreme Court held the owner, operator and local agent jointly liable and ordered an initial US$1 billion in compensation in instalments within a year. X-Press Feeders said it was unable to pay the first US$250 million due on 23 September 2025, and the local agent told the court it lacked the resources.","location":{"name":"Off Colombo and Sri Lanka's west coast","type":"Shipwreck site and polluted coastline","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["LK"],"detail":"Wreck off Colombo; nurdles and chemical contamination reached about 80 km of the west coast initially, spreading to an area about 750 km from Negombo north to Mannar (ref 5). Coordinates are Colombo city.","coordinates":{"lat":6.9344,"lon":79.8428,"precision":"city","source_ref":7},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["plastics-marine-debris","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Release of hazardous chemicals, resins, bunker oil and plastic pellets from a burned and sunk container ship.","secondary_drivers":["Hazardous cargo handling","Port response failures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Court described the environmental impact as immeasurable and found the release of billions of nurdles, hazardous chemicals and bunker oil caused widespread contamination and destroyed marine life (ref 3).","livelihoods":"A year-long fishing ban hit the affected coastline and the Diplomat estimated about 20,000 Negombo-area families abandoned fishing (refs 3, 5).","scale":"Initial contamination covered an 80 km stretch of the west coast, later spreading across about 750 km, a national coastline (ref 5).","duration":"The 2021 spill is still producing contamination and litigation in 2026; beach cleaning in Negombo was continuing four years later (ref 5).","significance":"Supreme Court of Sri Lanka judgment of 24 July 2025 in SC/FR 168/2021 and connected cases ordered US$1 billion, a compensation commission and further investigations (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":20000,"status":"Estimated","note":"Families the Diplomat estimated had abandoned fishing after nurdle pollution and fishing bans around Negombo (ref 5); not a court figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Supreme Court ordered the X-Press Pearl group to pay an initial US$1 billion, with a first US$250 million instalment due by 23 September 2025, which X-Press Feeders said it was unable to pay."},"measures":[{"name":"Compensation ordered (initial)","value":1000000000,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"Supreme Court judgment of 24 July 2025, payable within one year in instalments (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"First instalment due 23 September 2025","value":250000000,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"X-Press Feeders said it was unable to pay at this stage (ref 4); the local agent said it lacked resources (ref 6)."},{"name":"Plastic nurdles released","value":75,"unit":"billion pellets (upper estimate)","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimated 70 to 75 billion; 1,680 tonnes of pellets and 9,700 tonnes of resin (refs 4, 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Court found fishing and tourism losses were caused by the pollution and a year-long fishing ban applied (ref 3).","Compensation unpaid after the first deadline (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Court ordered compensation and a commission in July 2025, but the first instalment went unpaid; a 26 January 2026 hearing reportedly recorded settlement talks via the Attorney General (ref 7)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Supreme Court of Sri Lanka","role":"Court that issued the judgment and oversees compliance","contact":"https://supremecourt.lk"},{"name":"X-Press Feeders","role":"Vessel operator, ordered to pay","contact":"https://www.x-pressfeeders.com"},{"name":"MV X-Press Pearl Compensation Commission (Sri Lanka)","role":"Court-ordered body to assess and quantify losses","contact":"https://supremecourt.lk"}],"public_contact":"Supreme Court of Sri Lanka registry, through supremecourt.lk","corrective_actions":["The Court ordered an MV X-Press Pearl Compensation Commission and a Marine and Coastal Environment Restoration and Protection Committee (ref 1).","The Attorney General was directed to complete criminal investigations within three months and report quarterly (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"X-Press Pearl group ordered to pay US$ 1 billion as compensation for polluting sea off Colombo","publisher":"Counterpoint (Sri Lanka)","date":"2025-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://counterpoint.lk/x-press-pearl-group-ordered-to-pay-us-1-billion-as-compensation-for-polluting-sea-off-colombo/","basis":"News (summary of judgment)"},{"ref":2,"title":"MV X-Press Pearl Marine Environmental Pollution Case, Judgment, SC/FR 168, 176, 184 and 277 of 2021","publisher":"Supreme Court of Sri Lanka","date":"2025-07-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://supremecourt.lk/wp-content/uploads/judgements/sc_fr_168_176_184_277_2021.pdf","basis":"Court record"},{"ref":3,"title":"Supreme Court of Sri Lanka assigns liability for MV X-Press Pearl disaster (Client Alert 2025-206)","publisher":"Reed Smith","date":"2025-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.reedsmith.com/articles/supreme-court-of-sri-lanka-assigns-liability-mv-x-press-pearl-disaster/","basis":"Law firm analysis of the judgment"},{"ref":4,"title":"X-Press Feeders Declines to Pay Sri Lankan Court Judgment","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/x-press-feeders-declines-to-pay-sri-lankan-court-judgment","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"4 Years After Sri Lanka's Worst Environmental Disaster, South Asia's Coasts Reel from a New Spill","publisher":"The Diplomat","date":"2025-10-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thediplomat.com/2025/10/4-years-after-sri-lankas-worst-environmental-disaster-south-asias-coasts-reel-from-a-new-spill/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"X-Press Pearl: Local agent tells SC it lacks resources for first tranche payment","publisher":"Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)","date":"2025-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailymirror.lk/front-page/X-Press-Pearl-Local-agent-tells-SC-it-lacks-resources-for-first-tranche-payment/238-320577","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"MV X-Press Pearl","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_X-Press_Pearl","basis":"Reference compilation (26 January 2026 hearing; September 2026 commentary)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Colombo (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":9,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Nurdle estimate: 70 to 75 billion (Diplomat, Counterpoint) versus 'an estimated 75 billion' (Reed Smith)."}],"missing_fields":["No Singapore court ruling or 2024-2026 beach contamination survey specific to the X-Press Pearl was found in opened pages; the outcome of the 26 January 2026 Supreme Court hearing rests on a Wikipedia summary (ref 7) only.","Wreck coordinates not taken from a public source; city coordinates used."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-LKWEST-NURDLESURVEY-2025","OC-EIND-LKWEST-COASTEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-MALDIVES-RECLAMATION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Maldives reclamation boom: over 4,000 hectares of new land raises reef and flooding concerns","description":"A peer-reviewed study published in May 2026 mapped 109 community land reclamation projects on inhabited Maldivian islands between 2000 and 2024, adding at least 4,198 hectares, with a peak of 25 projects started in 2023. Reclamation is promoted as protection against sea-level rise, but the study and earlier reporting say it disrupts reef systems and sediment flows and can raise wave energy, erosion and flood exposure. Human Rights Watch, quoted in 2023, said projects were often rushed and cited buried mangroves and damaged reefs at Addu.","location":{"name":"Hulhumalé and inhabited islands, Maldives","type":"Atoll reclamation and artificial island coast","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MV"],"detail":"Maldives; 109 projects on inhabited islands, 71% of reclaimed land in the Central Region and over half in Kaafu Atoll, including Hulhumalé (ref 1). Coordinates are Hulhumalé.","coordinates":{"lat":4.2167,"lon":73.5333,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal adaptation to sea-level rise that may itself raise flooding and erosion risk.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Land scarcity","Dredging and reclamation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Human Rights Watch, quoted by AFP, said 70 per cent of mangroves on Kulhudhuffushi were buried by an airport reclamation and a project at Addu damaged coral reefs (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The same AFP report said the Addu reclamation damaged coral reefs that fishermen depended on, and local critics say the new land has not met economic needs (refs 2, 3).","scale":"Projects span the national archipelago, with 109 projects across inhabited islands and 4,198 hectares reclaimed (ref 1).","duration":"Reclamation has been continuous since 2000 and 19 projects were still ongoing when the study was compiled (ref 1).","significance":"Human Rights Watch published a formal report criticising unenforced environmental rules, and a peer-reviewed national assessment followed, but no enforcement action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":100000,"status":"Reported","note":"About 100,000 people live on reclaimed Hulhumalé (ref 2); not a count of people harmed."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At least 4,198 hectares reclaimed across 109 projects on inhabited islands between 2000 and 2024, a conservative estimate (MJET, 28 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reclamation projects on inhabited islands, 2000-2024","value":109,"unit":"projects","status":"Reported","note":"85 completed, 19 ongoing, 5 proposed (ref 1)."},{"name":"Land reclaimed, 2000-2024","value":4198,"unit":"hectares (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Conservative because area data are missing for some projects (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projects initiated in 2023","value":25,"unit":"projects","status":"Reported","note":"Peak year (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of land below one metre above sea level","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Figure quoted by AFP (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Tourism accounts for almost one-third of the economy per the World Bank, quoted by AFP (ref 2).","Critics say new land is underused (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Reclamation rose sharply after 2010 with a 2023 peak (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology (Maldives)","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://environment.gov.mv"},{"name":"Environmental Protection Agency (Maldives)","role":"Environmental impact assessment and enforcement","contact":"https://epa.gov.mv"}],"public_contact":"Environmental Protection Agency Maldives, through epa.gov.mv","corrective_actions":["The authors call for recalibrating reclamation policy and a national planning framework (ref 1).","Guidelines for climate-resilient coastal protection exist but are non-binding (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Land Reclamation in the Maldives: Trends and Impacts from 2000 to 2024","publisher":"Maldives Journal of Engineering and Technology","date":"2026-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mjet.mnu.edu.mv/mjet/article/download/28/47/92","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Maldives to battle rising seas by building 'fortress islands'","publisher":"Mail & Guardian (AFP)","date":"2023-11-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mg.co.za/news/international/2023-11-21-maldives-to-battle-rising-seas-by-building-fortress-islands/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Maldives' race to expand land raises environmental and social concerns","publisher":"Environmental Health News (summary of Pulitzer Center and Nature reporting)","date":"2024-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ehn.org/maldives-race-to-expand-land-raises-environmental-and-social-concerns","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Hulhumalé (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulhumal%C3%A9","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024-2026 reclamation permit decisions or reef sediment monitoring data found in opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-MALDIVES-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-LKWEST-COASTEROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coastal erosion eats Sri Lanka's west and south coast, from Colombo to Kalutara","description":"Sri Lanka's Coast Conservation Department told The Morning in September 2025 that more than 30 acres of land had been lost around Kalutara, with the worst west-coast erosion at Abrew Road and Waskaduwa, and Colombo's Kinross Club damaged. Civil society links the sand loss partly to Colombo Port City dredging and beachfront construction; the department names no single cause. The department said it would spend Rs 303.5 million on protective structures in 2025.","location":{"name":"Colombo, Kalutara and Galle coasts, Sri Lanka","type":"Eroding sandy coastline","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["LK"],"detail":"Sri Lanka west and south coast; Wellawatte, Moratuwa, Kalutara and Galle area beaches named in the cited reports.","coordinates":{"lat":6.8747,"lon":79.8605,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[{"name":"Kalutara","lat":6.5869,"lon":79.9603,"precision":"city","source_ref":4,"role":"Worst west-coast erosion (Abrew Road, Waskaduwa)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Shoreline retreat from waves, storms, sea level and coastal works.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal construction","Sand dredging","Monsoon storms","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Coast Conservation Department calculated over 30 acres of land lost in the Kalutara area, partly from river-mouth flooding, and the Kinross Club boundary collapsed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Low-income communities at Moratuwa live at the edge of the sea fearing loss of homes and tourism beaches are threatened, but no closure or displacement is documented (ref 1).","scale":"Erosion is reported across the west, south, east and north-west coasts of the country (ref 1).","duration":"Colombo beach sand has been washing away and not replenishing since 2020, and Kalutara outlet eroded about 30 m from 2017 to 2023 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Coast Conservation Department has officially assessed and budgeted protective structures, a formal agency response without enforcement or an emergency order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Over 30 acres of land lost in the Kalutara area, including some river-mouth flood loss (Coast Conservation Department engineer, The Morning, 21 Sep 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Land lost, Kalutara area","value":30,"unit":"acres (over)","status":"Reported","note":"Includes land washed away near the river mouth in heavy flooding (ref 1)."},{"name":"Kalutara shoreline change, 2005-2019","value":-1.21,"unit":"m per year","status":"Reported","note":"Study figure quoted in a fact-check explainer (ref 2)."},{"name":"Protective structures budget, 2025","value":303.5,"unit":"million Sri Lankan rupees","status":"Reported","note":"Stated by the Coast Conservation Department (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cost of nourishing a 2-3 km beach","value":1,"unit":"billion Sri Lankan rupees (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Department estimate; large nourishment has not been done recently (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Galle tourist beaches are said to be threatened by proposed port wave breakers (ref 1).","Historic and club venues such as Kinross Club are damaged (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The Morning calls erosion a growing socio-economic crisis and reports sand not replenishing since 2020 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department (Sri Lanka)","role":"Coastal protection agency","contact":"https://www.coastal.gov.lk"}],"public_contact":"Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department, through coastal.gov.lk","corrective_actions":["Groynes on the east coast, structures at Marawila and Abrew Road in Kalutara started in 2025 (ref 1).","Revetments planned for Kinross Club, with sandbags in place until funds are released (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Coastal erosion: Serious impact on SL's coastline","publisher":"The Morning (Sri Lanka)","date":"2025-09-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.themorning.lk/articles/72o2iFFZkiA1NOoDcOZH","basis":"News (agency officials and NGO interviews)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sri Lanka's Disappearing Shores: How Climate Change is Accelerating Coastal Erosion","publisher":"Climate Fact Checks","date":"2025-03-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climatefactchecks.org/sri-lankas-disappearing-shores-how-climate-change-is-accelerating-coastal-erosion/","basis":"Explainer citing peer-reviewed studies and department records"},{"ref":3,"title":"Wellawatte (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellawatte","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kalutara (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalutara","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Port City's role: an NGO coordinator says there is some truth to the concern while naming other causes; the department attributes erosion to no single source (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No 2024-2026 Galle or Hikkaduwa-specific official erosion report was opened; Galle and Hikkaduwa details come from the explainer only (ref 2, no rate given)."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-COLOMBO-XPRESSPEARL-2025","OC-EIND-SRILANKA-BLUEWHALE-SHIPSTRIKE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-COCOS-PLASTICDEBRIS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic debris keeps washing onto Cocos (Keeling) Islands beaches","description":"A 2019 study estimated 414 million plastic items weighing 238 tonnes on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Sea Shepherd Australia's 2024 clean-up, its fifth consecutive year, removed 9.3 tonnes from about 10 km of coastline on five islands, including more than 700,000 pieces of lightweight plastic and 2.7 tonnes of ghost gear. Sea Shepherd said the islands burn waste openly because of biosecurity rules and shipping costs.","location":{"name":"Cocos (Keeling) Islands beaches","type":"Remote atoll beach system","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["CC"],"detail":"Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean; Home, West, South, Horsburgh and Direction Islands cleaned in 2024 (ref 1).","coordinates":{"lat":-12.1175,"lon":96.895,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Accumulation of ocean-borne plastic on a marine park's beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean currents","Single-use plastic","Lost fishing gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The 2019 survey estimated 414 million items and 238 tonnes of plastic with about 93% buried to 10 cm, and Sea Shepherd found hermit crabs using plastic lids as shells and wildlife trapped in containers (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no beach closure or fishery disruption; tourism is the islands' main income source but no loss is documented (ref 2).","scale":"The pollution is concentrated on a small island group, scored as a single site rather than a regional sea (ref 2).","duration":"Sea Shepherd has returned five consecutive years since 2020 and removed over 49 tonnes, showing chronic recurrence (ref 1).","significance":"Evidence is a 2019 scientific study and an NGO clean-up report; no notice, listing or order is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"9.3 tonnes of trash removed over about 10 km of coastline across five islands in 2024, with over 700,000 pieces in 1,132 bags (Sea Shepherd Australia, 19 Feb 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Trash removed in 2024 clean-up","value":9.3,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Over 2 weeks, about 10 km of coastline (ref 1)."},{"name":"Plastic removed since 2020","value":49,"unit":"tonnes (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Five years of Sea Shepherd clean-ups (ref 1)."},{"name":"Plastic on the islands (2019 estimate)","value":238,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"414 million items; extrapolated from seven of 27 islands (ref 2)."},{"name":"Ghost fishing gear and rope removed (2024)","value":2.7,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Used for local art projects (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Tourism is the islands' primary source of income (ref 2, 2019)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sea Shepherd reported a significant increase in the density of plastic drink cups in 2024, but no like-for-like multi-year totals were found (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Parks Australia (Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park)","role":"Marine park manager","contact":"https://www.parksaustralia.gov.au"}],"public_contact":"Parks Australia general enquiries via parksaustralia.gov.au","corrective_actions":["Annual Sea Shepherd clean-ups since 2020 with community volunteers and Junior Marine Rangers (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Confronting Marine Plastic Pollution in a Protected Paradise: Cocos Trash Bash 2024","publisher":"Sea Shepherd Australia","date":"2025-02-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.seashepherd.org.au/latest-news/cocos-trash-bash-24/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Indian Ocean island group chokes on 238 tonnes of plastic waste","publisher":"Down To Earth (reporting a Scientific Reports study)","date":"2019-05-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/indian-ocean-island-group-chokes-on-238-tonnes-of-plastic-waste-64601","basis":"News (2019 baseline, unresolved in window)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cocos (Keeling) Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2019 Scientific Reports paper itself was not opened; its figures come from the Down To Earth report.","No 2025-2026 survey found in opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-LKWEST-NURDLESURVEY-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-LKWEST-NURDLESURVEY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic pellets found on all nine surveyed Sri Lankan west-coast beaches in 2025","description":"A survey of nine west-coast beaches over 13 weeks from July to September 2025, presented in June 2026, found nurdles at every site, from about 15 to more than 3,000 per standardised search. The authors could not attribute the pellets to the May 2025 MSC Elsa 3 sinking off Kerala because no pre-spill baseline exists, and older X-Press Pearl pellets may be resurfacing. Environmental groups told The Diplomat that nurdles believed to come from the MSC Elsa were also reaching Sri Lanka's north and west coasts.","location":{"name":"West coast beaches, Negombo to Colombo","type":"Sandy beach survey sites","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["LK"],"detail":"Nine unnamed Sri Lankan west-coast beaches (ref 1); Sarakkuwa beach in Negombo is named as a nurdle site by The Diplomat (ref 2). Coordinates are Negombo.","coordinates":{"lat":7.2111,"lon":79.8386,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic pellet contamination of beaches from ship spills and legacy pollution.","secondary_drivers":["Container ship spills","Legacy X-Press Pearl pellets","Land-based plastic waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Nurdles were found at all nine surveyed beaches with some sites exceeding 3,000 pellets per search; the authors call the study preliminary (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Signs in Sinhala and Tamil warn people against handling debris on Sarakkuwa beach and women clean beaches daily, an advisory but no recorded closure (ref 2).","scale":"The nine beaches span the western coastline of the country (ref 1).","duration":"Nurdles have been found on Sri Lankan beaches continuously since the 2021 X-Press Pearl spill and weekly counts in 2025 kept fluctuating (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The evidence is a conference-presented preliminary assessment and news reports, with no regulatory notice or order cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nurdles were found at all nine surveyed west-coast beaches, with weekly totals from 2,085 to over 15,000 (Lanka News Web, 3 Jul 2026, reporting a conference study)."},"measures":[{"name":"Beaches surveyed with nurdles present","value":9,"unit":"of 9 beaches","status":"Reported","note":"13-week survey, July to September 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Highest nurdle count at a beach in a standardised search","value":3000,"unit":"pellets (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Lowest was about 15 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Weekly total across all sites","value":15000,"unit":"pellets (peak, over)","status":"Reported","note":"Weekly range from 2,085 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing communities near Negombo were previously hit by X-Press Pearl pollution (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Counts rose and fell weekly, read by the authors as ongoing redistribution (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Marine Environment Protection Authority (Sri Lanka)","role":"Statutory marine pollution authority","contact":"https://www.mepa.gov.lk"}],"public_contact":"Marine Environment Protection Authority, through mepa.gov.lk","corrective_actions":["The authors recommend long-term monitoring, source tracking and baseline datasets (ref 1).","Sri Lanka has urged the IMO to classify nurdles as hazardous under the Dangerous Goods Code (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"New nurdle survey highlights challenges in linking coastal pollution to MSC ELSA 3 spill","publisher":"Lanka News Web","date":"2026-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://lankanewsweb.net/archives/228903/new-nurdle-survey-highlights-challenges-in-linking-coastal-pollution-to-msc-elsa-3-spill/","basis":"News (reporting a conference study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"4 Years After Sri Lanka's Worst Environmental Disaster, South Asia's Coasts Reel from a New Spill","publisher":"The Diplomat","date":"2025-10-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thediplomat.com/2025/10/4-years-after-sri-lankas-worst-environmental-disaster-south-asias-coasts-reel-from-a-new-spill/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Negombo (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negombo","basis":"Reference page (place coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Origin of pellets: the survey authors do not attribute them to MSC Elsa 3, while environmental groups quoted by The Diplomat say MSC Elsa pellets are reaching Sri Lanka."}],"missing_fields":["Survey page was read through WebFetch only; the conference paper was not opened.","Beach names not given for the nine survey sites."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-COLOMBO-XPRESSPEARL-2025","OC-EIND-COCOS-PLASTICDEBRIS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-WA-MASSBLEACHING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record marine heatwave bleaches and kills corals along 1,500 km of Western Australia's reefs, including Ningaloo and the Rowley Shoals","description":"The Western Australian Government's conservation department (DBCA) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) report high levels of coral bleaching and mortality across the north-west atolls, Kimberley, Pilbara and northern Gascoyne coasts after a marine heatwave that began around December 2024. AIMS describes it as the longest, largest and most intense marine heatwave on record for the state, and DBCA says follow-up surveys continue through 2025 and into 2026 to establish the full impact.","location":{"name":"WA north-west reefs: Ningaloo to the Kimberley","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Western Australia: Ningaloo Marine Park, Exmouth Gulf, Montebello and Barrow Islands, Dampier Archipelago, Rowley Shoals, Kimberley coast","coordinates":{"lat":-22,"lon":113.95,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":-21.9,"lon":113.97,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"Ningaloo Reef, Tantabiddi area (AIMS May 2025 surveys)"},{"lat":-17.3,"lon":119.35,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"Rowley Shoals, Mermaid and Clerke Reefs (61-90% mortality at monitored sites)"},{"lat":-20.4,"lon":115.55,"precision":"site","source_ref":1,"role":"Montebello Islands Marine Park (60% decline in coral cover since 2022)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss on reefs driven by prolonged marine heatwave heat stress.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Global coral bleaching event"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"DBCA reported a 60 per cent decline in coral cover at long-term sites in the Montebello and Barrow Islands reserves and very high mortality at shallow Dampier Archipelago sites (ref 1); AIMS-reported mortality of 61-90 per cent at the Rowley Shoals monitored sites (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction is documented in the cited pages; a Exmouth glass-bottom boat operator said the loss of about 90 per cent of coral in some patches had potential to affect his business (ref 3), so this is scored 0 pending evidence of an actual restriction.","scale":"Bleaching and mortality were reported along a 1,500 km stretch of the WA coast (refs 3, 4), a national coastline rather than a single reef.","duration":"Heat stress ran from about December 2024 (ref 2) and DBCA still described high bleaching and mortality almost 12 months later, with surveys planned through 2026 (ref 1); AIMS estimated reefs may need 10-15 years to recover (ref 4).","significance":"DBCA and AIMS published formal monitoring findings and the AIMS-led WA Coral Bleaching Group documented the event as the worst on record for the state (refs 1, 3); no enforcement or treaty action applies."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"AIMS: the 2024-25 marine heatwave was the longest, largest and most intense on record for WA, with bleaching and mortality reported across a 1,500 km area (ABC, 12 Aug 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Reef area with greater than 60% bleaching in aerial surveys of inshore Kimberley","value":null,"unit":"","status":"Not reported","note":"DBCA reports greater than 60% bleaching across more than half of observed reef sites; no single area figure (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral cover decline at Montebello and Barrow Islands long-term sites since 2022","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"DBCA, 12 Aug 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral mortality, Rowley Shoals monitored sites (upper bound)","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"AIMS range 61-90% at Mermaid and Clerke Reefs, April 2025 surveys, as reported by Down To Earth (ref 4) and ABC (ref 3)."},{"name":"Estimated heat stress at some Pilbara reefs","value":30,"unit":"degree heating weeks","status":"Estimated","note":"AIMS early estimate of up to 30 DHW at some Pilbara reefs against about 8 DHW generally severe enough to cause mortality (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Exmouth tour operator said patches had lost about 90% of coral and the loss could affect a business built on viewing coral and fish (ref 3).","DBCA said it is engaging closely with tourism operators (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Surveys to November 2025 and 2026 will define mortality; AIMS said full impacts were not yet quantified (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Western Australia","role":"Marine park manager and monitoring lead","contact":"https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Australian Institute of Marine Science / WA Coral Bleaching Group","role":"Reef monitoring and science","contact":"https://www.aims.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"DBCA general enquiries via dbca.wa.gov.au; members of the public can report bleaching through AIMS's field app (ref 2).","corrective_actions":["DBCA rolled out rapid in-water surveys at priority sites and aerial surveys with Traditional Owners (ref 2).","DBCA and collaborators continue in-water, drone, aerial and logger monitoring into 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Latest monitoring reveals scale of impacts on WA coral","publisher":"Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA)","date":"2025-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/news/2025/latest-monitoring-reveals-scale-impacts-wa-coral","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Update on marine heatwave monitoring along the WA coast","publisher":"Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA)","date":"2025-03-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/news/2025/update-marine-heatwave-monitoring-along-wa-coast","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Western Australia's 'catastrophic' bleaching event leaves parts of the spectacular Ningaloo Reef white and grey","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2025-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-12/ningaloo-western-australia-catastrophic-bleaching-event/105620504","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Marine Heatwave Impact: Western Australia Faces Record Coral Bleaching Crisis","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2025-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/western-australia-records-longest-largest-and-most-intense-coral-bleaching-and-mortality-on-record","basis":"News (reports the AIMS release of 12 Aug 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The AIMS media release itself could not be opened; AIMS figures are cited through ABC and Down To Earth. Later (October 2025) AIMS resurvey mortality figures were not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-WACOAST-MARINEHEATWAVE-2025","OC-EIND-SCOTTREEF-BROWSE-2025","OC-EIND-EXMOUTHGULF-GATEWAYMARINE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-MALDIVES-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Maldives suspends coastal dredging during 2024 coral bleaching; central atoll reefs show uneven recovery in 2025 survey","description":"The Maldives Marine Research Institute reported localised bleaching in March 2024 and the Environmental Protection Agency suspended major coastal development, such as dredging and reclamation, over the bleaching window. A Reef Check partner report on October 2025 surveys in Ari, South Male and Vaavu atolls says the archipelago escaped a mass bleaching event in 2025 after severe thermal stress in 2024 but shows uneven recovery, with inner lagoon reefs recovering more slowly than outer slopes.","location":{"name":"Central Maldives atolls (Ari, South Male, Vaavu)","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["MV"],"detail":"Republic of Maldives, central atolls of the Laccadive Sea and northern Indian Ocean","coordinates":{"lat":4.18,"lon":73.51,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Thermal-stress damage and slow recovery of reef habitat, compounded by coastal dredging.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Coastal dredging and reclamation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Biosphere Expeditions report on October 2025 surveys describes stunted recovery on inner lagoonal reefs after the 2024 thermal stress (ref 3); no mortality percentage was opened, so harm is scored as limited.","livelihoods":"The EPA ordered a temporary halt to dredging, reclamation, beach nourishment, sand pumping and cable laying on reefs during the bleaching window (ref 1), a restriction on coastal developers.","scale":"The EPA order applied to all major coastal development nationwide and the survey covers three central atolls (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Localised bleaching was reported from 17 March 2024 (ref 2) and the October 2025 survey still found uneven recovery (ref 3), spanning more than a year.","significance":"The EPA issued a formal order suspending activity under EIA and dredging permits (ref 1); a related headline on the same page reports the measures were later lifted."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The EPA projected the 2024 bleaching window for the Maldives from March until the end of June, peaking early May to early June, and suspended major coastal development activities (Edition.mv, 10 May 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch alert level cited by the EPA, May 2024","value":1,"unit":"alert level","status":"Reported","note":"Maldives at Alert Level 1 (risk of reef-wide bleaching) when the EPA acted (ref 1); level 2 indicates mortality risk."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The biodiversity sector is stated to contribute 71% of national employment and 89% of GDP in the 2016 State of the Environment Report, as quoted by an NGO statement (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Survey authors warn an approaching El Nino could add thermal stress (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Agency, Maldives","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://edition.mv/"},{"name":"Maldives Marine Research Institute","role":"Marine research and bleaching alerts","contact":"https://edition.mv/"}],"public_contact":"Maldives EPA and Maldives Marine Research Institute public channels (no contact page opened).","corrective_actions":["EPA suspended major coastal development over the 2024 bleaching window (ref 1).","Biosphere Expeditions calls for enforced dredging licence conditions, sustainable fisheries management and expanded marine protected areas (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EPA orders temporary halt on dredging and reclamation","publisher":"Edition.mv","date":"2024-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://edition.mv/eu/33343","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"CORAL BLEACHING ALERT: Government Must Stop All Marine Dredging","publisher":"Save Maldives (press statement)","date":"2024-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://savemaldives.net/?p=2541","basis":"NGO statement quoting the Maldives Marine Research Institute"},{"ref":3,"title":"Maldives Reefs Under Threat, Biosphere Expeditions Report Confirms","publisher":"Reef Check","date":"2026-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.reefcheck.org/maldives-reefs-under-threat-biosphere-expeditions-report-confirms/","basis":"NGO report summary"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Coral cover and mortality percentages for the 2024 event were not found in an opened page.","The date and terms of the lifting of the 2024 suspension are known only from a related-story headline."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-MALDIVES-RECLAMATION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-SCOTTREEF-BROWSE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Woodside's Browse gas development near Scott Reef remains in WA and federal environmental assessment after the 2025 amended proposal","description":"Woodside Energy's proposed Browse development would drill for gas in the Torosa reservoir, about 425 km north of Broome, around Scott Reef. The WA Environmental Protection Authority has assessed the state-waters component since 2019, accepted an amended proposal in August 2025 after more than 17,700 submissions, and has yet to publish its recommendation in the sources reviewed. Conservation groups say the plans still risk spills, seismic noise and harm to pygmy blue whales and green turtles; Woodside says it continues to work with regulators.","location":{"name":"Scott Reef and the Browse Basin, Kimberley offshore","type":"Offshore gas development area","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Western Australian state waters and Commonwealth waters, Browse Basin, about 425 km north of Broome","coordinates":{"lat":-14.05,"lon":121.8,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed offshore gas development under regulatory assessment near a sensitive oceanic reef.","secondary_drivers":["Seismic and drilling noise","Oil spill risk","Seabed subsidence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No harm has occurred; the EPA accepted amendments including excluding drill centres within 20 km of Sandy Islet, while submitters raised unproven well-control technology and impacts on green turtles and pygmy blue whales (ref 1), so the harm is potential.","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism restriction is documented in the cited sources; the proposal is not yet approved.","scale":"The development envelope is centred on Scott Reef, a single reef system (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The state-waters component has been under EPA assessment since 2019 and the amended proposal was still before the EPA in February 2026 (refs 1, 5).","significance":"The EPA took the unusual step of public consultation on the amendment and then formally accepted it on 21 August 2025 (refs 1, 2); the Commonwealth is assessing a larger version under the EPBC Act (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The EPA received more than 17,700 submissions on Woodside's May 2025 Browse amendment before accepting it on 21 August 2025 (EPA)."},"measures":[{"name":"Submissions on the 2025 amendment","value":17700,"unit":"submissions","status":"Reported","note":"EPA states more than 17,700 submissions (ref 1)."},{"name":"Exclusion of drill centres around Sandy Islet","value":20,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Accepted amendment excludes drill centres within 20 km of Sandy Islet (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["AAP reporting describes a proposed $30 billion-plus development and Australia's largest untapped offshore gas resource (ref 3).","Woodside says Browse could address a forecast domestic gas shortfall from the early 2030s (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A recommendation was expected by end 2025 (ref 2) but, as of the February 2026 source (ref 5), had not been published."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia)","role":"State environmental assessor","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Commonwealth)","role":"Federal EPBC assessor","contact":"https://www.dcceew.gov.au/"},{"name":"Woodside Energy","role":"Proponent","contact":"https://www.woodside.com/"}],"public_contact":"EPA Western Australia media contact is listed on epa.wa.gov.au; submissions are made through the EPA Consultation Hub.","corrective_actions":["EPA opened an unusual four-week public review of the amendment (12 May to 10 June 2025) (ref 2).","Woodside's amendment removes overlap with Scott Reef shallow-water habitats and Sandy Islet and bans night-time flaring at drilling units (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EPA to proceed with assessment of amended Browse proposal","publisher":"Environmental Protection Authority (WA)","date":"2025-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/media-statements/epa-proceed-assessment-amended-browse-proposal","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"EPA seeks additional public comment on Browse to NW Shelf proposal","publisher":"Environmental Protection Authority (WA)","date":"2025-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/media-statements/epa-seeks-additional-public-comment-browse-nw-shelf-proposal","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Woodside wrestles with EPA after reports it has rejected biggest new gas field in Australia","publisher":"RenewEconomy (AAP)","date":"2024-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://reneweconomy.com.au/woodside-wrestles-with-epa-after-reports-it-has-rejected-biggest-new-gas-field-in-australia/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Woodside revisits Browse environment proposal","publisher":"Daily Commercial News","date":"2025-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedcn.com.au/news/woodside-revisits-browse-environment-proposal","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Woodside's North West Shelf scandal a warning sign ahead of Browse approvals","publisher":"Greenpeace Australia Pacific","date":"2026-02-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org.au/news/woodsides-north-west-shelf-scandal-a-warning-sign-ahead-of-browse-approvals/","basis":"Advocacy group statement"},{"ref":6,"title":"Deeply disappointing: WA EPA will not assess risky carbon dumping in Browse Basin","publisher":"Greenpeace Australia Pacific","date":"2025-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org.au/news/deeply-disappointing-wa-epa-will-not-assess-risky-carbon-dumping-in-browse-basin/","basis":"Advocacy group statement"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"A 2025 student-newspaper account places Scott Reef about 270 km north-west of Broome, whereas the EPA states the Browse resource is about 425 km north of Broome; the EPA figure is used."}],"missing_fields":["The EPA's final report and recommendation, if issued after February 2026, was not found.","The reported 2024 EPA view that the original proposal had unacceptable impacts is from press reports (ref 3), not an EPA document opened here."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-WA-MASSBLEACHING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-WACOAST-DEMERSAL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Western Australia closes West Coast demersal fishing to commercial fishers and bans recreational boat fishing for dhufish and snapper to 2027","description":"After stock assessments showed several demersal species including WA dhufish under severe threat, the State Government announced in December 2025 that the West Coast bioregion (Kalbarri to Augusta) will not reopen to boat-based recreational demersal fishing until spring 2027 and is permanently closed to commercial demersal fishing from 1 January 2026, with a licence buyback. Other regions get catch reductions and new limits under a $29.2 million package.","location":{"name":"West Coast bioregion, Kalbarri to Augusta","type":"Fishery management region","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Western Australia West Coast bioregion including Perth metropolitan waters; reforms also cover Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne and South Coast","coordinates":{"lat":-31.95,"lon":115.4,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Depleted demersal fish stocks managed through closures and quota cuts.","secondary_drivers":["Recreational and commercial fishing pressure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Government states the latest stock assessments show dhufish and other demersals under severe threat (ref 1); stock-level figures were not opened, so harm is scored as limited rather than documented.","livelihoods":"The West Coast zone is permanently closed to commercial demersal fishing from 1 January 2026 with a compulsory licence buyback, a loss of a fishery (refs 1, 3), plus a Perth metropolitan charter closure.","scale":"Measures span West Coast closures and 50 per cent commercial catch cuts in the Kimberley, Pilbara and South Coast (ref 3), a state-wide coastline.","duration":"The boat-based recreational closure runs 21 months to a September 2027 reopening and the commercial closure is permanent (refs 1, 2); recovery is described as decades-long (ref 3).","significance":"A legal instrument, the Prohibition on Fishing for Demersal Scalefish Order 2025, and a Government reform package with $29.2 million funding were issued (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"West Coast boat-based recreational demersal fishing is prohibited until spring 2027 and commercial demersal fishing is permanently closed from 1 January 2026 (WA Government, DPIRD)."},"measures":[{"name":"Recovery closure for West Coast boat-based recreational fishing","value":21,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"WA Government statement, 3 Dec 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Package to support recovery","value":29.2,"unit":"A$ million","status":"Reported","note":"Includes $3.3 million tackle shop rebates (ref 1)."},{"name":"Commercial catch reduction in Kimberley, Pilbara and South Coast","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Recfishwest summary of the Government decision (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Compulsory buyback of West Coast commercial demersal licences under a $20 million scheme (ref 3).","Perth metropolitan demersal charter fishing closed until September 2027 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A ministerial advisory committee meets from February 2026 to May 2027 to advise on spawning closures and sanctuary zones (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/"},{"name":"West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource Ministerial Advisory Committee","role":"Advisory body","contact":"https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"DPIRD general enquiries via dpird.wa.gov.au.","corrective_actions":["Recovery closure and exclusive recreational zone from September 2027 (ref 1).","Real-time demersal catch reporting and revised bag limits from 2026; new limits on the North, Gascoyne and South Coast from 1 June 2026 (refs 1, 2).","$3.3 million tackle shop rebate to encourage fishing for other species (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State-wide reforms to protect fish for future generations","publisher":"Government of Western Australia","date":"2025-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Cook%20Labor%20Government/State-wide-reforms-to-protect-fish-for-future-generations-20251203","basis":"Government media statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"Demersal information for recreational fishers","publisher":"Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/individuals/recreational-fishing/west-coast-demersal-scalefish--information-for-recreational-fishers","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Statewide Demersal Scalefish","publisher":"Recfishwest","date":"2026-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://recfishwest.org.au/key-issues/state-wide-demersal-scalefish/","basis":"Peak recreational fishing body"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":8,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The stock assessment reports and the Order PDF were not opened; stock status figures are not given."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-COCKBURNSOUND-WESTPORT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-SA-ALGALBLOOM-FISHERIES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"South Australian gulf fisheries stay closed to commercial fishing into 2027 after the harmful algal bloom","description":"Gulf St Vincent was closed to commercial fishing in November 2025 after the algal bloom devastated species such as southern calamari and garfish, and the closure has been extended to May 2027. Industry says more than 100 marine scalefish fishers could not fish by April 2026 and that recovery could take five to ten years or more; a recreational king George whiting closure was lifted early in July 2026 as spawning had largely occurred.","location":{"name":"Gulf St Vincent and nearby South Australian gulfs","type":"Fishery closure area","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"South Australia: Gulf St Vincent, Investigator Strait, Spencer Gulf, Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island waters","coordinates":{"lat":-35,"lon":138,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fishery stocks depleted by a harmful algal bloom, managed by closures.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Seafood Industry South Australia described Gulf St Vincent fish stocks as extremely poor and an ecologist reported dead stingrays and sponge loss (ref 1); ABC says the bloom devastated southern calamari and garfish (ref 2).","livelihoods":"About 50 businesses in Gulf St Vincent face a closure to May 2027 and the industry says fishers have zero income potential (ref 2); more than 100 scalefish fishers were unable to fish in April 2026 (ref 1).","scale":"Impacts span Gulf St Vincent, Investigator Strait, Kangaroo Island and Spencer Gulf (ref 1), a state coastline.","duration":"The closure began in November 2025 and now runs to May 2027, with the industry projecting five to ten years or more to recover (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The extended closure was formally gazetted in the week before 6 May 2026 (ref 2) and a recreational whiting closure was imposed then lifted (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Gulf St Vincent is closed to commercial fishing until May 2027; Seafood Industry South Australia says recovery will take at least a decade without a recurrence (InDaily, 22 Apr 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Businesses affected by the Gulf St Vincent closure","value":50,"unit":"businesses","status":"Reported","note":"Industry estimate in ABC, 6 May 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Marine scalefish fishers unable to fish","value":100,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 100' per Seafood Industry South Australia (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maximum grant per significantly impacted fishing business","value":350000,"unit":"A$","status":"Reported","note":"Licence fee relief and grants of up to $350,000 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["Industry financial devastation 'already in the tens of millions of dollars' (ref 1).","Seafood Industry South Australia warned the Gulf closure means smaller supply and likely higher prices (ref 2); the peak body later reported slight price increases (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Blue crab and prawn fisheries were reported more positive and the whiting restriction was lifted early (refs 1, 3), but the gulf closure was extended."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://pir.sa.gov.au/"},{"name":"SARDI Aquatic Sciences","role":"Stock assessment","contact":"https://pir.sa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"PIRSA general enquiries via pir.sa.gov.au (site could not be opened directly).","corrective_actions":["Gulf St Vincent commercial closure extended to May 2027 (ref 2).","Licence fee relief and grants up to $350,000; a buyback feasibility report is pending (ref 2).","King George whiting recreational closure lifted early (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"'Decade to recover': Seafood industry still grounded over algal bloom","publisher":"InDaily","date":"2026-04-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/business/2026/04/22/seafood-industry-will-take-a-decade-to-recover-from-algal-bloom","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Commercial fishing restrictions in Gulf St Vincent extends for stock recovery","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-06/commercial-fishing-ban-in-gulf-st-vincent-extends/106647212","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fishing ban lifted early in SA amid positive signs for King George whiting","publisher":"ABC News","date":"2026-07-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-07/king-george-whiting-sa-fishing-ban-lifted-early/106887720","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":9,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["PIRSA's own notices could not be opened (Cloudflare block); closure terms are cited via InDaily and ABC. The bloom's physical cause is covered by another agent's findings."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-SAGULFS-KARENIABLOOM-2025","OC-EIND-PORTLINCOLN-TUNAFARMING-2026","OC-EIND-SA-GIANTCUTTLEFISH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-SA-GIANTCUTTLEFISH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Giant Australian cuttlefish aggregation at Point Lowly falls to a record low in 2026 as the algal bloom is flagged as a likely factor","description":"South Australian Research and Development Institute surveys counted 1,811 giant cuttlefish at the Upper Spencer Gulf breeding aggregation in 2026, a record low against a 2020 high of 247,000 and a 2013 low of 13,500. The South Australian Government imposed a 90-day exclusion zone from 1 July 2026 and SARDI says the harmful algal bloom is highly likely a key factor, with food and temperature possibly contributing.","location":{"name":"Point Lowly cuttlefish breeding ground, Whyalla","type":"Marine wildlife aggregation site","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park, near Whyalla, South Australia; Cuttlefish Coast Sanctuary Zone between Black Point and Stony Point","coordinates":{"lat":-32.98,"lon":137.78,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Collapse of a single-site breeding aggregation of a marine species.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"SARDI surveys recorded 1,811 giant cuttlefish this breeding season, the lowest since surveys began in 1998 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"One Whyalla tour operator said he could not run a single glass-bottom boat tour this year, a loss he put at a million dollars to the town (ref 1); two tourism operators had received support grants by August (ref 2).","scale":"The aggregation is confined to one breeding area at Point Lowly in the Upper Spencer Gulf (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The shortfall was seen over the 2026 autumn-winter breeding season, with monitoring planned for May 2027 and a research project running to 2028 (ref 2).","significance":"The Environment Minister announced a 90-day exclusion zone from 1 July 2026 banning swimming, snorkelling, diving and anchoring, with fines up to $100,000 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A record low of 1,811 individual cuttlefish gathered at Point Lowly in 2026, per SARDI surveys that began in 1998 (InDaily, 21 Aug 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Giant cuttlefish counted at Point Lowly, 2026 season","value":1811,"unit":"individuals","status":"Reported","note":"SARDI survey as reported by InDaily (ref 2)."},{"name":"Highest recorded count (2020)","value":247000,"unit":"individuals","status":"Reported","note":"SARDI survey series since 1998 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Previous lowest count (2013)","value":13500,"unit":"individuals","status":"Reported","note":"SARDI survey series (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Whyalla operator said depleted numbers created a million-dollar hole for the town (ref 1).","Algal Bloom Small Business Support Grants available to affected tourism operators (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"2026 count is the lowest in the series since 1998 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)","role":"Population surveys and research","contact":"https://pir.sa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Department for Environment and Water / Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park","role":"Marine park manager","contact":"https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"South Australian Government agency public enquiry lines (no contact page opened).","corrective_actions":["90-day exclusion zone from 1 July 2026 at the breeding area (ref 1).","State and federal funded research with Adelaide University to 2028 to update population modelling and extinction-risk assessment (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Temporary restrictions as giant cuttlefish numbers plunge","publisher":"InDaily","date":"2026-06-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2026/06/30/temporary-restrictions-as-giant-cuttlefish-numbers-plunge","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Record low giant cuttlefish numbers as research ramps up","publisher":"InDaily","date":"2026-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2026/08/21/record-low-giant-cuttlefish-numbers-as-research-ramps-up","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Attribution to the algal bloom is SARDI's 'highly likely' assessment, not a confirmed cause; PIRSA's own release could not be opened."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-SAGULFS-KARENIABLOOM-2025","OC-EIND-SA-ALGALBLOOM-FISHERIES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-PORTLINCOLN-TUNAFARMING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Port Lincoln tuna and sardine producers report disruption from the algal bloom; AFMA issues a temporary order for affected tuna tow cages","description":"Southern bluefin tuna and sardine producers told a federal Senate inquiry at Port Lincoln in September 2025 that the algal bloom caused lost fishing days, abandoned sardine grounds and uncertainty for an industry said to support up to 1,000 jobs. On 24 March 2026 the Australian Fisheries Management Authority made a temporary order letting operators whose tuna tow cages were affected by the bloom apply to release fish outside the affected area.","location":{"name":"Port Lincoln tuna farming zone","type":"Aquaculture area","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia; southern bluefin tuna farms and sardine fleet","coordinates":{"lat":-34.73,"lon":135.86,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Algal-bloom disruption of a farmed tuna and sardine industry.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No count of farmed tuna losses was opened; an ecologist told InDaily that tuna were killed by a different algal organism a few weeks before April 2026 without giving a location or number (ref 3), and the AFMA order anticipates tow cages affected by the bloom (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Sardine vessels abandoned traditional Gulf St Vincent and Investigator Strait grounds and caught only 28 per cent of previous amounts there (ref 1); Yumbah reported about $5 million direct financial impact and stood down workers (ref 1).","scale":"Producers described impacts across South Australian tuna and sardine operations spanning several gulfs (ref 1), a regional coast.","duration":"Reports run from the September 2025 inquiry hearing to an April 2026 order, about seven months (refs 1, 2).","significance":"AFMA's Temporary Order No.1 2026 under the Fisheries Management Act 1991 operated from 24 March to 30 April 2026 (ref 2); a Senate inquiry took evidence in Port Lincoln (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sardine fishers had caught only 28 per cent of previous amounts from Gulf St Vincent, and the tuna industry supports up to 1,000 jobs and over $100 million in annual exports, per evidence to a Senate inquiry (InDaily, 10 Sep 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sardine catch from Gulf St Vincent relative to previous amounts","value":28,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"South Australian Sardine Industry Association evidence (ref 1)."},{"name":"Direct financial impact reported by Yumbah","value":5,"unit":"A$ million","status":"Reported","note":"Submission to the Senate inquiry (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tuna industry annual export revenue","value":100,"unit":"A$ million (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Statement by a long-term Port Lincoln tuna farmer (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Producers said media coverage shook consumer confidence despite seafood being safe to eat (ref 1).","Sardine businesses did not qualify for current grant funding (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The temporary order lapsed on 30 April 2026 (ref 2); no later tuna-specific source was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)","role":"Commonwealth fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.afma.gov.au/"},{"name":"Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA)","role":"State aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://pir.sa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"AFMA general enquiries via afma.gov.au.","corrective_actions":["AFMA Temporary Order No.1 2026 lets affected tow-cage holders apply to release southern bluefin tuna outside the affected area (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Algal bloom leaving 'abandoned' sardine fishing grounds in its wake","publisher":"InDaily","date":"2025-09-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/in-depth/2025/09/10/algal-bloom-leaving-abandoned-sardine-fishing-grounds-in-its-wake","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fisheries Management Act 1991 (Southern Bluefin Tuna Algal Bloom) Temporary Order No.1 2026","publisher":"Federal Register of Legislation","date":"2026-03-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00359","basis":"Legal instrument"},{"ref":3,"title":"'Decade to recover': Seafood industry still grounded over algal bloom","publisher":"InDaily","date":"2026-04-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/business/2026/04/22/seafood-industry-will-take-a-decade-to-recover-from-algal-bloom","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Tuna mortality numbers and the 2025-26 quota figure were not found in an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-SA-ALGALBLOOM-FISHERIES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-COCKBURNSOUND-WESTPORT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Westport container port in Cockburn Sound moves through environmental assessment amid seagrass and snapper-spawning concerns","description":"The Western Australian Government plans a new container port at Kwinana with marine works in Cockburn Sound. Recfishwest raised concerns in 2023 about channel dredging, sediment and loss of seagrass meadows; the Government says a $13.5 million WAMSI science program shaped a design moved 1 km south to avoid seagrass beds and an open breakwater to limit effects on currents that support snapper spawning. State and federal approvals are still required and the EPA review document was expected in 2026.","location":{"name":"Cockburn Sound, Kwinana","type":"Port development area","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Kwinana Industrial Area and Cockburn Sound, south of Perth, Western Australia","coordinates":{"lat":-32.2,"lon":115.76,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port development and dredging proposed in a seagrass and fish-spawning sound under environmental assessment.","secondary_drivers":["Dredging and channel construction","Seagrass loss"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Recfishwest warned an 18-metre channel would remove seagrass on Success and Parmelia banks and spread sediment across the Sound, impacts it said were unknown (ref 1); the Government says the port was moved 1 km south to avoid seagrass beds (ref 3), so harm is potential.","livelihoods":"No fishing restriction is documented in the cited sources; Recfishwest notes the Sound supports fishing by tens of thousands of Perth residents (ref 1).","scale":"Works are confined to Cockburn Sound, a single sound (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The issue spans the November 2023 announcement of the final design, the March 2024 referral and the 2026 assessment still pending (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The EPA set the highest level of assessment, Public Environmental Review (ref 2), and the project needs state and federal approval and a Westport Bill introduced in March 2026 (ref 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A three-year, $13.5 million WAMSI program with 150 researchers across more than 30 projects fed the port's design, which moved 1 km south to avoid seagrass beds (WA Government, 27 Oct 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Westport-WAMSI Marine Science Program budget","value":13.5,"unit":"A$ million","status":"Reported","note":"Three-year program (ref 3)."},{"name":"Port relocation to avoid seagrass beds","value":1,"unit":"km south","status":"Reported","note":"WA Government statement (ref 3)."},{"name":"Proposed shipping channel depth","value":18,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Recfishwest description of the 2023 design (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Recfishwest represents recreational fishers who use the Sound (ref 1).","Construction is expected to start in the late 2020s subject to approvals and a final investment decision (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"EPA environmental review document was expected for public comment in 2026 (ref 3); an independent review of the Working with Nature approach was released 12 August 2026 (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Westport (WA Government program)","role":"Proponent","contact":"https://westport.wa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia)","role":"Assessor","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI)","role":"Science program","contact":"https://www.wa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Westport program 'Submit an enquiry' form on westport.wa.gov.au.","corrective_actions":["Port relocated 1 km south and open breakwater design adopted (ref 3).","Seagrass restoration program planned and a community seagrass program funded (ref 3).","An independent review found Westport consistently embedded Working with Nature principles in stages 1 to 3 (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Westport announcement - questions on potential 'catastrophic impacts' on Cockburn Sound remain unanswered","publisher":"Recfishwest","date":"2023-11-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://recfishwest.org.au/news/kwinana-container-port-announcement-fundamental-questions-around-potential-catastrophic-impacts-on-cockburn-sound-remain-unanswered","basis":"Peak recreational fishing body"},{"ref":2,"title":"Westport Community Update April 2024","publisher":"Westport","date":"2024-05-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://westport.wa.gov.au/info-hub/news/westport-community-update-april-2024","basis":"Proponent update"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marine science program underpins delivery of new container port","publisher":"Government of Western Australia","date":"2025-10-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Cook Labor Government/Marine-science-program-underpins-delivery-of-new-container-port-20251027","basis":"Government media statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Overview and update of Major Proposals that Require Environmental Impact Assessment","publisher":"Western Australian Fishing Industry Council","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wafic.org.au/?p=10256","basis":"Industry body page (undated; refers to March 2026 and later events)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Independent review assesses Westport's Working with Nature approach","publisher":"Westport","date":"2026-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://westport.wa.gov.au/info-hub/news/independent-review-assesses-westport%E2%80%99s-working-with-nature-approach","basis":"Proponent update"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The EPA's published environmental review document for Westport had not been found at the time of checking."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-WACOAST-DEMERSAL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-PORTHEDLAND-BYPASSCHANNEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Pilbara Ports bypass channel at Port Hedland not formally assessed by the EPA; dredging due from September 2026","description":"On 11 May 2026 the WA EPA decided not to formally assess the state-waters component of Pilbara Ports' proposed bypass channel at Port Hedland, citing a short five-week dredging program and no expected long-term impacts on benthic habitats. Pilbara Ports said dredging would begin in September and take six to eight weeks; sea dumping of material is regulated federally.","location":{"name":"Port Hedland main channel bypass","type":"Port dredging project","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Port Hedland, Pilbara, Western Australia; navigation channel east of the existing shipping lane","coordinates":{"lat":-20.31,"lon":118.58,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port channel dredging proposal decided without formal environmental assessment.","secondary_drivers":["Capital dredging","Sea dumping of dredged material"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No harm is documented; the EPA expects no adverse long-term impacts to benthic habitats given the limited extent of dredging (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction is documented; the channel is a contingency for the main channel and received no submissions (ref 1).","scale":"A single port channel at Port Hedland (ref 1).","duration":"Dredging is planned for about five weeks or six to eight weeks from September 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The EPA issued a formal determination not to assess under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (ref 1); sea dumping requires a Commonwealth permit (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The EPA expects dredging of about five weeks to cause no adverse long-term impacts to benthic habitats in a cumulative context (EPA, 11 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned dredging duration (EPA)","value":5,"unit":"weeks","status":"Reported","note":"EPA determination, 11 May 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned dredging duration (Pilbara Ports, via press)","value":8,"unit":"weeks (upper bound)","status":"Reported","note":"Six to eight weeks starting September 2026 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The channel is proposed as a contingency after the FMG Nicola iron ore carrier breakdown in the main channel last year (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Dredging was scheduled to start in September 2026; no completion report was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pilbara Ports Authority","role":"Port operator and proponent","contact":"https://www.pilbaraports.com.au/"},{"name":"Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia)","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"EPA Western Australia media contact is listed on epa.wa.gov.au.","corrective_actions":["EPA considered cumulative impacts and conducted its own inquiries (ref 1).","Dredged material transport and disposal fall under a Commonwealth sea dumping permit (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"No EPA assessment for Pilbara Ports bypass navigation channel","publisher":"Environmental Protection Authority (WA)","date":"2026-05-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.wa.gov.au/node/7079","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"September dredging for Port Hedland bypass channel","publisher":"Daily Commercial News","date":"2026-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thedcn.com.au/news/september-dredging-for-port-hedland-bypass-channel","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":1,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the Commonwealth sea dumping permit has been granted was not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-CAMBRIDGEGULF-SANDEXPORT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-EXMOUTHGULF-GATEWAYMARINE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Exmouth Gulf: Gascoyne Gateway marine complex under EPA public review while a state marine park is planned","description":"The WA EPA opened a 12-week public review on 24 August 2026 (closing 16 November) of Gascoyne Gateway Ltd's proposed jetty, wharf and associated infrastructure about 10 km south of Exmouth, documented in more than 6,000 pages and amended twice since scoping. Separately, the Premier announced a proposed Exmouth Gulf Marine Park on 5 September 2025, with a draft zoning scheme expected in the third quarter of 2026.","location":{"name":"Exmouth Gulf","type":"Gulf and proposed marine park","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Exmouth Gulf, Gascoyne and Pilbara region, Western Australia, adjoining Ningaloo","coordinates":{"lat":-21.93,"lon":114.13,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed marine infrastructure development under assessment in a gulf also proposed for marine park protection.","secondary_drivers":["Dredging","Desalination brine discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The WAFIC description lists dredging for a channel and turning basin, three anchorages and brine discharge in a 61.63 ha marine footprint (ref 3); no harm is documented because the proposal is unapproved.","livelihoods":"No restriction is documented in the cited sources; WAFIC has notified fishers in the Exmouth region of related Water Corporation plans and watches this proposal (ref 3).","scale":"The proposal and marine park planning both concern one gulf (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The scoping document was approved in 2022 and the assessment remained active with a public review in 2026 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The EPA started a formal 12-week public review to 16 November 2026 and the project also needs EPBC Act approval, the first consulted on by WA's EPA for the National EPA (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The EPA's environmental review document and appendices for the Gascoyne Gateway Marine Complex total more than 6,000 pages and consultation runs to 16 November 2026 (EPA, 24 Aug 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Public review period","value":12,"unit":"weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Opened 24 August 2026, closes 16 November 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Marine footprint of the proposed complex","value":61.63,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Within a 79.44 ha development envelope, as described by WAFIC (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["WAFIC is watching the proposal on behalf of commercial fishers (ref 3).","DBCA is consulting fishers and tour operators on the proposed marine park (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"EPA recommendation and the draft marine park zoning scheme had not been published at the time of checking (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia)","role":"Assessor","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA)","role":"Marine park planning","contact":"https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/exmouth-gulf-marine-park"},{"name":"Gascoyne Gateway Ltd","role":"Proponent","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"EPA consultation hub and DBCA's Exmouth Gulf Marine Park sign-up page.","corrective_actions":["EPA 12-week public review to 16 November 2026 (ref 1).","DBCA community sessions at Onslow (9 December 2025) and Exmouth (February 2026) on the proposed marine park (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EPA seeks public feedback on Exmouth Gulf proposal","publisher":"Environmental Protection Authority (WA)","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/media-statements/epa-seeks-public-feedback-exmouth-gulf-proposal","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Engagement underway on proposed Exmouth Gulf Marine Park","publisher":"Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA)","date":"2025-12-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dbca.wa.gov.au/news/2025/engagement-underway-proposed-exmouth-gulf-marine-park","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Overview and update of Major Proposals that Require Environmental Impact Assessment","publisher":"Western Australian Fishing Industry Council","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wafic.org.au/?p=10256","basis":"Industry body page (undated; refers to 2026 events)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The proponent's own documents and the Exmouth Gulf Marine Park draft zoning were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-WA-MASSBLEACHING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-AUSTRALIA-SEALION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Australian sea lion remains in decline at key colonies in South Australia and Western Australia despite gillnet closures","description":"A 2026 conference abstract by South Australian Research and Development Institute scientists says the endangered Australian sea lion has declined by more than 60 per cent over four decades; bycatch-reduction measures have produced partial recoveries at some sites, but several colonies including two of the largest continue to decline. The abstract points to nutritional stress, the algal bloom and a risk from avian influenza. In Western Australia the EPA recommended sea lion haul-out protections for the Port of Geraldton upgrade.","location":{"name":"Australian sea lion colonies, SA and WA","type":"Marine mammal breeding colonies","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"South Australia (about 85% of the population) and Western Australia coasts, including Kangaroo Island and the Port of Geraldton","coordinates":{"lat":-35.99,"lon":137.32,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[{"lat":-28.78,"lon":114.6,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"Port of Geraldton sea lion haul-out (EPA conditions)"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A threatened marine mammal declining through bycatch and ecosystem pressures.","secondary_drivers":["Gillnet bycatch","Nutritional stress","Harmful algal bloom","Avian influenza risk"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"SARDI authors report a decline of more than 60 per cent over four decades with several colonies, including two of the largest, still declining (ref 1).","livelihoods":"AFMA introduced permanent gillnet closures around all sea lion breeding sites and incentives to switch to longlines (ref 2), restrictions on the shark gillnet fishery.","scale":"The species ranges across South Australian and Western Australian coasts (refs 1, 4).","duration":"The decline spans four decades and bycatch since the 1960s (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The species is listed as endangered under the EPBC Act (reassessed in 2021) and globally by the IUCN, per the AMCS (ref 4); the WA EPA recommended haul-out conditions in a formal report (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No colony count is given in the cited abstract; AMCS cites about 12,000 animals (ref 4), an older figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Following a decline of more than 60% over four decades, bycatch reduction has led to partial recoveries at some sites, but several colonies continue to decline (AMSA 2026 abstract, SARDI authors)."},"measures":[{"name":"Long-term population decline","value":60,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Over four decades, per the 2026 AMSA conference abstract (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated reduction in sea lion bycatch mortality over a decade after management strategy","value":98,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Goldsworthy et al. 2022, Frontiers in Marine Science (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Gillnet closures around breeding colonies constrain the SA shark gillnet fishery (ref 2).","Port of Geraldton upgrade requires marine fauna observers and artificial haul-out surfaces for sea lions (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Partial recovery at some sites and continued decline at others (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)","role":"Gillnet management","contact":"https://www.afma.gov.au/"},{"name":"SARDI Aquatic Sciences","role":"Population monitoring","contact":"https://pir.sa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia)","role":"Port assessment","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Agency public enquiry channels (no contact page opened).","corrective_actions":["AFMA Australian Sea Lion Management Strategy: spatial gillnet closures and 100% electronic monitoring off SA (ref 2).","EPA recommended a Marine Fauna Management Plan and artificial haul-out surfaces at the Port of Geraldton (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Colony-specific Trends in Australian Sea Lion Populations (#184)","publisher":"Australian Marine Sciences Association 2026 Conference (SARDI and partners)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amsa-2026.p.asnevents.com.au/days/2026-09-01/abstract/139787","basis":"Peer-community conference abstract"},{"ref":2,"title":"Assessment of Australian Sea Lion Bycatch Mortality in a Gillnet Fishery, and Implementation and Evaluation of an Effective Mitigation Strategy","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2022-02-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.799102/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"EPA delivers report and recommendations on Geraldton port upgrade","publisher":"Environmental Protection Authority (WA)","date":"2025-09-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/media-statements/epa-delivers-report-and-recommendations-geraldton-port-upgrade","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Australian Sea Lions","publisher":"Australian Marine Conservation Society","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marineconservation.org.au/australian-sea-lions/","basis":"NGO page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Colony-level pup counts for 2024 to 2026 were not found in an opened page; the abstract page shows only the conference day, so its date is left null."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-SAGULFS-KARENIABLOOM-2025"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-CAMBRIDGEGULF-SANDEXPORT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Proposal to export up to 70 million cubic metres of marine sand from Cambridge Gulf under WA environmental assessment","description":"Boskalis Australia's proposed Cambridge Gulf Marine Sand project near Wyndham would dredge about 100 square kilometres of seabed to export up to 70 million cubic metres of sand to Asia. The WA EPA, noting the gulf is a biologically important area for flatback turtle nesting and Australian snubfin dolphins, decided in April 2025 to assess it; a fishing industry body reports the EPA later recommended conditional approval.","location":{"name":"Cambridge Gulf, near Wyndham","type":"Seabed sand extraction area","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Cambridge Gulf, East Kimberley, Western Australia, north of Wyndham","coordinates":{"lat":-15.49,"lon":128.12,"precision":"city","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Large-scale seabed sand dredging proposed in a biologically important turtle and dolphin area.","secondary_drivers":["Dredging","Underwater noise and artificial light"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The EPA said it would seek information on underwater noise and artificial light impacts on flatback turtles and snubfin dolphins, so harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"EPA planned targeted consultation with commercial and recreational fishers on licensed fishing grounds; WAFIC requested a more extensive review (refs 1, 2); no restriction is documented.","scale":"The operating area is about 100 km2 in one gulf (ref 1).","duration":"The assessment has run since April 2025 and the project is proposed to last up to 15 years (refs 1, 2), so a multi-month assessment period is scored.","significance":"The EPA formally decided to assess the proposal and, per WAFIC, issued a November 2025 report recommending conditional approval; a federal EPBC assessment is also running (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Boskalis proposes to export up to 70 million cubic metres of sand to Asia from about 100 km2 of Cambridge Gulf (EPA, 15 Apr 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sand to be exported","value":70,"unit":"million cubic metres (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"EPA statement (ref 1); WAFIC says over a 15-year project life (ref 2)."},{"name":"Operational area","value":100,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"EPA statement (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing industry body requested the most extensive review level, Public Environmental Review (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The final ministerial decision and EPBC outcome were not found (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia)","role":"Assessor","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"},{"name":"Boskalis Australia","role":"Proponent","contact":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"EPA Western Australia media contact is listed on epa.wa.gov.au.","corrective_actions":["EPA is conducting targeted consultation with fishers and seeking noise and light information (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EPA to consult fishers on Kimberley marine sands proposal","publisher":"Environmental Protection Authority (WA)","date":"2025-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/media-statements/epa-consult-fishers-kimberley-marine-sands-proposal","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Overview and update of Major Proposals that Require Environmental Impact Assessment","publisher":"Western Australian Fishing Industry Council","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wafic.org.au/?p=10256","basis":"Industry body page (undated; reports the November 2025 EPA report)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The EPA's November 2025 report was not opened; it is known only from the WAFIC page."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-PORTHEDLAND-BYPASSCHANNEL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-EIND-SRILANKA-BLUEWHALE-SHIPSTRIKE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Shipping lane off Dondra Head runs through the main habitat of Sri Lanka's blue whales; no official rerouting reported","description":"Conservation groups IFAW and OceanCare report that the international traffic separation scheme south of Dondra Head crosses year-round blue whale habitat, and that blue whales with propeller marks have been found dead on the Sri Lankan coast. Scientific surveys cited by IFAW found that moving shipping 15 nautical miles south would cut strike risk by 95 per cent; MSC rerouted voluntarily in 2022. IFAW still describes persuading Sri Lanka's authorities to change the routes as an open campaign.","location":{"name":"Dondra Head shipping lane and Mirissa blue whale area","type":"Shipping lane and whale habitat","sea":"EIND","seas":["EIND"],"basin":"IND","countries":["LK"],"detail":"Southern coast of Sri Lanka, off Dondra Head, Mirissa and Galle","coordinates":{"lat":5.92,"lon":80.59,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Ship-strike risk to an endangered whale population from a shipping lane through its habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel strikes","Whale-watching and fishing boat traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"OceanCare says blue whales with propeller marks or hull strikes have been found dead along the coast, and scientists estimate many more deaths go undetected (ref 2); no count is given, so harm is scored as limited.","livelihoods":"No restriction is documented; IFAW says the lane also puts whale-watching boats and small fishing vessels at risk (ref 1).","scale":"The risk centres on the waters off the southern tip of Sri Lanka (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The campaign pre-dates 2022 and the IFAW project page still presents the problem as unresolved (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The population is listed as endangered by the IUCN and the habitat is an Important Marine Mammal Area; the IWC and World Shipping Council back an offshore route but no IMO proposal had been made as of September 2022 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"IFAW says the blue whales here are a small, endangered population; no number is given in the cited pages."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Surveys found that shipping 15 nautical miles south of the current routes would reduce ship-strike risk to blue whales by 95% (IFAW, 8 Sep 2022)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated strike-risk reduction from a lane 15 nm south","value":95,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Scientific surveys cited by IFAW (ref 1) and OceanCare (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of shipping already using the southern alternative route (2022)","value":25,"unit":"% (about)","status":"Reported","note":"OceanCare, September 2022 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Whale-watching boats operate in the same waters as the lane (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No in-window official action was found; the sources are from 2022 plus an undated project page (refs 1-3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Sri Lanka (maritime authorities)","role":"Would propose a revised scheme to the IMO","contact":"https://www.imo.org/"},{"name":"International Maritime Organization","role":"Approves traffic separation schemes","contact":"https://www.imo.org/"}],"public_contact":"No Sri Lankan agency contact page was opened.","corrective_actions":["MSC Group voluntarily moved its transits about 15 nautical miles south in September 2022 (refs 1, 2).","The German Shipowners Association recommended rerouting in June 2022 (ref 2, a Mediterranean measure)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Major shipping company shifts lanes to help save Sri Lankan blue whales","publisher":"International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)","date":"2022-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ifaw.org/international/press-releases/saving-blue-whales","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ship strikes: Hope for blue whales off Sri Lanka","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2022-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/ship-strikes-sri-lanka/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"21st Century Shipping","publisher":"International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ifaw.org/international/projects/21st-century-shipping","basis":"NGO project page (undated, live 2026-10-12)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (EIND in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2026 report on Sri Lanka's or the IMO's action was opened; status within the window rests on an undated IFAW project page. No second-party (non-NGO) source was found."],"related_ids":["OC-EIND-LKWEST-COASTEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-SYDNEY-DEBRISBALLS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sewage-derived debris balls wash up on Sydney, South Coast and Central Coast beaches from October 2024","description":"Black and grey debris balls, mostly marble-sized, washed up on Sydney's Eastern Suburbs beaches from October 2024, then on the South Coast, the Northern Beaches (January 2025) and Central Coast beaches (August 2025). NSW EPA analysis found hair, waste cooking oil, faecal material and hydrocarbons, and in April 2025 named Sydney Water's land-based sewage system as the most likely source, narrowing it to the Malabar system in October 2025. The EPA issued Sydney Water a Preliminary Investigation Notice; the EPA page lists no confirmed reports since August 2025.","location":{"name":"Sydney beaches, NSW South Coast and Central Coast","type":"Urban ocean beaches and sewage outfall coast","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"New South Wales, Australia: Coogee, Bondi, Maroubra, Manly, Dee Why and Palm Beach in Sydney, Kurnell, Bombo Beach at Kiama, Mystery Bay, and Central Coast beaches such as The Entrance.","points":[{"lat":-33.963,"lon":151.248,"precision":"city","role":"Malabar, location of the wastewater treatment plant the EPA identified as the likely source","source_ref":6},{"lat":-33.8907,"lon":151.2724,"precision":"site","role":"Bondi Beach, affected beach","source_ref":6}],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-33.9208,"lon":151.2579,"precision":"site","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fats, oils, hydrocarbons and faecal matter from a sewage system reached the open coast, a pollution pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Sewage treatment and trade waste","Fat, oil and grease loads"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Faecal indicator bacteria were detected in every beach debris ball sampled and the balls held hydrocarbons and 9% to 37% fatty acids by weight (ref 3); a UNSW-led analysis also reported PFAS, pharmaceuticals and pesticides in the analysed balls (ref 5), though experts rated the health threat low (ref 4).","livelihoods":"Thousands of balls forced the closure of Bondi, Manly and other major Sydney beaches in late 2024 and early 2025 (ref 4).","scale":"The EPA lists balls at Eastern Suburbs, Northern Beaches, South Coast and Central Coast beaches, spanning several regions of the NSW coast (ref 1).","duration":"Five sampled events ran from October 2024 to January 2025 and a further event reached Central Coast beaches in August 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The EPA issued Sydney Water a Preliminary Investigation Notice in April 2025 and set up a Wastewater Expert Panel (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Debris balls were sampled in five events between October 2024 and January 2025 and fatty acids made up 9% to 37% of their weight (NSW EPA)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fatty acid content of beach debris balls (upper bound)","value":37,"unit":"% by weight","status":"Reported","note":"Range 9% to 37% w/w across all samples (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sampled debris ball events","value":5,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"October 2024 to January 2025, Sydney and two South Coast beaches (ref 3)."},{"name":"Separate discharge events behind the balls (lower bound)","value":10,"unit":"events","status":"Estimated","note":"AAP reported that no single origin point was identified and the balls likely appeared over summer as a result of 10 or more separate discharge events (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Beach closures at Bondi, Manly and other Sydney beaches (ref 4).","Sydney Water said it will contribute to clean-up costs and consider infrastructure upgrades (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Events recurred in October, November and December 2024, January 2025 and August 2025, and the EPA lists no confirmed reports since August 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NSW Environment Protection Authority","role":"Regulator running the investigation","contact":"https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Working-together/Community-engagement/updates-on-issues/Beach-debris-ball-investigation"},{"name":"Sydney Water","role":"Operator of the sewage treatment plants and deep ocean outfalls named as the likely source","contact":"https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Working-together/Community-engagement/updates-on-issues/Beach-debris-ball-investigation"}],"public_contact":"Report sightings to Sydney Water on 132 090 and to the EPA Environment Line on 131 555 (numbers published on the EPA page).","corrective_actions":["EPA Preliminary Investigation Notice (April 2025) requires Sydney Water to model debris dispersion, sample its treatment plants and assess its deep ocean outfalls and sewer network (ref 1).","Sydney Water committed to lead clean-ups of any future debris ball incidents with councils and the EPA (ref 1).","EPA published analysis in October and November 2025 tracing the August 2025 Central Coast balls to the Malabar system (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Beach debris ball investigation","publisher":"NSW Environment Protection Authority","date":"2025-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Working-together/Community-engagement/updates-on-issues/Beach-debris-ball-investigation","basis":"Agency page (latest dated entry on the page)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Investigation into debris balls continues","publisher":"NSW Environment Protection Authority","date":"2025-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/news/epamedia/250404-investigation-into-debris-balls-continues","basis":"Agency media release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Debris balls characteristics, composition and likely source","publisher":"NSW Environment Protection Authority","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-05/EPA%20Beach%20Debris%20Investigation%20report.pdf","basis":"Agency report (PDF, no date printed on the document)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Source of mysterious 'tar balls' on beaches revealed","publisher":"Australian Associated Press (via Bay Post-Moruya Examiner)","date":"2025-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.batemansbaypost.com.au/story/8934612/source-of-mysterious-tar-balls-on-beaches-revealed","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Analysis of mystery 'tar' balls on Sydney beach reveals shockingly gross origins","publisher":"The Conversation (via ScienceAlert)","date":"2024-11-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sciencealert.com/analysis-of-mystery-tar-balls-on-sydney-beach-reveals-shockingly-gross-origins","basis":"Academic analysis (UNSW authors)"},{"ref":6,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Coogee Beach, Malabar, Bondi Beach","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Coogee+Beach,+Sydney&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"source of the balls","note":"The EPA says Sydney Water's sewage system is the most likely source and has narrowed it to the Malabar system (ref 1); Sydney Water's own expert found no faults in its system and said facilities are compliant (ref 4). The exact failure point is not yet reported."}],"missing_fields":["No PFAS result appears in the EPA pages opened; the PFAS finding comes from the UNSW-led analysis (ref 5).","The exact point of origin within the Malabar system is not reported in the cited pages.","Source 3 shows no printed date, so its date is null."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-NSW-SHARKNETS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-MACQUARIEHARBOUR-LOWOXYGEN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Deep oxygen falls below guideline range in Macquarie Harbour, home of the endangered Maugean skate","description":"The Tasmanian EPA reports that dissolved oxygen in Macquarie Harbour held steady in the top 15 to 20 metres between July 2025 and June 2026 but declined below that, falling under the interim guideline range in the central and south-east segments. The decline coincided with the wettest spring and summer since 1998 and weaker ocean recharge, and the regulator required the three salmon producers to offset 10.3 tonnes of oxygen demand a day. The harbour is the only place the Maugean skate, listed Endangered since 2004, is now found.","location":{"name":"Macquarie Harbour","type":"Estuarine harbour with salmon farm leases","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"West coast of Tasmania, Australia; the EPA monitors three segments (119 south-east, 120 central, 121 north-west).","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-42.3377,"lon":145.4037,"precision":"site","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Oxygen depletion in deep harbour water is a physical-chemical change driven by rainfall, flushing and organic loading.","secondary_drivers":["Salmon farm organic and nitrogen loading","Record rainfall and weak oceanic recharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"EPA data show deep oxygen below 15 m in the central segment and below 20 m in the south-east segment slightly under or below the interim guideline range in July 2025 to June 2026 (ref 1), and Maugean skate numbers fell by three-quarters between 2014 and 2022 (ref 5).","livelihoods":"The EPA required Tassal, Huon and Petuna to offset 10.3 tonnes of oxygen demand a day, with supplementation at full level by 1 November 2026 (refs 2, 3).","scale":"A single harbour on Tasmania's west coast, split by the EPA into three monitoring segments (ref 1).","duration":"The skate has been listed Endangered since 2004 and low oxygen is described as a longstanding concern, with the latest decline spanning the second half of 2025 and first half of 2026 (refs 1, 3, 4).","significance":"The EPA approved updated Dissolved Oxygen Mitigation Plans on 1 September 2026 after writing to the producers in July 2026, and the federal environment minister reaffirmed the 2012 approval in August 2025 (refs 2, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Salmon farms in Macquarie Harbour must offset 10.3 tonnes of oxygen used each day, reaching the full level by 1 November 2026 (Tasmanian EPA, September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Industry oxygen demand to be offset","value":10.3,"unit":"tonnes per day","status":"Reported","note":"Average demand calculated by IMAS (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"Spring-summer rainfall at Strahan Airport","value":830,"unit":"mm","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 830 mm', about 200 mm above the 40-year average, wettest spring/summer since 1998 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Decline in Maugean skate numbers 2014 to 2022","value":75,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Fell by three-quarters', per the Biodiversity Council summary of monitoring (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Three salmon producers face a 10.3 tonnes a day oxygen offset obligation by 1 November 2026 (refs 2, 3).","The federal government cited funding for oxygenation measures when it kept the salmon approval in place (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Deep-water oxygen declined between the second half of 2025 and the first half of 2026 while shallow water stayed stable (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"EPA Tasmania","role":"Regulator setting dissolved oxygen mitigation requirements","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/salmon-aquaculture/macquarie-harbour-dissolved-oxygen"},{"name":"Tassal, Huon Aquaculture and Petuna","role":"Salmon operators required to offset oxygen demand","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/salmon-aquaculture/macquarie-harbour-dissolved-oxygen"}],"public_contact":"EPA Tasmania Salmon Environmental Regulation Section, phone 03 6165 4604 (published on the EPA page).","corrective_actions":["EPA approved updated Dissolved Oxygen Mitigation Plans on 1 September 2026 with milestones and reporting (refs 2, 3).","Oxygenated water is to be pumped into the harbour at 30 to 40 metres depth (ref 3).","The EPA releases Macquarie Harbour water quality data every six months (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Macquarie Harbour Dissolved Oxygen","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/salmon-aquaculture/macquarie-harbour-dissolved-oxygen","basis":"Agency page (six-monthly update covering July 2025 to June 2026, undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Updated plans for dissolved oxygen in Macquarie Harbour","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/news-site/Pages/Updated-plans-for-dissolved-oxygen-in-Macquarie-Harbour.aspx","basis":"Agency media release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tasmania: salmon farms required to offset 10.3 tonnes of oxygen use a day","publisher":"Salmon Business","date":"2026-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/tasmania-salmon-farms-required-to-offset-10-3-tonnes-of-oxygen-use-a-day/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Government rejects review bid on Macquarie Harbour salmon farming","publisher":"Salmon Business","date":"2025-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/government-rejects-review-bid-on-macquarie-harbour-salmon-farming/?amp=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"The PM says the Mauguean skate is fine, what does the science say?","publisher":"Biodiversity Council Australia","date":"2025-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biodiversitycouncil.org.au/news/pm-says-the-maguean-skate-is-fine-what-does-the-science-say","basis":"Expert analysis"},{"ref":6,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Macquarie Harbour","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Macquarie+Harbour,+Tasmania&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"cause of the 2025-26 decline","note":"The EPA attributes the decline to record rainfall and weaker oceanic recharge, while also stating that salmon farming adds oxygen demand through organic matter and dissolved nitrogen (refs 1, 3); conservation groups blame farming, but their pages could not be opened."}],"missing_fields":["Measured oxygen concentrations (mg/L) are in the EPA's charts, which were not readable in the text opened.","Source 1 shows no date.","Skate recovery and captive-breeding updates from 2026 were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-MACQUARIE-MAUGEANSKATE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-STORMBAY-TOTALNITROGEN-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Total nitrogen exceeds guideline values across Storm Bay as salmon farming expands under a staged nitrogen limit","description":"Storm Bay's 2023/24 broadscale monitoring report (May 2023 to April 2024) found total nitrogen above default guideline values at multiple sites over multiple months in one region, continuing a high-nitrogen trend recorded since 2021. The report, prepared for Tassal and Huon Aquaculture, attributes the pattern to a regional signal such as shifting boundary currents or river inputs, with no clear link to distance from the leases, and found no broad-scale change in sediments or seabed animals. The EPA set a Stage 1 Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output of 1,747 tonnes for the Storm Bay Regional Area from 1 January 2025.","location":{"name":"Storm Bay","type":"Open coastal bay with salmon farm leases","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"South-east Tasmania, Australia: Storm Bay Regional Area south of the River Derwent entrance, with leases at Yellow Bluff, Trumpeter Bay and west of Wedge Island.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-43.17,"lon":147.5557,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nitrogen enrichment of coastal water is a nutrient pollution pressure, here with a regional driver and a farm-nitrogen cap.","secondary_drivers":["Salmon farm dissolved nitrogen","Shifts in boundary currents and river inputs"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Only total nitrogen exceeded default guideline values (in Region 93, at multiple sites and months in 2023/24), while sediment redox, sulphide and seabed communities showed no broad-scale degradation (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited pages documents a closure, advisory or fishery loss tied to the Storm Bay nitrogen readings.","scale":"The exceedances sit in one bay-scale regional area, Storm Bay, with ten benthic sites and a network of water quality sites (ref 1).","duration":"The report describes relatively high total nitrogen in Storm Bay since 2021 and a long-term increase across 2019 to 2024 at near, intermediate and far-field sites (ref 1).","significance":"The EPA made a formal TPDNO determination on 13 December 2024, valid for 10 years, with a Stage 1 limit of 1,747 tonnes and conditional Stage 2 increases (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Total nitrogen in Region 93 exceeded default guideline values at multiple sites across multiple months in 2023/24 (Storm Bay annual BEMP report)."},"measures":[{"name":"Stage 1 Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output, Storm Bay","value":1747,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Determination of 13 December 2024, effective 1 January 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Benthic survey sites sampled","value":10,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Sediments collected in November 2023 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Salmon farming in Storm Bay can grow from the Stage 1 to a Stage 2 nitrogen limit if lease holders meet the EPA's requirements (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The report finds the same long-term increasing total nitrogen trend at sites near, intermediate and far from leases between 2019 and 2024 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"EPA Tasmania","role":"Regulator setting the nitrogen limit and monitoring requirements","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/Storm-Bay.aspx"},{"name":"Tassal and Huon Aquaculture","role":"Lease holders funding the monitoring programme","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/Storm-Bay.aspx"}],"public_contact":"EPA Tasmania Senior Environmental Engagement Officer, phone 0460 025 410 (published on EPA statements).","corrective_actions":["EPA staged approach: Stage 1 nitrogen limit with Stage 2 increases only if requirements are met (ref 2).","The Storm Bay Broadscale Environmental Monitoring Program covers sediments, water quality, seagrass and reef surveys (refs 1, 2).","A CSIRO biogeochemical model characterised nutrient sources into Storm Bay from ocean currents, sediment resuspension and river inputs (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Storm Bay Broadscale Environmental Monitoring Program: Annual BEMP Report 2023/24 (Version 1.0)","publisher":"Aquenal and Marine Solutions for Tassal and Huon Aquaculture (hosted by EPA Tasmania)","date":"2024-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/Documents/Storm%20Bay%20Broadscale%20Monitoring%20Program%202024%20Annual%20Report%20Final.pdf","basis":"Operator-commissioned monitoring report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Storm Bay","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/Storm-Bay.aspx","basis":"Agency page (undated; TPDNO determination dated 13 December 2024)"},{"ref":3,"title":"State of Timtumili Minanya/Derwent 2025","publisher":"Derwent Estuary Program","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/assets/State_of_Timtumili_Minanya_-_Derwent_2025_Final2026.pdf","basis":"Estuary program report (context on Storm Bay modelling)"},{"ref":4,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Storm Bay","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Storm+Bay,+Tasmania&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"cause of the nitrogen increase","note":"The operator-commissioned report attributes the increase to a regional signal and finds no clear pattern with proximity to leases (ref 1); an independent attribution was not found in the pages opened."}],"missing_fields":["The 2024/25 Storm Bay report was not opened; the finding rests on the 2023/24 report.","Source 2 shows no date."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-TASMANIA-SALMONMORTALITY-2025","OC-TASMAN-PORTARTHUR-LONGBAYNITROGEN-2026","OC-TASMAN-DERWENT-NUTRIENTS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-DERWENT-NUTRIENTS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Derwent Estuary reports nutrient enrichment, summer low oxygen and legacy metals despite sewage upgrades","description":"The Derwent Estuary Program's State of Timtumili Minanya/Derwent 2025 report summarises Hobart's estuary as under pressure from elevated nutrients, localised algal growth, seasonal low dissolved oxygen in the upper estuary, and legacy metal contamination. Sewage plants supply most of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and total phosphorus, and total nitrogen rose in the upper estuary. A TasWater plant closure and upgrade is expected to cut nutrient loads by up to 58% for nitrogen and 42% for phosphorus.","location":{"name":"Derwent Estuary, Hobart","type":"Urban estuary with sewage and industrial discharges","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"South-east Tasmania, Australia: Tasmania's largest estuary, from New Norfolk to the mouth between Tinderbox and Iron Pot, nearly 200 km2, running through Hobart.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-42.8825,"lon":147.3281,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Nutrient and metal loads from sewage, industry and runoff degrade estuary water and sediment quality.","secondary_drivers":["Sewage treatment plant effluent","Urban stormwater","Legacy industrial metals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Low dissolved oxygen persists in the upper estuary in summer and early autumn and total nitrogen increased in upper-estuary surface and bottom waters, though median chlorophyll a stayed low and the estuary remains mesotrophic (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A few swimming sites recorded poor ratings, and elevated metals in oysters, mussels and flathead near the Nyrstar smelter keep a seafood-safety risk (ref 1).","scale":"The assessment covers one estuary of nearly 200 km2 (ref 1).","duration":"The pressures are chronic across the five-year monitoring period, with low oxygen recurring each summer and legacy metals persisting (ref 1).","significance":"The cited pages are a partnership monitoring synthesis; no notice, violation or enforcement order is named (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"TasWater's Macquarie Point sewage plant closure and Selfs Point upgrade is expected to cut nutrient loads by up to 58% for total nitrogen and 42% for total phosphorus (Derwent Estuary Program, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Expected total nitrogen load cut from the TasWater project (upper bound)","value":58,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Up to 58%' for total nitrogen, per the report's executive summary (ref 1)."},{"name":"Expected total phosphorus load cut from the TasWater project (upper bound)","value":42,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Up to 42%' for total phosphorus (ref 1)."},{"name":"Recreational water quality monitoring sites","value":38,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"19 swimming and 19 environmental sites (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Seafood-safety risk from legacy metals in shellfish and flathead persists near the Nyrstar smelter (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Total nitrogen increased in the upper estuary while total phosphorus declined in the lower estuary and Ralphs Bay and water clarity improved (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Derwent Estuary Program","role":"Partnership that coordinates monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/"},{"name":"TasWater","role":"Sewage treatment plant operator (Macquarie Point and Selfs Point upgrade)","contact":"https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/state-of-the-derwent/"}],"public_contact":"Derwent Estuary Program, through the contact details on derwentestuary.org.au (no phone number was opened).","corrective_actions":["TasWater is decommissioning Macquarie Point sewage plant and upgrading Selfs Point (ref 1).","A deep-water outfall and diffuser were installed at the Turriff Lodge sewage treatment plant (ref 1).","Nyrstar installed a grout curtain and groundwater extraction system in 2021 to cut metal inputs (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of Timtumili Minanya/Derwent 2025: an update and review of environmental data and activities","publisher":"Derwent Estuary Program","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/assets/State_of_Timtumili_Minanya_-_Derwent_2025_Final2026.pdf","basis":"Estuary program report (cover shows 2025; file generated June 2026; no day printed)"},{"ref":2,"title":"State of the Derwent","publisher":"Derwent Estuary Program","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/state-of-the-derwent/","basis":"Program page"},{"ref":3,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Hobart","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Hobart,+Tasmania&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The report shows only the year 2025, so the source date is null.","No independent source beyond the Derwent Estuary Program partnership was opened.","A population figure for people affected is not stated; the 255,000 residents on the shores are not an exposure estimate."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-STORMBAY-TOTALNITROGEN-2024"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-PORTARTHUR-LONGBAYNITROGEN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Reef nutrient enrichment near Long Bay salmon farm keeps a 48-tonne nitrogen limit in place at Port Arthur","description":"IMAS surveys commissioned by the Tasmanian EPA showed the effects of significant nutrient enrichment on rocky reefs 100 m and 400 m from the Tassal salmon farm in Long Bay, Port Arthur. On 1 September 2026 the EPA kept the Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output for the lease at 48 tonnes until 31 July 2027, saying algae levels showed no significant change in 2024 and 2025 and that water quality across the wider Port Arthur area had not declined. It renewed the licence to 30 November 2027 and ordered further science on nutrient movement.","location":{"name":"Long Bay, Port Arthur","type":"Shallow embayment with a salmon farm lease","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Tasman Peninsula, south-east Tasmania, Australia: Marine Farming Lease 55 at Long Bay, Port Arthur.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-43.1435,"lon":147.844,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Dissolved nitrogen from a fish farm enriches nearby reef algae, a nutrient pollution pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Salmon farm dissolved nitrogen","Limited flushing in shallow bay"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"IMAS rocky-reef surveys 'showed the effects of significant nutrient enrichment' at sites 100 m from the farm and 400 m to its west, with seaweed communities affected near the farm (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure, advisory or fishery loss tied to Long Bay nutrients appears in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Effects are documented within 400 m of one lease, with water quality across the wider Port Arthur area judged not diminished (refs 1, 2).","duration":"IMAS surveys began in 2020, a nitrogen limit has applied since October 2023 and monitoring continues into 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The EPA Director issued a formal TPDNO determination of 48 tonnes and a monitoring direction, and renewed the licence on 3 August 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The EPA kept the nitrogen limit for Tassal's Long Bay lease at 48 tonnes until 31 July 2027 (Tasmanian EPA, 1 September 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Total Permissible Dissolved Nitrogen Output, Long Bay MF55","value":48,"unit":"tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Applies until 31 July 2027; in place since October 2023 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Reduction in dissolved nitrogen outputs after the 2023 limit","value":20,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"'Approximately 20 per cent', per the EPA's licence renewal reasoning (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The lease licence runs only to 30 November 2027 and the nitrogen limit to 31 July 2027, with further science required (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Monitoring results from 2024 and 2025 show no significant change in algae levels, so enrichment has neither grown nor eased (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"EPA Tasmania","role":"Regulator setting the nitrogen limit and licence","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/Tasman-Peninsula-and-Norfolk-Bay.aspx"},{"name":"Tassal Operations","role":"Lease holder, Marine Farming Lease 55","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/Tasman-Peninsula-and-Norfolk-Bay.aspx"}],"public_contact":"EPA Tasmania Senior Environmental Engagement Officer, phone 0460 025 410 (published on EPA statements).","corrective_actions":["The EPA will require further scientific investigations with IMAS and CSIRO on how nutrients move through Long Bay and Port Arthur (ref 1).","A monitoring direction from 7 July 2023 requires reef and water quality monitoring at the lease (ref 2).","The nitrogen limit stays at 48 tonnes to allow another year of monitoring (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"EPA sets nitrogen limit for Long Bay fish farm","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":"2026-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/news-site/Pages/EPA-sets-nitrogen-limit-for-Long-Bay-fish-farm.aspx","basis":"Agency media release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tasman Peninsula and Norfolk Bay","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/Tasman-Peninsula-and-Norfolk-Bay.aspx","basis":"Agency page (licence renewal of 3 August 2026; undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Port Arthur","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Port+Arthur,+Tasmania&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"extent of nutrient effect","note":"The EPA says water quality across the broader Port Arthur area has not declined while IMAS surveys found significant enrichment of reefs within 400 m of the farm (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The IMAS reef survey reports were not opened; their findings are as summarised by the EPA.","Source 2 shows no date; coordinates are for Port Arthur township, not the lease."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-STORMBAY-TOTALNITROGEN-2024"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-WELLINGTON-MOAPOINTSEWAGE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Moa Point wastewater plant failure sends untreated sewage into Cook Strait off Wellington's south coast","description":"Flooding on 4 February 2026 knocked out power and treatment at the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, and untreated wastewater has since discharged into Tarakena Bay and out the long outfall into Cook Strait. Tarakena Bay is a no-go area and people are told not to collect or eat kaimoana from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay. Tiaki Wai says the Crown Review found no single point of failure, Greater Wellington Regional Council has filed court charges (announced 1 October 2026), and the plant is due to resume treatment in November 2026 with full operations expected by February 2027.","location":{"name":"Moa Point and Tarakena Bay, Wellington","type":"Wastewater treatment plant outfall coast","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"Wellington's south coast, New Zealand, from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay, with the short outfall discharging to Tarakena Bay and a 1.8 km long outfall into Cook Strait.","points":[{"lat":-41.3433,"lon":174.8191,"precision":"site","role":"Tarakena Bay, no-go area beside the short outfall","source_ref":6}],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-41.3408,"lon":174.812,"precision":"site","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Untreated sewage discharged to coastal water adds nutrients, organic matter and pathogens, a pollution pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater plant failure","Wet-weather discharge via short outfall"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Untreated, unscreened wastewater discharged to Tarakena Bay after the plant flooded, with wastewater up to three metres deep inside, and the operator acknowledged significant impact on the environment and Mana Whenua (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"Tarakena Bay is a no-go area, people are told not to collect or eat kaimoana from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay, and the operator acknowledged impacts on the community and local businesses (refs 1, 4).","scale":"The affected shoreline runs from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay on one city's south coast (ref 1).","duration":"The discharge began on 4 February 2026 and treatment is not due to restart until November 2026, with full operations by February 2027 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Greater Wellington Regional Council has filed Wellington District Court charges for Resource Management Act and abatement notice breaches (announced 1 October 2026), and the Minister of Local Government released a Crown Review (refs 3, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Untreated wastewater has discharged to Cook Strait since the Moa Point plant failed on 4 February 2026; treatment is due to restart in November 2026 and full operations by February 2027 (Tiaki Wai)."},"measures":[{"name":"Wastewater depth inside the plant's main area at the time of failure","value":3,"unit":"metres","status":"Reported","note":"'Up to three metres deep' in an Olympic-pool-sized area (ref 1)."},{"name":"Recovery projects","value":30,"unit":"projects","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 30 separate projects' form the full recovery (ref 1); the figure is approximate."},{"name":"Stand-down period after short outfall use","value":72,"unit":"hours","status":"Reported","note":"Raised from 48 hours as a precaution (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The operator acknowledged significant impact on the community and local businesses (ref 4).","Kaimoana collection from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay is advised against (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Near-shore swimming was allowed again from 25 February 2026 outside Tarakena Bay, but wet weather can still send untreated wastewater to the bay until treatment restarts (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tiaki Wai","role":"Owner and maintainer of the Moa Point plant since 1 July 2026 (formerly Wellington Water)","contact":"https://www.tiakiwai.co.nz/moa-point-info-hub"},{"name":"Greater Wellington Regional Council","role":"Regional regulator; filed charges and takes odour complaints","contact":"https://www.tiakiwai.co.nz/about-us/news-and-media/news-and-media-2/acknowledgement-of-gw-charges-over-moa-point"}],"public_contact":"Tiaki Wai media line 021 302 259; odour complaints to Greater Wellington Regional Council on 0800 496 734 (both published on Tiaki Wai pages).","corrective_actions":["Recovery Road Map released 20 May 2026 sets milestones for restoring the plant and fixing the design flaw found in the hydraulic report (ref 1).","Tiaki Wai accepted the Crown Review recommendations on 2 September 2026 (ref 3).","Daily water sampling along the south coast and a 72-hour stand-down period after any short-outfall discharge (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Moa Point Wastewater incident information hub","publisher":"Tiaki Wai","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tiakiwai.co.nz/moa-point-info-hub","basis":"Operator incident page (undated, continuously updated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Moa Point wastewater report by AECOM now available","publisher":"Tiaki Wai","date":"2026-09-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tiakiwai.co.nz/about-us/news-and-media/news-and-media-2/aecom-report-now-available","basis":"Operator media release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tiaki Wai Board welcomes Moa Point Independent Crown Review report and accepts recommendations","publisher":"Tiaki Wai","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tiakiwai.co.nz/about-us/news-and-media/news-and-media-2/moa-point-independent-crown-review-recommendations","basis":"Operator media release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Acknowledgement of Greater Wellington charges over Moa Point discharges","publisher":"Tiaki Wai","date":"2026-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tiakiwai.co.nz/about-us/news-and-media/news-and-media-2/acknowledgement-of-gw-charges-over-moa-point","basis":"Operator statement on court charges"},{"ref":5,"title":"Moa Point info hub: Reports (Crown Review final report, AECOM Moa Point Investigation Report)","publisher":"Tiaki Wai","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tiakiwai.co.nz/moa-point-info-hub/reports","basis":"Operator report index"},{"ref":6,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Moa Point and Tarakena Bay","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Moa+Point,+Wellington&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The volume of untreated wastewater discharged is not reported in the pages opened.","All sources are from the plant operator; the Crown Review and AECOM reports themselves were not opened, and no independent news article was opened.","The charges are allegations until decided by the court."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-WASTEWATERSEDIMENT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-WASTEWATERSEDIMENT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hauraki Gulf report finds 1,793 dry-weather sewage overflows in a year and sediment above guideline rates","description":"The Hauraki Gulf Forum's State of our Gulf 2026 report rates the Gulf as under pressure, recording 1,793 uncontrolled dry-weather wastewater overflow events across 19 Auckland catchments in 2024/25. More than a third of monitored intertidal sites accumulate sediment above guideline rates, and nutrient enrichment, microalgal blooms and reduced dissolved oxygen are becoming more evident in parts of the Gulf. Network separation and Watercare's Central Interceptor, planned for mid-2026, aim to cut wet-weather overflows to the Waitemata Harbour.","location":{"name":"Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour, Auckland","type":"Gulf and urban harbours with wastewater overflows","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"Auckland and Waikato coasts, New Zealand: Waitemata Harbour, Tamaki Estuary, Coromandel Harbour and the Firth of Thames within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-36.706,"lon":175.0916,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Wastewater overflows, nutrients and sediment from land degrade coastal water and seabed condition.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater and stormwater network overflows","Catchment sediment and nutrient runoff"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"More than one-third of monitored intertidal sites accumulate sediment above guideline rates, three of four Coromandel Harbour sites exceed them, and Firth of Thames benthic communities are declining (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The report links wastewater contamination to beach closures and contaminated shellfish beds felt by coastal communities and businesses (ref 1).","scale":"The findings concentrate in urban harbours, estuaries and stream mouths within a single gulf marine park (ref 1).","duration":"Sediment is described as persistent, with 1,793 overflow events in 2024/25 alone and nutrient enrichment building over time (ref 1).","significance":"The report is the Hauraki Gulf Forum's own formal state-of-the-Gulf assessment, with no enforcement action named (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"1,793 uncontrolled dry-weather wastewater overflow events were recorded across 19 Auckland catchments during 2024/25 (State of our Gulf 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Uncontrolled dry-weather overflow events, 2024/25","value":1793,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Across 19 catchments (ref 1)."},{"name":"Monitored intertidal sites accumulating sediment above guideline rates (lower bound)","value":33,"unit":"% of sites","status":"Reported","note":"'More than one-third' (ref 1); the figure is a floor."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Beach closures and contaminated shellfish beds are cited as costs to coastal communities and businesses (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Overflows have reduced in some areas in recent years but uncontrolled discharges still occur in dry and wet weather (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hauraki Gulf Forum","role":"Forum that published the State of our Gulf report","contact":"https://www.haurakigulfforum.org.nz"},{"name":"Watercare Services","role":"Auckland wastewater operator (Central Interceptor project)","contact":"https://www.watercare.co.nz/"}],"public_contact":"Hauraki Gulf Forum, c/o Auckland Council, Private Bag 42300, Auckland 1142 (address printed in the report).","corrective_actions":["Watercare's Central Interceptor was planned for commissioning in mid-2026 to cut wet-weather overflows to the Waitemata Harbour (ref 1).","Auckland network separation, stormwater improvements and faecal source tracking with Safeswim continue (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of our Gulf 2026: The Hauraki Gulf / Tikapa Moana / Te Moananui-a-Toi","publisher":"Hauraki Gulf Forum (prepared by Pattle Delamore Partners)","date":"2026-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gulfjournal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/State-of-our-Gulf-2026.pdf","basis":"Agency report (first published July 2026; day not printed)"},{"ref":2,"title":"New approach to monitor our coasts via UK satellite collaboration","publisher":"Earth Sciences New Zealand","date":"2026-08-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.earthsciences.nz/news/new-approach-to-monitor-our-coasts-via-uk-satellite-collaboration","basis":"Agency media release (context on sediment and nutrient change in Hauraki Gulf and other inlets)"},{"ref":3,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Hauraki Gulf","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Hauraki+Gulf&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The day of publication is not printed, so the source date is set to the first of July 2026.","Whether the Central Interceptor was commissioned on schedule was not found in the pages opened.","The underlying Auckland Council and Watercare datasets were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-TRAWLING-2025","OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-MICROPLASTICS-2026","OC-TASMAN-WELLINGTON-MOAPOINTSEWAGE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-MICROPLASTICS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Microplastics found in Hauraki Gulf fish, with nearly 75% of Auckland litter items plastic","description":"The State of our Gulf 2026 report says recent research suggests microplastics are now widespread through the Gulf's coastal environments, though long-term monitoring remains limited. It cites NIWA's finding of microplastics in 70 of 305 fish from six Gulf species and Litter Intelligence surveys showing nearly 75% of litter items across the Auckland region were plastic. A cited study estimates Bryde's whales feeding in the Gulf may ingest about three million microplastic particles a day.","location":{"name":"Hauraki Gulf, Auckland","type":"Gulf marine park and urban harbour","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"Auckland and Coromandel waters, New Zealand: fish sampled across the Hauraki Gulf and flounder from the Waitemata Harbour.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-36.706,"lon":175.0916,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic particles from litter, clothing fibres, tyre wear and wastewater enter coastal food webs, a pollution pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Wastewater and stormwater runoff","Synthetic clothing fibres and tyre wear","Beach litter"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"NIWA found microplastics in 70 of 305 sampled Gulf fish, including more than half the yellowbelly flounder, with fragments reaching muscle tissue in experiments (ref 2); the 2026 report adds an estimate of about three million particles a day ingested by Bryde's whales (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure, advisory or fishery loss tied to microplastics appears in the cited pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The sampling covers fish from one gulf and one harbour, though the 2026 report calls microplastics widespread through the Gulf's coastal environments (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The pollutant persists for decades once in the marine environment, and the issue is documented in a 2021 NIWA study and the 2026 Gulf report (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Only a research finding and a Forum state-of-the-Gulf report; no regulatory notice or standard is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastics were found in 70 of 305 fish from six Hauraki Gulf species, almost 25% of all fish sampled (NIWA, March 2021, cited in State of our Gulf 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fish with microplastics in their guts","value":70,"unit":"of 305 fish","status":"Reported","note":"Six species, mostly microfibres (ref 2); study dates from 2021."},{"name":"Auckland region litter items that were plastic","value":75,"unit":"% (approximate)","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 75%' per Litter Intelligence surveys as cited in the Gulf report (ref 1); the underlying surveys were not opened."},{"name":"Microplastic particles ingested by a Bryde's whale","value":3000000,"unit":"particles per day","status":"Estimated","note":"Modelled estimate from a 2022 study cited in the Gulf report (ref 1); not measured."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The Gulf report says long-term monitoring of microplastics remains limited (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hauraki Gulf Forum","role":"Forum reporting on Gulf health","contact":"https://www.haurakigulfforum.org.nz"},{"name":"Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA)","role":"Research agency that sampled Gulf fish","contact":"https://www.earthsciences.nz"}],"public_contact":"Hauraki Gulf Forum, c/o Auckland Council, Private Bag 42300, Auckland 1142 (address printed in the report).","corrective_actions":["The report lists continued Litter Intelligence beach surveys and coastal clean-up work as community responses (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of our Gulf 2026: The Hauraki Gulf / Tikapa Moana / Te Moananui-a-Toi","publisher":"Hauraki Gulf Forum (prepared by Pattle Delamore Partners)","date":"2026-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gulfjournal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/State-of-our-Gulf-2026.pdf","basis":"Agency report (first published July 2026; day not printed)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Research finds microplastics in fish muscle tissue","publisher":"NIWA (now Earth Sciences New Zealand)","date":"2021-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://niwa.co.nz/news/research-finds-microplastics-fish-muscle-tissue","basis":"Agency research release (before the window; cited by the 2026 report)"},{"ref":3,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Hauraki Gulf","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Hauraki+Gulf&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The fish study predates the research window; it is included because the 2026 report relies on it.","The Litter Intelligence and Auckland Council source data were not opened.","The 2026 report date is set to the first of July 2026 because only the month is printed."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-WASTEWATERSEDIMENT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-SEAUSTRALIA-HEATWAVE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Marine heatwaves reach Tasmania, Bass Strait and the NSW coast in summer 2024-25, with a salmon die-off and a NSW fish kill","description":"A peer-reviewed review of the 2024/25 season reports localised marine heatwaves off south-east Tasmania from late November 2024, covering most of the state by March 2025 and reaching southern Victoria and Bass Strait by late March. Impacts included salp, Noctiluca and moon jellyfish blooms, reduced little penguin returns, and a salmon bacterial disease outbreak causing mass mortality of farmed Atlantic salmon in southern Tasmania. Off the NSW south coast, short moderate-to-strong heatwaves preceded a mid-March fish kill of thousands of threadfin leatherjacket after temperatures dropped 4 to 6 C in 48 hours.","location":{"name":"South-east Australia: Tasmania, Bass Strait, NSW south coast","type":"Marine heatwave region off south-east Australia","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Tasmanian waters, Bass Strait, southern Victoria and the New South Wales south coast, Australia, December 2024 to April 2025.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sustained warm-water anomalies are a physical ocean change that drove biological impacts.","secondary_drivers":["East Australian Current extension","Warm summer conditions","Salmon disease outbreak"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Thousands of threadfin leatherjacket died off the NSW south coast in March 2025 after a 4 to 6 C fall in 48 hours, and warm water was associated with mass mortality of farmed Atlantic salmon in southern Tasmania (ref 1).","livelihoods":"A rickettsia outbreak linked to warm water caused mass mortality of farmed Atlantic salmon in southern Tasmania, and an abalone mortality at an NSW processing facility was attributed to heat-stressed stock or handling (ref 1).","scale":"The heatwaves covered most of Tasmania, Bass Strait, southern Victoria and the NSW south coast (ref 1).","duration":"Localised heatwaves began in late November 2024 and extended to most of Tasmania by March 2025, while NSW events lasted under 20 days each (ref 1).","significance":"The Tasmanian Government issued a marine heatwave information sheet and a response plan, and researchers ran national marine climate briefings advertised by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Water temperatures dropped by approximately 4 to 6 C over 48 hours across the NSW south coast in mid-March 2025, coinciding with a fish kill of thousands of threadfin leatherjacket (Oceanography, 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Temperature fall after upwelling, NSW south coast (upper bound)","value":6,"unit":"C in 48 hours","status":"Reported","note":"'Approximately 4 to 6 C' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Duration of individual NSW marine heatwaves (upper bound)","value":20,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"'Numerous short-term (<20 day)' events (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Farmed Atlantic salmon mass mortality in southern Tasmania was associated with warm water (ref 1).","Salmon mortalities are typically elevated in warm summers, and the 2024-25 season saw hundreds of pen notifications in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel in February (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The 2024/25 Tasmanian conditions were milder than 2023/24, when a severe heatwave persisted all summer (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)","role":"Marine heatwave response plan and biosecurity","contact":"https://fishing.tas.gov.au/community/fisheries-management/marine-stressors/marine-heatwaves"},{"name":"Fisheries Research and Development Corporation","role":"Advertised the national marine climate briefings on marine heatwave forecasts","contact":"https://tos.org/oceanography/article/turning-forecasts-into-actions-marine-heatwaves-and-ecosystem-wide-impacts-in-australian-waters-during-summer-2024-25"}],"public_contact":"Biosecurity Tasmania 03 6165 3777 in office hours for sick or dying fish; Emergency Animal Disease Hotline 1800 675 888 (both from the Tasmanian information sheet).","corrective_actions":["Tasmania released a Marine Heatwave and Related Event Response Plan and held preparation workshops ahead of summer 2025/26 (ref 1).","Trial seasonal forecasts and five national marine climate briefings from November 2024 to May 2025 informed industry and government (ref 1).","Tasmanian guidance tells the public not to harvest or eat sick or dying fish or wild shellfish during a heatwave (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Turning forecasts into actions: marine heatwaves and ecosystem-wide impacts in Australian waters during summer 2024/25","publisher":"Oceanography (The Oceanography Society)","date":"2026-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tos.org/oceanography/article/turning-forecasts-into-actions-marine-heatwaves-and-ecosystem-wide-impacts-in-australian-waters-during-summer-2024-25","basis":"Peer-reviewed article"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine Heatwaves information sheet","publisher":"Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishing.tas.gov.au/Documents/Marine-Heatwave-Information-Sheet-2025.pdf","basis":"Agency information sheet (undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Data shows salmon mortality event unprecedented","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/news/data-shows-salmon-mortality-event-unprecedented","basis":"Agency media release"},{"ref":4,"title":"Bass Strait Scallop Fishery: Climate and Ecosystem Status Report","publisher":"Australian Fisheries Management Authority","date":"2025-06-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.afma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-09/BSCZSF-Climate-and-Ecosystem-Status-Report-2025.pdf","basis":"Agency report (moderate heatwaves in Bass Strait since January 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"cause of the Tasmanian salmon mortality","note":"The review links the outbreak to warm water (ref 1) while Tasmania's Chief Veterinary Officer attributes it largely to an endemic bacterium (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The article gives no peak temperature anomaly or area figure for the Tasmanian or Victorian events.","No count is given for the salmon mortality in the review (the EPA's 5,500 tonnes of mortality waste is a different measure).","Source 2 shows no date."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-TASMANIA-SALMONMORTALITY-2025","OC-TASMAN-BASSSTRAIT-WARMWATER-2025","OC-TASMAN-TASMANIA-GIANTKELP-2026","OC-TASMAN-LORDHOWE-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-BASSSTRAIT-WARMWATER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bass Strait runs warm through 2025 and into 2026, with the warmest months of a ten-year record in two regions","description":"AFMA's Bass Strait scallop climate reports say the strait was average or anomalously warm through the year to June 2025, with moderate marine heatwaves since January 2025. The April 2026 report says March to August 2025 was the warmest of the 2016-2026 record for the Apollo Bay region and May to August 2025 the warmest for the King Island region, with the strait anomalously warm again in April 2026 and moderate heatwaves forecast for the eastern strait. The effect on scallop larvae and recruitment is not known.","location":{"name":"Bass Strait","type":"Shallow strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Waters between Victoria and Tasmania, Australia, including the Apollo Bay, King Island and Flinders regions.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":-39.473,"lon":145.2624,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Persistent warm anomalies in surface and bottom water are a physical ocean change.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwaves","Warming trend"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"AFMA says the impact of heatwaves on scallop larvae and recruitment is not known and notes die-offs in western Bass Strait during the 2024 season, without attributing them to heat (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited reports record a poor scallop season and limited fishing in 2025 because of predation by eleven-armed sea stars, not a heat closure (ref 1).","scale":"Warm anomalies are reported across several strait regions and off eastern Tasmania in the BOM forecast (ref 1), and heatwaves had reached Bass Strait by late March 2025 (ref 4).","duration":"The strait was average or anomalously warm for the year to June 2025 and was warm again in April 2026, a recurring pattern over more than a year (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Agency status reports only; no notice, closure or regulatory action tied to the warming is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"March to August 2025 was the warmest of the 10-year record for the Apollo Bay region in north-west Bass Strait (AFMA Climate and Ecosystem Status Report, April 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Periods of record warmth in the 2016-2026 series, Apollo Bay region","value":6,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"March to August 2025 was the warmest of the 10-year period (ref 1)."},{"name":"Periods of record warmth in the 2016-2026 series, King Island region","value":4,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"May to August 2025 was the warmest of the 10-year period (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Heatwaves during scallop spawning could expose larvae to unsuitable temperatures, and the Bass Strait scallop survey biomass fell by roughly one third since 2024 for other reasons (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Temperatures were above average in June to August 2025, average or below average in December, and anomalously warm again in April 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)","role":"Commonwealth fisheries manager publishing the climate reports","contact":"https://www.afma.gov.au"},{"name":"Bureau of Meteorology","role":"Marine heatwave forecasts for Bass Strait","contact":"http://www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/oceantemp/sst-outlook-map.shtml"}],"public_contact":"AFMA, through its published channels at afma.gov.au (no phone number was opened).","corrective_actions":["AFMA publishes climate and ecosystem status reports each year to inform scallop fishery management (refs 1, 2).","BOM now issues marine heatwave forecasts that the scallop industry can use during spawning (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bass Strait Scallop Fishery: Climate and Ecosystem Status Report (17 April 2026)","publisher":"Australian Fisheries Management Authority","date":"2026-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.afma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-06/260508_cesr_bsczsf_2026.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bass Strait Scallop Fishery: Climate and Ecosystem Status Report (23 June 2025)","publisher":"Australian Fisheries Management Authority","date":"2025-06-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.afma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-09/BSCZSF-Climate-and-Ecosystem-Status-Report-2025.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Bass Strait","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Bass+Strait&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Turning forecasts into actions: marine heatwaves and ecosystem-wide impacts in Australian waters during summer 2024/25","publisher":"Oceanography (The Oceanography Society)","date":"2026-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tos.org/oceanography/article/turning-forecasts-into-actions-marine-heatwaves-and-ecosystem-wide-impacts-in-australian-waters-during-summer-2024-25","basis":"Peer-reviewed article (confirms heatwaves reached Bass Strait by late March 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The AFMA temperature statements draw on Copernicus Marine and BOM data that were not opened; the reports are the cited evidence.","No quantified temperature anomaly in degrees is given in the text of the reports.","The 2024 die-offs in western Bass Strait are a stakeholder observation and are not attributed to heat."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-SEAUSTRALIA-HEATWAVE-2025","OC-TASMAN-GIPPSLAND-STAROFTHESOUTH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-NEWZEALAND-OCEANWARMING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"New Zealand waters warming 0.2 to 0.3 C a decade, fastest off the east coast and in the Tasman Sea","description":"An Earth Sciences New Zealand report for Fisheries New Zealand, released in October 2025, finds average sea surface temperatures around New Zealand warmed 0.2 to 0.3 C per decade from 1982 to 2022, with trends especially pronounced off eastern New Zealand, in the Tasman Sea and over the Chatham Rise. Some recent marine heatwaves have already exceeded historic baselines by 5 C and could exceed them by 10 C by 2100 under high emissions. The 2026 State of our Gulf report links Hauraki Gulf heatwaves to temporary kelp loss and seabird breeding stress.","location":{"name":"New Zealand coastal and Tasman Sea waters","type":"National waters warming trend","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"New Zealand's coast and offshore waters, including the Tasman Sea, the Chatham Rise and the Hauraki Gulf.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A long-term rise in sea temperature and more frequent heatwaves is a physical ocean change.","secondary_drivers":["Long-term warming","Marine heatwaves"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Some recent marine heatwaves already exceeded historic baseline temperatures by 5 C (ref 1), and in the Hauraki Gulf they are linked to temporary kelp loss, benthic stress and seabird foraging trips that doubled in length in the 2021 event (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Earth Sciences NZ says further data are needed to predict fishery effects, and no closure or income loss tied to the warming is documented in the cited pages (ref 1).","scale":"The warming spans New Zealand's coastal waters, the offshore Tasman Sea and the Chatham Rise (ref 1).","duration":"The trend covers 40 years, 1982 to 2022, at 0.2 to 0.3 C per decade at the surface (ref 1).","significance":"A formal scientific report completed for Fisheries New Zealand, with new MBIE Endeavour funding for multi-month heatwave forecasts (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Average sea surface temperatures around New Zealand warmed between 0.2 and 0.3 C per decade from 1982 to 2022 (Earth Sciences New Zealand, October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea surface warming rate, 1982-2022 (upper bound)","value":0.3,"unit":"C per decade","status":"Reported","note":"Range 0.2 to 0.3 C per decade (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seafloor warming rate over the last 40 years","value":0.1,"unit":"C per decade","status":"Reported","note":"About 0.1 C per decade (ref 1)."},{"name":"Excess of some recent marine heatwaves over historic baselines","value":5,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"'Some recent marine heatwaves have already exceeded historic baseline temperatures by 5 degrees Celsius' (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Earth Sciences NZ and Fisheries New Zealand say warmer oceans carry implications for fisheries and marine ecosystems (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Marine heatwaves are described as becoming more frequent and severe, and projected to double in intensity by 2100 under high emissions (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Earth Sciences New Zealand","role":"Research agency that completed the report","contact":"https://www.earthsciences.nz"},{"name":"Hauraki Gulf Forum","role":"Forum reporting heatwave effects in the Gulf","contact":"https://www.haurakigulfforum.org.nz"}],"public_contact":"Earth Sciences New Zealand, via the contact channels on earthsciences.nz (no phone number was opened).","corrective_actions":["An MBIE Endeavour Fund project will develop multi-month marine heatwave forecasts as an early warning system for marine industries, iwi and regulators (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"New research to understand the impact of marine heatwaves on fisheries","publisher":"Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA)","date":"2025-10-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.earthsciences.nz/news/new-research-to-understand-the-impact-of-marine-heatwaves-on-fisheries","basis":"Agency media release on a report for Fisheries New Zealand"},{"ref":2,"title":"State of our Gulf 2026: The Hauraki Gulf / Tikapa Moana / Te Moananui-a-Toi","publisher":"Hauraki Gulf Forum (prepared by Pattle Delamore Partners)","date":"2026-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gulfjournal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/State-of-our-Gulf-2026.pdf","basis":"Agency report (first published July 2026; day not printed)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The underlying Fisheries New Zealand report and its StoryMap were not opened; the record rests on the agency release.","No specific 2025-26 New Zealand marine heatwave event with measured anomalies could be sourced from pages opened, so this record covers the long-term trend.","The 2026 report date is set to the first of July 2026 because only the month is printed."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-NEWZEALAND-COASTALFLOODLOSSES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-NEWZEALAND-COASTALFLOODLOSSES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"New Zealand coastal flood losses to infrastructure projected to nearly double by 2075","description":"A study by Earth Sciences New Zealand for Te Waihanga, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, projects that under a high-emissions scenario coastal flooding losses to infrastructure grow from about $165 million a year in 2025 to $325 million in 2075. Hawke's Bay faces the largest increase relative to its network size, rising from $43 million to about $89 million a year across inland and coastal flooding. The commission says sea levels are rising and communities and networks designed for yesterday's conditions face greater pressure.","location":{"name":"New Zealand coastline","type":"National coastal flood exposure","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"New Zealand's coastline, with Hawke's Bay, West Coast, Nelson-Tasman, Manawatu-Whanganui and Bay of Plenty showing the highest relative increases in flood losses.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Rising sea levels increase the frequency and cost of coastal flooding, a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Coastal flooding losses to infrastructure are modelled at $165 million a year in 2025 and $325 million in 2075, as book-value losses rather than replacement cost (ref 1); these are projected, not recorded, damages.","livelihoods":"The study models losses to infrastructure and private buildings and documents no coastal flood closure or displacement (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The assessment covers every New Zealand region, so it concerns the national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The projection runs from 2025 to 2075, with coastal losses growing gradually but at an accelerating rate (ref 2).","significance":"A formal commissioned report from Te Waihanga, published 9 July 2026 to support a National Infrastructure Plan priority (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Coastal flooding losses to New Zealand infrastructure are expected to grow from $165 million per year in 2025 to $325 million in 2075 under the SSP3-7.0 high-emissions scenario (Te Waihanga, July 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Annual coastal flood losses to infrastructure, 2025","value":165,"unit":"million dollars per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Modelled book-value loss; currency as stated by the source, not specified (ref 1)."},{"name":"Annual coastal flood losses to infrastructure, 2075","value":325,"unit":"million dollars per year","status":"Estimated","note":"SSP3-7.0 scenario projection (ref 1)."},{"name":"Hawke's Bay annual flood losses to infrastructure, 2075","value":89,"unit":"million dollars per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Up from $43 million in 2025; inland and coastal flooding combined (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Flooding is already described as one of New Zealand's most costly natural hazards, with rising costs (ref 1).","Private building flood losses are projected to rise from $270 million to about $420 million a year by 2075 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Modelled coastal losses almost double between 2025 and 2075 under the high-emissions scenario (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Te Waihanga (New Zealand Infrastructure Commission)","role":"Commissioned the research and sets infrastructure priorities","contact":"https://tewaihanga.govt.nz/our-work/research-insights/when-waters-rise-research"},{"name":"Earth Sciences New Zealand","role":"Carried out the modelling","contact":"https://www.earthsciences.nz/news/some-regions-expected-to-be-hit-harder-than-others-as-flood-damage-to-infrastructure-grows"}],"public_contact":"Te Waihanga, via the contact channels on tewaihanga.govt.nz (no phone number was opened).","corrective_actions":["Te Waihanga says losses can be best managed by strong asset management, insurance-informed options and cost-effective flood protection (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"When waters rise: Climate change, regional risk and infrastructure investment","publisher":"Te Waihanga (New Zealand Infrastructure Commission)","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tewaihanga.govt.nz/our-work/research-insights/when-waters-rise-research","basis":"Agency research page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Some regions expected to be hit harder than others, as flood damage to infrastructure grows","publisher":"Earth Sciences New Zealand","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.earthsciences.nz/news/some-regions-expected-to-be-hit-harder-than-others-as-flood-damage-to-infrastructure-grows","basis":"Agency media release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The full report and databook were not opened; the record rests on the agency summaries.","The split between coastal and inland losses by region is not given in the pages opened, so Hawke's Bay's figures combine both.","The currency is not stated on the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-NEWZEALAND-OCEANWARMING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-NORTHERNRIVERS-ALFREDEROSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred causes severe coastal erosion on the northern New South Wales coast in March 2025","description":"Between 3 and 14 March 2025, Alfred brought strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and coastal erosion to northern New South Wales including the Northern Rivers, with gusts over 120 km/h recorded at Byron Bay. The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience reports major coastal erosion in northern NSW and southern Queensland, with sand scarps up to about 6 metres high on some beaches, and the NSW Reconstruction Authority describes severe coastal erosion in northern NSW. The Queensland side of the event is filed separately.","location":{"name":"Northern Rivers coast, New South Wales","type":"Open ocean beaches and dunes","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"North coast of New South Wales, Australia: Northern Rivers beaches around Byron Bay, Ballina, Tweed Heads and Yamba, and the Mid North Coast.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-28.6483,"lon":153.6178,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Cyclone swell and storm tide drove shoreline erosion, a physical coastal hazard.","secondary_drivers":["Tropical cyclone swell and storm tide"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"AIDR reports major coastal erosion in northern NSW and southern Queensland, with sand scarps up to about 6 metres high on some beaches, and the NSW Reconstruction Authority cites severe coastal erosion in the Northern Rivers (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"AIDR estimates about $68 million was lost from tourism cancellations across the affected area, and wind gusts over 120 km/h at Byron Bay caused wide power outages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The event hit the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and New England regions across several local government areas (ref 1).","duration":"Alfred affected northern NSW between 3 and 14 March 2025, a storm event of about two weeks (ref 1).","significance":"AIDR included the event in its Major Incidents Report 2024-25, and the NSW Reconstruction Authority lists it as a recent regional risk event (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On some beaches in northern NSW and southern Queensland, sand cliffs (scarps) were up to about 6 metres high after Alfred (Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum beach scarp height reported after Alfred","value":6,"unit":"metres (approximate)","status":"Reported","note":"'Up to about 6 metres high' on some beaches in both states (ref 1)."},{"name":"Peak wind gust at Byron Bay","value":120,"unit":"km/h (over)","status":"Reported","note":"'Over 120 km/h' recorded at Byron Bay (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Tourism cancellations were estimated at $68 million across the affected area (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited pages describe the March 2025 event only and give no later erosion monitoring."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NSW Reconstruction Authority","role":"State agency for disaster recovery and adaptation in the Northern Rivers","contact":"https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/northern-rivers-dap/cyclones"},{"name":"Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience","role":"Publisher of the major incident review","contact":"https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/cyclone-tropical-cyclone-alfred-queensland-2023/"}],"public_contact":"NSW Reconstruction Authority, via the Have Your Say site (no phone number was opened).","corrective_actions":["AIDR records early coordination between NSW and Queensland agencies and lessons on explaining coastal erosion alongside wind and flood hazards (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cyclone - Tropical Cyclone Alfred, Queensland, 2025","publisher":"Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (Australian Disasters knowledge hub)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/cyclone-tropical-cyclone-alfred-queensland-2023/","basis":"Agency incident review (undated page)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cyclones: Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Plan regional risk insights","publisher":"NSW Reconstruction Authority (Have Your Say)","date":"2026-06-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/northern-rivers-dap/cyclones","basis":"Agency page (information current to June 2026; day not printed)"},{"ref":3,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Byron Bay","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Byron+Bay&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No NSW-specific erosion volumes or beach-by-beach survey was opened.","The Byron Shire Council erosion page and the NSW grant release could not be opened (blocked or not found).","Source 1 shows no date; source 2 shows only June 2026."],"related_ids":["OC-CORAL-SEQLD-ALFREDEROSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-TARANAKI-IRONSANDMINE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Taranaki seabed iron-sand mining bid declined in draft by the Fast-track panel, then withdrawn in 2026","description":"Trans-Tasman Resources applied under the Fast-track Approvals Act to extract up to 50 million tonnes of seabed sediment a year in the South Taranaki Bight. In February 2026 the expert panel issued a draft decision to decline, citing credible risk of harm to Maui dolphins, kororā (little penguins) and fairy prions, and the company then withdrew its application. Opponents say the withdrawal leaves open a possible new application, and the company said the panel misunderstood key foundations of its case.","location":{"name":"South Taranaki Bight seabed off Pātea","type":"Seabed mining licence area","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"North Island west coast, New Zealand. The area lies 22 to 36 km off Pātea in South Taranaki (ref 4). Coordinates are for Pātea, the nearest town.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-39.757,"lon":174.477,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed seabed extraction project assessed under a national approvals law, with the regulator weighing marine-life risk against economic benefit.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed sediment plume","Underwater noise","Fast-track approvals law"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The panel found a credible risk of harm to Maui dolphins, kororā and fairy prions, but no mining has taken place so the harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or lost income is reported in the cited sources; the panel cut the applicant's job estimates, which concern the project's benefits (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The proposed licence area is a single seabed block 22 to 36 km off Patea, expanded from 66 km2 to 243 km2 in 2024 per Greenpeace (ref 4).","duration":"The dispute has run since a 2014 EPA refusal through the 2021 Supreme Court ruling to the 2026 Fast-track process, over a decade of proceedings (ref 4).","significance":"A Fast-track expert panel issued a draft decision to decline in February 2026, and the Supreme Court dismissed the company's earlier appeal in 2021 (refs 1, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Trans-Tasman Resources proposed to extract about 50 million tonnes of seabed sediment a year for 30 years; the panel's draft decision found impacts out of proportion to benefits (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Seabed sediment proposed for extraction","value":50,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"For 30 years, as reported by RNZ via Te Ao Maori News (ref 1)."},{"name":"Threatened species in the affected area","value":12,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"The panel found at least 12 threatened species in the area, per Dawson & Associates (ref 3)."},{"name":"Licence area after 2024 increase","value":243,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace page: increased from 66 km2 in July 2024 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Distance of proposed mining area from the coast","value":29,"unit":"km","status":"Estimated","note":"Midpoint of the 22 to 36 km range reported by Greenpeace (ref 4); a range, not a single figure."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The applicant's executive chairman said the project could contribute $1 billion a year to the economy; the panel found claimed benefits overstated (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The application was withdrawn in February 2026, but opponents warn that a new route to approval may open (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fast-track Approvals expert panel (New Zealand)","role":"Decision panel","contact":"https://www.fasttrack.govt.nz/"},{"name":"Environmental Protection Authority (New Zealand)","role":"Fast-track secretariat","contact":"https://www.epa.govt.nz/"}],"public_contact":"EPA New Zealand and the Fast-track Approvals website publish general enquiry channels.","corrective_actions":["The panel issued a draft decision to decline consent in February 2026 (ref 1).","The applicant withdrew its application before a final ruling (ref 2).","A Members Bill to ban seabed mining in New Zealand has been lodged, per ref 2."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fast track panel declines Taranaki seabed mining over risk to marine life","publisher":"Te Ao Maori News (from RNZ)","date":"2026-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2026/02/07/fast-track-panel-declines-taranaki-seabed-mining-over-risk-to-marine-life/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Seabed miners quit South Taranaki fast track bid","publisher":"Te Ao Maori News (Local Democracy Reporting)","date":"2026-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2026/02/21/seabed-miners-quit-south-taranaki-fast-track-bid/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"TTR Iron Sands Fast Track Application declined","publisher":"Dawson & Associates (maritime law firm)","date":"2026-02-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritimelaw.co.nz/insight/ttr-iron-sands-fast-track-application-declined","basis":"Law firm analysis"},{"ref":4,"title":"What is Trans-Tasman Resources?","publisher":"Greenpeace Aotearoa","date":"2026-05-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/explore/seabed-mining/what-is-trans-tasman-resources/","basis":"NGO page; last modified date shown in page metadata"},{"ref":5,"title":"Fast track panel rejects seabed mining application","publisher":"Greenpeace Aotearoa","date":"2026-02-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/fast-track-panel-rejects-seabed-mining-application/","basis":"NGO news"},{"ref":6,"title":"Patea (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81tea","basis":"Reference page used for place coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"licence area","note":"Greenpeace (ref 4) gives 66 km2 originally and 243 km2 after July 2024; the other cited sources give no area."}],"missing_fields":["The panel's own decision documents were not opened (the Fast-track site returned 403); the facts come from news and law-firm summaries."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-TRAWLING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-MACQUARIE-MAUGEANSKATE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Maugean skate in Macquarie Harbour: salmon-farm oxygen concerns and a 2025 change to federal approval powers","description":"The endangered Maugean skate lives only in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast, where salmon farms operate. A 2023 University of Tasmania study cited in news reports found its population rapidly halved between 2014 and 2021, and amendments passed in 2025 limit the federal minister's power to revisit past salmon-farming approvals. Environmental groups and some MPs are calling for intervention, while the industry and local officials welcomed the amendments.","location":{"name":"Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania","type":"Estuarine harbour","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"West coast of Tasmania, Australia; the harbour is the only known habitat of the Maugean skate (ref 2).","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-42.294,"lon":145.359,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["aquaculture","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A single endangered species confined to one harbour where farm-related low dissolved oxygen is the cited pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Low dissolved oxygen","Salmon farming","EPBC Act approvals"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A 2023 University of Tasmania study reported in the press found the skate population rapidly halved between 2014 and 2021 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or lost income is reported; the cited pieces note the salmon industry is a major employer in Strahan, which is the interest being protected, not a harm (ref 1).","scale":"The species and the issue are confined to a single harbour (ref 2).","duration":"The decline spans 2014 to 2021, a federal review since November 2023 and 2025 dissolved-oxygen declines reported by EPA Tasmania (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Parliament passed EPBC Act amendments in 2025 limiting the minister's power to revoke salmon approvals, and an EPBC review began in November 2023 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A 2023 University of Tasmania study found the Maugean skate population rapidly halved between 2014 and 2021 (The Point, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Skate population trend 2014 to 2021","value":50,"unit":"% decline (approximate)","status":"Estimated","note":"The press describes a population that 'rapidly halved' (ref 2); no absolute count is given. Value is the halving as stated, not an exact figure."},{"name":"Federal funding for water quality in the area","value":28,"unit":"million AUD","status":"Reported","note":"Including 21 million AUD for oxygenation trials, per Salmon Business (ref 1)."},{"name":"Salmon mortality in Macquarie Harbour, Sept 2023 to Mar 2024","value":1150,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"1,149,795 kg from government data obtained by Neighbours of Fish Farming, reported by AAP (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Tasmanian government report indicates plans for 10-year farming licence terms (ref 2).","Industry body Salmon Tasmania says mortality incidents are part of normal production (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Salmon Business (2025) cites an IMAS finding that populations stabilised alongside improved oxygen, while The Point (2026) cites EPA Tasmania data of declining oxygen in late 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia)","role":"EPBC Act administrator","contact":"https://www.dcceew.gov.au/"},{"name":"Environment Protection Authority Tasmania","role":"Salmon farm regulator","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"The departments publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Amendments passed in 2025 limit the minister's power to revisit past approvals (ref 2).","The federal government committed 28 million AUD for water quality including oxygenation trials (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Australian PM promises to protect salmon farming in Tasmania with new laws","publisher":"Salmon Business","date":"2025-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/australian-pm-promises-to-protect-salmon-farming-in-tasmania-with-new-laws/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pressure mounts to save Macquarie Harbour as salmon farming backlash grows","publisher":"The Point","date":"2026-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thepoint.com.au/new/260326-pressure-mounts-to-save-macquarie-harbour-as-salmon-farming-backlash-grows","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Macquarie Harbour: Salmon farms record 1000-tonne deaths","publisher":"The Nightly (AAP)","date":"2024-10-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thenightly.com.au/australia/tasmania/macquarie-harbour-salmon-farms-record-1000-tonne-deaths--c-16506027","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Macquarie Harbour (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macquarie_Harbour","basis":"Reference page used for place coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"skate population status","note":"Salmon Business (ref 1) reports an IMAS finding of stabilisation at 2014 levels; The Nightly (ref 3) says numbers levelled off at a low point; The Point (ref 2) reports the 2014 to 2021 halving and declining oxygen in late 2025."}],"missing_fields":["No absolute skate population count appears in the cited pages.","The EPBC decision documents and the 2026 conservation advice were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-TASMANIA-SALMONMORTALITY-2025","OC-TASMAN-MACQUARIEHARBOUR-LOWOXYGEN-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-TASMANIA-SALMONMORTALITY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Tasmanian salmon farms lose about 20,000 tonnes of fish to mortality in 2025","description":"Atlantic salmon mortality data published by the Tasmanian EPA show at least four million fish died prematurely at Tasmanian farms in 2025, a total of 20,133 tonnes, with losses rising in the last three months of the year. Earlier government data obtained by a campaign group showed about 1,100 tonnes died in Macquarie Harbour between September 2023 and March 2024. The industry body says mortality is part of normal production. An unprecedented salmon mortality event ran from February to early May 2025 in the lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel, where Huon Aquaculture and Tassal farm. Congealed fish oil from dead salmon washed up at Verona Sands, Randalls Bay, Roaring Bay, Drip Beach and western South Bruny Island beaches, which the EPA treats as a loss of containment of a controlled waste. Over 5,500 tonnes of salmon mortality waste was received in February, some oil globules held oxytetracycline residues, and the EPA directed both companies on 6 March 2025 to remove dead fish.","location":{"name":"Tasmanian salmon farms (statewide)","type":"Marine fish farming region","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Tasmania, Australia; the cited pieces refer to farms statewide and to Macquarie Harbour, without naming farm sites for the 2025 totals.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":-43.2742,"lon":147.1588,"precision":"site","source_ref":10}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","chemical-oil-pollution","nutrient-pollution-dead-zones"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Large-scale farmed-fish mortality at marine pens, reported by the state regulator's own data.","secondary_drivers":["Warm water","Disease","Farm mortality"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"At least four million Atlantic salmon, 20,133 tonnes, died prematurely at Tasmanian farms in 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pieces report no closure or lost income; harvest was close to 68,000 tonnes of gutted salmon in 2024-25 (ref 1).","scale":"Losses were recorded across the Tasmanian industry, a state coastline, not a single farm (ref 1).","duration":"December 2025 mortality exceeded 40 tonnes a day, and the Macquarie Harbour 2023 to 2024 losses show repeat events across more than two years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The EPA publishes mortality data and the EPA had received 62 mortality reports since 1 August 2024 by January 2025, a formal reporting channel but not an enforcement order (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"At least four million Atlantic salmon died prematurely at Tasmanian fish farms in 2025, totalling 20,133 tonnes (Salmon Business, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Salmon mortality in 2025","value":20133,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Total 2025 losses from EPA Tasmania data as reported by Salmon Business (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fish that died prematurely in 2025","value":4,"unit":"million fish (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Mortality recorded in the final three months of 2025","value":2500,"unit":"tonnes (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Mortality reports received by EPA Tasmania since 1 Aug 2024","value":62,"unit":"reports","status":"Reported","note":"As of the Examiner article of 29 January 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Industry body Salmon Tasmania says mortality is a fact of life for farmers and low by global comparison (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Mortality rose sharply in the final months of 2025, with December daily losses nearly three times the July to October monthly average (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Environment Protection Authority Tasmania","role":"Salmon farm regulator","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/"},{"name":"Salmon Tasmania","role":"Industry body","contact":"https://www.salmontasmania.com/"},{"name":"EPA Tasmania","role":"Environmental regulator and investigator","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/salmon-aquaculture/salmon-mortality-event-2025"},{"name":"Huon Aquaculture Company","role":"Salmon farm operator","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/salmon-aquaculture/salmon-mortality-event-2025"},{"name":"Tassal Operations","role":"Salmon farm operator","contact":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/salmon-aquaculture/salmon-mortality-event-2025"}],"public_contact":"EPA Tasmania publishes general enquiry details on its website.","corrective_actions":["EPA Tasmania publishes mortality data (ref 1).","Operators must report elevated mortalities, though the EPA does not require the number or weight of dead fish (ref 2).","EPA directions of 6 March 2025 require removal of deceased fish and derived waste at a rate that prevents discharge (ref 3).","New licence conditions require monthly reporting of dead-fish weight and transport by a Controlled Waste Transporter to an approved site (ref 2).","EPA independent environmental monitoring began on 20 March 2025 and did not detect further antibiotic residues in water, beach sand or fish (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Salmon mortalities rose sharply in Tasmania during final months of 2025","publisher":"Salmon Business","date":"2026-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/salmon-mortalities-rose-sharply-in-tasmania-during-final-months-of-2025/?amp=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tasmanian salmon farms face mortality challenges","publisher":"The Examiner","date":"2025-01-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.examiner.com.au/story/8878515/tasmanian-salmon-farms-face-mortality-challenges/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Macquarie Harbour: Salmon farms record 1000-tonne deaths","publisher":"The Nightly (AAP)","date":"2024-10-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thenightly.com.au/australia/tasmania/macquarie-harbour-salmon-farms-record-1000-tonne-deaths--c-16506027","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"EPA investigating biological material found on southern Tasmania beach","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":"2025-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/news/epa-investigating-biological-material-found-on-southern-tasmania-beach","basis":"Agency media release"},{"ref":5,"title":"Data shows salmon mortality event unprecedented","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/news/data-shows-salmon-mortality-event-unprecedented","basis":"Agency media release"},{"ref":6,"title":"Salmon Mortality Event, lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel 2025","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":"2025-03-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/news/salmon-mortality-event-lower-dentrecasteaux-channel-2025","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":7,"title":"Salmon Mortality Event 2025","publisher":"EPA Tasmania","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/regulation/salmon-aquaculture/salmon-mortality-event-2025","basis":"Agency page (undated, updated through the event)"},{"ref":8,"title":"5,500 tonnes of Tasmanian salmon dumped amid mass mortality event","publisher":"Pulse Tasmania","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pulsetasmania.com.au/news/5500-tonnes-of-tasmanian-salmon-dumped-amid-mass-mortality-event/","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Turning forecasts into actions: marine heatwaves and ecosystem-wide impacts in Australian waters during summer 2024/25","publisher":"Oceanography (The Oceanography Society)","date":"2026-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tos.org/oceanography/article/turning-forecasts-into-actions-marine-heatwaves-and-ecosystem-wide-impacts-in-australian-waters-during-summer-2024-25","basis":"Peer-reviewed article (context on warm water and the rickettsia outbreak)"},{"ref":10,"title":"OpenStreetMap Nominatim place lookup: Verona Sands","publisher":"OpenStreetMap contributors (Nominatim)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Verona+Sands,+Tasmania&format=json&limit=1","basis":"Place lookup for coordinates only (not evidence of the issue)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"cause of the mortality","note":"Tasmania's Chief Veterinary Officer said the event was largely due to the endemic bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis (ref 2); the peer-reviewed review links the outbreak to warmer water (ref 6). Both can hold."},{"note":"Merged with research record OC-TASMAN-DENTRECASTEAUX-SALMONFISHOIL-2025 (Fish oil from a record salmon die-off washes up on southern Tasmanian beaches in 2025): pollution group filed the fish-oil beach fouling from the same die-off"}],"missing_fields":["The EPA Tasmania mortality page returned a 503 error and could not be opened; the 2025 figures come from the Salmon Business report of its data.","The cause of the 2025 losses is not stated in the cited pages.","The outcome of the EPA investigation, which the EPA said would likely conclude later in 2025, was not found in the pages opened.","Source 4 shows no date.","The volume of fish oil that reached beaches is not reported."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-MACQUARIE-MAUGEANSKATE-2025","OC-TASMAN-STORMBAY-TOTALNITROGEN-2024"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-TRAWLING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act 2025 protects part of the Marine Park but leaves most bottom trawling in place","description":"New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf / Tikapa Moana Marine Protection Act took effect in October 2025, extending two marine reserves, creating high protection areas and five seafloor protection areas where trawling, Danish seining and dredging are banned. Greenpeace and LegaSea say bottom trawling remains allowed across much of the Gulf, and the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries rejected the proposed trawl-corridor restrictions in May 2025. Commercial ring-net fishing is allowed in two of the high protection areas.","location":{"name":"Hauraki Gulf Marine Park","type":"Marine park","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"Auckland and Coromandel region, North Island, New Zealand; the Marine Park covers about 1.2 million hectares (ref 3).","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-36.333,"lon":175.083,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Fishing-method impacts on seabed habitat in a protected coastal park, with a new protection law partly addressing them.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling","Danish seining","Dredging"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Greenpeace says bottom trawling remains allowed across much of the Gulf and is a major driver of habitat damage; the harm is described, not measured, in the cited pieces (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The five seafloor protection areas ban trawling, Danish seining and dredging, and ring-net fishing is allowed in two of the 12 high protection areas (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The issue concerns a single marine park of about 1.2 million hectares (ref 3).","duration":"The 2023 consultation proposed bans on up to 89% of the park, and the 2025 Act left most of that unadopted, so the issue spans 2023 to 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Parliament passed the Hauraki Gulf / Tikapa Moana Marine Protection Act in 2025 and the Minister rejected trawl corridors in May 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Greenpeace states highly protected areas rise from about 0.3% to nearly 6% of the Marine Park, well short of the 30% global biodiversity target (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine Park with high protection after the Act","value":6,"unit":"% (approx.)","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace says nearly 6% from about 0.3% (ref 2); LegaSea says about six percent (ref 1)."},{"name":"Seafloor protection areas banning trawling, Danish seining and dredging","value":5,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"LegaSea (ref 1)."},{"name":"High protection areas created","value":12,"unit":"areas","status":"Reported","note":"LegaSea notes ring-net fishing is allowed in two of them (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of Marine Park proposed for trawl and Danish seine bans in 2023 options","value":89,"unit":"% (upper option)","status":"Reported","note":"Option 4 of the 2023 consultation, trawl ban on 89% (ref 3); not adopted in the Act."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Commercial ring-net fishing continues in Kawau Bay and in Rangitoto and Motutapu high protection areas (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The Act is in force but the trawl-corridor proposal was rejected in May 2025 and bottom trawling stays allowed across much of the Gulf (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Department of Conservation (New Zealand)","role":"Marine reserves and protection areas","contact":"https://www.doc.govt.nz/"},{"name":"Ministry for Primary Industries / Fisheries New Zealand","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.mpi.govt.nz/"}],"public_contact":"DOC and MPI publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The Act creates seafloor protection areas and high protection areas (ref 1).","The Waikato Regional Council has proposed closing most of the Coromandel coast to bottom fishing methods (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Why not 100 percent protection?","publisher":"LegaSea","date":"2025-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://legasea.co.nz/?p=62032","basis":"NGO news"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act: Turning the tide for the Marine Park","publisher":"Greenpeace Aotearoa","date":"2025-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/74396","basis":"NGO news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bottom-trawling ban for most of Hauraki Gulf","publisher":"SunLive","date":"2023-08-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/326110-bottom-trawling-ban-for-most-of-hauraki-gulf.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Hauraki Gulf (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hauraki_Gulf","basis":"Reference page used for place coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"share of Marine Park under high protection","note":"Greenpeace (ref 2) says high protection rises from about 0.3% to nearly 6%; the 2023 government statement (ref 3) described total protection rising from just over 6% to about 18% under the Bill. The record reports the 2025 post-Act figure from refs 1 and 2."}],"missing_fields":["The Act itself on legislation.govt.nz returned 403 and could not be opened; its commencement date is not stated here.","Both post-Act sources are advocacy groups."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-WASTEWATERSEDIMENT-2026","OC-TASMAN-TARANAKI-IRONSANDMINE-2026","OC-TASMAN-ORH7A-CATCHLIMIT-2024"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-LORDHOWE-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lord Howe Island coral bleaching in 2024 and continuing heat stress in 2025 at the world's southernmost reef","description":"UNSW and University of Newcastle researchers found bleaching across every site they surveyed at Lord Howe Island in early 2024, with heat stress of 20 Degree Heating Weeks, the highest recorded for the region. A severe low tide in May 2024 then killed corals exposed above the waterline, and the reef was still under heat stress in 2025. The lead researcher said recovery for these southern subtropical reefs is extremely slow.","location":{"name":"Lord Howe Island reef","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Tasman Sea; described as the world's southernmost coral reef (refs 2, 3).","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-31.554,"lon":159.085,"precision":"site","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss on a subtropical reef from thermal stress and exposure at low tide.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Extreme low tide"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Bleaching spread across the site surveyed in February 2024 and corals above the waterline died after a May 2024 low tide (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No tourism or fishing loss is reported in the cited pieces.","scale":"The finding concerns a single island reef system (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Heat stress ran from January 2024 into 2025, with the researchers saying they had never had warming this high for this long (ref 1).","significance":"The cited sources are researcher reports and press coverage; no formal notice or listing action is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Lord Howe Island recorded 20 Degree Heating Weeks in 2024, the highest ever for the region (UNSW and Xinhua, refs 2, 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Heat stress at Lord Howe Island in 2024","value":20,"unit":"Degree Heating Weeks","status":"Reported","note":"Highest ever for the region; mass bleaching typically begins at 4 and mass mortality at 8 (refs 2, 4)."},{"name":"Sea temperature in February 2024","value":29.5,"unit":"degrees C","status":"Reported","note":"Reported as 29 to 30 C; midpoint shown (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Sea temperature above average in January 2024","value":2,"unit":"degrees C","status":"Reported","note":"About 26 C, roughly 2 C above average (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The reef was recovering slowly in 2025, under continuing heat stress (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development","role":"Marine park manager","contact":"https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"Lord Howe Island Marine Park details are on the NSW DPI website.","corrective_actions":["Researchers from UNSW and the University of Newcastle are monitoring the reef (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Even Australia's most resilient coral reefs are now feeling the heat","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":"2025-05-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/even-australias-most-resilient-coral-reefs-are-now-feeling-the-heat","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Winter is coming but heat stays on Australia's coral reefs","publisher":"UNSW Sydney newsroom","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/05/winter-is-coming-but-heat-stays-on-australias-coral-reefs","basis":"University news release; page shows no date, URL path indicates May 2025"},{"ref":3,"title":"Lord Howe Island faces major coral bleaching as ocean temperatures soar","publisher":"Greenpeace Australia Pacific, The Canopy","date":"2024-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/lord-howe-island-faces-major-coral-bleaching-as-ocean-temperatures-soar","basis":"NGO news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Xinhua report on Lord Howe Island coral bleaching (headline not captured)","publisher":"China Daily HK (Xinhua)","date":"2025-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/611523","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Lord Howe Island (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Howe_Island","basis":"Reference page used for place coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The NSW Lord Howe Island Marine Park update page returned 403 and could not be opened; no 2026 status was found.","No bleaching percentage for Lord Howe is stated in the cited pages."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-SEAUSTRALIA-HEATWAVE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-NSW-SHARKNETS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"NSW shark nets: bycatch of non-target animals, a scientific review and stalled removal trial, 2025","description":"New South Wales deploys 51 shark nets between Newcastle and Wollongong each season. The Newcastle Herald reported that 223 animals were caught in the 2024-25 season, only 24 of them target sharks, and 149 of the 199 non-target animals did not survive. A March 2025 review by the state's Threatened Species Scientific Committee found no evidence the program reduces shark-related fatalities, and a trial to remove nets from three beaches had stalled by September 2025.","location":{"name":"NSW shark net beaches, Newcastle to Wollongong","type":"Coastline with seasonal shark nets","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"New South Wales coast between Newcastle and Wollongong, including Sydney beaches such as Bondi and Manly (refs 2, 3). Coordinates are for Sydney.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-33.868,"lon":151.21,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Bycatch deaths of turtles, dolphins and other non-target animals in a public-safety net program.","secondary_drivers":["Shark control nets","Bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Of 199 non-target animals caught, 149 did not survive, including two green turtles, a leatherback turtle, a dolphin and a grey nurse shark in Illawarra and Royal National Park nets (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No livelihood loss is reported; the nets exist for beach safety and councils are debating alternatives (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The 51 nets stretch along the coast from Newcastle to Wollongong (ref 2).","duration":"The nets are seasonal and recurring each September to April, and nets were pulled a month early in 2025 over turtle breeding (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The state's Threatened Species Scientific Committee reviewed the program and released its report on 28 March 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A March 2025 Threatened Species Scientific Committee report found no evidence that the nets reduced human fatalities from targeted shark species (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine animals caught in the 2024-25 season","value":223,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Newcastle Herald, 1 Sep 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Target sharks among animals caught","value":24,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 2."},{"name":"Non-target animals that did not survive","value":149,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Of 199 non-target animals caught (ref 2)."},{"name":"Beaches with nets","value":51,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Newcastle to Wollongong (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The program costs 21.5 million AUD a year, per the Newcastle Herald (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 2025-26 removal trial stalled over who chooses the net-free beaches (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development","role":"Shark management program operator","contact":"https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"NSW DPI publishes general enquiry details on its website.","corrective_actions":["Net inspections increased from every third day to every second day in February and March 2025, and turtle lights will be on all 51 nets (refs 1, 2).","A trial of removing nets from one beach in each of three council areas was proposed (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Shark net season is over early, but is it over for good?","publisher":"Region Illawarra","date":"2025-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://regionillawarra.com.au/shark-net-season-is-over-early-but-is-it-over-for-good/55884/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spring brings shark nets back to NSW amid growing debates","publisher":"Newcastle Herald","date":"2025-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/9054875/spring-brings-shark-nets-back-to-nsw-amid-growing-debates","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"AAP report on stalled NSW shark net removal trial (headline not captured)","publisher":"Newcastle Herald (AAP)","date":"2025-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/9055035/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Sydney (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney","basis":"Reference page used for place coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"council positions","note":"Region Illawarra (ref 1, April 2025) says all eight councils with nets voted for their removal; the Newcastle Herald (ref 2, September 2025) says Newcastle councillors in January declined to formally reject the nets and backed drones and SMART drumlines instead."},{"field":"season of the catch figures","note":"The Newcastle Herald (ref 2) gives the 223 and 149 figures for 2024-25; the TSSC review released in March 2025 may have covered the preceding season. The record attributes the figures to the Herald."}],"missing_fields":["No 2026 decision or trial outcome was found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-SYDNEY-DEBRISBALLS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-TASMANIA-GIANTKELP-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Giant kelp forests on Tasmania's east coast down about 95%, with a restoration project under way","description":"An estimated 95% of giant kelp forests on Tasmania's east coast have disappeared, with Nature Australia citing heatwaves, a strengthening East Australian Current, competing seaweeds and sea urchin overgrazing. A 3.5 million AUD Tasmanian Giant Kelp Restoration Project has run since 2024 at 18 coastal sites, and hundreds of giant kelps have reached the surface at several sites after being absent for a decade.","location":{"name":"Tasmania east coast giant kelp forests","type":"Kelp forest coast","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"East coast of Tasmania, Australia; the cited pages name no individual restoration sites.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of a canopy-forming habitat from warming and urchin overgrazing, with active restoration.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","East Australian Current extension","Sea urchin overgrazing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"An estimated 95% of east coast giant kelp forests have disappeared (ref 1) and Nature Australia puts the decline at over 95% since the 1970s (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No lost fishery income is reported; the sources say a developing urchin fishery is used as a control method and supports regional jobs (ref 2).","scale":"The loss covers the east coast of Tasmania, a regional coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The decline is described as running since the 1970s, with sites absent of kelp for a decade (ref 2).","significance":"The cited pieces are a magazine report and a conservation group page; no formal listing or order is cited."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"An estimated 95% of giant kelp forests on Tasmania's east coast have disappeared (Outback magazine, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Giant kelp forest loss on Tasmania's east coast","value":95,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Described as 'an estimated 95%' (ref 1); 'over 95%' since the 1970s per Nature Australia (ref 2)."},{"name":"Coastal sites in the restoration project","value":18,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Eight of them still have surviving kelp forests (ref 1)."},{"name":"Restoration project budget","value":3.5,"unit":"million AUD","status":"Reported","note":"Funded by the federal Saving Native Species Program per ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Restoration outplanting has run since 2023 to 2025, with hundreds of giant kelps back at the surface at several sites (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania","role":"Restoration project partner","contact":"https://www.imas.utas.edu.au/"},{"name":"The Nature Conservancy Australia","role":"Restoration project partner","contact":"https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/"}],"public_contact":"Project partners publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The 3.5 million AUD Tasmanian Giant Kelp Restoration Project outplants juvenile kelp at east coast sites (refs 1, 2).","A developing urchin fishery is used to reduce grazing (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Giants under the sea","publisher":"Outback magazine","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.outbackmag.com.au/giants-under-the-sea/","basis":"News magazine; issue 166 date shown on page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Giant kelp","publisher":"Nature Australia (The Nature Conservancy)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/our-priorities/oceans/ocean-stories/giant-kelp/","basis":"NGO page; no publication date shown"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No coordinates: the cited pages name no individual sites.","The cited pages do not give barren extent or urchin density figures."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-SEAUSTRALIA-HEATWAVE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-GIPPSLAND-STAROFTHESOUTH-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Star of the South offshore wind farm environmental statements open for comment, with whale protections debated","description":"The proposed Star of the South wind farm, up to 147 turbines and 2.2 GW, 10 to 40 km off Gippsland in Bass Strait, put its draft Commonwealth EIS and Victorian EES out for public comment in 2026, with submissions closing on 29 June. The Dolphin Research Institute judged the whale and dolphin assessments thorough but improvable, recommended conditional approval and asked for observers and expanded humpback protections. VRFish told recreational fishers who use the area to review the documents.","location":{"name":"Gippsland offshore wind zone, Bass Strait","type":"Offshore wind development area","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Off the south Gippsland coast, Victoria, roughly between Port Albert and Woodside Beach (ref 2). Coordinates are for Port Albert.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-38.665,"lon":146.688,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed offshore wind project in an environmental approval process, with risks to marine mammals and fishing assessed.","secondary_drivers":["Construction noise","Offshore wind"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Dolphin Research Institute describes potential risks to whales and dolphins that, with mitigation, 'should be manageable and temporary'; no harm has occurred (ref 3).","livelihoods":"VRFish invites fishers who use the proposed area to give feedback, but no restriction or loss is documented (ref 1).","scale":"The project covers one licence area off the Gippsland coast, with up to 147 turbines (ref 2).","duration":"Construction is targeted for around 2030 with first power by 2032, so the process spans months of assessment (ref 1).","significance":"A draft Commonwealth EIS and Victorian EES were released for public comment, a formal assessment step (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Up to 147 turbines producing 2.2 GW, 10 to 40 km off the Gippsland coast, with submissions on the draft EIS and EES closing 29 June 2026 (Gippsland Monitor, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Turbines proposed (maximum)","value":147,"unit":"turbines","status":"Reported","note":"Gippsland Monitor (ref 2)."},{"name":"Proposed capacity","value":2.2,"unit":"GW","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 1, 2."},{"name":"Distance of wind farm from the Gippsland coast","value":25,"unit":"km (midpoint of range)","status":"Estimated","note":"Reported as 10 to 40 km off the coast (ref 2); midpoint is not a source figure."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The assessment documents were released in May 2026; no later approval decision was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Offshore Infrastructure Registrar (Australia)","role":"Offshore wind licensing","contact":"https://www.offshoreinfrastructure.gov.au/"},{"name":"Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria)","role":"Victorian Environment Effects Statement process","contact":"https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"The registrar and Victorian planning department publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Public submission period on the draft EIS and EES closed on 29 June 2026 (refs 1, 2).","Dolphin Research Institute recommended conditional approval with observer-triggered halts and expanded humpback whale protections (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Have Your Say: Star of the South Environmental Assessments","publisher":"VRFish","date":"2026-05-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://vrfish.com.au/2026/05/29/star-of-the-south-environmental-assessments/","basis":"Recreational fishing peak body"},{"ref":2,"title":"Gippsland's most advanced offshore wind project takes major step forward with environmental review","publisher":"Gippsland Monitor","date":"2026-05-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gippslandmonitor.com.au/p/offshore-wind-project-major-step-forward-environmental-review","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Star of the South Offshore Wind Farm: response to EIS and EES","publisher":"Dolphin Research Institute","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dolphinresearch.org.au/star-of-south-wind-farm-response-to-eis-ees/","basis":"Research institute submission summary"},{"ref":4,"title":"Port Albert (place coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Albert,_Victoria","basis":"Reference page used for place coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The EIS and EES documents were not opened.","No specific fisher or whale-related objections from other submitters were found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-OTWAY-SEISMIC-2026","OC-TASMAN-BASSSTRAIT-WARMWATER-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-OTWAY-SEISMIC-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Otway Basin seismic survey proposals opposed over whale risk, with a 2026 regulator rejection of one plan","description":"Seismic survey proposals in the Otway Basin off Victoria have drawn objections over harm to whales and fisheries. A TGS 3D survey of about 5.5 million hectares in the Australian Whale Sanctuary received more than 30,000 submissions and was abandoned in 2024, and in February 2026 the Environmental Defenders Office reported that the offshore regulator NOPSEMA rejected a CGG plan for not adequately addressing impacts on marine life.","location":{"name":"Otway Basin offshore, Victoria","type":"Offshore petroleum basin","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Commonwealth waters off Victoria's coast, within the Australian Whale Sanctuary (ref 2); the cited pages give no point coordinates.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Offshore petroleum exploration noise assessed against whale recovery plans, with a regulator decision.","secondary_drivers":["Seismic airgun noise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The regulator found the CGG plan could displace pygmy whales from foraging areas and was not consistent with blue and southern right whale plans; no harm was recorded because surveys did not proceed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishers including a rock lobster fisher said a reef he fishes was seismic-blasted and his pots came up empty afterward, an account in the 2022 coverage of an earlier proposal (ref 3).","scale":"The proposals span about 5.5 million hectares of Commonwealth waters off Victoria (ref 2).","duration":"The disputes run from 2022 (TGS and Schlumberger) through 2023 to 2026 (CGG), several successive proposals (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"NOPSEMA rejected the CGG environment plan, per the Environmental Defenders Office (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOPSEMA rejected a CGG seismic plan for the Otway Basin in 2026 because it did not adequately address impacts on marine life (EDO, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area of the 2023 TGS survey proposal","value":5.5,"unit":"million hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Within the Australian Whale Sanctuary (ref 2)."},{"name":"Submissions against the TGS survey","value":30000,"unit":"submissions (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Most opposed the survey (ref 2)."},{"name":"Threatened or endangered species acknowledged in the TGS environment plan","value":34,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"In the operational area (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers from Apollo Bay raised concerns about plankton and displacement of migratory fish in 2022 coverage (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"One 2024 proposal was abandoned and a 2026 plan was rejected, while more exploration proposals are before the regulator (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOPSEMA (National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority)","role":"Offshore petroleum environmental regulator","contact":"https://www.nopsema.gov.au/"}],"public_contact":"NOPSEMA publishes general enquiry details on its website.","corrective_actions":["NOPSEMA rejected the CGG plan (ref 1).","TGS abandoned its 3D survey proposal in 2024 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seismic blasting proposal in the Otway Basin rejected","publisher":"Environmental Defenders Office","date":"2026-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.edo.org.au/2026/02/25/seismic-blasting-proposal-in-the-otway-basin-rejected/","basis":"Legal NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mass opposition to coastal blast project","publisher":"Bay 93.9 FM","date":"2023-08-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bay939.com.au/local-news/mass-opposition-to-coastal-blast-project/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Surfers and fishers oppose Otway Basin seismic surveys","publisher":"ESD News","date":"2022-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://esdnews.com.au/surfers-and-fishers-oppose-otway-seismic-surveys/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The NOPSEMA decision record was not opened (its document was an unreadable PDF); the rejection rests on the EDO report.","No court challenge was found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-GIPPSLAND-STAROFTHESOUTH-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TASMAN-ORH7A-CATCHLIMIT-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Orange roughy catch limit cut 57% for the Tasman Sea stock in 2024 with recovery in doubt","description":"In September 2024 the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries cut the total catch limit for the Tasman Sea orange roughy stock (ORH 7A) by 1,221 tonnes, a 57% reduction. The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition said modelling showed the stock was already below an internationally agreed level and that none of four options would allow recovery within five years; Greenpeace and the Coalition want seamount bottom trawling halted.","location":{"name":"Orange roughy stock ORH 7A, Tasman Sea","type":"Fish stock management area","sea":"TASMAN","seas":["TASMAN"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NZ"],"detail":"Tasman Sea waters of New Zealand's fisheries management area ORH 7A (ref 1). No coordinates are given in the cited page.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A deep-sea fish stock assessed below an agreed biomass level and subject to a quota cut.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling","Overfishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition says the stock is below an internationally agreed level and could be as low as 16% of its original size using 2018 and 2023 surveys; this is an advocacy reading of modelling (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The total catch limit was cut by 1,221 tonnes, a 57% reduction, before the 1 October 2024 fishing year (ref 1).","scale":"The decision covers a single stock management area in the Tasman Sea (ref 1).","duration":"The stock assessment relies on 2013 survey data and later surveys in 2018 and 2023 point to continuing decline (ref 1).","significance":"The Minister made a formal catch-limit decision, and SPRFMO measures set a 40% biomass target over five years (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Minister cut the orange roughy total catch limit by 1,221 tonnes, a 57% reduction, before the 1 October 2024 fishing year (Greenpeace, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Total catch limit cut","value":57,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"A reduction of 1,221 tonnes (ref 1)."},{"name":"Total catch limit reduction","value":1221,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Stock size relative to original, upper-bound of a possible low reading","value":16,"unit":"% of original biomass","status":"Estimated","note":"Deep Sea Conservation Coalition reading of 2018 and 2023 surveys, 'could be as low as' (ref 1); not an official assessment."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Industry quota holders bear the 57% limit cut (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited page gives only the 2024 decision; a later Fisheries NZ round (October 2025) was not opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries New Zealand (Ministry for Primary Industries)","role":"Fisheries manager","contact":"https://www.mpi.govt.nz/"}],"public_contact":"MPI publishes general enquiry details on its website.","corrective_actions":["The total catch limit was cut by 57% for the 2024-25 fishing year (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cut to orange roughy catch will see no recovery within five years","publisher":"Greenpeace Aotearoa","date":"2024-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/cut-to-orange-roughy-catch-will-see-no-recovery-within-five-years/","basis":"NGO press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (TASMAN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one source, an advocacy press release; the Fisheries NZ decision document and stock assessment were not opened.","No 2025 or 2026 update was verified."],"related_ids":["OC-TASMAN-HAURAKIGULF-TRAWLING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-YKDELTA-HALONGSURGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ex-Typhoon Halong storm surge floods Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages, setting a record at Kipnuk and Kwigillingok","description":"On 12 October 2025 the remnants of Typhoon Halong drove a Bering Sea storm surge and winds of more than 50 mph onto the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska. The state counted 208 homes destroyed and 471 with major damage, about 1,600 people were displaced, and nearly all residents of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were evacuated. The National Weather Service put the surge at Kipnuk at 6.6 feet above the normal highest tide, above the 4.7-foot record set in 2000.","location":{"name":"Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta coast","type":"Coastal communities","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southwest Alaska, United States: Kipnuk and Kwigillingok hardest hit; 49 to 52 communities reported damage","coordinates":{"lat":59.9376,"lon":-164.0439,"precision":"city","source_ref":7},"points":[{"name":"Kipnuk","lat":59.9376,"lon":-164.0439,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"Hardest-hit village"},{"name":"Kwigillingok","lat":59.8722,"lon":-163.1661,"precision":"city","source_ref":8,"role":"Hardest-hit village"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm surge on a very low-lying coast, with the University of Alaska noting the delta lies within about 1.6 feet of the high tide line.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Sea-level rise","Permafrost thaw","Warm North Pacific surface water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The state surveyed 3,472 homes and found 208 totally destroyed and 471 with major damage, with one confirmed death and two people missing in October reports (refs 2, 4).","livelihoods":"About 1,600 people were displaced, nearly all of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were evacuated by air, and stored subsistence food was lost (refs 1, 4, 6).","scale":"The University of Alaska counted 49 communities with damage across the Y-K Delta and Norton Sound coasts, a regional stretch of the Bering Sea coast, not a single bay (ref 1).","duration":"Residents were still waiting to return in July 2026, nine months after the storm, and the region had flooded in summer 2024 as well (refs 9, 3).","significance":"The governor declared a state disaster on 9 October 2025 and the University of Alaska fact sheet records a federal disaster declaration approved on 23 October (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":1600,"status":"Estimated","note":"Estimated number displaced, from the University of Alaska fact sheet (ref 1); other reports use 1,000 to 1,800 depending on date."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The surge at Kipnuk reached 6.6 feet above the normal highest tide mark, against a previous record of 4.7 feet in 2000 (ref 2); 208 homes destroyed and 471 with major damage statewide (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Homes totally destroyed","value":208,"unit":"homes","status":"Reported","note":"State survey of 3,472 homes, reported 17 November 2025 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Homes with major damage","value":471,"unit":"homes","status":"Reported","note":"Same state survey (ref 4)."},{"name":"Peak surge at Kipnuk above mean highest high tide","value":6.6,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"National Weather Service figure quoted on 13 October 2025; post-storm survey estimate is 8.07 ft (refs 2, 1)."},{"name":"People displaced","value":1600,"unit":"people","status":"Estimated","note":"University of Alaska estimate (ref 1)."},{"name":"Communities reporting damage","value":49,"unit":"communities","status":"Reported","note":"University of Alaska fact sheet (ref 1); the state later counted 52."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The state estimated storm costs at $125 million by early February 2026 (ref 5).","Barge-dependent supply chains and scarce housing slowed rebuilding (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Kipnuk has had three federally declared disasters in 37 months, and Halong was only the second storm of its strength to take its track through the Bering Sea since 1950 (refs 5, 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management","role":"State emergency management"},{"name":"Federal Emergency Management Agency","role":"Federal disaster assistance"},{"name":"National Weather Service Alaska","role":"Surge forecasting"}],"public_contact":"Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, State Emergency Operations Center","corrective_actions":["State disaster declaration (9 October 2025) and federal declaration (23 October 2025).","Coast Guard and National Guard rescued at least 51 people and airlifted about 1,600 evacuees.","FEMA had earmarked $30.2 million in individual assistance and $4.5 million in public assistance by 20 January 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Halong: the worst flooding in living memory (extreme events fact sheet)","publisher":"University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://uaf-accap.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Halong.pdf","basis":"University research fact sheet (undated; cites FEMA figures as of 20 January 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Officials say storm 'completely devastated' Western Alaska communities","publisher":"KYUK Public Media","date":"2025-10-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kyuk.org/public-safety/2025-10-13/officials-say-storm-completely-devastated-western-alaska-communities","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Typhoon leaves flooded Alaska villages facing a storm recovery far tougher than most Americans will ever experience","publisher":"The Conversation (Rick Thoman, University of Alaska Fairbanks)","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theconversation.com/typhoon-leaves-flooded-alaska-villages-facing-a-storm-recovery-far-tougher-than-most-americans-will-ever-experience-267423","basis":"Expert commentary"},{"ref":4,"title":"One month after Halong, here's what rebuilding looks like in six Y-K Delta communities","publisher":"Alaska Public Media / KYUK","date":"2025-11-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://alaskapublic.org/news/public-safety/2025-11-17/one-month-after-halong-heres-what-rebuilding-looks-like-in-six-y-k-delta-communities","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Six months after Halong, typhoon survivors tell senators Alaska villages need more than disaster aid","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Arctic Today","date":"2026-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arctictoday.com/six-months-after-halong-typhoon-survivors-tell-senators-alaska-villages-need-more-than-disaster-aid/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Alaska residents displaced by remnants of Typhoon Halong have limited options as winter sets in","publisher":"Associated Press via KSAT","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ksat.com/news/national/2025/10/14/alaska-residents-displaced-by-remnants-of-typhoon-halong-have-limited-options-as-winter-sets-in/","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Kipnuk, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kipnuk,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Kwigillingok, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwigillingok,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":9,"title":"Halong: State says residents can return home 'as soon as practicable'","publisher":"KTUU Alaska's News Source","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/09/halong-state-says-residents-can-return-home-soon-practicable/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":9,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Peak surge at Kipnuk: the National Weather Service reported 6.6 ft above the normal highest tide (ref 2); the University of Alaska post-storm survey estimate is 8.07 ft (ref 1)."},{"note":"Deaths: October reports confirm one death and two missing (ref 2); a July 2026 report says two residents were found dead and one was never found (ref 9)."}],"missing_fields":["Final casualty count not confirmed in a source opened here; the University of Alaska fact sheet carries no publication date."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-KIPNUK-RELOCATION-2026","OC-BERING-YKDELTA-HALONGFUEL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-KIPNUK-RELOCATION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Kipnuk and Kwigillingok vote to relocate to higher ground after Halong, but no federal route funds a move","description":"After the October 2025 Halong flooding, more than 92 percent of the Kipnuk tribal members reached by phone voted to relocate about 13 miles northwest to ground 40 to 150 feet above sea level, while Kipnuk sits just over 10 feet above it. Kwigillingok also voted to move. The state plans to rebuild in place to pre-disaster condition and says recovery funds cannot pay for whole-community relocation.","location":{"name":"Kipnuk and Kwigillingok","type":"Coastal Alaska Native villages","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, southwest Alaska, United States; candidate sites about 13 miles northwest of Kipnuk","coordinates":{"lat":59.9376,"lon":-164.0439,"precision":"city","source_ref":6},"points":[{"name":"Kipnuk","lat":59.9376,"lon":-164.0439,"precision":"city","source_ref":6,"role":"Village voting to relocate"},{"name":"Kwigillingok","lat":59.8722,"lon":-163.1661,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"Village voting to relocate"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding is the policy and funding gap around relocating two villages that storm surge and a low coast have made unsafe.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Land subsidence","Permafrost thaw","Relocation funding gap"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The state put Kipnuk at about 90 percent destroyed and Kwigillingok at about 35 percent destroyed (ref 4), with two residents found dead and one never found by July 2026 (ref 4).","livelihoods":"Nearly all of the roughly 974 people who lived in Kipnuk remain displaced in Anchorage, Bethel and elsewhere, which is displacement of a community (ref 1).","scale":"Two villages with a combined population of about 1,000 are affected (ref 3).","duration":"Residents had been displaced for nine months by July 2026 and Kipnuk faced a second federal declaration after August 2024 flooding (refs 4, 5).","significance":"FEMA approved tribal disaster declaration No. 4912 for Kipnuk on 29 May 2026 and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held field hearings on 5 and 6 May 2026 (refs 5, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":1000,"status":"Estimated","note":"Combined population of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok given as about 1,000 (ref 3); Kipnuk alone about 974 before evacuation (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 92% of the 662 Kipnuk adult tribal members reached (799 on the voting rolls) voted to relocate; both candidate sites lie 40 to 150 feet above sea level, against just over 10 feet at the current village (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Kipnuk adult members voting to relocate","value":92,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"More than 92% of 662 reached by phone; tribe released results 20 March 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Elevation of candidate relocation sites","value":40,"unit":"ft above sea level (minimum)","status":"Reported","note":"Sites range from 40 to 150 ft; Kipnuk is just over 10 ft (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated Halong storm cost","value":125,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"State emergency management estimate as of early February 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Individual assistance paid to Kipnuk under the state declaration","value":12.6,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Reported 8 June 2026 (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Relocation would need new school, utilities, airport and barge landing, and no federal mechanism exists (ref 4).","Federal and state officials are pushing rebuilding in place (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Votes were taken in February and March 2026; no funding decision had been reported by July 2026 (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Native Village of Kipnuk","role":"Tribal government"},{"name":"Native Village of Kwigillingok","role":"Tribal government"},{"name":"Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management","role":"State recovery lead"},{"name":"Federal Emergency Management Agency","role":"Disaster assistance"}],"public_contact":"Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, public information office","corrective_actions":["FEMA approved tribal disaster declaration No. 4912 for Kipnuk (29 May 2026).","Alaska Legislature unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution urging state and federal support for relocation (ref 4).","The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced a $20 million emergency package, including $16 million for erosion and infrastructure work in Chefornak (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kipnuk votes to relocate following devastation from Halong","publisher":"Alaska Public Media / KYUK","date":"2026-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://alaskapublic.org/news/community/2026-03-23/kipnuk-votes-to-relocate-following-devastation-from-halong","basis":"News (corrected 11 August 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"After remnants of Typhoon Halong wrecked their homes, Alaska villagers consider possible move","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via KYUK","date":"2026-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kyuk.org/public-safety/2026-02-24/after-the-remnants-of-a-typhoon-wrecked-their-home-alaska-villagers-consider-possible-move","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Six months after Halong, typhoon survivors tell senators Alaska villages need more than disaster aid","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Arctic Today","date":"2026-05-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arctictoday.com/six-months-after-halong-typhoon-survivors-tell-senators-alaska-villages-need-more-than-disaster-aid/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Halong: State says residents can return home 'as soon as practicable'","publisher":"KTUU Alaska's News Source","date":"2026-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/09/halong-state-says-residents-can-return-home-soon-practicable/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"FEMA approves tribal disaster declaration for Kipnuk","publisher":"Alaska Public Media / KYUK","date":"2026-06-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://alaskapublic.org/news/2026-06-08/fema-approves-tribal-disaster-declaration-for-kipnuk","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Kipnuk, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kipnuk,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":7,"title":"Kwigillingok, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwigillingok,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Population: Kipnuk is given as about 974 before the evacuation (ref 1) and about 700 earlier (ref 2); the article was corrected on 11 August 2026 to fix the population figure."}],"missing_fields":["No final relocation site or funding decision found in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-YKDELTA-HALONGSURGE-2025","OC-BERING-NEWTOK-EROSION-2024","OC-BERING-NORTONSOUND-MERBOKRECOVERY-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-NEWTOK-EROSION-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Newtok abandoned to erosion as the last residents move to Mertarvik, with the Ninglick River cutting about 70 feet a year","description":"Newtok on the Ninglick River lost about six homes and half its school to erosion and thawing permafrost, and the village council voted in August 2024 to shut down all critical infrastructure after the last residents chose to leave. About 230 residents had moved to Mertarvik from 2019 and the last 71 followed in 2024, but a June 2025 report found housing shortages and strained utilities at the new site. The move has cost about $160 million.","location":{"name":"Newtok and Mertarvik","type":"Coastal village relocation","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Nelson Island and Ninglick River, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, southwest Alaska, United States","coordinates":{"lat":60.9444,"lon":-164.6442,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"River-bank and coastal erosion plus permafrost thaw forced a whole village to leave a low-lying shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Coastal erosion","Permafrost thaw","Storm surge","Relocation funding gap"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Erosion and permafrost loss demolished roughly six homes and half of the public school at Newtok (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Nearly 400 residents were moved about 9 miles to Mertarvik and Newtok's power and water plant were shut down, leaving the old village empty (refs 2, 3).","scale":"A single village site on one river bank, so the physical extent is local (ref 1).","duration":"Relocation has been underway for more than 30 years, with the last residents leaving in fall 2024 and the move still unfinished in June 2025 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The village council voted unanimously in 2024 to shut down critical infrastructure, and Newtok was among six communities a GAO report deemed imminently threatened (refs 2, 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":400,"status":"Estimated","note":"'Nearly 400 residents' relocating, per Alaska Public Media (ref 2); the AP counts 230 who moved from 2019 plus 71 in 2024 (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Erosion and melting permafrost eat about 70 feet of land per year at Newtok, and the move has cost about $160 million (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Shoreline erosion at Newtok","value":70,"unit":"ft per year","status":"Reported","note":"AP, September 2024 (ref 1); KYUK/KTOO also gives about 70 ft per year (ref 3)."},{"name":"Cost of the relocation to date","value":160,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"In today's dollars, per AP (ref 1)."},{"name":"Residents in final move","value":71,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Last residents set to leave in fall 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Families wintering in temporary tiny homes at Mertarvik","value":18,"unit":"families","status":"Reported","note":"December 2024 report (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Mertarvik water, sewage and power systems were strained as the population grew (ref 3).","Piped water and sewer were still years away in 2024 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The physical move finished in 2024; housing and utility build-out remained incomplete in June 2025 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Newtok Village Council","role":"Tribal government"},{"name":"Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium","role":"Climate and health advisor"}],"public_contact":"Newtok Village Council and Mertarvik tribal office","corrective_actions":["Council shut down Newtok's critical infrastructure in August 2024.","Temporary homes were barged to Mertarvik and a new school was planned for 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Climate change destroyed a Southwest Alaska village. Its residents are starting over in a new town","publisher":"Associated Press via Anchorage Daily News","date":"2024-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2024/09/26/climate-change-destroyed-a-southwest-alaska-village-its-residents-are-starting-over-in-a-new-town/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Newtok shuts down its critical infrastructure","publisher":"Alaska Public Media","date":"2024-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://alaskapublic.org/news/2024-12-03/newtok-shuts-down-its-critical-infrastructure","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Although everyone has moved, Newtok's relocation is far from over","publisher":"KYUK via KTOO","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ktoo.org/2025/06/11/although-everyone-has-moved-newtoks-relocation-is-far-from-over/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Newtok, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtok,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 70 ft per year erosion rate is attributed to the Army Corps of Engineers in secondary reporting; the cited articles give the figure without a dated Corps report."}],"missing_fields":["Mertarvik has no public coordinates in the opened sources; the pin is the abandoned Newtok site."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-KIPNUK-RELOCATION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-NORTONSOUND-MERBOKRECOVERY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Four years after Typhoon Merbok, Norton Sound recovery money is still years away and Shaktoolik's $290 million move faces a funding gap","description":"A September 2026 report says nearly $38.5 million in federal block-grant disaster recovery for Typhoon Merbok (2022) will take years to reach 53 eligible Western Alaska communities, with $5 million set aside for flood and erosion mitigation. Shaktoolik, on a gravel spit where Merbok washed away the protective cobble berm, has a relocation estimate of about $290 million, and a new storm surge of 3 to 5 feet was forecast for the southern Seward Peninsula in October 2026.","location":{"name":"Norton Sound coast","type":"Coastal communities","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Nome, Golovin and Shaktoolik, Norton Sound and southern Seward Peninsula, Alaska, United States","coordinates":{"lat":64.3556,"lon":-161.1914,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[{"name":"Shaktoolik","lat":64.3556,"lon":-161.1914,"precision":"city","source_ref":3,"role":"Spit village; relocation estimate $290 million"},{"name":"Nome","lat":64.5039,"lon":-165.3994,"precision":"city","source_ref":4,"role":"Regional hub; eligible community"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The unresolved issue is slow recovery funding and the missing relocation funding for a coast exposed to repeated surge flooding.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Coastal erosion","Relocation funding gap"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A Nome resident lost his home in the 2022 storm and cultural and archaeological resources were lost or looted, some still unresolved four years on (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Subsistence camps lost in the storm: the Kawerak relief fund took 147 applications worth about $2.5 million and has paid just over a quarter (ref 1).","scale":"53 Western Alaska communities are eligible for the recovery program, a regional coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The storm struck in September 2022 and recovery money was reported on 28 September 2026 as still more than a year away (ref 1).","significance":"A federal HUD Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery allocation of nearly $38.5 million with a state action plan amendment open for public comment to 9 October 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources give community counts and funding, not a population affected."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nearly $38.5 million in HUD disaster recovery money, of which $5 million is for flooding and coastal erosion mitigation, is expected to take years to distribute (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"HUD disaster recovery allocation","value":38.5,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly $38.5 million, KNOM 28 September 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Set aside for flood and erosion mitigation","value":5,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Awards up to $1 million each across 10 to 12 projects (ref 1)."},{"name":"Shaktoolik relocation estimate","value":290,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Most recent estimate per NOAA Digital Coast case study, undated (ref 2)."},{"name":"Forecast surge for southern Seward Peninsula, ex-Typhoon Choi-wan","value":4,"unit":"ft above normal high tide (midpoint of 3 to 5)","status":"Reported","note":"National Weather Service forecast reported 7 October 2026 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["HUD classes subsistence camps as secondary homes, which the state says misreads their economic role (ref 1).","Relocation is hard to fund because relief programs focus on rebuilding (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No earlier dated measurements; the October 2026 surge forecast shows continuing exposure (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"State of Alaska (Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development)","role":"Administers disaster recovery grant plan"},{"name":"U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development","role":"Funder"},{"name":"Kawerak, Inc.","role":"Regional tribal consortium, subsistence camp relief"}],"public_contact":"State of Alaska disaster recovery program office","corrective_actions":["State recovery plan amendment out for public comment through 9 October 2026 (ref 1).","Shaktoolik received nearly $2 million in PROTECT grant funds for an evacuation road and access to a relocation site (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Four years after Merbok, $38.5 million in recovery funding still on the way","publisher":"KNOM Radio Mission","date":"2026-09-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://knom.org/2026/09/28/nearly-40-million-in-merbok-relief-funds-still-over-a-year-away/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Planning Pays Off: Nature-Based Infrastructure Saves an Alaska Community (Shaktoolik)","publisher":"NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Digital Coast","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/training/shaktoolik.html","basis":"Agency case study (undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Elevated water, wind expected from ex-Typhoon Choi-wan","publisher":"KNOM Radio Mission","date":"2026-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://knom.org/2026/10/07/elevated-water-wind-expected-from-ex-typhoon-choi-wan/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Shaktoolik, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaktoolik,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Nome, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nome,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The NOAA Digital Coast page carries no date, so the $290 million relocation estimate cannot be dated.","The Merbok storm itself (September 2022) is before the window; only recovery and relocation status are recorded."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-KIPNUK-RELOCATION-2026","OC-BERING-WESTALASKA-MERBOKDEBRIS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-WARMWATERS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Aleutian waters stay among the warmest on record after the Bering Sea heatwave years","description":"NOAA's ecosystem status reports found Aleutian winter sea surface temperatures in 2022-23 were the warmest since 1900 and those of 2023-24 were among the ten warmest, while the eastern Bering Sea cooled to average conditions after record warmth in 2014 to 2021. NOAA reports poor groundfish condition in the Aleutians since 2012 and that Pacific cod eggs hatch only within a 3 to 6 degree range, which has been exceeded. NOAA did not update the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian reports in 2025.","location":{"name":"Aleutian Islands and eastern Bering Sea","type":"Regional sea ecosystem","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Aleutian chain of about 1,100 miles and the eastern Bering Sea shelf, Alaska, United States","coordinates":{"lat":52.2,"lon":-174.2,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Persistent warm surface water is a physical ocean change that is stressing cod and other fish.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave legacy","Warm winter"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Aleutian Pacific cod, northern rockfish and Pacific ocean perch have had below-average condition since 2012 and cod eggs hatch only in a 3 to 6 degree range that has been exceeded (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Several Bering Sea crab stocks kept declining, forcing disruptive harvest closures (ref 3).","scale":"Conditions span the whole Aleutian chain of about 1,100 miles and the eastern Bering Sea shelf (ref 3).","duration":"Aleutian winters were record-warm in 2022-23 and still among the ten warmest in 2023-24, after eastern Bering Sea heatwave conditions in 2014 to 2021 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NOAA Fisheries issues these formal annual ecosystem status reports to the North Pacific fishery managers (refs 1, 2, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Aleutian winter sea surface temperatures in 2022-23 were the warmest since 1900, and in 2023-24 among the ten warmest since 1900 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Aleutian winter SST rank, 2022-23","value":1,"unit":"rank since 1900 (warmest)","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA Fisheries, December 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Aleutian winter SST rank, 2023-24","value":10,"unit":"rank since 1900 (among warmest ten)","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA Fisheries, December 2024 (ref 2); the page says 'among the ten warmest' so the value is an upper bound."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Pacific cod and Atka mackerel are vulnerable to warm conditions (ref 3).","Crab biomass in the eastern Bering Sea remained low (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The eastern Bering Sea cooled to average for 2022-2024 while Aleutian waters stayed warm (ref 2); NOAA did not update either report in 2025 (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center","role":"Ecosystem status reporting","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ecosystems/ecosystem-status-reports-gulf-alaska-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands"},{"name":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","role":"Fishery management"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, ecosystem status reports page","corrective_actions":["Annual ecosystem status reports feed groundfish management (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NOAA Fisheries releases 2023 ecosystem status reports for Alaska","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2023-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-fisheries-releases-2023-ecosystem-status-reports-alaska","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"A Few Surprises in Alaska's Marine Environment in 2024","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2024-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/few-surprises-alaskas-marine-environment-2024","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ecosystem reports show continuing effects of warming in Alaska's marine waters","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Juneau Empire","date":"2023-12-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://juneauempire.com/news/ecosystem-reports-show-continuing-effects-of-warming-in-alaskas-marine-waters","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Ecosystem Status Reports: Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center","date":"2026-02-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ecosystems/ecosystem-status-reports-gulf-alaska-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands","basis":"Agency page (last updated date)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Aleutian Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleutian_Islands","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Eastern Bering Sea: NOAA's December 2024 report says it cooled to average for 2022-2024 (ref 2), while the December 2023 coverage says it was still warmer than its long-term average (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 Bering Sea temperature report opened: NOAA lists the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian reports as not updated in 2025."],"related_ids":["OC-NEPAC-GOA-MURREDIEOFF-2024","OC-BERING-EBERING-SNOWCRAB-2026","OC-BERING-ICESEALS-CRITHAB-2026","OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-PSP-2023"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-REDKINGCRAB-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ocean acidification linked to Bristol Bay red king crab decline in a 2025 NOAA study","description":"A study led by Mike Litzow at NOAA's Kodiak Lab found that rising acidity explained about 21 percent of the Bristol Bay red king crab's variability in 1980 to 2023 and about 45 percent since 2000, while warming had little effect. NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program says acidification may be partly responsible for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fishery closures. The authors stress that the result is a correlation, not proven causation.","location":{"name":"Bristol Bay red king crab","type":"Fish stock and ocean chemistry","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Bristol Bay and the southeastern Bering Sea shelf, Alaska, United States","coordinates":{"lat":57.667,"lon":-159.833,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Falling pH in the cold Bering Sea is the physical driver tied to crab recruitment.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean acidification","Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The study ties acidification to about 21 percent of red king crab recruitment variability over 1980 to 2023, a correlation rather than proven causation (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"NOAA says acidification may partly explain the 2021-22 and 2022-23 Bristol Bay red king crab fishery closures (ref 3).","scale":"Ocean models show pH across the Bering Sea approaching thresholds that reduce juvenile survival (ref 1).","duration":"The signal spans 1980 to 2023 and strengthens since 2000, at 45 percent (ref 2).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study and NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program statement, with a NOAA acidification indicator now in the annual ecosystem status report (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Acidification explained about 21% of the red king crab decline over 1980 to 2023 and about 45% since 2000 (ref 1); the OA-ICC summary words this as recruitment variability (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Share explained by acidification, 1980 to 2023","value":21,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"AOAN says 'population decline'; OA-ICC says 'recruitment variability' (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Share explained by acidification, since 2000","value":45,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same study (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Bristol Bay red king crab fishery closures in 2021-22 and 2022-23 (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The acidification share rises from 21% (1980 to 2023) to 45% (since 2000) (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Kodiak Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center","role":"Study lead"},{"name":"Alaska Ocean Acidification Network","role":"Regional network","contact":"https://aoan.aoos.org/"}],"public_contact":"Alaska Ocean Acidification Network, coordinated by the Alaska Ocean Observing System","corrective_actions":["NOAA PMEL Bering Sea chemistry model feeds an acidification indicator in the annual ecosystem status report (ref 3).","Next steps include validating the model and locating juvenile crab habitat where pH falls below thresholds (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"New study shows acidification is likely contributing to red king crab decline in the Bering Sea","publisher":"Alaska Ocean Acidification Network","date":"2025-02-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aoan.aoos.org/new-study-shows-acidification-is-likely-contributing-to-red-king-crab-decline-in-the-bering-sea/","basis":"Regional network news"},{"ref":2,"title":"New study shows impact of ocean acidification on Bering Sea red king crab","publisher":"Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC)","date":"2025-03-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2025/03/03/new-study-shows-impact-of-ocean-acidification-on-bering-sea-red-king-crab/","basis":"News digest"},{"ref":3,"title":"Addressing OA in a vulnerable region: the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network","publisher":"NOAA Ocean Acidification Program","date":"2021-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/webstory/addressing-oa-in-a-vulnerable-region-the-alaska-ocean-acidification-network/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Bristol Bay (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Bay","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Wording: AOAN says acidification explained 21% of the population decline; OA-ICC says 21% of recruitment variability. The percentages are shown as the share explained."}],"missing_fields":["The journal paper (Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences) could not be opened (403); the closure statement rests on a 2021 NOAA page and the current fishery status was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-REDKINGCRAB-2026"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-PSP-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Paralytic shellfish toxins in Aleutian mussels hit 47 times the legal limit in 2023","description":"NOAA's 2023 report found paralytic shellfish toxins in blue mussels from Sand Point, Unalaska, False Point and Akutan in June 2023 at 47 times the legal limit. A year later Unalaska mussels were still seven times the limit, and NOAA's 2024 Bering Sea report card said harmful algal blooms are becoming more prevalent in the northern Bering Sea. The 2022 report had recorded 3.4 times the limit.","location":{"name":"Unalaska and Aleutian communities","type":"Coastal communities","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Sand Point, Unalaska, False Point (as spelled by NOAA) and Akutan in the eastern Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula, United States","coordinates":{"lat":53.8889,"lon":-166.5272,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A harmful algal bloom toxin in shellfish is a marine bloom pollution problem rather than a land nutrient load.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom","Warm water"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Blue mussel toxin levels were 47 times the legal limit in June 2023 and 7 times at Unalaska in 2024 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited NOAA pages report the exceedance but describe no closure or advisory, so no restriction is documented here (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Four communities across the eastern Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula were sampled, a stretch of coast, not a single bay (ref 1).","duration":"Exceedances recurred in 2022 (3.4 times), 2023 (47 times) and 2024 (7 times) (refs 4, 1, 2).","significance":"NOAA's formal annual ecosystem status reports flag the exceedances against the legal limit (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of people affected in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Paralytic shellfish toxins in blue mussels at Sand Point, Unalaska, False Point and Akutan were 47 times the legal limit in June 2023 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Toxin level in blue mussels, June 2023","value":47,"unit":"times the legal limit","status":"Reported","note":"Sand Point, Unalaska, False Point and Akutan (ref 1)."},{"name":"Toxin level in blue mussels at Unalaska, 2024","value":7,"unit":"times the legal limit","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA December 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Toxin level in blue mussels, 2022 (Aleutians)","value":3.4,"unit":"times the legal limit","status":"Reported","note":"December 2022 coverage of NOAA's 2022 report (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Subsistence and small-scale shellfish gathering are exposed; no closure is described (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Levels fell from 47 times in 2023 to 7 times in 2024 at Unalaska but remain above the limit; the sites sampled differ between years (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center","role":"Ecosystem status reporting"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, ecosystem status reports page","corrective_actions":["Annual NOAA ecosystem reports track shellfish toxin levels (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NOAA Fisheries releases 2023 ecosystem status reports for Alaska","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2023-12-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-fisheries-releases-2023-ecosystem-status-reports-alaska","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"A Few Surprises in Alaska's Marine Environment in 2024","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2024-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/few-surprises-alaskas-marine-environment-2024","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ecosystem reports show continuing effects of warming in Alaska's marine waters","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Juneau Empire","date":"2023-12-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://juneauempire.com/news/ecosystem-reports-show-continuing-effects-of-warming-in-alaskas-marine-waters","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Scientists Release Annual Status Reports for Three Alaska Marine Ecosystems","publisher":"ECO Magazine","date":"2022-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecomagazine.com/news/research/scientists-release-annual-status-reports-for-three-alaska-marine-ecosystems/","basis":"Trade press (pre-window context)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Unalaska, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unalaska,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 toxin data found in the opened sources.","No state shellfish closure or advisory text opened."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-WARMWATERS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-YKDELTA-HALONGFUEL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fuel and hazardous-material spills from Halong flooding hit Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages","description":"Flooding from ex-Typhoon Halong damaged bulk fuel storage in western Alaska villages, with fuel drums floating through Nightmute and a sheen on the water. The Coast Guard reported a light sheen on 13 October 2025 and the state later reported a hazardous materials spill at Nightmute with a boil-water notice for traditional outdoor water sources. A February 2026 report lists heating oil, diesel and sewage among the substances released.","location":{"name":"Nightmute and Y-K Delta villages","type":"Coastal communities","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Nelson Island and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, southwest Alaska, United States","coordinates":{"lat":60.4914,"lon":-164.8261,"precision":"city","source_ref":6},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel and hazardous materials released into coastal floodwater and subsistence areas by the storm surge.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge","Fuel storage damage"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Coast Guard Capt. Christopher Culpepper reported a light sheen in floodwaters and the state reported a hazardous materials spill at Nightmute, but no contamination measurement is given (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"A boil-water notice stayed in effect for Nightmute's traditional outdoor water sources, and concern was raised over subsistence fish and game (refs 3, 2).","scale":"The spills are reported in a handful of villages (Nightmute, Chevak and others), a local rather than regional effect (refs 2, 4).","duration":"Reported from 12 October 2025, with the state still working with the Coast Guard on the Nightmute spill in mid-November (ref 3).","significance":"The Coast Guard assessed the fuel storage facilities and the state and Coast Guard response is formal, but no enforcement order is cited (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of people affected by the spills in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Coast Guard reported a light sheen on 13 October 2025 and the state a hazardous materials spill at Nightmute; no volume is given (refs 1, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Debris removed by militia crews, including boardwalk clearing","value":89000,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"As of mid-November 2025; this is general storm debris, not fuel (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Bulk fuel tanks supply heating oil, travel and power for the villages (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"By 15 November 2025 'contamination and fuel access concerns have mostly been resolved' (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Coast Guard (Alaska)","role":"Spill assessment and response"},{"name":"State of Alaska emergency management","role":"State response lead"}],"public_contact":"U.S. Coast Guard Alaska public affairs","corrective_actions":["Coast Guard teams assessed fuel storage; displaced containers were found and removed at Nightmute; water lines repaired (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Officials say storm 'completely devastated' Western Alaska communities","publisher":"KYUK Public Media","date":"2025-10-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kyuk.org/public-safety/2025-10-13/officials-say-storm-completely-devastated-western-alaska-communities","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Alaska residents displaced by remnants of Typhoon Halong have limited options as winter sets in","publisher":"Associated Press via KSAT","date":"2025-10-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ksat.com/news/national/2025/10/14/alaska-residents-displaced-by-remnants-of-typhoon-halong-have-limited-options-as-winter-sets-in/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"What we know about recovery, a month after ex-Typhoon Halong","publisher":"KYUK Public Media","date":"2025-11-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kyuk.org/public-safety/2025-11-15/what-we-know-about-recovery-a-month-after-ex-typhoon-halong","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Halong: the worst flooding in living memory (extreme events fact sheet)","publisher":"University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://uaf-accap.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Halong.pdf","basis":"University research fact sheet (undated)"},{"ref":5,"title":"After remnants of Typhoon Halong wrecked their homes, villagers consider possible move","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Anchorage Daily News","date":"2026-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2026/02/24/after-remnants-of-typhoon-wrecked-their-home-alaska-villagers-consider-possible-move/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Nightmute, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightmute,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Governor Dunleavy called spilled oil a low priority on 13 October 2025 (ref 1), while the Coast Guard called the fuel storage facilities critical assets."}],"missing_fields":["No spill volumes or water-quality test results reported in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-YKDELTA-HALONGSURGE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-STRAIT-SPILLRISK-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bering Strait traffic nearly doubled to 665 transits in 2024, raising oil spill risk on both sides","description":"The Oil Spill Recovery Institute reports that 665 vessels transited the Bering Strait in 2024, 362 on the Russian side and 303 on the U.S. side, close to double the traffic of 15 years earlier. Russian traffic is dominated by tankers and large cargo vessels carrying fuel or crude oil, and substandard or low ice class ships are using the strait to enter the Northern Sea Route. In June 2025 the Coast Guard's Arctic Coordinator helped lead a Nome drill for a simulated 150,000 gallon diesel spill.","location":{"name":"Bering Strait","type":"International strait","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","RU"],"detail":"Between Alaska, United States and Chukotka, Russia, linking the Bering and Chukchi seas","coordinates":{"lat":65.75,"lon":-168.9769,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"The documented problem is a rising accidental oil spill risk from vessel traffic through a shared strait.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel traffic growth","Northern Sea Route","Substandard vessels"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No spill is documented; the risk is potential harm, with a marine biologist warning that heavier bunker fuel could affect marine mammals, seabirds, fish and crab (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No route or fishery restriction is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The strait is shared by the U.S. and Russia and a Russian-side spill could reach U.S. waters (ref 1).","duration":"Transits have nearly doubled over 15 years, a chronic rise (ref 1).","significance":"The Oil Spill Recovery Institute issued a formal request for proposals for an updated risk analysis, with applications due 16 January 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"In 2024, 665 vessels transited the Bering Strait, 362 on the Russian side and 303 on the U.S. side (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Bering Strait vessel transits, 2024","value":665,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"362 Russian side, 303 U.S. side (ref 1)."},{"name":"Simulated diesel release in the Nome drill","value":150000,"unit":"gallons","status":"Reported","note":"Scenario of a 319-foot fishing vessel aground (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Nome and western Alaska communities are the first responders in a remote area with unpredictable weather (ref 2).","Subsistence and fisheries depend on the strait's marine mammals, fish and crab (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Transits have close to doubled in 15 years (ref 1); KNOM says transits more than doubled in a decade (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Oil Spill Recovery Institute","role":"Research funder"},{"name":"U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Coordinator","role":"Spill preparedness"}],"public_contact":"Oil Spill Recovery Institute, Cordova, Alaska","corrective_actions":["OSRI sought a one-year updated maritime oil spill risk analysis for the Bering Sea and Straits, funding expected from April 2026 (ref 1).","Local, state and federal responders drilled a diesel spill response in Nome in June 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Request for Proposals: Maritime Oil Spill Risk Profile","publisher":"HAZMAT Management (republishing an Oil Spill Recovery Institute notice)","date":"2025-11-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hazmatmag.com/?p=13022","basis":"Trade press republishing agency request for proposals"},{"ref":2,"title":"Nome hosts oil spill drill as Arctic vessel traffic continues to rise","publisher":"KNOM Radio Mission","date":"2025-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://knom.org/2025/06/12/nome-hosts-oil-spill-drill-as-arctic-vessel-traffic-continues-to-rise/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bering Strait (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_Strait","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Traffic growth: OSRI says 'close to doubling' in 15 years (ref 1); KNOM says 'more than doubled' in the past decade (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Original OSRI notice not opened directly (osri.us home page did not list it); the Alaska Beacon August 2025 report on the University of Alaska Anchorage traffic study returned 403 and is not used."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-NOME-PORTMOD-2025","OC-BERING-NBERING-OILWITHDRAWAL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-BERING-WESTALASKA-MERBOKDEBRIS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Typhoon Merbok debris on Western Alaska's Bering coast: cleanup funded through 2029","description":"NOAA's Marine Debris Program funded cleanup of debris from the September 2022 typhoon, including a $3.5 million award to cover 18 Alaska Native communities and $686,700 for the City of Chevak, where boats, motors, fish nets, batteries and oil lie in tundra wetland. Chevak aims to remove 35,000 pounds, and the projects run on a five-year grant period from 2024 to 2029. The Aleut Community of St. Paul Island is also surveying derelict crab pots.","location":{"name":"Chevak and Western Alaska coast","type":"Coastal communities","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Chevak, Kotlik, Goodnews Bay, Nightmute, Brevig Mission and Wales and other Bering Sea coast villages, Alaska, United States","coordinates":{"lat":61.5278,"lon":-165.5786,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Storm-deposited boats, nets, batteries and oil are marine debris on subsistence and habitat shorelines.","secondary_drivers":["Storm surge debris","Derelict fishing gear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The debris in Chevak's tundra wetland includes boats, motors, fish nets, wood, batteries and oil (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Zender's work targets debris in key habitat and subsistence harvesting areas in 18 Alaska Native communities (ref 1).","scale":"The funded work spans 18 communities across Western Alaska, a regional coastline (ref 1).","duration":"The storm was in September 2022 and the grant period for removal runs 2024 to 2029 (ref 1).","significance":"A federal NOAA Marine Debris Program removal fund awards of $686,700 to Chevak and $3,544,200 to Zender (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Chevak aims to remove 35,000 lb of debris and Zender's $3,544,200 award covers 18 Alaska Native communities (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Planned debris removal at Chevak","value":35000,"unit":"lb","status":"Estimated","note":"Project target, not an achieved quantity (ref 1)."},{"name":"Zender Environmental Health and Research Group award","value":3.5442,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"18 communities; the page's introduction says 19 (ref 1)."},{"name":"City of Chevak award","value":0.6867,"unit":"USD million","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The NOAA page describes planned work only and reports no pounds removed (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Marine Debris Program","role":"Funder","contact":"https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/your-region/alaska"},{"name":"Zender Environmental Health and Research Group","role":"Removal contractor"},{"name":"City of Chevak","role":"Local government and awardee"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Marine Debris Program Alaska regional coordinator","corrective_actions":["2024 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund awards to Chevak and Zender (2024 to 2029 grant period).","Regional Center for Marine Debris in Alaska, led by Alaska Sea Grant, with St. Paul Island derelict crab pot surveys and Port Heiden legacy debris (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Typhoon Merbok and hurricane marine debris response","publisher":"NOAA Marine Debris Program","date":"2026-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/emergency-response/hurricanes-fiona-ian-and-nicole-and-typhoon-merbok","basis":"Agency page (last updated date)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Debris Removal and Capacity Building Through a Regional Center for Marine Debris in Alaska","publisher":"NOAA Marine Debris Program","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/removal/debris-removal-and-capacity-building-through-regional-center-marine-debris-alaska","basis":"Agency page (undated)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chevak, Alaska (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevak,_Alaska","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The NOAA page's 'last updated' stamp (16 September 2026) conflicts with the site footer stamp (6 October 2026)."}],"missing_fields":["Two NOAA program pages only; no news article or Alaska Native community report opened, and no debris quantity removed was found.","Searches for Aleutian and Pribilof clean-ups could not be completed (search allowance used); no finding recorded for them."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-NORTONSOUND-MERBOKRECOVERY-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-REDKINGCRAB-2026","OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-WARMWATERS-2024","OC-BERING-WESTAK-CHUMBYCATCH-2026"],"id":"OC-BERING-EBERING-SNOWCRAB-2026","title":"Bering Sea snow crab fishery rebuilds slowly after the heatwave collapse, with the 2026-27 quota cut about 45%","description":"NOAA scientists report that more than 10 billion snow crab disappeared from the eastern Bering Sea after 2018, and the fishery was closed for two consecutive seasons from October 2022. It reopened in 2024-25 at 4.72 million pounds, rose to 9.3 million pounds in 2025-26, and Alaska announced 5.1 million pounds for 2026-27. A December 2025 NOAA study attributes the collapse to warm water and crowding that limited the crabs' energy reserves, and calls recovery fragile.","location":{"name":"Eastern Bering Sea snow crab grounds","type":"Commercial fishing ground (snow crab stock)","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Bering Sea District west of 165 W longitude, fished out of Dutch Harbor and St. Paul, Alaska, US","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":58,"lon":-170,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A commercially fished crab stock collapsed after a marine heatwave and is rebuilding under reduced quotas.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Loss of cold-water habitat","High population density"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":2,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Science paper reports that the eastern Bering Sea lost more than 10 billion snow crab after 2018 and that the population hit historic lows in 2021 (ref 4).","livelihoods":"The fishery was shut down in October 2022 and stayed closed for two seasons, a loss of the fishery for that period, and a $123.6 million federal fishery disaster allocation was reported in 2026 (refs 3, 5).","scale":"The finding concerns one stock, the eastern Bering Sea snow crab, even though it spans a large part of the shelf (ref 1).","duration":"The decline began in 2018 and quotas in 2026-27 remain far below the 45 million pounds of 2020-21, so the effect has lasted more than eight years (ref 3).","significance":"State and federal managers closed the fishery for two seasons, and the Commerce Department allocated disaster funding for the fishery (refs 3, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources describe crab and fleet effects, not a count of people."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2026-27 Bering Sea snow crab total allowable catch is 5.1 million pounds, about 45% below 2025-26 and far below 45 million pounds in 2020-21 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Snow crab TAC 2026-27","value":5.1,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"ADF&G announcement as reported by Baird Maritime, 9 Oct 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Snow crab TAC 2025-26","value":9.3,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"Includes 1 million lb added to target hybrid Chionoecetes crab (ref 1)."},{"name":"Snow crab TAC 2024-25","value":4.72,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"First season after the two-year closure (refs 3, 5)."},{"name":"Snow crab lost since 2018","value":10,"unit":"billion crab","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 10 billion' per the Science abstract (ref 4)."},{"name":"Upper end of pre-collapse annual fishery value, 2012-2021","value":227,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"The Responsible Seafood Advocate gives a range of US$150-227 million a year (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Severe","signals":["The fishery was worth US$150-227 million annually before the collapse (ref 6).","Trident did not open its St. Paul plant in the 2024-25 season, so crab was processed in Unalaska (ref 5).","Keyport described the 2026-27 snow crab quota as conservative and expects limited supply (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Quota rose from 4.72 to 9.3 million lb, then fell to 5.1 million lb for 2026-27 (refs 1, 3, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries (Dutch Harbor)","role":"State crab manager, sets the TAC","contact":"https://www.adfg.alaska.gov"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center","role":"Annual trawl survey and stock science","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska"},{"name":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","role":"Federal fishery management plan body","contact":"https://www.npfmc.org"}],"public_contact":"ADF&G Dutch Harbor Area Office, 907-581-1239, as published in the advisory.","corrective_actions":["The fishery reopened in 2024-25 only after survey biomass exceeded the opening threshold, with quotas set well below historic levels (refs 1, 3).","NOAA developed an energy-reserve (hepatopancreas) measure as an early-warning tool for managers (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bering Sea Snow Crab Season Opens October 15, Total Allowable Catch Announced","publisher":"Alaska Department of Fish and Game","date":"2025-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2025-10/10-06-25_BSS_TAC_AA_final_0.pdf","basis":"Agency notice (advisory announcement, PDF hosted by NOAA Fisheries)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Snow crab collapse linked to energetic limitations during marine heatwave","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2025-12-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/snow-crab-collapse-linked-energetic-limitations-during-marine-heatwave","basis":"Agency feature story"},{"ref":3,"title":"Alaska sets 2026-27 Bering Sea crab catch limits","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/fishing/regulation-enforcement/bering-sea-crab-catch-limits","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"The collapse of eastern Bering Sea snow crab (Science 382:306-310)","publisher":"NOAA Institutional Repository","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/56231","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (repository record shows year 2023 only)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Bering Sea snow crab season kicks off for first time in three years","publisher":"KUCB","date":"2025-01-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kucb.org/industry/2025-01-28/bering-sea-snow-crab-season-kicks-off-for-first-time-in-three-years","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Warming and crowding starved Bering Sea snow crabs, hindering recovery amid climate change","publisher":"Responsible Seafood Advocate (Global Seafood Alliance)","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.globalseafood.org/advocate/warming-and-crowding-starved-bering-sea-snow-crabs-hindering-recovery-amid-climate-change/","basis":"Trade news"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2023-24 season outcome was not in an opened source; the KUCB article of Oct 2023 did not report the decision."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-EBERING-SNOWCRAB-2026","OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-REDKINGCRAB-ACIDIFICATION-2025","OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-PEBBLE-2026"],"id":"OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-REDKINGCRAB-2026","title":"Bristol Bay red king crab reopens at small quotas after the 2021 closure, with young crab scarce for about 15 years","description":"The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery had been closed since 2021, its first closure in roughly 25 years, when KUCB reported in October 2023 that male and female crab were at historic lows and recruitment had been very low for about 15 years. ADF&G has since announced quotas of 2.31 million pounds for 2024-25, 2.68 million for 2025-26 and 3.41 million for 2026-27, each after survey biomass exceeded the opening thresholds.","location":{"name":"Bristol Bay red king crab stock (Area T)","type":"Commercial fishing ground (red king crab stock)","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Bristol Bay, southeastern Bering Sea, Alaska, US","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":57.5,"lon":-159,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A king crab stock remains at low abundance with weak recruitment and is fished under small, survey-based quotas.","secondary_drivers":["Low recruitment","Warmer bottom water","Possible predation by Pacific cod"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA scientist Mike Litzow said male and female crab remain at historic lows and recruitment has been very low for about 15 years, though the stock is not overfished (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Quotas of 2.31, 2.68 and 3.41 million pounds in 2024-25 to 2026-27 are small restrictions on a fishery that was closed in 2021-2023 (refs 2, 3, 4).","scale":"The finding covers a single stock, the Bristol Bay (Area T) red king crab (ref 3).","duration":"KUCB reports weak recruitment for about 15 years and a closure that began in 2021, and quotas are still small in 2026 (refs 1, 4).","significance":"ADF&G and NMFS issued formal annual total-allowable-catch advisories after survey thresholds were met (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of fishery participants in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2026-27 Bristol Bay red king crab TAC is 3.41 million pounds, up about 27% from 2.68 million pounds in 2025-26 (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Red king crab TAC 2026-27","value":3.41,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by Baird Maritime from the ADF&G announcement (ref 4)."},{"name":"Red king crab TAC 2025-26","value":2.68,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"2,412,000 lb IFQ plus 268,000 lb CDQ (ref 3)."},{"name":"Red king crab TAC 2024-25","value":2.31,"unit":"million lb","status":"Reported","note":"2,079,000 lb IFQ plus 231,000 lb CDQ (ref 2)."},{"name":"Acceptable biological catch, 2023 assessment","value":3.54,"unit":"thousand tons","status":"Reported","note":"KUCB, Oct 2023, unit as stated in the article (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The fishery was closed from 2021 until at least October 2023 (ref 1).","Keyport said red king crab harvests remain below historical levels while fishing costs rise (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The TAC rose each year from 2.31 million lb in 2024-25 to 3.41 million lb in 2026-27 (refs 2, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries (Dutch Harbor)","role":"State crab manager, sets the TAC","contact":"https://www.adfg.alaska.gov"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center","role":"Annual trawl survey and stock science","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska"}],"public_contact":"ADF&G Dutch Harbor Area Office, 907-581-1239, as published in the advisory.","corrective_actions":["The fishery opens only when survey estimates of mature female biomass and effective spawning biomass exceed both thresholds (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bristol Bay red king crab fishery could return after two years on ice","publisher":"KUCB","date":"2023-10-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kucb.org/industry/2023-10-05/bristol-bay-red-king-crab-fishery-could-return-after-two-years-on-ice","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bristol Bay Red King Crab Season Opens October 15, Total Allowable Catch Announced (2024/25)","publisher":"Alaska Department of Fish and Game","date":"2024-10-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fisheries.noaa.gov/s3//2024-10/bristolbay-redkingcrabTAC-2024.pdf","basis":"Agency notice (advisory announcement, PDF hosted by NOAA Fisheries)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bristol Bay Red King Crab Season Opens October 15, Total Allowable Catch Announced (2025/26)","publisher":"Alaska Department of Fish and Game","date":"2025-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2025-10/10-06-25_BBR_TAC_AA_final.pdf","basis":"Agency notice (advisory announcement, PDF hosted by NOAA Fisheries)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Alaska sets 2026-27 Bering Sea crab catch limits","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/fishing/regulation-enforcement/bering-sea-crab-catch-limits","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether NMFS has approved or implemented the February 2026 recommendation was not found in opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-EBERING-SNOWCRAB-2026"],"id":"OC-BERING-WESTAK-CHUMBYCATCH-2026","title":"Council recommends a 45,000-fish Western Alaska chum bycatch limit for the Bering Sea pollock fleet","description":"In February 2026 the North Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended a limit of 45,000 Western Alaska chum salmon for the Bering Sea pollock fishery, with a corridor closure if a sector reaches its share. The recommendation goes to the Secretary of Commerce and National Marine Fisheries Service before it can take effect. Tribal groups link repeated Yukon and Kuskokwim closures to weak chum runs, while industry groups say hard caps risk early fishery shutdowns.","location":{"name":"Bering Sea pollock grounds north of Unimak Pass","type":"Commercial fishing ground (pollock trawl fishery)","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Southeastern Bering Sea shelf, Alaska, US; salmon bound for the Yukon, Kuskokwim and other Western Alaska rivers","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":56.5,"lon":-167,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Incidental catch of salmon in the pollock trawl fishery affects Western Alaska salmon stocks and the communities that depend on them.","secondary_drivers":["Trawl bycatch","Ocean warming effects on chum","Weak Western Alaska chum runs"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The council says about 17% of chum caught over the past decade were bound for Western Alaska rivers and that declines across the North Pacific appear driven largely by warm water, so bycatch harm is partial (refs 1, 5, 6).","livelihoods":"Tanana Chiefs Conference testified that closures over six years cost its region about $27 million in direct income, and a Kuskokwim commission official said there is no more commercial fishing income (ref 1).","scale":"The issue spans the southeastern Bering Sea pollock grounds and the Western Alaska river systems the salmon return to (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Dozens of Yukon communities were in their sixth year of near-total salmon fishing closures in June 2025, and chum bycatch peaked above 500,000 fish in 2021 (ref 5).","significance":"The council made a formal recommendation to the Secretary of Commerce in February 2026, but it is not yet a federal rule (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources describe Yukon and Kuskokwim communities generally without a population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The council recommended a bycatch limit of 45,000 Western Alaska chum salmon for the Bering Sea pollock fishery, with a corridor closure and sector apportionments (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Recommended Western Alaska chum bycatch limit","value":45000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"Council recommendation, February 2026 (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Chum bycatch in pollock fishery, 2021","value":500000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"KUCB gives 'more than 500,000' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Chum bycatch in pollock fishery, 2024","value":35000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"KUCB gives 'just over 35,000' (refs 1, 5)."},{"name":"Chum bycatch in pollock fishery, 2025","value":150000,"unit":"fish","status":"Reported","note":"KUCB gives 'a little more than 150,000' (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of chum bycatch bound for Western Alaska rivers","value":17,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Federal managers' estimate for the last decade (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The At-Sea Processors Association says broad hard caps could shut down the fishery and industry estimates cost hundreds of millions of dollars (ref 1).","An Unalaska official expected a hard cap to close the fishery early (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Bycatch fell from above 500,000 in 2021 to just over 35,000 in 2024, then rose to about 150,000 in 2025 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","role":"Recommends bycatch measures","contact":"https://www.npfmc.org"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region","role":"Implements council recommendations in regulation","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska"}],"public_contact":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council, contact details on https://www.npfmc.org","corrective_actions":["Council recommendation: 45,000 Western Alaska chum limit, corridor closure of 50% of the corridor when a sector reaches its share, and revised avoidance agreements (ref 3).","The Winter Herring Savings Area start date would move from September 1 to September 30 (ref 3).","For Chinook, the council's December 2025 newsletter says the pollock fleet will operate under the lower hard cap in 2026 (ref 7)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tribes and pollock industry await final decision on chum bycatch","publisher":"KUCB / KYUK","date":"2026-02-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kucb.org/industry/2026-02-09/tribes-and-pollock-industry-await-final-decision-on-chum-bycatch","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"A new Bering Sea bycatch limit for chum salmon aims to protect subsistence in Western Alaska","publisher":"KUCB / KNBA","date":"2026-02-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kucb.org/industry/2026-02-14/a-new-bering-sea-bycatch-limit-for-chum-salmon-aims-to-protect-subsistence-in-western-alaska","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"North Pacific Council February 2026 newsletter: chum salmon bycatch final action","publisher":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.npfmc.org/february-2026-newsletter/","basis":"Agency newsletter (undated page)"},{"ref":4,"title":"NPFMC rejects hard cap on Western Alaska chum salmon bycatch but approves corridor closure","publisher":"FishBio (summary of SeafoodSource)","date":"2026-02-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishbio.com/news/npfmc-rejects-hard-cap-on-western-alaska-chum-salmon-bycatch-but-approves-corridor-closure-to-allow-fish-passage/","basis":"News summary"},{"ref":5,"title":"Federal fisheries council says it may delay long-awaited decision on chum bycatch in Bering Sea","publisher":"KUCB / KYUK","date":"2025-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kucb.org/industry/2025-06-16/federal-fisheries-council-says-it-may-delay-long-awaited-decision-on-chum-bycatch-in-bering-sea","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Council announces action to reduce bycatch of Western Alaska chum salmon (press release)","publisher":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","date":"2024-04-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.npfmc.org/chum-salmon-bycatch-press-release/","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":7,"title":"North Pacific Council December 2025 newsletter","publisher":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.npfmc.org/december-2025-newsletter/","basis":"Agency newsletter (undated page)"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No coordinates given: the opened sources do not publish a location for the proposed mine.","The KDLG article quotes an intervenor defending the veto; the MidCurrent article covers both sides."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-REDKINGCRAB-2026"],"id":"OC-BERING-BRISTOLBAY-PEBBLE-2026","title":"Court challenges to EPA's 2023 Pebble mine veto await a ruling after June 2026 hearing","description":"EPA issued a Clean Water Act section 404(c) Final Determination on 30 January 2023 that limits disposal of dredged and fill material for the proposed Pebble deposit in waters important to Bristol Bay salmon. Pebble Limited Partnership, the State of Alaska and two Alaska Native village corporations challenge it in federal court in Anchorage, where Judge Sharon Gleason heard about 150 minutes of argument on 25 June 2026. The Justice Department and Bristol Bay intervenors defend the veto, and no ruling had been reported in the cited articles.","location":{"name":"Bristol Bay watershed (proposed Pebble mine)","type":"Legal dispute over a proposed mine in the Bristol Bay watershed","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Bristol Bay region, southwestern Alaska, US; the proposed mine sits in the headwaters of the Bristol Bay salmon watershed","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court dispute over the federal authority that restricts mine waste disposal in the watershed feeding Bristol Bay's salmon fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Mining proposal","Litigation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A Justice Department attorney argued at the hearing that the waste discharge would destroy salmon spawning habitat and affect 2,100 acres of wetlands, a potential rather than realised harm because no mine exists (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No disruption is documented: the veto keeps industrial mining out of the watershed while the Bristol Bay fishery continued, with a 2026 ex-vessel value of $264 million (refs 3, 4).","scale":"The dispute concerns one proposed mine site and the watershed of one bay (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The article describes the hope that the ruling will end a 16-year process, and the EPA determination dates from January 2023 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"EPA's 404(c) Final Determination is in force and a federal district court heard oral arguments on 25 June 2026 with a decision pending (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited articles do not give a population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Judge Gleason heard oral arguments on 25 June 2026 and said she would try to make a final determination 'in the near term'; no ruling had been published (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Wetlands affected by the discharge, per the Justice Department","value":2100,"unit":"acres","status":"Reported","note":"Attributed to DOJ attorney Laura Brown at the hearing (ref 3)."},{"name":"Bristol Bay salmon ex-vessel value, 2026 season","value":264,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"ADF&G preliminary summary as reported by Alaska Beacon, 2 Oct 2026 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The 2026 Bristol Bay salmon harvest had an ex-vessel value of $264 million, 21% above the 20-year average (ref 4).","The outcome decides whether the mine project can seek permits or whether EPA must revisit the determination (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The veto remains in place until the court rules (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency","role":"Issued the 404(c) Final Determination","contact":"https://www.epa.gov/bristolbay"},{"name":"U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska","role":"Hears the challenges","contact":"https://www.akd.uscourts.gov"}],"public_contact":"EPA Bristol Bay program page: https://www.epa.gov/bristolbay","corrective_actions":["The court may uphold, vacate or remand the EPA determination; appeals could follow (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bristol Bay, Alaska: EPA Final Determination under Section 404(c)","publisher":"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.epa.gov/bristolbay","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Federal judge hears oral arguments in Pebble Mine case, decision pending","publisher":"KDLG","date":"2026-06-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.kdlg.org/2026-06-26/federal-judge-hears-oral-arguments-in-pebble-mine-case-decision-pending","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Judge hears Pebble Mine case in Anchorage, ruling pending on Bristol Bay's EPA protections","publisher":"MidCurrent","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://midcurrent.com/v2/pebble-mine-lawsuit-veto-case/","basis":"News (page shows no date; published after the 25 June 2026 hearing)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Alaska's Bristol Bay salmon return about average this year, with higher prices paid to fishers","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Alaska Public Media","date":"2026-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://alaskapublic.org/news/economy/2026-10-02/alaskas-bristol-bay-salmon-return-about-average-this-year-with-higher-prices-paid-to-fishers","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Environmental impacts and monitoring requirements were not in the opened sources.","Whether in-water construction began in summer 2026 was not confirmed."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-STRAIT-SPILLRISK-2025"],"id":"OC-BERING-NOME-PORTMOD-2025","title":"Port of Nome modification: $399.4 million Phase 1A contract awarded toward the first US Arctic deep-draft port","description":"The US Army Corps of Engineers awarded Kiewit Infrastructure West a $399.4 million contract in August 2025 to extend Nome's causeway 1,200 feet, with completion expected in September 2029. The port's outer basin is about 22 feet deep and a later phase aims at 40 feet. The City of Nome said in-water construction was expected to start in summer 2026 and a dredging Phase 2 was expected to bid in 2026; an earlier procurement was cancelled in October 2024 after higher-than-expected bids.","location":{"name":"Port of Nome","type":"Port and harbour modification project","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Nome, Norton Sound, northern Bering Sea coast of Alaska, US","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":64.5,"lon":-165.41,"precision":"city","source_ref":2}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A federal port expansion that changes vessel access and marine construction activity on the Bering Strait route.","secondary_drivers":["Port dredging and construction","Arctic vessel traffic growth"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"None of the opened sources documents environmental or health harm from the project; they describe scope, cost and schedule only (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No disruption is reported; the city says the port supplies more than 60 communities and the expansion is meant to improve access (ref 2).","scale":"The work is at one port and its approach basin (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The Corps expects Phase 1A to finish in September 2029 after a rebid that delayed the start by about a year (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A firm-fixed-price federal construction contract was awarded in August 2025 after the October 2024 solicitation was cancelled (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The city says the port serves over 60 communities (ref 2) but gives no population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Corps awarded Kiewit Infrastructure West a $399.4 million contract for a 1,200-foot Port of Nome causeway extension, with completion expected in September 2029 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Phase 1A contract value","value":399.4,"unit":"US$ million","status":"Reported","note":"Firm-fixed-price award to Kiewit, sole bidder (ref 1)."},{"name":"Causeway extension length","value":1200,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"Includes a 600-ft sheet pile dock section (ref 1)."},{"name":"Current outer basin depth","value":22,"unit":"ft","status":"Reported","note":"Planned deepwater basin of 40 ft in later phases (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["About 90% of project funding is federal and 10% from the City of Nome, per ENR (ref 3).","The port is to be the export site for the Graphite One mine, per the City of Nome (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Construction was expected to begin in summer 2026; start of in-water work was not confirmed in opened sources (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District","role":"Contracting and project delivery","contact":"https://www.poa.usace.army.mil"},{"name":"City of Nome, Port of Nome","role":"Local sponsor and port operator","contact":"https://ak-nome.civicplus.com"}],"public_contact":"City of Nome public information officer, 907-304-3111, as published in the city's release.","corrective_actions":["Phase 1A construction under way from 2026 with completion targeted for 2029; Phase 2 dredging expected to bid in 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kiewit wins $400M contract for Alaska port upgrade","publisher":"Engineering News-Record","date":"2025-08-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enr.com/articles/61213-kiewit-wins-400m-contract-for-alaska-port-upgrade","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Army Corps of Engineers awards contract for Port of Nome Modification Project","publisher":"City of Nome, Alaska","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ak-nome.civicplus.com/1253/Army-Corps-of-Engineers-awards-contract-","basis":"Municipal press release (page shows no date)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Port of Nome Modification Project returns with scaled down phasing","publisher":"Engineering News-Record","date":"2025-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.enr.com/articles/60466-port-of-nome-modification-project-returns-with-scaled-down-phasing","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-WESTAK-CHUMBYCATCH-2026","OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-STELLERSEALION-2026"],"id":"OC-BERING-STPAUL-FURSEAL-2026","title":"Northern fur seal pup production keeps falling on St. Paul Island as a 2026 lawsuit targets pollock trawl catch limits","description":"NOAA's Alaska stock assessment (revised July 2025) reports that St. Paul Island pup production declined 3.95% a year from 1998 to 2022 and that the Eastern Pacific stock remains depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, with the cause of decline unknown. On 8 April 2026 the Center for Biological Diversity sued NOAA Fisheries in federal court in Alaska, alleging that pollock trawl catch limits cause prey competition for seals. NOAA Fisheries has said there is not sufficient information to determine whether the fishery disrupts St. Paul seals.","location":{"name":"St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands","type":"Seal breeding colony (Pribilof Islands)","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, southern Bering Sea, Alaska, US","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":57.13,"lon":-170.27,"precision":"site","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A depleted marine mammal population is declining at its largest rookery, with fishery competition disputed as a cause.","secondary_drivers":["Possible prey competition with trawl fishery","Environmental change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA's stock assessment documents St. Paul Island pup production falling 3.95% a year (SE 0.28%) between 1998 and 2022 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No livelihood disruption is documented in the opened sources; the pollock fishery is defended by supporters for its jobs and economic activity (ref 3).","scale":"The decline is concentrated at the St. Paul rookeries of a single stock, while St. George pup production has stabilised (ref 1).","duration":"The population began decreasing in the mid-1970s and St. Paul pup production has declined since 1998 (ref 1).","significance":"The stock is designated depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and classed strategic, and a federal lawsuit was filed in April 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Wildlife finding; no human population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"St. Paul Island northern fur seal pup production declined 3.95% a year between 1998 and 2022; the stock estimate is 612,765 animals (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"St. Paul Island pup production decline, 1998-2022","value":3.95,"unit":"% per year","status":"Reported","note":"SE 0.28% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Eastern Pacific stock population estimate","value":612765,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Pup production times 4.47; NOAA notes the multiplier is dated (ref 1)."},{"name":"Stock pup production trend, 2002-2022","value":-1.08,"unit":"% per year","status":"Reported","note":"95% CI -1.37 to -0.76; 2012-2022 trend not significantly different from zero (ref 1)."},{"name":"St. Paul decline since the 1970s, per plaintiff","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Claim by the Center for Biological Diversity (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The suit seeks a ban on pollock trawling around St. Paul Island in the summer pupping season; supporters cite billions of dollars of economic activity from the fishery (refs 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"St. Paul is declining while St. George stabilised and Bogoslof is growing; the stock trend 2012-2022 is not significantly different from zero (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region and Alaska Fisheries Science Center","role":"Marine mammal management and stock assessment","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska"},{"name":"North Pacific Fishery Management Council","role":"Sets pollock management measures","contact":"https://www.npfmc.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region, contact via https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska","corrective_actions":["The April 2026 complaint asks the court to require restrictions on pollock trawling around St. Paul Island during summer pupping (ref 2); no ruling has been reported."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus): Eastern Pacific stock, Alaska Marine Mammal Stock Assessments 2024","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries (NOAA-TM-AFSC-503)","date":"2025-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-04/northern-fur-seal-callorhinus-ursinus-eastern-pacific-stock.pdf","basis":"Agency stock assessment (revision date 7/14/2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Lawsuit Aims to Stop Industrial Trawl Fishing From Threatening Northern Fur Seals","publisher":"Center for Biological Diversity","date":"2026-04-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-aims-to-stop-industrial-trawl-fishing-from-threatening-northern-fur-seals-2026-04-08/","basis":"Plaintiff press release (advocacy source, claims attributed)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Conservation group sues to limit pollock trawl fishing in Bering Sea to protect fur seals","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Anchorage Daily News","date":"2026-04-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2026/04/13/conservation-group-sues-to-limit-pollock-trawl-fishing-in-bering-sea-to-protect-fur-seals/","basis":"News"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Ninth Circuit opinion itself was not opened; its holding is taken from news and party statements."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-WARMWATERS-2024"],"id":"OC-BERING-ICESEALS-CRITHAB-2026","title":"Appeals court reinstates ringed and bearded seal critical habitat reaching the central Bering Sea","description":"On 25 March 2026 the Ninth Circuit reversed a 2024 district court ruling and reinstated NOAA's 2022 critical habitat for threatened ringed and bearded seals, nearly 160 million acres from the central Bering Sea to the Beaufort Sea. The State of Alaska says the designation is unlawfully broad and will keep objecting. NOAA closed a 2018-2019 ice seal die-off investigation that recorded 284 stranded seals and a preliminary cause of ecosystem changes in the Bering Sea.","location":{"name":"Central Bering Sea to Beaufort Sea ice seal habitat","type":"Marine protected habitat (ESA critical habitat)","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING","ARCTIC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas off Alaska, US","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":64,"lon":-169,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat protection for ice-dependent seals was reinstated by a court after sea-ice loss and prey changes affected the species.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-ice loss","Reduced snow cover on ice","Prey changes in the Bering Sea"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Both species are listed as threatened because of sea-ice dependence, and NOAA's closed unusual mortality event recorded 284 stranded ice seals in 2018-2019, though that event has ended (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Critical habitat adds a layer of review for federally permitted activities such as oil development, and Alaska says it burdens resource development and fisheries (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The designation spans the central Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas, a multi-sea region (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The species were listed in 2012 and the habitat dispute has run from the 2022 designation through the 2024 and 2026 rulings (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Ninth Circuit ruled on 25 March 2026 in State of Alaska v. National Marine Fisheries Service, reversing the 2024 district court decision (refs 1, 2, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Wildlife finding; no human population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Ninth Circuit upheld nearly 160 million acres of critical habitat for ringed and bearded seals on 25 March 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Critical habitat area reinstated","value":160,"unit":"million acres","status":"Reported","note":"'Nearly 160 million acres' per Alaska Beacon and CBD (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Stranded ice seals in the 2018-2019 mortality event","value":284,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"97 bearded, 75 ringed, 48 spotted, 64 unidentified (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Alaska's Department of Law said the designation burdens resource development, fisheries and subsistence, a view stated by the state (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The court ruling is recent and the 2018-2019 die-off investigation is closed (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region","role":"Designated the critical habitat and manages ESA-listed seals","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska"},{"name":"U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit","role":"Decided State of Alaska v. NMFS","contact":"https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region, contact via https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska","corrective_actions":["The 2022 critical habitat designation is back in force after the 25 March 2026 ruling (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Habitat protections for Alaska ringed and bearded seals reinstated by appeals court","publisher":"Alaska Beacon via Alaska Journal of Commerce","date":"2026-04-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn.com/alaska-journal/news/2026/04/02/habitat-protections-for-alaska-ringed-and-bearded-seals-reinstated-by-appeals-court/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Victory: Court Reinstates Alaska Critical Habitat for Bearded, Ringed Seals","publisher":"Center for Biological Diversity","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/victory-judge-reinstates-alaska-critical-habitat-for-bearded-ringed-seals-2026-03-25/","basis":"Intervenor press release (advocacy source, claims attributed)"},{"ref":3,"title":"2018-2022 Ice Seal Unusual Mortality Event in Alaska","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2024-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/marine-life-distress/2018-2022-ice-seal-unusual-mortality-event-alaska","basis":"Agency page (last updated date)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Habitat Protections for Ringed and Bearded Seals Reinstated","publisher":"Alaska Wildlife Alliance","date":"2026-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.akwildlife.org/news/2026/4/27/habitat-protections-for-ringed-and-bearded-seals-reinstated","basis":"NGO news (cites the Ninth Circuit opinion)"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The opened pages give no counts for the Aleutian Islands alone; the figures shown are for the whole western stock in Alaska."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-STPAUL-FURSEAL-2026"],"id":"OC-BERING-ALEUTIANS-STELLERSEALION-2026","title":"Western Steller sea lions keep declining in the central and western Aleutian Islands while the wider population is stable","description":"NOAA Fisheries says the endangered western distinct population segment of Steller sea lions has increased slowly overall since 2003 but continues to decline in the central and western Aleutian Islands. NOAA's 2025 survey summary, published 24 September 2025, reports the 15-year non-pup trend changed from increasing to stable, with a modeled 38,911 non-pups and 12,762 pups for the western stock in Alaska.","location":{"name":"Central and western Aleutian Islands","type":"Marine mammal rookeries and haulouts","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Aleutian Islands chain, southern boundary of the Bering Sea, Alaska, US","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":52,"lon":-176,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An endangered marine mammal population is still declining in part of its range.","secondary_drivers":["Long-term population decline"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA's species page says the population 'continues to decline rapidly' in the central and western Aleutian Islands, which is documented regional decline rather than a mass-mortality event (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The opened NOAA pages describe no closures or restrictions tied to the finding (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The decline is confined to the central and western Aleutian chain, a regional area within the wider stock (ref 1).","duration":"The population fell about 77 to 81% from the 1970s to the early 2000s and the Aleutian decline continues in 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"The western DPS is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Wildlife finding; no human population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2025 model estimate for the western Steller sea lion stock in Alaska is 38,911 non-pups and 12,762 pups; the 15-year non-pup trend is stable (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Western DPS modeled non-pups, 2025","value":38911,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"agTrend model-based index of abundance (ref 2)."},{"name":"Western DPS modeled pups, 2025","value":12762,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"agTrend model-based index of abundance (ref 2)."},{"name":"Western DPS modeled non-pups, 2024","value":39774,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"Reported with the 2024 survey results, 20 Feb 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Decline from the 1970s to the early 2000s","value":79,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"NOAA gives a range of 77 to 81%; midpoint shown (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic effect is stated in the opened NOAA pages."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Overall stable since the 2025 survey, but still declining in the central and western Aleutians (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Region","role":"Steller sea lion surveys and ESA management","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region, contact via https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/alaska","corrective_actions":["NOAA continues annual aerial and vessel surveys of western Alaska rookeries and haulouts (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Steller sea lion (species profile)","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/steller-sea-lion","basis":"Agency page (last updated date)"},{"ref":2,"title":"2025 Results of Steller Sea Lion Surveys in Alaska","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2025-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/2025-results-steller-sea-lion-surveys-alaska","basis":"Agency survey summary"},{"ref":3,"title":"2024 Results of Steller Sea Lion Surveys in Alaska","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2025-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/2024-results-steller-sea-lion-surveys-alaska","basis":"Agency survey summary"}]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (BERING in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Any action after January 2025 on the withdrawal was not verified: no opened source covers 2025-2026 changes, and a Federal Register search of 2025-2026 documents found none that name the area."],"related_ids":["OC-BERING-STRAIT-SPILLRISK-2025"],"id":"OC-BERING-NBERING-OILWITHDRAWAL-2025","title":"Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area leasing withdrawal has been revoked, reinstated and extended across three administrations","description":"Executive Order 13754 created the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area in December 2016 and closed parts of the northern Bering Sea and Norton Sound to oil and gas leasing. A 2017 executive order revoked it, and Executive Order 13990 reinstated it in 2021. A presidential memorandum of 6 January 2025 withdrew the area's remaining parts from leasing without an expiration date. A law firm analysis says whether a future president can revoke an OCSLA withdrawal is legally unsettled.","location":{"name":"Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area","type":"Offshore oil and gas leasing withdrawal area","sea":"BERING","seas":["BERING"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Norton Sound, St. Lawrence Island and northern Bering Sea shelf, Alaska, US","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":63.5,"lon":-169,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The legal status of offshore oil and gas leasing protection in the northern Bering Sea has changed with each administration.","secondary_drivers":["Executive orders","Presidential withdrawal authority under OCSLA 12(a)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No spill or contamination is documented; the sources concern leasing protection and existing leases are unaffected (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No disruption is documented; the withdrawal prevents new leasing only, and existing leases are unaffected (ref 1).","scale":"The area spans the northern Bering Sea shelf including Norton Sound and St. Lawrence Island waters (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The area was created in 2016, revoked in 2017, reinstated in 2021 and extended in January 2025, a status that has shifted for a decade (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"A presidential memorandum under OCSLA section 12(a), published in the Federal Register on 17 January 2025, withdrew the remaining areas indefinitely (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The sources name tribal groups that advocated for the area but give no population figure."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 6 January 2025 memorandum withdrew the remaining areas of the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area from oil and gas leasing for a time period without a specific expiration (ref 1)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The opened sources give no lease-sale or revenue figures for the northern Bering Sea."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Withdrawn in 2016, revoked in 2017, reinstated in 2021, extended in January 2025 (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management","role":"Administers offshore leasing","contact":"https://www.boem.gov"},{"name":"Office of the President of the United States","role":"Issues OCSLA 12(a) withdrawals","contact":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2025/01/17/2025-01463.txt"}],"public_contact":"BOEM general inquiries via https://www.boem.gov","corrective_actions":["The January 2025 memorandum withdrew the remaining areas of the Climate Resilience Area from new leasing (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf From Oil or Natural Gas Leasing (Memorandum of January 6, 2025)","publisher":"Federal Register","date":"2025-01-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2025/01/17/2025-01463.txt","basis":"Government record (presidential memorandum)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Understanding President Joe Biden's offshore drilling restrictions","publisher":"Holland & Knight","date":"2025-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/01/understanding-president-joe-bidens-offshore-drilling","basis":"Law firm legal alert"},{"ref":3,"title":"Trump issues executive order revoking northern Bering Sea protection and tribal participation","publisher":"Nome Nugget","date":"2017-05-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nomenugget.com/news/trump-issues-executive-order-revoking-northern-bering-sea-protection-and-tribal-participation","basis":"News (2017 context)"}]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-ESMERALDAS-SOTEOILSPILL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Trans-Ecuadorian pipeline rupture sends crude down the Esmeraldas River toward the Pacific coast","description":"A landslide ruptured the SOTE crude pipeline at El Vergel (Quinindé) on 13 March 2025 and oil travelled down the Esmeraldas River system toward its mouth at the Pacific. Authorities declared an environmental emergency and temporarily closed three Esmeraldas beaches, and Ecuadorian press reported oil reaching Pacific waters and the Atacames shoreline. Petroecuador was ordered to contain and clean up; the volume spilled was not published in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Esmeraldas River mouth and Atacames coast","type":"River estuary and open coast","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["EC"],"detail":"Northern Pacific coast of Ecuador, Esmeraldas province; spill origin at El Vergel, Quinindé canton, about 100 km upstream","coordinates":{"lat":0.9975,"lon":-79.64,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[{"lat":0.86666667,"lon":-79.83333333,"precision":"city","source_ref":6,"role":"Atacames shoreline reported affected"},{"lat":0.96666667,"lon":-79.65277778,"precision":"city","source_ref":7,"role":"Esmeraldas city beaches closed"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Crude oil from a pipeline rupture contaminating a river estuary, mangrove refuge and beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Landslide after heavy rain","Pipeline integrity"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"A biologist reported the Viche and Caple tributaries had turned anoxic and the Esmeraldas River estuary mangrove refuge (242 ha) was coated with oil (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The environment ministry temporarily closed the Las Palmas, Camarones and Las Piedras beaches (ref 3).","scale":"The impact is concentrated on one river system and the adjacent Esmeraldas-Atacames coast (refs 1, 3).","duration":"A biologist estimated impacts on smaller rivers could last about three years; the sources opened date only from the first week (ref 1).","significance":"The national emergency committee declared an environmental emergency on 16 March 2025 and the International Charter was activated on 20 March 2025 (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":500000,"status":"Reported","note":"Esmeraldas mayor's figure for people affected, mostly through shared water supply (ref 3); the press also cites 213,000 in the provincial capital."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mayor Vicko Villacis said about 500,000 people were affected; at least five rivers were contaminated (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rivers contaminated","value":5,"unit":"rivers","status":"Reported","note":"At least five, including the Esmeraldas River (ref 3)."},{"name":"Beaches temporarily closed","value":3,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Las Palmas, Camarones, Las Piedras (ref 3)."},{"name":"Mangrove refuge area reported oiled","value":242,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"Esmeraldas River Estuary Mangrove Wildlife Refuge (ref 1)."},{"name":"Oil spilled","value":null,"unit":"barrels","status":"Not reported","note":"Petroecuador was still determining the volume (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Three beaches closed during the emergency (ref 3).","Tourism and fishing along the Esmeraldas coast not quantified in the sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sources opened cover March 2025 only."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petroecuador (operator of SOTE)","role":"Pipeline operator ordered to contain and clean up","contact":"https://www.eppetroecuador.ec"},{"name":"Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE)","role":"Environmental regulator and protected-area manager","contact":null},{"name":"Esmeraldas port captaincy and National Emergency Operations Committee (COE)","role":"Emergency response","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Petroecuador and MAATE published channels (see responsible bodies).","corrective_actions":["Petroecuador ordered to carry out immediate containment and cleanup (ref 1).","Collection points and fences installed on the river (ref 4).","MAATE activated emergency conservation funds for the refuge and asked volunteers for help on 18 March 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Esmeraldas oil spill in Ecuador devastates rivers and wildlife refuge","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-03-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/03/oil-spill-in-ecuador-devastates-rivers-and-wildlife-refuge","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil spill in Ecuador (Activation 954)","publisher":"International Charter Space and Major Disasters","date":"2025-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://disasterscharter.org/activations/oil-spill-in-ecuador-activation-954-","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cierran playas en Esmeraldas por derrame de petroleo: hay miles de personas afectadas por la contaminacion de rios","publisher":"Vistazo","date":"2025-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.vistazo.com/actualidad/nacional/2025-03-18-cierran-playas-esmeraldas-derrame-petroleo-contaminacion-rios-CE8978206","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Derrame de petroleo en Esmeraldas: cronologia de la crisis y sus consecuencias","publisher":"Expreso","date":"2025-03-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.expreso.ec/actualidad/derrame-petroleo-esmeraldas-cronologia-crisis-consecuencias-235311.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Esmeraldas River (coordinates of the river mouth)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeraldas_River","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":6,"title":"Atacames (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacames","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":7,"title":"Esmeraldas, Ecuador (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeraldas%2C_Ecuador","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Vistazo (ref 3) states the oil reached Pacific waters and Atacames; Expreso (ref 4) says there was a risk of reaching the sea but does not confirm it, and the Charter page (ref 2) only reports concern that it may have reached the sea. The record says oil was reported at the coast by one outlet."}],"missing_fields":["spill volume","current cleanup status and beach reopening","sea water quality results"],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-SHRIMPMANGROVE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-ACAPULCO-OTISWRECKS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Hundreds of boats sunk by Hurricane Otis still pollute Acapulco Bay with fuel and batteries","description":"Hurricane Otis (25 October 2023) sank hundreds of boats in Acapulco Bay. Eighty days later divers and biologists reported an iridescent hydrocarbon film, metals and lead or lithium batteries leaching from the wrecks, and in May 2026 a volunteer group said it was still removing wreck fragments and estimated 700 to 1,000 tonnes of waste remained on the seabed. Counts of sunken vessels differ widely between sources.","location":{"name":"Acapulco Bay and La Roqueta Island","type":"Bay and port","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Guerrero, Pacific coast of Mexico; wreck fields concentrated in the marina and yacht club zone","coordinates":{"lat":16.86361111,"lon":-99.8825,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Hydrocarbons, metals and batteries from storm-sunk vessels contaminating a bay.","secondary_drivers":["Hurricane damage","Abandoned wrecks"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"A diver reported an iridescent oil film and biologists warned lead and lithium batteries are harmful to marine life, but no measurement above a standard was cited (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Yacht owners struggled to remove vessels for lack of funds and the traditional port zone and Club de Yates were affected (ref 1).","scale":"The wrecks and debris are within one bay, about 150 ha mapped by volunteers out of over 1,000 ha (ref 3).","duration":"Reports run from January 2024 (ref 1) to May 2026, when removal work was still under way (ref 3).","significance":"The reports cite volunteer and environmentalist accounts and no official notice or enforcement; the removal group said authorities did not respond (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Volunteers estimated 700 to 1,000 tonnes of waste remain on the Acapulco Bay seabed (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Waste estimated on seabed","value":null,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Sea Finder volunteer group estimate (ref 3).","text":"700-1000"},{"name":"Bay area mapped as affected by wreckage","value":150,"unit":"ha","status":"Estimated","note":"Volunteer sonar mapping, mainly the marinas zone (ref 3)."},{"name":"Boats sunk","value":null,"unit":"vessels","status":"Estimated","note":"Sources disagree: 586 registered with 95% sunk (ref 1); about 600 (ref 2); more than 800 (ref 3).","text":"586-800+"}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Wrecks and pollution flagged as a threat to beach and marina viability (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No official cleanup data between January 2024 and May 2026 in the sources opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Secretaria de Marina (Semar)","role":"Navy and maritime authority","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semar"},{"name":"Profepa","role":"Federal environmental enforcement","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/profepa"}],"public_contact":"Semar and Profepa published general channels (see responsible bodies).","corrective_actions":["Volunteer group Sea Finder mapped the wrecks and removes fragments once or twice a week (ref 3).","Ola del Cambio volunteers removed batteries by hand and asked for government support (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Huracan Otis: contaminacion marina en Acapulco no tiene solucion a casi 3 meses del impacto","publisher":"El Financiero (EFE)","date":"2024-01-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/estados/2024/01/14/huracan-otis-contaminacion-marina-en-acapulco-no-tiene-solucion-a-casi-3-meses-del-impacto/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Embarcaciones hundidas en Acapulco amenazan viabilidad de sus playas","publisher":"El Financiero","date":"2024-01-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/empresas-ESG/2024/01/15/embarcaciones-hundidas-en-acapulco-amenazan-viabilidad-de-sus-playas/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Activistas retiran restos de embarcaciones hundidas tras huracan Otis en Acapulco","publisher":"Milenio","date":"2026-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://amp.milenio.com/estados/activistas-retiran-restos-embarcaciones-hundidas-huracan-otis","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Acapulco (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acapulco","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Boat counts differ: 586 registered and 95% sunk (ref 1), about 600 (ref 2), more than 800 (ref 3, group's own estimate); Navy figures cited in ref 1 put damaged vessels at up to 190."}],"missing_fields":["official wreck removal figures","water or sediment test results","Navy or Profepa statement"],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-MANZANILLO-DIESELSLICK-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-GALAPAGOS-PLASTICS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Galapagos beaches receive mostly imported plastic: 80 tonnes removed by park rangers in six years","description":"A report by the Galapagos Conservation Trust and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (September 2024) says rangers removed 80 tonnes of plastic from the archipelago's beaches over six years, with more than 95% likely originating outside the Galapagos Marine Reserve. It reports plastic exposure in 52 species and attributes at least 40% of plastic pollution to maritime sources such as fishing fleets.","location":{"name":"Galapagos Marine Reserve beaches","type":"Island marine reserve","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["EC"],"detail":"Ecuador; east-facing windward beaches on Santa Cruz and other islands; continental sources include northern Peru, southern Ecuador and Panama","coordinates":{"lat":-0.5,"lon":-90.5,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Beach plastic, mostly of external origin, affecting wildlife in a protected archipelago.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing fleet litter","River input from the continent"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The report found 52 species entangled in, living in or ingesting plastic, and giant tortoise faeces near Puerto Ayora held 590 debris items against two inside the National Park (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited material reports no fishery or tourism closure (ref 1).","scale":"Debris affects the coastline of an archipelago marine reserve across several islands (ref 1, ref 2).","duration":"The Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme started in May 2018 and rangers removed 80 tonnes over six years (ref 1).","significance":"A formal report co-produced with the National Park Directorate documents the problem, without an enforcement order (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Park rangers removed 80 tonnes of plastic from Galapagos beaches over six years; more than 95% likely came from outside the marine reserve (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Plastic removed from beaches","value":80,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Over six years, National Park rangers (ref 1)."},{"name":"Plastic likely from outside the reserve","value":95,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"More than 95% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Items that are single-use","value":69,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of plastic items on coastlines (ref 1)."},{"name":"Species with documented plastic interaction","value":52,"unit":"species","status":"Reported","note":"Entangled, living in or ingesting plastic (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Tourism-dependent economy of the Galapagos is exposed to beach quality (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single multi-year report."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Galapagos National Park Directorate","role":"Protected area manager","contact":"https://www.galapagos.gob.ec"},{"name":"Galapagos Conservation Trust","role":"Programme partner","contact":"https://galapagosconservation.org.uk"}],"public_contact":"Galapagos National Park Directorate published channel.","corrective_actions":["Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme (since May 2018) with ranger beach clean-ups and science to guide solutions (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos: 5 Years of Science to Solutions (report news)","publisher":"Galapagos Conservation Trust","date":"2024-09-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://galapagosconservation.org.uk/gct-report-plastic-pollution-galapagos/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Plastic contamination of a Galapagos Island (Ecuador) and the relative risks to native marine species","publisher":"Science of the Total Environment (via USFQ)","date":"2021-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://research.usfq.edu.ec/en/publications/plastic-contamination-of-a-galapagos-island-ecuador-and-the-relat/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Galapagos Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["2025-2026 clean-up tonnage"],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-GALAPAGOS-LONGLINE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-SALINACRUZ-FUELOILSPILLS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated fuel oil pipeline spills at Salina Cruz refinery reach four Pacific beaches","description":"Between 9 and 21 June 2026 five pipeline leaks between the Salina Cruz refinery and Pemex's marine terminal sent heavy fuel oil through city streets, and a spill on 29 July 2026 affected four beaches. Local environmentalists count at least 66 spills in the corridor since 2022; Semar joined a coastal contingency committee and cleanup began on 29 July.","location":{"name":"Salina Cruz refinery and beaches","type":"Refinery port and beaches","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Oaxaca, Gulf of Tehuantepec, Pacific coast of Mexico","coordinates":{"lat":16.16666667,"lon":-95.2,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Heavy fuel oil leaks from refinery pipelines reaching the coast.","secondary_drivers":["Ageing pipeline infrastructure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Municipal authorities reported dizziness, headache and nausea over a 6.12 km area on 9 June 2026 and bathers had oil on their skin at four beaches (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Fishermen and salt producers reported the spill first but no closure, advisory or loss of catch was confirmed (ref 3).","scale":"Four beaches and the city's streets around one refinery port are affected (ref 3).","duration":"Environmentalists count at least 66 spills in the corridor since 2022 and a new episode on 29 July 2026 followed the June series (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The local committee of the National Contingency Plan for hydrocarbon spills was installed and the municipality filed dozens of complaints with ASEA (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Environmentalists count at least 66 spills in the Salina Cruz corridor since 2022 (refs 2, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Spills since 2022 in the corridor","value":66,"unit":"spills","status":"Estimated","note":"Local environmentalists' count (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pipeline leaks 9-21 June 2026","value":5,"unit":"leaks","status":"Reported","note":"Between the refinery and the marine terminal (ref 3)."},{"name":"Beaches affected on 29 July 2026","value":4,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Salinas del Marques, Punta Conejo, Playa Brasil, Playa Azul (ref 3)."},{"name":"Radius affected by 9 June spill","value":6.12,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by municipal authorities (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishermen and salt producers raised the alarm (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Seven heavy fuel oil spills had been recorded in different Salina Cruz neighbourhoods by 7 July 2026 (ref 4), then a beach spill on 29 July."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex)","role":"Refinery and terminal operator","contact":"https://www.pemex.com"},{"name":"Agencia de Seguridad, Energia y Ambiente (ASEA)","role":"Industrial safety and environment regulator","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/asea"},{"name":"Secretaria de Marina (Semar)","role":"Maritime authority leading contingency response","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semar"}],"public_contact":"ASEA and Semar published general channels (see responsible bodies).","corrective_actions":["Pemex repaired the ruptured 16-inch pipeline and recovered fuel oil to the refinery (ref 1).","Local coordination committee under the National Contingency Plan installed with Semar (ref 3).","Beach cleanup started 29 July 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pemex derrame de combustoleo Salina Cruz","publisher":"Expansion","date":"2026-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://expansion.mx/empresas/2026/06/10/pemex-derrame-combustoleo-salina-cruz","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Playas de Oaxaca: estan cerradas hoy? derrame y trabajos de limpieza","publisher":"N+ (Televisa)","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nmas.com.mx/oaxaca/medio-ambiente/playas-oaxaca-estan-cerradas-hoy-derrame-trabajos-limpieza-vacaciones-verano-2026/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nuevo derrame de hidrocarburo afecta cuatro playas de Salina Cruz, Oaxaca","publisher":"Grupo Animal (Animal Politico)","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://grupoanimal.mx/estados/derrame-hidrocarburo-playas-salina-cruz-oaxaca","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Reportan otro derrame de combustoleo cerca de la refineria de Salina Cruz, Oaxaca","publisher":"Diario de Yucatan (El Universal)","date":"2026-07-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yucatan.com.mx/mexico/2026/07/07/reportan-otro-derrame-de-combustoleo-cerca-de-la-refineria-de-salina-cruz-oaxaca.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Salina Cruz (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salina_Cruz","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Spill counts differ by source: five leaks 9-21 June (ref 3) versus the 7 July spill being the seventh heavy fuel oil spill in city neighbourhoods (ref 4); neither list is official."}],"missing_fields":["spilled volume","Profepa or ASEA sanction","sea water and sediment results"],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-MANZANILLO-DIESELSLICK-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-MANZANILLO-DIESELSLICK-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Diesel-like slick covers about 47 hectares of Manzanillo Bay as fishing halts","description":"Fishermen and a local collective reported an oily slick across Manzanillo Bay on the night of 1 to 2 June 2026, estimated at about 47 hectares and preliminarily identified as diesel. Semar activated the local spill contingency plan and placed barriers; the source had not been identified by 3 June.","location":{"name":"Manzanillo Bay and port","type":"Port bay","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Colima, Pacific coast of Mexico; waterfront from Malecon del Espiritu Santo to San Pedrito and the port terminals","coordinates":{"lat":19.05222222,"lon":-104.31583333,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel spill in a port bay.","secondary_drivers":["Port fuel handling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishermen reported headaches from fumes and a dense oil layer; the product was only preliminarily identified as diesel from its sheen (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Fishermen said fishing had stopped entirely (ref 1).","scale":"The slick was estimated at about 47 ha within one bay (ref 2).","duration":"The reports cover 1 to 3 June 2026 only, with the slick still present on 3 June (ref 2).","significance":"The Navy activated the Local Contingency Plan for hydrocarbon spills and cordoned the area (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A slick of about 47 hectares, preliminarily diesel, reported in Manzanillo Bay on 2 June 2026 (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Slick area","value":47,"unit":"ha","status":"Estimated","note":"Collective and fishermen's estimate (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing halted according to fishermen (ref 1).","Cruise terminal and port waterfront among areas affected (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two days of coverage."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Secretaria de Marina (Semar)","role":"Led spill contingency response","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semar"},{"name":"Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex)","role":"Terminal operator under investigation","contact":"https://www.pemex.com"}],"public_contact":"Semar published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Semar activated the Plan Local de Contingencia para Derrames de Hidrocarburos, placed barriers and began cleanup on 3 June 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Alerta en Colima: reportan grave derrame de combustible en Bahia de Manzanillo","publisher":"Excelsior","date":"2026-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/alerta-colima-reportan-grave-derrame-combustible-bahia-manzanillo","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Reportan derrame de hidrocarburo en Manzanillo: mancha abarcaria 47 hectareas","publisher":"SDP Noticias","date":"2026-06-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sdpnoticias.com/estados/reportan-derrame-de-hidrocarburo-en-manzanillo-mancha-abarcaria-47-hectareas/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Manzanillo, Colima (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzanillo%2C_Colima","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Fishermen suspect Pemex pipelines; Pemex's inspections of 2 and 3 June reportedly found no leak (not confirmed in the pages opened); origin unconfirmed."}],"missing_fields":["origin and volume","official laboratory identification of product","outcome of the cleanup"],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-ACAPULCO-OTISWRECKS-2024","OC-TROPEPAC-SALINACRUZ-FUELOILSPILLS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-GULFCALIFORNIA-REDTIDECLOSURES-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Harmful algal bloom shellfish closures recur across the Gulf of California in 2026","description":"Mexico's health regulator listed 26 shellfish harvest closures in 2026 under its red tide page for Baja California, Baja California Sur and Sonora (four still closed on 12 October 2026), and Sinaloa's state agency suspended harvest and sale of bivalves from Bahia Santa Maria in June 2026 after toxic phytoplankton above permitted levels. Two further Sonora areas were closed on 3 August 2026 for lack of monthly toxin monitoring rather than a confirmed bloom.","location":{"name":"Northern and eastern Gulf of California","type":"Gulf harvest areas","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Sonora, Sinaloa and the Gulf coast of Baja California (Alto Golfo, San Felipe, Bahia de los Angeles)","coordinates":{"lat":28,"lon":-112,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":31.0275,"lon":-114.83527778,"precision":"city","source_ref":5,"role":"San Felipe harvest areas closed"},{"lat":24.76527778,"lon":-107.70166667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":6,"role":"Navolato municipality, Bahia Santa Maria (Sinaloa) closure"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Harmful algal blooms (red tide) producing marine toxins that close shellfish harvesting.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Toxic phytoplankton above permitted levels in Bahia Santa Maria prompted a recommendation to avoid shellfish; no illnesses are cited (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The regulator's table lists 26 closed harvest areas in 2026, four still closed on 12 October (ref 1).","scale":"Closures span three Mexican states around the Gulf of California (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Closure entries run from 21 January to 8 September 2026 and recur in the same Alto Golfo and San Felipe areas (ref 1).","significance":"COFEPRIS issued formal precautionary closures and Sinaloa's health commission suspended extraction, storage and sale (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"COFEPRIS lists 26 harvest-area closures in 2026 for Baja California, Baja California Sur and Sonora; 4 remained closed on 12 October 2026 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Closure entries listed for 2026","value":26,"unit":"closures","status":"Reported","note":"Counted from the COFEPRIS table, 22 reopened and 4 closed on 12 October 2026; one entry is on the Baja Pacific coast (ref 1)."},{"name":"Areas still closed","value":4,"unit":"harvest areas","status":"Reported","note":"San Felipe and Alto Golfo, Baja California (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Bivalve harvest, wet storage and sale suspended in Bahia Santa Maria (ref 3).","Shellfish harvesters in San Felipe and Alto Golfo closed (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Closures opened and reopened through 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"COFEPRIS","role":"Federal health regulator closing harvest areas","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/cofepris"},{"name":"COEPRISS Sinaloa","role":"State sanitary risk commission","contact":"https://www.coepriss.sinaloa.gob.mx"},{"name":"SENASICA","role":"Agrifood safety authority","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/senasica"}],"public_contact":"COFEPRIS published general channel.","corrective_actions":["Precautionary closures of harvest areas and monitoring by COFEPRIS with state commissions and public health laboratories (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Emergencias sanitarias estatales por marea roja (vedas sanitarias y cierres precautorios)","publisher":"COFEPRIS (gob.mx)","date":"2026-10-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gob.mx/cofepris/acciones-y-programas/emergencias-sanitarias-estatales-por-marea-roja","basis":"Agency page (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Monitor de Inocuidad Agroalimentaria, 4 de agosto de 2026","publisher":"SENASICA","date":"2026-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dj.senasica.gob.mx/Contenido/files/2026/agosto/MonitorInocuidad04082026_652a3133-91ec-49e3-b052-23ad282a787a.pdf","basis":"Agency bulletin (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Es oficial por Coepriss: prohiben extraccion y consumo de ostiones y almejas en esta zona de Sinaloa","publisher":"ADN40","date":"2026-06-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.adn40.mx/mexico/2026-06-01/es-oficial-por-coepriss-prohiben-extraccion-y-consumo-de-ostiones-y-almejas-en-esta-zona-de-sinaloa/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gulf of California (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_California","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":5,"title":"San Felipe, Baja California (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Felipe%2C_Baja_California","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":6,"title":"Navolato Municipality (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navolato_Municipality","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The ADN40 article (ref 3) describes the Bahia Santa Maria measure both as a suspension and as a recommendation to avoid shellfish; the cause of each COFEPRIS closure is not stated on the page (ref 1); the two Sonora closures of 3 August 2026 were for missing toxin monitoring (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["toxin type and species per closure","2024-2025 events","illness counts"],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-UPPERGULF-VAQUITA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMA-BOCALACAJAWASTEWATER-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Untreated factory wastewater piped to Panama Bay through a storm drain brings a US$1.1 million fine","description":"Panama's environment ministry fined Industrias Panama Boston US$1,115,444 on 4 August 2026 after inspectors found its wastewater plant connected to a storm drain that discharges into Panama Bay through a submarine outfall at Boca la Caja. The ministry had earlier halted the plant, and now requires a corrective plan and continuous water-quality monitoring.","location":{"name":"Boca la Caja storm drain outfall, Panama Bay","type":"Urban coastal outfall","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PA"],"detail":"Panama City, San Francisco district, Gulf of Panama (Pacific)","coordinates":{"lat":8.9711,"lon":-79.5347,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Untreated industrial wastewater with oils and organic load discharged to a bay.","secondary_drivers":["Industrial wastewater","Stormwater drainage misuse"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The ministry described severe contamination of Panama Bay and inspectors found sludge in the storm drain, but no measured exceedance is cited (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The article calls Boca la Caja a fishing zone but reports no closure or loss of catch (ref 2).","scale":"One storm-drain outfall into the bay (ref 1).","duration":"Citizens complained in June 2025 and residents said they had reported pollution for years before the August 2026 fine (ref 2).","significance":"The ministry imposed a fine of US$1,115,444 and an operations stoppage until mitigation was verified (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"MiAmbiente fined Industrias Panama Boston US$1,115,444 for untreated wastewater reaching Panama Bay (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fine imposed","value":1115444.09,"unit":"USD","status":"Reported","note":"MiAmbiente, announced 4 August 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Boca la Caja is described as a fishing zone (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Single enforcement action reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Environment of Panama (MiAmbiente)","role":"Environmental regulator","contact":"https://www.miambiente.gob.pa"}],"public_contact":"MiAmbiente published channel.","corrective_actions":["Temporary stoppage of operations until mitigation verified (ref 2).","Comprehensive corrective plan, water-quality monitoring and periodic inspections ordered (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"MiAmbiente multa con mas de 1.1 millones a compania por contaminar la bahia de Panama","publisher":"TVN Panama","date":"2026-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/miambiente-multa-1-millones-compania-contaminar-la-bahia-de-panama_1_2254307.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Panama multa con 1,1 millon de dolares a una empresa por contaminar la bahia capitalina","publisher":"swissinfo (EFE)","date":"2026-08-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/panam%c3%a1-multa-con-1%2c1-mill%c3%b3n-de-d%c3%b3lares-a-una-empresa-por-contaminar-la-bah%c3%ada-capitalina/91847369","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Panama City (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_City","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"TVN says the case surfaced in July 2025 while EFE says citizen complaints were posted in June 2025."}],"missing_fields":["pollutant concentrations","company response"],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMA-PORTSCONCESSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-SEALEVELEROSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"El Nino lifts Ecuador's sea level by 35 to 40 cm as coastal erosion and tidal flooding spread","description":"Ecuador's El Nino committee (CN-ERFEN) reported sea level about 40 cm above normal on 20 August 2026 and about 35 cm off the coast by 1 October, with 14 swell and high-tide flooding events on 14 to 16 August. Press reports describe erosion removing the beach at Playa Delfin (Posorja) and damaging cabins at Punta Bikini, and an ESPOL study finds 61.6% of the Guayas and Santa Elena coast actively eroding.","location":{"name":"Ecuador coast (Guayas, Santa Elena, Manabi, Esmeraldas)","type":"Open coast","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["EC"],"detail":"Pacific coast of Ecuador; Playa Delfin (Posorja), Punta Bikini (San Clemente), Salinas, Crucita","coordinates":{"lat":-2.7,"lon":-80.25,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":-0.5,"lon":-90.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":5,"role":"Sea level about 40 cm above normal around Galapagos"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level anomaly and swells driving coastal flooding and erosion.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino","Coastal erosion","Thermal expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Erosion destroyed beach and cabins at Playa Delfin and Punta Bikini and about 60 houses stand at the Playa Delfin cliff edge (ref 2).","livelihoods":"About 2,000 residents of Data commune lost infrastructure and main beach access, and about 100 Crucita salt-pool crystallisation pools flooded (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The sea-level anomaly and erosion affect the Pacific coast of several provinces (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Playa Delfin erosion has collapsed tourist infrastructure since 2023 and Las Gilces homes were lost in 2023-2024 (ref 1).","significance":"CN-ERFEN technical bulletins and an INOCAR wave alert are formal notices; no emergency declaration for the coast is cited (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":2000,"status":"Reported","note":"Residents of Data commune (Posorja) who lost infrastructure and beach access (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea level on Ecuador's coast was about 40 cm above usual on 20 August 2026 (ref 1) and about 35 cm off the coast on 1 October 2026 (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea level anomaly at coastal stations","value":40,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"CN-ERFEN report of 20 August 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea level anomaly off the coast","value":35,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"CN-ERFEN bulletin of 1 October 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Coastal flooding events from swells and high tides","value":14,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"14-16 August 2026, 7 in Guayas (ref 1)."},{"name":"Guayas and Santa Elena coastline under active erosion","value":61.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"ESPOL study cited by press (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Tourist cabins destroyed at Punta Bikini and Playa Delfin (ref 2).","Salt-pool and waterfront property damage at Crucita and Salinas (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Anomaly rose from 30 cm to 40 cm in two weeks to 20 August 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CN-ERFEN (INOCAR, INAMHI, IPIAP, ESPOL and others)","role":"El Nino monitoring committee","contact":"https://www.inocar.mil.ec"},{"name":"INOCAR (Ecuadorian Navy oceanographic institute)","role":"Wave and sea-level monitoring","contact":"https://www.inocar.mil.ec"}],"public_contact":"INOCAR published channel.","corrective_actions":["CN-ERFEN issues fortnightly technical bulletins and flood outlooks (ref 3).","Residents built self-funded walls and breakwaters that the tides destroyed (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"El Nino: el nivel del mar sube en Ecuador, inundaciones y erosion en playas","publisher":"Primicias","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.primicias.ec/sociedad/fenomeno-elnino-ecuador-ascenso-nivel-mar-inundaciones-erosion-playas-calentamiento-oceano-invierno-131023/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Erosion costera por El Nino: Playa Delfin, Posorja, Manabi, Santa Elena","publisher":"Primicias","date":"2026-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.primicias.ec/sociedad/fenomeno-elnino-erosion-costera-playa-delfin-posorja-guayas-manabi-crucita-san-clemente-santa-elena-salinas-131848/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Informe tecnico ejecutivo ERFEN Nro. 010-2026","publisher":"CN-ERFEN (INOCAR, INAMHI, IPIAP, SNGR, ESPOL, DGAC, UPSE)","date":"2026-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.teleamazonas.com/uploads/files/2026/10/07/erfen_20261001.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Posorja (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posorja","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":5,"title":"Galapagos Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Primicias gives different recent sea-level figures: 40 cm in 15 days (ref 1) and 28 to 33 cm in the latest week after peaks near 40 cm (ref 2); the official bulletin gives 35 cm off the coast (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Inocar tide-gauge series","damage cost"],"related_ids":["OC-GLOBAL-EPAC-ELNINO-HEAT-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-ELNINOHEAT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-ELNINOHEAT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ecuador's official El Nino bulletin records Nino 1+2 at +4.7 C and a deep warm layer off Ecuador and Galapagos","description":"Ecuador's CN-ERFEN reported on 1 October 2026 that Nino 1+2 sea-surface temperature was 4.7 C above normal on 23 September, with coastal waters at 27.0 to 28.7 C, a deepened thermocline and weak upwelling. Chlorophyll-a was generally below normal, hake landings had fallen from about 1,889 tonnes in March to under 3 tonnes a month, and the Charles Darwin Foundation warned of risks to Galapagos penguins, iguanas, sea lions and corals.","location":{"name":"Ecuador coast and Galapagos","type":"Coastal and insular waters","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["EC"],"detail":"Eastern tropical Pacific off Ecuador, including the Galapagos Marine Reserve","coordinates":{"lat":-0.5,"lon":-90.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Extreme El Nino sea-surface warming and weakened upwelling off Ecuador.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino","Weakened upwelling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":2,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Chlorophyll-a was generally below normal and zooplankton biovolume low at Galapagos; no mass mortality is documented yet (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Hake landings by the artisanal fleet fell from about 1,889 t in March to under 3 t a month from June to September (ref 1).","scale":"The warming covers Ecuador's coastal and insular waters (ref 1).","duration":"Nino 1+2 anomalies stayed above +4.0 C through August and September and the event is forecast to strengthen into early 2027 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"CN-ERFEN issued Technical Bulletin 010-2026 with the national El Nino index at the active maximum for both thermal components (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nino 1+2 sea-surface temperature anomaly of +4.7 C on 23 September 2026, with anomalies above +4.0 C through August and September (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nino 1+2 SST anomaly","value":4.7,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"23 September 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastal SST 10 nautical miles offshore","value":null,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"16-22 September 2026, highest at Esmeraldas (ref 1).","text":"27.0-28.7"},{"name":"Hake landings, artisanal fleet","value":3,"unit":"t per month (upper bound)","status":"Reported","note":"Under 3 t monthly June-September versus about 1,889 t in March (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Artisanal hake fishery largely unavailable (ref 1).","Small pelagic catches shifting offshore (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The event continues to strengthen according to CN-ERFEN (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CN-ERFEN (INOCAR, INAMHI, IPIAP, ESPOL and others)","role":"El Nino monitoring committee","contact":"https://www.inocar.mil.ec"},{"name":"Charles Darwin Foundation","role":"Galapagos science and monitoring","contact":"https://www.darwinfoundation.org"}],"public_contact":"INOCAR published channel.","corrective_actions":["Integrated oceanographic cruise CO-02-2026 and permanent monitoring by CN-ERFEN (ref 1).","Charles Darwin Foundation long-term monitoring of Galapagos colonies and ecosystems (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Informe tecnico ejecutivo ERFEN Nro. 010-2026","publisher":"CN-ERFEN (INOCAR, INAMHI, IPIAP, SNGR, ESPOL, DGAC, UPSE)","date":"2026-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.teleamazonas.com/uploads/files/2026/10/07/erfen_20261001.pdf","basis":"Agency report (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"El Nino 2026 in Galapagos","publisher":"Charles Darwin Foundation","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/news/all-news-stories/el-nino-2026-in-galapagos/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fenomeno de El Nino: el oceano se calienta y pone en riesgo la biodiversidad de Galapagos","publisher":"Vistazo","date":"2026-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.vistazo.com/sostenibilidad/2026-09-23-fenomeno-nino-ecuador-oceano-caliente-pone-riesgo-biodiversidad-galapagos-CG11240507","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Galapagos Islands (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands","basis":"Reference"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Vistazo (ref 3) cites CN-ERFEN anomalies of up to 4.5 C the previous week, against +4.7 C for 23 September in the bulletin (ref 1); the bulletin is followed."}],"missing_fields":["coral bleaching outcome (other agent's scope)","Galapagos in-situ temperature records"],"related_ids":["OC-GLOBAL-EPAC-ELNINO-HEAT-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-SEALEVELEROSION-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMACANAL-DROUGHT-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-ETP-BLEACHING-2024","OC-SEPAC-PERU-NINOCOSTERO-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-UPPERGULF-VAQUITA-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Vaquita survives in the Upper Gulf of California: 2025 cruise reports 7 to 10 animals and new calves while gillnets remain in the wider refuge","description":"Mexico's environment ministry reported sightings of between seven and 10 vaquita porpoises and the birth of new calves during the May to September 2025 observation cruise, and the conservation commission said monitoring showed no substantial decrease over three consecutive years. The IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group report on the joint visual and acoustic survey says gillnets have been nearly eliminated from the sanctuary since 2022 but the wider Vaquita Refuge remains heavily fished, and an unprotected area of high vaquita use lies northwest of the sanctuary extension.","location":{"name":"Upper Gulf of California vaquita refuge","type":"Marine mammal habitat and gillnet exclusion zone","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MX"],"detail":"Mexico, northern Gulf of California off San Felipe, Baja California and Sonora; the Zero Tolerance Area and Extension Area form the sanctuary inside the wider Vaquita Refuge.","coordinates":{"lat":31.0275,"lon":-114.83528,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Bycatch in illegal gillnets has driven the loss of a single endemic porpoise population.","secondary_drivers":["Gillnet bycatch","Illegal totoaba fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Mexican environment ministry reported only seven to 10 vaquita sighted in 2025, and the article recalls a reported 45% fall in one earlier year (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Gillnet fishing is restricted in the sanctuary, while the wider refuge stays heavily fished with gillnets, so fishing communities face continuing limits (ref 1).","scale":"The whole population lives in one area at the head of the Gulf of California; the survey covered the sanctuary and nearby waters (ref 1).","duration":"Since 2022 the navy has kept concrete blocks with 3 m hooks in the sanctuary, and monitoring now spans at least three consecutive years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Mexican Navy leads sanctuary enforcement with concrete-block deterrents placed in 2022, and the US treats vaquita bycatch as grounds for an import embargo (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"SEMARNAT confirmed sightings of between seven and 10 vaquita porpoises during the 2025 Vaquita Marina Observation Cruise (Mexico Business News, 30 October 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vaquita sighted in 2025 cruise (lower bound)","value":7,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Range of 7 to 10 given by SEMARNAT, not a population estimate (ref 2)."},{"name":"Vaquita sighted in 2025 cruise (upper bound)","value":10,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Upper end of the SEMARNAT range (ref 2)."},{"name":"Vaquita sightings since 2017","value":93,"unit":"sightings","status":"Reported","note":"None appeared unhealthy; a 2026 abundance estimate was promised for early 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The wider Vaquita Refuge remains heavily fished with gillnets, so fishing livelihoods are directly affected by closures (ref 1).","US import restrictions on Upper Gulf fisheries stay in force (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"CONANP says no substantial decrease over three consecutive years (ref 2); the IUCN group describes survival and reproduction mostly in and near the sanctuary (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Mexican Navy (SEMAR)","role":"Sanctuary surveillance and enforcement","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semar"},{"name":"CONANP (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas)","role":"Protected area manager and survey funder","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/conanp"},{"name":"SEMARNAT","role":"Environment ministry","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/semarnat"}],"public_contact":"SEMARNAT and CONANP published general contact channels on gob.mx.","corrective_actions":["The Mexican Navy keeps concrete blocks with metal hooks in the sanctuary (ref 1).","Authors recommend extending the Zero Tolerance Area to the northwest area of high vaquita use (ref 1).","CONANP says monitoring data will guide directed inspection and surveillance (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Joint visual and acoustic survey finds vaquitas surviving and reproducing, mostly in and near the sanctuary","publisher":"IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group","date":"2025-11-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iucn-csg.org/joint-visual-and-acoustic-survey-finds-vaquitas-surviving-and-reproducing-mostly-in-and-near-the-sanctuary/","basis":"Scientific report summary"},{"ref":2,"title":"Vaquita Conservation Shows Positive Results in 2025 Survey","publisher":"Mexico Business News","date":"2025-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mexicobusiness.news/sustainability/news/vaquita-conservation-shows-positive-results-2025-survey","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provisions Comparability Finding Application Final Report: Mexico","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2025-08/Mexico-final-2025-508.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"San Felipe, Baja California","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Felipe,_Baja_California","basis":"Reference (coordinates of the nearest city)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 abundance estimate and density map were due in early 2026 and were not found in the opened sources.","The 2024 survey figure (6 to 8 animals) is not stated in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-MEXICO-MMPAIMPORT-2025","OC-TROPEPAC-GULFCALIFORNIA-REDTIDECLOSURES-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-MEXICO-MMPAIMPORT-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"US restricts imports from 21 Mexican fisheries as NOAA finds Mexico's vaquita bycatch controls not comparable","description":"NOAA Fisheries' 2025 final report on Mexico under the Marine Mammal Protection Act import provisions found 21 Mexican fisheries not comparable in effectiveness to the US program because Mexico does not prioritize or implement reporting, monitoring and mitigation of vaquita mortality. Six of those fisheries were already embargoed over vaquita bycatch; the NOAA page, last updated 12 March 2026, says restrictions follow the September 2025 comparability determinations.","location":{"name":"Mexican gillnet and Gulf of California export fisheries","type":"Fishery import restriction (Upper Gulf of California)","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MX","US"],"detail":"Mexican export fisheries in the Upper Gulf of California and other Pacific fisheries covered by the US Marine Mammal Protection Act import rule.","coordinates":{"lat":28,"lon":-112,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A trade measure targets fishing gear bycatch of an endangered porpoise.","secondary_drivers":["Vaquita bycatch","Trade restrictions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA states that Mexico has no vaquita bycatch monitoring beyond regional body requirements and that killing even one vaquita exceeds the bycatch limit of 0.012 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Six Mexican export fisheries remain embargoed and the 2025 finding adds more fisheries to the list of those not found comparable (ref 2).","scale":"The finding covers 21 fisheries across Mexico's Pacific and Gulf of California, a national-level scope (ref 2).","duration":"Restrictions trace to the Court of International Trade order of July and August 2018 and the April 2019 revocation of earlier findings (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA issued formal comparability determinations in September 2025 after a court-ordered ban in 2018 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NMFS found 21 Mexican fisheries not comparable in effectiveness because Mexico does not prioritize or implement reporting, monitoring and mitigation of vaquita mortality (NOAA final report, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mexican fisheries found not comparable","value":21,"unit":"fisheries","status":"Reported","note":"Fishery IDs listed in the 2025 NOAA final report summary (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fisheries already embargoed over vaquita bycatch","value":6,"unit":"fisheries","status":"Reported","note":"Fishery IDs 1720, 1859, 1860, 1869, 1870 and 1903 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Export access to the United States is closed for the listed Mexican fisheries (ref 1).","NOAA says Mexico's gillnet fisheries have no mitigation (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The 2025 determination lists more non-comparable fisheries than the six embargoed since 2018-2019 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries, Office of International Affairs","role":"US regulator applying the MMPA import rule","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/international-affairs"},{"name":"CONAPESCA (Mexico)","role":"Mexican fisheries authority","contact":"https://www.gob.mx/conapesca"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries international affairs general contact page.","corrective_actions":["Mexico reported a March 2025 workshop in Mexicali on alternative fishing gear and testing of a FAO-designed net in the 2025 San Felipe season (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Petitions and Other Actions Regarding the Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provisions for Vaquita and Maui Dolphins","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2026-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/international-affairs/petitions-and-other-actions-regarding-marine-mammal-protection-act-import","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provisions Comparability Finding Application Final Report: Mexico","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2025-08/Mexico-final-2025-508.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of California","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_California","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The report PDF shows no issue date in the extracted text; its file path points to August 2025.","The effective date of the September 2025 prohibitions and the full prohibited list sit on a NOAA determinations page that was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-UPPERGULF-VAQUITA-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-GALAPAGOS-LONGLINE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Illegal longlines recorded in the Galápagos Marine Reserve while industrial fishing around the Hermandad reserve fell 88%","description":"Galápagos National Park monitoring data for 2018 to 2024 identified 41 vessels linked to illegal longlines, mostly capturing sharks and rays including critically endangered scalloped hammerheads, and 69% of offending vessels had AIS switched off. A separate Marine Policy study of satellite tracking for 2019 to 2023 found an 88% decrease in industrial fishing effort inside the 60,000 square kilometre Hermandad Marine Reserve after its 2022 creation, while fishing remained broad around the reserves.","location":{"name":"Galápagos Marine Reserve and Hermandad Marine Reserve","type":"Marine reserve (fishing enforcement)","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["EC"],"detail":"Ecuador, Galápagos archipelago; longlines concentrated in the canyon south of Isabela, the seamount east of Santa Cruz and near Darwin and Wolf Islands; Hermandad reserve to the north and northwest.","coordinates":{"lat":-0.05361,"lon":-90.76917,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Illegal gear and bycatch of threatened species inside a marine reserve.","secondary_drivers":["Illegal longline fishing","AIS disabling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The park study lists scalloped hammerheads, manta rays, waved albatrosses and green turtles among animals captured on illegal longlines (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Offending vessels are 17% of the artisanal pelagic fleet but landed about 30% of pelagic fish, and no livelihood loss is documented in either study (ref 1).","scale":"The detections concentrate in one reserve and its canyon and seamount grounds, while the Hermandad study covers Ecuador's insular EEZ (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Longlines were detected every year from 2018 to 2024, averaging 18 a year with a peak of 30 in 2020 (ref 1).","significance":"The Park Directorate recorded infractions through patrols, a formal violation record, though no court ruling is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"We documented an 88 % decrease in fishing effort within the Hermandad Marine Reserve after its implementation (Marine Policy study, March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessels associated with illegal longlines","value":41,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"2018 to 2024 monitoring and control data; seven were repeat offenders (ref 1)."},{"name":"Offending vessels with AIS off during infraction","value":69,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Share of fishing trips when illegal longlines were recorded (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fall in fishing effort inside Hermandad reserve","value":88,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Satellite vessel positions 2019 to 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Observed industrial fishing effort outside the Galápagos reserve","value":64626,"unit":"hours","status":"Reported","note":"145 industrial vessels from 10 countries (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Offending vessels account for roughly 30% of pelagic fish landings in the artisanal fleet (ref 1).","Fishing remains broad around the reserves, relevant to migratory species (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Longline detections peaked in 2020 and enforcement patrols peaked in 2022 (ref 1); effort inside Hermandad fell after 2022 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Galápagos National Park Directorate","role":"Reserve manager and enforcement","contact":"https://www.galapagos.gob.ec"},{"name":"Charles Darwin Foundation","role":"Research partner on monitoring data","contact":"https://www.darwinfoundation.org"}],"public_contact":"Galápagos National Park Directorate general channel.","corrective_actions":["Park Directorate runs patrols and a control centre; the authors recommend refined enforcement effort allocation (ref 1).","Hermandad Marine Reserve created in 2022 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Illegal artisanal longline use in the Galapagos Marine Reserve characterized through monitoring and control data","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science","date":"2025-09-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1636476/pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Industrial fishing compliance with a new marine corridor near the Galapagos Islands","publisher":"Marine Policy (via Universidad San Francisco de Quito)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://research.usfq.edu.ec/en/publications/industrial-fishing-compliance-with-a-new-marine-corridor-near-the/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Galápagos Marine Reserve","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Marine_Reserve","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Marine Policy study is dated March 2026 (vol. 185) with no day shown, so its source date is left null.","The earlier Chinese squid fleet at the reserve edge and any 2024 to 2026 Ecuadorian enforcement actions were not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-GALAPAGOS-PLASTICS-2024","OC-SEPAC-HIGHSEAS-SQUIDFLEET-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-EPO-TUNASEINE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"IATTC shortens eastern Pacific tuna purse seine closure to 64 days but leaves FAD reforms unfinished","description":"At its 103rd meeting in September 2025 the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission reduced the purse seine closure by eight days to 64 days for one year, citing healthy bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack stocks, and expanded the requirement to keep satellite FAD buoys transmitting south of 10 degrees S and west of 100 degrees W. The ISSF notes that broader FAD reforms such as a register were not addressed; the IATTC page for 2026 lists 64-day closures and 10 to 22 extra days for vessels above the 1,200 t bigeye limit.","location":{"name":"Eastern Pacific Ocean tuna fishery (IATTC area)","type":"Regional tuna fishery management area","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC","SEPAC","NEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ABNJ","EC","MX","PA","CO"],"detail":"Eastern Pacific Ocean Convention Area of the IATTC, including the high seas and the EEZs of Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Colombia.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regional fisheries body adjusting effort controls and FAD rules for tropical tunas.","secondary_drivers":["FAD stranding","Bigeye catch limits"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"ISSF links the new buoy-transmission rule to recovering FADs before they strand, a potential habitat and debris harm that it does not quantify (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Class 4 to 6 purse seiners must stop fishing for 64 days in 2026, and vessels above 1,200 t bigeye add 10 to 22 days (ref 3).","scale":"The Convention Area is a regional-sea scale management zone including high seas and several EEZs (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Europeche calls the eight-day cut from 72 days the first reduction since 2009, and the 2026 closures recur each year under the resolution (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The Commission adopted Resolution C-25-01 at its 103rd session, a treaty-body decision (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Commission reduced the purse seine closure by eight days, to 64 days (ISSF, 10 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Purse seine closure in 2026","value":64,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Class 5 and 6 vessels choose one of two periods; Resolution C-25-01 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Previous closure","value":72,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Reduction of eight days reported by ISSF (ref 2)."},{"name":"Bigeye catch limit triggering extra closure days","value":1200,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Extra 10 to 22 days for vessels exceeding it in the previous year (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The industry body Europeche reported the cut as the first reduction since 2009 and cites healthy stocks (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Closure shortened on the basis of stock status; FAD and harvest strategy reforms left pending (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.iattc.org"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"US implementer of IATTC measures","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"IATTC general contact via iattc.org.","corrective_actions":["Satellite buoys must stay active in the area south of 10 degrees S and west of 100 degrees W (ref 2).","Four tuna associations launched an alliance to fund FAD recovery and stranding prevention (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sustainable fisheries management yields results at IATTC","publisher":"Europeche via World Fishing","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.worldfishing.net/fisheries/europeche-sustainable-fisheries-management-yields-results-at-iattc/1504676.article","basis":"News (industry association statement)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Mixed Outcomes at IATTC 2025: Progress for Tropical Tunas, Misses on Harvest Strategies","publisher":"International Seafood Sustainability Foundation","date":"2025-09-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iss-foundation.org/?p=41293","basis":"Industry and NGO analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Purse seine closures","publisher":"Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iattc.org/PurseSeineClosures.htm","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Stock status figures (bigeye and yellowfin reference points) were not found in the opened pages; the sources only say stocks are healthy.","The adopted resolution text was not opened; resolution number C-25-01 comes from the IATTC closures page."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-CMAR-GOVERNANCE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-SHRIMPMANGROVE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ecuador's shrimp expansion and the mangroves: farms cover about 1.5 times the area of remaining mangroves","description":"A June 2026 Guardian report, summarised by the Mangrove Action Project, says Ecuador's shrimp production has nearly quadrupled in a decade and overtaken oil as the top export, that up to 43% of mangroves were lost between 1969 and 1999 and that farms now cover about 1.5 times the area of the remaining mangroves. On 24 June 2026 the national aquaculture chamber, the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership and Conservation International Ecuador announced an alliance to restore 250 hectares of mangroves in farming areas by 2030 and promote certified practices on 20,000 hectares of farms.","location":{"name":"Ecuador coastal mangrove and shrimp-farm estuaries","type":"Mangrove estuaries and shrimp farming zone","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["EC"],"detail":"Ecuador's Pacific coast, notably the Gulf of Guayaquil and the Guayas estuary and Esmeraldas province.","coordinates":{"lat":-3,"lon":-80.5,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Shrimp farm expansion is linked in reporting to the loss of mangrove nursery habitat.","secondary_drivers":["Mangrove conversion","Export demand"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Guardian report as summarised by MAP says Ecuador lost up to 43% of its mangroves between 1969 and 1999 and that destruction continues, per a local researcher (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no closure or livelihood disruption; the industry release frames mangroves as part of the sector's long-term resilience (ref 2).","scale":"The issue spans Ecuador's coast, with hundreds of farms in several coastal regions (ref 3).","duration":"The 43% loss covers 1969 to 1999 and the report says the pressure persists, with the industry's conversion-free pledge dating from 2022 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The evidence is news reporting and an industry press release; the climate fact-check piece says regulators often lack staff and funds, with no enforcement order cited (ref 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Between 1969 and 1999, Ecuador lost up to 43% of its mangroves, and shrimp farms now cover about 1.5 times the area of the remaining mangroves (Mangrove Action Project digest quoting The Guardian, 27 June 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mangrove loss 1969 to 1999","value":43,"unit":"% (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"As quoted by the Mangrove Action Project from The Guardian (ref 1)."},{"name":"Mangrove restoration target in farming areas by 2030","value":250,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Industry and Conservation International alliance (ref 2)."},{"name":"Farm area targeted for certified practices by 2030","value":20000,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Same alliance, estimated 112,870 t CO2 reduction (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Shrimp is described as Ecuador's top export ahead of oil (ref 1).","Reputational pressure on export markets is implied but not quantified in the cited pages (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited pages give a historical loss figure and a 2026 industry response but no recent annual rate."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cámara Nacional de Acuacultura (CNA)","role":"Shrimp industry chamber","contact":"https://www.cna-ecuador.com"},{"name":"Conservation International Ecuador","role":"Restoration partner","contact":"https://www.conservation.org"},{"name":"Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica (Ecuador)","role":"Environment ministry","contact":"https://www.ambiente.gob.ec"}],"public_contact":"CNA general contact on cna-ecuador.com.","corrective_actions":["Alliance announced 24 June 2026 to restore 250 ha of mangroves and certify 20,000 ha of farms by 2030 (ref 2).","Industry commitment of 2022 to conversion-free aquaculture (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mangrove News Digest # 653 - June 27, 2026 (quoting The Guardian, How the world's voracious appetite for shrimp is destroying Ecuador's mangroves)","publisher":"Mangrove Action Project","date":"2026-06-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mangroveactionproject.org/?p=5728","basis":"News digest (NGO)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ecuadorian Shrimp Industry and Conservation International Ecuador Partner to Advance Mangrove Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainable Shrimp Aquaculture","publisher":"Sustainable Shrimp Partnership","date":"2026-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sustainableshrimppartnership.org/?p=18404","basis":"Industry press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ecuador's Vanishing Mangroves: The Hidden Climate Cost of the World's Top Shrimp Exporter","publisher":"Climate Fact Checks","date":"2026-06-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climatefactchecks.org/ecuadors-vanishing-mangroves-the-hidden-climate-cost-of-the-worlds-top-shrimp-exporter/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gulf of Guayaquil","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Guayaquil","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Guardian original (19 June 2026) was not opened; its figures are quoted second hand from the MAP digest.","Export values, disease outbreaks and US tariff effects were not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-ESMERALDAS-SOTEOILSPILL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMACANAL-DROUGHT-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Panama Canal cuts daily transit slots and draft limits again as 2026 El Niño dries the watershed","description":"The Panama Canal Authority's advisory of 20 August 2026 set nine daily Neopanamax slots from 3 September and postponed draft cuts to 14.63 m and 14.48 m because watershed rainfall is below expectations. Reporting on 5 September said slots fall from 36 to 34 and then 32, the 14.48 m cut was postponed indefinitely and May to August rainfall was 34% below average with inflows 44% below normal; the 2023 to 2024 drought had cut transits from 38 to 22 a day.","location":{"name":"Panama Canal and Gatún Lake","type":"Interoceanic canal and navigation reservoir","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC","CAR"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PA"],"detail":"Panama; the canal links the Pacific at Balboa with the Caribbean at Cristóbal, supplied by Gatún and Alajuela lakes.","coordinates":{"lat":9.12,"lon":-79.75,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Drought-driven limits on a major shipping route's capacity.","secondary_drivers":["El Niño drought","Lake water levels"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is documented in the cited pages, which concern navigation limits; the watershed also supplies drinking water, which is outside this site's scope (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Advisory A-29-2026 reduced Neopanamax daily slots to nine and the Rio Times counts 32 daily slots by 15 September (refs 2, 3).","scale":"Intellinews says roughly 5% of global seaborne trade transits the canal and Far East to US East Coast spot rates rose 234% year on year (ref 1).","duration":"The restrictions follow a wet-season shortfall from May to August 2026, and the 2023 to 2024 episode ran for about a year (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The canal authority issued a formal numbered advisory on 20 August 2026 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Daily transit slots fall from 36 to 34 on September 4 and to 32 on September 15, the ACP told shipping lines (Intellinews, 25 August 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Watershed rainfall May to August 2026 vs average","value":-34,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Inflows 44% below normal (ref 1)."},{"name":"Maximum draft after 2 September (14.63 m)","value":14.63,"unit":"m TFW","status":"Reported","note":"The 14.48 m cut planned for 1 October was postponed indefinitely (ref 3)."},{"name":"Gatún Lake level on 4 September 2026","value":84,"unit":"feet above sea level","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by the Rio Times (ref 3)."},{"name":"Daily slots at the 2023-2024 low","value":22,"unit":"transits a day","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 38 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["CMA CGM applies a USD 500 per TEU Panama surcharge from 10 September; MSC has its own surcharge (ref 1).","Slot auction premiums reached USD 4.6 million in August (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Slots reduced in two steps in September 2026 (refs 1, 3); in May 2026 the canal reported 38 daily transits and high lake levels (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Panama Canal Authority (ACP)","role":"Canal operator","contact":"https://pancanal.com"}],"public_contact":"ACP publishes shipping advisories and a general contact page on pancanal.com.","corrective_actions":["Water-saving basins at the Neopanamax locks save one cubic hectometre of water daily (ref 4).","The Rio Indio reservoir is planned: Reuters via Baird Maritime reported USD 1.6 billion and completion in 2030 or 2031 (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"El Niño exposes the Panama Canal's unresolved water problem","publisher":"bne IntelliNews","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.intellinews.com/el-ni-o-exposes-the-panama-canal-s-unresolved-water-problem-463195/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Panama Canal Adopts Additional Measures to Address Reduced Precipitation in the Canal Watershed (Advisory A-29-2026)","publisher":"Panama Canal Authority","date":"2026-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pancanal.com/en/panama-canal-adopts-additional-measures-to-address-reduced-precipitation-in-the-canal-watershed","basis":"Agency advisory"},{"ref":3,"title":"Panama Canal draft limit October cut 2026","publisher":"Rio Times","date":"2026-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.riotimesonline.com/panama-canal-draft-limit-october-cut-2026/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"The Panama Canal Responds to the Risk of El Niño with Foresight and Maintains Operational Stability","publisher":"Panama Canal Authority","date":"2026-05-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pancanal.com/en/?p=55285","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":5,"title":"Panama Canal","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Panama Canal's USD 1.6 billion reservoir project faces opposition amid drought concerns","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2024-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/marine-projects/marine-infrastructure/panama-canals-16-billion-reservoir-project-faces-opposition-amid-drought-concerns","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Rio Indio cost and timing differ: Intellinews (Aug 2026) gives USD 1.6 bn and construction in 2028 to 2031; Reuters via Baird (Dec 2024) says completion in 2030 or 2031 and a dam holding 1.25 billion cubic metres."},{"note":"Affected people: Baird reports about 2,260 to relocate and 2,000 more partly affected; Intellinews says 3,375 families in more than 230 communities."}],"missing_fields":["Whether the slot counts or the 14.48 m draft cut changed after 5 September 2026 was not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-GLOBAL-EPAC-ELNINO-HEAT-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-ELNINOHEAT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMA-PORTSCONCESSION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Panama's Supreme Court annuls the Balboa and Cristóbal port concession and CK Hutchison's subsidiary starts arbitration","description":"On 29 January 2026 Panama's Supreme Court declared the 1997 law behind the Panama Ports Company concession for the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals unconstitutional. The company, 90% owned by CK Hutchison, began ICC arbitration on 3 February and on 24 March 2026 said damages had escalated beyond USD 2 billion after the state took over the terminals; Panama plans interim operation by APM Terminals (Maersk).","location":{"name":"Balboa and Cristóbal container terminals","type":"Container ports at the Panama Canal entrances","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC","CAR"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PA","HK"],"detail":"Panama; Balboa on the Pacific entrance and Cristóbal on the Caribbean entrance of the canal.","coordinates":{"lat":8.95,"lon":-79.567,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":9.35,"lon":-79.9,"precision":"site","role":"Cristóbal terminal","source_ref":4}],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court annulled a port concession, triggering an investment arbitration.","secondary_drivers":["Concession dispute","Geopolitics"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is described in the cited reports, which concern contract and ownership (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Operations at both terminals continue under state control while the government plans interim operation by APM Terminals (ref 1).","scale":"The dispute concerns two terminals at the canal entrances (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The ruling was announced on 29 January 2026 and the arbitration claim was supplemented on 24 March 2026 (ref 2).","significance":"The Supreme Court declared Law No. 5 of 1997 unconstitutional and the ruling was published in the gazette on 23 February (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"PPC said damages have escalated beyond USD 2 billion and filed supplemented claims on 24 March 2026 (Shipping Telegraph, 26 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Claimed damages","value":2,"unit":"USD billion (beyond)","status":"Reported","note":"PPC statement of 24 March 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"PPC investment since 1997","value":1.8,"unit":"USD billion (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Company claim (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Arbitration claims exceed USD 2 billion (ref 2).","The terminals are being taken over and may be retendered (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ruling in January, takeover in February and an expanded claim in March 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Supreme Court of Justice of Panama","role":"Court that ruled the concession unconstitutional","contact":"https://www.organojudicial.gob.pa"},{"name":"Panama Ports Company (CK Hutchison)","role":"Concession holder and claimant","contact":"https://www.ckh.com.hk"},{"name":"Autoridad Marítima de Panamá","role":"Maritime authority","contact":"https://www.amp.gob.pa"}],"public_contact":"Panama Maritime Authority general contact page.","corrective_actions":["Panama plans interim terminal operation by APM Terminals (Maersk) until a new concession is awarded (ref 1).","ICC arbitration proceeding between PPC and the Republic of Panama (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hutchison Asserts Panama Has Breached Contract and Starts Arbitration","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2026-02-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/article/hutchison-asserts-panama-has-breached-contract-and-starts-arbitration","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"CK Hutchison's PPC says it expands claims against Panama as losses surpass $2bn","publisher":"Shipping Telegraph","date":"2026-03-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://shippingtelegraph.com/port-news/ck-hutchisons-ppc-says-expands-claims-against-panama-as-losses-surpass-2b/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Port of Balboa","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Balboa","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Port of Cristóbal","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Crist%C3%B3bal","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"},{"ref":5,"title":"El Niño exposes the Panama Canal's unresolved water problem","publisher":"bne IntelliNews","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.intellinews.com/el-ni-o-exposes-the-panama-canal-s-unresolved-water-problem-463195/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Claim size: PPC says damages exceed USD 2 billion (Shipping Telegraph, March 2026); Intellinews (August 2026, ref 5) says arbitration claims now exceed USD 3.5 billion."}],"missing_fields":["The ruling date is given as 29 January 2026 in the Shipping Telegraph piece; the Maritime Executive says only 'end of last week' before 4 February."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMACANAL-DROUGHT-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMA-BOCALACAJAWASTEWATER-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-FONSECA-BOUNDARY-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-FONSECA-BOUNDARY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Naval incidents in the Gulf of Fonseca in 2025 and 2026 test the Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua boundary","description":"In September 2025 Honduras' armed forces accused Salvadoran coast guard vessels of entering Honduran waters in the Gulf of Fonseca during a joint patrol with Nicaragua, and declared maximum alert; the Salvadoran government had issued no statement when the reports were published. On 4 June 2026 El Heraldo reported that Honduras' Pacific naval commander was arrested after handing seized boats over in what the paper says were Salvadoran waters, and that the Foreign Ministry opened diplomatic channels.","location":{"name":"Gulf of Fonseca","type":"Shared maritime boundary waters","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["HN","SV","NI"],"detail":"Pacific gulf shared by Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua; Honduras says it patrols about six nautical miles near its route to open sea.","coordinates":{"lat":13.25,"lon":-87.75,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A shared-gulf boundary dispute producing repeated naval confrontations.","secondary_drivers":["Maritime boundary dispute","Naval patrols"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports describe sovereignty confrontations and no environmental or human harm (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or livelihood effect is described in the cited reports; the incidents concern patrol positions (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The incidents occurred in one gulf shared by three states (ref 1).","duration":"Incidents were reported on 24 and 25 September 2025 and again in June 2026, within a dispute that predates the ICJ rulings of 1992 and 2007 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Honduras raised its alert to maximum and El Salvador filed a protest in April 2024 over Honduras' ratification of its maritime treaty with Nicaragua, a formal notice (refs 1, 5)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Honduras' armed forces said Salvadoran vessels twice entered Honduran waters on 24 and 25 September 2025 and raised their alert to maximum (El Mundo, 26 September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Honduran patrol zone claimed near its route to the Pacific","value":6,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"Stated by Honduras' Joint Staff chief citing the 1992 ICJ ruling (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Fishing and port effects were not described in the cited reports (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"September 2025 incursions followed by a June 2026 incident involving a Honduran handover of boats (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Honduran Armed Forces and Naval Force","role":"Patrol authority","contact":"https://www.ffaa.mil.hn"},{"name":"Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de Honduras","role":"Diplomatic channel","contact":"https://www.sre.gob.hn"},{"name":"Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador","role":"Diplomatic channel","contact":"https://rree.gob.sv"}],"public_contact":"Foreign ministries' published general contact pages.","corrective_actions":["Honduras reinforced patrols and air reconnaissance and its Foreign Ministry activated diplomatic channels (refs 1, 3).","The ICJ boundary rulings of 1992 and 2007 are cited by Honduras as the legal basis (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Honduras denuncia invasión de la Marina Nacional salvadoreña en sus aguas del Golfo de Fonseca","publisher":"Diario El Mundo (El Salvador)","date":"2025-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://diario.elmundo.sv/nacionales/honduras-denuncia-invasion-de-la-marina-nacional-salvadorena-en-sus-aguas-del-golfo-de-fonseca","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Honduras denuncia obstrucción de patrullera salvadoreña en el Golfo de Fonseca","publisher":"El Heraldo (Honduras)","date":"2025-09-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elheraldo.hn/elheraldoplus/investigaciones/honduras-obstruccion-patrullera-salvadorena-golfo-fonseca-HA27505662","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Arrestan al comandante de la Naval en el Pacífico por incidente con marina salvadoreña","publisher":"El Heraldo (Honduras)","date":"2026-06-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elheraldo.hn/elheraldoplus/investigaciones/arrestan-comandante-naval-pacifico-incidente-marina-salvadorena-EO30943979","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gulf of Fonseca","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Fonseca","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras denuncian que El Salvador invadió aguas del Pacífico","publisher":"CNN Chile","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cnnchile.com/mundo/fuerzas-armadas-honduras-denuncian-el-salvador-invadio-aguas-pacifico_20250926/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Honduras reports Salvadoran incursions; the Salvadoran government had issued no statement in the opened reports, so El Salvador's position on the incidents is not documented here."}],"missing_fields":["Sources are Spanish-language national news reports; no official ministry statement was opened.","Honduran naval base and Nicaraguan claims mentioned in the brief were not verified."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-PANAMA-PORTSCONCESSION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-COSTARICA-OILBAN-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Costa Rica's oil and gas exploration ban still rests on a 2002 decree as a bill to make it law stalls and the climate pledge drops it","description":"Costa Rica's ban on oil and gas operations dates from a 2002 presidential decree, which Human Rights Watch calls a fragile legal foundation, and bill 23.579 to declare the country free of oil and gas exploration and extraction received a favourable committee report in February 2024 but faced 128 motions from the Nueva República caucus. On 14 November 2025 the government removed a pledge to make the moratorium law from its updated climate commitment, and President Chaves has floated exploration.","location":{"name":"Costa Rica national oil and gas moratorium","type":"National offshore and onshore hydrocarbon moratorium","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC","CAR"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CR"],"detail":"Costa Rica; applies to the country's onshore and offshore territory on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A decree-based drilling ban is the only barrier to offshore exploration and its legal footing is contested.","secondary_drivers":["Hydrocarbon exploration policy","Legislative delay"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No exploration or spill harm is documented; the cited pieces concern the legal status of the ban (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism disruption is described; the business chamber UCCAEP argues for exploration as an economic step (ref 3).","scale":"The moratorium covers Costa Rica's national territory, onshore and offshore (ref 1).","duration":"The decree dates from 2002 and the bill was still in committee in September 2024 with 105 motions unvoted (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The Environment Committee issued a favourable report on bill 23.579 in February 2024 and the UN office wrote to deputies in March 2024 (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On November 14 the government removed the commitment to make the moratorium law from its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (Human Rights Watch, 19 December 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Motions filed against bill 23.579","value":128,"unit":"motions","status":"Reported","note":"Nueva República caucus; four voted in one session, 105 remaining (refs 3, 4)."},{"name":"Year the presidential moratorium began","value":2002,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Decree signed by then-president Abel Pacheco (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Government interest in exploration and a request for Norwegian cooperation are reported (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Bill stalled in committee in 2024 and the 2025 climate pledge dropped the law commitment (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica","role":"Legislature considering bill 23.579","contact":"https://www.asamblea.go.cr"},{"name":"MINAE (Ministry of Environment and Energy)","role":"Ministry that opposed the bill","contact":"https://minae.go.cr"}],"public_contact":"Legislative Assembly and MINAE published general contact pages.","corrective_actions":["The Environment Committee approved bill 23.579 in February 2024 (ref 2).","Human Rights Watch urges lawmakers to pass the bill and restore the pledge in the climate commitment (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Costa Rica's Fossil Fuel Ban Hangs by a Thread","publisher":"Human Rights Watch","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/12/19/costa-ricas-fossil-fuel-ban-hangs-by-a-thread","basis":"NGO commentary"},{"ref":2,"title":"Diputados apuran plan para prohibir exploración petrolera, a pesar de afán del Gobierno","publisher":"Semanario Universidad","date":"2024-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://semanariouniversidad.com/pais/diputados-apuran-plan-para-prohibir-exploracion-petrolera-a-pesar-de-afan-del-gobierno/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Oficina de Naciones Unidas en Costa Rica insta a diputados declarar al país libre de exploración y explotación de petróleo y gas","publisher":"Semanario Universidad","date":"2024-03-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://semanariouniversidad.com/pais/oficina-de-naciones-unidas-en-costa-rica-insta-a-diputados-declarar-al-pais-libre-de-exploracion-y-explotacion-de-petroleo-y-gas/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Nueva República mantiene bloqueo en Comisión de Ambiente a prohibición de exploración petrolera: se votan solo cuatro mociones y faltan 105","publisher":"Semanario Universidad","date":"2024-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://semanariouniversidad.com/pais/nueva-republica-mantiene-bloqueo-en-comision-de-ambiente-a-prohibicion-de-exploracion-petrolera-se-votan-solo-cuatro-mociones-y-faltan-105/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2026 legislative push to lift the ban named in the brief was not verified from an opened page; the latest opened source is December 2025.","The bill's status after September 2024 was not found in an opened source.","No specific offshore blocks are identified in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-CMAR-GOVERNANCE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-ETP-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Coral bleaching across Eastern Tropical Pacific reefs from April 2023: 38 of 72 monitored sites severely bleached","description":"A reef ecologist of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network reported on 17 April 2024 that bleaching had been confirmed in Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia since April 2023, and that of 72 sites monitored since mid-2023, 38 showed severe bleaching and 20 had some coral death; some reefs were recovering. Separately, researchers reported cold-water bleaching and mortality on Clipperton Atoll's deep reefs, with bleached and dead coral about 70% of coral surveyed at 32 m.","location":{"name":"Eastern Tropical Pacific reefs (Isla Iguana, Clipperton)","type":"Coral reef region","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["MX","SV","CR","PA","CO","EC"],"detail":"Reefs from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and the Galápagos; Isla Iguana in Panama pictured fully bleached; Clipperton Atoll deep reefs hit by cold water.","coordinates":{"lat":7.629,"lon":-79.998,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":10.3,"lon":-109.217,"precision":"site","role":"Clipperton Atoll deep reef","source_ref":4}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Thermal stress bleached reefs along the Eastern Tropical Pacific, with a separate cold-water event at Clipperton.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","Cold-water upwelling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Of 72 sites monitored since mid-2023, 38 showed severe bleaching and 20 had some coral death (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no closure or income loss for reef-dependent communities (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Bleaching was confirmed in five countries from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and the Galápagos (ref 1).","duration":"Bleaching began in April 2023 and the ZMT update was still uncertain about the course of 2024; the Clipperton study was published in November 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The evidence is a researcher's regional update and a peer-reviewed paper, without agency notices or orders (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"38 of 72 monitored sites showed severe bleaching and 20 sites had some coral areas die (ZMT, 17 April 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sites monitored since mid-2023","value":72,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Eastern Tropical Pacific, ZMT update (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sites with severe bleaching","value":38,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Of 72 monitored (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sites with some coral death","value":20,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Of 72 monitored (ref 1)."},{"name":"Bleached and dead coral at 32 m, Clipperton","value":70,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Cold-water event, Science of the Total Environment, Nov 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No reef tourism or fisheries impact figure is given in the cited pages."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"ZMT says some reefs are recovering and 2024 evolution was uncertain (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)","role":"Reef monitoring network","contact":"https://gcrmn.net"},{"name":"Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)","role":"Research institute reporting the survey","contact":"https://www.leibniz-zmt.de"}],"public_contact":"ZMT and GCRMN published contact pages.","corrective_actions":["Monitoring of reefs through the network continues; no management action is described in the cited pages (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fourth global coral bleaching event: ZMT researcher observes the state of reefs in the eastern tropical Pacific","publisher":"Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)","date":"2024-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.leibniz-zmt.de/en/news-at-zmt/news/news-archive/fourth-global-coral-bleaching-event-zmt-researcher-observes-the-state-of-reefs-in-the-eastern-tropical-pacific.html","basis":"Research institute report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Severe cold-water bleaching and mortality of deep-water reef observed in the Eastern Tropical Pacific","publisher":"Max Planck Institute for Chemistry","date":"2024-10-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mpic.de/5608191/korallenbleiche-in-kaltwasserkorallenriffen","basis":"Press release on peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":3,"title":"Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Iguana_Wildlife_Refuge","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Clipperton Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipperton_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Site-level mortality for the Galápagos, Gorgona, Coiba and Revillagigedo was not verified from an opened page.","The ZMT page gives no mortality percentage; site counts are as reported."],"related_ids":["OC-GLOBAL-EPAC-ELNINO-HEAT-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-ELNINOHEAT-2026"]},{"id":"OC-TROPEPAC-CMAR-GOVERNANCE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Four countries renew Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor cooperation in September 2026 without announcing binding agreements","description":"The environment ministers of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama met in Panama City on 11 September 2026 under the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) and held a political dialogue on governance, connectivity and the 2025 to 2035 Action Plan; no specific binding agreement was reported. The CMAR describes 643,586 km2 of marine protected areas among its members and lists recent additions including Ecuador's Hermandad reserve and Costa Rica's Cocos Island expansion.","location":{"name":"Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR)","type":"Multinational marine protected area network","sea":"TROPEPAC","seas":["TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CO","CR","EC","PA"],"detail":"Core areas at Cocos Island (Costa Rica), Galápagos (Ecuador), Coiba (Panama) and Gorgona and Malpelo (Colombia).","coordinates":{"lat":5.52806,"lon":-87.06111,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regional protected-area network coordinating conservation and surveillance among four states.","secondary_drivers":["Regional cooperation","Protected area expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The CMAR page notes the scalloped hammerhead is critically endangered but documents no new harm event at the meeting (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishing restriction or livelihood effect is described in the cited CMAR pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The corridor links protected areas in four countries across the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ref 1).","duration":"The corridor was founded in 2004 and the Action Plan runs 2025 to 2035 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A ministerial meeting renewed commitments under the Action Plan, with no binding agreement announced (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The CMAR describes 643,586 km2 of marine protected areas among Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama (CMAR, 22 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine protected area in the corridor","value":643586,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"CMAR article of 22 May 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Species protected","value":2600,"unit":"species (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Flora and fauna, many endemic (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic signal is reported in the cited pages."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Recent additions listed in September 2026 include Hermandad, the Isla del Coco expansion, Yuruparí-Malpelo and the Coiba cordillera area (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CMAR Executive Secretariat","role":"Corridor coordination (now permanent in Panama City)","contact":"https://www.cmarpacifico.org"},{"name":"Ministries of environment of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama","role":"Member governments","contact":"https://www.cmarpacifico.org"}],"public_contact":"CMAR website contact page.","corrective_actions":["Panama hosts the CMAR Executive Secretariat permanently (ref 1).","Rangers and scientists held a ten-day CMAR expedition at Gorgona and Malpelo in April 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador y Panamá fortalecen su alianza para proteger el Pacífico Este Tropical","publisher":"CMAR (Corredor Marino del Pacífico Este Tropical)","date":"2026-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cmarpacifico.org/node/273","basis":"Intergovernmental body news (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"El corredor marino que protege más de 2.600 especies","publisher":"CMAR (Corredor Marino del Pacífico Este Tropical)","date":"2026-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cmarpacifico.org/node/265","basis":"Intergovernmental body news (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cocos Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocos_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Guardaparques: la primera línea de protección de las áreas núcleo del CMAR","publisher":"CMAR (Corredor Marino del Pacífico Este Tropical)","date":"2026-07-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cmarpacifico.org/node/272","basis":"Intergovernmental body news (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (TROPEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Protected area size: the 11 September 2026 article cites more than 400,000 km2 under protection or special management, while the 22 May 2026 article gives 643,586 km2."}],"missing_fields":["Sources are the CMAR's own pages (Spanish); no independent report on the meeting was opened.","The Galápagos coordinates were not used; the point is Cocos Island, one CMAR core area."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-GALAPAGOS-LONGLINE-2025","OC-TROPEPAC-EPO-TUNASEINE-2025","OC-TROPEPAC-COSTARICA-OILBAN-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-PERU-NINOCOSTERO-2026","title":"Peru's official El Niño Costero alert extends into 2027 as forecasts rise to extraordinary magnitude","description":"Peru's multisectoral ENFEN commission declared an El Niño Costero alert in February 2026 and has kept it active; by its 14 September 2026 statement the highest probability for September 2026 to January 2027 in the Niño 1+2 region was extraordinary magnitude, up from a weak event forecast in February. The commission expects anchoveta to stay deep and nearer the coast and warns of heavy rain on the north coast from November.","location":{"name":"Peruvian coast (Niño 1+2 region)","type":"National coastline","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE"],"detail":"Peru's whole Pacific coast, with the strongest rainfall risk forecast for the north coast; ENFEN reports on the Niño 1+2 region off Peru and Ecuador.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A coastal warm event in the Humboldt upwelling system, driven by ocean-atmosphere conditions.","secondary_drivers":["El Niño Costero","Weakened Humboldt upwelling","Anchoveta redistribution"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"ENFEN forecasts that north-central anchoveta will stay deep and move closer to the coast and that warm-water species persist, a limited ecological shift with no mortality reported (ref 5).","livelihoods":"ENFEN's April 2026 statement expects the anchoveta stock mainly within about 48 km of the coast, a change from its usual distribution that bears on the fishery, with no closure cited (ref 2).","scale":"The alert covers Peru's national coastline and the Niño 1+2 region rather than a single bay (ref 3).","duration":"The alert opened in February 2026 for an event expected from March and, by the September statement, to run to about May 2027, more than a year (refs 1, 5).","significance":"ENFEN's formal 'Alerta de El Niño Costero' status has been maintained through communiques 03, 07, 09 and 14-2026 (refs 1, 2, 4, 6); no emergency declaration is cited."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":1000000,"status":"Reported","note":"El Búho reports that Cenepred sees over 1 million people with a high probability of very significant risk from floods, huaicos, landslides and avalanches under the forecast (ref 5); this is a risk estimate, not a count of people harmed."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ENFEN's 14 September 2026 statement gave a 48% probability of extraordinary and 45% of strong magnitude for December 2026 to March 2027 in the Niño 1+2 region (ref 5)."},"measures":[{"name":"Probability of extraordinary Niño Costero, Dec 2026 to Mar 2027","value":48,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"ENFEN forecast reported 15 September 2026 (ref 5)."},{"name":"Probability of strong Niño Costero, Dec 2026 to Mar 2027","value":45,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Same statement (ref 5)."},{"name":"Forecast coastal air temperature above usual","value":null,"unit":"°C","status":"Not reported","note":"The article gives a 3 to 5 °C range for the coming months but no sea-surface anomaly in °C (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["ENFEN expects anchoveta to stay deep and nearer the coast in coming weeks (ref 5).","ENFEN said warming would alter distribution of the north-central anchoveta stock (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Forecast magnitude moved from weak (February, ref 1) to weak-to-moderate (April and May, refs 2, 4) to strong (June, ref 3) and extraordinary (September, ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Comisión Multisectorial ENFEN (Estudio Nacional del Fenómeno El Niño)","role":"Issues the official El Niño Costero alert state and forecasts","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/imarpe"}],"public_contact":"ENFEN publishes its official communiques through the gob.pe institutional pages of its member agencies including IMARPE.","corrective_actions":["ENFEN urged reinforcing disaster prevention ahead of the September 2026 to April 2027 rainy season (ref 3).","ENFEN schedules fortnightly communiques; the next was set for 28 September 2026 (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ENFEN activa estado de alerta de El Niño Costero y prevé lluvias intensas a partir de marzo","publisher":"El Búho","date":"2026-02-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elbuho.pe/2026/02/enfen-activa-estado-de-alerta-de-el-nino-costero-y-preve-lluvias-intensas-a-partir-de-marzo/","basis":"News (reports ENFEN Comunicado Oficial 03-2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Fenómeno El Niño Costero podría durar hasta enero de 2027 y alcanzar magnitud moderada en los próximos meses, según ENFEN","publisher":"Infobae Perú","date":"2026-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infobae.com/peru/2026/04/17/fenomeno-el-nino-costero-podria-durar-hasta-enero-de-2027-y-alcanzar-magnitud-moderada-en-los-proximos-meses-segun-enfen/","basis":"News (reports ENFEN Comunicado Oficial 07-2026)"},{"ref":3,"title":"ENFEN mantiene alerta por El Niño Costero: evento se prolongaría hasta 2027 con posible intensidad fuerte","publisher":"Caretas","date":"2026-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://caretas.pe/?p=815011","basis":"News (reports ENFEN communique of 15 June 2026)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Alerta del ENFEN: es probable que pase esto con El Niño Costero en Perú entre mayo y agosto de 2026","publisher":"Infobae Perú","date":"2026-05-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infobae.com/peru/2026/05/17/alerta-del-enfen-es-probable-que-pase-esto-con-el-nino-costero-en-peru-entre-mayo-y-agosto-de-2026/","basis":"News (reports ENFEN Comunicado Oficial 09-2026)"},{"ref":5,"title":"El Niño Costero tendría una magnitud extraordinaria lo que queda de setiembre y se extendería a mayo de 2027","publisher":"El Búho","date":"2026-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elbuho.pe/?p=435725","basis":"News (reports ENFEN statement of 14 September 2026)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Comunicado Oficial ENFEN N° 14-2026 (page listing; PDF not read)","publisher":"SINIA, Ministerio del Ambiente del Perú","date":"2026-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sinia.minam.gob.pe/documentos/comunicado-oficial-enfen-ndeg-14-2026","basis":"Agency page (Spanish; the page lists the communique, its PDF was not opened)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["Coastal sea-surface temperature anomaly in °C: not given in the ENFEN coverage opened; the official communique PDFs were not read."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-NCHILE-MARINEHEATWAVES-2026","OC-SEPAC-PERU-ANCHOVETA-2026","OC-TROPEPAC-ECUADOR-ELNINOHEAT-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-NCHILE-MARINEHEATWAVES-2026","title":"Marine heatwaves on Chile's coast and Northern Humboldt build into an El Niño in 2025-2026","description":"The SPRFMO 2025-2026 ecosystem status report counts six marine heatwaves totalling 179 days off northern Chile, including a 109-day event in early 2026, with the first events already in late 2025. By August 2026 sea-surface anomalies reached +3.17 °C in the Northern Humboldt region off Peru and +1.77 °C off northern Chile as El Niño developed. A Mercator Ocean bulletin from November 2025 flagged a heatwave forming off northern Chile.","location":{"name":"Northern Chile and Northern Humboldt","type":"Marine heatwave region","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL","PE"],"detail":"Coastal and offshore waters of northern Chile (Northern Chile region) and Peru (Northern Humboldt region) in the SPRFMO ecosystem report; central-southern Chile also records frequent shorter events.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Documented ocean temperature extremes in the Humboldt Current system tied to ENSO.","secondary_drivers":["El Niño onset 2026","Weakened coastal upwelling"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The report documents heatwave days and weaker coastal upwelling but no mortality or habitat loss, so harm is limited to potential ecological stress (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the opened sources links these heatwaves to a Chilean fishery or farm closure, so no disruption is scored here (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Heatwaves were detected across five regions spanning northern Chile, Peru's Northern Humboldt and the oceanic Southeast Pacific, a regional-sea footprint (ref 1).","duration":"The longest northern Chile event ran 109 days in early 2026 and the 179 heatwave days were spread over late 2025 to mid-2026, a span of months (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are a scientific status report, an operational bulletin and a thesis, none an advisory or enforcement action (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Northern Chile had six marine heatwaves totalling 179 days, including a 109-day event in early 2026; Northern Humboldt sea-surface anomaly reached +3.17 °C by August 2026 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Marine heatwave days, Northern Chile region (six events)","value":179,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"SPRFMO ecosystem status report, September 2025 to August 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Longest event, Northern Chile","value":109,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Early 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-surface temperature anomaly, Northern Humboldt, August 2026","value":3.17,"unit":"°C","status":"Reported","note":"Region off Peru in the SPRFMO report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-surface temperature anomaly, Northern Chile, August 2026","value":1.77,"unit":"°C","status":"Reported","note":"SPRFMO report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Marine heatwave events in central and southern Chile over four decades","value":70,"unit":"events","status":"Reported","note":"Stated as more than 70 events in the University of Liège thesis (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The thesis highlights Northern Patagonia's intensive aquaculture and links heatwaves to fisheries and aquaculture management (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"SPRFMO says August 2026 is the developmental phase of an El Niño and responses may continue to grow (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"SPRFMO Scientific Committee (Ecosystems Working Group)","role":"Publishes the Southeastern Pacific ecosystem status report","contact":"https://www.sprfmo.int"}],"public_contact":"SPRFMO Secretariat, Wellington, New Zealand, via the contact details on sprfmo.int.","corrective_actions":["SPRFMO states continued monitoring of temperature, sea level, upwelling, oxygen, heatwaves and productivity will be needed as the El Niño develops (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2025-2026 SPRFMO Southeastern Pacific Ecosystem Status Report (SC14-Eco04)","publisher":"SPRFMO Secretariat","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sprfmo.int/assets/Meetings/02-SC/14th-SC-2026/Ecosystems-Eco/SC14-Eco04-2025-2026-SPRFMO-Southeastern-Pacific-Ecosystem-Status-Report.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body report prepared for the 7 to 12 September 2026 Scientific Committee; no publication date on its pages"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine heatwave Bulletin Forecasts for November 29, 2025 by Mercator International","publisher":"CARICOOS (reposting Mercator Ocean International)","date":"2025-11-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.caricoos.org/2025/11/25/marine-heatwave-bulletin-forecasts-for-november-29-2025-by-mercator-international/","basis":"Operational ocean-forecast bulletin"},{"ref":3,"title":"Study of Marine Heatwaves in a semi-enclosed coastal area: detection, formation, drivers and impacts (thesis, Cécile Pujol)","publisher":"Université de Liège, ORBi repository","date":"2025-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/336130","basis":"Peer-reviewed doctoral thesis record (defended 23 October 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["No news article on a specific coastal impact of the 2025-2026 heatwaves off Chile was opened; the SPRFMO report has no publication date shown."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-PERU-NINOCOSTERO-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-CHILE-BEACHEROSION-2024","title":"Central Chile's urban beaches erode faster as swells intensify, with Reñaca and Santo Domingo among the worst","description":"A Universidad Católica study by the Observatorio de la Costa tracked 66 beaches between Arica and Chiloé and found retreat accelerating between 2023 and 2024, with Santo Domingo at 5.7 m a year and Hornitos at 5.2 m a year. In September 2026 T13 reported swell damage on Valparaíso-region beaches including a sand cliff on Reñaca beach, damaged walkways at Acapulco and gravel replacing sand at La Boca. Researchers cite more frequent storm swells since 2015, sediment deficit and building on dunes and wetlands.","location":{"name":"Valparaíso-region beaches (Reñaca, Caleta Portales)","type":"Urban beach coastline","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Central Chile from Viña del Mar and Valparaíso to Santo Domingo and Algarrobo, with another fast-eroding beach at Hornitos near Antofagasta, within a 66-beach survey from Arica to Chiloé.","coordinates":{"lat":-32.96944,"lon":-71.545,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[{"lat":-22.9,"lon":-70.28333,"precision":"city","source_ref":6,"role":"Hornitos beach, fastest-eroding in northern Chile survey"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm-swell driven shoreline retreat and coastal flooding on an exposed coast, worsened by sediment loss.","secondary_drivers":["Storm swells (marejadas)","Sediment deficit","Coastal development on dunes and wetlands"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The UC survey measured shoreline retreat up to 5.7 m a year at Santo Domingo and T13 documented sand cliffs of 2 to 3 m at Reñaca and damaged walkways, direct habitat and infrastructure loss (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"T13 reported damaged surf-school structures at La Boca and a damaged new seafront promenade at La Chépica, tourism and local business assets (ref 4).","scale":"The study covers 66 beaches from Arica to Chiloé, a national coastline rather than a single beach (ref 1).","duration":"Researchers say swells have been more intense and recurrent since 2015, and retreat rates were measured in both 2023 and 2024 (refs 1, 4).","significance":"The findings come from academic studies and press reports, and El Desconcierto notes a 2022 Ley de Costas bill had not advanced in Congress (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Santo Domingo beach retreated 1.73 m a year in 2023 and 5.7 m a year in 2024 in the Observatorio de la Costa table (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Beaches analysed, Arica to Chiloé","value":66,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Radio Agricultura, 30 January 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Santo Domingo shoreline retreat, 2024","value":5.7,"unit":"m/year","status":"Reported","note":"Table in ref 1; El Desconcierto gives almost 6 m (ref 2)."},{"name":"Hornitos shoreline retreat, 2024","value":5.2,"unit":"m/year","status":"Reported","note":"Same table, up from 2.60 in 2023 (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Reñaca sand level drop (sector 5)","value":3,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"T13 reports level drops of 2 to 3 m at some points of Reñaca, September 2026 (ref 4); the upper figure is shown."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Surf-school structures damaged at Playa La Boca in the July 2026 storm (ref 4).","A newly opened seafront promenade at La Chépica was damaged (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Retreat rates roughly doubled between 2023 and 2024 at several beaches (refs 1, 2) and new damage was reported in September 2026 (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Congreso Nacional de Chile","role":"Legislature holding the pending Ley de Costas bill cited in the press","contact":"https://www.congreso.cl"}],"public_contact":"Centro UC Observatorio de la Costa (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) publishes the erosion monitoring; contact through the university's web channels.","corrective_actions":["The study team recommends a Ley de Costas and integrated coastal zone management (ref 1)."],"conflicts":[{"note":"Caleta Portales retreat is about 1.14 m a year in the February 2026 Meteored article (ref 3) but 1.77 m a year for 2024 in the January 2024 table (ref 1), reflecting different periods or methods."},{"note":"Santo Domingo is 5.7 m a year in the table (ref 1) and almost 6 m a year in El Desconcierto (ref 2)."}],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Estudio UC: Centro Observatorio de la Costa reveló alarmante apresuramiento en la erosión de playas chilenas","publisher":"Radio Agricultura","date":"2024-01-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.radioagricultura.cl/tendencias/estudio-uc-centro-observatorio-de-la-costa-revelo-alarmante-apresuramiento-en-la-erosion-de-playas-chilenas_20240130/","basis":"News (study by Centro UC Observatorio de la Costa)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marejadas están matando 10 playas cotizadas de Chile: pierden hasta 5,8 metros por año","publisher":"El Desconcierto","date":"2024-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldesconcierto.cl/2024/07/15/marejadas-estan-matando-10-playas-cotizadas-de-chile-pierden-hasta-58-metros-por-ano/amp","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Erosión costera se acelera en Valparaíso y Viña del Mar: estas son las 3 playas más afectadas según estudio","publisher":"Meteored Chile","date":"2026-02-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.meteored.cl/noticias/ciencia/erosion-costera-se-acelera-en-valparaiso-y-vina-del-mar-estas-son-las-3-playas-mas-afectadas-segun-estudio.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Todo producto de la erosión: lista de playas del litoral que ya no lucen como en verano","publisher":"T13","date":"2026-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.t13.cl/noticia/nacional/todo-producto-erosion-lista-playas-del-litoral-ya-no-lucen-como-verano-11-9-2026","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Reñaca (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reñaca","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"},{"ref":6,"title":"Hornitos, Chile (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornitos,_Chile","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["Peer-reviewed publication of the Observatorio de la Costa dataset was not opened; rates come from press reports of the study."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-PERUCHILE-BEACHLITTER-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-TALARA-OILSPILL-2024","title":"Petroperú crude spill from the Talara refinery terminal oils beaches and reaches the Grau marine reserve","description":"Petroperú reported a crude spill on 20 December 2024 during pre-loading manoeuvres at the Talara refinery's multi-buoy terminal. OEFA measured 47.14 hectares of intertidal and 228.74 hectares of subtidal area affected from the refinery to Cabo Blanco, and the environment ministry declared a 90-day environmental emergency. Olive ridley turtle hatchlings were among wildlife affected.","location":{"name":"Talara refinery terminal to Cabo Blanco, Piura","type":"Marine oil terminal and coast","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE"],"detail":"Terminal Multiboyas of the Talara refinery, Pariñas district, Talara province, Piura; the oil reached beaches in Lobitos district and the Cabo Blanco to El Ñuro polygon of the Reserva Nacional Mar Tropical de Grau.","coordinates":{"lat":-4.5799,"lon":-81.27188,"precision":"city","source_ref":5},"points":[{"lat":-4.4528,"lon":-81.2777,"precision":"city","source_ref":6,"role":"Lobitos district, beaches affected"}],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Crude oil released at a marine terminal and washed onto protected coast.","secondary_drivers":["Terminal loading operation failure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"OEFA mapped 47.14 ha intertidal and 228.74 ha subtidal contamination and Serfor confirmed olive ridley hatchlings affected, with turtles, fish, birds and dolphins reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The Lobitos municipality said about 6,000 people work in sea-linked activities such as fishing, tourism and restaurants, and the government said the company would compensate fishers and residents (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The affected strip runs from the refinery to Cabo Blanco, about one stretch of Piura coast rather than a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Cleanup with more than 350 workers and a 90-day emergency span weeks to a few months (ref 1).","significance":"On 25 December 2024 the environment ministry declared a 90-day environmental emergency by Resolución Ministerial 00443-2024-Minam, and OEFA imposed six mandatory measures (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":6000,"status":"Reported","note":"Lobitos municipality's figure for people working in sea-linked activities, not a count of those harmed (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"OEFA measured 47.14 hectares intertidal and 228.74 hectares subtidal affected, from the refinery to Cabo Blanco beach (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Intertidal area affected","value":47.14,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"OEFA report as cited by Actualidad Ambiental (ref 1); Forbes Perú cites about 47 ha from an OEFA overflight (ref 3)."},{"name":"Subtidal area affected","value":228.74,"unit":"ha","status":"Reported","note":"OEFA report as cited (ref 1)."},{"name":"Crude spilled, Petroperú preliminary report","value":0.9,"unit":"barrels","status":"Reported","note":"Company report to OEFA per El Comercio (ref 2); the environment minister put it at one to eight barrels (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["About 6,000 people work in sea-linked activities in Lobitos (ref 1).","The government said Petroperú would compensate affected fishers and residents (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Forbes Perú on 9 January 2025 said the slick had dissipated pending a new overflight (ref 3); no later monitoring was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Petroperú","role":"Operator of the Talara refinery and terminal","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/petroperu"},{"name":"Organismo de Evaluación y Fiscalización Ambiental (OEFA)","role":"Environmental enforcement; ordered six mandatory measures","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/oefa"}],"public_contact":"OEFA publishes its general channels on gob.pe/oefa.","corrective_actions":["OEFA ordered Petroperú to stop the source, map affected zones, contain and recover oil, clean the full area and dispose of waste within set deadlines (ref 1).","The environment ministry declared a 90-day environmental emergency on 25 December 2024 (ref 1).","The Sullana environmental prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation (ref 1)."],"conflicts":[{"note":"Spilled volume: 0.9 barrel in Petroperú's preliminary report (ref 2) versus one to eight barrels cited by the environment minister (ref 3); OEFA's final figure was not found. Affected area was first put at 10,000 m2 by OEFA (ref 2) and later measured at 47.14 ha intertidal (ref 1)."}],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Derrame de petróleo en Piura: datos claves del nuevo desastre ambiental en el mar peruano","publisher":"Actualidad Ambiental (SPDA)","date":"2024-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.actualidadambiental.pe/derrame-de-petroleo-en-piura-datos-claves/","basis":"News (cites OEFA, Minam and Serfor; updated to 25 December 2024)"},{"ref":2,"title":"OEFA: el impacto del derrame de petróleo en Lobitos, al menos 10 mil m2 de mar y cuatro playas afectadas","publisher":"El Comercio","date":"2024-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elcomercio.pe/peru/oefa-el-impacto-del-derrame-de-petroleo-en-lobitos-al-menos-10-mil-m2-de-mar-y-cuatro-playas-afectadas-playa-las-capullanas-noticia","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Derrame de petróleo de Petroperú afecta a unas 47 hectáreas en la costa norte de Perú","publisher":"Forbes Perú","date":"2025-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://forbes.pe/actualidad/2025-01-09/derrame-de-petroleo-de-petroperu-afecta-a-unas-47-hectareas-en-la-costa-norte-de-peru","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Piura: reportan derrame de petróleo en distrito de Lobitos (July 2025 onshore spill near Lote VI well 383, context only)","publisher":"Actualidad Ambiental (SPDA)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.actualidadambiental.pe/reportan-derrame-de-petroleo-en-distrito-de-lobitos/","basis":"News (page undated; refers to 7 July 2025 and notes the December 2024 spill)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Talara (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talara","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"},{"ref":6,"title":"Lobitos District (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobitos_District","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["OEFA's final volume, any fine, and the Petroperú compensation outcome were not found. The July 2025 Lobitos spill (ref 4) was an onshore well leak and the page does not say it reached the sea."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-MEJILLONES-BAYPOLLUTION-2024"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-QUINTERO-INTOXICATIONS-2025","title":"Mass intoxications of schoolchildren around Quintero Bay in 2025 leave the cause unidentified","description":"From late September 2025, odours of gas and chlorine around Quintero Bay coincided with hydrocarbon loading operations and sent 127 students and teachers, then nearly 200 people, to health centres, with over 100 diagnosed with T59 toxic-gas intoxication. AIDA and Greenpeace filed a protection action on 8 November 2025 in Valparaíso asking for automatic industrial shutdowns and full compliance with the 2019 Supreme Court ruling. The cause had not been identified in the sources opened.","location":{"name":"Quintero Bay and Puchuncaví","type":"Industrial bay and port complex","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Quintero and Puchuncaví communes, Valparaíso region, around the Quintero Bay industrial and port complex that also includes Concón.","coordinates":{"lat":-32.78333,"lon":-71.53333,"precision":"city","source_ref":7},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Toxic-gas exposure episodes tied to an industrial and hydrocarbon port complex on the bay.","secondary_drivers":["Hydrocarbon loading and unloading","Industrial concentration (sacrifice zone)"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"More than 100 of nearly 200 people attending health centres were diagnosed with T59 intoxication, mostly minors, across nine schools (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"A health alert was in force in the Concón, Quintero and Puchuncaví industrial belt and schools were affected, an advisory rather than a closure of fishing or ports (ref 1).","scale":"The episodes centre on two communes and one bay, a local site (refs 3, 4).","duration":"Episodes in 2018, 2022, 2023 and again from September 2025 show recurring exposure over years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A 2019 Supreme Court ruling ordered preventive and corrective measures that the November 2025 protection action says are unmet, and an Inter-American Commission petition (P-1800-25) was sent to Chile in February 2026 (refs 4, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":200,"status":"Reported","note":"Almost 200 people attended health centres between late September and mid-November 2025, mostly minors (refs 3, 4)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"127 health attentions among students and teachers at first, then almost 200 people at health centres, with more than 100 diagnosed with T59 (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"People attending health centres, Sep to mid-Nov 2025","value":200,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"'Almost 200', Radio UChile and Greenpeace (refs 3, 4); the upper bound is shown."},{"name":"Cases diagnosed as T59 intoxication","value":100,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"'More than 100' (refs 3, 4); the lower bound is shown."},{"name":"People affected in the March to April 2023 episode","value":368,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace Chile (ref 4)."},{"name":"Residents and families represented before the IACHR","value":1034,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Radio UChile, 17 August 2026 (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No fishery or port loss figure is given in the opened sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Episodes recur (2018, 2022, 2023, 2025); ENAP admitted in 2026 that historic sulphur-dioxide reporting used non-approved criteria (ref 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Corte de Apelaciones de Valparaíso","role":"Court hearing the November 2025 protection action","contact":"https://www.pjud.cl"},{"name":"Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente (SMA)","role":"Environmental regulator informed by ENAP of its emissions-reporting discrepancies","contact":"https://portal.sma.gob.cl"}],"public_contact":"SMA publishes its citizen channels on portal.sma.gob.cl.","corrective_actions":["AIDA and Greenpeace asked the court for automatic temporary shutdowns after each child intoxication, public continuous monitoring and an environmental and health reparation plan (ref 4).","ENAP told the SMA and the public prosecutor about its sulphur-recovery and SO2 reporting discrepancies, and 16 workers left the company (ref 5)."],"conflicts":[{"note":"The El Desconcierto article calls the October 2025 wave the fourth episode in a month (ref 1) while Greenpeace dates the hydrocarbon-related episode to 29 September and counts cases to mid-November (ref 4); no source gives a single case total."}],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Zona de sacrificio Quintero-Puchuncaví otra vez con niños intoxicados: aún no sabemos cuál es el origen","publisher":"El Desconcierto","date":"2025-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldesconcierto.cl/2025/10/22/zona-de-sacrificio-quintero-puchuncavi-otra-vez-con-ninos-intoxicados-aun-no-sabemos-cual-es-el-origen-de-todos-estos-casos","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Saturados (opinion column)","publisher":"El Dínamo","date":"2025-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eldinamo.cl/opinion/2025/10/16/saturados/","basis":"Opinion column, used for episode history only"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nuevas intoxicaciones masivas en Quintero y Puchuncaví: Greenpeace y AIDA interponen recurso de protección","publisher":"Radio Universidad de Chile","date":"2025-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://radio.uchile.cl/2025/11/20/nuevas-intoxicaciones-masivas-en-quintero-y-puchuncavi-greenpeace-y-aida-interponen-recurso-de-proteccion/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Greenpeace y AIDA interponen un recurso de protección por nuevas intoxicaciones masivas en Quintero y Puchuncaví","publisher":"Greenpeace Chile","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/chile/noticia/issues/contaminacion/greenpeace-y-aida-interponen-un-recurso-de-proteccion-por-nuevas-intoxicaciones-masivas-en-quintero-y-puchuncavi/","basis":"NGO statement (page shows no clear publication date; filing dated 8 November 2025)"},{"ref":5,"title":"El informe interno que remece a Enap: años de cálculos distintos al PPDA y emisiones de SO2 no contabilizadas","publisher":"Radio Universidad de Chile","date":"2026-08-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://radio.uchile.cl/2026/08/21/el-informe-interno-que-remece-a-enap-anos-de-calculos-distintos-al-ppda-y-emisiones-de-so%e2%82%82-no-contabilizadas/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Víctimas de Quintero y Puchuncaví piden a Cancillería que se allane ante la CIDH y abra una mesa de conciliación","publisher":"Radio Universidad de Chile","date":"2026-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://radio.uchile.cl/2026/08/17/victimas-de-quintero-y-puchuncavi-piden-a-cancilleria-que-se-allane-ante-la-cidh-y-abra-una-mesa-de-conciliacion/","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"Quintero, Chile (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintero,_Chile","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["Cause of the 2025 episodes, the court's decision on the protection action, and the 2019 Supreme Court ruling's text were not found; the 2019 ruling is cited only through Greenpeace and Radio UChile."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-MEJILLONES-BAYPOLLUTION-2024"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-LOSLAGOS-REDTIDE-2026","title":"Chile extends its red tide health alert for Los Lagos and Aysén to April 2027","description":"Chile's health ministry extended by decree 50 of 7 April 2026, published 30 April, the red tide health alert for Los Lagos and Aysén to 30 April 2027, the latest renewal since the alert began in April 2022. The decree recalls paralytic shellfish poison at 14,018 µg per 100 g in Aysén against an 80 µg limit, a fatality, and six cases in Los Lagos including the death of a child under three. A thesis finds marine heatwaves can trigger Alexandrium catenella blooms when nutrients suffice.","location":{"name":"Los Lagos and Aysén fjords and channels","type":"Harmful algal bloom coast","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Shellfish-harvesting waters of Chile's Los Lagos and Aysén regions, including Estero Quiltralco in Aysén and Canal Quihua in Los Lagos named in the decree; a red tide was also found in Tongoy Bay, Coquimbo, in summer 2026.","coordinates":{"lat":-41.47167,"lon":-72.93667,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":-43.57,"lon":-72.06611,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5,"role":"Aysén region"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Harmful algal blooms that contaminate shellfish with toxins, fed by warm, calm, nutrient-rich water.","secondary_drivers":["Alexandrium catenella blooms","Marine heatwaves","Illegal harvesting from closed areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The decree records paralytic poison at 14,018 µg/100 g against the 80 µg limit at Estero Quiltralco, one death there and six cases in Los Lagos with a child's death (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Semanario Local describes sanitary closures halting extraction of clams, mussels, razor clams and other filter feeders, hurting fishing, aquaculture and tourism (ref 2).","scale":"The alert covers two regions of southern Chile, and a 2026 bloom also appeared in Tongoy Bay, a regional footprint (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The alert began on 6 April 2022 and has been extended seven times, now to 30 April 2027 (ref 1).","significance":"Decree 50 of 7 April 2026 is a ministerial health-alert order with extraordinary powers, an enforcement-level instrument (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":6,"status":"Reported","note":"Six poisoning cases in Los Lagos in April 2022 cited in the decree, one fatal; a further death is recorded in Aysén in March 2022 (ref 1). No 2025-2026 case count was opened."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Paralytic shellfish poison reached 14,018 µg per 100 g in Estero Quiltralco, Aysén, against a limit of 80 µg per 100 g (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Paralytic shellfish poison, Estero Quiltralco (March 2022)","value":14018,"unit":"µg/100 g","status":"Reported","note":"IFOP monitoring as recited in decree 50 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Regulatory limit for paralytic poison","value":80,"unit":"µg/100 g","status":"Reported","note":"Reglamento Sanitario de los Alimentos limit stated in decree 50 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Alert extensions since April 2022","value":7,"unit":"decrees","status":"Reported","note":"Decrees 77, 88, 7, 32, 15, 17 and 50 listed or issued (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Los Lagos and Aysén supply most shellfish extracted and consumed in Chile, per the decree (ref 1).","Closures hurt fishing, aquaculture and tourism (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The alert has been renewed every year since 2022 because toxins keep recurring; the decree cites ENSO-neutral and dry conditions as favourable to blooms (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministerio de Salud, Subsecretaría de Salud Pública","role":"Issues the health alert and runs the national red tide surveillance programme","contact":"https://www.minsal.cl"}],"public_contact":"Ministerio de Salud via minsal.cl; regional health secretariats (Seremi de Salud) in Los Lagos and Aysén.","corrective_actions":["Decree 50 keeps extraordinary powers for inspection of landing ports, pre-consumption certification of shellfish and laboratory analysis until 30 April 2027 (ref 1).","Authorities advise buying shellfish only from authorised outlets with a sanitary certificate (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Decreto 50: prorroga vigencia del decreto N° 38 de 2022 que decreta alerta sanitaria por presencia de marea roja en Los Lagos y Aysén","publisher":"Diario Oficial de la República de Chile (Ministerio de Salud)","date":"2026-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.diariooficial.interior.gob.cl/publicaciones/2026/04/30/44438/01/2805176.pdf","basis":"Official decree (Spanish; issued 7 April 2026, published 30 April 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marea roja: cómo identificar y prevenir los riesgos (Semanario Local, quoting a Universidad Austral CERAM laboratory manager)","publisher":"Semanario Local","date":"2026-04-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.semanariolocal.cl/?p=34077","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Study of Marine Heatwaves in a semi-enclosed coastal area (thesis, Cécile Pujol)","publisher":"Université de Liège, ORBi repository","date":"2025-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/336130","basis":"Peer-reviewed doctoral thesis record (marine heatwaves as a catalyst for Alexandrium catenella blooms in Northern Patagonia)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Los Lagos Region (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Lagos_Region","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"},{"ref":5,"title":"Aysén Region (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aysén_Region","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":8,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["No 2025-2026 case count, current closure list or toxin readings were opened; the case and toxin figures are the 2022 events recited in the 2026 decree."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-LOSLAGOS-SALMONALGAL-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-MEJILLONES-BAYPOLLUTION-2024","title":"Mejillones Bay, a Chilean 'sacrifice zone', carries heavy metals and coal-port spills with fishers in decline","description":"An AFP report of February 2024 says a 2019 regional study found significant heavy metals and organic matter in Mejillones Bay, linked to industrial waste and wastewater, and that about half of some 300 local fishers have left. A 2020 coal spill of about six tonnes at a port terminal came with more than ten similar spills in two years, and a 2019 Environment Ministry study found anoxic conditions. Chile plans to close the eight Mejillones coal plants before 2040.","location":{"name":"Mejillones Bay, Antofagasta region","type":"Industrial port bay","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Port and thermoelectric complex of Mejillones in the Atacama coast, Antofagasta region, listed as one of five sacrifice zones.","coordinates":{"lat":-23.1,"lon":-70.45,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Industrial and port contamination of a bay's sediments and water.","secondary_drivers":["Coal handling at ports","Thermoelectric plants","Wastewater discharge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A 2019 regional study found significant heavy metals and organic matter in the bay (ref 1) and a 2019 Environment Ministry study found anoxic conditions (ref 3), documented contamination.","livelihoods":"The fishers' union says species and shellfish have declined, and about 150 of roughly 300 fishers remain, a loss that is short of closure of the fishery (ref 1).","scale":"The problem is one bay and port, a single site (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Spills and contamination are described across 2018 to 2020 and still in 2024, a chronic condition (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The SMA gave the port company 72 hours for a remediation plan after the 2020 spill and Congress used the sacrifice-zone term in a July 2022 memorandum, formal notices rather than a court order (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":13000,"status":"Reported","note":"Town population quoted by AFP via T13 (ref 1); not a count of people harmed."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 150 of roughly 300 fishers remain, and a 2019 study found significant heavy metals and organic matter in the bay (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Coal spilled at the TGN terminal, February 2020","value":6,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"El Mostrador and Radio UChile, 20 February 2020 (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Similar spills in prior two years (up to 2020)","value":10,"unit":"spills","status":"Reported","note":"'More than ten', El Mostrador (ref 3); the lower bound is shown."},{"name":"Coal plants in Mejillones planned for closure before 2040","value":8,"unit":"plants","status":"Reported","note":"AFP via T13 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The fishers' union says about half of some 300 fishers have left (ref 1).","The bay hosts coal plants by Engie and AES Gener per El Mostrador (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The only window source is the February 2024 AFP report; no 2025-2026 monitoring was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente (SMA)","role":"Environmental enforcement; required a remediation plan after the 2020 coal spill","contact":"https://portal.sma.gob.cl"}],"public_contact":"SMA publishes its citizen channels on portal.sma.gob.cl.","corrective_actions":["Chile's 2019 decarbonisation plan aims to close all 28 coal plants before 2040, including the eight at Mejillones (ref 1).","In 2020 the SMA required a remediation plan, monitoring and a study on whether the coal could be removed from the seabed (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Paraíso contaminado: Mejillones aguarda limpieza tras cierre de centrales a carbón (AFP)","publisher":"T13","date":"2024-02-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.t13.cl/noticia/nacional/paraiso-contaminado-mejillones-aguarda-limpieza-tras-cierre-centrales-carbon-14-2-2024","basis":"News (AFP report)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Derrame de carbón: Mejillones se resiste a ser el nuevo Quintero","publisher":"Radio Universidad de Chile","date":"2020-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://radio.uchile.cl/2020/02/20/derrame-de-carbon-mejillones-se-resiste-a-ser-el-nuevo-quintero/","basis":"News (before the window; context for an unresolved problem)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mejillones sufre otro desastre ambiental: derrame de seis toneladas de carbón agrava el drama de la zona de sacrificio","publisher":"El Mostrador","date":"2020-02-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.elmostrador.cl/noticias/pais/2020/02/20/mejillones-sufre-otro-desastre-ambiental-derrame-de-seis-toneladas-de-carbon-agrava-el-drama-de-la-zona-de-sacrificio/","basis":"News (before the window; context for an unresolved problem)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Mejillones (coordinates reference)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mejillones","basis":"Reference page used only for coordinates"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"missing_fields":["No 2025-2026 report on bay pollution was opened; the 2019 studies are cited only through news coverage."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-TALARA-OILSPILL-2024","OC-SEPAC-QUINTERO-INTOXICATIONS-2025","OC-SEPAC-LAHIGUERA-DOMINGA-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-SEPAC-PERUCHILE-BEACHLITTER-2025","title":"Peru's and Chile's beaches among the most littered in Latin America, led by plastics and cigarette butts","description":"The Científicos de la Basura survey run with Universidad Católica del Norte sampled 179 beaches in ten Latin American countries in 2024 and found Peru had the most polluted beaches, followed by northern Chile, with Antofagasta the worst in Chile. Plastics were 61% of items on Chile's 60 sampled beaches, and a 2026 Oceana-backed analysis found cigarette butts 75.2% of the items in three categories, including banned products.","location":{"name":"Peruvian and northern Chilean sandy beaches","type":"Sandy beach coastline","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE","CL"],"detail":"Sandy beaches in Peru and across Chile's 14 sampled regions, with Peru and northern Chile (Antofagasta) the most littered in the 2024 sampling.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Macrolitter on beaches, mostly plastics from local land-based sources.","secondary_drivers":["Single-use plastics","Cigarette butts","Tourism and fishing waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The survey records 61% plastic items on Chile's beaches and Peru the most polluted, potential harm to marine life without a documented mortality (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No beach closure or fishery loss is tied to the litter in the opened sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The sampling spans the beaches of two national coastlines, Peru and Chile's 14 regions (ref 1).","duration":"Chile's litter is similar to 2020 and sampling since 2008 shows a chronic problem (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are citizen-science and academic survey results, with Oceana citing a lack of enforcement rather than any formal notice (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Plastics were 61% and cigarette butts 18% of litter items on Chile's 60 sampled beaches; Peru had the most polluted beaches in the region (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Plastic share of items on Chile's sampled beaches","value":61,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"II International and V Chile macrolitter sampling, reported 3 July 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cigarette butts share of items in three categories, Chile 2026 analysis","value":75.2,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"757 of 1,006 items on 60 beaches, Emol 5 February 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Latin American macrolitter abundance, 2021 to 2024","value":0.7,"unit":"items per m2","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 1.2 in 2021 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Authors link litter to local tourism, commerce, fishing and aquaculture sources on the upper beach (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Regional litter fell from 1.2 to 0.7 items per m2 between 2021 and 2024 but Chile's level is similar to 2020 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (Perú)","role":"National environment ministry; the survey calls for stronger plastics enforcement across the region","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/minam"}],"public_contact":"Científicos de la Basura (Universidad Católica del Norte) publishes survey results; contact through the university's web channels.","corrective_actions":["Participating communities developed 38 action plans against marine litter (ref 1).","Authors call for stronger single-use plastic laws, enforcement and public-private partnerships (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Científicos de la Basura revelan que hay menos basura en las playas, aunque la contaminación persiste","publisher":"24horas (TVN)","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.24horas.cl/conciencia-24-7/sostenibilidad/cientificos-basura-revelan-menos-basura-playas","basis":"News (Universidad Católica del Norte survey)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Colillas y plásticos lideran basura en playas","publisher":"Emol","date":"2026-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2026/02/05/1190670/colillas-plastico-lideran-basura-playa.html","basis":"News (Científicos de la Basura, UCN and Oceana)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass, climate, flooding and pollution categories)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["The survey report itself was not opened, and the Peru beach figures are not broken out in the news coverage."],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-CHILE-BEACHEROSION-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-PERU-ANCHOVETA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Peru ends its 2026 first anchoveta season at about a quarter of the lowest quota in a decade, citing warm anomalous waters and juvenile fish","description":"Produce opened the north-centre first anchoveta season with a total permissible catch of 1,914,049 tonnes, the lowest first-season limit in a decade apart from 2023 according to Infobae. After IMARPE's Eureka LXXVIII survey on 15 to 18 August 2026 found juveniles made up 65% of fish by number amid anomalous warm conditions, Produce closed the season from 21 August; a later ministerial resolution says it reached about 24.61% of its limit and exempted shipowners from the usual catch obligation.","location":{"name":"North-centre anchoveta fishery, Peru","type":"Industrial fishery zone","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE"],"detail":"Peru's coast from the northern limit of its maritime domain to 16 degrees S, the north-centre anchoveta zone managed by Produce and IMARPE.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"The world's largest single-species fishery lost most of a season to warm conditions and a high juvenile share, a stock and catch-limit problem.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino costero","Warm anomalous coastal waters","Juvenile bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"IMARPE's Eureka LXXVIII survey found juveniles were 65% of specimens by number and 48% by weight and that somatic condition and fat content were low (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"Produce closed the season from 21 August 2026 and the fleet reached only about 24.61% of its limit, per the technical report cited in the ministerial resolution (refs 3, 4).","scale":"The measure covers the whole north-centre coast of Peru, a national fishery zone (ref 1).","duration":"The 2023 first season was never held, the 2025 first season closed early at 81.92% of a 3 million tonne limit, and the 2026 season ended in August (refs 2, 5, 3).","significance":"Produce issued a ministerial resolution authorising the season, a closure order, and a one-time exemption resolution published 15 September 2026 (refs 1, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Produce set a total permissible catch of 1,914,049 tonnes for the first north-centre season of 2026, the lowest first-season limit in a decade apart from 2023 (Infobae, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Total permissible catch, first season 2026","value":1914049,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Limite Maximo Total de Captura Permisible in RM 085-2026-PRODUCE (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Share of limit reached","value":24.61,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Technical report cited in the ministerial resolution published 15 September 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Juveniles in the August survey, by number","value":65,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"IMARPE Eureka LXXVIII, 15 to 18 August 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"First-season limit, 2025","value":3000000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Infobae comparison; the 2025 season closed at a preliminary 2,457,487 tonnes, 81.92% (refs 2, 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Peru's central bank projects a 6.6% fall in the fishing sector in 2026, according to Infobae (ref 6).","The fishery contributes roughly 0.35% to 0.8% of GDP and the industry reports exports above US$3 billion (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"First seasons were cancelled in 2023, closed early in 2025 and ended at about a quarter of the limit in 2026 (refs 2, 5, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"PRODUCE (Peru Ministry of Production)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/produce"},{"name":"IMARPE (Instituto del Mar del Peru)","role":"Scientific advisor","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/imarpe"}],"public_contact":"Produce and IMARPE publish contact channels on gob.pe.","corrective_actions":["Produce ended the first season on 21 August 2026 to protect the stock (ref 3).","IMARPE continues monitoring, with attention to possible El Nino effects (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Informe Correspondiente al Oficio N 0977-2026-IMARPE/PE","publisher":"IMARPE (gob.pe)","date":"2026-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gob.pe/institucion/imarpe/informes-publicaciones/8256382-informe-correspondiente-al-oficio-n-0977-2026-imarpe-pe","basis":"Agency report page (Spanish, official)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Anchoveta: primera temporada norte-centro 2026 se abre con apenas 1.9 millones de toneladas, la mas baja en una decada","publisher":"Infobae Peru","date":"2026-04-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infobae.com/peru/2026/04/01/anchoveta-primera-temporada-norte-centro-2026-se-abre-con-apenas-19-millones-de-toneladas-la-mas-baja-en-una-decada/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"PRODUCE cierra la primera temporada de anchoveta en el norte-centro","publisher":"Caretas","date":"2026-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://caretas.pe/nacional/produce-cierra-la-primera-temporada-de-anchoveta-en-el-norte-centro/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Resolucion Ministerial N 00323-2026-PRODUCE (exceptional non-computation of the first 2026 season)","publisher":"El Peruano (official gazette)","date":"2026-09-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://busquedas.elperuano.pe/dispositivo/NL/2554522-1","basis":"Official gazette (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Produce da por concluida la primera temporada de pesca de anchoveta 2025 en el norte y centro del pais","publisher":"El Tiempo (Peru)","date":"2025-07-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eltiempo.pe/economia/produce-da-por-concluida-la-primera-temporada-de-pesca-de-anchoveta-en-el-norte-y-centro-del-pais/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Cuota de anchoveta para la primera temporada de 2026 es la mas baja en una decada","publisher":"Infobae Peru","date":"2026-04-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infobae.com/peru/2026/04/17/cuota-de-anchoveta-para-la-primera-temporada-de-2026-es-la-mas-baja-en-una-decada/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"season start date","note":"Infobae reports the season opened on 1 April 2026; IMARPE's June 2026 report says 9 April 2026 (refs 2, 1)."}],"missing_fields":["Catch in tonnes at closure is not stated in the opened sources; only the 24.61% share (via ref 4)."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-PERU-NINOCOSTERO-2026","OC-SEPAC-PERU-FIVEMILEZONE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-HIGHSEAS-SQUIDFLEET-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Several hundred Chinese-flag squid vessels fish at the edge of Peruvian, Chilean and Ecuadorian waters as the jumbo squid stock sits in the red zone","description":"Mongabay reports that China's own figures put its distant-water squid fleet at 528 vessels around the Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Chilean EEZs in 2024, and that 2024 jumbo squid catches fell to about 601,500 tonnes with the stock in the red zone of the Kobe diagram in four analysed cases. Chilean outlets reported 117 Chinese vessels detected off Chile in 2025 against 8 in 2024, and in July 2026 the Chilean Navy called a stationary concentration of about 370 Chinese-origin vessels near its territorial sea unusual; in Peru, artisanal fishers struck over a cut in the 2025 jumbo squid quota to 42,000 tonnes.","location":{"name":"High seas beside the Peru, Chile and Ecuador EEZs","type":"High-seas squid fishing ground","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC","TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE","CL","EC","ABNJ"],"detail":"Jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) grounds on the high seas adjoining the South American EEZs; the fleet moves between Chile, Peru and Ecuador through the year.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An unregulated high-seas fishery for a stock reported in the red zone, with effects on coastal artisanal fleets.","secondary_drivers":["Distant-water fleet growth","No catch limit on the high seas","Port access for foreign vessels"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Mongabay Latam reports the stock in the Kobe red zone in four analysed cases and a 52% fall in catches in 2024 (ref 1); no mass mortality is documented.","livelihoods":"Peru's Produce cut the 2025 artisanal jumbo squid quota to 42,000 tonnes by RM 00323-2025-PRODUCE and guilds said more than 5,000 artisanal boats were affected, prompting a strike in Piura (ref 5).","scale":"The fleet fishes along three national EEZ boundaries and the Chilean Navy opened a surveillance operation using C-295 aircraft in July 2026 (refs 1, 4).","duration":"Mongabay says the Chinese fleet roughly doubled from 2014 to 2024, with a stock assessment still lacking in the fifth year of disagreement (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The SPRFMO Commission adopted a squid measure in March 2026 and Chile's Sernapesca told a November 2025 forum that it inspects all foreign vessels in its EEZ but sees regulatory gaps (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"China's own reports put its fleet at 528 squid vessels around the Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Chilean EEZs in 2024; the 2024 catch reported to SPRFMO was 601,523 tonnes, 45.5% by China (Mongabay Latam, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Chinese squid vessels around the three EEZs, 2024","value":528,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Per China's own reports, as cited by Mongabay Latam (ref 1)."},{"name":"Jumbo squid catch reported, 2024","value":601523,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay Latam citing SPRFMO-reported data; China 45.5%, Peru 31.3%, Chile 23.1% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Chinese vessels detected off Chile, 2025 to date","value":117,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"El Desconcierto, 3 November 2025, up from 8 in 2024 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Stationary Chinese-origin vessels near Chile, July 2026","value":370,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Meganoticias; the Navy described an unusual concentration (ref 4)."},{"name":"Peru artisanal jumbo squid quota, 2025","value":42000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"RM 00323-2025-PRODUCE as cited by Infobae (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["CALAMASUR warned that delaying a stock assessment could jeopardise the livelihoods of tens of thousands of artisanal fishers (ref 2).","Peruvian guilds said the quota cut and closed season affected more than 5,000 artisanal boats (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Fleet counts off Chile rose from 8 to 117 between 2024 and 2025 and a 370-vessel concentration was reported in July 2026 (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"SPRFMO (South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation)","role":"Regional fisheries body","contact":"https://www.sprfmo.int"},{"name":"Sernapesca (Chile)","role":"Fisheries enforcement","contact":"https://www.sernapesca.cl"},{"name":"PRODUCE (Peru)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/produce"}],"public_contact":"SPRFMO, Sernapesca and Produce publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["SPRFMO adopted a lower cap on squid vessel numbers and monitoring requirements in March 2026 (ref 2).","The Chilean Navy opened an aerial surveillance operation in July 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Calamar gigante (pota): avance de China y paises del Pacifico discuten reglas de pesca","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2026/03/calamar-gigante-pota-avance-china-paises-pacifico-discutir-reglas-pesca/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Modest controls put on freewheeling squid fleet at South Pacific fisheries meeting","publisher":"Mongabay News","date":"2026-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/modest-controls-put-on-freewheeling-squid-fleet-at-south-pacific-fisheries-meeting/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pescadores artesanales exigen control a flota china y piden coordinacion entre Chile, Peru y Ecuador ante 117 naves detectadas","publisher":"El Desconcierto","date":"2025-11-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldesconcierto.cl/2025/11/03/pescadores-artesanales-exigen-control-a-flota-china-piden-coordinacion-entre-chile-peru-y-ecuador-ante-117-naves-detectadas","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Armada vigila flota china de buques pesqueros que busca jibia frente a Chile","publisher":"Meganoticias","date":"2026-07-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.meganoticias.cl/nacional/526662-armada-vigila-flota-china-buques-chinos-pesca-ilegal-jibia-calamar-rojo-chile-10-07-2026.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Segundo dia de paro en Piura: pescadores artesanales bloquean accesos a Sechura, Catacaos, Paita y La Union","publisher":"Infobae Peru","date":"2025-10-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.infobae.com/peru/2025/10/01/segundo-dia-de-paro-en-piura-pescadores-artesanales-bloquean-accesos-a-sechura-catacaos-paita-y-la-union/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Fleet counts come from news reports and China's own figures; no official Chilean or Peruvian count was opened. The fleet also fishes off Ecuador (TROPEPAC)."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-HIGHSEAS-SPRFMOSQUID-2026","OC-SEPAC-PERU-PORTRULE-2024","OC-TROPEPAC-GALAPAGOS-LONGLINE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-HIGHSEAS-SPRFMOSQUID-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"SPRFMO caps squid vessels at 651 and starts monitoring in 2027, but no catch limit is set and Peru's buffer-zone proposal is not approved","description":"At its 14th meeting in Panama City on 2 to 6 March 2026 the SPRFMO Commission adopted a consolidated jumbo flying squid measure, electronic-monitoring standards and port-inspection amendments, and set a 2026 jack mackerel total allowable catch. According to Mongabay the vessel ceiling falls from 766 to 651, observer coverage starts at 5% of fishing days on 1 September 2027, the Scientific Committee again failed to agree a stock assessment, and Peru's proposed no-fishing buffer outside South American EEZs was not approved; Pew called the change insufficient.","location":{"name":"SPRFMO Convention Area, South-East Pacific","type":"Regional fisheries management area","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC","TROPEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ABNJ","PE","CL","EC"],"detail":"Treaty area of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation covering the high seas off South America; decisions made at the March 2026 Commission meeting in Panama City.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regional fisheries treaty body decided how far to constrain a high-seas squid fleet without setting a catch limit.","secondary_drivers":["Treaty negotiation","No stock assessment","Fleet capacity limits"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Squid catches fell from over 1 million tonnes in 2014 to 601,000 tonnes in 2024 and no assessment agreed for the fifth year (ref 2); the harm is potential stock depletion, not a documented die-off.","livelihoods":"CALAMASUR, representing fishers in Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru, warned the delay could jeopardise tens of thousands of artisanal livelihoods (ref 2).","scale":"The measure applies to the whole SPRFMO high-seas squid fishery adjoining several national EEZs, a regional-sea scale (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Squid-jigger numbers rose from 14 in 2000 to 531 in 2024, and the unresolved assessment dispute has run five years (ref 2).","significance":"The Commission adopted a binding conservation measure, first electronic monitoring standards and a 2026 jack mackerel TAC at its 14th meeting (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Commission adopted a consolidated proposal to strengthen management of the jumbo flying squid fishery on 6 March 2026 (SPRFMO, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum vessels permitted to target squid","value":651,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Down from 766, per Mongabay News (ref 2)."},{"name":"Observer coverage of squid fishing days from 1 September 2027","value":5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Rising to 10% in 2029 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Squid-jigger vessels on the high seas, 2024","value":531,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Of which 528 flew the Chinese flag (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Pew's Dave Gershman said the fleet is already smaller than the new limit so fishing pressure may not fall (ref 2).","CALAMASUR said delaying the stock assessment signals unclear priorities (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"First measure adopted in March 2026; effects not yet reported."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"SPRFMO Commission","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.sprfmo.int"}],"public_contact":"SPRFMO publishes a secretariat contact on sprfmo.int.","corrective_actions":["Vessel ceiling lowered from 766 to 651 and electronic-monitoring standards adopted (refs 1, 2).","The 2027 Commission meeting is to be hosted by the EU (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"SPRFMO Commission concludes 14th annual meeting in Panama City","publisher":"SPRFMO","date":"2026-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://sprfmo.int/news/current-news/sprfmo-commission-concludes-14th-annual-meeting-in-panama-city","basis":"Treaty body news release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Modest controls put on freewheeling squid fleet at South Pacific fisheries meeting","publisher":"Mongabay News","date":"2026-03-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/modest-controls-put-on-freewheeling-squid-fleet-at-south-pacific-fisheries-meeting/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Calamar gigante (pota): avance de China y paises del Pacifico discuten reglas de pesca","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2026/03/calamar-gigante-pota-avance-china-paises-pacifico-discutir-reglas-pesca/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The jack mackerel 2026 TAC figure is not stated in the opened sources; the SPRFMO annex text for CMM 18 was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-HIGHSEAS-SQUIDFLEET-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-PERU-PORTRULE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Peru's 2024 port-access decree for foreign fishing vessels is criticised for a loophole as Chinese squid vessels stop calling at its ports","description":"Supreme Decree 014-2024-PRODUCE, published on 25 September 2024, requires any foreign fishing vessel using a Peruvian port to have the SISESAT satellite tracker working, but lets a flag state ask for its own system to be certified instead. Critics wrote that about 300 Chinese-flag vessels had entered Peruvian ports in three years without the device, while the CALAMASUR president said in February 2026 that Chinese logistics calls fell from about 350 to zero after the rule.","location":{"name":"Callao and Peruvian ports, Peru","type":"National port-state control regime","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE"],"detail":"Peru, foreign squid vessels calling at ports such as Callao, where Mongabay says a record 30 Chinese-flag vessels were anchored in September 2024; the rule covers vessels operating beyond Peru's maritime domain.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters","coordinates":{"lat":-12.0522,"lon":-77.1392,"precision":"city","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national port-state rule meant to deter illegal and unmonitored fishing, with disputed exceptions.","secondary_drivers":["Port-state control","Vessel monitoring gaps","Illegal, unreported fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Mongabay recorded about 300 Chinese vessels entering Peruvian ports over three years without SISESAT, a monitoring gap rather than documented ecological damage (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or loss of access is attributed to the decree in the opened sources; the CALAMASUR president says artisanal fishers' crisis is ignored (ref 2).","scale":"The rule applies to every Peruvian port and the national zone (ref 1).","duration":"The decree built on a 2020 rule and the reported effect, from about 350 logistics calls to zero, was described in February 2026 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A supreme decree took effect on 25 September 2024 and Produce had a 60-working-day deadline to implement the entry-request function (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The decree requires any foreign fishing vessel using a Peruvian port to have the SISESAT VMS device operative, with exceptions and a homologation option for foreign systems (El Peruano legal section, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Chinese-flag vessels that entered Peruvian ports in three years without SISESAT","value":300,"unit":"vessels","status":"Estimated","note":"Approximate figure reported by Mongabay Latam, October 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Chinese logistics vessels entering Peru before and after the rule","value":350,"unit":"vessels","status":"Estimated","note":"Before the rule; the CALAMASUR president says entries fell to zero (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["CALAMASUR's Alfonso Miranda warned in 2024 that no Chinese vessel would install the device and all would claim certified systems (ref 2).","Mongabay says Chinese vessels stopped calling at Peruvian ports after the decree, per Peru's minister (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Chinese squid logistics calls reportedly fell to zero after the rule, though the loophole is disputed (refs 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"PRODUCE (Peru Ministry of Production)","role":"Fisheries regulator and SISESAT operator","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/produce"},{"name":"Autoridad Portuaria Nacional","role":"Port authority","contact":"https://www.apn.gob.pe"}],"public_contact":"Produce publishes contact channels on gob.pe.","corrective_actions":["Supreme Decree 014-2024-PRODUCE conditions port entry and departure authorisation on a working VMS device (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"La nueva normativa garantiza la vigilancia de flotas pesqueras extranjeras","publisher":"El Peruano (Suplemento Juridica)","date":"2024-10-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://elperuano.pe/noticia/256026-suplemento-legal-juridica-la-nueva-normativa-garantiza-la-vigilancia-de-flotas-pesqueras-extranjeras","basis":"Official gazette legal commentary (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Peru: alternativa para barcos chinos permitiria nueva evasion de norma de instalar sistema de monitoreo satelital","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2024/10/peru-alternativa-barcos-chinos-permitiria-nueva-evasion-norma-instalar-sistema-monitoreo-satelital/","basis":"News (Spanish); page shows a dateline of 26 September 2024"},{"ref":3,"title":"China arrasa con el calamar gigante: Peru pierde el primer puesto","publisher":"The Objective","date":"2026-02-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theobjective.com/internacional/2026-02-21/china-peru-calamar-gigante/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Calamar gigante (pota): avance de China y paises del Pacifico discuten reglas de pesca","publisher":"Mongabay Latam","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.mongabay.com/2026/03/calamar-gigante-pota-avance-china-paises-pacifico-discutir-reglas-pesca/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Callao","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callao","basis":"Reference page (coordinates of the port city)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"effect of the decree","note":"The El Peruano commentary says almost two dozen Asian vessels entered port after the decree without SISESAT; the 2026 sources say Chinese calls fell to zero (refs 1, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The headline of the The Objective article is inferred from its URL; Produce's own compliance figures were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-HIGHSEAS-SQUIDFLEET-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-CHILE-COMMONHAKE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chile's common hake stays overexploited and its 2026 quota is cut again to about 29,000 tonnes, say Oceana and fishing unions","description":"El Desconcierto reports that the Technical Scientific Committee for central-south demersal resources concluded at the end of 2025 that common hake (Merluccius gayi) still shows negative signals, with smaller fish and a rising share below the reference length, and recommended a 15% quota cut for 2026. Oceana Chile says the quota has fallen from 40,000 tonnes at the start of the current government to a maximum of 29,000 tonnes in a stock it describes as overexploited for twelve years, while Subpesca authorised an IFOP direct assessment survey in July 2026.","location":{"name":"Common hake fishery, Coquimbo to Los Lagos","type":"Demersal fish stock","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Chile's central-south common hake fishery between the Coquimbo and Los Lagos regions, fished by artisanal and industrial fleets.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A single commercial stock described as overexploited for over a decade with repeated quota cuts.","secondary_drivers":["Overfishing","Industrial trawling","Fish below reference length"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The scientific committee found negative signals including smaller fish and a rising share below the reference length, while the sources give no biomass figure against reference points (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Artisanal fishers must travel farther for emptier nets and smaller fish, and Pacific Blu questions the viability of its 2026 activity (ref 1).","scale":"The assessment concerns one stock, even though it spans seven regions (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Oceana says the stock has been overexploited for twelve years (ref 1).","significance":"The committee advised a 15% cut and Subpesca issued an artisanal distribution resolution on 26 December 2025 and a research-fishing authorisation on 21 July 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Technical Scientific Committee recommended a 15% cut in the 2026 common hake quota; Oceana says the maximum quota is now 29,000 tonnes against 40,000 at the start of the government (El Desconcierto, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Maximum 2026 quota quoted by Oceana","value":29000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Oceana Chile's figure in El Desconcierto; the Subpesca decree figure was not opened (ref 1)."},{"name":"Quota at the start of the Boric government","value":40000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Per Oceana Chile (ref 1)."},{"name":"Recommended cut for 2026","value":15,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Technical Scientific Committee advice (ref 1)."},{"name":"Historic artisanal fraction, 2026","value":11737.814,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Subpesca Res. Ex. 02956/2025 of 26 December 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Research capture for the IFOP direct assessment","value":80,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Subpesca Res. Ex. E-2026-398 of 21 July 2026, Coquimbo to Los Rios (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Pacific Blu, an industrial firm in Talcahuano, questions the viability of its 2026 activity (ref 1).","Artisanal fishers report travelling farther for smaller fish (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Quota down from 40,000 tonnes to a maximum of 29,000 tonnes, per Oceana (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura (Subpesca)","role":"Fisheries management authority","contact":"https://www.subpesca.cl"},{"name":"Sernapesca","role":"Fisheries enforcement","contact":"https://www.sernapesca.cl"},{"name":"Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP)","role":"Stock assessment","contact":"https://www.ifop.cl"}],"public_contact":"Subpesca and Sernapesca publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["Subpesca authorised IFOP to take 80 tonnes for a direct assessment survey between Coquimbo and Los Rios in 2026 (ref 3).","Oceana and fishing unions proposed five measures, including extending the reproductive closure and freezing the trawl footprint; none was adopted (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Colapso de la merluza: critican que gobierno no logro revertir crisis de recurso clave para pesca artesanal e industrial","publisher":"El Desconcierto","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldesconcierto.cl/2026/01/16/colapso-de-la-merluza-critican-que-gobierno-no-logro-revertir-crisis-de-recurso-clave-para-pesca-artesanal-e-industrial","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Distribucion cuotas globales artesanales ano 2026, merluza comun regiones Coquimbo-Los Lagos (Res. Ex. 02956/2025)","publisher":"Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura","date":"2025-12-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://source.subpesca.cl/portal/615/articles-128249_documento.pdf","basis":"Government resolution (Spanish, official)"},{"ref":3,"title":"PINV E-2026-218 Evaluacion directa de merluza comun entre las regiones de Coquimbo y Los Rios, ano 2026 (Res. Ex. E-2026-398)","publisher":"Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura","date":"2026-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.subpesca.cl/portal/615/articles-130495_documento.pdf","basis":"Government resolution (Spanish, official)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The official 2026 global quota decree and the CCT biomass status were not opened; the 29,000 tonne figure is Oceana's as quoted by El Desconcierto. The page headline says 'collapse' but the text says overexploited."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-CHILE-FRACCIONAMIENTO-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-CHILE-FRACCIONAMIENTO-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chile's Law 21.752 reallocates catch shares between artisanal and industrial fleets in 20 fisheries through 2040","description":"Law 21.752, signed on 19 June 2025 and published in the Diario Oficial on 25 June 2025, fixes a new artisanal-industrial split of catch quotas to 31 December 2040. For jumbo squid the artisanal share starts at 90% within a 90 to 80% range, for anchoveta and Spanish sardine in the north at 55% with a 55 to 85% range, and for common hake at 45% up to 35,020 tonnes, with excess quota going to the artisanal fraction up to a 50% cap.","location":{"name":"Chilean national fisheries, Arica to Magallanes","type":"National fisheries allocation law","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Chile's artisanal and industrial fleets across the anchoveta, sardine, jack mackerel, hake, congrio, jumbo squid and other fisheries listed in the law.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A statute that sets who may harvest national quotas across 20 fisheries, ending a long allocation dispute.","secondary_drivers":["Quota allocation","Artisanal-industrial dispute","Fisheries reform"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The law text sets allocation shares and does not itself document ecological harm; the fisheries concerned include overexploited stocks such as common hake (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"The law moves quota between sectors, and Pacific Blu says it questions the viability of its 2026 activity under the first application to hake (ref 3).","scale":"It applies to the national fishery from Arica to the Magallanes region (ref 1).","duration":"Allocations are fixed until 31 December 2040 (ref 1).","significance":"Law 21.752 was promulgated by President Boric on 19 June 2025 after a joint committee settled the hake split (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Law 21.752 fixes artisanal-industrial catch fractions in 20 fisheries until 31 December 2040 (Diario Oficial, 25 June 2025, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Common hake split when the global quota is 35,020 tonnes or less, artisanal share","value":45,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Industrial 55%; any excess above 35,020 tonnes goes to the artisanal fraction, capped at 50% for each sector (ref 1)."},{"name":"Jumbo squid initial artisanal share","value":90,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 90 to 80% artisanal and 10 to 20% industrial, nationwide (ref 1)."},{"name":"Anchoveta and Spanish sardine in the north, initial artisanal share","value":55,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Range 55 to 85% artisanal, with annual adjustments tied to industrial catch (ref 1)."},{"name":"Allocation period end","value":2040,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"The fractions apply until 31 December 2040 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Pacific Blu questions the viability of its 2026 activity in Talcahuano (ref 3).","A Senate vote in April 2025 sent the hake percentages to a joint committee because there was no consensus (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"First application to common hake in 2026 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministerio de Economia, Fomento y Turismo","role":"Sponsoring ministry","contact":"https://www.economia.gob.cl"},{"name":"Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura","role":"Implementing authority","contact":"https://www.subpesca.cl"}],"public_contact":"Subpesca publishes contact channels on subpesca.cl.","corrective_actions":["Subpesca implements the 2026 hake split under the new law (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ley 21.752 que fija un nuevo fraccionamiento entre el sector pesquero artesanal e industrial","publisher":"Diario Oficial de la Republica de Chile","date":"2025-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.diariooficial.interior.gob.cl/publicaciones/2025/06/25/44182-B/01/2664879.pdf","basis":"Official gazette (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ley de Fraccionamiento pasa a tercer tramite con la merluza en la discordia","publisher":"Diario y Radio Universidad de Chile","date":"2025-04-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://radio.uchile.cl/2025/04/16/ley-de-fraccionamiento-pasa-a-tercer-tramite-con-la-merluza-en-la-discordia/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Colapso de la merluza: critican que gobierno no logro revertir crisis de recurso clave para pesca artesanal e industrial","publisher":"El Desconcierto","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldesconcierto.cl/2026/01/16/colapso-de-la-merluza-critican-que-gobierno-no-logro-revertir-crisis-de-recurso-clave-para-pesca-artesanal-e-industrial","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The wider general fisheries law to replace the Longueira law, the 2025 to 2026 SPRFMO jack mackerel quotas and the Chile jumbo squid industrial-artisanal dispute were not verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-CHILE-COMMONHAKE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-LAHIGUERA-DOMINGA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Dominga iron-copper mine and port near the Humboldt penguin reserve remains rejected as Andes Iron drops its Supreme Court appeals","description":"Chile's Committee of Ministers rejected the roughly US$2.5 billion Dominga iron and copper project and its port at La Higuera for a second time in January 2025, and the Antofagasta Court of Appeals confirmed that rejection in February 2026. On 28 September 2026 Andes Iron withdrew its cassation and complaint appeals from the Supreme Court so that social groups' requests to invalidate the January 2025 decision, admitted by the environmental assessment service, can proceed; there is no new approval.","location":{"name":"Dominga project, La Higuera","type":"Proposed mine and port site","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"La Higuera, Coquimbo region, close to the Humboldt Archipelago and the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve, a nesting area for the Humboldt penguin.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-29.252,"lon":-71.539,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"coastal-habitats","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A mining-port project proposed beside a protected seabird and marine mammal area, decided in the environmental and court system.","secondary_drivers":["Mining-port proposal","Environmental permitting","Court challenge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Noticias Ambientales describes the Humboldt penguin as vulnerable with Chile hosting about 80% of its population, a potential rather than documented harm from the project (ref 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is documented in the opened sources; the project is not built (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The decision concerns one proposed site at La Higuera (refs 1, 4).","duration":"The permitting fight has run through a December 2024 tribunal ruling, a January 2025 ministerial decision, a February 2026 appeal ruling and September 2026 withdrawals (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"A court of appeals ruling and the Committee of Ministers' decision stand as enforceable outcomes (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Andes Iron withdrew its cassation and complaint appeals from the Supreme Court on 28 September 2026 while the January 2025 rejection by the Committee of Ministers remains in force (Pauta, 29 September 2026, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Project investment","value":2.5,"unit":"billion US$","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by Noticias Ambientales for the mine and port project (ref 3)."},{"name":"Share of the world Humboldt penguin population in Chile","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Noticias Ambientales, February 2026, attributed in the article (ref 3)."},{"name":"Reserve area","value":888.68,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"Spanish-language Wikipedia entry for the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Andes Iron says its priority is an administrative route to reopen the case (Emol, ref 1).","The company says it keeps pursuing the project despite the February 2026 ruling (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Rejection in force since January 2025; invalidation requests pending (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Comite de Ministros (Chile)","role":"Environmental appeal body","contact":"https://www.sea.gob.cl"},{"name":"Servicio de Evaluacion Ambiental (SEA)","role":"Permitting authority","contact":"https://www.sea.gob.cl"},{"name":"Andes Iron","role":"Project proponent","contact":"https://www.andesiron.com"}],"public_contact":"SEA publishes contact channels on sea.gob.cl.","corrective_actions":["The Committee of Ministers rejected the project in January 2025 and the Antofagasta court confirmed it in February 2026 (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Andes Iron desiste de recursos ante la Corte Suprema por Dominga","publisher":"Emol","date":"2026-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.emol.com/noticias/Economia/2026/09/29/1212685/andes-iron-dominga-corte-suprema.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Andes Iron retira recursos ante la Suprema y busca otra via para reabrir el caso Dominga","publisher":"Pauta","date":"2026-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pauta.cl/actualidad/2026/09/29/andes-iron-retira-recursos-ante-la-suprema-y-busca-otra-via-para-reabrir-el-caso-dominga.html","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chile confirms rejection of Dominga mining project: environmental victory in defense of the Humboldt penguin","publisher":"Noticias Ambientales","date":"2026-02-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://noticiasambientales.com/animals/chile-confirms-rejection-of-dominga-mining-project-environmental-victory-in-defense-of-the-humboldt-penguin/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Reserva Nacional Pinguino de Humboldt","publisher":"Wikipedia (Spanish)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserva_Nacional_Pingüino_de_Humboldt","basis":"Reference page (coordinates of the reserve)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"project location relative to the reserve","note":"Noticias Ambientales says the port is within the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve; Pauta and Emol say near the Humboldt archipelago (refs 3, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The brief hint of a 2025 approval and court reversal did not match the opened sources, which report a January 2025 rejection. A construction-start announcement by Andes Iron appeared in a search listing but was not opened. Coordinates are the reserve's, not the port site's."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-MEJILLONES-BAYPOLLUTION-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-CHILOE-BLUEWHALE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chiloe's blue whale population is reported to have fallen 36% in 14 years amid salmon-industry vessel traffic and ship-strike risk","description":"A June 2024 report on data presented to the IWC Scientific Committee said Chiloe's blue whales, estimated at about 600, had declined by 36% in 14 years, with researchers pointing to vessel collisions, noise, pollution and habitat loss linked to salmon farming. Greenpeace Chile says the Gulf of Corcovado between Los Lagos and Aysen is a key area for blue, sei, humpback and southern right whales and that 83% of Patagonian maritime traffic is aquaculture vessels.","location":{"name":"Chiloe and Gulf of Corcovado, Chile","type":"Blue whale feeding ground","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"North-east Chiloe and the Gulf of Corcovado between the Los Lagos and Aysen regions, a major southern-hemisphere feeding area for blue whales.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-43.3667,"lon":-73.3536,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","aquaculture"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A threatened whale population in a busy aquaculture shipping area.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel strikes","Underwater noise","Salmon farming expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A reported 36% decline in about 14 years is presented to the IWC Scientific Committee and attributed by researchers to vessel collisions, noise and habitat loss, not a documented mass mortality (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or coastal-economy disruption is documented in the sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The decline concerns one regional population around Chiloe (ref 1).","duration":"The decline spans 14 years and Greenpeace restates the threats in February 2025 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The data were presented in a session of the IWC Scientific Committee and no Chilean regulatory action is cited (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The blue whale population in Chiloe has reportedly fallen 36% in the last 14 years from an initial estimate of about 600 whales (El Desconcierto, June 2024, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Decline in Chiloe blue whale population over 14 years","value":36,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Presented to the IWC Scientific Committee by the Centro de Conservacion Cetacea, per El Desconcierto (ref 1)."},{"name":"Initial population estimate","value":600,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Individuals estimated in the region at the start of the period (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of Patagonian maritime traffic from aquaculture vessels","value":83,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Greenpeace Chile (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of 226 stranded dead whales in Chile attributed to ship collisions","value":28,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Marine Policy study cited by Greenpeace Chile, data 1972 to 2023 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The sources describe no direct economic loss from the whale decline."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"A 36% decline over 14 years is reported (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura","role":"Fisheries and aquaculture policy","contact":"https://www.subpesca.cl"},{"name":"Sernapesca","role":"Stranding and marine mammal enforcement","contact":"https://www.sernapesca.cl"},{"name":"Centro de Conservacion Cetacea","role":"Research body","contact":"https://www.ccc-chile.org"}],"public_contact":"Sernapesca and Subpesca publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The opened sources list no specific regulatory measures; Greenpeace says Chile must protect the species from harmful industrial activities (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hasta en un 36% disminuyo la poblacion de ballena azul en Chiloe: expertos lo califican de preocupante","publisher":"El Desconcierto","date":"2024-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldesconcierto.cl/2024/06/17/hasta-en-un-36-disminuyo-la-poblacion-de-ballena-azul-en-chiloe-expertos-lo-califican-de-preocupante","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Corredor mortal: los riesgos que viven las ballenas que navegan por Chile","publisher":"Greenpeace Chile","date":"2025-02-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.greenpeace.org/chile/noticia/issues/oceanos/corredor-mortal-los-riesgos-que-viven-las-ballenas-que-navegan-por-chile/","basis":"NGO report (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Gulf of Corcovado","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Corcovado","basis":"Reference page (coordinates of the gulf)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"location","note":"El Desconcierto places the decline in Chiloe, north-east of the main island, and does not mention the Gulf of Corcovado; Greenpeace names Corcovado as a concentration zone (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The Greenpeace page shows only 'February 2025'; the day 1 is a placeholder. No 2025 to 2026 ship-strike case in the gulf was found; the Marine Policy study itself was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-CHILE-SALMONPROTECTEDAREAS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-CHANCAY-PORTFISHERS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chancay fishers say construction of Cosco's megaport has pushed fish away and lengthened their trips","description":"The Port of Chancay, 60 km north of Lima, opened on 14 November 2024 and is operated by Cosco Shipping Ports Chancay Peru, with Cosco holding 60% and Volcan 40%. The Christian Science Monitor reported in June 2025 that the 322-member Union of Artisanal Fishers of the Port of Chancay said blasting at sea for the docks hurt fishing, with one fisher saying a catch that took three hours now takes three days.","location":{"name":"Port of Chancay, Peru","type":"Container port","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE"],"detail":"Chancay district, about 60 km north of Lima, a Cosco-operated deep-water container port that opened in November 2024.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-11.593,"lon":-77.277,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A new port's construction is reported by local fishers to have disrupted nearby fishing grounds.","secondary_drivers":["Port construction","Underwater blasting","Increased shipping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers and experts quoted by the Monitor and Southern Pulse say the port could alter fish habitat, but no monitoring data on fish or habitat were found (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"A fisher says trips that took three hours now take three days and the union leader says fishing has suffered; no displacement figure or compensation outcome was found (ref 1).","scale":"The reports concern the fishing grounds and caleta around one port (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Complaints are dated from December 2024 to June 2025, about six months of reporting (refs 2, 1).","significance":"The evidence is fisher testimony and journalism, with no agency finding or court order on fishing impacts opened (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 322-member Union of Artisanal Fishers of the Port of Chancay says fishing has suffered since construction began and blasting at sea (Christian Science Monitor, June 2025, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Members of the artisanal fishers' union","value":322,"unit":"fishers","status":"Reported","note":"Union of Artisanal Fishers of the Port of Chancay, as stated in ref 1."},{"name":"Cosco ownership stake","value":60,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Volcan holds 40% (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishers describe longer, more dangerous trips and a catch taking three days instead of three hours (ref 1).","A Spanish-language Fundacion Andres Bello page gave 3,000 fishers at risk, but it could not be opened (not used)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Reports from December 2024 and June 2025; no later fisher data were opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cosco Shipping Ports Chancay Peru","role":"Port operator","contact":"https://ports.coscoshipping.com"},{"name":"Autoridad Portuaria Nacional (Peru)","role":"Port authority","contact":"https://www.apn.gob.pe"},{"name":"OEFA (Peru environmental enforcement agency)","role":"Environmental oversight","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/oefa"}],"public_contact":"The port operator and the port authority publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["No remedial action for fishers was found in the opened sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The voices that didn't make it into the story","publisher":"Christian Science Monitor","date":"2025-06-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/amphtml/Commentary/From-the-Editors/2025/0614/howard-lafranchi-peru-behind-the-scenes","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Peru, the latest stop on China's new ... (Chancay port)","publisher":"Southern Pulse","date":"2024-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://southernpulse.substack.com/p/peru-the-latest-stop-on-chinas-new","basis":"Newsletter analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Port of Chancay","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Chancay","basis":"Reference page (coordinates, opening date, ownership)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2026 report on Chancay fishers, dredging or shipping volumes could be opened (a Cosco port exclusivity ruling and a February 2026 US warning appear on the Wikipedia page only). A Fundacion Andres Bello page and an AP story were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-PERU-FIVEMILEZONE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-MAGALLANES-TARABAALGAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Algal bloom kills salmon at two Taraba farms in Magallanes, with the company reporting 642.5 tonnes by 9 October 2026","description":"Sernapesca reported on 8 October 2026 that a bloom of Leptocylindrus minimus, monitored since mid-September, caused mass mortality at the Taraba 7 and Taraba 8 salmon farms of Multiexport Patagonia in the Magallanes region, estimating 300 tonnes. The next day it said the company reported 642.5 tonnes of mortality, that dead fish would go to reduction plants in Los Lagos, and that Taraba 7 had begun an early harvest.","location":{"name":"Taraba 7 and Taraba 8 salmon farms, Magallanes","type":"Salmon farming concession groups 43A and 43B","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Salmon farming concession groups 43A and 43B in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic region, operated by Multiexport Patagonia S.A.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A harmful microalgal bloom caused mass mortality in farmed salmon in southern Chile.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal bloom","Leptocylindrus minimus"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Sernapesca confirmed mass mortality at Taraba 7 and 8, with the company reporting 642.5 tonnes of dead fish by 9 October 2026 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Taraba 7 began an early harvest on 9 October to prevent further mortality (ref 2).","scale":"The event affects two farms in one concession-group area (ref 2).","duration":"Sernapesca had monitored the bloom since mid-September and the mortality episode was about two days old at the latest report (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Sernapesca recorded bloom concentrations above the regulatory harmfulness limits and began inspecting mortality handling (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The company reported 642.5 tonnes of mortality at the Taraba farms by 9 October 2026, up from an estimate of 300 tonnes a day earlier (Sernapesca, refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mortality reported by the company","value":642.5,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Sernapesca news item of 9 October 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Initial Sernapesca estimate","value":300,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 200 tonnes at Taraba 7 and 100 tonnes at Taraba 8 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Taraba 7 began an early harvest to limit further losses (ref 2).","Dead fish are being sent to reduction plants in Los Lagos (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Reported mortality rose from about 300 to 642.5 tonnes in a day (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Sernapesca (Servicio Nacional de Pesca y Acuicultura)","role":"Aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.sernapesca.cl"},{"name":"Multiexport Patagonia S.A.","role":"Farm operator","contact":"https://www.multi-x.com"}],"public_contact":"Sernapesca publishes contact channels on sernapesca.cl.","corrective_actions":["Contingency plans activated and mobile silage barges, removal vessels and early harvest deployed (ref 2).","Sernapesca inspects collection, transport and final disposal of the dead fish (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sernapesca informo activacion de planes de contingencia por floracion algal nociva en la region de Magallanes","publisher":"Sernapesca","date":"2026-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sernapesca.cl/noticias/sernapesca-informo-activacion-de-planes-de-contingencia-por-floracion-algal-nociva-en-la-region-de-magallanes/","basis":"Agency notice (Spanish, official)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sernapesca fiscaliza el manejo y traslado de mortalidades asociadas a evento de floracion algal en centros de cultivo de Magallanes","publisher":"Sernapesca","date":"2026-10-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sernapesca.cl/noticias/sernapesca-fiscaliza-el-manejo-y-traslado-de-mortalidades-asociadas-a-evento-de-floracion-algal-en-centros-de-cultivo-de-magallanes/","basis":"Agency notice (Spanish, official)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Event is days old; tonnage is still changing. No independent news source or coordinates were opened. Sernapesca also reported ISA virus cases at two Aysen farms on 7 October 2026 (separate event, not recorded here)."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-LOSLAGOS-SALMONALGAL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-LOSLAGOS-SALMONALGAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Repeated algal blooms kill thousands of tonnes of farmed salmon in Los Lagos and Aysen, with a new Heterosigma bloom in Reloncavi Sound in 2026","description":"Salmon farms in southern Chile lost about 1,500 tonnes in Reloncavi Sound in November 2023 and about 3,800 tonnes to a Pseudochattonella bloom in the Chonos Archipelago in January 2024, according to reporting on Sernapesca data. In April 2026 Sernapesca met producers after a Heterosigma akashiwo bloom affected 11 farm sites in Reloncavi Sound and authorised fish transfers and emergency harvests; its aquaculture deputy director said conditions anticipated a stronger El Nino.","location":{"name":"Reloncavi Sound and Chonos Archipelago salmon farms","type":"Salmon farming area","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Los Lagos region (Reloncavi Sound) and the Chonos Archipelago in Aysen, Chile's main salmon-farming regions.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea","coordinates":{"lat":-41.7,"lon":-72.8333,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Recurring harmful algal blooms causing mass farmed-fish mortality and a disease aftermath.","secondary_drivers":["Harmful algal blooms","Low oxygen","El Nino outlook"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"About 3,800 tonnes of Atlantic and coho salmon were lost in the January 2024 Chonos bloom and about 1,500 tonnes in November 2023, per reporting on Sernapesca data (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Sernapesca authorised fish transfers, emergency harvests and longer holding periods at 11 affected sites in April 2026 (ref 2).","scale":"Events span two regions, Los Lagos and Aysen, rather than one farm (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Mass-mortality blooms are documented in November 2023, January 2024 and April 2026, a recurring pattern over about two and a half years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Sernapesca coordinated contingency actions under an aquaculture pre-alert and the Navy and Subpesca joined an inter-institutional committee (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 3,800 tonnes of salmon were lost to an algal bloom in the Chonos Archipelago in January 2024 and a new Heterosigma akashiwo bloom affected 11 Reloncavi Sound farm sites in April 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Salmon lost, Chonos Archipelago bloom, January 2024","value":3800,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Reported figure; initial reports on 2 January 2024 put losses at 2,854 tonnes (ref 1)."},{"name":"Salmon lost, Reloncavi Sound event, November 2023","value":1500,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Earlier event affecting 18 facilities (ref 1)."},{"name":"Farm sites affected by the Heterosigma bloom, April 2026","value":11,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Salmonid concession groups 1 and 2, Reloncavi Sound (ref 2)."},{"name":"Rise in antibiotic use in first half of 2024 after the late-2023 events","value":22.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Sernapesca linked the rise to piscirickettsiosis outbreaks after the Los Lagos blooms and Aysen low oxygen (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Sernapesca linked a 22.6% rise in antibiotic use in early 2024 to disease after the late-2023 events (ref 3).","Sernapesca's aquaculture deputy director warned in April 2026 that the scenario anticipates a stronger El Nino (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Blooms recur in late 2023, early 2024 and 2026, with no single trend in tonnes (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Sernapesca","role":"Aquaculture regulator","contact":"https://www.sernapesca.cl"},{"name":"Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura","role":"Aquaculture policy","contact":"https://www.subpesca.cl"}],"public_contact":"Sernapesca publishes contact channels on sernapesca.cl.","corrective_actions":["Sernapesca authorised transfers, emergency harvests and longer retention at storage sites in April 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Harmful algal bloom in Chile triggers mass salmon mortality event","publisher":"We Are Aquaculture","date":"2024-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weareaquaculture.com/amp/story/news/aquaculture/harmful-algal-bloom-in-chile-triggers-mass-salmon-mortality-event","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sernapesca activates coordination measures as algal bloom affects 11 farm sites","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2026-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/sernapesca-activates-coordination-measures-as-algal-bloom-affects-11-farm-sites/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Chilean salmonid sector's antibiotic use rose by 22% in first half of 2024","publisher":"Fish Farming Expert","date":"2025-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishfarmingexpert.com/antibiotics-chilean-salmon-farming-piscirickettsiosis/chilean-salmonid-sectors-antibiotic-use-rose-by-22-in-first-half-of-2024/1876937","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Reloncavi Sound","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reloncav%C3%AD_Sound","basis":"Reference page (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The April 2026 tonnage was not reported in the opened source. The January 2024 bloom species is given as Pseudochatonella spp. by We Are Aquaculture. The 2025 mortality figures and the Sernapesca 2024 annual health report were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-MAGALLANES-TARABAALGAL-2026","OC-SEPAC-CHILE-SALMONANTIBIOTICS-2025","OC-SEPAC-LOSLAGOS-REDTIDE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-CHILE-SALMONANTIBIOTICS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Chilean salmon farms used 22.6% more antibiotics in early 2024; freshwater use fell 34% in 2025 while the national index rose","description":"Sernapesca reported that salmon farms used 217.4 tonnes of antibiotic active ingredient in January to June 2024, up from 177.3 tonnes a year earlier, which it attributed mainly to piscirickettsiosis outbreaks after the late-2023 algal and low-oxygen events. For 2025, Sernapesca data show freshwater-phase use fell 34.1% but the national antimicrobial consumption index rose 5.88% on higher biomass, and the regulator targets a 25% cut over four years.","location":{"name":"Chile's salmon farming regions","type":"National aquaculture sector","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Salmon farms in the Los Lagos, Aysen and Magallanes regions; 98.36% of first-half 2024 antibiotic use was in the seawater phase.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Antibiotic use in marine net-pen farming releases active substances into coastal waters.","secondary_drivers":["Disease outbreaks","Antibiotic use","Net-pen salmon farming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Sernapesca's figures show 217.4 tonnes of active ingredient used in half a year, mainly florfenicol, but the sources document no resistance or contamination measurement (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No closure, restriction or income loss is tied to antibiotic use in the opened sources.","scale":"The data cover the national salmon industry across three regions (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Figures cover first-half 2024 and full-year 2025 freshwater use, a multi-year pattern (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Sernapesca issued a half-year report and a 25% four-year reduction target; Subpesca revised the sanitary programme in April 2026 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Salmonid farms used 217.4 tonnes of antibiotic active ingredient in January to June 2024 against 177.3 tonnes a year earlier, a 22.6% rise (Fish Farming Expert, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Antibiotic use, first half of 2024","value":217.4,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Active ingredient; first half of 2023 was 177.3 tonnes (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rise in first-half use","value":22.6,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Sernapesca attributes it mainly to piscirickettsiosis outbreaks (ref 1)."},{"name":"Change in freshwater-phase antimicrobial use, 2025","value":-34.1,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Sernapesca data via SalmonBusiness, 31 March 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Change in national antimicrobial consumption index, 2025","value":5.88,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Driven by higher salmon biomass, per SalmonBusiness (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Sernapesca targets a 25% cut in antimicrobial use in salmon farming over four years (ref 3).","The sector's index rose in 2025 on higher biomass (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Use rose in early 2024, freshwater use fell in 2025 and the national index rose 5.88% (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Sernapesca","role":"Regulator publishing antimicrobial use reports","contact":"https://www.sernapesca.cl"},{"name":"Subsecretaria de Pesca y Acuicultura","role":"Sanitary programme owner","contact":"https://www.subpesca.cl"}],"public_contact":"Sernapesca publishes contact channels on sernapesca.cl.","corrective_actions":["The PROA-Salmon certification programme had 287 certificates by mid-2024, 173 of them for cycles with no antibiotic use (ref 1).","Sernapesca aims to cut antimicrobial use by 25% over four years (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Chilean salmonid sector's antibiotic use rose by 22% in first half of 2024","publisher":"Fish Farming Expert","date":"2025-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fishfarmingexpert.com/antibiotics-chilean-salmon-farming-piscirickettsiosis/chilean-salmonid-sectors-antibiotic-use-rose-by-22-in-first-half-of-2024/1876937","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Chile: freshwater salmon antibiotic use drops 34% in 2025","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2026-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/chile-freshwater-salmon-antibiotic-use-drops-34-in-2025/?amp=1","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sernapesca realizo su cuenta publica 2026 con enfasis en el mejoramiento de la fiscalizacion","publisher":"G5 Noticias","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://g5noticias.cl/2026/07/27/sernapesca-realizo-su-cuenta-publica-2026-con-enfasis-en-el-mejoramiento-de-la-fiscalizacion/","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Full-year 2024 and seawater-phase 2025 tonnages were not found; the Sernapesca primary reports were not opened. The Subpesca April 2026 resolution on antimicrobial use bands was not opened. Escape figures were not found."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-LOSLAGOS-SALMONALGAL-2026","OC-SEPAC-CHILE-SALMONPROTECTEDAREAS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-CHILE-SALMONPROTECTEDAREAS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sernapesca logs 133 findings at salmon farms inside protected wild areas, while the Kawesqar reserve dispute over salmon concessions remains in the courts' record","description":"Sernapesca's 2026 public account says a special programme carried out 926 inspections at 316 operating salmon farms in protected areas in 2025 and found 133 issues, within 258 regulatory breaches across 2,473 farms nationwide. In the Kawesqar National Reserve in Magallanes, the Third Environmental Court revoked two Nova Austral environmental approvals in January 2023 and said salmon farming appeared incompatible with the reserve's purposes without ruling on that question.","location":{"name":"Salmon farms in protected areas, Chile","type":"Salmon farming concessions in protected wild areas","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Operating salmon farms inside Chile's protected wild areas, including the Kawesqar National Reserve in Magallanes.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Industrial aquaculture inside protected areas and the regulator's compliance findings.","secondary_drivers":["Aquaculture in protected areas","Regulatory non-compliance","Concession dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Sernapesca found 133 issues at farms in protected areas, but the opened sources do not describe ecological damage from them (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or livelihood disruption is reported in the opened sources.","scale":"Inspections covered 316 operating farms in protected areas nationally (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Kawesqar court dispute dates from at least January 2023 and inspection data cover 2025 (refs 3, 1).","significance":"A tribunal revoked two environmental approvals in January 2023 and Sernapesca records enforcement findings (refs 3, 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A special Sernapesca programme made 926 inspections at 316 operating farms in protected areas in 2025 and found 133 issues (SalmonBusiness, 28 July 2026, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Inspection actions at farms in protected areas, 2025","value":926,"unit":"inspections","status":"Reported","note":"Covering 316 operating sites (ref 1)."},{"name":"Findings in protected areas","value":133,"unit":"findings","status":"Reported","note":"Special programme for protected wild areas (ref 1)."},{"name":"Regulatory breaches nationwide, 2025","value":258,"unit":"breaches","status":"Reported","note":"From 4,962 inspection actions at 2,473 operating sites (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Court rulings have forced salmon projects in the Kawesqar reserve to be assessed as a whole, with synergistic impacts (ref 3).","Nova Austral had nine projects before the environmental service, eight with favourable approvals, per Greenpeace in the 2023 report (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One year of inspection data and a 2023 court ruling; no 2026 status for the Kawesqar projects was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Sernapesca","role":"Enforcement in protected-area farms","contact":"https://www.sernapesca.cl"},{"name":"Servicio de Evaluacion Ambiental","role":"Environmental assessment","contact":"https://www.sea.gob.cl"},{"name":"Tercer Tribunal Ambiental","role":"Environmental court","contact":"https://www.3ta.cl"}],"public_contact":"Sernapesca publishes contact channels on sernapesca.cl.","corrective_actions":["Sernapesca runs a special inspection programme for farms in protected wild areas (refs 1, 2).","The Third Environmental Court revoked two approvals for Nova Austral centres in the Kawesqar reserve in January 2023 (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sernapesca regulator identifies 258 breaches in 2025 inspections","publisher":"SalmonBusiness","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/sernapesca-regulator-identifies-258-breaches-in-2025-inspections/","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sernapesca realizo su cuenta publica 2026 con enfasis en el mejoramiento de la fiscalizacion","publisher":"G5 Noticias","date":"2026-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://g5noticias.cl/2026/07/27/sernapesca-realizo-su-cuenta-publica-2026-con-enfasis-en-el-mejoramiento-de-la-fiscalizacion/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Justicia cierra puerta a dos salmoneras en Reserva Kawesqar y sienta precedente","publisher":"El Desconcierto","date":"2023-01-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eldesconcierto.cl/2023/01/04/justicia-cierra-puerta-a-dos-salmoneras-en-reserva-kawesqar-y-sienta-precedente","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The type of the 133 findings and the number of concessions in the Kawesqar reserve in 2026 were not found. The 2025 to 2026 relocation law and Kawesqar management-plan status were not verified from an opened page. Court ruling is from January 2023, before the window, cited as the still-open background."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-LOSLAGOS-SALMONALGAL-2026","OC-SEPAC-CHILE-SALMONANTIBIOTICS-2025","OC-SEPAC-CHILOE-BLUEWHALE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SEPAC-PERU-FIVEMILEZONE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Peru's five-mile artisanal zone is contested as fishers protest a 2025 regulation and a congressional bill to allow mechanised purse seines","description":"Supreme Decree 002-2025-PRODUCE, published in late February 2025, reserves Peru's first five nautical miles for artisanal and smaller-scale fishing and bans mechanised gear within three miles. Sechura fishers announced a strike for 10 March 2025 against it, while artisanal groups in Piura, Tumbes and Ancash demanded that Congress not pass a bill by five legislators allowing vessels of up to 10 cubic metres to use mechanised purse seines inside five miles.","location":{"name":"Peru's first five nautical miles","type":"Artisanal fishing reserved zone","sea":"SEPAC","seas":["SEPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PE"],"detail":"Peru's coastal strip of five nautical miles reserved for artisanal fishing, with protests in Sechura Bay (Piura), Tumbes and Chimbote (Ancash).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A coastal access rule and a bill to weaken it set artisanal and mechanised fleets against each other.","secondary_drivers":["Artisanal-industrial conflict","Mechanised purse-seine access","Fisheries regulation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers argue that mechanised purse seines and trawls inside the first miles destroy ecosystems and favour illegal fishing, an allegation with no measured damage cited (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Sechura fishers say the decree would force them to seek permits or fish beyond three and five miles and strike on 10 March 2025 (ref 2).","scale":"The rule covers the national coastline and protests span Piura, Tumbes and Ancash (refs 1, 2, 3).","duration":"The documented dispute runs from late February to April 2025, a period of months (refs 2, 3, 1).","significance":"A supreme decree and a pending bill exist, and Congress voted 82 votes to return a committee report to the Production Commission (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No affected-population figure appears in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Supreme Decree 002-2025-PRODUCE reserves the first five nautical miles for artisanal and smaller-scale fishing and bans mechanised gear within the first three miles (Actualidad Ambiental, 23 April 2025, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Artisanal reserved zone","value":5,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"Under Law 31749 and DS 002-2025-PRODUCE (ref 1)."},{"name":"Zone with mechanised gear ban","value":3,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Reported","note":"First three miles (ref 1)."},{"name":"Votes to return the committee report to the Production Commission","value":82,"unit":"votes","status":"Reported","note":"Previous-question motion by Ruth Luque (ref 1)."},{"name":"Artisanal fishers (pinteros and cortineros) in Santa province","value":6000,"unit":"fishers","status":"Estimated","note":"Approximate figure given by a fisher leader in Chimbote (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Sechura fishers announced a strike and demanded the production minister's resignation (ref 2).","Santa and Casma fishers say about 6,000 artisanal fishers depend on the three-mile zone (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Dispute documented from February to April 2025; the outcome after April 2025 was not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"PRODUCE (Peru Ministry of Production)","role":"Fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.gob.pe/produce"},{"name":"Congreso de la Republica (Comision de Produccion)","role":"Legislature considering the bill","contact":"https://www.congreso.gob.pe"}],"public_contact":"Produce and Congress publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["DS 002-2025-PRODUCE reserves the first five miles for artisanal and smaller-scale fishing (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pescadores exigen al Congreso no aprobar modificaciones en el Reglamento de la Ley General de Pesca","publisher":"Actualidad Ambiental","date":"2025-04-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.actualidadambiental.pe/pescadores-exigen-al-congreso-no-aprobar-modificaciones-en-el-reglamento-de-la-ley-general-de-pesca/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Piura: pescadores artesanales de Sechura se van a paro este 10 de marzo","publisher":"El Tiempo (Peru)","date":"2025-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eltiempo.pe/local/piura-pescadores-artesanales-de-sechura-se-van-a-paro-este-10-de-marzo/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ancash: pescadores artesanales exigen que no se modifique recientes cambios a la ley de pesca","publisher":"Radio RSD","date":"2025-04-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://radiorsd.pe/index.php/noticias/ancash-pescadores-artesanales-exigen-que-no-se-modifique-recientes-cambios-la-ley-de-pesca","basis":"News (Spanish)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SEPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The legislative outcome of the bill after April 2025 and any 2026 status were not found. The Oct 2025 Piura strike over the jumbo squid quota is cited in the squid-fleet record, not here. Peruvian mangroves and offshore oil blocks were searched but no usable page was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SEPAC-HIGHSEAS-SQUIDFLEET-2026","OC-SEPAC-PERU-ANCHOVETA-2026","OC-SEPAC-CHANCAY-PORTFISHERS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-FUKUSHIMA-ALPS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fukushima Daiichi treated water still flowing into the Pacific in its fourth year, with China's seafood ban only partly lifted","description":"Japan began releasing ALPS-treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant on 24 August 2023 under a roughly 30-year plan. By the start of the 21st round on 6 July 2026, about 157,000 tonnes had been discharged, and the IAEA's on-site analysis has found tritium far below the 1,500 Bq per litre operational limit. China banned all Japanese seafood in 2023 and partly lifted the ban on 29 June 2025, still excluding Tokyo, Fukushima and eight other prefectures.","location":{"name":"Fukushima Daiichi discharge, Pacific coast","type":"Coastal discharge site","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, Tohoku, Japan; treated water is released through a seawater tunnel off the plant's Pacific shore","coordinates":{"lat":37.42306,"lon":141.03306,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"extent":"local","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[]},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Controlled release of tritiated water from a damaged nuclear plant into the sea, with trade and monitoring consequences.","secondary_drivers":["Radionuclide discharge","Trade restrictions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The IAEA found tritium in the diluted water far below the 1,500 Bq per litre operational limit, so no exceedance is documented, but each round releases about 1.3 trillion Bq of tritium (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"Japanese seafood exports to China fell 99.3% year on year in September 2023 from a pre-ban value of about JPY75bn, and Tokyo, Fukushima and eight other prefectures remain excluded after the June 2025 partial lifting (refs 2, 3).","scale":"Discharges run from one plant on the Fukushima coast but affect national fishery markets and regional trade, which we score as a national coastline (refs 3, 4).","duration":"Releases began on 24 August 2023 and continue under a roughly 30-year plan, with eight rounds and about 62,400 tonnes planned for fiscal 2026 (refs 1, 4).","significance":"China's customs authority imposed a blanket import ban on release day and Russia joined the restrictions; the IAEA monitors every batch and a China-Japan monitoring accord followed in September 2024 (refs 1, 2, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"20 rounds totalling about 157,000 tonnes of ALPS-treated water had been released before the 21st round began on 6 July 2026, at about 1.3 trillion Bq of tritium per round (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rounds completed before 6 July 2026","value":20,"unit":"rounds","status":"Reported","note":"CGTN report of TEPCO's 21st round (ref 4)."},{"name":"Cumulative treated water released","value":157000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 157,000 tonnes after 20 rounds (ref 4)."},{"name":"Tritium per round (21st round)","value":1.3,"unit":"trillion Bq","status":"Reported","note":"About 7,800 tonnes planned for 6 to 24 July 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Planned releases in fiscal 2026","value":62400,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Eight rounds planned (ref 4)."},{"name":"Prefectures still excluded by China","value":10,"unit":"prefectures","status":"Reported","note":"Customs statement of 29 June 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Fall in Japan's seafood exports to China, September 2023","value":99.3,"unit":"% year on year","status":"Reported","note":"Japan Ministry of Finance figure quoted by FoodNavigator (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Pre-ban seafood exports to China were worth about JPY75bn and fell 99.3% in September 2023 (ref 3).","China resumed imports from 37 of 47 prefectures in 2025 but excludes ten, including Fukushima and Tokyo (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The discharge continues round after round while China's trade restriction was partly lifted in June 2025 (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)","role":"Plant operator and discharger","contact":"https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/"},{"name":"International Atomic Energy Agency","role":"Independent monitoring of every batch","contact":"https://www.iaea.org"},{"name":"General Administration of Customs of China","role":"Import restrictions on Japanese seafood"},{"name":"Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries","role":"Seafood market access"}],"public_contact":"TEPCO and the IAEA publish general inquiry channels on their websites; none is given in the cited articles.","corrective_actions":["IAEA experts sample each diluted batch before release and remain on site while water is discharged (ref 1).","China and Japan agreed in September 2024 that stakeholders including China may carry out independent sampling and inter-laboratory comparisons (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"China-Japan accord on monitoring of Fukushima water releases","publisher":"World Nuclear News","date":"2024-09-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/china-japan-accord-on-monitoring-of-fukushima-water-releases","basis":"News (industry trade press)"},{"ref":2,"title":"China lifts seafood ban on most of Japan after Fukushima review","publisher":"Salmon Business","date":"2025-07-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.salmonbusiness.com/china-lifts-seafood-ban-on-most-of-japan-after-fukushima-review/?amp=1","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"End of nuclear conflict? China may reopen doors to Japanese seafood imports","publisher":"FoodNavigator","date":"2025-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2025/05/28/china-japan-seafood-imports-may-resume/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Japan starts 21st Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge","publisher":"CGTN","date":"2026-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-07-06/news-1OyoIzk4MEg/p.html","basis":"News (Chinese state broadcaster, reporting TEPCO figures)"},{"ref":5,"title":"IAEA officials say Fukushima's ongoing discharge of treated radioactive wastewater is going well","publisher":"POWER Magazine","date":"2023-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.power-eng.com/operations-maintenance/iaea-officials-say-fukushimas-ongoing-discharge-of-treated-radioactive-wastewater-is-going-well/","basis":"News (trade press); context before the window"},{"ref":6,"title":"Wikipedia: Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_Nuclear_Power_Plant","basis":"Reference gazetteer, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"CGTN describes the water as nuclear-contaminated; Japan and the IAEA call it ALPS-treated water and the IAEA found tritium far below the operational limit (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["TEPCO's own release notices (tepco.co.jp) returned HTTP 403, so round figures rest on CGTN's report of them.","The current position of Japanese fishing cooperatives in 2026 and Russia's current import status were not found in opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-SANRIKU-KUROSHIO-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-SANRIKU-KUROSHIO-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Kuroshio Extension meander gave Japan's Sanriku coast two years of record warming, about 6 degrees C above normal","description":"Sea surface temperature off the Sanriku coast ran about 6 degrees C above normal from February 2023 to January 2025 while the Kuroshio Extension meandered far north, which the University of Tokyo's Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute calls the most intense warming in the world's oceans. Warm-water fish appeared off Miyagi for the first time and fishers report poor catches, and Japan's Meteorological Agency declared the larger Kuroshio meander over in August 2025.","location":{"name":"Sanriku coast and Kuroshio Extension","type":"Coastal ocean region","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Pacific coast of Tohoku (Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi), reaching south to the Boso and Kanto coasts","coordinates":{"lat":39.9706,"lon":141.9542,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"extent":"national_waters","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[]},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Persistent marine heatwave driven by a shifted western boundary current.","secondary_drivers":["Kuroshio Extension meander","Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Warm-water cardinalfish and southern yellowtail were confirmed off Miyagi for the first time, the warming reached about 700 m depth, and kombu harvests are declining sharply (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Mie Gaiwan fishers report mackerel catches at 20 to 30 percent of ten years ago, and Sanriku salmon and saury became harder to catch, but no closure is documented (ref 2).","scale":"The anomaly covered the Pacific coast of Japan's Tohoku region and the Kuroshio Extension, a national coastline (ref 1).","duration":"Temperatures stayed about 6 C above normal from February 2023 to January 2025, and marine heatwave conditions were present almost daily from April 2023 to August 2024 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Japan Meteorological Agency formally declared the large meander ended in August 2025 and linked the ocean state to record 2023 summer heat, backed by a peer-reviewed study (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea surface temperature off Sanriku was about 6 C above normal from February 2023 to January 2025, which the University of Tokyo calls the largest warming in the world's oceans (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sanriku sea surface temperature anomaly","value":6,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"February 2023 to January 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Duration of extreme northward meander","value":24,"unit":"months","status":"Reported","note":"February 2023 to January 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Warming depth reached","value":700,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"From Japan Meteorological Agency cruise data per ref 1; CNN gives about 400 m (ref 2)."},{"name":"Century trend of sea surface temperature around Japan","value":1.36,"unit":"C per 100 years","status":"Reported","note":"1900 to 2025, against 0.63 C for the global ocean (ref 3)."},{"name":"Mie Gaiwan mackerel catch versus ten years ago","value":25,"unit":"% (midpoint of 20 to 30)","status":"Reported","note":"Fisheries cooperative statement in ref 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Mie Gaiwan fisheries cooperative: mackerel catches at 20 to 30 percent of levels ten years ago, with no recovery yet (ref 2).","Sanriku salmon and saury harder to catch as the warm current displaced the cool Oyashio (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The meander was declared ended in August 2025 and the current was calmer off Ibaraki by September 2025, but fishery effects persist (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Japan Meteorological Agency","role":"Ocean monitoring and meander declaration"},{"name":"Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo","role":"Research on the Sanriku warming","contact":"https://hotspot3.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/"}],"public_contact":"Not given in the cited sources; the JMA and the University of Tokyo publish contact channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["No corrective action applies; the study and JMA monitoring continue (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Kuroshio Extension has reached off Aomori Prefecture: what has happened off Sanriku since 2023? (September 2025)","publisher":"Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo (Habitable Japan project)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hotspot3.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/topics/2509osc","basis":"Research institute briefing (peer-reviewed study cited: Sugimoto et al. 2025, J. Oceanography 81)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Why the weirdest sea level changes on Earth are happening off the coast of Japan","publisher":"CNN (via KVIA)","date":"2025-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://kvia.com/cnn-other/2025/12/17/why-the-weirdest-sea-level-changes-on-earth-are-happening-off-the-coast-of-japan/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sea surface temperature around Japan (long-term trend)","publisher":"Japan Meteorological Agency","date":"2026-03-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.data.jma.go.jp/kaiyou/english/long_term_sst_japan/sea_surface_temperature_around_japan.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Wikipedia: Sanriku Coast (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanriku_Coast","basis":"Reference gazetteer, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The University of Tokyo briefing says the warming reached about 700 m (ref 1); CNN gives about 400 m (ref 2)."},{"note":"The briefing dates the end of the extreme meander to about February 2025 (ref 1); CNN reports the JMA declared the larger meander ended in August 2025 (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The University of Tokyo briefing shows only 'September 2025', so its source date is left null."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-ABNJ-SAURY-2026","OC-NPAC-FUKUSHIMA-ALPS-2026","OC-NPAC-GYRE-ACIDIFICATION-2025","OC-NPAC-CHOSHI-OFFSHOREWIND-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-NWHI-DEBRIS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Derelict nets and plastic keep arriving in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: 72,150 lb removed in 2025 and about 49,000 lb in 2026","description":"The Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project removed 72,150 pounds of marine debris from Pearl and Hermes Atoll and Kure Atoll in September and October 2025, and cleared about 49,000 pounds on its 2026 voyage. The project says it has removed more than 1.2 million pounds over six years, and a 2022 report put new accumulation at about 57 tons a year.","location":{"name":"Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument","type":"Marine national monument","countries":["US"],"detail":"Northwestern Hawaiian Islands including Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Kure Atoll and Laysan Island, Hawaii, United States","coordinates":{"lat":27.8611,"lon":-175.8529,"precision":"site","source_ref":6},"points":[{"lat":27.8611,"lon":-175.8529,"precision":"site","role":"Pearl and Hermes Atoll","source_ref":6},{"lat":28.417,"lon":-178.333,"precision":"site","role":"Kure Atoll","source_ref":7}],"extent":"national_waters","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Ocean currents deliver lost fishing gear and plastic to a remote protected reef system.","secondary_drivers":["Derelict fishing gear","Ocean currents"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Nets and trash accumulate on reefs and shorelines of a protected monument and the project's 2025 season targeted nets with drones and undersea scooters, but no mortality figure is given for 2025 or 2026 (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited reports describe no fishery, tourism or access restriction linked to the debris (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Work spanned several atolls across the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, including Pearl and Hermes, Kure and Laysan, which we score as a national coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The project has removed more than 1.2 million pounds over six years and an estimated 57 tons accumulate on the reefs each year (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Removal is run by a nonprofit project and a 2025 hack-a-thon, with no formal notice, enforcement or listing described in the cited sources (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"72,150 pounds of marine debris were removed from Pearl and Hermes and Kure atolls from September to October 2025 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Debris removed, September to October 2025","value":72150,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"Pearl and Hermes and Kure atolls (ref 1)."},{"name":"Debris cleared on the 2026 voyage","value":49000,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"About 49,000 lb despite losing roughly four days to Hurricane Lala (ref 2)."},{"name":"Debris removed by the project over six years","value":1200000,"unit":"lb","status":"Reported","note":"More than 1.2 million lb (ref 2)."},{"name":"Estimated annual accumulation on monument reefs","value":57,"unit":"tons per year","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimate in a November 2022 report on the project's earlier work (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The 2026 haul of about 49,000 lb was lower than 2025's 72,150 lb after the crew lost about four operational days to a hurricane (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project","role":"Nonprofit removal operator"},{"name":"Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument co-managers","role":"Monument management"}],"public_contact":"Not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The project removes nets and plastic from reefs and shorelines each year and in 2025 first used drones and undersea scooters (ref 1).","A Marine Debris Hack-a-Thon at the Waikiki Aquarium in December 2025 asked innovators to improve operations (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Innovators called to help with marine debris clean-up at Papahānaumokuākea","publisher":"Hawaii Public Radio","date":"2025-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/the-conversation/2025-12-08/innovators-called-to-help-with-marine-debris-clean-up-at-papahanaumokuakea","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Marine debris clean-up crew has a close call with Hurricane Lala","publisher":"Hawaii Public Radio","date":"2026-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/the-conversation/2026-08-26/marine-debris-clean-up-crew-has-a-close-call-with-hurricane-lala","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"53 tons of marine debris removed from national monument in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands","publisher":"Big Island Now","date":"2022-11-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bigislandnow.com/?p=323093","basis":"News; earlier context for the annual accumulation estimate"},{"ref":6,"title":"Wikipedia: Pearl and Hermes Atoll (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_and_Hermes_Atoll","basis":"Reference gazetteer, used for coordinates only"},{"ref":7,"title":"Wikipedia: Kure Atoll (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kure_Atoll","basis":"Reference gazetteer, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The debris composition of the 2025 and 2026 hauls is not stated in the cited articles.","The 'Wikipedia' Pearl and Hermes coordinates came from the MediaWiki coordinates API."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-NWHI-MONKSEAL-2025","OC-NPAC-GPGP-PLASTIC-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-ENEWETAK-RUNITDOME-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Runit Dome nuclear waste cap on Enewetak Atoll exposed to rising seas, GAO and DOE reports find","description":"The Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands holds contaminated soil and debris from US nuclear weapons tests in an unlined crater under a non-load-bearing concrete cap. GAO reported in January 2024 that Marshallese officials fear rising seas may affect contaminated sites and that DOE has struggled to explain its view that the health risk is low, and DOE's July 2024 report to Congress found storm surge with sea-level rise would matter most. A March 2026 report describes cracks in the cap and groundwater entering the crater.","location":{"name":"Runit Dome, Enewetak Atoll","type":"Nuclear waste containment site","countries":["MH"],"detail":"Runit Island, Enewetak Atoll, northern Marshall Islands; Runit is off limits and about 275 people live on Enewetak Island","coordinates":{"lat":11.545,"lon":162.353,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"extent":"site","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[]},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["sea-level-coastal-flooding"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Radioactive waste from nuclear tests contained at sea level on a coral atoll, with leaching and sea-level risk.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Storm surge","Legacy nuclear waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"DOE's modelled doses stay below 0.1 mrem per year with the dome intact and below 0.2 mrem per year after a hypothetical failure, so harm is potential; a 2026 report notes groundwater already enters the unlined crater (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Runit Island is indefinitely off limits, and only Enewetak Island, about 275 people, is inhabited; the Marshallese government disputes DOE's low-risk view (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The dome is a single containment structure on one island, although lagoon sediments across the atoll hold most of the long-term radioactivity (ref 2).","duration":"The dome was built in the late 1970s and DOE's study projects conditions to 2090 with 62 cm of sea-level rise, so the exposure is chronic (ref 2).","significance":"GAO issued formal report GAO-24-104082 whose communication recommendation remained open in July 2026, and DOE delivered a statutory report to Congress (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":275,"status":"Reported","note":"Only Enewetak Island, about 13 miles from Runit, is inhabited, by roughly 275 people (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"DOE's modelled change in dose is below 0.1 mrem per year with the dome intact and below 0.2 mrem per year after a hypothetical 2090 failure, on islands other than Runit (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dome diameter","value":114,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Apex 7.4 m (ref 2)."},{"name":"Sea-level rise assumed in the 2090 storm scenarios","value":62,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"DOE and PNNL study (ref 2)."},{"name":"Added first-year dose around Runit after a hypothetical dome failure","value":20,"unit":"mrem","status":"Estimated","note":"Modelled by PNNL for DOE; assumes no inhabitants (ref 2)."},{"name":"Lagoon biota dose versus action levels after failure","value":1000,"unit":"times lower (500 to 1,000)","status":"Estimated","note":"Modelled (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"DOE found no increased health risk to residents under its scenarios while GAO and Marshallese officials disagree on the risk (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"US Department of Energy","role":"Responsible for monitoring and the report to Congress"},{"name":"Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands","role":"Host government"},{"name":"US Government Accountability Office","role":"Oversight report GAO-24-104082","contact":"https://gao.gov/products/gao-24-104082"}],"public_contact":"Not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["GAO recommended DOE document a sustained, transparent communication strategy with the Marshall Islands; DOE concurred and in August 2025 had a draft plan under review (ref 1).","DOE's PNNL study found no increased health risk under its nine storm scenarios (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Nuclear Waste: Changing Conditions May Affect Future Management of Contamination Deposited Abroad During U.S. Cold War Activities (GAO-24-104082)","publisher":"US Government Accountability Office","date":"2024-01-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gao.gov/products/gao-24-104082","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Impact of Climate Change on Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands, Report to Congress (July 2024)","publisher":"US Department of Energy","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/Congressional%20Report%20on%20Climate%20Change%20Runit%20Dome%20-%20signed.pdf","basis":"Agency report to Congress"},{"ref":3,"title":"This Infamous Radioactive 'Tomb' Is Leaking, And Experts Are Worried","publisher":"ScienceAlert","date":"2026-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sciencealert.com/this-infamous-radioactive-tomb-is-leaking-and-experts-are-worried","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Wikipedia: Runit Island (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runit_Island","basis":"Reference gazetteer, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"DOE says the dome is about 114 m across (ref 2); ScienceAlert says 115 m (ref 3)."},{"note":"DOE finds no increased health risk; Marshallese officials believe DOE has downplayed the risk (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["The DOE report shows only 'July 2024', so its source date is left null.","No physical sampling result from 2024 to 2026 was found; ScienceAlert's cracks and leakage statements rest on earlier field visits."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-MAJURO-SEALEVEL-2026","OC-SPAC-MORUROA-NUCLEARLEGACY-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-GYRE-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Open North Pacific acidifying faster below the surface near Hawaii and steadily across the western subtropical gyre","description":"A University of Hawaii study of 35 years of Hawaii Ocean Time-series data at Station ALOHA, about 60 miles north of Oahu, found that acidification is faster below the surface than at the surface for every indicator, from the surface to nearly 3 miles deep. Japan's Meteorological Agency reports surface pH falling about 0.02 per decade along 137E and 165E, close to the global rate, and 0.016 to 0.029 per decade in the interior at 150 to 800 m.","location":{"name":"North Pacific subtropical gyre (Station ALOHA, 137E, 165E)","type":"Open-ocean monitoring region","countries":["US","JP","ABNJ"],"detail":"Station ALOHA north of Oahu, Hawaii, and Japan Meteorological Agency repeat sections along 137E (3N to 34N) and 165E (5S to 35N)","extent":"basin","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[]},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide is changing seawater carbonate chemistry across the water column.","secondary_drivers":["Atmospheric CO2 uptake"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The University of Hawaii release says more acidic deep water could harm plankton and other organisms below the surface, but it reports no documented mortality (ref 1).","livelihoods":"None of the cited sources report a fishery, aquaculture or access effect from open-ocean acidification here (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"JMA's sections span 3N to 35N along 137E and 165E and the Hawaii record covers the whole water column, a basin-scale signal (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The Station ALOHA record is 35 years, JMA's 137E series starts in 1985 and its 165E series in 1996, and trends continue (refs 1, 2, 4).","significance":"These are research and agency monitoring results without a formal notice, listing or enforcement, so the score is 0 (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Surface pH is falling about 0.02 per decade along JMA's 137E and 165E lines, almost the same as the global ocean, and faster below the surface near Hawaii (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Surface pH decline along 137E and 165E","value":0.02,"unit":"pH units per decade","status":"Reported","note":"JMA page updated 2 February 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Interior pH decline, western North Pacific","value":0.0225,"unit":"pH units per decade (midpoint of 0.016 to 0.029)","status":"Reported","note":"Since the 1990s, density layers about 150 to 800 m; JMA page updated 5 March 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Station ALOHA record length","value":35,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Hawaii Ocean Time-series carbon data (ref 1)."},{"name":"Station ALOHA depth range analysed","value":3,"unit":"miles (surface to nearly 3 miles)","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"pH keeps declining at about 0.02 per decade (JMA, ref 2), and a 2026 study of the Station ALOHA surface record reports that persistence and the size of the negative trend have grown over time, with a single-record caveat (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Japan Meteorological Agency","role":"Repeat hydrographic monitoring"},{"name":"University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology","role":"Hawaii Ocean Time-series research"}],"public_contact":"Not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Monitoring continues at Station ALOHA and along JMA's 137E and 165E lines (refs 1, 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Study reveals rapid acidification below ocean's surface near Hawaii","publisher":"University of Hawaii at Manoa news","date":"2025-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=14079","basis":"Research news release (Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ocean acidification: surface seawater pH in the western North Pacific","publisher":"Japan Meteorological Agency","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.data.jma.go.jp/kaiyou/english/oa/oceanacidification_en.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ocean acidification in the ocean interior, western North Pacific","publisher":"Japan Meteorological Agency","date":"2026-03-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.data.jma.go.jp/kaiyou/english/oa_in/oceanacidification_interior_en.html","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Trends and persistence in ocean acidification as measured by station ALOHA (Frontiers in Marine Science 13, 1873334)","publisher":"Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre news","date":"2026-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2026/08/06/trends-and-persistence-in-ocean-acidification-as-measured-by-station-aloha/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study summary"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Subtropical gyre deoxygenation and aragonite saturation findings for 2024 to 2026 were not found in opened pages and are not covered.","No coordinates were given by an opened source for Station ALOHA, so the record is placed by basin."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-SANRIKU-KUROSHIO-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-GPGP-PLASTIC-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Great Pacific Garbage Patch holds about 100,000 tonnes of plastic over 1.6 million sq km, and cleanup has removed a fraction","description":"The Ocean Cleanup estimates the patch between Hawaii and California covers about 1.6 million square kilometres and holds about 100,000 tonnes of plastic, mostly fishing gear. By April 2024 it had verifiably removed over 345,000 kg in 18 trips, about a third of a percent, and in July 2026 it said it would test drone-guided steering in the patch on a six-week expedition.","location":{"name":"Great Pacific Garbage Patch","type":"Ocean plastic accumulation zone","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"North Pacific subtropical gyre between Hawaii and California, centred on average near 32N 145W","coordinates":{"lat":32,"lon":-145,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"extent":"basin","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[]},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Floating plastic concentrated by the gyre's circulation.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear losses","Gyre accumulation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Ocean Cleanup estimates about 1.8 trillion pieces and about 100,000 tonnes of plastic, of which fishing nets were 46% of the mass in 2018, but no mortality count is given in these pages (refs 1, 4).","livelihoods":"The cited pages describe no fishery, shipping or tourism restriction from the patch (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The patch spans about 1.6 million square kilometres of the high seas in the North Pacific subtropical gyre, which is basin scale (ref 4).","duration":"Plastic has accumulated since the 2018 survey and the first cleanup extraction in 2019, with removal continuing through 2026 (refs 1, 2, 4).","significance":"The estimates come from a nonprofit and a peer-reviewed 2018 study and no formal notice, listing or treaty action on the patch is described in the cited pages (refs 1, 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Ocean Cleanup had removed a verified total of over 345,000 kg of plastic from the patch across 18 trips by April 2024, about a third of a percent of the plastic estimated there (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated plastic mass in the patch","value":100000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Ocean Cleanup page citing Lebreton et al. 2018 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Patch area","value":1.6,"unit":"million sq km","status":"Estimated","note":"Ref 4."},{"name":"Plastic removed from the patch to April 2024","value":345000,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Verified total over 18 trips (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of patch plastic mass that is fishing nets","value":46,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"2018 findings; a 2022 study attributes 75 to 86% of debris to offshore fishing (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No 2025 or 2026 cumulative removal total was found; the 2026 pages describe a new steering strategy rather than totals (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"The Ocean Cleanup","role":"Nonprofit cleanup operator","contact":"https://theoceancleanup.com"}],"public_contact":"Not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["System 03, about 2.5 km long, extracts plastic in the patch (ref 1).","A six-week Pacific Data Expedition in July and August 2026 tests drone-assisted steering toward plastic hotspots (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Ocean Cleanup Returns to Great Pacific Garbage Patch for Most Ambitious Year Yet","publisher":"The Ocean Cleanup","date":"2024-04-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/the-ocean-cleanup-returns-to-great-pacific-garbage-patch-for-most-ambitious-year-yet/","basis":"NGO update (interested party)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Integrating New Technologies to Tackle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch","publisher":"The Ocean Cleanup","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/integrating-new-technologies-to-tackle-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/","basis":"NGO update (interested party)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taking the next step in our ocean operations","publisher":"The Ocean Cleanup","date":"2026-04-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/taking-the-next-step-in-our-ocean-operations/","basis":"NGO update (interested party)"},{"ref":4,"title":"The Great Pacific Garbage Patch","publisher":"The Ocean Cleanup","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/","basis":"NGO explainer page, undated, citing Lebreton et al. 2018 and Egger et al. 2025 (Scientific Reports)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["All four sources are from The Ocean Cleanup; the original 2018 and 2025 Scientific Reports papers were not opened.","No 2025 or 2026 cumulative extraction total was found."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-NWHI-DEBRIS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-GUAM-HIGHTIDE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Apra Harbor, Guam, logged a record 77 high-tide flood days in 2025-26, and Hawaii's Kawaihae and Hilo 44 each","description":"NOAA's 2026-27 outlook review reports that Apra Harbor, Guam, set a station record of 77 high-tide flood days in the 2025-26 meteorological year against a predicted 4 to 11, which NOAA attributes to elevated regional sea levels. In Hawaii, Kawaihae and Hilo each had 44 flood days and all but one Hawaiian station saw more flooding than predicted, while Honolulu's 15 days were within its range.","location":{"name":"Apra Harbor, Guam, and Hawaii tide gauges","type":"Tide gauge coastal flood sites","countries":["GU","US","UM"],"detail":"Apra Harbor (Guam), Kawaihae and Hilo (Hawaii Island) and Wake Island, Western and Central Pacific","coordinates":{"lat":13.443389,"lon":144.65636,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":13.443389,"lon":144.65636,"precision":"site","role":"Apra Harbor, Guam","source_ref":3},{"lat":20.0366,"lon":-155.8294,"precision":"site","role":"Kawaihae, Hawaii","source_ref":3},{"lat":19.730278,"lon":-155.05556,"precision":"site","role":"Hilo, Hawaii","source_ref":3}],"extent":"regional_sea","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise and elevated regional water levels raise the frequency of tidal flooding.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","El Nino","Elevated regional sea height"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA counts days above the minor flood threshold, which it describes as typically low threat of property damage, and notes true flood days may be fewer, so harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The NOAA outlook documents flood-day counts only and cites no closure, displacement or port disruption (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The 2025-26 flooding spans Guam, Hawaii and Wake Island gauges across the Western and Central Pacific, scored as national coastlines (ref 1).","duration":"The Pacific Islands are predicted to average 13 more flood days per year than in 2000, a nearly 750% increase, so the problem is chronic and rising (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA's formal annual outlook records a new station record at Apra Harbor and an above-normal 2026 Central Pacific hurricane season forecast, but no emergency declaration is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Apra Harbor, Guam, set a new station record of 77 high-tide flood days in 2025-26, well above the predicted 4 to 11 days (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Apra Harbor flood days, 2025-26","value":77,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Predicted range 4 to 11; station record (ref 1)."},{"name":"Kawaihae and Hilo flood days, 2025-26","value":44,"unit":"days each","status":"Reported","note":"Regional median 33 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Honolulu flood days, 2025-26","value":15,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"Predicted 8 to 19; within range (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pacific Islands increase in flood days per year versus 2000","value":13,"unit":"days per year","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly 750% increase (ref 1)."},{"name":"Predicted 2026-27 flood days at Apra Harbor, upper bound","value":36,"unit":"days (range 13 to 36)","status":"Estimated","note":"NOAA outlook; Kwajalein 22 to 43, Kawaihae 27 to 46 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["NOAA predicts an above-normal 2026 Central Pacific hurricane season, raising the chance of compound flooding on top of high-tide flooding (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Observed days exceeded predictions at Apra Harbor and all but one Hawaiian gauge in 2025-26, and the 2026 outlook cites El Nino and elevated sea heights (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA National Ocean Service, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services","role":"Tide gauges and annual outlook","contact":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/high-tide-flooding/annual-outlook.html"}],"public_contact":"NOAA CO-OPS publishes a contact page on tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov; none is given in the cited text.","corrective_actions":["NOAA publishes annual and monthly high tide flooding outlooks for planning (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook: Pacific Islands, 2026-2027 Outlook and 2025-2026 Review","publisher":"NOAA National Ocean Service","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/high-tide-flooding/annual-outlook.html","basis":"Agency report (annual outlook page, undated)"},{"ref":2,"title":"El Nino and high tide flooding, a possible double whammy for some coastal communities in 2026","publisher":"NOAA National Ocean Service","date":"2026-05-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/may26/el-nino-flooding.html","basis":"Agency news article (does not mention Guam or Hawaii)"},{"ref":3,"title":"NOAA CO-OPS station metadata: Apra Harbor 1630000, Kawaihae 1617433, Hilo 1617760","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/webapi/stations/1630000.json","basis":"Station metadata (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The NOAA page's Western Pacific and Hawaiian sections both list an 11 to 23 day regional 2026-27 outlook; the regional figures may be duplicated, so only station figures are used here (ref 1)."}],"missing_fields":["No news article or Guam or Hawaii government statement on the 2025-26 flooding was found in opened pages.","NOAA notes the flood threshold for Pacific islands was adjusted in 2023 and waves are not captured by the gauges (ref 1)."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-MAJURO-SEALEVEL-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-MAJURO-SEALEVEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Majuro and the Marshall Islands face frequent flooding, with 96% of the capital at risk and Kwajalein forecast 22 to 43 flood days","description":"A World Bank and Marshall Islands government study found 40 percent of buildings in the capital Majuro endangered and 96 percent of the city facing frequent climate-linked flooding. GAO reported in 2024 that Marshallese officials worry rising seas may affect contaminated sites, and NOAA's 2026-27 outlook predicts 22 to 43 high-tide flood days at Kwajalein, though NOAA warns its flood threshold may not represent Kwajalein.","location":{"name":"Majuro and Kwajalein, Marshall Islands","type":"Atoll capital and coastal communities","countries":["MH"],"detail":"Majuro Atoll (capital) and Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, central North Pacific","coordinates":{"lat":7.08333,"lon":171.38333,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":7.08333,"lon":171.38333,"precision":"city","role":"Majuro","source_ref":4},{"lat":8.731667,"lon":167.73611,"precision":"site","role":"Kwajalein tide gauge","source_ref":5}],"extent":"national_waters","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Low-lying atoll land exposed to rising sea level and tidal flooding.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","King tides"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The World Bank study models flooding rather than documenting a damage event: 40% of Majuro's buildings endangered and 96% of the city at risk of frequent flooding (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The study shows schools, clinics, government buildings and communities that could become unusable and says land raising or migration may be needed under extreme scenarios, which is a potential rather than documented loss (ref 1).","scale":"The assessment covers the capital atoll and NOAA's outlook covers Kwajalein, so the exposure is a national coastline (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The World Bank study models the next 100 years and NOAA's 2026-27 outlook forecasts continuing high-tide flooding at Kwajalein (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A formal government and World Bank assessment and a GAO report record the exposure, but no emergency declaration or inundation event for 2024 to 2026 was found (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 40 percent of existing buildings in Majuro are endangered and 96 percent of the city faces frequent flooding linked to climate change, per the World Bank and Marshall Islands study (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Majuro buildings endangered","value":40,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"World Bank and RMI study, 2021 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Majuro area at risk of frequent flooding","value":96,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Kwajalein predicted high-tide flood days, 2026-27","value":43,"unit":"days (upper bound; range 22 to 43)","status":"Estimated","note":"NOAA outlook; the threshold may not represent Kwajalein (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The cited sources are a 2021 study, a 2024 GAO report and a 2026 NOAA outlook, with no measured Majuro flood series (refs 1, 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Climate Change Directorate","role":"National climate adaptation"},{"name":"World Bank","role":"Adaptation study partner"}],"public_contact":"Not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The study lists sea walls, nature-based solutions and land raising as near-term adaptation options, and land reclamation or migration under extreme scenarios (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Marshall Islands: New Climate Study Visualises Confronting Risk of Projected Sea Level Rise","publisher":"Island Times News (citing World Bank release)","date":"2021-11-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://islandtimes.org/marshall-islands-new-climate-study-visualises-confronting-risk-of-projected-sea-level-rise/","basis":"News (study from 2021, before the window; exposure unresolved)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Nuclear Waste: Changing Conditions May Affect Future Management of Contamination Deposited Abroad During U.S. Cold War Activities (GAO-24-104082)","publisher":"US Government Accountability Office","date":"2024-01-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gao.gov/products/gao-24-104082","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook: Pacific Islands, 2026-2027 Outlook and 2025-2026 Review","publisher":"NOAA National Ocean Service","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/high-tide-flooding/annual-outlook.html","basis":"Agency report (annual outlook page, undated)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Wikipedia: Majuro (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majuro","basis":"Reference gazetteer, used for coordinates only"},{"ref":5,"title":"NOAA CO-OPS station metadata: Kwajalein 1820000","publisher":"NOAA CO-OPS","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://api.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/mdapi/prod/webapi/stations/1820000.json","basis":"Station metadata (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2026 inundation event at Majuro or Ebeye was found in opened pages.","The World Bank study is from 2021, before the research window, and is cited because the exposure is unresolved."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-ENEWETAK-RUNITDOME-2024","OC-NPAC-GUAM-HIGHTIDE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NPAC-LAHAINA-FIRERUNOFF-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lahaina wildfire ash and a first-flush rain plume reached West Maui reefs, with contaminant results still preliminary in 2025","description":"After the August 2023 Lahaina fire, heavy rain sent a large brown sediment plume into coastal waters with turbidity scientists called incredibly high, and experts expected arsenic, lead and organic contaminants from the ash to have reached the sea. University of Hawaii researchers sampled nine burn-zone shoreline sites over seven time points, and by January 2025 results were still described as preliminary, with no concentrations published in the cited sources.","location":{"name":"Lahaina nearshore waters, West Maui","type":"Coastal waters and reef","countries":["US"],"detail":"West Maui shoreline off the Lahaina burn zone, Hawaii, United States","coordinates":{"lat":20.87389,"lon":-156.6775,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"extent":"local","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","points":[]},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fire residue and sediment washed from a burned town into reef waters.","secondary_drivers":["Wildfire runoff","Sediment plume"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"A hydrologist said there were definitely sediment impacts to the reef and experts expected arsenic, lead and volatile organic compounds to have reached the water, but no measured concentrations are published in the cited sources (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Researchers planned to test whether contaminants accumulate in reef fish that support subsistence and commercial fishing, but no advisory or closure is cited (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The plume and the nine-site sampling are limited to the West Maui shoreline off Lahaina, a single coastal site (refs 2, 3).","duration":"Sampling ran across seven time points in the year after the fire and a January 2025 presentation still called results preliminary, months rather than years (ref 3).","significance":"The cited material is university research and press coverage under a rapid-response grant, with no agency notice or enforcement (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Not reported","text":"No contaminant concentrations from the post-fire sampling are given in the cited sources; turbidity was described as incredibly high after about four inches of rain (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Burn-zone shoreline sampling sites","value":9,"unit":"sites","status":"Reported","note":"Plus 2 distant control sites (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sampling time points in the year after the fire","value":7,"unit":"time points","status":"Reported","note":"Including a first-flush runoff event (ref 3)."},{"name":"Rainfall that triggered the sediment plume","value":4,"unit":"inches","status":"Reported","note":"About four inches fell over roughly two days (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only preliminary results had been presented by January 2025 (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"University of Hawaii at Manoa, Oceanography and Hawaii Sea Grant","role":"Post-fire nearshore sampling"},{"name":"US Geological Survey","role":"Contaminant analysis (per ref 2)"}],"public_contact":"Not given in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["University of Hawaii researchers are sampling nearshore water and reef fish with state, county and federal partners (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UH researchers investigate nearshore water quality, reef health after Maui fires","publisher":"University of Hawaii at Manoa news","date":"2023-10-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=12864","basis":"Research news release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Heavy rain washed fire-related contaminants into the ocean off Lahaina. How bad is it? (Civil Beat, via UH EPSCoR)","publisher":"Honolulu Civil Beat via Hawaii EPSCoR","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://hawaii.edu/epscor/heavy-rain-washed-fire-related-contaminants-into-the-ocean-off-lahaina-how-bad-is-it/","basis":"News (reprint; the page shows no date, the Civil Beat URL indicates January 2024)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Coming Together to Cast a Wide Net: Coastal Water Quality Following the Lahaina Wildfire","publisher":"Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, University of Hawaii (WRRC seminar notice)","date":"2025-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pi-casc.soest.hawaii.edu/coming-together-to-cast-a-wide-net-coastal-water-quality-following-the-lahaina-wildfire","basis":"Seminar notice with study design"},{"ref":4,"title":"Wikipedia: Lahaina, Hawaii (coordinates only)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahaina,_Hawaii","basis":"Reference gazetteer, used for coordinates only"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No published contaminant concentrations or peer-reviewed results were found in opened pages.","The fire itself (August 2023) is before the window; only the marine runoff and reef sampling are recorded."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-WESTHAWAII-AQUARIUMFISH-2024"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-ABNJ-SAURY-2026","title":"Pacific saury stock stays far below past levels as the NPFC trims quotas by only 5% for 2026","description":"Japan's saury landings fell from about 300,000 tons until 2009 to about 18,000 tons in 2022. In April 2026 the North Pacific Fisheries Commission agreed a 5% quota cut after Japan and Korea proposed 10%, and Japan's Fisheries Agency then put the Northwest Pacific stock at 429,000 tons, its lowest estimate since 2003.","location":{"name":"North Pacific saury range (high seas and Japan EEZ)","type":"Straddling fish stock","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ABNJ","JP","CN","TW","KR","RU"],"detail":"Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) fished on the North Pacific high seas and in Japan's Pacific waters; managed by the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), whose 2026 meeting was held in Osaka","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A straddling stock fished beyond sustainable levels, with the governance decision on catch limits at its centre.","secondary_drivers":["Warming and changing ocean conditions","Foreign high-seas fleets","Stock assessment disagreement"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Japan's saury catch fell from about 300,000 tons until 2009 to about 18,000 tons in 2022 (ref 1), and the Fisheries Agency's 2026 outlook put the stock at 429,000 tons, the lowest since surveys began in 2003 (ref 4).","livelihoods":"Japan's own 2025 saury quota was cut to 95,623 tons, the first time since 1997 it fell below 100,000 tons, and landing prices reached about 6,000 yen per 10 kg against roughly 1,000 yen earlier (ref 3).","scale":"The record concerns one stock, Pacific saury, even though it is fished across several jurisdictions (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Catches have been below 50,000 tons a year since 2019, after about 200,000 tons a year in 2001 to 2014 (ref 3).","significance":"NPFC members decided the 2026 quota at their 10th annual meeting in Osaka on 14 to 17 April 2026, and the harvest strategy deadline was moved from 2027 to 2028 (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No count of affected fishers in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Fisheries Agency estimate for the Northwest Pacific saury stock in 2026: 429,000 tons, the lowest since surveys began in 2003 (ref 4, Hokkaido Shimbun, Japanese)."},"measures":[{"name":"Japan annual saury catch, 2022","value":18000,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"About 18,000 tons in 2022, from about 300,000 tons until 2009 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Overall NPFC saury quota, 2025","value":202500,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Down 10% on the prior year; the high-seas portion is 121,500 tons (ref 1)."},{"name":"Japan's national saury quota, 2025","value":95623,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"First time under 100,000 tons since quotas began in 1997 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Quota cut agreed for 2026","value":5,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Japan and Korea proposed 10%; the Mongabay report says Taiwan opposed it and obtained consensus on 5% (ref 2)."},{"name":"Northwest Pacific saury stock estimate, 2026 outlook","value":429000,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Lowest since 2003; previous low 453,000 tons in 2021 (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Landing prices reached about 6,000 yen per 10 kg in 2021 and 2022 against roughly 1,000 yen earlier (ref 3).","Japan's Fisheries Agency expects actual catches below the 2025 quota (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Mongabay says the latest assessment found slight recovery after decades of overfishing, but the stock remains well below sustainable levels (ref 2); the 2026 Japanese outlook is the lowest estimate on record (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation setting the saury quota","contact":"https://www.npfc.int"},{"name":"Fisheries Agency of Japan","role":"National fisheries regulator and stock-outlook publisher","contact":"https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/"}],"public_contact":"NPFC Secretariat via the contact details on npfc.int.","corrective_actions":["NPFC cut the overall saury quota by 10% in 2025 (ref 1).","NPFC agreed a 5% cut for 2026 and moved the harvest strategy deadline to 2028 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Annual Talks on Saury Fishing Quotas Begin in Osaka","publisher":"Jiji Press via Adnkronos","date":"2026-04-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://english.adnkronos.com/2026/04/14/annual-talks-on-saury-fishing-quotas-begin-in-osaka/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"NPFC adopts illegal fishing measures but no Emperor Seamount protections","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/npfc-adopts-illegal-fishing-measures-but-no-emperor-seamount-protections/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Japan Data: Pacific saury catch volumes, prices and the 2025 quota","publisher":"nippon.com","date":"2025-09-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02516/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"サンマ資源量、最少42.9万トン 水産庁「来遊量、昨年水準下回る」","publisher":"Hokkaido Shimbun","date":"2026-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/1343639/","basis":"News (Japanese-language; reports the Fisheries Agency outlook)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Jiji reports China expected to oppose the 10% cut; Mongabay attributes the blocking to Taiwan (refs 1, 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Source 4 is partly paywalled; the stock figure and the 'lowest since 2003' statement were read from the visible text only."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-NPAC-SANRIKU-KUROSHIO-2025","OC-NPAC-EMPEROR-BOTTOMFISH-2026","OC-SPAC-WCPO-TUNAHEALTHRISKS-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-EMPEROR-BOTTOMFISH-2026","title":"Bottom fishing continues on the Emperor Seamounts after NPFC rejects closures","description":"At its April 2026 meeting in Osaka the NPFC did not adopt a US proposal to close, or a Korean proposal to pause for two years, fishing for North Pacific armorhead and splendid alfonsino on the Emperor Seamounts. Instead it approved a Japanese proposal to cut the alfonsino catch by 50% from the highest annual catch. A letter from 122 scientists urges precautionary closure of all seafloor-contacting fishing.","location":{"name":"Emperor Seamount Chain (NPFC area)","type":"Seamount chain, high seas","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ABNJ","JP"],"detail":"Chain extending roughly 3,000 km south from the Aleutian Islands, fished by one Japanese-flagged trawler according to Mongabay","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Bottom-contact fishing affecting deep-sea habitat and stocks believed to be overfished.","secondary_drivers":["Bottom trawling","Limited stock data"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Mongabay reports that armorhead and splendid alfonsino are believed to be overfished and that 1960s to 1980s trawling damaged deep-sea coral communities (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure was adopted, so the single Japanese-flagged trawler's fishing continues without new restriction beyond the alfonsino catch cut (ref 1).","scale":"The issue concerns two target stocks on one seamount chain (ref 1).","duration":"Intensive trawling dates from the 1960s to 1980s and a 2024 US-Canada pause proposal also failed to reach a vote (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Commission adopted a 50% alfonsino catch cut at its 10th annual meeting while rejecting the US and Korean closure proposals (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable to the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A letter from 122 scientists in 24 countries urges greater protection of the Emperor Seamount Chain from bottom fishing (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Scientists signing the Emperor Seamount letter","value":122,"unit":"scientists","status":"Reported","note":"From 24 countries, authored by NRDC, Pew and the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (ref 2)."},{"name":"Splendid alfonsino catch, 2024","value":1573,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay says the new quota is well above this catch (ref 1)."},{"name":"Highest recorded annual alfonsino catch","value":5000,"unit":"tons","status":"Estimated","note":"About 5,000 tons in 2016, the base from which the 50% cut is calculated (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["One Japanese-flagged trawler fishes the area (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sources describe the April 2026 decision and earlier failed proposals only."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.npfc.int"}],"public_contact":"NPFC Secretariat via npfc.int.","corrective_actions":["NPFC approved a Japanese proposal to cut splendid alfonsino catch by 50% from the highest recorded annual catch (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NPFC adopts illegal fishing measures but no Emperor Seamount protections","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/npfc-adopts-illegal-fishing-measures-but-no-emperor-seamount-protections/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Joint Scientists' Letter to NPFC Members Regarding the Emperor Seamount Chain (NPFC-2026-COM10-OP02)","publisher":"North Pacific Fisheries Commission","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.npfc.int/node/13605","basis":"Agency page (meeting document; the page shows no date)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["The NPFC letter page shows no date; the file path indicates posting in March 2026."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-ABNJ-SAURY-2026","OC-NPAC-MINAMITORI-REMUD-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-PIHMONUMENT-FISHINGORDER-2025","title":"US court halts commercial fishing reopened in Pacific Islands Heritage monument waters","description":"After an April 2025 presidential proclamation, the National Marine Fisheries Service told permit holders they could fish 50 to 200 nautical miles around Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island and Wake Island. In early August 2025 a federal judge in Hawaii granted environmental and Native Hawaiian plaintiffs' motion, and boats catching fish for sale were required to stop. The government did not defend the NMFS letter on the merits, according to the AP report.","location":{"name":"Pacific Islands Heritage monument, 50-200 nm zones","type":"Marine national monument","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC","SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["UM"],"detail":"Remote US Pacific territories Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island and Wake Island, southwest of Hawaii; monument of about 500,000 square miles (AP)","coordinates":{"lat":16.73694444,"lon":-169.52388889,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[{"lat":-0.372,"lon":-159.996,"precision":"site","source_ref":5,"role":"Jarvis Island"}],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A protected-area rollback and the court ruling on the process used to change fishing rules.","secondary_drivers":["Longline fishing","Executive action on protected areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Environmental groups say longline gear with lines 60 miles or longer will snag turtles, marine mammals and seabirds, while Hawaii's longline industry says circle hooks and other gear changes reduce this (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishing resumed within days of the NMFS letter and boats catching fish for sale then had to stop under the August 2025 order (ref 1).","scale":"The monument covers about 500,000 square miles of the central Pacific, one national monument across several island groups (ref 1).","duration":"The April 2025 proclamation and the court case have run for well over a year, and a June 2026 proclamation followed (refs 2, 3).","significance":"US District Judge Micah W. J. Smith granted the plaintiffs' motion and rejected the government's standing and jurisdiction arguments (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Boats catching fish for sale must immediately stop fishing in waters 50 to 200 nautical miles around Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island and Wake Island, according to Earthjustice quoted by the AP (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Monument area","value":500000,"unit":"square miles","status":"Reported","note":"AP says about 500,000 square miles; Hawaii News Now says about 490,000 (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"Protected zone affected","value":null,"unit":"nautical miles","status":"Not reported","note":"A band from 50 to 200 nautical miles around the three locations (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Hawaii's longline industry sought access to the waters (ref 1).","Earthjustice argues US tuna fisheries reach catch limits each year without monument access (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Fishing resumed in April 2025, was halted by the August 2025 ruling, and a June 2026 proclamation seeks to open further monuments (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service)","role":"Fishery regulator that issued the permit-holder letter","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Earthjustice (plaintiffs' counsel)","role":"Counsel for the environmental and Native Hawaiian plaintiffs","contact":"https://earthjustice.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office published channels.","corrective_actions":["US District Court in Hawaii granted the plaintiffs' motion in August 2025, halting commercial fishing in the 50 to 200 nautical mile zones (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Commercial fishing in a vast Pacific nature area is halted after a judge blocks a Trump order","publisher":"Associated Press via KSAT","date":"2025-08-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ksat.com/business/2025/08/09/commercial-fishing-in-a-vast-pacific-nature-area-is-halted-after-a-judge-blocks-a-trump-order/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Trump Administration Continues Attacks on Pristine Pacific Marine Monuments","publisher":"Earthjustice","date":"2026-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/trump-administration-continues-attacks-on-pristine-pacific-marine-monuments","basis":"Advocacy organisation press release (plaintiffs' counsel)"},{"ref":3,"title":"US moves to allow commercial fishing in Pacific marine protected areas","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-06-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/us-moves-to-allow-commercial-fishing-in-pacific-marine-protected-areas/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Johnston Atoll (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnston_Atoll","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":5,"title":"Jarvis Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarvis_Island","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["No appeal or later court status was found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-MARINEMONUMENTS-PROCLAMATION-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-MARINEMONUMENTS-PROCLAMATION-2026","title":"June 2026 proclamation seeks to open parts of Papahanaumokuakea, the Mariana Trench and Rose Atoll monuments to commercial fishing","description":"On 11 June 2026 the US President signed 'Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific', covering the Mau and Ho'omalu Zones of Papahanaumokuakea, the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench monument and waters 12 to 50 nautical miles around Rose Atoll. The Hawaii Longline Association said it starts a regulatory review and does not immediately reopen areas, while Earthjustice said it will challenge the order in court.","location":{"name":"Papahanaumokuakea, Mariana Trench and Rose Atoll monuments","type":"Marine national monuments","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC","SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US","MP","AS"],"detail":"Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench monument, and Rose Atoll in American Samoa","coordinates":{"lat":25.5,"lon":-170.5,"precision":"sea","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A change to the rules protecting large marine monuments.","secondary_drivers":["Longline and purse-seine fishing","Executive action on protected areas"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Conservationists cited in Mongabay warn of risks to threatened sea turtles, whales, dolphins, seabirds, sharks and fish from longlines and purse seines (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The Hawaii Longline Association said the proclamation 'initiates a regulatory review process' and does not immediately reopen any expansion area, so no fishery disruption is documented yet (ref 2).","scale":"The proclamation covers portions of three monuments totalling about 1.8 million km2, in Hawaii, the Northern Marianas and American Samoa (ref 3).","duration":"The proclamation was signed on 11 June 2026, about four months before this record (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A presidential proclamation was signed; Earthjustice has vowed legal action and no court ruling on it was found (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mongabay reports the proclamation would roll back protections for roughly 1.3 million km2 (500,000 square miles) (ref 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area of the three monuments concerned","value":1800000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"About 690,000 square miles in total (ref 3)."},{"name":"Area where protections would roll back","value":1300000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay figure; Hawaii News Now says nearly half a million square miles (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council welcomed the move (ref 2).","The administration says restored access will promote economic opportunity (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Follows the April 2025 action on the Pacific Islands Heritage monument and extends it to three more monuments (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service)","role":"Fishery regulator that would run any rulemaking","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"},{"name":"Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council","role":"Regional fishery management council","contact":"https://www.wpcouncil.org"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office published channels.","corrective_actions":["NOAA says NMFS will coordinate with regional fishery management councils in a regulatory review (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Trump Administration Continues Attacks on Pristine Pacific Marine Monuments","publisher":"Earthjustice","date":"2026-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/trump-administration-continues-attacks-on-pristine-pacific-marine-monuments","basis":"Advocacy organisation press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"Trump signs proclamation to open marine monuments to commercial fishing","publisher":"Hawaii News Now","date":"2026-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/06/12/trump-signs-proclamation-open-marine-monuments-commercial-fishing/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"US moves to allow commercial fishing in Pacific marine protected areas","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-06-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/06/us-moves-to-allow-commercial-fishing-in-pacific-marine-protected-areas/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papah%C4%81naum%C5%8Dkuakea_Marine_National_Monument","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay gives about 1.3 million km2 for the rollback and about 1.8 million km2 for the three monuments; Hawaii News Now says the areas cover nearly half a million square miles. The pages do not reconcile these figures."}],"missing_fields":["No lawsuit filing or court ruling on the June 2026 proclamation was found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-PIHMONUMENT-FISHINGORDER-2025","OC-NPAC-NWHI-CORALRECOVERY-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12"},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-MINAMITORI-REMUD-2026","title":"Japan retrieves rare-earth mud from about 6,000 m off Minamitorishima in a first mining test","description":"The scientific drilling ship Chikyu lifted rare-earth-rich seabed mud from about 6 km depth near Minamitori Island in early 2026, and the government said about 50 tonnes were recovered. In July 2026 the government reported medium and heavy rare earths at about 54% of the total rare-earth content but said sampling was too limited to size the deposit. A larger trial dredging 350 tonnes a day is planned from February 2027.","location":{"name":"Minamitori Island seabed (Japan EEZ)","type":"Deep-sea rare-earth mud deposit","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"About 1,900 km southeast of Tokyo, depth around 6 km, Japan's remote Pacific island","coordinates":{"lat":24.28666667,"lon":153.98055556,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"State-led seabed mineral development programme for critical minerals.","secondary_drivers":["Critical-mineral supply security","Chinese export controls"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Mud was lifted from about 6 km depth at three locations in January and February 2026 (ref 1); the Reuters texts opened do not report an environmental assessment, so harm is potential only.","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is reported in the Reuters coverage (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The test took place at one deposit near a single island, with about 50 tonnes recovered (ref 2).","duration":"The first test ran from 12 January to mid-February 2026, with a month-long trial planned from February 2027 and an assessment due by March 2028 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The government announced the retrieval and a formal analysis on 24 July 2026, and a full-scale trial is planned (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 50 metric tons of mud were recovered; medium and heavy rare earths made up about 54% of the total rare-earth content (ref 2, Reuters via gCaptain)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mud recovered","value":50,"unit":"metric tons","status":"Reported","note":"Month-long Chikyu mission ending February 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Medium and heavy rare earths share","value":54,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of total rare-earth content, per the government analysis of 24 July 2026 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Planned dredging rate for 2027 trial","value":350,"unit":"tons per day","status":"Reported","note":"Month-long trial planned from February 2027 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Retrieval depth","value":6000,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"About 6 km (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The government said data was insufficient to size the deposits (ref 2).","The Prime Minister said industrialisation requires demonstrating mining through refining and verifying economic viability (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One test in 2026 and a planned 2027 trial."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)","role":"Operator of the Chikyu drilling ship","contact":"https://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/"}],"public_contact":"JAMSTEC published channels at jamstec.go.jp.","corrective_actions":["A comprehensive industrialisation assessment is due by March 2028 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Japan retrieves rare-earth-rich mud from seabed to lower reliance on China","publisher":"Reuters via Marine Technology News","date":"2026-02-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinetechnologynews.com/news/japan-retrieves-earth-seabed-658253","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Japan identifies large share of rare earths in deep-sea mud off remote island","publisher":"Reuters via gCaptain","date":"2026-07-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/japan-identifies-large-share-of-rare-earths-in-deep-sea-mud-off-remote-island/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Minamitorishima (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamitorishima","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["Environmental monitoring or impact assessment for the test or the 2027 trial was not described in the sources opened."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-GLOBAL-CCZ-NOAA-NODULE-PERMIT-2026","OC-NPAC-EMPEROR-BOTTOMFISH-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-JAPAN-FINWHALE-2025","title":"Japan's fin whale hunt, resumed in 2024, takes its full 60-whale quota in 2025","description":"Kyodo Senpaku's mothership Kangei Maru landed Japan's first commercial fin whale in nearly 50 years in 2024. ORCA reports that the 2025 offshore season ended in December with the fin whale quota of 60 and the Bryde's whale quota of 143 filled, while sei and minke whale quotas were not. The government says the level is sustainable; the IUCN classifies fin whales as vulnerable.","location":{"name":"Japan's territorial waters and EEZ (offshore whaling)","type":"Whaling grounds, national waters","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Offshore hunt in Japan's Pacific waters; the Kangei Maru landed its first catch at Sendai Shiogama Port and returned to Shimonoseki in December 2025","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Hunting of a species the IUCN lists as vulnerable.","secondary_drivers":["Commercial whaling outside the IWC"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2025 offshore season took 60 fin, 143 Bryde's, 35 sei and 55 minke whales, and ORCA notes some early-season fin whales were very thin (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery disruption is documented; the company blamed fog and bad weather for a meat shortfall of about 1,530 tonnes against a 2,000-tonne target (ref 2).","scale":"The hunt operates in Japan's EEZ and territorial waters, a national coastline rather than a regional sea (ref 1).","duration":"The 2024 and 2025 seasons both took fin whales after Japan's 2019 IWC withdrawal (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The IUCN lists fin whales as vulnerable and the government set a 2024 quota of up to 376 whales including 59 fin whales (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2025 season: fin whale quota 60, taken 60; Bryde's 143 of 143; sei 35 of 56; minke 55 of 111 (ref 2, ORCA)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fin whales taken, 2025","value":60,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Equal to the quota (ref 2)."},{"name":"Whale meat produced, 2025","value":1530,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Against a 2,000-tonne target (ref 2)."},{"name":"Government estimate of fin whales in Japan's waters and EEZ","value":19299,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"As given in the Gulf News report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fin whale quota, 2024","value":59,"unit":"whales","status":"Reported","note":"Part of a total quota of up to 376 whales (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The operator reached about 75% of its intended catch in 2025 (ref 2).","Kangei Maru is a 9,300-tonne mothership, Japan's first built domestically in 73 years (refs 1, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two seasons since the hunt resumed in 2024."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries Agency of Japan","role":"National fisheries regulator setting whaling quotas","contact":"https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/"},{"name":"Kyodo Senpaku Co.","role":"Whaling operator","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Fisheries Agency of Japan published channels.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Japan shows first commercial fin whale catch in 48 years","publisher":"Gulf News (AFP)","date":"2024-09-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/japan-shows-first-commercial-fin-whale-catch-in-48-years-1.104074230","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Japan's 2025 whaling season: fewer whales, familiar warnings","publisher":"ORCA","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://orca.org.uk/news-blog/japans-2025-whaling-season-fewer-whales-familiar-warnings","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Japan's whaling mothership docks in Sendai after 1st mission; team catches 15 Bryde's whales","publisher":"Kyodo via Asia News Network","date":"2024-06-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://asianews.network/?p=152222","basis":"News"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Gulf News gives a 2024 fin whale quota of 59; ORCA gives 60 for 2025 (different years)."}],"missing_fields":["ORCA is a conservation NGO; the quota and catch tallies were not checked against a Japanese government page."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-NPAC-TAIJI-DOLPHINDRIVE-2026"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-WESTHAWAII-AQUARIUMFISH-2024","title":"Hawaii Supreme Court clears West Hawaii aquarium-fish review, opening the way to commercial reef collection permits","description":"On 28 August 2024 the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled 4-1 in Kaupiko v. BLNR that the industry's environmental review of commercial aquarium collection in West Hawaii was legally adequate. Earthjustice says the ruling ends a de facto ban in place since 2017 and could allow nearly the whole coastline to reopen; the board can still deny permits, and a contested case paused permit action.","location":{"name":"West Hawaii coast (Big Island)","type":"Coral reef fishery area","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Kona and the leeward coast of Hawaii Island","coordinates":{"lat":19.6996,"lon":-155.99,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Collection of reef fish for the pet trade, regulated through environmental review and permits.","secondary_drivers":["Aquarium trade"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Earthjustice estimates about 250,000 native fish a year are removed for aquariums (ref 3).","livelihoods":"Collection had effectively been halted since a 2017 Supreme Court decision required environmental review, a de facto ban (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The issue covers one coast of one island (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The dispute dates from the 2017 ruling, the 2020 rejection of the first review and the 2024 ruling (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled 4-1 on 28 August 2024 (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled 4-1 that the pet industry's environmental review of West Hawaii aquarium collection was legally adequate (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Native fish removed annually for aquariums","value":250000,"unit":"fish","status":"Estimated","note":"Earthjustice attorney's estimate reported by the Star-Advertiser (ref 3)."},{"name":"Supreme Court vote","value":4,"unit":"justices of 5 in favour","status":"Reported","note":"4-1 ruling, Justice McKenna dissenting (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Department of Land and Natural Resources continues to advance permitting (ref 3).","Board approval of permit terms was paused by a community contested-case request (refs 2, 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sources opened end in August 2024; later permit decisions were not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)","role":"Permitting authority","contact":"https://dlnr.hawaii.gov"}],"public_contact":"Hawaii DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources published channels.","corrective_actions":["The board unanimously approved a request in December 2023 to ban commercial aquarium collection statewide, but formal rulemaking had not started (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hawaii Supreme Court fails to protect coastal reef fish","publisher":"Earthjustice","date":"2024-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/hawaii-supreme-court-fails-to-protect-coastal-reef-fish","basis":"Advocacy organisation press release (plaintiffs' counsel)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hawaii Supreme Court ruling on West Hawaii aquarium fish collection","publisher":"Maui Now","date":"2024-08-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mauinow.com/?p=465423","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hawaii Supreme Court ruling on commercial aquarium fish collection in West Hawaii","publisher":"Honolulu Star-Advertiser via The Garden Island","date":"2024-08-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thegardenisland.com/?p=394994","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Kona District, Hawaii (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kona_District,_Hawaii","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["No 2025 or 2026 permit or rulemaking outcome was found in the pages opened."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-LAHAINA-FIRERUNOFF-2024"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-CHOSHI-OFFSHOREWIND-2025","title":"Mitsubishi exits Choshi and two other Round 1 offshore wind projects; TEPCO starts assessment for a re-tender","description":"In August 2025 Mitsubishi withdrew from three Round 1 offshore wind projects in Akita and Chiba, including Choshi, citing inflation and rising material costs. In August 2026 TEPCO Renewable Power began an environmental impact assessment for an up-to-420 MW project off Choshi City, the first developer to do so for a Round 1 area since the withdrawal.","location":{"name":"Offshore Choshi, Chiba Prefecture","type":"Offshore wind promotion zone","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Pacific coast of Chiba Prefecture, Japan; Round 1 offshore wind auction area","coordinates":{"lat":35.73463889,"lon":140.82677778,"precision":"city","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Project economics and auction design for offshore wind off Japan's Pacific coast.","secondary_drivers":["Construction cost inflation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological or health harm is documented in the cited sources; the issue is project withdrawal (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or coastal restriction is reported; onshore substation work had already begun locally (ref 1).","scale":"The finding concerns one promotion zone off Choshi, part of three withdrawn projects of about 1.7 GW (ref 1).","duration":"The withdrawal in August 2025 and the TEPCO assessment in August 2026 span about a year (refs 1, 3).","significance":"METI described a business environment with challenges and proposed support measures, and the government forfeits deposits of about 22 billion yen (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mitsubishi booked a 52.2 billion yen charge on the three withdrawn Round 1 projects (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Mitsubishi charge on withdrawn projects","value":52.2,"unit":"billion yen","status":"Reported","note":"Eco-Business lists dollar figures that appear to be wrong, so the yen figure is used (ref 2)."},{"name":"Forfeited deposits for the three sites","value":22,"unit":"billion yen","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimate in the Shulman Advisory note (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned Choshi project under TEPCO","value":420,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 420 MW, 21 to 27 turbines of 15 to 20 MW over about 40 km2 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Mitsubishi's planned Choshi project","value":403,"unit":"MW","status":"Reported","note":"Draft environmental assessment stage reached April 2024 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["METI said costs for government-tendered offshore wind have more than doubled (ref 2).","Chubu Electric expects a loss of about 17 billion yen (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One withdrawal and a re-tender preparation step; the re-tender date is not given (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)","role":"Offshore wind auction authority","contact":"https://www.meti.go.jp/english/"},{"name":"TEPCO Renewable Power","role":"Prospective developer","contact":null}],"public_contact":"METI published channels.","corrective_actions":["METI proposed letting some Round 2 and 3 developers join a long-term decarbonisation auction and allowed flexible business-plan changes (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Mitsubishi exits three offshore wind projects in Japan","publisher":"Shulman Advisory","date":"2025-09-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://shulman-advisory.com/mitsubishi-exits-three-offshore-wind-projects-in-japan/","basis":"News (industry analysis)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Japan weighs new support for offshore wind after Mitsubishi exits key projects","publisher":"Eco-Business","date":"2025-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eco-business.com/id/news/japan-weighs-new-support-for-offshore-wind-after-mitsubishi-exits-key-projects/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"TEPCO unit begins EIA for up to 420MW Choshi offshore wind project ahead of Round 1 area re-tender","publisher":"Japan Energy Hub","date":"2026-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://japanenergyhub.com/?p=17642","basis":"News (industry)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Choshi, Chiba (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dshi,_Chiba","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["Eco-Business does not mention Choshi by name; Choshi details come from refs 1 and 3."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-SANRIKU-KUROSHIO-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-HAWAII-LONGLINEBYCATCH-2025","title":"Hawaii deep-set longline fleet reports a false killer whale, seabird and sea turtle deaths in 2025 under 6.7% observer coverage","description":"NOAA's 2025 status report for the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery lists one false killer whale released dead, nine seabirds released dead and nine sea turtle interactions among observed trips. Only 107 of 1,597 departures carried an observer. A 2024 federal rule required tori lines because seabird interactions had risen since 2015.","location":{"name":"Hawaii deep-set longline fishing grounds","type":"Longline fishery, national waters and high seas","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Central North Pacific fishery based in Honolulu, Hawaii; observed interactions reported by quarter for 2025","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Bycatch of protected species in a pelagic fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Longline bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Observers recorded 1 false killer whale released dead, 9 seabirds released dead (7 black-footed and 2 Laysan albatross) and 9 sea turtles, 6 of them released dead, in 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure of the fishery is reported in the cited documents (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The fishery works across the central North Pacific, with 1,511 sets and 4,551,729 hooks in 2025 (ref 1).","duration":"The Federal Register notes seabird interactions rose from 2015 and a 2024 rule addressed it, while NOAA reports continue into 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A March 2024 NMFS final rule required tori lines for stern-setting deep-set vessels, and NOAA publishes a false killer whale assessment for 2020 to 2024 (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2025 observed interactions in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery: 1 false killer whale, 9 seabirds, 9 sea turtles (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Observed false killer whale interactions, 2025","value":1,"unit":"whale","status":"Reported","note":"Released dead, October to December 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Observed seabird interactions, 2025","value":9,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"All released dead (ref 1)."},{"name":"Observed sea turtle interactions, 2025","value":9,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"7 olive ridley and 2 leatherback; 6 released dead (ref 1)."},{"name":"Observer coverage, 2025","value":6.7,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"107 of 1,597 vessel departures (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The fleet sought access to monument waters as covered in the monument findings (see related ids)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the 2025 report was opened for counts."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office","role":"Fishery manager and observer programme","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office published channels.","corrective_actions":["NMFS final rule of 1 March 2024 required tori lines and strategic offal discharge in place of blue-dyed bait for stern-setting deep-set vessels fishing above 23 degrees N (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hawaii Deep-set Longline Fishery Quarterly and Annual Status Report 2025","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office","date":"2026-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/hawaii-deep-set-longline-fishery-quarterly-and-annual-status-report-2025","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Assessment of Incidental Interactions with False Killer Whales in the Hawaii Longline Deep- and Shallow-set Fisheries from 2020 through 2024 (DR-26-01)","publisher":"NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center","date":"2026-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://library.oarcloud.noaa.gov/noaa_documents.lib/NMFS/PIFSC/PIFSC_data_report/DR-26-01.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pacific Island Fisheries; Modification of Seabird Interaction Mitigation Measures in the Hawaii Deep-Set Longline Fishery","publisher":"NOAA/NMFS, Federal Register 89 FR 15062","date":"2024-03-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-03-01/pdf/2024-04236.pdf","basis":"Court or regulatory record (final rule)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-PIHMONUMENT-FISHINGORDER-2025","OC-NPAC-NWHI-MONKSEAL-2025"],"missing_fields":["The DR-26-01 estimate tables are in attached workbooks that were not opened; the report page shows only February 2026."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-NWHI-MONKSEAL-2025","title":"Hawaiian monk seals recover slowly while entanglement and turtle entrapment persist at French Frigate Shoals","description":"NOAA estimated 1,605 Hawaiian monk seals in 2022 and says the population has grown about 2% a year since 2013. NOAA's 2025 Papahanaumokuakea field season recorded 127 births and found 81 sea turtles, 77 of them adult females, trapped in degrading World War II structures on Tern Island.","location":{"name":"French Frigate Shoals (Lalo)","type":"Atoll and monk seal breeding site","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument","coordinates":{"lat":23.74888889,"lon":-166.14611111,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[{"lat":27.8611,"lon":-175.8529,"precision":"site","source_ref":4,"role":"Pearl and Hermes Atoll (Manawai), another surveyed colony"}],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An endangered-species recovery with documented entanglement and habitat hazards.","secondary_drivers":["Marine debris entanglement","Degrading structures"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"On Tern Island 81 marine turtles became trapped in degrading structures and 25 seabirds were freed; a seal tangled in discarded fishing net at Gin Island was freed (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No livelihood disruption is reported in the NOAA pages (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The record covers one atoll and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands colonies, where about 75% of seals live (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The population has been growing about 2% a year since 2013 and threats are listed as ongoing (ref 2).","significance":"NOAA monitoring reports only; the pages opened state no enforcement or listing action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":1605,"status":"Reported","note":"2022 total monk seal estimate, 95% interval 1,512 to 1,743 (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"2022 monk seal population 1,605 (95% CI 1,512 to 1,743); about 2% yearly growth since 2013 (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Hawaiian monk seal population, 2022","value":1605,"unit":"seals","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA estimate (ref 2)."},{"name":"Monk seal births, 2025 field season","value":127,"unit":"births","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA gives site counts that sum to 174, so the figures conflict (ref 1)."},{"name":"Turtles trapped on Tern Island","value":81,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"77 adult females coming ashore to nest (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"NOAA describes the population as slowly but steadily increasing (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center","role":"Monk seal research and recovery","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office published channels.","corrective_actions":["Larger holes cut into seawalls in 2020 have reduced seal entrapments (ref 1).","NOAA and partners carried out 68 life-saving actions in 2022 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Papahanaumokuakea: 2025 Monk Seal and Sea Turtle Field Season Highlights","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center","date":"2026-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/gallery/papahanaumokuakea-2025-monk-seal-and-sea-turtle-field-season-highlights","basis":"Agency page (last updated date)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hawaiian monk seal population rounds out decade of growth","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2023-05-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/hawaiian-monk-seal-population-rounds-out-decade-growth","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"French Frigate Shoals (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Frigate_Shoals","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":4,"title":"Pearl and Hermes Atoll (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_and_Hermes_Atoll","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The NOAA 2025 page says 127 births but its site counts sum to 174."}],"missing_fields":["No 2025 total population estimate was found in the pages opened."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-NPAC-NWHI-DEBRIS-2026","OC-NPAC-HAWAII-LONGLINEBYCATCH-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-NWHI-CORALRECOVERY-2025","title":"Northwestern Hawaiian Islands reefs still show low coral cover after the 2014-15 bleaching and 2018 hurricane","description":"Hawaii's Division of Aquatic Resources reported from its 24-day 2025 survey cruise that reefs hit by the 2014-15 bleaching and the 2018 hurricane still have low coral cover, though many new recruits are returning. The survey also tracked the spread of the invasive red alga Chondria tumulosa.","location":{"name":"Northwestern Hawaiian Islands reefs","type":"Coral reef system","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["US"],"detail":"Lalo, Kamole, Kapou, Holanikuu, Manawai and Kuaihelani within Papahanaumokuakea","coordinates":{"lat":23.74888889,"lon":-166.14611111,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[{"lat":27.8611,"lon":-175.8529,"precision":"site","source_ref":3,"role":"Pearl and Hermes Atoll (Manawai), where C. tumulosa was first noted in 2016"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Habitat loss and slow recovery after heat stress, storm damage and an invasive alga.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave legacy","Hurricane damage","Invasive alga"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Reefs with high coral mortality from the 2014/2015 bleaching and the 2018 hurricane still had low coral cover in 2025 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No livelihood disruption is reported in the DAR recap (ref 1).","scale":"Surveys covered six northwestern atolls and banks in one archipelago (ref 1).","duration":"The effects date from 2014/2015 and 2018 and were still visible in 2025, and C. tumulosa spread from Manawai in 2016 to Kuaihelani and Holanikuu by 2023 (ref 1).","significance":"The source is a monitoring cruise recap with no regulatory action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Some reefs still have healthy coral and high cover, while others hit by the 2014/2015 bleaching and 2018 hurricane have low cover and many new recruits (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Survey cruise length, 2025","value":24,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"RAMP cruise (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coral cover","value":null,"unit":"%","status":"Not reported","note":"The recap gives no percentage figures (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Many new coral recruits were slowly returning to reefs with low cover (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Hawaii DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources","role":"State reef monitoring partner in Papahanaumokuakea","contact":"https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/"}],"public_contact":"DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources published channels.","corrective_actions":["Annual RAMP cruise surveys feed a dataset about 20 years long for resource managers (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"DAR in Papahanaumokuakea: 2025 RAMP Cruise Recap","publisher":"Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources","date":"2025-10-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/10-24-25-dar-in-papahanaumokuakea-2025-ramp-cruise-recap/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"French Frigate Shoals (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Frigate_Shoals","basis":"Reference"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pearl and Hermes Atoll (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_and_Hermes_Atoll","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"missing_fields":["Only one dated report on the 2025 survey was opened; no coral cover percentages or 2024-25 bleaching mortality were found."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-NWHI-MONKSEAL-2025","OC-NPAC-MARINEMONUMENTS-PROCLAMATION-2026"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-NPAC-TAIJI-DOLPHINDRIVE-2026","title":"Taiji drive hunt: monitors estimate about 416 dolphins killed and 84 captured in the 2025-26 season","description":"Independent monitors estimate that the 2025-26 dolphin drive hunt at Taiji killed about 416 small cetaceans and captured about 84 alive, according to Action for Dolphins and the Dolphin Project. The main phase ended on 28 February 2026, and the figures are estimates subject to revision.","location":{"name":"Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture","type":"Dolphin drive-hunt cove","sea":"NPAC","seas":["NPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["JP"],"detail":"Pacific coast of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan","coordinates":{"lat":33.6,"lon":135.95,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Annual hunting and live capture of small cetaceans.","secondary_drivers":["Drive hunting","Live-capture trade"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Monitors estimate about 416 dolphins killed for meat and about 84 captured in 2025-26, species including bottlenose, striped, Risso's and rough-toothed dolphins and short-finned pilot whales (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery disruption is reported in the sources opened (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The hunt occurs at one cove (ref 1).","duration":"Action for Dolphins compares the season with 2024-25 (about 289 killed) and 2022-23 (515), so the hunt recurs annually (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are NGO monitor estimates; no official notice or order is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"Not applicable."},"key_measure":{"status":"Estimated","text":"Independent monitors estimate about 416 dolphins slaughtered and 84 captured in 2025-26, figures subject to revision (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dolphins killed, 2025-26","value":416,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"Cove-monitor estimate; the Action for Dolphins table lists about 445 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dolphins captured alive, 2025-26","value":84,"unit":"animals","status":"Estimated","note":"Down from 95 in 2024-25 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Action for Dolphins says kills rose sharply from 2024-25 and approached the 2022-23 level (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Fisheries Agency of Japan","role":"National fisheries regulator","contact":"https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/"}],"public_contact":"Fisheries Agency of Japan published channels.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The season in numbers: the 2025-26 Taiji drive hunt season is over","publisher":"Action for Dolphins","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.afd.org.au/news/while-the-2025-26-taiji-drive-hunt-season-is-over-our-work-continues/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Taiji Drive Hunt Statistical Data","publisher":"Dolphin Project","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dolphinproject.org/campaigns/save-japan-dolphins/statisticaldata/","basis":"NGO report (page shows no date)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Taiji, Wakayama (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiji,_Wakayama","basis":"Reference"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Action for Dolphins text gives about 416 killed but its comparison table lists about 445."}],"missing_fields":["No official Japanese catch figures or quota were found in the pages opened; both counts are advocacy-group monitor estimates."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-NPAC-JAPAN-FINWHALE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-UPOLU-MANAWANUISPILL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"HMNZS Manawanui wreck and diesel spill on the reef off Upolu, Samoa","description":"The New Zealand Navy survey ship HMNZS Manawanui grounded on the reef off Upolu's south coast on 5 October 2024 and sank the next day with an estimated 900,000 or more litres of diesel aboard. Local authorities estimated about 200,000 litres leaked in the first week, salvors later removed more than 300,000 litres of diesel and the wreck remains on the reef, with a court martial and an environmental assessment still pending in 2026.","location":{"name":"South coast of Upolu off Tafitoala (WS)","type":"Shipwreck and reef grounding site","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["WS"],"detail":"Reef about one nautical mile off Siumu and Tafitoala on the south coast of Upolu, Samoa; the wreck lies on its side about 30 m down.","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":14.024,"lon":-171.825,"precision":"site","source_ref":7}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["coral-reefs"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil released from a grounded and sunk naval vessel onto a fringing reef.","secondary_drivers":["Ship grounding","Human error"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"About 200,000 litres of diesel leaked in the first week and the ship travelled about 400 yards over the reef; Safata village leaders say shores, reef and mangroves were damaged, although SROS tests found seawater uncontaminated (refs 2, 4, 6).","livelihoods":"A precautionary fishing zone was imposed after the sinking and later lifted, but a no-go zone around the wreck still blocks fishing, and one resident says about 80% of locals depend on the sea for food (refs 2, 4).","scale":"The documented damage is confined to one reef and the Safata coast of Upolu (refs 3, 4).","duration":"The grounding was in October 2024 and the wreck was still on the reef, with the environmental report under stakeholder review, in October 2025 and a fuel sheen checked in February 2026 (refs 1, 5).","significance":"A Navy court of inquiry blamed human error, Samoa's Cabinet decided the wreck stays, New Zealand agreed compensation, and charges were laid in the Court Martial of New Zealand on 2 March 2026 (refs 1, 4, 6)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Salvors removed more than 300,000 litres of diesel from the wreck, while local authorities estimated about 200,000 litres leaked in the first week (1News, 6 March 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Diesel estimated leaked in first week","value":200000,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"Local authorities' estimate (ref 2)."},{"name":"Diesel removed by salvors","value":300000,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"More than 300,000 litres of diesel, 284 dives (ref 2)."},{"name":"Compensation agreed by New Zealand to Samoa","value":3.6,"unit":"million USD","status":"Reported","note":"Maritime Executive, 5 October 2025 (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Local fishermen were banned from the area for five months and lost income (ref 6).","Residents report poor fishing on the reef since the sinking (ref 6)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Fuel removed and the fishing zone lifted by March 2025, but the wreck remains and the final environmental report was still pending in October 2025 (refs 2, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"New Zealand Defence Force (Operation Resolution)","role":"Vessel owner, salvage and wreck assessment","contact":"https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/story-collections/hmnzs-manawanui-in-samoa/"},{"name":"Samoa Marine Pollution Advisory Committee and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment","role":"Samoan response and decision on the wreck","contact":null},{"name":"Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa","role":"Water and marine-life testing","contact":null}],"public_contact":"NZDF Operation Resolution story collection (see the responsible-body link); Samoan inquiries through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.","corrective_actions":["Diesel and pollutants pumped out of the wreck (January to early 2025, completed by 6 March 2025).","Precautionary fishing zone lifted; SROS found seawater and marine life uncontaminated (ref 2).","Environmental impact assessment fieldwork in April 2025 with ITOPF and Samoa's committee, final report pending (ref 5).","New Zealand agreed compensation to Samoa (ref 6) and three officers were charged in March 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa: updates (Operation Resolution)","publisher":"New Zealand Defence Force","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/story-collections/hmnzs-manawanui-in-samoa/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Salvors finish removing fuel from sunk HMNZS Manawanui","publisher":"1News (TVNZ)","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/03/06/salvors-finish-removing-fuel-from-sunk-hmnzs-manawanui/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Manwanui's fate unknown, NZ downplays removal","publisher":"Samoa Observer","date":"2025-03-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/113662","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Samoan government says sunken Manawanui wreck will stay where it is","publisher":"1News (TVNZ)","date":"2025-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/07/06/samoan-government-says-sunken-manawanui-wreck-will-stay-where-it-is","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"HMNZS Manawanui environmental impact assessment, Samoa","publisher":"Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA)","date":"2025-10-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://niwa.co.nz/news/hmsnz-manawanui-environmental-impact-assessment-samoa","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":6,"title":"New Zealand plans to pay Samoa $3.6 million for sinking of HMNZS Manawanui","publisher":"The Maritime Executive","date":"2025-10-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maritime-executive.com/index.php/article/new-zealand-plans-to-pay-samoa-3-6-million-for-sinking-of-hmnzs-manawanui","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"HMNZS Manawanui (2019) (infobox coordinates, court of inquiry and charges summary)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMNZS_Manawanui_(2019)","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"fuel aboard at sinking","note":"Maritime Executive (ref 6) gives about one million litres; the Samoa Observer (ref 3) gives an estimated 900,000 to 950,000 litres. The amount that reached the sea is not stated by any source (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Reef area damaged and the independent wreck assessment results are not in the opened sources; the Earth Sciences NZ report was still with stakeholders (ref 5).","Wikipedia's reading of the court of inquiry findings and 5,000 m2 reef damage was not confirmed on an official page."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-SUVA-LPIISPILL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-FUNAFUTI-SEALEVEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Funafuti reclamation races rising seas as over half of Tuvalu is forecast to flood regularly by 2050","description":"Sea levels around Tuvalu rose about 15 cm in the three decades to 2023, roughly twice the global average, according to NASA researchers cited by Reuters in October 2026. Donor-funded work worth about US$50 million is building sea walls and raising land on Funafuti, with about 21 hectares planned, while NASA flood maps project that areas with fewer than five high-tide flood days a year could average 25 by the 2050s.","location":{"name":"Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu","type":"Low-lying atoll capital","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TV"],"detail":"Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital atoll with an average elevation of about two metres; reclamation and coastal barrier works by the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-8.517,"lon":179.2,"precision":"city","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise and tidal flooding threaten a low-lying atoll nation.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","King tides"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Reuters reports about 15 cm of sea-level rise in three decades and a further 30 cm expected by 2050, and the prime minister cites forecasts of regular tidal flooding of over 50% of land by 2050, so harm is potential rather than documented loss (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited sources document no closure or displacement; they describe sea walls and barriers to protect schools, clinics and crops from storm surges (ref 2).","scale":"The whole country's land area is affected, a national coastline rather than a single site (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The 15 cm rise accumulated over the three decades to 2023 and the reclamation programme spans phases from 2023 to a 2026 target (refs 1, 2).","significance":"NASA ran the flood analysis at the request of Tuvalu and Kiribati with the US State Department, and donor-funded adaptation works are formally under way, but no enforcement action applies (refs 3, 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Sea levels around Tuvalu have risen about 15 cm in the three decades to 2023, roughly twice the global average (Reuters, 6 October 2026, citing NASA researchers)."},"measures":[{"name":"Sea-level rise around Tuvalu, three decades to 2023","value":15,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Reuters citing NASA researchers (ref 1)."},{"name":"Further rise expected by 2050","value":30,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"Projection reported by Reuters (ref 1)."},{"name":"Planned land added to Funafuti","value":21,"unit":"hectares","status":"Reported","note":"About 21 hectares across the series; about US$50 million of donor funds (ref 1)."},{"name":"High-tide flood days per year in areas now under five, 2050s","value":25,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"NASA flood-map projection (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Prime Minister Feleti Teo says more than 50% of Tuvalu will be regularly flooded by tidal surges by 2050 and more than 90% by 2100 if the current rate is not halted (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Reported rise is about twice the global rate and NASA projects flood days to rise from under five to about 25 a year by the 2050s (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Tuvalu","role":"National authority and project owner","contact":null},{"name":"Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP)","role":"Reclamation and coastal protection programme","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Government of Tuvalu, Funafuti; no published general channel was opened.","corrective_actions":["Phase one reclaimed about 7.5 hectares and phase two adds about 8 hectares, with outer-island berm, reef-top and revetment barriers (ref 2).","Reuters reports donor-funded reclamation and sea walls costing about US$50 million, aiming at about 21 hectares in all (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pacific leaders watch Tuvalu reclamation effort ahead of UN climate meet","publisher":"Reuters via The Star (Malaysia)","date":"2026-10-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/10/06/pacific-leaders-watch-tuvalu-reclamation-effort-ahead-of-un-climate-meet","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Climate change will remake us: Teo","publisher":"Islands Business","date":"2025-08-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/climate-change-will-remake-us-teo/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"NASA analysis shows irreversible sea level rise for Pacific islands","publisher":"NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory","date":"2024-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-analysis-shows-irreversible-sea-level-rise-for-pacific-islands/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Funafuti (infobox coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funafuti","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"reclamation area","note":"Islands Business (ref 2) gives about 7.5 hectares for phase one and about 8 hectares for phase two, while Reuters (ref 1) gives about 21 hectares for the full series and describes six hectares on the day it reported; the figures describe different phases."}],"missing_fields":["The Falepili Union treaty with Australia and the 2025 visa ballot were not documented in any opened page (the DFAT page returned an error), so they are left out.","No tide-gauge or Funafuti-specific flood-day figure; NASA's flood-day figures are country-level (ref 3)."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-PACIFICISLANDS-SEALEVEL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-PACIFICISLANDS-SEALEVEL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Western tropical Pacific sea level rising faster than the global rate, with high-tide flood days set to multiply for island nations","description":"WMO's State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 reports that sea level in the western tropical Pacific rose at 3.95 mm a year from 1993 to 2024, above the 3.5 mm a year global mean, and warns that rise threatens entire islands. NASA's flood maps for Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru and Niue project that flood days per year will rise by about an order of magnitude by the 2050s.","location":{"name":"Western tropical Pacific island nations","type":"Island-nation coastlines","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TV","KI","FJ","NR","NU"],"detail":"Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru and Niue, the countries covered by NASA's first high-resolution flood maps, within the WMO South-West Pacific region.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Rising sea level and high-tide flooding across low-lying Pacific islands.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","Thermal expansion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"WMO says more than half the population of Pacific islands lives within 500 m of the coast and sea-level rise threatens entire islands, a documented exposure rather than a counted loss (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"WMO estimates at least 50,000 Pacific Islanders face displacement risk each year, an at-risk figure rather than a documented closure (ref 2).","scale":"The 1993 to 2024 altimetry trend covers the western tropical Pacific and NASA maps span five island nations (refs 2, 3).","duration":"The 3.95 mm per year trend is measured over January 1993 to November 2024 and NASA expects at least 15 cm more in the next 30 years regardless of emissions (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A formal WMO regional report and a NASA analysis requested by Pacific governments with the US State Department, parts of which fed a UN sea-level report in August 2024 (refs 1, 3, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mean sea-level rise in the western tropical Pacific was 3.95 mm plus or minus 0.22 mm a year over 1993 to 2024, against a global mean of 3.5 mm plus or minus 0.3 mm a year (WMO, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Western tropical Pacific sea-level trend 1993-2024","value":3.95,"unit":"mm/year","status":"Reported","note":"WMO report, area 1 of Figure 7 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Global mean sea-level trend","value":3.5,"unit":"mm/year","status":"Reported","note":"Figure quoted in the same WMO report (ref 2)."},{"name":"Kiribati high-tide flood days per year, regions now under five, 2050s","value":65,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"NASA projection (ref 3)."},{"name":"Tuvalu high-tide flood days per year, areas now under five, 2050s","value":25,"unit":"days","status":"Reported","note":"NASA projection (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["WMO puts economic losses from climate impacts at 2.2% to 3.5% of annual GDP by 2050 for Pacific islands (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"NASA expects flood days to rise by about an order of magnitude by the 2050s (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"World Meteorological Organization","role":"Regional State of the Climate reporting","contact":"https://wmo.int"},{"name":"NASA Sea Level Change Science Team (JPL) with University of Hawaii","role":"Flood-map analysis for Pacific governments","contact":"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov"}],"public_contact":"WMO and NASA JPL media offices through their published general channels.","corrective_actions":["NASA released the first high-resolution flood maps on 23 September 2024 for Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru and Niue, with other nations planned (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024","publisher":"World Meteorological Organization","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wmo.int/publication-series/state-of-climate-south-west-pacific-2024","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 (full report, sea level section)","publisher":"World Meteorological Organization (PDF mirror)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.uncclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/library/1356_State-of-the-Climate-in-SWP-2024_en.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"NASA analysis shows irreversible sea level rise for Pacific islands","publisher":"NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory","date":"2024-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-analysis-shows-irreversible-sea-level-rise-for-pacific-islands/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"NASA analysis shows irreversible sea level rise for Pacific islands","publisher":"PINA (Pacific Islands News Association)","date":"2024-09-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/?p=44394","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"projected rise in inches","note":"PINA (ref 4) says at least 8 inches (15 cm); NASA JPL (ref 3) says 6 inches (15 cm). 15 cm equals about 6 inches, and the record follows NASA JPL."}],"missing_fields":["WMO's report does not give separate rates for individual countries; the 3.95 mm per year is an average over a western tropical Pacific box."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-FUNAFUTI-SEALEVEL-2026","OC-SPAC-SERUA-SEALEVEL-2025","OC-SPAC-TONGATAPU-COASTALFLOOD-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-SERUA-SEALEVEL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Serua Island, Fiji: king-tide flooding and erosion leave a chiefly village facing relocation","description":"WMO's 2025 South-West Pacific report describes how, since 2000, higher king tides and seawater intrusion have destroyed Serua Island's seawall, submerged homes and killed food crops, and on two occasions the island could be crossed by boat. Fiji's government has offered relocation support, but most of the roughly 150 residents are choosing to stay because of ties to ancestral land.","location":{"name":"Serua Island, Serua Province","type":"Island village","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ"],"detail":"A small island about a five-minute boat ride off Viti Levu, the traditional residence of the paramount chief of Serua Province; coordinates are the province, not the island.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-18.167,"lon":178,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-level rise and coastal erosion are removing the habitable land of a village.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-level rise","King tides","Coastal erosion"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Over two decades erosion and flooding destroyed the seawall, submerged homes and let seawater kill food crops and wash away fertile soil (ref 1, ref 2).","livelihoods":"Food plantations have been moved to the mainland and younger people are relocating for schools and work, but the relocation is partial and voluntary (ref 1).","scale":"One island village of about 150 people on a single small island (ref 1).","duration":"Residents report rising seas since 2000, so the exposure spans about 25 years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Fiji's government has offered relocation support and has identified about 800 communities that may need to relocate, and WMO features the case in a formal regional report (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":150,"status":"Reported","note":"WMO says the island is home to around 150 people (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Serua Island is home to around 150 people; on two occasions flooding was so extreme that the whole island could be crossed by boat (WMO, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Island population","value":150,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"WMO case study (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fijian communities identified as possibly needing to relocate","value":800,"unit":"communities","status":"Reported","note":"The Conversation analysis via SBS, 10 January 2023 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Villagers farm food plantations on the mainland reached on foot at low tide (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Seawalls, mangrove planting and drainage are described as no longer viable options to save the village from inundation (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Fiji","role":"Relocation support and national adaptation policy","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Fiji government ministries through their published general channels; none was opened.","corrective_actions":["Villagers rebuilt the seawall and restored mangroves (ref 1).","Fiji's government offered relocation support; many residents declined (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 (Case Study: Fiji, displacement and relocation)","publisher":"World Meteorological Organization (PDF mirror)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.uncclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/library/1356_State-of-the-Climate-in-SWP-2024_en.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Why Pacific Islanders are staying put even as rising seas flood their homes and crops","publisher":"The Conversation via SBS News","date":"2023-01-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/why-pacific-islanders-are-staying-put-even-as-rising-seas-flood-their-homes-and-crops/3a59mr0qb","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Warming oceans threaten Pacific island communities as 2024 sets climate records","publisher":"Island Times","date":"2025-06-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://islandtimes.org/warming-oceans-threaten-pacific-island-communities-as-2024-sets-climate-records/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"2024 was hottest year on record for South-West Pacific, says WMO report","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2025-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/climate-change/2024-was-hottest-year-on-record-for-south-west-pacific-says-wmo-report","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Serua Province (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serua_Province","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"relocation intent","note":"The Conversation (ref 2) says almost all residents are choosing to stay, while WMO (ref 1) says many are choosing to stay and younger people are starting to relocate."}],"missing_fields":["Fiji's 2024 to 2026 relocation guidelines and the Vunidogoloa line of villages were not documented in the opened pages.","The Island Times and Down To Earth items repeat the WMO case study and add no independent field data."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-PACIFICISLANDS-SEALEVEL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-SUVA-LPIISPILL-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Lomaiviti Princess II sinks in Suva Harbour and leaks oil as 17 derelict vessels await removal","description":"The abandoned passenger ferry Lomaiviti Princess II capsized and sank in Suva Harbour in early June 2025 after being towed from Narain Jetty, releasing oil that responders contained with booms and dispersants. A joint maritime committee found its owner had not defuelled it despite removal notices, and Fiji has funded a multi-phase clean-up of 17 high-risk derelict vessels expected to run into 2026.","location":{"name":"Suva Harbour, Suva","type":"Harbour and port","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ"],"detail":"Suva Harbour, Viti Levu; the wreck lies in under two metres of water near the navigation channel (Narain Jetty and Muaiwalu II Wharf are named).","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-18.1416,"lon":178.4419,"precision":"city","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel oil and hazardous substances escaped from an abandoned, sunken vessel into a harbour.","secondary_drivers":["Abandoned vessel","Port management"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Oil leaked into the harbour and dispersants were applied to minimise harm to marine life, but the volume spilled is not stated and a Ministry of Environment chemical analysis was still to be done (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"The wreck rests in just under two metres of water, a hazard to navigation in the channel, and Fiji Ports towed it to clear wharf space (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The spill and the derelict hulks are confined to Suva Harbour (refs 4, 5).","duration":"The vessel had been abandoned since 2019, the spill response was set for four to eight weeks, and the derelict clean-up is expected to run into 2026 (refs 3, 5).","significance":"The Joint Maritime Environment Committee found breaches of the Maritime Transport Act 2013 (section 129) and the minister ordered a full investigation, with penalties of up to FJ$1 million or three years cited, and Cabinet approved a review of the MSAF Act (refs 1, 3, 5)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Lomaiviti Princess II capsized after being towed out of Narain Jetty and now rests in just under two metres of water; the clean-up of 17 derelict vessels is expected to run into 2026 (FBC News, 10 June 2025; Fiji Sun, 1 August 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"High-risk derelict vessels targeted for removal","value":17,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"Fiji Sun, 1 August 2025 (ref 5)."},{"name":"Maximum penalty cited under the Environmental Management Act","value":1,"unit":"million FJD","status":"Reported","note":"Up to FJ$1 million or three years' imprisonment (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A wreck in the channel disrupts port navigation and wharf use (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Booms and dispersants were deployed and a funded removal programme for derelict vessels is under way (refs 1, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF)","role":"Maritime regulator","contact":null},{"name":"Fiji Ports Corporation Limited","role":"Port operator and spill responder","contact":null},{"name":"Joint Maritime Environment Committee","role":"Spill response and investigation","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Fiji ministries of Public Works and Environment through their published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Containment booms and dispersants deployed; the clean-up was expected to take four to eight weeks (refs 1, 3).","Minister ordered a full investigation and the owner faces penalties under the Environmental Management Act (refs 1, 3).","A multi-phase operation funded at close to FJ$2 million targets 17 high-risk derelict vessels, with a review of the MSAF Act (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Minister orders full investigation in the LP II case","publisher":"FBC News","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/?p=724857","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Oil spill emerges at site of sunken Lomaiviti Princess II in Suva harbour","publisher":"Fiji Times","date":"2025-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/?p=842670","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fiji shipping company faces $1M penalty and jail time over Suva Harbour oil spill","publisher":"MAI TV","date":"2025-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://maitvfiji.com/fiji-shipping-company-faces-1m-penalty-and-jail-time-over-suva-harbour-oil-spill/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fiji secures funding to remove derelict vessels","publisher":"FBC News","date":"2025-04-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/?p=715071","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"$2M Suva harbour clean-up targets 17 derelict vessels","publisher":"Fiji Sun","date":"2025-08-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fijisun.com.fj/news/environment/2m-suva-harbour-clean-up-targets-17-derelict-vessels","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Suva (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suva","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"derelict-vessel funding","note":"FBC (ref 4) says up to just over one million dollars over 12 months through Blue Prosperity Fiji, while Fiji Sun (ref 5) says close to FJ$2 million through the Wade Foundation; currency and partners differ between the reports."},{"field":"wreck location","note":"The Fiji Times (ref 2) says the vessel sank after towing out of Narain Jetty, while MAI TV (ref 3) says it partially submerged near Muaiwalu II Wharf."}],"missing_fields":["Oil volume, chemical analysis results and the Lami dump and Laucala Bay water-quality data were not found in opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-UPOLU-MANAWANUISPILL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-RAPANUI-MICROPLASTICS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Rapa Nui receives about 50 times more plastic and microplastic than mainland Chile's coast, municipal data show","description":"Reuters reports, citing municipal data, that Rapa Nui (Easter Island) receives about 50 times more plastic and microplastic than the coasts of Chile because it sits in the South Pacific Gyre. The mayor says 58% of the plastic comes from continental Chile, and the local government biologist says microplastics have contaminated local fauna including sea urchins eaten by residents.","location":{"name":"Hanga Roa and coasts of Rapa Nui","type":"Island coast in oceanic gyre","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CL"],"detail":"Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a Chilean special territory in the South Pacific Gyre; the reports are datelined Hanga Roa.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-27.133,"lon":-109.417,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic and microplastic debris accumulating on an island coast from ocean gyre transport.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean gyre transport","Fishing vessel waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"A local government marine biologist says microplastics have contaminated wildlife including sea urchins that islanders eat, but no contamination standard or count is cited (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither report cites a closure, advisory or lost fishery on the island (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The data describe the coasts of one island (ref 1).","duration":"The mayor describes microplastics as growing exponentially and the gyre delivers debris continuously, a chronic condition (ref 1).","significance":"The figures come from municipal data and statements by the mayor and a local biologist, with no formal notice or listing (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The island receives about 50 times more plastics and microplastics than the coasts of Chile, according to municipal data (Reuters, October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Plastic and microplastic received relative to Chile's coasts","value":50,"unit":"times","status":"Reported","note":"Municipal data cited by Reuters (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of plastic that comes from continental Chile","value":58,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Mayor Pedro Edmunds (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Microplastics in sea urchins eaten by residents affect the local food chain (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The mayor says microplastics have been growing exponentially (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Municipality of Rapa Nui","role":"Local government collecting plastic data","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Municipality of Rapa Nui (Hanga Roa); no general channel was opened.","corrective_actions":["Islanders and the mayor are campaigning against plastic pollution and for a global plastics treaty (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Easter Island battles global vortex of plastic waste","publisher":"Reuters via Hawaii Tribune-Herald","date":"2024-10-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/?p=332430","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Millions of microplastics invade the coasts of the island of Rapa Nui","publisher":"Ara.cat (Reuters, Catalan outlet, translation marked unverified)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.ara.cat/sunday/millions-of-microplastics-invade-the-coasts-of-the-island-of-rapa-nui_130_5310183.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hanga Roa (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanga_Roa","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"field":"article date","note":"Hawaii Tribune-Herald dates the Reuters story 17 October 2024; the Ara page shows '10/03/2025' in an ambiguous format, so its date is left null."}],"missing_fields":["Both sources are one Reuters story; no survey methods, tonnage or peer-reviewed 2024 to 2026 beach survey was found.","The municipal dataset itself was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-HENDERSON-PLASTIC-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-MORUROA-NUCLEARLEGACY-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Moruroa and Fangataufa nuclear test atolls: lagoon contamination and compensation remain disputed","description":"France tested 193 nuclear devices at Moruroa and Fangataufa from 1966 to 1996 and dumped an estimated 3,200 tonnes of radioactive waste in Polynesian waters. France says continuing sampling shows no abnormalities and that IAEA experts saw no need for remediation, while a January 2026 National Assembly amendment states that lagoon sediments still show elevated contamination and the atolls remain defence nuclear installations.","location":{"name":"Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls (PF)","type":"Former nuclear test atolls","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PF"],"detail":"Atolls in the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia, still classified as defence nuclear installations; waste dumping sites lie between Hao and Moruroa.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-21.833,"lon":-138.833,"precision":"site","source_ref":6}},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Residual radioactive contamination of lagoon sediments and dumped waste at former nuclear test sites.","secondary_drivers":["Nuclear testing legacy","Radioactive waste dumping"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"An IAEA estimate put about 5 kg of plutonium in Moruroa's lagoon sediments and plutonium remains in the soil, but France reports samples without abnormalities, so contamination above a standard is disputed (refs 1, 2, 5).","livelihoods":"The opened sources document no fishery closure at the atolls; the compensation dispute concerns health claims (refs 3, 4).","scale":"Dumping sites between Hao and Moruroa across French Polynesian territorial waters extend beyond the two atolls (ref 2).","duration":"Testing ended in 1996 and the issue persists, with France sampling annually since 1998 and a deputies' amendment on it in January 2026 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The atolls are formally classified as defence nuclear installations (INID) and France reported to the UN under General Assembly Resolution 78/240 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"France conducted 193 nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa between July 1966 and January 1996, and Andra estimates 3,200 tonnes of radioactive waste were dumped in French Polynesian territorial waters (LNC/Outremers360, 2 November 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa, 1966-1996","value":193,"unit":"tests","status":"Reported","note":"LNC (ref 2) and DW (ref 4)."},{"name":"Radioactive waste dumped in French Polynesian waters","value":3200,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Andra estimate cited by LNC (ref 2)."},{"name":"Plutonium in Moruroa lagoon sediments","value":5,"unit":"kg","status":"Estimated","note":"1998 IAEA estimate cited by Inside Story (ref 5)."},{"name":"French Polynesian residents compensated 2010 to July 2024","value":417,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"ICAN figure cited by DW (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"A 2021 Ministry of the Armed Forces report cited by LNC says artificial radionuclide levels are very low and stable or slightly declining (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"French Ministry of the Armed Forces (DSCEN and CEA monitoring)","role":"Site owner and radiological monitoring","contact":null},{"name":"Committee for the compensation of victims of nuclear tests (CIVEN)","role":"Compensation claims under the Morin Act","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Ministry of the Armed Forces and the French Polynesia High Commission through their published channels; none was opened.","corrective_actions":["France continues periodic environmental sampling and says the results are publicly available (ref 1).","A commission opened the nuclear-test archives in French Polynesia on 5 October 2021 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"France's contribution to the UN on the legacy of nuclear weapons (Resolution 78/240)","publisher":"French government via UN Office for Disarmament Affairs","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://docs-library.unoda.org/General_Assembly_First_Committee_-Seventy-Ninth_session_%282024%29/78-240-France-EN.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Dans les lagons polynesiens, les dechets invisibles du temps du nucleaire (in French)","publisher":"Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes / Outremers360","date":"2023-11-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lnc.nc/article/pacifique/polynesie-francaise/societe/environnement/dans-les-lagons-polynesiens-les-dechets-invisibles-du-temps-du-nucleaire","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Amendment no. 3 to bill 2364 on recognising victims of French nuclear tests (in French)","publisher":"Assemblee nationale","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/amendements/2364/AN/3.pdf","basis":"Official legislative record (French; amendment rejected)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Living with the legacy of France's nuclear weapons testing","publisher":"Deutsche Welle via Times of Oman","date":"2025-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://timesofoman.com/article/163306-living-with-the-legacy-of-frances-nuclear-weapons-testing","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"We would like the French state to apologise","publisher":"Inside Story","date":"2020-07-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://insidestory.org.au/?p=62326","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Mururoa (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mururoa","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"state of lagoon contamination","note":"France's UN submission (ref 1) says sampling has shown no abnormalities, while the amendment by La France insoumise deputies (ref 3) says lagoon sediments still show high contamination levels; the deputies' text is a political statement, not a measurement."},{"field":"waste risk","note":"IRSN's Patrick Bouisset says dumped waste poses no particular risk, while Criirad's Bruno Chareyron calls the packaging inadequate for long-lived materials (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The 2024 to 2026 monitoring results and the 2025 to 2026 compensation law decisions were not found in opened pages; the Verfassungsblog article could not be read.","The France UN submission page shows no date; it is filed under the 2024 First Committee."],"related_ids":["OC-NPAC-ENEWETAK-RUNITDOME-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-SWPACIFIC-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record 2024 sea-surface temperatures and nearly 40 million km2 of marine heatwaves across the South-West Pacific","description":"WMO's South-West Pacific report, released on 5 June 2025, says ocean warming in 2024 reached unprecedented levels, with record sea-surface temperatures, near-record ocean heat content and nearly 40 million km2 affected by marine heatwaves, the largest area since 1993. The report says strongest warming over five decades is in the Tasman and Solomon Seas and around the Pacific small island states.","location":{"name":"South-West Pacific region and Pacific island states","type":"Regional ocean heat event","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC","CORAL"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ","TO","WS","TV","KI","CK","PF","NU","VU","SB","PG","NC"],"detail":"WMO South-West Pacific region, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["acidification-deoxygenation"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Record ocean heat and marine heatwaves across a wide Pacific region.","secondary_drivers":["El Nino aftermath","Long-term ocean warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"WMO says ocean heat and acidification combined to inflict long-lasting damage on marine ecosystems and economies, without a counted loss in the cited text (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The cited pages record no fishery closure or advisory tied to the heatwaves (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"Nearly 40 million km2, more than 10% of the global ocean surface, was affected by marine heatwaves (refs 1, 2).","duration":"2024 was the highest sea-surface temperature on record and the strongest ocean warming of the past five decades is around the Pacific small island states (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A formal WMO regional State of the Climate report, with warming described as unprecedented (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Nearly 40 million km2 of ocean were affected by marine heatwaves in 2024, the largest area since 1993, with record sea-surface temperatures (WMO, 5 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Ocean area affected by marine heatwaves, 2024","value":40,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"WMO key message: nearly 40 million km2 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Regional mean sea-surface temperature anomaly, 2024","value":0.48,"unit":"C above 1991-2020","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by Island Times from the WMO release (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["WMO says ocean heat and acidification damage marine ecosystems and economies (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"WMO reports record sea-surface temperatures in 2024 and the largest marine-heatwave area since 1993 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"World Meteorological Organization","role":"Regional State of the Climate reporting","contact":"https://wmo.int"}],"public_contact":"WMO media office through its published general channel.","corrective_actions":["WMO urges adaptation and early warning, citing Fiji's anticipatory action as a success story (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024","publisher":"World Meteorological Organization","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wmo.int/publication-series/state-of-climate-south-west-pacific-2024","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Ocean heat and sea-level rise threaten communities in the South-West Pacific","publisher":"World Meteorological Organization","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wmo.int/media/news/ocean-heat-and-sea-level-rise-threaten-communities-south-west-pacific","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"2024 was hottest year on record for South-West Pacific, says WMO report","publisher":"Down To Earth","date":"2025-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/climate-change/2024-was-hottest-year-on-record-for-south-west-pacific-says-wmo-report","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Warming oceans threaten Pacific island communities as 2024 sets climate records","publisher":"Island Times","date":"2025-06-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://islandtimes.org/warming-oceans-threaten-pacific-island-communities-as-2024-sets-climate-records/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"record size","note":"WMO calls the area the largest since 1993 (ref 1), while Down To Earth (ref 3) calls it the largest extent ever recorded, beating 2023 and 2016."}],"missing_fields":["No country-level 2024 or 2025 marine-heatwave figures for Fiji, Tonga or the Cook Islands were found in opened pages.","Coral bleaching outcomes are left to the other agent."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-SOUTHPACIFIC-BLEACHING-2024","OC-SPAC-PACIFICISLANDS-ACIDIFICATION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-PACIFICISLANDS-ACIDIFICATION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ocean acidification monitoring around Pacific island nations remains patchy as regional pH falls","description":"WMO reports that the entire South-West Pacific ocean area is acidifying, with average surface pH falling 0.017 per decade over 1985 to 2023. The Pacific Community's ocean science centre said in 2023 that monitoring around island nations is patchy and that regional data are scarce, and it has been supplying low-cost pH and temperature loggers to nine Pacific countries since 2021, with a trial site in Suva harbour.","location":{"name":"Pacific island waters (Suva harbour trial site)","type":"Regional ocean chemistry","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ"],"detail":"South-West Pacific region; the Pacific Islands Ocean Acidification Centre is based in Suva, Fiji, and trialled loggers in Suva harbour; nine other Pacific countries were supplied with devices but are not named.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Falling seawater pH with limited monitoring coverage in island waters.","secondary_drivers":["CO2 uptake","Monitoring gap"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"WMO says ocean heat and acidification combined to inflict long-lasting damage on marine ecosystems, with the pH decline measured at 0.017 per decade; no organism-specific loss is cited (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No closure, advisory or fishery loss is attributed to acidification in the cited sources (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"WMO says the entire ocean area of the South-West Pacific region is acidifying (ref 2).","duration":"The pH change is measured over 1985 to 2023 and the monitoring gap was still described in 2023 and 2025 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"A formal WMO regional report documents the trend, while the monitoring network is a capacity programme rather than an enforcement or treaty action (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"On average for the region, surface pH decreased by 0.017 plus or minus 0.001 per decade over 1985 to 2023 (WMO, 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Regional surface pH change per decade, 1985-2023","value":-0.017,"unit":"pH units per decade","status":"Reported","note":"WMO South-West Pacific region average (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pacific countries supplied with monitoring devices","value":9,"unit":"countries","status":"Reported","note":"As stated in the ABC Science report of September 2023 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"WMO finds pH falling across the whole region; global pH has fallen from 8.2 to 8.1 since pre-industrial times (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Community (SPC) Centre for Ocean Science and the Pacific Islands Ocean Acidification Centre (PIOAC)","role":"Regional monitoring and training hub","contact":"https://www.spc.int"}],"public_contact":"SPC general contact channel through spc.int.","corrective_actions":["PIOAC has trained dozens of ocean scientists since 2021 and supplied low-cost pH and temperature kits to nine countries (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024","publisher":"World Meteorological Organization","date":"2025-06-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wmo.int/publication-series/state-of-climate-south-west-pacific-2024","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 (ocean acidification section)","publisher":"World Meteorological Organization (PDF mirror)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.uncclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/library/1356_State-of-the-Climate-in-SWP-2024_en.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Hidden ocean acidification threatens the Pacific. Now there's a plan to stop 'flying blind'","publisher":"OA-ICC news site, reprinting ABC Science / Pacific Scientific (Carl Smith)","date":"2023-09-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2023/09/12/hidden-ocean-acidification-threatens-the-pacific-now-theres-a-plan-to-stop-flying-blind/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2026 PIOAC monitoring results or Pacific deoxygenation studies were found in opened pages.","The monitoring-gap statement dates from 2023; its current status is unconfirmed."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-SWPACIFIC-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-TONGATAPU-COASTALFLOOD-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Extreme high tides and record rain flood Tongatapu's low-lying coast in October 2024","description":"Tonga Met reported that extreme high tides on 18 and 19 October 2024 inundated coastal areas of Tongatapu and 'Eua, damaging infrastructure and homes, alongside the highest October daily rainfall ever recorded in Tonga. A consultant risk assessment describes Nuku'alofa as about two metres above sea level with sea level rising 6.4 mm a year over the past decade.","location":{"name":"Nuku'alofa and north coast of Tongatapu","type":"Low-lying coastal capital","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["TO"],"detail":"Popua, Fasi, Fanga, Ma'ufanga, Ngele'ia, Pili and Fanga-o-Pilolevu on Tongatapu were among the flooded areas; 'Eua was also affected.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-21.133,"lon":-175.2,"precision":"city","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Storm rain and extreme tides flood a low-lying coast exposed to rising sea level.","secondary_drivers":["Extreme high tide","Heavy rainfall","Sea-level rise"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Heavy rain and extreme high tides on 18 to 19 October inundated coastal areas, damaging infrastructure and homes, with no casualty figure in the report (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Apifo'ou College was still flooded four days after the rain (ref 1).","scale":"Named neighbourhoods on Tongatapu and 'Eua, a local rather than national-coastline event (ref 1).","duration":"The tidal flooding lasted days, while the consultant study records sea level rising 6.4 mm a year for a decade, so exposure recurs (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Tonga Met issued a formal statement on the flooding and the record rainfall, and published sea-level outlooks of 30 to 60 mm above average for southern Tonga to February 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Extreme high tides from 18 to 19 October 2024 inundated coastal areas of Tongatapu and 'Eua, damaging infrastructure and homes (Matangi Tonga, 22 November 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Highest October daily rainfall at 'Eua, 19 October 2024","value":355,"unit":"mm in 24 hours","status":"Reported","note":"Tonga Met, reported by Matangi Tonga (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-level rise in Tonga over the past decade","value":6.4,"unit":"mm/year","status":"Reported","note":"Consultant multi-hazard assessment for Tongatapu (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Much of the north coast, including Nuku'alofa, is low-lying and exposed to coastal inundation (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only one event is documented in the opened sources, and the consultant study gives a rising sea level of 6.4 mm per year (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Tonga Meteorological Services (Tonga Met)","role":"Weather, tide and sea-level outlooks","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Tonga Met through the Ministry of Meteorology; no general channel was opened.","corrective_actions":["Tonga Met issued outlooks for December 2024 to February 2025 including sea level 30 to 60 mm above average in southern Tonga (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report on October 2024 rainfall, extreme high tides and the December 2024 to February 2025 outlook (headline not captured)","publisher":"Matangi Tonga","date":"2024-11-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://matangitonga.to/print/36354","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Multi-hazard climate and disaster risk assessment for Tongatapu","publisher":"Arup (consultant project page)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arup.com/projects/multi-hazard-climate-and-disaster-risk-assessment-for-tongatapu/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Nuku'alofa (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuku%27alofa","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Pluvial flooding dominated the October 2024 damage; inland stormwater belongs to water.exposed and only the tide component is counted here.","No 2025 or 2026 Tonga cyclone or surge reporting was found in opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-PACIFICISLANDS-SEALEVEL-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-HENDERSON-PLASTIC-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Henderson Island, Pitcairn Islands: world's densest recorded beach plastic, with a UNESCO-backed clean-up in 2024","description":"A 2017 PNAS survey estimated 37.7 million debris items weighing 17.6 tons on Henderson Island's beaches, the highest density recorded anywhere, with up to 26.8 new items per metre of beach arriving daily. A 2019 expedition removed about six tonnes and Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO ran a further clean-up in February 2024, with no newer survey found.","location":{"name":"Henderson Island, Pitcairn Islands","type":"Remote uninhabited World Heritage island","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PN"],"detail":"Uninhabited raised coral island in the Pitcairn group, in the South Pacific Gyre; beach debris is concentrated on the east and north beaches.","points":[],"extent":"local","coordinates":{"lat":-24.375,"lon":-128.325,"precision":"site","source_ref":4}},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic debris carried by the South Pacific Gyre accumulates on an uninhabited island's beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean gyre transport"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2015 survey estimated 37,661,395 items weighing 17,601 kg, with a mean density of 239.4 items per square metre described as the highest reported anywhere (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The island is uninhabited and the cited sources record no fishery or tourism disruption (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The debris estimate covers the beaches of one island (ref 1).","duration":"Up to 26.8 new items per metre of beach accumulate daily, and clean-ups in 2019 and February 2024 have not ended the accumulation (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO clean-up programme operates there, a formal listing but no enforcement action (ref 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Henderson Island's beaches held an estimated 37.7 million debris items weighing 17.6 tons, with up to 26.8 new items per metre of beach arriving daily (PNAS, 2017)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated debris items on the beaches (2015 survey)","value":37661395,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"Lavers and Bond, PNAS 2017 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimated debris mass (2015 survey)","value":17.6,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"17,601 kg (ref 1)."},{"name":"New items accumulating per metre of beach per day","value":26.8,"unit":"items per metre per day","status":"Reported","note":"Upper figure in the survey (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The only measured survey is from 2015; no 2024 to 2026 survey was found (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pitcairn Islands Government and UK Government","role":"Territory administration and 2019 clean-up sponsor","contact":null},{"name":"Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO","role":"Clean-up programme 'The Impossible Cleanups'","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Pitcairn Islands Government; no general channel was opened.","corrective_actions":["A June 2019 UK-organised expedition collected about six tonnes from East beach (ref 3).","Plastic Odyssey and UNESCO conducted a clean-up in February 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Exceptional and rapid accumulation of anthropogenic debris on one of the world's most remote and pristine islands","publisher":"PNAS (Lavers and Bond)","date":"2017-05-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5468685","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cleaning up the world's most polluted island (Henderson Island)","publisher":"Plastic Odyssey","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://plasticodyssey.org/en/cleaning-up-the-worlds-most-polluted-island/","basis":"NGO programme page (French site, English path)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":"2026-08-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Island_(Pitcairn_Islands)","basis":"Reference (2019 clean-up summary)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Henderson Island (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Island_(Pitcairn_Islands)","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Plastic Odyssey page shows no publication date, tonnage or outcome for the February 2024 clean-up.","No 2024 to 2026 beach survey of debris quantity was found.","The 2019 clean-up figure rests on a Wikipedia summary of press reports."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-RAPANUI-MICROPLASTICS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-ABNJ-NORITOMLITLOS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"ITLOS Seabed Disputes Chamber orders the ISA to observe due process in its inquiry into Nauru- and Tonga-sponsored contractors NORI and TOML","description":"On 18 July 2026 the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea unanimously prescribed provisional measures in two cases (Cases 34 and 35) brought by Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. (TOML) against the International Seabed Authority. The Chamber did not suspend the Authority's inquiry into possible contractual non-compliance; it ordered the Authority to act within the legal framework, including due process, in the inquiry and in the extension of NORI's exploration contract, and to clarify procedures and questions to the contractor. The Nauru government reported that the ISA Council approved a five-year extension of NORI's contract on 20 July 2026.","location":{"name":"ISA exploration contracts sponsored by Nauru and Tonga","type":"Deep-sea mining exploration contract areas (ISA)","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["NR","TO","ABNJ"],"detail":"International waters of the Pacific administered by the ISA; the case was heard in Hamburg and concerns ISA Council decisions taken in Kingston, Jamaica. NORI is sponsored by Nauru and TOML by Tonga (refs 1, 4).","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A court-ordered dispute between two sponsored mining contractors and the seabed regulator over how compliance inquiries are run.","secondary_drivers":["Sponsoring-state liability","ISA compliance inquiry","Unilateral national licensing route"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The cited sources describe a procedural dispute over an inquiry; no environmental harm from exploration or mining is reported in the ITLOS or ISA texts (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery, community or livelihood disruption is reported in the court or ISA documents on the case (refs 1, 3).","scale":"Two contracts sponsored by two Pacific states (Nauru and Tonga) are in dispute, with implications for the wider ISA contractor regime (refs 1, 5).","duration":"The inquiry stems from a Council decision of 21 July 2025 and reached the Chamber in June 2026, so it has run for about a year (ref 1).","significance":"The Chamber delivered unanimous provisional-measures orders on 18 July 2026 in its first contentious proceedings, which is a tribunal ruling (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure applies to this governance dispute."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Chamber ordered the ISA to act in accordance with the legal framework, including due process, in the inquiry and in the NORI contract extension, with compliance reports due 31 August 2026 (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Provisional measures orders delivered","value":2,"unit":"orders","status":"Reported","note":"Case 34 (NORI) and Case 35 (TOML), both 18 July 2026 (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"NORI exploration contract extension approved","value":5,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Reported by the Nauru government via PINA as approved by the ISA Council on 20 July 2026 (ref 4)."},{"name":"TOML exploration contract term","value":15,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Contract concluded 11 January 2012 for 15 years per the ITLOS press release (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The ISA inquiry and the contract extension decision bear directly on the operating licences of NORI, which ref 6 describes as a subsidiary of The Metals Company (ref 6)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The Chamber did not halt the inquiry, while the Council extended NORI's contract; the merits remain to be decided (refs 2, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Seabed Authority","role":"Regulator of deep-sea mining in the Area","contact":"https://isa.org.jm/"},{"name":"ITLOS Seabed Disputes Chamber","role":"Tribunal","contact":"https://www.itlos.org/"}],"public_contact":"ISA and ITLOS publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The Chamber ordered the ISA to follow due process and to clarify procedures and questions to NORI (ref 2).","The ISA said its inquiry under paragraphs 9 and 10 of the 2025 Council decision remains in effect (ref 3).","Both sides must file compliance reports by 31 August 2026 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Seabed Disputes Chamber delivers its Order in the case concerning an inquiry by the ISA (TOML v. ISA), Provisional Measures (Press Release 392)","publisher":"International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea","date":"2026-07-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.itlos.org/fileadmin/itlos/documents/press_releases_english/PR_392_EN.pdf","basis":"Court record (press release)"},{"ref":2,"title":"ITLOS Seabed Disputes Chamber unanimously orders provisional measures in first ever contentious proceedings","publisher":"Essex Court Chambers","date":"2026-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://essexcourt.com/itlos-seabed-disputes-chamber-unanimously-orders-provisional-measures-in-first-ever-contentious-proceedings/","basis":"Legal commentary by counsel for the applicants"},{"ref":3,"title":"Statement on the orders delivered by the Seabed Disputes Chamber of ITLOS","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":"2026-07-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://isa.org.jm/news/statement-on-the-orders-delivered-by-the-seabed-disputes-chamber-of-the-international-tribunal-for-the-law-of-the-sea/","basis":"Agency statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"Naoero backs fair seabed governance as ISA extends NORI exploration contract","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/07/30/naoero-backs-fair-seabed-governance-as-isa-extends-nori-exploration-contract/","basis":"News (reporting a Nauru government statement)"},{"ref":5,"title":"ISA Council concludes first part of 31st session (Council close, 19 March 2026)","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":"2026-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://isa.org.jm/?p=56287","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":6,"title":"No code, no permits: ISA deep sea mining talks end in stalemate","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":"2026-03-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/no-code-no-permits-isa-deep-sea-mining-talks-end-in-stalemate/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The text of the Chamber's order for Case 34 (NORI) was not opened; the TOML press release and counsel commentary were used.","The allegations under inquiry are not described in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-CAR-JAM-ISAMININGCODE-2026","OC-GLOBAL-CCZ-NOAA-NODULE-PERMIT-2026","OC-SPAC-SOUTHPENRHYN-USEXPLORATIONLICENCE-2026","OC-SPAC-COOKISLANDS-SEABEDMINERALS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-SOUTHPENRHYN-USEXPLORATIONLICENCE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"US company applies to NOAA for a seabed mineral exploration licence in the South Penrhyn Basin high seas near Kiribati, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia","description":"NOAA published a notice on 2 June 2026 that American Deep Sea Minerals, Inc. has applied under the US Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act for exploration licences in the seabed area beyond national jurisdiction in the South Penrhyn Basin of the South Pacific, and that it found the application fully compliant. NOAA held a virtual hearing on 1 July 2026 and took comments to 3 August 2026. The Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) urged public submissions, noting that the US domestic route proceeds while the ISA has yet to finalise rules for commercial mining in international waters.","location":{"name":"South Penrhyn Basin high seas pocket, South Pacific","type":"Deep-sea mining licence application area (high seas)","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ABNJ","KI","CK","PF"],"detail":"An area beyond national jurisdiction that PINA describes as lying between Kiribati, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia and calls the Eastern High Seas Pocket (ref 2); NOAA's notice names it the South Penrhyn Basin (ref 1). No coordinates are given in the opened sources.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A proposed seabed mining exploration licence under national US law in the international Area, outside the ISA regime.","secondary_drivers":["Unilateral national licensing route","Transboundary sediment plume risk"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"PICAN says the potential impacts of deep-sea mining will not stop at jurisdictional boundaries; only exploration is applied for and no harm is documented (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is reported; the application is at the notice-and-comment stage (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The application area lies in international waters between three Pacific jurisdictions and is described as a regional pocket (ref 2).","duration":"The comment period ran from 2 June to 3 August 2026, roughly two months, and the licence decision is pending (ref 1).","significance":"NOAA issued a formal notice of receipt in the Federal Register and found the application fully compliant (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA found the American Deep Sea Minerals application fully compliant and took public comments until 3 August 2026 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Public comment period length","value":62,"unit":"days","status":"Estimated","note":"Counted from the 2 June 2026 notice to the 3 August 2026 deadline (ref 1); the hearing was 1 July 2026."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["PICAN raised questions about transboundary effects on tuna and ocean ecosystems (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"First notice in June 2026; the licensing outcome was not found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Office for Coastal Management","role":"US licensing authority under DSHMRA","contact":"https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NOS-2026-0892"},{"name":"International Seabed Authority","role":"UNCLOS regulator of the Area","contact":"https://isa.org.jm/"}],"public_contact":"NOAA's notice lists a named contact in its Federal Register entry; the docket is on regulations.gov.","corrective_actions":["NOAA opened a comment period and public hearing (ref 1).","PICAN launched a 'Speak Up for Our Shared Ocean' submissions campaign (ref 2).","The ISA Secretary-General has said unilateral action conflicts with international law (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Deep Seabed Mining: Notice of Receipt of Application for Deep Seabed Mining Exploration Licenses and Announcement of Public Comment Period and Virtual Public Hearing (FR Doc. 2026-10975)","publisher":"Federal Register (NOAA)","date":"2026-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-02/html/2026-10975.htm","basis":"Official notice"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pacific group urges public submissions on U.S-backed deep-sea exploration proposal","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-07-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/07/30/pacific-group-urges-public-submissions-on-u-s-backed-deep-sea-exploration-proposal/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"ISA Council concludes first part of 31st session (Council close, 19 March 2026)","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":"2026-03-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://isa.org.jm/?p=56287","basis":"Agency press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"PINA calls the area the Eastern High Seas Pocket; NOAA's notice calls it the South Penrhyn Basin."}],"missing_fields":["The Federal Register notice gives a receipt date of 'November 2, 2026' for the amended application, which cannot be right for a notice dated 2 June 2026, so no receipt date is used.","The PINA article does not name the applicant; the link to American Deep Sea Minerals rests on the matching comment deadline of 3 August 2026."],"related_ids":["OC-GLOBAL-CCZ-NOAA-NODULE-PERMIT-2026","OC-SPAC-ABNJ-NORITOMLITLOS-2026","OC-SPAC-COOKISLANDS-SEABEDMINERALS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-COOKISLANDS-SEABEDMINERALS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cook Islands extends seabed minerals exploration to 2032 as a NOAA survey, US and China ties and public opposition shape the mining debate","description":"The Cook Islands government says no decision to mine has been made, and Cook Islands News reported in November 2025 that exploration would be extended five years, pushing any mining decision to at least 2032. Five-year exploration licences issued in 2022 went to Moana Minerals, Cook Islands Cobalt and Cobalt Seabed Resources, and a 2026 NOAA expedition reported dense nodule fields. A Cook Islands News poll found more than 50% of voters opposed seabed mining, while a local environmental group criticised a new US exploration partner and growing US and Chinese involvement (refs 7, 8).","location":{"name":"Cook Islands exclusive economic zone seabed","type":"Seabed mineral exploration licence areas (national EEZ)","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CK"],"detail":"Polymetallic nodules at 4,000 to 6,000 m depth across the Cook Islands EEZ, including the Manihiki Plateau; the Seabed Minerals Authority is based in Rarotonga (refs 1, 3).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national seabed minerals regime is moving from exploration towards a decision on mining in the country's EEZ.","secondary_drivers":["Seabed mineral exploration","Great-power competition over critical minerals","Sediment plume risk"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A July 2026 report cited by Cook Islands News warns of unaddressed radioactive-contamination risks, while the Seabed Minerals Authority says there is currently no evidence of severe toxic effects, so harm is potential (ref 5).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or lost income is reported; Cook Islands News says opponents warn of effects on food security and culture (ref 1).","scale":"The licences and nodule fields cover the national EEZ, estimated at 6.7 billion tonnes of nodules by Cook Islands News, which is a national-waters issue (ref 1).","duration":"Exploration licences date from 2022 and were extended in November 2025 to at least 2032, so the issue is chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The government formally extended exploration and licences remain active, a formal licensing step short of an enforcement order (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Cook Islands News (30 September 2026) reports polymetallic nodules at 4,000 to 6,000 m and an estimate of 6.7 billion tonnes, with no decision to mine made (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Estimated nodule resource","value":6.7,"unit":"billion tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Estimate stated by Cook Islands News, method not given (ref 1)."},{"name":"Voters opposed to seabed mining","value":50,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Cook Islands News poll; 22.9% supported and 21.9% were undecided (ref 1)."},{"name":"Exploration extension","value":5,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Decision to extend exploration, pushing a mining decision to at least 2032 (ref 2)."},{"name":"NOAA expedition samples","value":400,"unit":"samples (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"26-day Okeanos Explorer expedition with 14 ROV dives (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A Trytten Consulting study reported nodule value of USD 100 to 140 per dry tonne, which the article says is far below the level needed for a profitable industry (ref 1).","A Sovereign Wealth Fund Act 2026 is meant to hold future seabed mineral and fisheries revenue (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"A Chinese cooperation agreement in February 2025 (ref 6), a US minerals agreement in August 2025 (ref 4) and a US firm partnership in August 2026 (ref 7) advanced while opposition and calls for assessments grew (refs 1, 8)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority","role":"Seabed minerals regulator","contact":"https://www.sbma.gov.ck/"},{"name":"Cook Islands Investment Corporation","role":"State investment body partnering on exploration","contact":"https://www.ciic.gov.ck/"}],"public_contact":"The Seabed Minerals Authority publishes general contact details on its website.","corrective_actions":["The government extended exploration by five years instead of deciding on mining (ref 2).","A US-NOAA science expedition shares data and samples with the Cook Islands Government (ref 3).","Officials say only exploration may proceed until more scientific data exist (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cook Islands faces tough choices over deep-sea mining prospects","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/features/in-depth/cook-islands-faces-tough-choices-over-deep-sea-mining-prospects/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cook Islands delays seabed mining decision, extends exploration to 2032","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2025-11-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/environment/economy/breaking-news/cook-islands-delays-seabed-mining-decision-extends-exploration-to-2032/","basis":"News (article partly paywalled)"},{"ref":3,"title":"'Teeming with life': Cook Islands officials enthuse over NOAA deep dive","publisher":"RNZ Pacific via PINA","date":"2026-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/08/20/teeming-with-life-cook-islands-officials-enthuse-over-noaa-deep-dive/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Deep-sea mining: Cook Islands strikes US minerals agreement after deal with China","publisher":"Gulf News","date":"2025-08-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gulfnews.com/world/oceania/deep-sea-mining-cook-islands-strikes-us-minerals-agreement-after-deal-with-china-1.500224012","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Report warns deep-sea mining carries radioactive risks, SBMA urges more research","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2026-07-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/environment/report-warns-deep-sea-mining-carries-radioactive-risks-sbma-urges-more-research/","basis":"News (article partly paywalled)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Cook Islands seeks China's expertise in seabed mining","publisher":"RNZ Pacific","date":"2025-02-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/541867/cook-islands-seeks-china-s-expertise-in-seabed-mining","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"CIIC partners with US firm for deep-sea minerals exploration","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2026-08-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/environment/economy/ciic-partners-with-us-firm-for-deep-sea-minerals-exploration/","basis":"News (article partly paywalled)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Cook Islands government urged to reject further US seabed minerals overtures","publisher":"Cook Islands News","date":"2026-07-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cookislandsnews.com/?p=302384","basis":"News (article partly paywalled)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Licensee names and exact licence terms come from Cook Islands News summaries; the Seabed Minerals Authority licence register was not opened.","The Cook Islands-China agreement text and New Zealand's June 2025 aid pause are described only in secondary news."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-SOUTHPENRHYN-USEXPLORATIONLICENCE-2026","OC-SPAC-ABNJ-NORITOMLITLOS-2026","OC-SPAC-PACIFIC-DSMDIVIDE-2026","OC-SPAC-COOKISLANDS-HUMPBACKCORRIDOR-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-PACIFIC-DSMDIVIDE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Pacific Islands Forum leaders keep a member-led approach to deep-sea minerals as Fiji and French Polynesia press for a pause and civil society warns of sponsor liability","description":"At their September 2026 meeting in Palau, Forum leaders endorsed a member-led regional approach and a regional repository of deep-sea mineral data, and PINA reports that members still hold differing views. Fiji describes a 10-year precautionary pause on commercial mining in its waters while still licensing exploration, French Polynesia's president called in September 2025 for a regional moratorium, and Cook Islands, Nauru and Tonga are exploring or sponsoring activity. Pacific civil society groups warn that sponsoring states could carry long-term liability.","location":{"name":"Pacific Islands Forum region (deep-sea minerals policy)","type":"Regional policy dispute over seabed mining","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ","PF","CK","TO","NR","WS"],"detail":"Pacific Islands Forum member states and territories, with the Forum Leaders' Meeting held in Koror, Palau, in 2026 (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["deep-sea-mining"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Pacific governments hold opposing positions on seabed mining and are negotiating a regional approach.","secondary_drivers":["Sponsoring-state liability","Debt pressure and revenue expectations","Exploration alongside a moratorium"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No mining has begun; civil society warns of legal, financial and environmental liabilities if extraction proceeds, so harm is potential (ref 3).","livelihoods":"A Yasawa fisher quoted by PINA fears loss of sacred ocean and fishing grounds, but no restriction or closure is reported (ref 4).","scale":"The debate spans the Forum membership and several Pacific EEZs and territories, a regional-scale issue (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Civil society says it has called for a ban since the 2012 Leaders' Forum, and the first leaders-level Talanoa was held in early 2025 (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The 2026 Forum Leaders' Communique formally endorsed a regional approach and repository on deep-sea minerals, a formal regional position (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Forum leaders endorsed a member-led regional approach and a regional repository of deep-sea mineral data; PINA notes members still hold differing views (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Countries supporting a deep-sea mining moratorium","value":46,"unit":"countries","status":"Reported","note":"Figure in a PINA feature, which says Fiji is one of them (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Fiji says a minerals law review is under way with the Law Reform Commission (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Regional dialogue began at the 2025 Talanoa and continues; no outcome measure yet (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner)","role":"Regional coordination","contact":"https://www.forumsec.org/"},{"name":"Fiji Ministry of Minerals","role":"National minerals regulator","contact":"https://www.fiji.gov.fj/"}],"public_contact":"The Forum Secretariat publishes its general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["Leaders backed a regional repository of deep-sea mineral data (ref 1).","Fiji is reviewing its Mining Act 1965 with the Law Reform Commission (ref 4).","Tonga gazetted an Ocean Management Act in December 2025 to align sectors including mining under one framework (ref 6)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Forum leaders tighten Pacific position on oceans, fisheries and deep sea minerals","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/09/04/forum-leaders-tighten-pacific-position-on-oceans-fisheries-and-deep-sea-minerals/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pacific Leaders keep Deep-Sea Mining dialogue open despite differences: Dr Manoni","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/08/31/pacific-leaders-keep-deep-sea-mining-dialogue-open-despite-differences-dr-manoni/","basis":"News (interview with the Pacific Ocean Commissioner)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Deep Sea Mining could leave countries liable: Civil Society warns Pacific Leaders","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-08-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/08/31/deep-sea-mining-could-leave-countries-liable-civil-society-warns-pacific-leaders/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Why Fiji is urging the world to slow down on deep-sea mining","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-09-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/09/29/why-fiji-is-urging-the-world-to-slow-down-on-deep-sea-mining/","basis":"News feature"},{"ref":5,"title":"French Polynesia calls for moratorium on deep sea mining","publisher":"RNZ Pacific","date":"2025-09-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/573385/french-polynesia-calls-for-moratorium-on-deep-sea-mining","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Tonga gazettes Ocean Management Act, sets up integrated ocean governance","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2025-12-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2025/12/22/tonga-gazettes-ocean-management-act-sets-up-integrated-ocean-governance/","basis":"News (government announcement)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Forum Leaders' Communique text was not opened; PINA's report of it was used.","The Samoa and Palau positions are mentioned only in a PINA feature, not in primary documents."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-COOKISLANDS-SEABEDMINERALS-2026","OC-SPAC-ABNJ-NORITOMLITLOS-2026","OC-CORAL-VANUATU-MARITIMEZONES-2025","OC-SPAC-ABNJ-BBNJRATIFICATIONS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-ABNJ-BBNJRATIFICATIONS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"High Seas Treaty is in force, but Nauru, the Cook Islands and Niue have signed without ratifying as the first Conference of the Parties nears","description":"The Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction entered into force on 17 January 2026, and the first Conference of the Parties must meet by 17 January 2027. The UN Treaty Collection record shows Fiji and Tuvalu ratified on 9 June 2025, Kiribati on 9 December 2025, Tonga on 7 July 2026 and Samoa on 14 September 2026, while Nauru, the Cook Islands and Niue have signed with no ratification recorded. No high seas marine protected area exists yet under the treaty.","location":{"name":"South Pacific high seas (BBNJ Agreement)","type":"Treaty implementation (areas beyond national jurisdiction)","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["ABNJ","FJ","TV","KI","TO","WS","NR","CK","NU"],"detail":"Pacific island parties and signatories to the BBNJ Agreement; candidate high seas protected areas named by IFAW include the Salas y Gomez and Nazca Ridges off Rapa Nui (ref 2).","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Treaty ratification and implementation steps govern future protection of the high seas.","secondary_drivers":["Ratification gaps","No high seas MPA yet"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is attributed to the ratification gap; the sources describe an unprotected high seas rather than a documented loss (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No restriction on fisheries or coastal communities is reported as a result of the treaty steps (refs 2, 3).","scale":"The BBNJ Agreement covers the global high seas, with over 80 ratifications reported by IFAW in January 2026 (ref 2).","duration":"The treaty has been in force only since 17 January 2026, so the implementation phase is months old (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Entry into force is treaty action, recorded by the UN depositary on 17 January 2026 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The BBNJ Agreement entered into force on 17 January 2026; Pacific ratifications include Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga and Samoa, with Nauru, the Cook Islands and Niue still to ratify (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Parties recorded by the UN Treaty Collection","value":104,"unit":"parties","status":"Reported","note":"Status as at 12 October 2026, with 145 signatories (ref 1)."},{"name":"Parties among Pacific states checked","value":5,"unit":"states","status":"Reported","note":"Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga and Samoa have ratified; Nauru, the Cook Islands and Niue have not (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific states ratified during 2025 and 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UN Secretary-General (treaty depositary) and BBNJ Secretariat","role":"Depositary and treaty body","contact":"https://treaties.un.org/"},{"name":"Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner","role":"Regional coordination of COP1 preparation","contact":"https://www.forumsec.org/"}],"public_contact":"The UN Treaty Collection publishes general enquiry channels.","corrective_actions":["Forum leaders tasked the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner with coordinating preparation for the first Conference of the Parties in January 2027 (ref 3).","States may now begin identifying and proposing high seas marine protected areas (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"United Nations Treaty Collection: Agreement under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (status of ratification)","publisher":"United Nations Treaty Collection","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXI-10&chapter=21&clang=_en","basis":"Treaty depositary record"},{"ref":2,"title":"High Seas Treaty enters into force, a historic leap for ocean protection","publisher":"IFAW","date":"2026-01-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ifaw.org/press-releases/high-seas-treaty-enters-into-force-historic-leap-ocean-protection","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Forum leaders tighten Pacific position on oceans, fisheries and deep sea minerals","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/09/04/forum-leaders-tighten-pacific-position-on-oceans-fisheries-and-deep-sea-minerals/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The depositary page carries no publication date, so the source date is null.","New Zealand and Australia status is outside this record's seas."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-SARGASSO-HIGHSEASMPA-2026","OC-SPAC-PACIFIC-DSMDIVIDE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-WCPO-TUNAHEALTHRISKS-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Pacific tuna stocks are reported healthy, but El Niño, warming-driven stock shifts and surveillance gaps put island access-fee revenue at risk","description":"The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency's 2024-25 annual report says skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore in the Western and Central Pacific are all assessed as not overfished, and that illegal fishing losses have fallen by more than 50% since 2016. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community has warned that overshooting 1.5 degrees C could shift tuna east out of island zones and cut access-fee revenue by up to US$90 million a year, and a strong El Niño is forecast to disrupt fishing into 2027. Only about 15% of tuna caught in the region is processed onshore, and Pacific ministers want more surveillance investment.","location":{"name":"Western and Central Pacific tuna fishery (island EEZs)","type":"Regional tuna fishery (FFA member waters)","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ","KI","NR","TV","TO","WS","CK","NU","ABNJ"],"detail":"Exclusive economic zones of Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency members and adjacent high seas in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves","governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Stock-status reports are positive, with climate redistribution and illegal fishing as the stated pressures on a managed tuna fishery.","secondary_drivers":["El Niño","Warming-driven stock shifts","Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No overfishing is reported, so harm is potential: the SPC projects tuna moving out of island EEZs if warming overshoots 1.5 degrees C (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"The El Niño report notes fishing effort fell in some areas and shifted to the high seas and Kiribati and Tuvalu waters after the FAD ban, with no closure or income loss quantified (ref 4).","scale":"The fishery spans the Western and Central Pacific, which produces about 60% of the world's tuna according to PINA (ref 8).","duration":"The surveillance and processing challenges are chronic, with illegal-fishing losses tracked since 2016 and new measures adopted in December 2025 (refs 1, 6).","significance":"The Forum Fisheries Committee ministers issued a formal communique in July 2026 and WCPFC22 adopted an albacore management procedure in December 2025 (refs 6, 7)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure applies to the fishery-level risks reported."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"All four key Western and Central Pacific tuna stocks are assessed as not overfished, with illegal fishing losses down more than 50% since 2016 (FFA 2024-25 annual report, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Decline in illegal fishing losses since 2016","value":50,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"FFA annual report 2024-25 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tuna processed onshore in the region","value":15,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate share, FFA annual report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Possible access-fee revenue loss if tuna move east","value":90,"unit":"US$ million per year (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"Statement by the SPC Deputy Director-General, not tied to a named study (ref 3)."},{"name":"Vessel inspections in Operation Tui Moana 2026","value":61,"unit":"inspections","status":"Reported","note":"4 to 22 May 2026, with more than 200 vessel detections and two apprehensions (ref 2)."},{"name":"FFA members' annual access fees","value":500,"unit":"US$ million (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Stated by the FFA Director-General (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The SPC says tuna migration could cut access-fee revenue equal to 30% of government revenue (ref 3).","Tuna revenue funds basic services in small island states according to PINA's treaty report (ref 8)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Stocks and illegal-fishing losses are reported to have improved, while climate and El Niño risks are rising (refs 1, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency","role":"Regional fisheries agency","contact":"https://www.ffa.int/"},{"name":"Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.wcpfc.int/"}],"public_contact":"FFA and WCPFC publish general enquiry channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["WCPFC22 adopted a South Pacific albacore management procedure in December 2025 (ref 6).","Operation Tui Moana 2026 coordinated surveillance across 10 EEZs (ref 2).","Ministers endorsed an albacore allocation arrangement and aim for an implementing measure at WCPFC23 in December 2026 (ref 7).","Tonga ratified the 2024 amendments to the US Treaty on Fisheries, the eighth party to do so, with eight more including the US still needed (ref 9)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pacific Tuna stocks remain healthy as FFA charts new course for greater economic gains","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/07/29/pacific-tuna-stocks-remain-healthy-as-ffa-charts-new-course-for-greater-economic-gains/","basis":"News (reporting the FFA Annual Report 2024-2025)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pacific nations unite to strengthen fisheries surveillance through operation Tui Moana 2026","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-05-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/05/25/pacific-nations-unite-to-strengthen-fisheries-surveillance-through-operation-tui-moana-2026/","basis":"News (FFA operation report)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Pacific Tuna and food security at risk as 1.5C overshoot looms","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-09-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/09/03/pacific-tuna-and-food-security-at-risk-as-1-5c-overshoot-looms/","basis":"News (statements by the SPC Deputy Director-General)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Strong El Niño expected to disrupt Pacific tuna fisheries into 2027","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) / FFA","date":"2026-10-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/10/12/strong-el-nino-expected-to-disrupt-pacific-tuna-fisheries-into-2027/","basis":"News (citing NOAA, FFA and SPC)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Protect Tuna or lose billions: FFA DG Pakop","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/09/02/protect-tuna-or-lose-billions-ffa-dg-pakop/","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"South Pacific Albacore Management Procedure adopted at WCPFC22","publisher":"Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency","date":"2025-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ffa.int/2025/12/south-pacific-albacore-management-procedure-adopted-at-wcpfc22/","basis":"Agency news release"},{"ref":7,"title":"25th Forum Fisheries Committee Ministerial Meeting concludes in Wellington","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/07/03/25th-forum-fisheries-committee-ministerial-meeting-concludes-in-wellington/","basis":"News (reporting the FFCMIN25 outcomes)"},{"ref":8,"title":"Pacific questions U.S commitment as tuna treaty pressure grows","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) citing PMN News","date":"2026-05-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/05/19/pacific-questions-u-s-commitment-as-tuna-treaty-pressure-grows/","basis":"News"},{"ref":9,"title":"Tonga ratifies 2024 U.S Treaty amendments","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-07-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/07/02/tonga-ratifies-2024-u-s-treaty-amendments/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The WCPFC22 tropical tuna measure, FAD closure and observer-coverage outcomes were not found in opened pages.","Stock-assessment documents of the WCPFC Scientific Committee were not opened; stock status is as reported by the FFA."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-EPO-TUNASEINE-2025","OC-SPAC-PACIFIC-TUNACOCAINE-2026","OC-NPAC-ABNJ-SAURY-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-PACIFIC-TUNACOCAINE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"FFA report links tuna fishing and supply chains to cocaine smuggling, with packages washing onto Pacific reefs and large seizures near Fiji and French Polynesia","description":"The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency's latest Trade and Industry News report says criminal networks are using tuna shipments, fishing vessels and offshore refuelling to move cocaine from South America across the Pacific. It cites packages washing onto reefs in the Marshall Islands and 26 kg on a reef at Mitiaro in the Cook Islands, and a 2.6 tonne seizure in north-west Viti Levu, Fiji, in early 2026. RNZ separately reported a Cook Islands fisherman's account of finding a package on the Mitiaro reef.","location":{"name":"South Pacific transit routes: Fiji, Cook Islands, Polynesia","type":"Maritime smuggling route and reef landfalls","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ","CK","PF"],"detail":"Seizures at sea and near French Polynesia, a package on Mitiaro reef in the Cook Islands, and a 2.6 tonne seizure in north-west Viti Levu, Fiji, all reported by the FFA (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Transnational crime using fishing vessels and marine supply chains, with debris-like drug packages landing on reefs.","secondary_drivers":["Transnational organised crime","Vessel offshore refuelling","Drifting drug packages"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Cocaine packages repeatedly washing onto reefs and beaches are documented by the FFA report, with community and security risk but no ecological harm quantified (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The report describes threats and extortion of fishers in Ecuador, while no Pacific island fishery disruption is reported (ref 1).","scale":"The report describes a South Pacific transit route with landfalls from the Marshall Islands to the Cook Islands, a regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"The report notes drug vessels drifting ashore since 2024 and seizures dating from 2023, so the problem is recurring (ref 1).","significance":"An agency report and police seizures, including 2.6 tonnes in Fiji, provide a formal record without an enforcement order against a fishery (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 14 tonnes of cocaine were reportedly seized from the high seas and vessels in port in the first six weeks of 2026, much of it in or near French Polynesia (FFA report, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Cocaine seized at sea and in port, first six weeks of 2026","value":14,"unit":"tonnes (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Law enforcement seizures cited in the FFA report (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fiji seizure, early 2026","value":2.6,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"North-west Viti Levu, six arrests (ref 1)."},{"name":"Cocaine washed onto a Mitiaro reef","value":26,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Cook Islands, as cited in the FFA report (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The report warns the cocaine trade is likely to keep using legitimate fishing operations, a reputational risk for tuna exports (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The FFA report says discoveries increased in 2025 and the incentives driving the trade remain (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency","role":"Regional fisheries agency","contact":"https://www.ffa.int/"}],"public_contact":"FFA publishes a general enquiry channel on its website.","corrective_actions":["Police in Fiji seized 2.6 tonnes of cocaine and arrested six men in early 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tuna supply chains exploited for cocaine smuggling, FFA report warns","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-10-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/10/12/tuna-supply-chains-exploited-for-cocaine-smuggling-ffa-report-warns/","basis":"News (reporting an FFA Trade and Industry News report)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cook Islands fisherman recalls finding cocaine package on beach","publisher":"RNZ Pacific","date":"2026-08-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2019049117/cook-islands-fisherman-recalls-finding-cocaine-package-on-beach","basis":"News (audio summary)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The FFA Trade and Industry News report itself was not opened; PINA's account of it was used.","The RNZ item is an audio summary page only; the Fiji seizure is described solely in the FFA report as relayed by PINA."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-WCPO-TUNAHEALTHRISKS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-SOUTHPACIFIC-BLEACHING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"NOAA confirmed mass coral bleaching across Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa and French Polynesia in the fourth global event, which it now judges ended in mid-2025","description":"NOAA announced on 15 April 2024 that the world was in its fourth global coral bleaching event and said mass bleaching had been confirmed across large areas of the South Pacific, including Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa and French Polynesia. In June 2026 NOAA said bleaching-level heat stress ran from early 2023 to mid-2025, reached about 84% of the world's reef area and was documented in at least 83 countries and territories. NOAA's outlook warns that a developing El Niño could bring widespread bleaching back, with the highest probabilities in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.","location":{"name":"South Pacific reefs: Fiji to French Polynesia","type":"Coral reef bleaching region","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["FJ","TV","KI","WS","PF"],"detail":"Reefs of Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa and French Polynesia named in NOAA's April 2024 confirmation (ref 1); NOAA's 2026 article does not discuss South Pacific outcomes separately (ref 2).","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Thermal stress bleached reefs across island nations during the global event.","secondary_drivers":["Marine heatwave","El Niño"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA confirmed mass bleaching across large South Pacific areas, but neither opened NOAA page reports coral mortality figures for these islands (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Neither NOAA page reports reef tourism or fishery losses for the South Pacific islands (refs 1, 2).","scale":"NOAA says about 84% of global reef area had bleaching-level heat stress, spanning the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans (ref 2).","duration":"Heat stress ran from early 2023 to mid-2025, about two and a half years, according to NOAA (ref 2).","significance":"NOAA formally confirmed the fourth global bleaching event on 15 April 2024 and declared it likely ended in June 2026 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure applies."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Mass bleaching was confirmed across large areas of the South Pacific, including Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa and French Polynesia (NOAA, 15 April 2024, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Global reef area with bleaching-level heat stress","value":84,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"NOAA, event running early 2023 to mid-2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Countries and territories with mass bleaching","value":83,"unit":"count (at least)","status":"Reported","note":"Global figure from NOAA (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["NOAA warns reefs will bleach on a near-annual basis and a developing El Niño could restart widespread bleaching (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"NOAA says the event likely ended in mid-2025, but its outlook shows 90 to 100% bleaching probability in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch","role":"Bleaching monitoring","contact":"https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/"},{"name":"NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program","role":"Reef conservation programme","contact":"https://coralreef.noaa.gov/"}],"public_contact":"NOAA Coral Reef Watch publishes a general contact on its website.","corrective_actions":["NOAA published a four-month bleaching outlook in 2026 (ref 2).","NOAA and partners are studying coral heat tolerance (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"NOAA confirms 4th global coral bleaching event","publisher":"NOAA","date":"2024-04-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-confirms-4th-global-coral-bleaching-event","basis":"Agency press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"World's fourth mass coral bleaching event likely ended in 2025","publisher":"NOAA NESDIS","date":"2026-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/worlds-fourth-mass-coral-bleaching-event-likely-ended-2025","basis":"Agency news article"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Island-level mortality and recovery data for Tonga, the Cook Islands, Moorea and Fiji reefs were not found in opened pages.","Vanuatu is named by NOAA but belongs to the CORAL sea and is not listed in countries."],"related_ids":["OC-TROPEPAC-ETP-BLEACHING-2024","OC-CORAL-GBR-BLEACH-2024","OC-SPAC-SWPACIFIC-MARINEHEATWAVE-2024","OC-SPAC-TEAHUPOO-OLYMPICTOWER-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-UPOLU-MANAWANUIINQUIRY-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Inquiry into the loss of HMNZS Manawanui off Upolu finds an autopilot error, training gaps and 12 contributing factors, with the wreck still on the reef in April 2025","description":"The New Zealand Defence Force's Court of Inquiry found that HMNZS Manawanui, conducting a hydrographic survey, grounded on 5 October 2024 near Sinalei Reef south of Upolu, Samoa, and sank on 6 October after the failure to disconnect the autopilot. The final report found 12 contributing factors, including training and qualification gaps and inadequate risk management. As of April 2025 the navy said it had removed diesel and other pollutants and that no decision had been taken on removing the wreck.","location":{"name":"Sinalei Reef, south coast of Upolu","type":"Shipwreck on a coral reef","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["WS"],"detail":"South coast of Upolu, Samoa; the inquiry gives the grounding position as 14 deg 01.46 S, 171 deg 49.47 W (ref 1).","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-14.0248,"lon":-171.826,"precision":"exact","source_ref":1}},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats","chemical-oil-pollution"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A naval vessel grounded on and sank at a Samoan reef through navigation and training failures.","secondary_drivers":["Navigation error","Training and qualification gaps"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The inquiry places the ship on the reef where it bounced and sank, and villagers fear permanent reef damage, while the navy says seawater and marine life are uncontaminated (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Samoa's government lifted a no-fishing zone around the vessel in February 2025, and fishers feared a palolo catch loss (refs 3, 4).","scale":"The effects described are at one reef and coastal village on the south of Upolu (refs 1, 4).","duration":"The grounding was in October 2024 and the wreck remained in April 2025 with no removal decision, about six months (ref 3).","significance":"The navy's formal Court of Inquiry reported 12 contributing factors and recommended a separate disciplinary investigation (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Court of Inquiry found 12 factors contributed to the grounding and sinking, and 75 people reached shore safely (refs 2, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Contributing factors identified","value":12,"unit":"factors","status":"Reported","note":"Final Court of Inquiry report, as reported in April 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"People aboard who reached shore","value":75,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Samoa News, December 2024 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Value of the ship","value":147,"unit":"NZ$ million","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by Samoa News (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["A tour operator described Sinalei as one of Samoa's best surf spots as fuel spread, and fishers feared the palolo catch would be affected (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No source after April 2025 on salvage, wreck removal or reef recovery was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"New Zealand Defence Force","role":"Vessel operator and inquiry convenor","contact":"https://nzdf.mil.nz/"},{"name":"Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment","role":"Environmental impact assessment","contact":"https://www.mnre.gov.ws/"}],"public_contact":"NZDF and the Samoa ministry publish general channels on their websites.","corrective_actions":["The navy removed diesel and other pollutants over several months (ref 3).","The Court recommended a separate disciplinary inquiry, with names and offences redacted (ref 3).","The Chief of Navy ordered audits across the fleet (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Court of Inquiry: HMNZS Manawanui (final report)","publisher":"New Zealand Defence Force","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nzdf.mil.nz/court-of-inquiry-hmnzs-manawanui","basis":"Official inquiry report (PDF)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bombshell finding after $147million Manawanui sinking in Samoa","publisher":"Samoa News","date":"2024-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.samoanews.com/node/130946","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Crew of New Zealand navy ship which sank off Samoa lacked training, experience, an inquiry finds","publisher":"Yahoo News (wire report)","date":"2025-04-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/crew-zealand-navy-ship-sank-021013403.html","basis":"News (wire report)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Oil on the ocean: Ecological disaster looms in Samoa","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2024-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2024/10/08/oil-on-the-ocean-ecological-disaster-looms-in-samoa/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No source after April 2025 on wreck removal or reef condition was found.","The report's cover page shows no publication date; the report was completed for 28 February 2025 and made public around 4 April 2025 per news reports."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-UPOLU-MANAWANUISPILL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-TEAHUPOO-OLYMPICTOWER-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Olympic judging tower at Teahupo'o was built into the reef in 2024 despite protests, with a post-Games reef check promised","description":"A new three-storey aluminium judging tower for the 2024 Paris Olympic surfing event was built on pilings drilled into the coral reef at Teahupo'o, Tahiti, in a scaled-back design after residents and a global petition objected. Scientists warned of serious consequences for the reef, and the International Surfing Association said it would not support new construction on the reef. The tower was to be dismantled after the Games, and locals planned a reef check using monitoring tools from the Mega Lab.","location":{"name":"Teahupo'o reef, Tahiti","type":"Coral reef surf site with competition infrastructure","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["PF"],"detail":"South-west coast of Tahiti Iti, French Polynesia; coordinates are those listed for Teahupo'o in Wikipedia (ref 3).","points":[],"extent":"site","coordinates":{"lat":-17.8472,"lon":-149.2672,"precision":"site","source_ref":3}},"primary_category":"coral-reefs","secondary_categories":["other"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Sports infrastructure drilled into a reef, with scientists and residents warning of reef damage.","secondary_drivers":["Construction on reef","Mass-event infrastructure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Scientists warned that drilling into the reef could have serious consequences; the sources do not quantify damage, so harm is potential (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Residents objected on cultural grounds and the athletes' village was moved offshore to a cruise ship, but no closure or income loss is reported (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The tower stands on one reef pass at Teahupo'o, a site-scale issue (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The tower was built in 2024 and was to be dismantled after the Games and re-erected for later events, a matter of months (ref 2).","significance":"Local and government decision-makers approved the build and the protests were informal, with no regulatory order cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The judging tower was built on 12 pilings in a scaled-back, collapsible design costing about $5 million, currency not stated (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pilings used for the tower","value":12,"unit":"pilings","status":"Reported","note":"The Inertia, July 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No 2025 or 2026 reef-condition report was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of French Polynesia","role":"Approving authority","contact":"https://www.presidence.pf/"},{"name":"World Surf League","role":"Event operator at the site","contact":"https://www.worldsurfleague.com/"}],"public_contact":"The Government of French Polynesia publishes general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["The tower was redesigned to reduce its impact (ref 3).","A post-Games reef check was planned with Mega Lab tools (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The greenest Games ever? How claims of Olympic sustainability hit a reef in Tahiti","publisher":"The Conversation","date":"2024-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://theconversation.com/the-greenest-games-ever-how-claims-of-olympic-sustainability-hit-a-reef-in-tahiti-234464","basis":"Academic commentary"},{"ref":2,"title":"The Olympics' controversial tower: what's next?","publisher":"The Inertia","date":"2024-07-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theinertia.com/surf/olympics-controversial-tower-now-next/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Teahupo'o","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teahupo%CA%BBo","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No reef survey results from after the Games were found.","The Reuters report of December 2023 on coral damage could not be opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-SOUTHPACIFIC-BLEACHING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SPAC-COOKISLANDS-HUMPBACKCORRIDOR-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Cook Islands announces a 400,000 km2 Ra'ui To'ora corridor to protect migrating, endangered Oceania humpback whales","description":"At the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025 Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown announced a zone spanning over 400,000 square kilometres to protect the migratory corridors of the endangered Oceania humpback whale, applying the traditional ra'ui practice at ocean scale. Tonga's Princess Angelika Tuku'aho separately called for legal rights for whales, and in 2026 the Pacific Islands Forum acknowledged Tonga's concerns about migratory humpbacks. The legal status of the Cook Islands zone is not shown in the sources.","location":{"name":"Cook Islands Ra'ui To'ora whale corridor","type":"Marine mammal migration protection zone","sea":"SPAC","seas":["SPAC"],"basin":"PAC","countries":["CK","TO"],"detail":"Migratory corridors of Oceania humpback whales across Cook Islands waters, linked to Tonga's whale sanctuary (refs 1, 2).","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A protection zone announced for an endangered whale population's migratory routes.","secondary_drivers":["Whale migration pressure","Marine spatial protection"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"RNZ describes the Oceania humpback as endangered and the whale declaration as seeking to grow dwindling populations, so harm is potential and not quantified (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery restriction is described in the announcement, and Tonga's whale watching guides say they will protect whales (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The zone covers over 400,000 square kilometres, within a national EEZ but linked to a proposed transboundary corridor (ref 1).","duration":"The zone was announced in June 2025 and Forum leaders noted Tonga's concerns in September 2026, a period of more than a year (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A head-of-government announcement at a UN conference and a Forum Leaders' acknowledgement are formal statements, though no gazetted order was found (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A protection zone of more than 400,000 square kilometres for Oceania humpback whale migration corridors was announced on 13 June 2025 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Announced protection zone area","value":400000,"unit":"km2 (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Prime Minister Mark Brown's announcement in Nice (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No later gazette notice or monitoring report was found."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of the Cook Islands (Office of the Prime Minister)","role":"Announcing authority","contact":"https://pmoffice.gov.ck/"},{"name":"Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority","role":"Marine resource regulator in the same EEZ","contact":"https://www.sbma.gov.ck/"}],"public_contact":"The Cook Islands government publishes general contact channels on its website.","corrective_actions":["The government announced the Ra'ui To'ora corridor and a possible Institute of Blue Ocean Sustainability and Science (ref 1).","A 2024 declaration signed in Rarotonga seeks rights and protections for whales (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Cook Islands announces protection zone for migrating Oceania humpback whales","publisher":"RNZ Pacific","date":"2025-06-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/564039/cook-islands-announces-protection-zone-for-migrating-oceania-humpback-whales","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tonga princess calls for legal rights for whales","publisher":"RNZ Pacific","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/563624/tonga-princess-calls-for-legal-rights-for-whales","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Forum leaders tighten Pacific position on oceans, fisheries and deep sea minerals","publisher":"Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pina.com.fj/2026/09/04/forum-leaders-tighten-pacific-position-on-oceans-fisheries-and-deep-sea-minerals/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (SPAC in-depth pass, second agent)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The legal instrument, boundaries and enforcement of the zone were not found.","No population estimate for the Oceania humpback was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SPAC-COOKISLANDS-SEABEDMINERALS-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-NATL-SSTRECORD-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Record North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures and near-basin-wide marine heatwaves in 2023 and 2024","description":"Copernicus Marine and Mercator Ocean report that the North Atlantic (0 to 60 N) averaged a record 22.91 C in 2024, 0.6 C above the 2023 record, with 98.8% of the basin hit by a marine heatwave. NOAA Climate.gov noted record North Atlantic surface temperatures from March 2023 through mid-2024. In 2025 the eastern North Atlantic again saw record months, while the basin average ranked lower than in 2023 and 2024.","location":{"name":"North Atlantic basin, 0 to 60 N","type":"Open-ocean basin (marine heatwave region)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"Basin-wide open-ocean finding covering the subtropical and subpolar North Atlantic; coastal impacts fall in the NEATL, NWATL, CAR and GOM records.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Basin-scale surface heat anomalies and marine heatwave coverage measured by ocean-monitoring services.","secondary_drivers":["Long-term ocean warming","Weak Azores High and low winds in 2023","Marine heatwave persistence"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Climate.gov reported the 2024 marine heatwave caused heat stress across nearly all of the Atlantic tropical reef areas, a potential rather than quantified ecological harm (ref 2).","livelihoods":"None of the cited assessments documents a fishery closure, advisory or port restriction tied to the basin heat itself (refs 1, 2, 4).","scale":"Mercator reports marine heatwaves over 98.8% of the North Atlantic from 0 to 60 N in 2024 and 99.6% in 2023, a whole-basin extent (ref 1).","duration":"Record surface temperatures ran from March 2023 into mid-2024 (ref 2) and the eastern basin set record months again in 2025, up to eight in a row at some locations (ref 4).","significance":"These are agency monitoring reports and press releases with no notice, listing or enforcement attached (refs 1, 4, 5)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The North Atlantic (0 to 60 N) recorded its highest sea surface temperature on record in 2024, averaging 22.91 C, 0.6 C above the 2023 record (Copernicus Marine / Mercator Ocean)."},"measures":[{"name":"North Atlantic mean sea surface temperature, 2024","value":22.91,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Record annual mean for 0 to 60 N, 0.6 C above 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of North Atlantic with a marine heatwave, 2024","value":98.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Second-widest extent after 2023 at 99.6% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of North Atlantic with strong or higher marine heatwave, 2024","value":87.9,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Second only to 2023 at 92.4% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Area with record temperatures in 2024","value":41,"unit":"% of the North Atlantic","status":"Reported","note":"Copernicus Marine / Mercator bulletin (ref 1)."},{"name":"June 2023 North Atlantic anomaly (ERA5)","value":0.91,"unit":"C above average","status":"Reported","note":"Warmest June in the ERA5 record, about 0.5 C above 2010 (ref 3)."},{"name":"August 2025 North Atlantic mean sea surface temperature","value":24.89,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Sixth-warmest August on record; 18% of the basin had strong or higher marine heatwave conditions (ref 6)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Climate.gov linked the 2024 heat to above-normal Atlantic hurricane-season forecasts and heat stress on tropical reef areas (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The 2024 mean broke the 2023 record, then 2025 ranked lower for the basin (June 2025 third-warmest, August 2025 sixth-warmest) while the eastern basin set record months (refs 4, 5, 6)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Copernicus Marine Service (Mercator Ocean International)","role":"Ocean monitoring service","contact":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/"},{"name":"NOAA Climate Program Office (Climate.gov)","role":"National climate agency","contact":"https://www.climate.gov/"}],"public_contact":"Copernicus Marine Service help desk through marine.copernicus.eu; NOAA Climate.gov contact page.","corrective_actions":["Copernicus Marine publishes monthly ocean temperature bulletins and an annual Ocean Health Bulletin tracking North Atlantic marine heatwaves (refs 4, 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Assessing the Ocean in 2024","publisher":"Mercator Ocean International (Copernicus Marine Service)","date":"2025-01-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/?p=15251","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"For more than a year, the North Atlantic has been running a fever","publisher":"NOAA Climate.gov","date":"2024-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/more-year-north-atlantic-has-been-running-fever","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Record-breaking North Atlantic Ocean temperatures contribute to extreme marine heatwaves","publisher":"Copernicus Climate Change Service","date":"2023-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climate.copernicus.eu/record-breaking-north-atlantic-ocean-temperatures-contribute-extreme-marine-heatwaves","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":4,"title":"The 2025 Annual Ocean Health Bulletin","publisher":"Copernicus Marine Service","date":"2026-03-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://marine.copernicus.eu/bulletin/2025-annual-ocean-health-bulletin","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":5,"title":"June 2025 was the third warmest June on record for the global ocean","publisher":"Mercator Ocean International","date":"2025-07-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/?p=19435","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":6,"title":"August 2025: Third-warmest August on record for the global ocean and the sixth-warmest in the North Atlantic","publisher":"Mercator Ocean International","date":"2025-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/?p=20092","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No fishery or economic loss figure for the open-ocean heat itself appears in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-SUBPOLAR-COLDBLOB-2025","OC-NATL-MDR-BERYL-2024","OC-NATL-ATL-SARGASSUM-2025","OC-NATL-CANARIES-MHW-2023"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-MDR-BERYL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Near-record warm Atlantic main development region fuels Hurricane Beryl to the earliest Category 4 and 5 on record","description":"NOAA reported that the main development region of the tropical Atlantic was near record warm in late June 2024, with temperatures closer to those typical of mid-September, and Beryl intensified rapidly over it. The National Hurricane Center report records Beryl as the earliest Category 4 (30 June) and Category 5 (2 July) Atlantic hurricane on record, with 35 direct deaths. The storm formed near 8.9 N 39.6 W; its landfalls and damage are recorded in the Caribbean and Gulf records.","location":{"name":"Tropical Atlantic main development region","type":"Hurricane main development region (open ocean)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"Beryl formed about 1,200 n mi east of Barbados and became a hurricane near 49.3 W, the farthest east a June Atlantic hurricane had formed in the tropics; coordinates are the best-track position at its first Category 4 intensity.","coordinates":{"lat":10.9,"lon":-55.7,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Record-warm tropical Atlantic surface water acted as the fuel for rapid intensification of an unusually early major hurricane.","secondary_drivers":["Record-warm main development region","Low vertical wind shear"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The NHC report attributes 35 direct deaths to Beryl, including 3 in Grenada, 8 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and 14 in the United States (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The NHC report records over $7 billion of property damage in the United States and 99% of buildings damaged on Carriacou, but these impacts fall in the Caribbean and Gulf, so only restrictions are scored here (ref 1).","scale":"Climate.gov describes the main development region of the tropical Atlantic as near record warm, a regional-sea extent rather than a single site (ref 2).","duration":"Beryl lasted from 28 June to 9 July 2024 and its Category 5 peak was brief (ref 1), although record warmth persisted before and after (ref 3).","significance":"NHC issued advisories and the tropical cyclone report certifies records for earliest Category 4 and 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic (ref 1)."}},"status":"Resolved or Stabilized","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane of record in the Atlantic basin, reaching 145 kt at 0600 UTC on 2 July 2024 (NHC Tropical Cyclone Report)."},"measures":[{"name":"Peak sustained wind","value":145,"unit":"kt","status":"Reported","note":"Strongest Atlantic hurricane before August, peak at 0600 UTC 2 July 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Direct deaths","value":35,"unit":"deaths","status":"Reported","note":"NHC report, amended version of 1 May 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Intensification in 24 hours","value":55,"unit":"kt","status":"Reported","note":"1800 UTC 29 June to 1800 UTC 30 June, tied record for an Atlantic named storm so early in the year (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Economic losses documented by the NHC fall in the US, Grenada and other Caribbean states, not at the open-ocean site (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single storm; the 2024 and 2025 warm-ocean context is described in the basin record (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Hurricane Center (NOAA)","role":"Tropical cyclone forecast and warning agency","contact":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/"}],"public_contact":"NHC general contact via nhc.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["NHC began briefings to emergency managers on 1 July as Beryl approached the eastern Caribbean (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Beryl (AL022024), 28 June to 9 July 2024","publisher":"NOAA National Hurricane Center","date":"2025-05-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL022024_Beryl.pdf","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Category 5 Hurricane Beryl makes explosive start to 2024 Atlantic season","publisher":"NOAA Climate.gov","date":"2024-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/category-5-hurricane-beryl-makes-explosive-start-2024-atlantic-season","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"For more than a year, the North Atlantic has been running a fever","publisher":"NOAA Climate.gov","date":"2024-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/more-year-north-atlantic-has-been-running-fever","basis":"Agency report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Resolved or Stabilized","score":5,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The coastal damage is recorded in the CAR and GOM passes."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-NATL-SSTRECORD-2024","OC-NATL-BERMUDA-COASTALRISK-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-SUBPOLAR-COLDBLOB-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Subpolar North Atlantic cold blob south of Greenland tied to a weakening Atlantic overturning circulation","description":"Two 2025 studies attribute the long-term cooling of the subpolar North Atlantic south of Greenland, the \"cold blob\", to a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC); a June 2026 Geophysical Research Letters study led by the Potsdam Institute reaches the same conclusion. Fan and co-authors find an atmospheric radiative pathway and ocean heat transport contribute about equally, and Liu and Li estimate AMOC weakening of 1.01 to 2.97 Sverdrups per century over 1900 to 2005. Direct AMOC measurements cover only about 20 years.","location":{"name":"Subpolar gyre south of Greenland","type":"Open-ocean cooling region (North Atlantic warming hole)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"The Liu and Li study places the cold zone between 40 N and 65 N south of Greenland, with cooling and freshening to about 3,000 m depth.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A persistent ocean-circulation signal in the surface temperature field that contrasts with global warming.","secondary_drivers":["AMOC weakening","Reduced poleward ocean heat transport","Colder, drier air above the cold blob"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The studies describe a risk to the climate system but document no measured ecological or human harm from the cooling itself (refs 1, 2, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery or coastal restriction is documented in the cited studies or press coverage (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"The cold zone spans 40 N to 65 N south of Greenland and the AMOC is an Atlantic-wide circulation (ref 2).","duration":"Earth.com reports the cold spot has persisted for over 100 years, and Fan and co-authors describe cooling over the 20th century (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Peer-reviewed research and press coverage only, with no agency notice or treaty action (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Liu and Li estimate the AMOC weakened by 1.01 to 2.97 Sverdrups per century from 1900 to 2005, using temperature and salinity fingerprints (Communications Earth & Environment, per Earth.com)."},"measures":[{"name":"AMOC weakening, 1900 to 2005","value":null,"unit":"Sverdrups per century","status":"Estimated","note":"Range of 1.01 to 2.97 Sv per century estimated from fingerprints in six sea-surface temperature and three salinity datasets and 94 climate models (ref 2)."},{"name":"Modelled cooling trend","value":0.3,"unit":"C per century","status":"Estimated","note":"Up to 0.3 C per century in models with a weakening AMOC (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Euronews (June 2026) describes the blob as the place on Earth that keeps getting colder, citing a study led by the Potsdam Institute (ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)","role":"Research institute","contact":"https://www.pik-potsdam.de/"}],"public_contact":"PIK press office via pik-potsdam.de.","corrective_actions":["No management response is documented; the AMOC is monitored by the RAPID array and other observing programmes, which the sources do not detail."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Subpolar North Atlantic cooling reinforced by colder, drier atmosphere with a weakening Atlantic meridional overturning circulation","publisher":"Science Advances (Fan et al., Penn State repository record)","date":"2025-06-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/subpolar-north-atlantic-cooling-reinforced-by-colder-drier-atmosp/","basis":"Peer-reviewed article"},{"ref":2,"title":"Cold spot discovered in the Atlantic Ocean could signal big trouble for global climate","publisher":"Earth.com","date":"2025-06-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.earth.com/news/cold-spot-in-the-atlantic-could-signal-big-trouble-for-global-climate/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Mysterious Atlantic 'cold blob': the only place on Earth that keeps getting colder","publisher":"Euronews","date":"2026-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.euronews.com/2026/06/16/mysterious-atlantic-cold-blob-the-only-place-on-earth-that-keeps-getting-colder","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Liu and Li and 2026 Geophysical Research Letters papers were read through press coverage, not the journal pages."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-NATL-SSTRECORD-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-CANARIES-MHW-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Canary Islands marine heatwave of 2023: sea temperature 2.3 C above normal through the summer and still above normal at year end","description":"Spanish Institute of Oceanography data reported in August 2023 showed Canary Islands surface water at 24.32 C on 8 August, 1.56 C above average. A University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria study presented at the EGU General Assembly 2024 found the heatwave ran from mid-May to late summer 2023, averaged 2.3 C above normal and stayed above normal for the rest of the year. Weak winds are the proposed driver, and the authors note satellite data may understate how deep the anomaly runs.","location":{"name":"Canary Islands waters (Gran Canaria region)","type":"Marine heatwave area (archipelago waters)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Waters around the Canary Islands, Spain, in the Canary upwelling region off north-west Africa.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A months-long surface thermal anomaly driven by low winds and reduced heat loss.","secondary_drivers":["Collapse of wind speeds in May and June 2023","Long-term warming"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The sources document temperatures and wind anomalies but no mortality, bleaching or other measured harm around the Canaries (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery, tourism or beach restriction is reported in either source (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The anomaly covers the Canary Islands archipelago waters, a national coastline rather than a single site (ref 1).","duration":"The heatwave ran from mid-May through the summer of 2023 and temperatures remained above normal for the rest of the year (ref 2).","significance":"A press report on IEO monitoring and a conference abstract; no agency notice or listing (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Canary Islands waters reached 24.32 C on 8 August 2023, an anomaly of +1.56 C, according to the Spanish Institute of Oceanography Raprocan programme."},"measures":[{"name":"Surface temperature on 8 August 2023","value":24.32,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Raprocan programme of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, quoted by La Voz de Lanzarote (ref 1)."},{"name":"Temperature anomaly on 8 August 2023","value":1.56,"unit":"C above average","status":"Reported","note":"0.75 C above one standard deviation (ref 1)."},{"name":"Summer mean anomaly","value":2.3,"unit":"C above normal","status":"Reported","note":"Average through summer 2023, from AEMET and Copernicus SST data for 1982 to 2023 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Wind speed drop, May to June 2023","value":10.8,"unit":"m/s","status":"Reported","note":"From 13.8 m/s in early May to 3.0 m/s in June, 5.8 m/s below the seasonal average (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 2023 event is documented; no 2024 or 2025 Canary temperature report was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia (IEO-CSIC), Raprocan programme","role":"Ocean monitoring","contact":"https://www.ieo.es/"},{"name":"Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria","role":"Research","contact":"https://www.ulpgc.es/"}],"public_contact":"IEO general contact via ieo.es.","corrective_actions":["The EGU study authors plan to check the sub-surface water column with Argo float profiles near the Canary Islands (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"The Canary Islands Sea is heating up like never before","publisher":"La Voz de Lanzarote (citing La Provincia and IEO Raprocan data)","date":"2023-08-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.lavozdelanzarote.com/en/news/more-news/the-canary-islands-sea-is-heating-up-like-never-before_220521_102.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Wind-Speed Anomalies and SST Rise: Investigating the Mid-2023 Heatwave Propagation below the sea surface","publisher":"EGU General Assembly 2024 (Pereira, Aguiar-Gonzalez, Carr, Machin)","date":"2024-03-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU24/EGU24-13640.html","basis":"Conference abstract"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2026 Canary Islands temperature report was opened; the event is mostly before the window start."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-NATL-SSTRECORD-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-SARGASSO-ACIDIFICATION-2023","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Forty years of Sargasso Sea acidification, warming and oxygen loss at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site","description":"The longest sustained ocean acidification record, from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study and Hydrostation S, shows surface pH down by about 0.1 units since 1983, with hydrogen-ion concentration up more than 30%. Surface water warmed by about 1 C, dissolved oxygen fell by 12.5 umol/kg (about 6%), and calcification conditions have become less favourable. The authors report that ocean chemistry in the 2020s is outside the range observed in the 1980s.","location":{"name":"Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site","type":"Ocean time-series station (open ocean)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BM"],"detail":"BATS is about 80 km south-east of Bermuda in the Sargasso Sea; Hydrostation S is about 25 km south-east of the island.","coordinates":{"lat":31.667,"lon":-64.167,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Long-term carbonate chemistry, oxygen and temperature change in subtropical gyre surface water.","secondary_drivers":["Anthropogenic CO2 uptake","Surface warming","Reduced oxygen solubility"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The authors conclude that calcification conditions have become less favourable, a potential effect on calcifiers rather than documented mortality (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The paper reports no fishery or coastal-economy disruption at the site (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The station represents Sargasso Sea and subtropical gyre surface water, a regional sea, with no basin-wide measurement in the paper (ref 1).","duration":"The record spans 1983 to 2023, forty years, with no slowing in the rates of change (ref 1).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study with an OA-ICC news item, but no notice or treaty action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Surface ocean pH at BATS decreased by about 0.1 units from 1983 to 2023, with hydrogen-ion concentration up more than 30% (Bates and Johnson 2023)."},"measures":[{"name":"Surface pH decline, 1983 to 2023","value":0.1,"unit":"pH units","status":"Reported","note":"Rounded figure from the paper and the ICC news item; hydrogen ions up more than 30% (ref 2)."},{"name":"Surface warming, 1983 to 2023","value":0.97,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"About 0.24 C per decade (ref 1)."},{"name":"Dissolved oxygen loss","value":12.5,"unit":"umol/kg","status":"Reported","note":"About 6% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Aragonite saturation state change","value":-0.35,"unit":"saturation units","status":"Reported","note":"Calcite saturation down 0.55 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Surface fCO2 increase","value":77.5,"unit":"uatm","status":"Reported","note":"About 25% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Bates and Johnson report no evidence of a reduction in the rates of change over time (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)","role":"Time-series operator","contact":"https://www.bios.edu/"}],"public_contact":"BIOS general contact via bios.edu.","corrective_actions":["BATS and Hydrostation S sampling continues as the longest sustained ocean acidification record (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Forty years of ocean acidification observations (1983-2023) in the Sargasso Sea at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site","publisher":"Frontiers in Marine Science (Bates and Johnson)","date":"2023-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1289931/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed article"},{"ref":2,"title":"Forty years of ocean acidification observations (1983-2023) in the Sargasso Sea at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site","publisher":"OA-ICC Ocean Acidification news stream","date":"2023-12-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2023/12/14/forty-years-of-ocean-acidification-observations-1983-2023-in-the-sargasso-sea-at-the-bermuda-atlantic-time-series-study-site/","basis":"Research institute news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-SARGASSO-HIGHSEASMPA-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-ATL-SARGASSUM-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt sets a record in 2025 and a second-highest year in 2026","description":"University of South Florida scientists report that 2025 set a record for sargassum across the tropical Atlantic and 2026 ranked second-highest in the satellite record, with the Caribbean and Gulf both at record regional totals in June 2026. NASA Earth Observatory, citing USF, gives June 2026 totals of 3.6 million tonnes in the western Caribbean, 9 million in the eastern Caribbean and 5 million in the Gulf. The cause is still being investigated, with ocean warming and multiple nutrient sources suggested.","location":{"name":"Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt","type":"Open-ocean macroalgal bloom (tropical Atlantic belt)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"A near-continuous belt of mats from West Africa across the tropical North Atlantic to the Gulf; the Caribbean and Gulf beachings are recorded in the CAR and GOM findings.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A marine algal bloom linked to nutrient sources and warming, with beach inundation as the main impact.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean warming","Multiple nutrient sources","Nitrogen fixation within large mats"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"USF and WGCU describe beach inundation and rotting seaweed but give no measured ecological or health harm figure (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"WGCU reports beaching continued in July 2026 across southeast Florida, the Caribbean and Lesser Antilles, with problems for resorts, officials and beach towns (ref 3).","scale":"NASA describes the belt as stretching nearly continuously from West Africa to the Gulf, an Atlantic-wide feature (ref 2).","duration":"The bloom began in 2011 and USF says total Atlantic sargassum has more than doubled about every five years since (refs 1, 2).","significance":"USF and NASA monitoring and a NOAA-funded research programme, but no formal notice or declaration in the cited pages (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"USF says a record amount of sargassum inundated beaches across Florida, the Caribbean and the Gulf Coast in summer 2025; NASA reports June 2026 abundance second-highest in the satellite record."},"measures":[{"name":"Eastern Caribbean sargassum, June 2026","value":9,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"USF estimate quoted by NASA Earth Observatory (ref 2)."},{"name":"Gulf sargassum, June 2026","value":5,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly double the previous record set in 2025 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Western Caribbean sargassum, June 2026","value":3.6,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"USF estimate quoted by NASA (ref 2)."},{"name":"Seasonal peak of the belt","value":39,"unit":"million tonnes (up to)","status":"Reported","note":"USF describes seasonal peaks reaching up to 39 million tons (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sargassum reaching tropical North Atlantic coasts in recent summers","value":70000,"unit":"tonnes per day (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"From a 2025 Scientific Reports paper cited by WGCU (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["USF cites EPA analyses putting annual costs to US businesses and governments in the millions of dollars (ref 1).","WGCU reports resorts and beach towns face continuing problems (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"USF: total Atlantic sargassum has more than doubled about every five years since 2011; 2025 set a record and 2026 is second-highest (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"University of South Florida College of Marine Science (Sargassum Watch System)","role":"Monitoring and forecasting","contact":"https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/"},{"name":"NASA Earth Observatory","role":"Satellite observation","contact":"https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/"}],"public_contact":"USF College of Marine Science general channel via usf.edu/marine-science.","corrective_actions":["A five-year $3.2 million NOAA grant, awarded in 2023, funds higher-resolution satellite forecasting by USF (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"USF experts lead on sargassum research, monitoring, and prediction","publisher":"University of South Florida College of Marine Science","date":"2025-08-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2025/usf-experts-lead-on-sargassum-research-monitoring-and-prediction.aspx","basis":"Research institute news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Sizing Up the Sargassum Belt","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory","date":"2026-07-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/sizing-up-the-sargassum-belt/","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Great Atlantic Sargassum seaweed belt will not produce a second record year","publisher":"WGCU News","date":"2026-08-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wgcu.org/section/environment/2026-08-12/great-atlantic-sargassum-seaweed-belt-will-not-produce-a-second-record-year","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["USF page gives no numeric total for 2025.","The Sargassum Watch System bulletins themselves are not cited as a source."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-NATL-SSTRECORD-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-MACARONESIA-PLASTIC-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Plastic on every one of 46 monitored beaches across Macaronesia, with Canary Islands highest and five new hotspots","description":"A 2020 to 2023 monitoring study of 46 beaches on 19 islands in four Macaronesian archipelagos found plastic on every beach, with the Canary Islands showing the highest concentrations. Researchers collected 271,203 plastic items in 430 field expeditions and identified five new plastic arrival hotspots. Beaches facing north-west to east received more plastic, which the authors link to the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.","location":{"name":"Macaronesia beaches (Azores, Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde)","type":"Island beach monitoring network","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PT","ES","CV"],"detail":"Four Macaronesian archipelagos in the North Atlantic; the repository record names the Canary Islands and a central Azores beach, and the four-archipelago set is the standard Macaronesia definition.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic litter delivered to remote island beaches by gyre currents.","secondary_drivers":["North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre transport","Fisheries and shipping debris","Persistent polyethylene fragments"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Plastic was present on all 46 beaches, averaging 1,760 microplastic items per square metre, but the abstract reports no mortality or health outcome (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The abstract mentions no beach closure or tourism restriction (ref 1).","scale":"The study spans 19 islands in four archipelagos, a regional-sea extent (ref 1).","duration":"Seasonal monitoring ran 2020 to 2023 across 430 expeditions, and earlier Azores surveys found the same pattern in 2018 and 2020 (refs 1, 2, 3).","significance":"A peer-reviewed academic study, with no regulatory notice or treaty action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Researchers collected 271,203 plastic items on 46 beaches on 19 Macaronesian islands between 2020 and 2023; plastic was present on every beach."},"measures":[{"name":"Plastic items collected","value":271203,"unit":"items","status":"Reported","note":"46 beaches, 19 islands, 430 field expeditions, 2020 to 2023 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average microplastic density","value":1760,"unit":"items per m2","status":"Reported","note":"15.30 g/m2 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average macroplastic density","value":35,"unit":"items per m2","status":"Reported","note":"11.81 g/m2 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Newly identified hotspots","value":5,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"Among 28 previously unstudied beaches (ref 1)."},{"name":"Azores macro-litter that is plastic, 2018 survey","value":87,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"31,439 items on 42 beaches of the nine Azores islands, collected in the 2018 study (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"One three-year monitoring period; the 2018 and 2020 Azores surveys describe the same accumulation (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Universidad de La Laguna (study lead institution)","role":"Research","contact":"https://www.ull.es/"},{"name":"University of the Azores marine litter research group","role":"Research and monitoring","contact":"https://www.uac.pt/"}],"public_contact":"Universidad de La Laguna general channel via ull.es.","corrective_actions":["Pham and colleagues conclude that remote islands accumulate marine litter and recommend monitoring to inform public policy (refs 2, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Plastic occurrence in Macaronesia: Three years of monitoring on forty-six beaches across nineteen islands in an Atlantic region","publisher":"Universidad de La Laguna repository (RIULL)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/45484","basis":"Peer-reviewed article (repository record, year 2026)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spatio-temporal variability of beached macro-litter on remote islands of the North Atlantic","publisher":"Marine Pollution Bulletin (Rios et al., ATU repository)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pure.atu.ie/en/publications/spatio-temporal-variability-of-beached-macro-litter-on-remote-isl-3/","basis":"Peer-reviewed article (2018, context)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Beaches of the Azores archipelago as transitory repositories for small plastic fragments floating in the North-East Atlantic","publisher":"Environmental Pollution (Pham et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agris.fao.org/search/fr/records/65df02437c7033e84bec7ae4","basis":"Peer-reviewed article (2020, context)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The repository record gives only the year 2026 and no journal name.","Archipelagos are not listed in the abstract; the four-archipelago set is assumed from the definition of Macaronesia."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-AZORES-LOBSTERGEAR-2026","OC-NATL-CAPEVERDE-LOGGERHEAD-2025","OC-NATL-MADEIRA-SEWAGE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-AZORES-LOBSTERGEAR-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North American lobster-gear plastic tags washing up on Faial and Pico beaches in the Azores","description":"University of the Azores researchers found more than 1,500 items on Faial and Pico beaches between 2017 and 2025, many of them lobster-fishing gear traced by tag numbers to the United States and Canada, more than 3,000 km away. Among legible tags, 63% came from the US and 37% from Canada, and most tags were 7 to 13 years old, the oldest dating from 1983. Marine litter group head Christopher Pham says the pieces entered the sea many years ago and that knowing the origin would let action be taken at source.","location":{"name":"Faial and Pico beaches, Azores","type":"Island beaches (plastic accumulation zone)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PT"],"detail":"Beaches on Faial and Pico islands, central Azores, including Almoxarife and Porto Pim; coordinates are the centre of Faial island.","coordinates":{"lat":38.5825,"lon":-28.70472,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":4},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Long-lived fishing-gear plastic carried across the North Atlantic to remote island shores.","secondary_drivers":["Lobster and other fishing gear loss","Gyre and current transport","Persistence of plastic over decades"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Euronews reports over 1,500 plastic items recovered on Faial and Pico beaches but no mortality or health outcome (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The article reports no beach closure or fishery restriction (ref 1).","scale":"The finding concerns beaches on two Azores islands, a local extent (ref 1).","duration":"Monitoring since 2010 shows items from 2017 to 2025, tags up to 7 to 13 years old and the oldest from 1983 (ref 1).","significance":"A university study and news report with no regulatory notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Between 2017 and 2025 researchers found more than 1,500 items on the beaches of Faial and Pico; the tags with legible inscriptions came from the United States (63%) and Canada (37%)."},"measures":[{"name":"Items recovered on Faial and Pico beaches","value":1500,"unit":"items (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Collected 2017 to 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Legible tags from the United States","value":63,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Canada accounted for 37% (ref 1)."},{"name":"Transport distance","value":3000,"unit":"km (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Distance the lobster-fishing waste travelled (ref 1)."},{"name":"Azores beach fragment density, 2020 study","value":15000,"unit":"fragments per m2 (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Peak on part of the backshore of the most loaded of seven beaches, 2 to 5 mm fragments (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Earlier Azores surveys (2018 and 2020) describe similar accumulation (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"University of the Azores marine litter research group (Christopher Pham)","role":"Monitoring and research","contact":"https://www.uac.pt/"}],"public_contact":"University of the Azores general channel via uac.pt.","corrective_actions":["University of the Azores researchers have monitored the beaches since 2010 with at least 10 volunteers sending in material monthly (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fishing waste from as far away as US and Canada washes up on Portuguese beaches","publisher":"Euronews","date":"2026-09-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/16/fishing-waste-from-the-united-states-and-canada-reaches-azores-beaches","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Spatio-temporal variability of beached macro-litter on remote islands of the North Atlantic","publisher":"Marine Pollution Bulletin (Rios et al., ATU repository)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pure.atu.ie/en/publications/spatio-temporal-variability-of-beached-macro-litter-on-remote-isl-3/","basis":"Peer-reviewed article (2018, context)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Beaches of the Azores archipelago as transitory repositories for small plastic fragments floating in the North-East Atlantic","publisher":"Environmental Pollution (Pham et al.)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agris.fao.org/search/fr/records/65df02437c7033e84bec7ae4","basis":"Peer-reviewed article (2020, context)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Faial Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faial_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":3,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Euronews article does not name the study journal or title; it links a PubMed record that could not be opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-MACARONESIA-PLASTIC-2026","OC-NATL-AZORES-MPANETWORK-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-GRANCANARIA-FUELSPILL-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fuel-oil spill during bunkering at the Port of La Luz closes Telde beaches and triggers a regional marine pollution emergency","description":"About 3,000 litres of fuel fell into the sea on the evening of 4 September 2024 during a bunkering operation at the Port of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, and the slick reached Las Palmas and Telde. The Canary Islands government declared a regional-level marine pollution emergency, activated phase 1 of the National Maritime Plan, and five Telde beaches were closed to bathing. Port officials said the source had been stopped and that most of the fuel remained on the two ships involved.","location":{"name":"Port of La Luz and Telde coast, Gran Canaria","type":"Port bunkering spill (coastal beaches)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Spill at the Virgen del Pino pier in the Port of Las Palmas; the slick drifted to the Telde coast, including La Restinga, Bocabarranco, Barranquillo, Palos and San Borondon beaches. Coordinates are the centre of Telde.","coordinates":{"lat":27.983,"lon":-15.417,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Fuel-oil release during ship bunkering affecting beaches.","secondary_drivers":["Bunkering operation failure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Fuel oil entered the sea and a slick about 2 km long and 400 m wide formed, with port officials saying most fuel remained on the two ships and only small residues were on the water, and no mortality is reported (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"La Restinga, Bocabarranco, Barranquillo, Palos and San Borondon beaches were closed to bathing (ref 1).","scale":"The slick affected Las Palmas and Telde on one coast of Gran Canaria, a local site (ref 1).","duration":"The spill occurred on the evening of 4 September 2024 and cleanup began on 6 September, a matter of days (ref 1).","significance":"The Canary Islands government declared a regional-level marine pollution emergency and the National Maritime Plan was activated at phase 1 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Just under 3,000 litres of fuel fell into the sea; the slick measured about 2 km by 400 m (RTVC, 5 September 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fuel spilled","value":3000,"unit":"litres (just under)","status":"Reported","note":"Port of La Luz bunkering, 4 September 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Slick length","value":2,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"About 400 m wide, with only about 20% effective slick (ref 1)."},{"name":"Beaches closed to bathing","value":5,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"La Restinga, Bocabarranco, Barranquillo, Palos and San Borondon (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The Port Authority reported the port continued operating normally (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Port officials said the source had been eliminated and cleanup began on 6 September (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Gobierno de Canarias (Direccion General de Seguridad y Emergencias)","role":"Regional emergency authority","contact":"https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/"},{"name":"Salvamento Maritimo","role":"National maritime rescue and pollution response","contact":"https://www.salvamentomaritimo.es/"},{"name":"Autoridad Portuaria de Las Palmas","role":"Port authority","contact":"https://www.palmasport.es/"}],"public_contact":"Canary Islands 1-1-2 emergency channel and Salvamento Maritimo public contact.","corrective_actions":["The PLATECA regional emergency plan was activated and the National Maritime Plan phase 1 was activated (ref 1).","Tugboats dispersed the slick mechanically and Salvamento Maritimo began cleanup (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Los trabajos de limpieza del vertido que afecta a Las Palmas y Telde comienzan este viernes","publisher":"RTVC (Radiotelevision Canaria)","date":"2024-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rtvc.es/prealerta-por-contaminacion-marina-en-gran-canaria/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Declaran emergencia ambiental de playas en Telde tras vertido de combustible en Gran Canaria","publisher":"Inspenet","date":"2024-09-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://inspenet.com/noticias/vertido-de-combustible-en-gran-canaria/","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Telde","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telde","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"RTVC says just under 3,000 litres and names the container ship Akizar and barge involved; Inspenet gives no volume and names no vessel, describing a large amount of fuel oil."}],"missing_fields":["No official post-incident cleanup completion notice was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-CANARIES-SPERMWHALE-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-MADEIRA-SEWAGE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sewage leak from a blocked outfall pipeline clouds coastal water near the Garajau Nature Reserve, Madeira","description":"A video posted on 18 April 2025 by the environmental project Agua Salgada showed cloudy seawater and a strong sewage smell between Reis Magos and Atalaia on the Caniço coast of Madeira, near the Garajau Nature Reserve. The regional environment authority DRAM said the cause was a major blockage in an underwater pipeline connected to the Caniço wastewater treatment station and issued an urgent order to the Santa Cruz council to repair it. DRAM said the inspection chamber has blocked repeatedly and earlier alerts had not stopped the problem.","location":{"name":"Reis Magos to Atalaia coast, Canico, Madeira","type":"Coastal wastewater pipeline leak","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PT"],"detail":"Coast below Pico da Atalaia, Canico parish, Santa Cruz municipality, Madeira. Coordinates are the centre of Canico parish.","coordinates":{"lat":32.651,"lon":-16.841,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Untreated or partly treated wastewater entering coastal water from failing infrastructure.","secondary_drivers":["Pipeline blockage","Poor maintenance of the final network section"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Cloudy water and a sewage smell were reported near a nature reserve, with no water-quality measurement or mortality in the article (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The article reports no beach closure or bathing advisory (ref 1).","scale":"The leak is at one inspection chamber on a short stretch between Reis Magos and Atalaia (ref 1).","duration":"DRAM says the chamber has had recurring blockages and earlier warnings had not stopped the problem (ref 1).","significance":"DRAM issued an urgent order to the Santa Cruz council to repair the failure, a formal notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"DRAM attributes the leak to a major blockage in an underwater pipeline connected to the Canico wastewater treatment station."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Recurring blockages are reported, but the article gives no dated earlier incidents (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Direcao Regional do Ambiente e Mar (DRAM), Madeira","role":"Regional environment authority","contact":"https://www.madeira.gov.pt/"},{"name":"Camara Municipal de Santa Cruz","role":"Municipal sewage operator","contact":"https://www.cm-santacruz.pt/"}],"public_contact":"DRAM and Santa Cruz council general channels via their regional and municipal websites.","corrective_actions":["DRAM issued an urgent order to the Santa Cruz council to repair the failure and a contracted utility company is clearing the pipeline (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Video of Coastal Sewage Leak Raises Alarm","publisher":"Times of Madeira","date":"2025-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.timesofmadeira.com/video-of-coastal-sewage-leak-raises-alarm","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Canico","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cani%C3%A7o","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No water-quality measurements or official DRAM statement were opened; the finding rests on one news report."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-MACARONESIA-PLASTIC-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-BERMUDA-COASTALRISK-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bermuda government study finds about 2,130 buildings at risk from sea level rise and storm surge, after Hurricane Ernesto","description":"Bermuda's Minister of Home Affairs told the House of Assembly in November 2024 that the Smith Warner International study \"Bermuda and Climate Change: Impacts from Sea Level Rise and Changing Storm Activity\" found about 2,130 buildings (roughly 6%) at some level of risk, 326 of them highly exposed, and that 96% of coastal reserves require protection. Hurricane Ernesto struck in August 2024 with a dangerous storm surge, leaving about 26,100 of 36,000 utility customers without power. The government will create an expanded climate task force and a National Action Plan.","location":{"name":"Bermuda coastline","type":"Island coastline (overseas territory)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BM"],"detail":"Island-wide coastal exposure, including coastal reserves and infrastructure; coordinates are the centre of Bermuda.","coordinates":{"lat":32.32,"lon":-64.74,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea level rise and storm surge exposure of an island coastline.","secondary_drivers":["Sea level rise","Changing storm activity","Hurricane storm surge"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The study reports exposure of 2,130 buildings and 326 highly exposed, with the minister citing saltwater intrusion and erosion risks rather than documented losses (ref 1).","livelihoods":"For Ernesto, officials suspended public transport and closed the airport and 26,100 of about 36,000 BELCO customers lost power (ref 2).","scale":"The study covers the whole Bermuda coastline, with 96% of coastal reserves needing protection (ref 1).","duration":"The minister says sea levels and temperatures continue to rise year on year and Ernesto was the eighth direct hit this century (ref 1).","significance":"A government-commissioned vulnerability study reported to the House of Assembly, with a task force and Bermuda Plan amendments announced (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 2,130 buildings (roughly 6%) face some level of risk from sea level rise and storm surge, with 326 classified as highly exposed (Bernews, 29 November 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Buildings at some level of risk","value":2130,"unit":"buildings","status":"Reported","note":"About 6% of buildings (ref 1)."},{"name":"Highly exposed buildings","value":326,"unit":"buildings","status":"Reported","note":"Smith Warner International study, quoted by Bernews (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastal reserves needing protection","value":96,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Minister Roban statement (ref 1)."},{"name":"Customers without power during Ernesto","value":26100,"unit":"customers","status":"Reported","note":"About 26,100 of roughly 36,000 BELCO customers at 9am on 17 August 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The minister cites saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion and storm damage as threats to homes, businesses and the economy (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The minister says sea levels and ocean temperatures continue to rise year on year (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Bermuda, Ministry of Home Affairs","role":"Climate and coastal policy lead","contact":"https://www.gov.bm/"}],"public_contact":"Government of Bermuda general contact via gov.bm.","corrective_actions":["The government will expand its Multi-sectoral Climate Change Task Force to draft a National Action Plan and amend the Bermuda Plan and Building Codes (ref 1).","Nature-based solutions such as mangrove and coral reef restoration will be funded (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Minister Roban On Climate Change Report","publisher":"Bernews (Bermuda)","date":"2024-11-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bernews.com/2024/11/minister-roban-on-climate-change-report","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Hurricane Ernesto lashes Bermuda with strong winds, storm surge","publisher":"Al Jazeera","date":"2024-08-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2024/8/17/hurricane-ernesto-makes-landfall-in-bermuda-as-residents-hunker-down","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bermuda","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda","basis":"Reference (coordinates)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Smith Warner report on gov.bm returned a 404 and was read only through the minister statement as reported by Bernews.","No post-storm Ernesto surge height was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-BERMUDA-CAHOW-2025","OC-NATL-MDR-BERYL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-AZORES-MPANETWORK-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Azores 30% marine protected area network takes effect after a vote to keep fishing out of the fully protected half","description":"The Azores Marine Protected Areas Network, approved in October 2024 and in force from 1 January 2026, covers about 287,000 km2, or 30% of Azorean waters, split between fully and highly protected areas. On 15 January 2026 the regional parliament kept the ban on all fishing in the fully protected areas but allowed tuna pole-and-line fishing in highly protected areas. The Azores Fisheries Federation says it is disappointed and that EUR 10 million of compensation falls short of the sector's annual revenue of EUR 42 million.","location":{"name":"Azores marine protected area network","type":"Marine protected area network","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PT"],"detail":"Azores archipelago, Portuguese EEZ, central North Atlantic; 63 MPAs across the Azorean sea","coordinates":{"lat":38,"lon":-28,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regional law and a parliamentary vote set which fishing is banned or allowed across a large share of a national maritime zone.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing pressure","Enforcement capacity"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is documented in the sources; the network is a protection measure, and ZERO's researcher noted that enforcement in Portugal \"has some shortcomings\" (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Fishing is banned in the fully protected half and restricted in the highly protected half; the Fisheries Federation says compensation of EUR 10 million over three years falls short of EUR 42 million in annual sector revenue (ref 1).","scale":"The network covers 287,000 km2, 30% of Azorean waters, across 63 MPAs (ref 1), a national-waters scale rather than basin-wide.","duration":"The law was approved in October 2024 (ref 2) and the dispute over fishing in no-take areas ran from March 2025 to the January 2026 vote (ref 1), more than a year.","significance":"A regional law is in force since 1 January 2026 and parliament voted on 15 January 2026 to uphold the no-fishing rule (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The network protects about 30% of Azorean waters (287,000 km2), half fully protected with all extraction banned, in force since 1 January 2026."},"measures":[{"name":"Share of Azorean waters in the MPA network","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay, 23 Feb 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Area of the network","value":287000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay, 23 Feb 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Compensation for fishers over three years","value":10,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"Environmental Fund allocation (ref 1)."},{"name":"Azorean fishing sector annual revenue","value":42,"unit":"EUR million","status":"Reported","note":"Figure given by the Azores Fisheries Federation (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The Azores Fisheries Federation says compensation of EUR 10 million falls far short of annual sector revenue of EUR 42 million (ref 1).","The tuna canning industry backed the failed proposal to open fully protected areas to pole-and-line fishing (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"The ban in fully protected areas survived the January 2026 vote; enforcement is the stated next challenge (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Regional Government of the Azores (Blue Azores programme)","role":"MPA network manager","contact":"https://www.azores.gov.pt"},{"name":"Azores Regional Legislative Assembly","role":"Legislature","contact":"https://www.alra.pt"}],"public_contact":"See the Government of the Azores website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Network law in force since 1 January 2026 (ref 1).","EUR 10 million allocated over three years to compensate fishers (ref 1).","Parliament kept the ban on all fishing in fully protected MPAs on 15 January 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Azores dodges proposal to overturn no-fishing zones in its giant new MPA network","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-02-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/azores-dodges-proposal-to-overturn-no-fishing-zones-in-its-giant-new-mpa-network/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Azores Archipelago Protects Thirty Percent of Waters","publisher":"Mission Blue","date":"2024-10-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://missionblue.org/2024/10/azores-archipelago-protects-thirty-percent-of-waters/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Azores must respect its exceptional network of marine protected areas (commentary by Enric Sala)","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2026-01-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/azores-must-respect-its-exceptional-network-of-marine-protected-areas-commentary/","basis":"Opinion"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Sources describe the share of fully protected waters differently: Mission Blue and Mongabay say half of the network is fully protected, which Sala's commentary puts at about 15% of Azorean waters (refs 1, 2, 3)."}],"missing_fields":["Enforcement and monitoring results are not reported in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-PORTUGAL-SEABEDMINING-2025","OC-NATL-AZORES-LOBSTERGEAR-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-SARGASSO-HIGHSEASMPA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bermuda and the UK draft the Hamilton II Declaration to seek high seas protection for the Sargasso Sea under the new High Seas Treaty","description":"The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement entered into force on 17 January 2026. Bermuda and the UK held a civil society consultation on 20 March 2026 on a draft Hamilton II Declaration that would build political support for a collective proposal to protect the Sargasso Sea's high seas areas, ahead of the first Conference of the Parties due before 17 January 2027. In a House of Lords debate on 6 July 2026 the UK minister said the measures still need to be negotiated and did not commit to the highest level of protection.","location":{"name":"Sargasso Sea (Bermuda and high seas)","type":"Ocean gyre region and proposed high seas protected area","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BM","GB","ABNJ"],"detail":"Western North Atlantic gyre around Bermuda, the only land territory in the Sargasso Sea; most of the area lies beyond national jurisdiction","coordinates":{"lat":32.3,"lon":-64.75,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The finding concerns a treaty process that decides whether a high seas area gains area-based protection.","secondary_drivers":["Gap in high seas protection"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No specific harm is documented in the sources; the protection effort is precautionary and the Lords debate named industrial fishing only as an activity that could be banned (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction exists yet; the level of protection is still to be negotiated (ref 2).","scale":"The Sargasso Sea is a regional ocean area with Bermuda as its only land territory (ref 1), so a regional-sea scale.","duration":"The draft declaration has been in preparation and consultation since early 2026 (ref 1), and Greenpeace called for a proposal ahead of the first COP in May 2025 (ref 4), so months of process.","significance":"A draft political declaration and a consultation are formal steps, but no area has been designated; the treaty entered into force on 17 January 2026 (ref 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The BBNJ Agreement is in force; the Hamilton II Declaration seeks support for a Sargasso Sea proposal before the first COP, due before 17 January 2027."},"measures":[{"name":"BBNJ parties at entry into force (January 2026)","value":81,"unit":"parties","status":"Reported","note":"European Commission, 16 Jan 2026 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Organisations at the Bermuda consultation","value":24,"unit":"organisations","status":"Reported","note":"Consultation on 20 March 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The declaration is still a draft and the first COP has not met (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Bermuda","role":"Co-chair of the Hamilton II Declaration","contact":"https://www.gov.bm"},{"name":"Sargasso Sea Commission","role":"Secretariat for the Hamilton Declaration","contact":"http://www.sargassoseacommission.org"},{"name":"UK Government (FCDO)","role":"Co-chair and BBNJ signatory","contact":"https://www.gov.uk"}],"public_contact":"See the Government of Bermuda website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Draft Hamilton II Declaration put to civil society consultation on 20 March 2026 (ref 1).","Side event at the BBNJ Preparatory Commission on 25 March 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Hamilton II Declaration: civil society consultation","publisher":"Government of Bermuda","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.gov.bm/news/hamilton-ii-declaration-civil-society-consultation","basis":"Government press release"},{"ref":2,"title":"International Marine Protected Area: Sargasso Sea (House of Lords debate, 6 July 2026)","publisher":"Westminster Brief (Hansard record)","date":"2026-07-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://westminsterbrief.co.uk/archive/debate/6-july-2026/international-marine-protected-area-sargasso-sea-e5e7","basis":"Parliamentary record"},{"ref":3,"title":"High Seas Treaty enters into force: a milestone for ocean conservation","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2026-01-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/high-seas-treaty-enters-force-milestone-ocean-conservation-2026-01-16_en","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Column: Noelle Young on the Sargasso Sea and more","publisher":"Bernews","date":"2025-05-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bernews.com/2025/05/column-noelle-young-sargasso-sea/","basis":"Opinion"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The first COP is described as due \"within a year\" of entry into force (ref 3) and as expected in early 2027 (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["The Bermuda government page shows no publication date (it is stated as of 24 March 2026). The first COP date and venue are not confirmed in the cited sources."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-SARGASSO-ACIDIFICATION-2023"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-ABNJ-SHORTFINMAKO-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"North Atlantic shortfin mako remains an overfished stock while ICCAT's 2025 shark measures target other stocks","description":"NOAA Fisheries describes the North Atlantic shortfin mako as overfished and reports that ICCAT adopted a rebuilding measure in 2021 with a two-year retention ban. At its November 2025 meeting ICCAT completed a full stock assessment of Atlantic shortfin mako and adopted a new maximum mortality objective of 1,000 t for the South Atlantic stock, but its press release lists no new measure for the North Atlantic stock. NGOs said mako bycatch needs urgent mitigation.","location":{"name":"North Atlantic shortfin mako stock","type":"Fish stock (shark)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL","NWATL","NEATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"Atlantic-wide pelagic longline bycatch stock north of 5 degrees N; managed by ICCAT","coordinates":{"lat":35,"lon":-40,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"An overfished shark stock caught as bycatch in tuna and swordfish fisheries.","secondary_drivers":["Longline bycatch"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NOAA Fisheries describes the North Atlantic shortfin mako stock as overfished and says rebuilding \"is far from done\" (ref 1).","livelihoods":"ICCAT's 2021 measure included a two-year retention ban on North Atlantic mako, a restriction on fishers (ref 1).","scale":"The stock spans the North Atlantic basin and is managed by an ocean-wide body (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The overfished status was assessed in 2017 and 2019 and the rebuilding measure dates from November 2021 (ref 1); a new assessment was done in 2025 (ref 2).","significance":"ICCAT adopted a binding recommendation in 2021 (ref 1); the 2025 meeting adopted a measure for the South Atlantic stock only (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NOAA: the North Atlantic shortfin mako is overfished and ICCAT's rebuilding work \"is far from done\"; ICCAT's 2025 meeting set a 1,000 t mortality objective for the South Atlantic stock only."},"measures":[{"name":"ICCAT mortality objective, South Atlantic shortfin mako (2025)","value":1000,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"ICCAT press release, 24 Nov 2025; applies to the South Atlantic stock (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The retention ban removes mako landings from ICCAT fisheries; NOAA says gear changes such as circle hooks were to be discussed (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 2025 assessment results for the North Atlantic stock are not given in the cited sources (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.iccat.int"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","role":"US fisheries regulator and ICCAT party","contact":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"ICCAT Secretariat, contact details on iccat.int.","corrective_actions":["Two-year retention ban and live-release and discard reporting requirements adopted in 2021 (ref 1).","Full stock assessment of Atlantic shortfin mako carried out in 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Measures to rebuild shortfin mako and increase US western Atlantic bluefin tuna quota","publisher":"NOAA Fisheries","date":"2021-11-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/measures-rebuild-shortfin-mako-and-increase-us-western-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-quota","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"ICCAT press release: closure of the 29th Regular Meeting of the Commission","publisher":"ICCAT","date":"2025-11-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Docs/2025/Press_Release_2025_ENG.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body"},{"ref":3,"title":"Press release: Shark conservation advances at International Atlantic Tuna Conference","publisher":"Ecology Action Centre, Shark Trust and Shark Advocates International","date":"2025-11-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ecologyaction.ca/resources-media/press-releases/press-release-shark-conservation-advances-international-atlantic","basis":"NGO press release"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":7,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 stock assessment result and the current retention status of the North Atlantic stock after the 2021 two-year ban were not found in the pages opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-ABNJ-BLUEFINTAC-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-ABNJ-BLUEFINTAC-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"ICCAT raises Atlantic bluefin tuna catch limits for 2026 to 2028 after a late agreement","description":"At its November 2025 meeting in Seville ICCAT set bluefin total allowable catches for 2026 to 2028 at 3,081.6 t for the western Atlantic stock and 48,403 t for the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock, increases of 13% and 19.3%. The European Commission reports the EU share rising by 3,661 t to 25,164 t a year. The same meeting did not agree the EU proposal to raise the bigeye TAC to the level of the scientific advice.","location":{"name":"Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks (ICCAT area)","type":"Fish stock (tuna)","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL","NWATL","MED"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ABNJ","PT","ES"],"detail":"Eastern and western Atlantic bluefin management areas; Azores and Canary Islands fleets fish in the NATL","coordinates":{"lat":32,"lon":-30,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Catch limits for a highly migratory tuna stock are set by an ocean-wide regional fisheries body.","secondary_drivers":["Quota setting"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The sources report quota increases based on the current management procedure and document no mortality or stock decline (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Quotas rise, so no restriction is added; the EU share goes up by 3,661 t to 25,164 t a year (ref 2).","scale":"The TACs cover the western and eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock areas, an Atlantic basin-wide management decision (ref 1).","duration":"The TACs run for three years, 2026 to 2028 (ref 1), and follow a multi-year management procedure.","significance":"ICCAT adopted binding Recommendations on new TACs and quota allocations on 24 November 2025 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICCAT set 2026 to 2028 bluefin TACs at 3,081.6 t (west) and 48,403 t (east and Mediterranean), up 13% and 19.3%."},"measures":[{"name":"Western Atlantic bluefin TAC 2026 to 2028","value":3081.6,"unit":"t per year","status":"Reported","note":"ICCAT press release, 24 Nov 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin TAC 2026 to 2028","value":48403,"unit":"t per year","status":"Reported","note":"ICCAT press release and European Commission (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"EU bluefin fishing opportunities from 2026","value":25164,"unit":"t per year","status":"Reported","note":"European Commission, 27 Nov 2025, a rise of 3,661 t (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The European Commission describes a 17% increase in EU fishing opportunities (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"TACs were raised under the current management procedure (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.iccat.int"},{"name":"European Commission, DG MARE","role":"EU negotiator at ICCAT","contact":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu"}],"public_contact":"ICCAT Secretariat, contact details on iccat.int.","corrective_actions":["TACs and quota allocations for 2026 to 2028 adopted on 24 November 2025 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"ICCAT press release: closure of the 29th Regular Meeting of the Commission","publisher":"ICCAT","date":"2025-11-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Docs/2025/Press_Release_2025_ENG.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body"},{"ref":2,"title":"EU secures 17% increase in bluefin tuna fishing quota at the ICCAT annual meeting","publisher":"European Commission, DG MARE","date":"2025-11-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-secures-17-increase-bluefin-tuna-fishing-quota-iccat-annual-meeting-2025-11-27_en","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Current spawning biomass against reference points was not opened.","The 2025 North Atlantic swordfish management procedure is listed by ICCAT but its terms were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-CANARIES-TUNAFARMING-2025","OC-NATL-ABNJ-SHORTFINMAKO-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-CANARIES-TUNAFARMING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"ICCAT approves a pilot to farm bluefin and yellowfin tuna in Canary Islands waters","description":"In November 2025 ICCAT adopted Recommendation 25-01, a pilot project to assess fishing and farming of bluefin and yellowfin tuna in FAO zone 34.1 around the Canary Islands, capped at 250 t of each species. Details are due in the 2026 fishing and farming plans, with a results report by the end of 2027 and a review of monitoring rules outside the Mediterranean. The Canary bluefin fishery operated under a 537.69 t quota in 2025.","location":{"name":"Canary Islands waters (FAO zone 34.1)","type":"Aquaculture and fishing zone","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Macaronesia, off north-west Africa; submersible cages and purse-seine fishing tested under the pilot","coordinates":{"lat":28.3,"lon":-15.9,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A new offshore fattening activity for wild-caught tuna is being tested outside the Mediterranean under ICCAT rules.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore aquaculture development"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No harm is documented; the recommendation lists the questions to be tested, including whether monitoring and control rules are adequate (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The pilot is intended to test returns to local fishing communities and imposes no closure (ref 1).","scale":"The trial is limited to 250 t of each species in one FAO zone (ref 1).","duration":"The pilot starts with the 2026 plans and reports by the end of 2027 (ref 1), a period of months to two years.","significance":"A formal ICCAT Recommendation was adopted in November 2025 (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The ICCAT pilot is limited to 250 t of yellowfin and 250 t of bluefin tuna, with a results report due by the end of 2027."},"measures":[{"name":"Pilot cap, bluefin tuna","value":250,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"ICCAT Recommendation 25-01, paragraph 3 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pilot cap, yellowfin tuna","value":250,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"ICCAT Recommendation 25-01, paragraph 3 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Canary Islands bluefin quota 2025","value":537.69,"unit":"t","status":"Reported","note":"We Are Aquaculture, 21 Jan 2025 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Fishing and farming could add value for the Canarian fleet, according to the recommendation text (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The pilot has been adopted but not yet run (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation","contact":"https://www.iccat.int"}],"public_contact":"ICCAT Secretariat, contact details on iccat.int.","corrective_actions":["Pilot project adopted by ICCAT in November 2025 (refs 1, 2).","Monitoring and traceability rules for the pilot to be set in the 2026 fishing, farming and inspection plans (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Recommendation by ICCAT for a pilot project for farming bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna in waters of the Canary Islands (Rec. 25-01)","publisher":"ICCAT","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.iccat.int/Documents/Recs/compendiopdf-e/2025-01-e.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body"},{"ref":2,"title":"ICCAT press release: closure of the 29th Regular Meeting of the Commission","publisher":"ICCAT","date":"2025-11-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iccat.int/Documents/Meetings/Docs/2025/Press_Release_2025_ENG.pdf","basis":"Regional fisheries body"},{"ref":3,"title":"The bluefin tuna campaign 2025 in the Canary Islands kicks off","publisher":"We Are Aquaculture","date":"2025-01-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://weareaquaculture.com/news/fisheries/the-bluefin-tuna-campaign-2025-in-the-canary-islands-kicks-off","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The recommendation text shows no date; its adoption date is taken from the ICCAT press release. No NGO or fisher reaction to the pilot was found."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-ABNJ-BLUEFINTAC-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-CANARIES-SPERMWHALE-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Ship collisions push Canary Islands sperm whales toward local extinction, researchers warn","description":"In May 2025 researchers at the Canary Islands Oceanographic Centre (IEO-CSIC) and the University of La Laguna said two more sperm whales had died after ship strikes off Tenerife and that ship collisions are driving the species toward local extinction; they report that abundance has roughly halved. In October 2025 the regional minister told parliament the Canary stranding network recorded 1,358 dead cetaceans from 2000 to 2023, with 93 showing signs of ship collision, 53 of them sperm whales. OceanCare and the researchers call for mandatory speed limits.","location":{"name":"Canary Islands (Tenerife and La Gomera channel)","type":"Cetacean habitat and ship traffic corridor","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Deep waters between the western Canary Islands where inter-island fast ferries operate; Tenerife strandings in May 2025","coordinates":{"lat":28.1,"lon":-16.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Documented ship-strike mortality is reducing a resident whale population.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel speed and traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Two sperm whales died after ship strikes in May 2025 and researchers report abundance in the Canaries roughly halved (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No ferry restriction in force is documented in the sources; speed limits are being requested (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The stranding network covers the whole Canary archipelago, 1,358 dead cetaceans between 2000 and 2023 (ref 3).","duration":"A 2016 La Laguna study already estimated about 224 sperm whales with 89% of strandings showing collision signs (ref 4), and the pattern continued through 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The regional minister reported the figures to a parliamentary committee and said competence lies with the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition (ref 3); no enforcement order is documented."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Canary stranding network recorded 1,358 dead cetaceans in 2000 to 2023, 93 with signs of ship collision, most often sperm whales (53)."},"measures":[{"name":"Dead cetaceans recorded by the stranding network, 2000 to 2023","value":1358,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Canarias Ahora, 2 Oct 2025 (ref 3)."},{"name":"Of these, with signs of ship collision","value":93,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"21 with clear signs (ref 3)."},{"name":"Sperm whales among collision cases","value":53,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 3."},{"name":"Sperm whale abundance decline reported by researchers","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Described as roughly halved in recent studies (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Whale watching and inter-island ferries both operate in the same waters; no cost figure is given in the sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Researchers report a decline and new collision deaths in May 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge","role":"Competent ministry for cetacean protection (per the Canary minister)","contact":"https://www.miteco.gob.es"},{"name":"Government of the Canary Islands","role":"Regional government and stranding network partner","contact":"https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org"}],"public_contact":"See the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["A 2015 working group asked ferries to slow to 10 knots in one area and 18 knots in the rest of the special conservation area, per an undated secondary report (not independently verified)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"El cachalote, al borde de la extincion en Canarias por los choques con buques","publisher":"RTVC (EFE)","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://rtvc.es/cachalote-extincion-canarias-22-mayo-2025/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Dos cachalotes mas muertos por colision con barcos en Canarias evidencian la necesidad urgente de reducir la velocidad de los buques (press release, Spanish)","publisher":"OceanCare","date":"2025-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.oceancare.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-22-PR-ES-Canary-Islands-Ship-Strike.pdf","basis":"NGO press release"},{"ref":3,"title":"La red de varamientos registra 1.358 cetaceos muertos en aguas canarias en 23 anos","publisher":"Canarias Ahora (elDiario.es)","date":"2025-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.eldiario.es/canariasahora/ciencia_y_medio_ambiente/red-varamientos-registra-1-358-cetaceos-muertos-aguas-canarias-23-anos_1_12651841.html","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"[ECOticias article on the University of La Laguna sperm whale population study]","publisher":"ECOticias","date":"2016-04-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ecoticias.com/naturaleza/114550_futuro-cachalote-peligro-canarias","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Cetaceos: proponen medidas para disminuir las muertes por colision en Canarias","publisher":"ECOticias","date":"2019-04-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ecoticias.com/naturaleza/193432_cetaceos-proponen-medidas-disminuir-muertes-colision-canarias","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The population decline figure is from researchers quoted in news and an NGO release; the underlying study was not opened. No government response to the May 2025 alert was found."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-CANARIES-OFFSHOREWIND-2026","OC-NATL-GRANCANARIA-FUELSPILL-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-CAPEVERDE-LOGGERHEAD-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Boa Vista loggerhead nests fall by about half in 2025 and six nesting turtles are poached","description":"The Turtle Foundation recorded more than 9,500 loggerhead nests on the Boa Vista beaches it protects between June and October 2025, with final evaluations ongoing, against 19,188 in 2024. It reports that six turtles were poached in 2025 and names poaching and beach debris as continuing threats. The foundation says fluctuations of this size are not unusual in Cabo Verde.","location":{"name":"Boa Vista nesting beaches","type":"Sea turtle nesting beaches","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["CV"],"detail":"Boa Vista, Cabo Verde, eastern North Atlantic; hosts around two thirds of the archipelago's nesting according to Oceanographic Magazine","coordinates":{"lat":16.1,"lon":-22.8,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["coastal-habitats"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A nesting population of a vulnerable species faces poaching and beach pollution at its main Atlantic rookery.","secondary_drivers":["Poaching","Beach debris"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Six turtles were poached in 2025 and nest counts on monitored beaches fell from 19,188 to over 9,500 (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism closure is documented in the sources.","scale":"The counts refer to the Boa Vista beaches the foundation protects (ref 1), a local site.","duration":"Oceanographic Magazine says poaching of nesting females is still widespread (ref 2), a recurring seasonal problem.","significance":"The sources are an NGO season report and a magazine feature; no enforcement action or listing is documented (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Over 9,500 nests were recorded in 2025 on the beaches the Turtle Foundation protects, against 19,188 in 2024; six turtles were poached."},"measures":[{"name":"Loggerhead nests, protected Boa Vista beaches, 2025","value":9500,"unit":"nests","status":"Reported","note":"Over 9,500, preliminary (ref 1)."},{"name":"Loggerhead nests, protected Boa Vista beaches, 2024","value":19188,"unit":"nests","status":"Reported","note":"Figure quoted by the foundation (ref 1)."},{"name":"Turtles poached in 2025","value":6,"unit":"turtles","status":"Reported","note":"Protected beaches only (ref 1)."},{"name":"Nests protected in the hatchery, 2025","value":205,"unit":"nests","status":"Reported","note":"More than 13,000 hatchlings released (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Nest numbers halved from 2024 to 2025 on monitored beaches; the foundation calls such swings normal (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Turtle Foundation (Fundacao Tartaruga)","role":"Beach protection programme operator","contact":"https://www.turtle-foundation.org"},{"name":"Government of Cabo Verde","role":"Legal protection of sea turtles","contact":"https://www.governo.cv"}],"public_contact":"See the Turtle Foundation website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Poachers' access routes mapped to target patrols and sniffer-dog deployment (ref 1).","Hatchery protected 205 nests and 47 disoriented turtles were returned to the sea (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Boa Vista nesting season 2025","publisher":"Turtle Foundation","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.turtle-foundation.org/en/nesting-season-2025/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Bushes walking on sand: sea turtles of Cape Verde","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":"2025-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/features/bushes-walking-on-sand-sea-turtles-of-cape-verde/","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 count is preliminary and covers only beaches monitored by the foundation. The sources do not describe 2024 as a record; no archipelago-wide poaching total was found. The Oceanographic Magazine date was shown as 01/09/2025 and is read here as 1 September 2025."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-MACARONESIA-PLASTIC-2026"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-GREENLAND-NARWHAL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"NAMMCO advises zero catch of narwhal and beluga in East Greenland after quotas diverged from earlier advice","description":"At its meeting in Nuuk on 24 to 26 March 2026, the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission endorsed its Scientific Committee's advice for a zero-catch limit for narwhal and beluga in East Greenland, citing a small narwhal stock and low beluga numbers. In 2022 Polar Journal reported that the Greenland government set 2023 quotas of 50 narwhals and 30 belugas for the east coast, different from NAMMCO's recommendation of a longer hunting pause. The Council also flagged pollution, shipping, cruise tourism and military activity as added pressures.","location":{"name":"East Greenland (Ittoqqortoormiit, Tasiilaq, Kangerlussuaq)","type":"Marine mammal hunting and habitat area","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["GL"],"detail":"East Greenland coast; the narwhal stock is described as small, with roughly 1,000 animals according to Polar Journal","coordinates":{"lat":70.48,"lon":-21.97,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A small marine mammal stock is hunted at levels that scientific advisers say should stop.","secondary_drivers":["Hunting","Cruise and ship traffic"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"NAMMCO categorises the East Greenland narwhal stock as small and says beluga numbers there are low (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Hunters and community leaders in Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit want higher quotas for meat and narwhal skin, so a catch ban would affect subsistence use (ref 2).","scale":"The advice concerns one regional stock complex on the east coast (ref 1), a site to regional scale.","duration":"NAMMCO and a 2019 working group had already questioned the quotas by 2022 (ref 2), and the advice was repeated in March 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"NAMMCO's Council formally endorsed zero-catch advice, which is advisory rather than binding on the Government of Greenland (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NAMMCO advises a zero-catch limit for narwhal and beluga in East Greenland (press release, 27 March 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"East Greenland narwhal quota for 2023","value":50,"unit":"narwhals","status":"Reported","note":"Greenland government decision reported by Polar Journal, Dec 2022 (ref 2); the current quota was not found."},{"name":"Estimated East Greenland narwhal population","value":1000,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Described as \"roughly 1,000\" by Polar Journal (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Narwhal hunting is of great cultural and socio-economic importance to East Greenland coastal communities (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Polar Journal cites a downward trend in narwhal numbers in NAMMCO's advice (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO)","role":"Scientific advice and management body","contact":"https://nammco.no"},{"name":"Government of Greenland (Naalakkersuisut)","role":"Sets hunting quotas","contact":"https://naalakkersuisut.gl"}],"public_contact":"See the NAMMCO Secretariat website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["NAMMCO Council endorsed zero-catch advice on 26 March 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Press release of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission","publisher":"NAMMCO","date":"2026-03-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nammco.no/topics/27-march-2026-press-release-of-the-33rd-annual-meeting-of-the-north-atlantic-marine-mammal-commission/","basis":"Regional treaty body"},{"ref":2,"title":"[Polar Journal article on the 2023 East Greenland narwhal and beluga quotas]","publisher":"Polar Journal","date":"2022-12-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.polarjournal.net/en/?p=49964","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Bracketed source titles are descriptions, not headlines. The Government of Greenland's current East Greenland quota was not found. East Greenland sits at the NATL and ARCTIC boundary; it is assigned to NATL by the brief."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-SHRIMPQUOTA-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-PORTUGAL-SEABEDMINING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Portugal enacts a seabed mining moratorium to 2050 while three ISA exploration contracts cover the Mid-Atlantic Ridge","description":"Portugal's parliament passed a law on 14 March 2025 halting deep-sea mining in Portuguese waters until at least 2050 and committing Portugal to advocate a global ban, after an Azores regional assembly resolution in April 2023. Seabed around the Azores is thought to hold manganese, cobalt and nickel. Beyond national jurisdiction, the International Seabed Authority lists Poland, Russia and France (Ifremer) as holders of polymetallic sulphide exploration contracts on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.","location":{"name":"Azores seabed and Mid-Atlantic Ridge","type":"Seabed mineral area and hydrothermal ridge","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["PT","ABNJ"],"detail":"Portuguese waters around the Azores and the high seas Mid-Atlantic Ridge where ISA exploration contracts lie","coordinates":{"lat":38,"lon":-30,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"The record covers national legislation and an international licensing regime for seabed minerals.","secondary_drivers":["Mineral interest","Precautionary legislation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Lawmakers said heavy subsea machinery could be harmful to the seabed (ref 2); no mining damage is documented because only exploration contracts exist (ref 4).","livelihoods":"No fishery or route is restricted by mining activity in the sources.","scale":"The law covers Portuguese waters and the ISA contracts lie along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a regional-sea scale (refs 1, 4).","duration":"A moratorium bill was approved in October 2023 but lapsed with the government, and the law followed in March 2025 (refs 2, 3), so the issue has run for over a year.","significance":"A national law passed on 14 March 2025 (ref 1); the ISA holds three exploration contracts for polymetallic sulphides on the ridge (ref 4)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Portugal's parliament passed a law on 14 March 2025 halting deep-sea mining in its waters until at least 2050."},"measures":[{"name":"ISA polymetallic sulphide contractors on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge","value":3,"unit":"contractors","status":"Reported","note":"Poland, Russia and Ifremer (France), ISA Secretary-General Annual Report 2024 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Countries supporting a moratorium, pause or ban beyond national jurisdiction (March 2025)","value":32,"unit":"countries","status":"Reported","note":"As stated by Oceanographic Magazine (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Seabed around the Azores is thought to hold manganese, cobalt and nickel (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"A binding national moratorium replaced earlier non-binding resolutions (refs 1, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Portuguese Parliament (Assembleia da Republica)","role":"Legislature that passed the moratorium","contact":"https://www.parlamento.pt"},{"name":"International Seabed Authority","role":"Regulator of seabed mining beyond national jurisdiction","contact":"https://www.isa.org.jm"}],"public_contact":"See the International Seabed Authority website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Moratorium law passed on 14 March 2025 (ref 1).","Ifremer relinquished 50% of its Mid-Atlantic Ridge exploration area, reported to the ISA Council in 2024 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"History made: Portugal takes lead in effort to stop deep-sea mining","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":"2025-03-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/history-made-portugal-takes-lead-in-effort-to-stop-deep-sea-mining/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Portugal's lawmakers push to ban deep-sea mining until 2050","publisher":"Ocean Mining Intel","date":"2025-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanminingintel.com/news/regulation/portugal-s-lawmakers-push-to-ban-deep-sea-mining-until-2050/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"[Seas At Risk post on the Portuguese parliament approving a deep-sea mining moratorium bill]","publisher":"Seas At Risk","date":"2023-10-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seas-at-risk.org/?p=24950","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Secretary-General Annual Report 2024, chapter 5: Status of contracts for exploration in the Area","publisher":"International Seabed Authority","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.isa.org.jm/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ISA_Secretary_General_Annual_Report_2024_Chapter5.pdf","basis":"Regulator report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Whether the Azores government has issued implementing rules was not found. Bracketed source titles are descriptions, not headlines. The ISA report shows 2024 but no day.","No specific sale or licence application on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was documented."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-AZORES-MPANETWORK-2026","OC-ARCTIC-NORWAY-SEABEDMINING-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-CANARIES-OFFSHOREWIND-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Canary Islands fishers petition the European Parliament over offshore wind rollout","description":"In October 2025 the Canary Islands government asked Madrid for a dedicated offshore wind auction for the archipelago. On 2 March 2026 the shipowners and fishers association Miracanarias filed Petition 0620/2026 alleging Spanish failure to apply EU law in offshore wind to the detriment of fisheries; on 27 August 2026 the Petitions Committee asked the Commission for a preliminary investigation. The Committee has not ruled on the claims.","location":{"name":"Canary Islands offshore wind areas","type":"Planned offshore wind zones","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Canary Islands marine spatial planning areas; the sources do not name specific sites","coordinates":{"lat":28.3,"lon":-15.9,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A planned energy build-out is contested over its effects on fishing grounds and seabed habitats.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore wind planning"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Fishers raise potential effects on benthic communities and the marine environment; no damage is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Loss of access to fishing grounds and displacement are concerns raised by the sector, not yet restrictions (ref 1).","scale":"The petition concerns offshore wind rollout in Spain, with the Canary fleet as petitioner (ref 1), a national-waters scale.","duration":"The government push dates from October 2025 (ref 2) and the petition from March 2026 (ref 1), several months.","significance":"The European Parliament Petitions Committee had declared the petition admissible and on 27 August 2026 asked the Commission for a preliminary investigation (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Petition 0620/2026, filed 2 March 2026, alleges Spain failed to comply with EU law on offshore wind to the detriment of fisheries; the Petitions Committee asked for a preliminary Commission investigation on 27 August 2026."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The sector cites loss of access to fishing grounds and cumulative impacts, particularly for small-scale fisheries (ref 1).","The regional government warns of losing investment opportunities without a dedicated auction (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The petition process began in March 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"European Parliament Committee on Petitions (PETI)","role":"Reviewing Petition 0620/2026","contact":"https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/peti/home"},{"name":"Government of the Canary Islands","role":"Regional government promoting offshore wind","contact":"https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org"}],"public_contact":"See the European Parliament Petitions Committee page for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Petition referred to the Fisheries and Environment committees and the Commission asked for a preliminary investigation (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"[Fish Focus article on Petition 0620/2026 on offshore wind and fisheries]","publisher":"Fish Focus","date":"2026-09-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishfocus.co.uk/?p=100210","basis":"Trade news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Canary Islands call for dedicated offshore wind auction to attract investors","publisher":"Ports Europe","date":"2025-10-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.portseurope.com/canary-islands-call-for-dedicated-offshore-wind-auction-to-attract-investors/","basis":"Trade news"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Bracketed source titles are descriptions, not headlines. The petition register text was not opened. The Ports Europe article is cut off by a paywall; no MW capacity or site list was seen. Cetacean concerns were not documented in an opened source."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-CANARIES-SPERMWHALE-2025","OC-NATL-CANARIES-ANGELSHARK-2025"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-BERMUDA-CAHOW-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Bermuda petrel (cahow) fledges 78 chicks in 2025, the second-highest on record, as nest sites run short","description":"The Nonsuch Expeditions programme reports that 78 cahow chicks fledged in 2025, second only to 79 in 2021. The species now has 165 established breeding pairs on the original islets and about 40 on Nonsuch Island, up from 53 pairs in 2000. Managers describe competition for burrows, tropicbird intrusions and sea-level rise and storm flooding on the low islets as continuing pressures.","location":{"name":"Nonsuch Island and Bermuda islets","type":"Seabird nesting colony","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["BM"],"detail":"Nonsuch Island and the original nesting islets in Castle Harbour, Bermuda","coordinates":{"lat":32.35,"lon":-64.67,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A rare seabird recovering under management but limited by nest space and climate exposure.","secondary_drivers":["Nest-site competition","Sea-level rise and storm flooding"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No mortality event is documented; one CahowCam egg failed in January 2025 and a tropicbird was removed from a chick burrow in March 2025 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is reported.","scale":"The population nests on a few islets in one Bermuda harbour (ref 1).","duration":"Recovery management has run since the 1950s rediscovery of 17 to 18 pairs and continues (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are a conservation programme blog and a local news report; no listing change or order is documented (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"78 chicks fledged in 2025, the second-highest on record after 79 in 2021; 165 established breeding pairs on the original islets."},"measures":[{"name":"Chicks fledged, 2025 season","value":78,"unit":"chicks","status":"Reported","note":"Nonsuch Expeditions, 14 Jul 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Established breeding pairs on original islets","value":165,"unit":"pairs","status":"Reported","note":"Up from 53 pairs in 2000 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Pairs have roughly tripled since 2000 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Nonsuch Expeditions","role":"Species recovery programme","contact":"https://www.nonsuchisland.com"}],"public_contact":"See the Nonsuch Expeditions website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Translocation colonies on Nonsuch Island, rat control and predator-proof burrow baffles (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"2024/25 Cahow season wrap up","publisher":"The Nonsuch Expeditions","date":"2025-07-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nonsuchisland.com/blog/202425-cahow-season-wrap-up","basis":"Programme report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Triumphs and trials of cahow nesting season","publisher":"Bernews","date":"2025-05-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bernews.com/2025/05/triumphs-trials-of-cahow-nesting-season","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":2,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["A Bermuda government release was not opened (the page returned 404). The IUCN status was not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-BERMUDA-COASTALRISK-2024"]},{"id":"OC-NATL-CANARIES-ANGELSHARK-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Critically endangered angelshark depends on the Canary Islands as its stronghold while a fisheries decree is drafted","description":"The Angel Shark Project says the Canary Islands are the critically endangered angelshark's unique stronghold in Europe, where it has been on the Spanish endangered species list for Canary waters since 2019. Its January to March 2025 report counts 277 reported angelsharks on all eight islands, including the largest recorded aggregation, over 60 animals off Fuerteventura. The project asked to take part in public consultation on a new Canary fisheries decree and flagged recreational fishing impacts. The outcome of the consultation was not found.","location":{"name":"Canary Islands angelshark habitat","type":"Shark nursery and coastal habitat","sea":"NATL","seas":["NATL"],"basin":"ATL","countries":["ES"],"detail":"Eight islands; confirmed nursery at Las Teresitas, Tenerife; aggregation off Fuerteventura","coordinates":{"lat":28.5,"lon":-16.2,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A critically endangered shark with a restricted stronghold faces bycatch and recreational fishing pressure.","secondary_drivers":["Bycatch","Recreational fishing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The project lists incidental catch by recreational, charter and commercial fishers and habitat degradation as threats (ref 1); no mortality count is given.","livelihoods":"No fishing closure is documented; the project proposes protection measures in the fisheries decree (ref 2).","scale":"The species is reported on all eight islands in the archipelago (ref 2).","duration":"The species was listed in 2019 and an action plan dates from 2016, so the threats are chronic (ref 1).","significance":"A 2019 listing in the Spanish endangered species catalogue as \"in danger of extinction\" prohibits killing, capture and disturbance in Canary waters (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"277 angelsharks were reported across all eight Canary Islands in January to March 2025, including a record aggregation of over 60 off Fuerteventura."},"measures":[{"name":"Angelsharks reported Jan to Mar 2025","value":277,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"Angel Shark Project quarterly report (ref 2); sightings by divers, not a population count."},{"name":"Largest recorded aggregation, Feb 2025","value":60,"unit":"animals","status":"Reported","note":"More than 60, Fuerteventura (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Sightings are volunteer reports, not a monitored trend (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of the Canary Islands","role":"Regional fisheries and species authority","contact":"https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org"},{"name":"Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition","role":"Endangered species catalogue and recovery plan","contact":"https://www.miteco.gob.es"}],"public_contact":"See the Government of the Canary Islands website for its published general channels.","corrective_actions":["Species listed as in danger of extinction in Canary waters in 2019 (ref 1).","Monitoring plan finalised and nursery surveys at Las Teresitas in February 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Angel Shark Project: Canary Islands","publisher":"Angel Shark Project","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://angelsharknetwork.com/canaryislands","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":2,"title":"ASPCI quarterly report QR10, January to March 2025","publisher":"Angel Shark Project","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://angelsharknetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/08/ASPCI-QR10-Jan-Mar-2025.pdf","basis":"NGO report"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (NATL in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Both sources are from the same NGO and show no publication date; no government decree or Official State Gazette text was opened. The outcome of the fisheries decree consultation was not found."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-CANARIES-OFFSHOREWIND-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-FALK-SEALION-2025","title":"Sea Lion oil field north of the Falklands reaches final investment decision after a contested environmental review","description":"Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration took a final investment decision on the Sea Lion field in December 2025, after the Falkland Islands Government approved the field development and production programme. Phase 1 plans 11 subsea wells tied to a redeployed FPSO with first oil targeted for 2028. Falklands Conservation told the 2024 environmental consultation that the Environmental Impact Statement was not fit for purpose, citing carbon offsets, wildlife data gaps and spill and decommissioning risk.","location":{"name":"Sea Lion field, North Falkland Basin","type":"Offshore oil field","countries":["FK","GB"],"detail":"About 220 km north of the Falkland Islands, licences PL032 and PL004b, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) waters.","extent":"national_waters","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A new offshore hydrocarbon development whose approval, financing and environmental review are the documented issue.","secondary_drivers":["Offshore oil development","Carbon emissions","Spill risk"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Falklands Conservation says the EIS leaves 9 million tonnes of development emissions and over 100 million tonnes from burning the oil unoffset and has over 100 errors or omissions in two sections reviewed (ref 5); no harm has yet occurred.","livelihoods":"No restriction or closure is reported in the sources; the Planning and Building Committee approved 160 worker housing units, 320 beds, for the field (ref 6).","scale":"A single licensed field about 220 km north of the islands (ref 4), so site-level.","duration":"The project is planned to produce for over 30 years (ref 4) with first oil in 2028 (ref 1), a chronic exposure.","significance":"The Falkland Islands Government approved the field development and production programme, moving the licences into a 35-year exploitation phase (refs 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Phase 1 targets 170 million barrels at a peak of about 50,000 barrels per day from 11 subsea wells, first oil planned for 2028 (refs 1, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Certified oil resources","value":319,"unit":"million barrels","status":"Reported","note":"World Oil, 10 Dec 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Phase 1 target","value":170,"unit":"million barrels","status":"Reported","note":"Phase 1 only; Phase 2 adds a forecast 149 million barrels (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Post-FID funding to first oil","value":1.8,"unit":"billion USD","status":"Reported","note":"Rising to 2.1 billion for project completion (ref 3)."},{"name":"Development emissions not offset in EIS","value":9,"unit":"million tonnes CO2","status":"Reported","note":"Figure as stated by Falklands Conservation in its consultation response (ref 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Funding of 1.8 billion USD is needed to first oil (ref 3).","A similar 2013 project on the same site was abandoned over oil-price volatility (ref 6)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Moved from EIS consultation in mid-2024 to approval and FID in December 2025."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Falkland Islands Government (Minerals and Executive Council)","role":"Licensing and environmental approval authority","contact":"https://www.gov.fk/mineralresources/"},{"name":"Navitas Petroleum Development and Production (65%) and Rockhopper Exploration (35%)","role":"Operator and licence partner","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Falkland Islands Government Mineral Resources, via the gov.fk mineral resources pages.","corrective_actions":["Falkland Islands Government ran a statutory EIS public consultation from 2 July to 13 August 2024 (ref 4 and Falklands Conservation response, ref 5).","Project execution is said to follow UK and international regulatory standards (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"FID secured for Sea Lion field offshore Falklands, first oil targeted 2028","publisher":"World Oil","date":"2025-12-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://admin.worldoil.com/news/2025/12/10/fid-secured-for-sea-lion-field-offshore-falklands-first-oil-targeted-2028/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Navitas, Rockhopper take FID on Falkland US$2.1bn Sea Lion project","publisher":"Riviera Maritime Media","date":"2025-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/navitas-rockhopper-take-fid-on-falkland-us21bn-sea-lion-87127","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Rockhopper and Navitas sanction oil project in Falkland Islands","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2025-12-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/exploration-development/rockhopper-and-navitas-sanction-oil-project-in-falkland-islands","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Falkland Islands begins environmental consultation on Sea Lion field","publisher":"Offshore Technology","date":"2024-06-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/falkland-islands-begins-environmental-consultation-on-sea-lion-field/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Public Consultation Response: Sea Lion Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Aug 2024","publisher":"Falklands Conservation","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://falklandsconservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/EIS-Public-Consultation-Full-Response.pdf","basis":"NGO consultation response"},{"ref":6,"title":"Falklands consolidates the future of its economy in the fishing and hydrocarbons industries","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-08-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/08/19/falklands-consolidates-the-future-of-its-economy-in-the-fishing-and-hydrocarbons-industries","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"First-oil date and peak rate differ between sources: first half of 2028 (ref 1), March 2028 (Offshore Technology, Sep 2026), 2026 in the 2024 consultation coverage (ref 4). The record uses the post-FID 2028 date."}],"missing_fields":["No Falkland Islands Government decision notice or Executive Council paper could be opened (falklands.gov.fk did not resolve); the approval is reported by Riviera and Baird (refs 2, 3) and the date of the environmental approval is not stated in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SATL-FALK-SOVEREIGNTY-2026"],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"id":"OC-SATL-FALK-SOVEREIGNTY-2026","title":"Argentina announces sanctions bill against oil companies and suppliers working around the Falklands","description":"On 3 September 2026 Argentine President Javier Milei said he would send Congress a \"national sovereignty defence\" bill raising penalties for operating around the Falkland Islands without Argentine authorisation, extending sanctions to suppliers, shareholders and directors. The move targets the Sea Lion project. The UK government replied that the islanders have the right to exploit their own natural resources. Argentina separately does not recognise the Falklands fisheries conservation zone, so the two sides manage shared stocks separately.","location":{"name":"Falkland Islands (Malvinas) waters","type":"Disputed maritime jurisdiction","countries":["AR","FK","GB"],"detail":"Waters around the Falkland Islands and the Sea Lion licence area north of the islands; Argentina-UK sovereignty dispute.","extent":"national_waters","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A sovereignty dispute turned into proposed sanctions affecting offshore energy and fisheries activity.","secondary_drivers":["Sovereignty dispute","Sanctions"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental or human harm is attributed to the dispute in the cited reports (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The bill would bring suppliers, shareholders and directors of companies working on Sea Lion within sanctions (ref 1), a potential restriction on the oil project and its contractors.","scale":"The dispute covers the Falklands maritime zone as a whole, including fisheries management that Argentina and the islands run separately (ref 2).","duration":"The dispute is long-running; the 2013 referendum result and the continuing refusal to recognise the Falklands conservation zone are cited (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A head-of-state televised announcement of a bill on 3 September 2026 (ref 1); a proposal, not yet an enacted law."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Milei said he would send Congress an urgent \"national sovereignty defence\" bill with penalties applying to companies, shareholders, directors and suppliers (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Falklands residents voting to keep UK status in 2013 referendum","value":99.8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"As cited by Offshore Technology, 4 Sep 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Sanctions would reach suppliers and shareholders of the Sea Lion project (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Escalated after the December 2025 Sea Lion investment decision."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Argentina (President and Congress)","role":"Proposing sanctions legislation","contact":null},{"name":"UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Falkland Islands Government","role":"Administering power and local government","contact":"https://www.gov.fk/mineralresources/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["The UK government restated that the islands remain a British Overseas Territory for as long as the islanders wish (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sea Lion: Argentine sanctions threat on Falklands oil (newsletter)","publisher":"Offshore Technology","date":"2026-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.offshore-technology.com/newsletters/sea-lion-argentine-sanctions-falklands-oil/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Argentina joins FAO treaty against illegal fishing, tightening control in the South Atlantic","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/07/21/argentina-joins-fao-treaty-against-illegal-fishing-tightening-control-in-the-south-atlantic","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Scientific workshop on Illex Squid in Vigo with the participation of Falkland Islands","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/10/03/scientific-workshop-on-illex-squid-in-vigo-with-the-participation-of-falkland-islands","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The text of the bill and any congressional action could not be verified from an opened primary source."],"related_ids":["OC-SATL-FALK-SEALION-2025","OC-SATL-SWATL-ILLEXGOV-2026"],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"id":"OC-SATL-ABNJ-MILE201-2025","title":"Hundreds of distant-water squid jiggers fish the unregulated high seas at Argentina's mile 201 edge","description":"Reports from 2025 and 2026 describe 300 to 600 foreign vessels, mainly Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese, fishing Illex squid just outside Argentina's 200-mile zone with no catch limits. The Environmental Justice Foundation found Chinese fishing hours rose 85% between 2019 and 2024 and that pressure outside the zone is over four times that inside it, alongside labour abuses on board. Argentine and Spanish industry voices warn of stock collapse.","location":{"name":"Mile 201, high seas beyond Argentina's EEZ","type":"High-seas fishing ground","countries":["ABNJ","AR","CN","KR","TW"],"detail":"High seas of the south-west Atlantic along the outer edge of the Argentine 200-nautical-mile zone; the Argentine EEZ itself is covered under BRA.","extent":"regional_sea","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Intensive unregulated fishing of a keystone squid stock on the high seas.","secondary_drivers":["Distant-water fleet","Unregulated high seas","Labour abuse"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"EJF testimonies from 169 workers report up to five deaths aboard four Chinese vessels, beatings and 14 to 18 hour days, and crews describing the deliberate killing of South American fur seals (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"Argentine industry and Spanish shipowners warn that high-seas fishing could deplete Illex and depress prices; no formal closure exists (refs 4, 5).","scale":"The fleet works the outer edge of the Argentine zone across the south-west Atlantic, a regional sea (refs 3, 4).","duration":"The foreign fleet operates five or six months a year (ref 3) with effort rising 2019 to 2024 and reports repeated in 2025 and 2026 (refs 1, 4, 5).","significance":"Only NGO reports, industry statements and Argentine naval monitoring are cited; no regional fisheries body or enforcement order covers these waters (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Chinese squid vessels' fishing hours rose 85% between 2019 and 2024 (EJF, ref 1); about 343 vessels operate each year just outside the zone (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Vessels fishing just outside the Argentine zone","value":343,"unit":"vessels per year","status":"Reported","note":"EJF report as reported by MercoPress, 18 Sep 2025 (ref 2); other sources give 300 to 500 (ref 5) and 400 to 600 (ref 4)."},{"name":"Growth in Chinese squid fishing hours 2019 to 2024","value":85,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"EJF via Oceanographic, 17 Sep 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Fishing pressure outside vs inside the Argentine zone","value":4,"unit":"times greater (minimum)","status":"Reported","note":"Oceanographic reports pressure over four times greater than in adjacent regulated Argentine waters (ref 1)."},{"name":"Illex taken by Asian fleets on the high seas","value":null,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Not reported","note":"MercoPress cites 1.5 to 3 million tonnes for Asian fleets on the high seas (ref 5) and the same range for the whole south-west Atlantic (ref 4); a wide range, not one reported value."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Argentine shortfin squid supported 12.2% of the global squid catch in 2023 (ref 1).","Spanish shipowners warn of lower prices and a depleted resource (ref 5)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Fishing effort rose 65% to 85% between 2019 and 2024 depending on the measure (refs 1, 3, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Prefectura Naval Argentina","role":"Monitors the fleet along the EEZ edge","contact":null},{"name":"Flag states China, South Korea and Taiwan","role":"Flag-state responsibility for the fleet","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Argentina acceded to the FAO Port State Measures Agreement on 17 July 2026 (see OC-SATL-SWATL-ILLEXGOV-2026).","EJF calls for science-based catch limits and monitoring (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Southwest Atlantic squid plundering puts fishery at risk of collapse","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":"2025-09-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/southwest-atlantic-squid-plundering-puts-fishery-at-risk-of-collapse","basis":"News (reporting an EJF study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Unregulated overfishing in South Atlantic waters has predatory effects","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-09-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/09/18/unregulated-overfishing-in-south-atlantic-waters-has-predatory-effects","basis":"News (reporting an EJF report)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Satellite images reveal the pressure of Chinese fishing vessels in the Argentine Economic Zone","publisher":"Noticias Ambientales","date":"2026-01-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://noticiasambientales.com/environment-en/satellite-images-reveal-the-pressure-of-chinese-fishing-vessels-in-the-argentine-economic-zone/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Report warns foreign fleets off Argentina catch up to four times the national industry's haul","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/06/07/report-warns-foreign-fleets-off-argentina-catch-up-to-four-times-the-national-industry-s-haul","basis":"News (reporting an NGO report by FULASP)"},{"ref":5,"title":"A Spanish investigation tracks how Asia's squid fleet is upending the South Atlantic market","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-07-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/07/02/a-spanish-investigation-tracks-how-asia-s-squid-fleet-is-upending-the-south-atlantic-market","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Vessel counts differ: about 343 (EJF, ref 2), 300 to 500 (ref 5), 400 to 600 (ref 4)."},{"note":"Effort growth differs by measure: 85% for Chinese squid vessel hours (ref 1) and 65% for total hours or extraction (refs 3, 4)."}],"missing_fields":["The EJF report itself and Global Fishing Watch data were not opened; figures are as reported by news outlets."],"related_ids":["OC-SATL-SWATL-ILLEXGOV-2026","OC-SATL-FALK-SQUID-2025"],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"id":"OC-SATL-FALK-SQUID-2025","title":"Falklands Loligo squid seasons closed early for a third straight year as biomass falls, and Illex catch drops","description":"The Falklands Fisheries Department closed the 2025 winter Loligo season after biomass estimates fell from 29,735 to 14,722 tonnes, and in August 2026 closed the second season again three days after a two-week pause, calling biomass \"very low\". The Illex season ended on 22 June 2026 with catches about 30% below the ten-year average. Officials cite squid movements out of the area, rising hake predation and heavier fishing power.","location":{"name":"Loligo Box and Falklands Conservation Zone","type":"Squid fishery grounds","countries":["FK","GB"],"detail":"Falkland Islands fishing zones: the Loligo Box north-east of the islands and the Illex grounds, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) waters.","extent":"national_waters","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Declining squid stocks and repeated season closures in a managed fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean variability","Predation by hake","Fishing power"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The winter 2025 Loligo biomass estimate fell from 29,735 to 21,695 and then 14,722 tonnes with a lower bound of 6,539 tonnes (refs 2, 3).","livelihoods":"Closures hit 16 Spanish-Falklands joint-venture freezer trawlers in 2026 (ref 8) and the 2025 first season catch reached about 22,000 tonnes against a normal 30,000 (ref 1).","scale":"The closures apply to the Falklands Loligo Box and one national fishery rather than a whole sea (refs 3, 7).","duration":"The second season never opened in 2024 and was closed in 2025 and 2026, the fourth consecutive year of second-season difficulty (ref 7).","significance":"The Fisheries Department issued formal closure notices, including one dated 6 August 2025 (ref 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Winter 2025 Loligo biomass estimate fell to 14,722 tonnes (lower confidence bound 6,539 tonnes) after early catches dropped quickly (refs 2, 3)."},"measures":[{"name":"Loligo biomass, winter 2025 latest estimate","value":14722,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Down from an initial 29,735 tonnes; lower confidence bound 6,539 tonnes (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Loligo pre-season biomass, February 2026 survey","value":41725,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Reliable range 34,726 to 60,190 tonnes (ref 5)."},{"name":"Illex catch, 2026 season","value":62000,"unit":"tonnes (unit inferred)","status":"Estimated","note":"MercoPress cites \"some 62.000\" without units; down about 30% on the ten-year average and about 20% on 2025 (ref 6)."},{"name":"Loligo catch, 2025 first season by end March","value":22000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Vigo sources against a normal average of about 30,000 tonnes (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The Falklands depends on squid licence revenue and the Illex season was well below average (ref 6).","The hake bycatch limit was raised from 10% to 50% to keep vessels working (ref 7)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Second-season failures in 2024, 2025 and 2026; the first 2026 season began with 41,725 tonnes estimated (refs 5, 7)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department (Directorate of Natural Resources)","role":"Fishery manager","contact":"https://www.falklands.gov.fk/fisheries/"}],"public_contact":"Falkland Islands Fisheries Department via the published fisheries notices on the Falklands government site.","corrective_actions":["Season closed early on 6 August 2025 and a scientific survey was arranged (ref 3).","Talks with SAERI to close the Loligo knowledge gap, with research hoped to start in 2027 (ref 4).","A paper to the Fishery Advisory Committee recommends more effort on hake-targeting A licences (ref 7)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Falklands, the size and maturity of Loligo squid forces closure of fishing season","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-04-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/04/29/falklands-the-size-and-maturity-of-loligo-squid-forces-closure-of-fishing-season","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Falklands loligo squid season closure","publisher":"Fiskerforum","date":"2025-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fiskerforum.com/falklands-squid-shutdown/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Falkland Islands closes winter loligo squid fishery on conservation grounds","publisher":"Baird Maritime","date":"2025-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/fishing/regulation-enforcement/falkland-islands-closes-winter-loligo-squid-fishery-on-conservation-grounds","basis":"News (reporting a Fisheries Department notice)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Falklands, \"knowledge gap\" with the Loligo fishery, environmentally sensitive","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-10-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/10/02/falklands-knowledge-gap-with-the-loligo-fishery-environmentally-sensitive","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Falklands: Loligo squid returns, \"sufficient biomass abundance\" for fishing season","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/03/13/falklands-loligo-squid-returns-sufficient-biomass-abundance-for-fishing-season","basis":"News"},{"ref":6,"title":"Falklands, lower catch from the Illex squid season; concern with fuel costs","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/06/24/falklands-lower-catch-from-the-illex-squid-season-concern-with-fuel-costs","basis":"News"},{"ref":7,"title":"The Falklands close the second Loligo squid season three days after reopening it","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-08-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/08/27/the-falklands-close-the-second-loligo-squid-season-three-days-after-reopening-it","basis":"News"},{"ref":8,"title":"Falkland Islands closes second Loligo season early","publisher":"Fiskerforum","date":"2026-09-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fiskerforum.com/falkland-islands-loligo-season-closes-early/","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Fiskerforum says the 2025 winter season opened on 27 June (ref 2) while Baird Maritime says 27 July (ref 3); the record uses 27 July."},{"note":"The Falklands government closure notices themselves could not be opened (falklands.gov.fk did not resolve); the notice date is taken from Baird Maritime."}],"missing_fields":["Total 2025 and 2026 Loligo landings are not reported in the opened sources."],"related_ids":["OC-SATL-ABNJ-MILE201-2025","OC-SATL-SWATL-ILLEXGOV-2026","OC-SATL-FALK-SALMONFARM-2026","OC-SATL-BASIN-OCEANHEAT-2025"],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"id":"OC-SATL-FALK-H5N1-2024","title":"H5N1 avian flu kills penguin chicks and adults on Falklands colonies and keeps recurring","description":"In January 2024 the Falkland Islands Government confirmed H5N1 in gentoo penguins on Sea Lion Island, with more than 200 chicks and some adults found dead and Steeple Jason also closed. Operator pages updated in July 2026 report that a small number of cases have been recorded since late 2023 and that most landing sites remain open with biosecurity rules.","location":{"name":"Sea Lion Island penguin colonies","type":"Seabird breeding colonies","countries":["FK","GB"],"detail":"Sea Lion Island and Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands (Malvinas).","coordinates":{"lat":-52.433,"lon":-59.083,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"extent":"local","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Disease-driven mortality of breeding seabirds.","secondary_drivers":["Avian influenza H5N1"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"More than 200 penguin chicks and some adults were found dead on Sea Lion Island by 31 Jan 2024, and the government said many more were dying (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Sea Lion Island was closed to visitors from 19 January 2024 and Steeple Jason was also closed (ref 1); cruise biosecurity rules persist (ref 4).","scale":"Confirmed on one island group, with sample results pending from a second, so site to local level (refs 1, 3).","duration":"Cases have recurred since late 2023 through at least July 2026 (ref 4).","significance":"The Falkland Islands Government confirmed H5N1 and closed sites, a formal advisory action (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 200 penguin chicks and some adult birds were found dead, with H5N1 confirmed in gentoo penguins (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Penguin chicks found dead on Sea Lion Island","value":200,"unit":"chicks (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Falklands government statement as reported by Blick, 31 Jan 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Gentoo penguins confirmed H5N1 positive in first samples","value":3,"unit":"birds","status":"Reported","note":"One adult and two chicks per CIDRAP (ref 3); Blick says two cases (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Wildlife tourism sites were closed to visitors (ref 1); expedition cruise landings continue under biosecurity rules (ref 4)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only a small number of cases reported since late 2023 (ref 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Falkland Islands Government Veterinary Services and Environment Department","role":"Disease response","contact":"https://falklands.gov.fk/policy/environment/avian-influenza"}],"public_contact":"Falkland Islands Government avian influenza page.","corrective_actions":["Sea Lion Island closed to visitors from 19 January 2024 (ref 1).","Boot disinfection and no sitting or placing bags on the ground at landings (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Vogelgrippe bei Pinguinen auf Falklandinseln nachgewiesen","publisher":"Blick","date":"2024-01-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.blick.ch/politik/vogelgrippe-vogelgrippe-bei-pinguinen-auf-falklandinseln-nachgewiesen-id19385509.html","basis":"News (German-language)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Avian flu ravaging through seals and penguins in Antarctica","publisher":"Earth.Org","date":"2024-02-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://earth.org/avian-flu-ravaging-through-seals-penguins-antarctica/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"First H5N1 avian flu detected in Antarctic penguins","publisher":"CIDRAP","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/first-h5n1-avian-flu-detected-antarctic-penguins","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Avian Flu and Antarctica (expedition operator update)","publisher":"Swoop Antarctica","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.swoop-antarctica.com/travel/avian-flu","basis":"Operator advisory (updated July 2026)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Sea Lion Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Lion_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"Blick reports two confirmed gentoo cases (ref 1); CIDRAP reports one adult and two chicks (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The Falklands government avian influenza page and later mortality counts could not be opened (falklands.gov.fk did not resolve), so 2025 and 2026 case counts are not verified."],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-H5N1-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-TRINDADE-PLASTIC-2026","title":"Plastic rocks and microplastics bury green turtle nesting beaches on Trindade island","description":"A 2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin study of Trindade, a Brazilian oceanic island, found that plastic rocks first seen in 2019 have lost about 40% of their size and spread fragments to six more beaches, and that plastic accumulates up to 10 cm deep in green turtle nest depressions. The researchers trace the plastic to fishing and shipping debris and fires over beach litter.","location":{"name":"Trindade island beaches","type":"Oceanic island nesting beach","countries":["BR"],"detail":"About 1,100 km off Espirito Santo state, Brazil; Parcel das Tartarugas nesting beach.","coordinates":{"lat":-20.525,"lon":-29.325,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"extent":"site","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Marine plastic debris accumulating on a remote nesting beach.","secondary_drivers":["Fishing gear debris","Beach fires"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Macro- and microplastics accumulate in turtle nest depressions up to 10 cm below the surface, which the authors say compromises conservation of the species (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery, route or beach restriction is reported; the only human presence is a navy detachment of 30 to 40 (ref 1).","scale":"The findings concern one island, with fragments spread across six further beaches (ref 1).","duration":"The plastic rocks were first seen in 2019 and were monitored for five years (ref 1), and the 2023 report shows the same problem (ref 2).","significance":"A peer-reviewed study and press coverage, with no formal notice or listing (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Plastic rocks found in 2019 have lost about 40% of their original size and spread fragments to six additional beaches (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Loss of plastic rock size since 2019","value":40,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Five years of monitoring (ref 1)."},{"name":"Additional beaches with fragments","value":6,"unit":"beaches","status":"Reported","note":"FAPESP, 25 Feb 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Fragments spread from the 2019 site to six more beaches (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Brazilian Navy (island garrison) and Brazilian environment authorities","role":"Island administration and protected area managers","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["No management response is reported in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Green turtle nests may bury plastic rocks and endanger the species","publisher":"Agencia FAPESP","date":"2026-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://agencia.fapesp.br/57265","basis":"News (reporting a Marine Pollution Bulletin study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Plastiglomerate rocks found on remote Brazilian island","publisher":"Free Malaysia Today (ETX Daily Up)","date":"2023-03-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2023/03/21/plastiglomerate-rocks-found-on-remote-brazilian-island","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Trindade and Martim Vaz","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trindade_and_Martim_Vaz","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Marine Pollution Bulletin paper was not opened; findings are as reported by Agencia FAPESP."],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-SATL-GOUGH-MICE-2021"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-BASIN-OCEANHEAT-2025","title":"South Atlantic among the fastest-warming ocean regions as ocean heat content sets a 2025 record","description":"A multi-institution analysis in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences found the ocean absorbed about 23 zettajoules in 2025, a record, with the tropical and South Atlantic among the regions of most extreme warming. Mercator Ocean's bulletin of 22 November 2025 also flagged a developing moderate-to-strong marine heatwave in the centre of the basin near 40 degrees south.","location":{"name":"South Atlantic basin","type":"Open-ocean basin","countries":["ABNJ"],"detail":"South Atlantic open ocean, with a marine heatwave around 40 degrees south in November 2025.","extent":"basin","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Record ocean heat content and marine heatwaves in a basin.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean heat uptake"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"No mortality is documented for the South Atlantic in the cited reports; the study notes marine heatwaves lengthen with continued heating (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or coastal disruption is attributed to the warming in the cited sources.","scale":"The study lists the tropical and South Atlantic among the fastest-warming regions, a basin-scale signal (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Ocean heat content set a record for the ninth consecutive year (ref 2), a chronic trend.","significance":"A peer-reviewed analysis and a forecasting bulletin, with no formal notice (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"\"The most extreme warming occurred in the tropical and South Atlantic Oceans\" (ref 2); the ocean gained 23 zettajoules in 2025 (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Global ocean heat gain in 2025","value":23,"unit":"zettajoules","status":"Reported","note":"Global figure, not South Atlantic only (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Share of ocean surface with record-high heat content in 2025","value":16,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Global figure (refs 1, 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ocean heat content set a record for the ninth consecutive year (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Mercator Ocean International (Copernicus Marine)","role":"Marine heatwave forecasting","contact":"https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["No basin-specific response is reported in the cited sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"World's oceans set new heat record in 2025: Study","publisher":"IANS","date":"2026-01-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ianslive.in/worlds-oceans-set-new-heat-record-in-2025-study--20260109152534","basis":"News (reporting an Advances in Atmospheric Sciences study)"},{"ref":2,"title":"New Study Reveals 2025 Sets New Ocean Heat Content Record Amid Accelerating Warming","publisher":"Chinese Academy of Sciences (lssf.cas.cn)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://lssf.cas.cn/en/news/rh/202601/t20260120_5096712.html","basis":"Research institution news release"},{"ref":3,"title":"Marine heatwave Bulletin (forecasts for 22 November 2025)","publisher":"Mercator Ocean International","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/?p=21688","basis":"Forecast bulletin"}],"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No South Atlantic-specific temperature anomaly figure is given in the opened sources; the paper itself was not opened."],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"related_ids":["OC-SATL-FALK-SQUID-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-GOUGH-MICE-2021","title":"Gough Island mouse eradication failed in 2021, leaving seabird chicks and albatrosses under predation","description":"The 2021 helicopter bait drop on Gough Island did not remove every house mouse: a mouse was caught on camera in December 2021 and four more were caught later, and the programme stated it had not met its primary objective. Mice have been estimated to kill about two million seabird chicks a year, and only 21 MacGillivray's prion chicks fledged from about 370 monitored nests between 2014 and 2021.","location":{"name":"Gough Island","type":"Seabird breeding island","countries":["SH","GB"],"detail":"Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha group, South Atlantic; a World Heritage seabird colony.","coordinates":{"lat":-40.32,"lon":-9.94,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"extent":"site","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Invasive mouse predation of globally threatened breeding seabirds.","secondary_drivers":["Invasive species"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Mice are estimated to kill about two million seabird eggs and chicks a year and only 21 prion chicks fledged from about 370 monitored nests since 2014 (refs 3, 4).","livelihoods":"No disruption to livelihoods is reported in the cited sources.","scale":"One uninhabited island.","duration":"Mice have preyed on the colony since their 19th-century introduction, and live mice were confirmed in 2022 after the failed eradication (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The conservation programme publicly reported the eradication had not met its main goal, an operator statement and not a regulatory action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The programme \"has not been successful in its primary objective to eradicate every single mouse from Gough\" (ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Seabird chicks killed by mice per year (estimate)","value":2,"unit":"million","status":"Estimated","note":"Pre-eradication research estimate cited by the Gough programme (ref 2)."},{"name":"MacGillivray's prion chicks fledged, 2014 to 2021","value":21,"unit":"chicks from about 370 nests","status":"Reported","note":"RSPB monitoring cited by Island Conservation, 5 Apr 2021 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No post-2022 monitoring result could be opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Gough Island Restoration Programme (RSPB with Tristan da Cunha Government)","role":"Eradication programme lead","contact":"https://www.goughisland.com/"}],"public_contact":"Gough Island Restoration Programme website.","corrective_actions":["Targeted monitoring and response to locate surviving mice was reported as under way in January 2022 (ref 2).","A further eradication attempt \"may happen at some point in the future\" with no date set (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"More mice have been recorded on Gough Island since last year's eradication attempt","publisher":"ACAP","date":"2022-01-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://acap.aq/latest-news/more-mice-have-been-recorded-on-gough-island-since-last-year-s-eradication-attempt","basis":"Agreement secretariat news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Update on Gough Island restoration","publisher":"Gough Island Restoration Programme","date":"2022-01-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.goughisland.com/","basis":"Programme update"},{"ref":3,"title":"Island Conservation news post on Gough Island mice and prions, 5 April 2021","publisher":"Island Conservation","date":"2021-04-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.islandconservation.org/?p=5903","basis":"NGO news"},{"ref":4,"title":"Gough Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_Island","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["All opened sources predate the research window start (13 Oct 2023); a 2024 to 2026 status could not be opened (the UNESCO state of conservation report returned 403), so the record is kept on the assumption that the issue is still unresolved."],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"related_ids":["OC-SATL-TRINDADE-PLASTIC-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-FALK-ARGOSGEORGIA-2024","title":"Longliner Argos Georgia founders east of the Falklands with 13 dead after a hatch failure","description":"The St Helena-registered longliner Argos Georgia foundered on 22 to 23 July 2024 about 190 nautical miles east of Port Stanley, killing 13 of 27 aboard. The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch's September 2026 report found an unexpectedly opened shell door, a drive design weakness and an unstructured emergency response, and recommended automatic door locking and better search and rescue communications.","location":{"name":"East of Port Stanley, Falkland Islands","type":"Fishing vessel loss site","countries":["FK","SH","GB"],"detail":"About 190 nautical miles east of Port Stanley on passage to South Georgia grounds; Falklands search and rescue area.","extent":"local","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A fishing-vessel safety failure with regulatory recommendations.","secondary_drivers":["Vessel design failure","Search and rescue"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"13 of the 27 people on board died (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"MAIB issued safety bulletin SB4/2024 in October 2024 telling operators of vessels with side shell doors to assess door-failure risk (ref 1).","scale":"A single vessel loss at one site (refs 1, 2).","duration":"A single event on 22 to 23 July 2024, with the investigation finishing in September 2026 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"MAIB Accident Investigation Report 19/2026 with formal recommendations to the MCA, the operator and the Falklands government (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":13,"status":"Reported","note":"13 died of 27 on board; 14 were recovered (ref 1)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"13 of the 27 people on board died when the vessel foundered (refs 1, 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Fatalities","value":13,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"27 on board, 14 recovered (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Operator Argos Froyanes Limited was found to lack effective shoreside safety management (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single event with a completed investigation."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch","role":"Accident investigator for the St Helena Government","contact":null},{"name":"Falkland Islands Government Directorate of Emergency Services and Islands Security","role":"Search and rescue","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["MAIB safety bulletin SB4/2024 in October 2024 (ref 1).","MAIB recommendations to amend Merchant Shipping Notice 1873 (F), implement a safety management system and improve Falklands search and rescue communications (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"A year from Argos Georgia tragedy, MAIB releases interim report","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-07-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/07/19/a-year-from-argos-georgia-tragedy-maib-releases-interim-report-which-cost-13-lives","basis":"News (reporting an MAIB interim report)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Foundering of Argos Georgia with the loss of 13 lives, MAIB report points to hatch failure","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/09/30/foundering-of-argos-georgia-with-the-loss-of-13-lives-maib-report-points-to-hatch-failure","basis":"News (reporting MAIB report 19/2026)"}],"conflicts":[{"note":"The sinking date is given as 22 July 2024 at about 18:00 (ref 1) and 23 July 2024 (ref 2), likely a time-zone difference."}],"missing_fields":["The MAIB report was not opened; no coordinates are given in the opened pages."],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-SATL-FALK-STANLEYPORT-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-FALK-SALMONFARM-2026","title":"Falklands weighs large-scale salmon farming in its waters amid public pushback","description":"The Falkland Islands Government began scoping large-scale commercial salmon farming in November 2024, with 55 responses, and published consultation documents on 29 June 2026, with an online survey open until 30 October 2026. Campaign group Salmon Free Falklands cites pollution, sea lice, escapes and chemical use from the Faroe Islands and questions farming a non-native species.","location":{"name":"Falkland Islands waters","type":"Proposed aquaculture area","countries":["FK","GB"],"detail":"Falkland Islands (Malvinas) waters; no site is specified in the cited sources.","extent":"national_waters","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"aquaculture","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A policy decision on whether to allow industrial finfish farming.","secondary_drivers":["Non-native species","Farm effluent"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Salmon Free Falklands cites Faroese fjords too polluted by farm effluent for further farming, and lice, escapes, plastic debris and chemicals (ref 3); no Falklands farm exists.","livelihoods":"No disruption is reported; the consultation concerns future licensing (refs 1, 4).","scale":"The proposal concerns Falklands waters generally with no site named (ref 4).","duration":"Scoping began in November 2024 and the survey runs to 30 October 2026 (refs 1, 4).","significance":"A formal government scoping exercise and statutory-style public consultation, with a decision for the Legislative Assembly (refs 2, 4)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Public survey on salmon farming open from 6 August to 30 October 2026, a 12-week period (ref 4)."},"measures":[{"name":"Responses to the 2024 scoping exercise","value":55,"unit":"responses","status":"Reported","note":"Digital and paper, scoping ran 4 Nov to 1 Dec 2024 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Salmon Free Falklands says most profits would go to foreign shareholders (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Policy process still open."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Falkland Islands Government","role":"Aquaculture policy and consultation","contact":"https://falklands.gov.fk/policy/consultations"}],"public_contact":"Falkland Islands Government online response form at falklands.gov.fk/policy/consultations, as published by MercoPress (25 Nov 2024).","corrective_actions":["Socio-economic, environmental and legislative reports published for consultation on 29 June 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Falklands, public consultation on potential development of large-scale fish-farming","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2024-11-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2024/11/25/falklands-public-consultation-on-potential-development-of-large-scale-fish-farming","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Falklands, summary findings from salmon-farming scoping exercise","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/02/05/falklands-summary-findings-from-salmon-farming-scoping-exercise","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Salmon Free Falklands fact-finding trip to the Faroe Islands","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-10-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/10/21/salmon-free-falklands-fact-finding-trip-to-the-faroe-islands","basis":"News (campaign group account)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Falklands, dates confirmed for salmon-farming public consultation","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-06-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/06/25/falklands-dates-confirmed-for-salmon-farming-public-consultation","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The consultation documents and environmental report were not opened; no site, species or tonnage is specified in the cited sources."],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-SATL-FALK-SQUID-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-FALK-STANLEYPORT-2025","title":"Stanley port replacement for the ageing FIPASS floating dock, with disposal of the old barges undecided","description":"The Falkland Islands Government signed contracts worth 109 million pounds in October 2025 to replace the FIPASS floating port at Stanley, which the article says cannot be reliably maintained beyond 2028. The article notes that removal of FIPASS and possible scuttling of the current barges are still to be settled, and it does not describe environmental assessment.","location":{"name":"Stanley Harbour","type":"Port","countries":["FK","GB"],"detail":"Stanley Harbour, Falkland Islands, site of the FIPASS floating port.","coordinates":{"lat":-51.695,"lon":-57.85056,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"extent":"local","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Port infrastructure replacement affecting fishing, cruise and supply links.","secondary_drivers":["Port dredging and construction","Decommissioning"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The article notes possible scuttling of the current barges and removal of FIPASS, with no environmental assessment described (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction yet; FIPASS cannot be reliably maintained beyond 2028 (ref 1).","scale":"One harbour (ref 1).","duration":"Construction of barges, causeway and road is on track to finish in 2028, a multi-year project (ref 1).","significance":"Signed government contracts only; no regulatory notice (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Signed contracts total 109 million pounds to replace FIPASS, which cannot be reliably maintained beyond 2028 (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Value of signed port contracts","value":109,"unit":"million GBP","status":"Reported","note":"Not the full project cost (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The port supports fish and squid transhipment, catch verification and cruise berthing (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Falkland Islands Government","role":"Port owner and project sponsor","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Replacement port with four 90 m barges and 400 m berthing face contracted to Damen and RSK (Falklands) (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Falklands Government signs contracts for construction of new Port Facility","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-10-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/10/27/falklands-government-signs-contracts-for-construction-of-new-port-facility","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Stanley, Falkland Islands","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley,_Falkland_Islands","basis":"Reference (coordinates only)"}],"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No environmental assessment for the port or for the barges' disposal was opened."],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-SATL-FALK-ARGOSGEORGIA-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SATL-SWATL-ILLEXGOV-2026","title":"No regional management body covers Illex squid, as Argentina joins the port-state treaty and objects to a workshop","description":"Illex argentinus is fished across waters shared by several nations with no fully operational regional framework coordinating stock assessment, and no catch limits apply on the high seas. Argentina enacted accession to the FAO Port State Measures Agreement on 17 July 2026, and Argentine unions complained in October 2026 that Argentina was not invited to a Vigo scientific workshop attended by the Falklands, Brazil, Uruguay, China and South Korea.","location":{"name":"South-west Atlantic Illex fishery","type":"Shared fishery governance area","countries":["AR","FK","UY","BR","ABNJ"],"detail":"Patagonian shelf, Falklands zone and the adjacent high seas.","extent":"regional_sea","sea":"SATL","seas":["SATL"],"basin":"ATL","points":[]},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A governance gap for a shared and high-seas squid stock.","secondary_drivers":["Management gap","Sovereignty dispute"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"EJF warns Illex could collapse \"in just a year\" under fishing and poor conditions, but no assessment shows collapse (refs 2, 4).","livelihoods":"No restriction results; Argentine unions raised a complaint with the International Transport Workers Federation (ref 1).","scale":"The stock spans Argentine, Falklands and high-seas waters of the south-west Atlantic (refs 1, 3).","duration":"The SAERI project describes the lack of a coordinated mechanism as a standing challenge and the fleet has operated for years (ref 3).","significance":"Argentina enacted PSMA accession on 17 July 2026, a formal treaty step (ref 5)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"No fully operational regional governance framework currently coordinates Illex stock assessment and management (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Illex catch by Asian fleets on the high seas","value":null,"unit":"tonnes per year","status":"Not reported","note":"MercoPress cites 1.5 to 3 million tonnes for the south-west Atlantic (ref 4); not a single reported value."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Spanish shipowners warn that hundreds of vessels fish without quotas (MercoPress, 2 Jul 2026, see OC-SATL-ABNJ-MILE201-2025)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":""},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Argentine Government","role":"PSMA party since July 2026","contact":null},{"name":"Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department","role":"Falklands fishery manager","contact":"https://www.falklands.gov.fk/fisheries/"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Argentina accession to the FAO Port State Measures Agreement, enacted 17 July 2026 (ref 5).","Fourth international scientific workshop on Illex in Vigo to build a shared regional database (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Scientific workshop on Illex Squid in Vigo with the participation of Falkland Islands","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-10-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/10/03/scientific-workshop-on-illex-squid-in-vigo-with-the-participation-of-falkland-islands","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Unregulated overfishing in South Atlantic waters has predatory effects","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-09-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/09/18/unregulated-overfishing-in-south-atlantic-waters-has-predatory-effects","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Fishery dynamics and variability of Illex argentinus recruitment in the Southwest Atlantic","publisher":"South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.south-atlantic-research.org/fishery-dynamics-and-variability-of-illex-argentinus-recruitment-in-the-southwest-atlantic/","basis":"Research institute project page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Report warns foreign fleets off Argentina catch up to four times the national industry's haul","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/06/07/report-warns-foreign-fleets-off-argentina-catch-up-to-four-times-the-national-industry-s-haul","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Argentina joins FAO treaty against illegal fishing, tightening control in the South Atlantic","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2026-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2026/07/21/argentina-joins-fao-treaty-against-illegal-fishing-tightening-control-in-the-south-atlantic","basis":"News"}],"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["No source opened proposes a specific regional fisheries management organisation; calls for one were searched for and not found in the opened pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SATL-ABNJ-MILE201-2025","OC-SATL-FALK-SOVEREIGNTY-2026","OC-SATL-FALK-SQUID-2025"],"revision":1,"change_type":"new","first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SATL in-depth pass)."}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-SEAICE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Antarctic sea ice stays far below average from 2022 to 2026, with record-low daily extents reported in October 2026","description":"NSIDC reports that the four lowest annual Antarctic sea-ice minimums on record all fell in 2022 to 2025, that the 2025 and provisional 2026 winter maximums were each the third lowest, and that daily extent has been at record lows since 2 October 2026. The February 2026 minimum was close to average, and a 2025 peer-reviewed study argues that a regime shift in Antarctic sea ice began in 2017, while NSIDC says the 2025 downward trend is not statistically significant.","location":{"name":"Circumpolar Antarctic sea-ice zone","type":"Circumpolar sea-ice zone","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","ABNJ"],"detail":"Whole Southern Ocean sea-ice zone around Antarctica; NSIDC notes the post-maximum 2026 losses were concentrated in the Ross and Amundsen seas and the Indian Ocean sector.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"polar-oceans-sea-ice","secondary_categories":["ocean-warming-heatwaves"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Sea-ice extent is a physical state of the polar ocean and atmosphere system.","secondary_drivers":["Subsurface ocean warming","Atmospheric circulation change"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The regime-shift study authors say the shift has consequences for climate models, marine ecosystems and coastal polar communities, a potential rather than a measured harm (ref 6).","livelihoods":"None of the NSIDC or Carbon Brief pages opened describes a closure, restriction or lost activity tied to the low ice (refs 1, 2, 5).","scale":"The extent figures are circumpolar totals for the whole Southern Ocean sea-ice zone (refs 2, 3, 5).","duration":"NSIDC lists the four lowest annual minimums as 2022 to 2025 (ref 3) and the 2026 maximum as the third lowest again (ref 5), so low ice has recurred for several years.","significance":"The evidence is NSIDC monitoring analyses, a news summary and a peer-reviewed paper; no formal notice or enforcement action applies (refs 1, 6)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"NSIDC reported record-low daily Antarctic sea-ice extents since 2 October 2026, after a September maximum that was the third lowest in the satellite record (NSIDC, 7 October 2026; Carbon Brief gives 17.59 million km2, provisional)."},"measures":[{"name":"2025 annual minimum extent","value":1.98,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"Reached 1 March 2025, tied second lowest with 2022 and 2024; the record low is 1.79 million km2 on 21 February 2023 (ref 3)."},{"name":"2026 annual minimum extent","value":2.58,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"Reached 26 February 2026, sixteenth lowest, about 730,000 km2 above the 2023 record low; NSIDC calls the figure preliminary (ref 4)."},{"name":"2025 winter maximum extent","value":17.81,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"Likely reached 17 September 2025, third lowest behind 2023 (17.07) and 2024 (17.26); preliminary (ref 2)."},{"name":"2026 winter maximum extent (provisional)","value":17.59,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"Provisional NSIDC value for 14 September 2026, third-smallest winter peak in 48 years (ref 5)."},{"name":"September 2026 average extent","value":17.32,"unit":"million km2","status":"Reported","note":"Monthly average stated in the NSIDC analysis of 7 October 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic impact is reported in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"The February 2026 minimum was near average, but the 2026 winter maximum was again among the lowest and daily extent reached record lows in October 2026 (refs 1, 4, 5)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)","role":"Publishes the monitoring analyses of Antarctic sea-ice extent","contact":"https://nsidc.org/sea-ice-today/analyses"}],"public_contact":"NSIDC publishes its Sea Ice Today analyses and contact channels on nsidc.org.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"\"Stranger Things\" in the 2026 Arctic (Sea Ice Today, includes Antarctic update)","publisher":"NSIDC","date":"2026-10-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nsidc.org/sea-ice-today/analyses/stranger-things-2026-arctic","basis":"Agency analysis"},{"ref":2,"title":"Antarctic sea ice maximum settles in third place","publisher":"NSIDC","date":"2025-09-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nsidc.org/sea-ice-today/analyses/antarctic-sea-ice-maximum-settles-third-place","basis":"Agency analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Antarctic sea ice minimum hits a near-record low, again","publisher":"NSIDC","date":"2025-03-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nsidc.org/sea-ice-today/analyses/antarctic-sea-ice-minimum-hits-near-record-low-again","basis":"Agency analysis"},{"ref":4,"title":"Antarctic sea ice extent arrives at near-average minimum (news release)","publisher":"NSIDC","date":"2026-03-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nsidc.org/news-analyses/news-stories/antarctic-sea-ice-extent-arrives-near-average-minimum","basis":"Agency news release"},{"ref":5,"title":"'Concerning' low sea ice persists as Antarctic hits third-lowest winter peak","publisher":"Carbon Brief","date":"2026-09-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.carbonbrief.org/concerning-low-sea-ice-persists-as-antarctic-hits-third-lowest-winter-peak","basis":"News (specialist outlet quoting NSIDC data and scientists)"},{"ref":6,"title":"Regime Shift in Antarctic Sea Ice Levels","publisher":"International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI)","date":"2025-03-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iccinet.org/regime-shift-in-antarctic-sea-ice-levels/","basis":"News summary of a peer-reviewed study (Communications Earth and Environment, 21 February 2025)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"},"conflicts":[{"field":"current extent against the 2023 record","note":"The NSIDC analysis of 7 October 2026 reports record-low daily extents since 2 October 2026, while another passage says extent as of 6 October was close to the 2023 record low for that date (ref 1)."},{"field":"regime shift","note":"The 2025 study argues extreme low ice may be the new norm (ref 6); NSIDC says the long-term trend is not statistically significant and 2017 onward is too short to establish a trend (ref 3)."}],"missing_fields":["The NSIDC analyses opened give no cause for the 2026 decline (ref 1).","The 2026 winter maximum is provisional (ref 5).","Category note: polar-oceans-sea-ice is outside the assigned category list; the finding is filed here because the hints named the record-low sea ice."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-EMPERORPENGUIN-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-ABYSSAL-BOTTOMWATER-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-ACC-SUBSURFACEWARMING-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ACC-SUBSURFACEWARMING-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Subantarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water south of New Zealand warm by up to 0.22 C per decade","description":"A 2026 Geophysical Research Letters study of 30 years of ship-based temperature profiles between New Zealand and Antarctica found significant subsurface warming on the northern flank of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, driven largely by the last decade. A 2025 Nature Communications study separately attributes recent Southern Ocean subsurface warming and Antarctic sea-ice decline to Pacific sea-surface temperature trends.","location":{"name":"Southern Ocean gateway, New Zealand to Antarctica","type":"Open-ocean current system (Antarctic Circumpolar Current)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","NZ","ABNJ"],"detail":"PX36 ship-of-opportunity line across the New Zealand to Antarctica chokepoint of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (Ferola et al.), with circumpolar context from Wu et al.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Documented subsurface temperature change in the Southern Ocean water column.","secondary_drivers":["Pacific sea-surface temperature variability","Reduced sea ice","Storm-driven mixing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Ferola et al. say the warming water masses spread heat into the deeper ocean and toward lower latitudes with global consequences, a potential rather than measured harm (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery, port or community disruption is reported in the three studies opened (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"Wu et al. describe Southern Ocean subsurface warming and sea-ice decline across the circumpolar ocean, beyond the single PX36 section (ref 2).","duration":"The temperature record runs 1994 to 2025, and Wu et al. analyse June 2013 to May 2023 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are peer-reviewed studies and a university news article; there is no formal notice or enforcement action (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Subantarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water warm by about 0.22 and 0.16 C per decade respectively, driven largely by strong warming in the last decade (Ferola et al. 2026, 1994 to 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Subantarctic Mode Water warming rate","value":0.22,"unit":"C per decade","status":"Reported","note":"XBT section PX36, 1994 to 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Antarctic Intermediate Water warming rate","value":0.16,"unit":"C per decade","status":"Reported","note":"XBT section PX36, 1994 to 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of human-generated excess heat absorbed by the Southern Ocean","value":75,"unit":"% (lower bound, \"over 75%\")","status":"Reported","note":"Background figure quoted in the University of Gothenburg storm-mixing article (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic impact is reported in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Ferola et al. report an acceleration of warming in recent years that exceeds the long-term trend (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Scientific teams (University of Napoli Parthenope and partners)","role":"Authors of the PX36 monitoring study","contact":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL121465"}],"public_contact":"Corresponding authors listed in the open-access paper (ref 1).","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Emergence of Subsurface Warming in the Southern Ocean Gateway Between New Zealand and Antarctica","publisher":"Geophysical Research Letters (Ferola et al.)","date":"2026-06-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://iris.univpm.it/retrieve/4dd228f5-77c5-46a2-ba70-953433f84c96/Ferola_Emergence-Subsurface-Warming-Southern_2026.pdf","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (date is the Accepted date shown in the PDF)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Pacific sub-decadal sea surface temperature variations contributed to recent Antarctic Sea ice decline trend","publisher":"Nature Communications (Wu et al.)","date":"2025-04-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.cgd.ucar.edu/opensky-publications/articles:43396/pacific-sub-decadal-sea-surface-temperature-variations-contributed-to-recent-antarctic-sea-ice-decline-trend","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (repository record)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Storms in the Southern Ocean absorb more atmospheric heat than climate models predict","publisher":"Phys.org (University of Gothenburg study, Nature Geoscience)","date":"2025-12-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://phys.org/news/2025-12-storms-southern-ocean-absorb-atmospheric.html","basis":"News (university research summary)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Response of phytoplankton communities to the onset of the 2020 summer marine heatwave in the Drake Passage and Antarctic Peninsula","publisher":"Biogeosciences (Rigual-Hernandez et al.)","date":"2025-11-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/7205/2025/bg-22-7205-2025.html","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (about the 2020 event; context only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The PDF source (ref 1) shows an Accepted date of 2 June 2026 and no printed publication date.","Ref 4 documents a 2020 marine heatwave (sea-surface temperature anomalies up to +3 C in the Drake Passage and northern Antarctic Peninsula), outside the research window; it is cited for context only.","No coordinates are given: the finding is a ship-section trend across the ocean, not a single place."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-SEAICE-2026"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-AMUNDSEN-THWAITES-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Thwaites Glacier retreat accelerates and its last ice shelf is expected to break up, raising West Antarctic sea-level risk","description":"The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration reports that Thwaites retreat has accelerated over 40 years and will continue faster through the 21st and 22nd centuries, with the Amundsen Sea region already about 8% of the global sea-level rise rate. The Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf is likely to break up within a decade, and a November 2025 study documents its fracturing and loss of its pinning point.","location":{"name":"Thwaites Glacier, Amundsen Sea sector","type":"Marine-terminating glacier and ice shelf","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ"],"detail":"West Antarctica, Walgreen Coast of Marie Byrd Land, flowing into Pine Island Bay in the Amundsen Sea.","coordinates":{"lat":-75.5,"lon":-106.75,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Ice loss from a marine-based glacier driven by warm deep ocean water raises global sea level.","secondary_drivers":["Warm Circumpolar Deep Water at the ice base","Ice-shelf fracturing"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"ITGC says full collapse of this West Antarctic sector would raise sea level by more than 3 metres, with Thwaites alone 65 cm, a potential harm to coastal communities (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction or displacement is reported; the ITGC summary only names coastal communities as at risk (ref 1).","scale":"ITGC states the Amundsen Sea region now accounts for 8% of the global sea-level rise rate of 4.5 mm a year, a global effect (ref 1).","duration":"ITGC says the modern retreat began in the 1940s and ice flow more than doubled from the 1990s to the 2010s (ref 1).","significance":"The evidence is a science-programme summary, a UK Parliament evidence submission and peer-reviewed work, with no formal listing or enforcement (refs 1, 2, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Amundsen Sea region now accounts for 8% of the current rate of global sea-level rise of 4.5 mm a year (International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, September 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Amundsen Sea share of global sea-level rise rate","value":8,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Of a global rate of 4.5 mm a year (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-level potential of Thwaites Glacier alone","value":65,"unit":"cm","status":"Reported","note":"If it collapsed entirely (ref 1)."},{"name":"Sea-level potential of the wider collapsing West Antarctic sector","value":3,"unit":"m (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"If this part of the ice sheet collapses entirely (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of the 120 km glacier front covered by the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf","value":50,"unit":"% (about)","status":"Reported","note":"The shelf is likely to break up and drift away in the coming decade (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["ITGC names coastal communities from Bangladesh and the Pacific islands to Miami and London as at risk from the glacier's contribution to sea-level rise (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"ITGC says retreat has accelerated over 40 years and the rate of loss will accelerate (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (US NSF and UK NERC)","role":"Joint research programme studying the glacier","contact":"https://thwaitesglacier.org/findings"}],"public_contact":"Contact channels on thwaitesglacier.org.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier and sea-level rise: Results from the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) (September 2025)","publisher":"International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thwaitesglacier.org/findings","basis":"Programme findings summary (PDF dated September 2025 on its first page; no day shown)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier and sea-level rise: Results from the ITGC [Environmental Audit Committee call for evidence]","publisher":"UK Parliament submission held by the NERC Open Research Archive (Larter, Scambos, Davis, Karplus)","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538943","basis":"Report (archive record made live 21 February 2025; no publication date on the page)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Cracks in Antarctic \"Doomsday Glacier\" ice shelf trigger accelerated destabilization","publisher":"Phys.org (University of Manitoba release on Banerjee et al., JGR Earth Surface)","date":"2025-11-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://phys.org/news/2025-11-antarctic-doomsday-glacier-ice-shelf.html","basis":"News (university research summary)"},{"ref":4,"title":"The \"Doomsday Glacier\" flunks 2025 checkup","publisher":"Pressenza (opinion piece summarising 2025 studies)","date":"2025-12-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.pressenza.com/2025/12/the-doomsday-glacier-flunks-2025-checkup/","basis":"Opinion piece (secondary summary of 2025 reports)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Thwaites Glacier","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thwaites_Glacier","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"field":"collapse timeline","note":"ITGC says full collapse is unlikely in the next few decades but a general collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet over the 21st and 22nd centuries cannot be ruled out (ref 1); the UK Parliament submission says a general collapse could follow in the 23rd century (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Refs 1 and 2 show no full publication date, so their dates are null.","The Pressenza piece (ref 4) is opinion and relays secondary reports; it is used only for the 2025 context, not for any figure in the measures."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-WILKESLAND-CONGER-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-WILKESLAND-CONGER-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Conger-Glenzer Ice Shelf in East Antarctica disintegrated in March 2022 after 25 years of retreat","description":"A December 2024 Nature Geoscience study traced the multi-decade decline of the Conger-Glenzer Ice Shelf in four stages, ending with the remaining area of roughly 1,200 km2 disintegrating over a few days in mid-March 2022. The authors say such collapses have substantial implications for the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet and future sea level.","location":{"name":"Conger-Glenzer Ice Shelf, Wilkes Land","type":"Former floating ice shelf","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ"],"detail":"East Antarctica, Wilkes Land coast, separated from the Shackleton Ice Shelf in 1997 to 2000; coordinates are those of adjacent Bowman Island, from which it detached in 2022.","coordinates":{"lat":-65.28,"lon":103.11,"precision":"site","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Loss of an ice shelf affects the stability of the East Antarctic ice sheet that drives sea level.","secondary_drivers":["Ice-shelf calving and retreat","Loss of a central pinning point"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The authors say ice-shelf collapses have substantial implications for ice-sheet stability and future sea level, but no direct downstream harm is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The study and Scientific American coverage report no disruption to people or activities (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The collapse involved one ice shelf of roughly 1,200 km2 in its final stage (ref 1).","duration":"The study tracks the shelf over four stages spanning 25 years, from 1997 to 2000 until March 2022 (ref 1).","significance":"The evidence is a peer-reviewed paper and press coverage; no formal listing or treaty action applies (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The remaining roughly 1,200 km2 of the shelf disintegrated over a few days in mid-March 2022 (Walker et al., Nature Geoscience, December 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area of the final collapse","value":1200,"unit":"km2 (roughly)","status":"Reported","note":"Disintegrated over a few days in mid-March 2022 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Period of decline analysed","value":25,"unit":"years","status":"Reported","note":"Four stages from 1997 to 2000 until 2022 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"A single collapse event is documented; the cited sources report no later change (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Research team of Walker et al. (Nature Geoscience)","role":"Authors documenting the collapse","contact":"https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/multi-decadal-collapse-of-east-antarcticas-congerglenzer-ice-shel/"}],"public_contact":"University of Edinburgh research portal contact channels (ref 1).","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Multi-decadal collapse of East Antarctica's Conger-Glenzer Ice Shelf","publisher":"Nature Geoscience (Walker et al.), via University of Edinburgh research portal","date":"2024-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/multi-decadal-collapse-of-east-antarcticas-congerglenzer-ice-shel/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (repository record)"},{"ref":2,"title":"What to Know about Antarctica's Conger Ice Shelf Collapse","publisher":"Scientific American","date":"2022-03-29","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-to-know-about-antarcticas-conger-ice-shelf-collapse","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Bowman Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowman_Island","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The event is from March 2022, before the research window; it is included because the study documenting it appeared in December 2024.","The Edinburgh page does not state how the collapse affects glacier flow behind the shelf.","The Conger-Glenzer shelf has no coordinates of its own in the pages opened; the point is adjacent Bowman Island."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-AMUNDSEN-THWAITES-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ABYSSAL-BOTTOMWATER-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Antarctic Bottom Water circulation has slowed by about 30 percent since the 1990s, reducing oxygen supply to the deep ocean","description":"CSIRO-led observations in the Australian Antarctic Basin show the deep overturning circulation around Antarctica has slowed by about 30 per cent since the 1990s as meltwater freshens the surface shelf waters, reducing the oxygen delivered to the deep ocean. A December 2025 modelling study at Cape Darnley shows how meltwater and sea-ice production compete to control dense-water formation.","location":{"name":"Antarctic Bottom Water formation regions","type":"Deep-water formation zone and abyssal basins","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","ABNJ"],"detail":"Australian Antarctic Basin near its gateway to the Ross Sea (Gunn et al.) and Cape Darnley, East Antarctica (Gwyther et al.); bottom water spreads into the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A weakening deep overturning circulation lowers oxygen supply to the abyssal ocean.","secondary_drivers":["Antarctic meltwater freshening shelf waters","Reduced dense-water formation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"CSIRO says oxygen levels declined as the circulation slowed, and Polar Journal reports potential habitat loss for deep-sea organisms, with no mortality documented (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is documented; Polar Journal only says fish populations important for food security may be affected (ref 2).","scale":"CSIRO says newly formed bottom water fills up to 40% of the world's ocean volume and Polar Journal reports contraction observed in all three major oceans (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The slowdown is measured over the period since the 1990s and the Cape Darnley study covers ongoing formation processes (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Evidence is peer-reviewed studies reported by CSIRO and the press; no formal notice or treaty process is cited (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"\"Our observations show the deep ocean circulation around Antarctica has slowed overall by about 30 per cent since the 1990s.\" (Dr Kathy Gunn, CSIRO, 26 May 2023)"},"measures":[{"name":"Slowdown of deep circulation around Antarctica","value":30,"unit":"% since the 1990s (about)","status":"Reported","note":"CSIRO summary of Gunn et al. (ref 1)."},{"name":"Projected slowdown by 2050 under the IPCC high-emissions scenario","value":40,"unit":"% (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"Recent modelling cited by CSIRO and Polar Journal (refs 1, 2)."},{"name":"Dense-water export change if Amery Ice Shelf melt doubles","value":-7,"unit":"% (about)","status":"Estimated","note":"Regional ocean simulation at Cape Darnley (ref 3)."},{"name":"Dense-water export change if Mackenzie Polynya sea-ice production stops","value":-36,"unit":"% (about)","status":"Estimated","note":"Regional ocean simulation at Cape Darnley (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["No economic impact is reported in the cited sources."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"CSIRO says the projected slowdown is already well underway; Polar Journal notes salinity rose slightly between 2009 and 2018, a partial recovery (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"CSIRO and the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership","role":"Research teams measuring the circulation","contact":"https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2023/may/antarctic-bottom-water"}],"public_contact":"CSIRO general enquiries as published on csiro.au.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Antarctic bottom water","publisher":"CSIRO","date":"2023-05-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2023/may/antarctic-bottom-water","basis":"Agency news article on a peer-reviewed study (Nature Climate Change)"},{"ref":2,"title":"The ocean lung is losing its air","publisher":"Polar Journal","date":"2023-06-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.polarjournal.net/en/2023/06/07/the-ocean-lung-is-losing-its-air/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"A delicate Antarctic balance with global climate implications (Cape Darnley bottom-water study, Geophysical Research Letters)","publisher":"Phys.org","date":"2025-12-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://phys.org/news/2025-12-delicate-antarctic-global-climate-implications.html","basis":"News (university research summary)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The CSIRO page gives no transport value in Sverdrups and no quantified oxygen decline.","The main slowdown study was published in May 2023, before the research window; it is included because the process is ongoing and the 2025 Cape Darnley study extends it.","No coordinates are given: the finding spans several formation regions and abyssal basins."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-SEAICE-2026","OC-SOUTHERN-WEDDELL-PTEROPODS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-WEDDELL-PTEROPODS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Weddell Sea pteropods show shell dissolution in water near the aragonite undersaturation threshold","description":"A 2025 Limnology and Oceanography study reports aragonite saturation of about 1.1 to 1.3 at Weddell Sea sampling sites, and shell dissolution in 78% of examined pteropods, which made up up to 69% of mesozooplankton biomass. The authors state undersaturation events are projected to increase rapidly in frequency and duration in the Weddell Sea by 2050.","location":{"name":"Weddell Sea","type":"Polar marginal sea","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","ABNJ"],"detail":"Antarctic Weddell Sea, bounded by the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula; the page opened does not give the sampling-station coordinates.","coordinates":{"lat":-75,"lon":-45,"precision":"sea","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Ocean carbonate chemistry approaching aragonite undersaturation is a physical-chemical change in the water.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean acidification (rising CO2 uptake)","Cold polar water with low carbonate saturation"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The study found 78% of examined shells showed dissolution, but only two specimens showed the most severe Type III dissolution and no mortality is reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The ICC summary and the 2012 study mention no fishery or community impact (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Findings are from the Weddell Sea and projections are for the whole Weddell Sea by 2050 (ref 1).","duration":"The summary reports one sampling dataset, with earlier live-pteropod dissolution found in Southern Ocean water sampled in early 2008 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are peer-reviewed studies; no formal notice or treaty action is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"78% of examined Weddell Sea pteropod shells showed dissolution, with water-column aragonite saturation close to or within about 1.1 to 1.3 (Lischka et al., Limnology and Oceanography, as summarised by OA-ICC, 6 May 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Pteropod shells showing dissolution","value":78,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Examined shells, Weddell Sea study (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pteropod share of mesozooplankton biomass (maximum)","value":69,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Up to 69% at the sampling sites (ref 1)."},{"name":"Aragonite saturation state at sampling sites","value":null,"unit":"Omega-aragonite","status":"Reported","note":"Close to or within about 1.1 to 1.3, the range linked to pteropod shell dissolution (ref 1); no single value is given."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The studies opened report a single survey and a 2008 observation, not a time series (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC)","role":"Reports the study; no regulator is named in the source","contact":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2025/05/06/pteropods-as-early-warning-indicators-of-ocean-acidification/"}],"public_contact":"OA-ICC news channel on news-oceanacidification-icc.org.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Pteropods as early-warning indicators of ocean acidification","publisher":"Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC), summarising Lischka et al., Limnology and Oceanography (in press)","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2025/05/06/pteropods-as-early-warning-indicators-of-ocean-acidification/","basis":"Agency news summary of a peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Extensive dissolution of live pteropods in the Southern Ocean (Bednarsek et al., Nature Geoscience 2012)","publisher":"University of East Anglia research repository","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/40212","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (2012; earlier background)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Weddell Sea","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weddell_Sea","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only a news summary of the 2025 paper was opened, not the paper itself; the sampling year and station positions are not stated on that page.","Krill effects are not covered in the pages opened.","Ref 2 shows only a year (2012), so its date is null."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ABYSSAL-BOTTOMWATER-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-MICROPLASTICS-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Microplastics found in Antarctic snow at up to 3,099 particles per litre and in krill and salps off South Georgia","description":"A February 2025 British Antarctic Survey study found 73 to 3,099 microplastic particles per litre of snow at Union Glacier, Schanz Glacier and the South Pole, about 100 times higher than earlier Antarctic snow studies that used less sensitive methods. A 2023 BAS study found microplastics in krill and salps collected off South Georgia and Coronation Island.","location":{"name":"Antarctic snow sites and South Georgia krill grounds","type":"Remote polar snowfields and Southern Ocean krill habitat","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","GS"],"detail":"Snow at Union Glacier and Schanz Glacier near the Ellsworth Mountains and at the South Pole station; krill and salps sampled off South Georgia and Coronation Island (South Orkney Islands). The point is the Union Glacier camp.","coordinates":{"lat":-79.768,"lon":-83.262,"precision":"site","source_ref":5},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic particles are contaminating snow that melts to the sea and the plankton at the base of the Southern Ocean food web.","secondary_drivers":["Synthetic textiles and equipment at field camps","Long-range transport by ocean and atmosphere"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Microplastics were found in krill and salp digestive tracts off South Georgia, but toxicity to the food web is not established and wider effects are not fully understood (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery or tourism restriction is reported in the pages opened (refs 1, 2, 3).","scale":"Samples span several Antarctic sites and Southern Ocean krill grounds, but not the whole sea (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Antarctic snow microplastics were reported in 2022 at Ross Island and again in 2025, and the BAS krill work dates from 2023 (refs 1, 2, 4).","significance":"The evidence is peer-reviewed studies and BAS reporting; no formal notice, rule or enforcement is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastic concentrations ranged from 73 to 3,099 particles per litre of snow, and about 95% of particles were under 50 micrometres (British Antarctic Survey, Science of the Total Environment, 6 February 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Microplastic concentration in snow","value":3099,"unit":"particles per litre (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 73 to 3,099 per litre at Union Glacier, Schanz Glacier and the South Pole (ref 1)."},{"name":"Particles smaller than 50 micrometres","value":95,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Detected with infrared spectroscopy down to 11 micrometres (ref 1)."},{"name":"Average particles per melted-snow sample, Ross Island (2022 study)","value":29,"unit":"particles per sample","status":"Reported","note":"University of Canterbury study of 19 samples reported by NBC News (ref 4)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The studies use different methods, so concentrations are not comparable over time; the 2025 study says earlier work may have undercounted small particles (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"British Antarctic Survey","role":"Research institute that conducted the studies","contact":"https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/microplastics-discovered-in-antarctica/"}],"public_contact":"BAS general channels as published on bas.ac.uk.","corrective_actions":[],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Microplastics discovered in Antarctica","publisher":"British Antarctic Survey","date":"2025-02-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/microplastics-discovered-in-antarctica/","basis":"Agency news item (date is the paper publication date given on the page)"},{"ref":2,"title":"The plastic legacy has reached profusely to the bottom of the planet","publisher":"MercoPress","date":"2025-06-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.mercopress.com/2025/06/11/the-plastic-legacy-has-reached-profusely-to-the-bottom-of-the-planet","basis":"News (citing a British Antarctic Survey report)"},{"ref":3,"title":"In Antarctica, scientists study extent of microplastics","publisher":"Buenos Aires Times","date":"2024-01-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://batimes.com.ar/news/world/in-antarctica-scientists-study-extent-of-microplastics.phtml","basis":"News (IAEA Gerlache Strait expedition; no results reported)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Microplastics found in fresh snow on Antarctica","publisher":"NBC News","date":"2022-06-09","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/microplastics-found-fresh-snow-antarctica-rcna32862","basis":"News (2022 study, earlier background)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Union Glacier Camp","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Glacier_Camp","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2023 BAS krill and salp study is known only through the MercoPress report (ref 2); the original paper was not opened.","The IAEA Gerlache Strait expedition of January 2024 had no results in the page opened (ref 3).","The BAS page shows the paper date; the date of the BAS post itself is not stated."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTPEN-KRILLCLOSURE-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-MACQUARIE-DEBRIS-2024"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-MACQUARIE-DEBRIS-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Fishing gear and plastic debris keep washing onto Macquarie Island's west coast beaches","description":"The Australian Antarctic Division reported in March 2024 that rangers cleaned large amounts of fishing gear, long-line ropes, buoys, drink bottles and soft plastics from the island's west coast beaches. A 2020 station update documented a 143 m rope weighing over 70 kg and a buoy traced to a fishing vessel operating from Reunion Island, so the problem is recurring.","location":{"name":"Macquarie Island west coast beaches","type":"Subantarctic island beaches","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AU"],"detail":"Macquarie Island, Australia: Bauer Bay, Davis Point, Caroline Cove and Waterfall Bay on the west coast.","coordinates":{"lat":-54.63,"lon":158.86,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Plastic and fishing-gear debris accumulates on the island's shoreline.","secondary_drivers":["Lost and discarded fishing gear","Prevailing westerly currents"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Debris includes long-line ropes, buoys, bottles and soft plastics on beaches; rangers avoid disturbing the breeding wandering albatross when removing it at Caroline Cove, but no wildlife harm is documented (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No restriction or closure is reported in either station update (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The reports cover beaches on one island, mainly the west coast (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Debris clean-ups are documented in both March 2020 and March 2024 station updates (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are agency station updates; no formal notice or enforcement is cited (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rangers cleaned \"large amounts\" of fishing gear, including long-line ropes and buoys, plus drink bottles and soft plastics from west coast beaches in winter 2024 (Australian Antarctic Division, 15 March 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rope recovered at Macquarie Island (2020)","value":143,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Rope weighing over 70 kg recovered by inflatable boat (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Both updates describe clean-ups but give no quantities that allow a trend (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Macquarie Island Parks ranger team","role":"Collect and remove beach debris","contact":"https://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/stations/macquarie-island/2024/15-march/"},{"name":"Australian Antarctic Division","role":"Runs the station and resupply that removes the debris","contact":"https://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/"}],"public_contact":"Australian Antarctic Division general channels on antarctica.gov.au.","corrective_actions":["Rangers collect debris, store it in marked caches and remove it by helicopter during the annual resupply (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Macquarie Island station update, 15 March 2024","publisher":"Australian Antarctic Division","date":"2024-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/stations/macquarie-island/2024/15-march/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"This week at Macquarie Island: marine debris clean up at Macca","publisher":"Australian Antarctic Division","date":"2020-03-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/stations/macquarie-island/2020/this-week-at-macquarie-island-13-march-2020/","basis":"Agency page (earlier documentation)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Macquarie Island","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macquarie_Island","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Neither station update gives total weights or item counts for the season.","Sea-level and erosion findings for Macquarie Island were searched but no source about the island was found."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-MICROPLASTICS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-NEUMAYER-DIESEL-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"German Neumayer Station III loses supply containers and a 9,000-litre diesel tank to the sea after an ice slab drifts away","description":"A news report of 27 May 2026 says containers, gas cylinders, batteries and a 9,000-litre winter diesel tank staged on an ice slab at the German-operated Neumayer Station III were lost when the slab drifted about 140 km after a January storm. The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting reportedly said the fuel was likely to have leaked, and new rules keep containers at least 5 km from the ice edge.","location":{"name":"Neumayer Station III, Ekstrom Ice Shelf","type":"Antarctic research station on an ice shelf","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ"],"detail":"Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica; the slab with the containers drifted about 140 km from its original position, per the report.","coordinates":{"lat":-70.674,"lon":-8.274,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A fuel tank and batteries lost to the sea are a hydrocarbon and chemical release risk to the Southern Ocean.","secondary_drivers":["Storm-driven ice-slab breakaway","Station logistics staging on ice"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"A 9,000-litre winter diesel tank is believed to have sunk and the ATCM reportedly said the fuel was likely to have leaked, with no wildlife or water-quality harm documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The report describes no closure or restriction affecting fisheries, shipping or tourism (ref 1).","scale":"One station and a single slab of ice, with containers now believed to be on the seabed (ref 1).","duration":"The slab drifted after a violent storm in January and the report of 27 May 2026 says recovery had stalled, a span of months (ref 1).","significance":"The report says the ATCM commented on the incident and new rules now keep containers at least 5 km from the ice edge, a formal treaty-level response (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A 9,000-litre tank of winter diesel is believed to have sunk with the containers lost at Neumayer Station III (WION, 27 May 2026)."},"measures":[{"name":"Winter diesel tank believed lost to the sea","value":9000,"unit":"litres","status":"Reported","note":"Believed to have sunk; amount actually leaked is not reported (ref 1)."},{"name":"Distance the ice slab drifted","value":140,"unit":"km (about)","status":"Reported","note":"Found by the icebreaker Polarstern (ref 1)."},{"name":"New minimum distance of containers from the ice edge","value":5,"unit":"km","status":"Reported","note":"New rules reported after the incident (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Containers of supplies, special gear, gas cylinders, batteries and one used as crew accommodation were lost; no cost figure is reported (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The incident is recent and no later update was found (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Alfred Wegener Institute (operator of Neumayer Station III)","role":"German station operator","contact":"https://www.awi.de/en/fleet-stations/stations/neumayer-station-iii.html"},{"name":"Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting","role":"Treaty forum that reportedly commented on the incident","contact":"https://www.ats.aq/e/atcm.html"}],"public_contact":"AWI press office as published on awi.de.","corrective_actions":["A helicopter-based recovery operation for the fuel and batteries was launched but stalled because the ice was unstable (ref 1).","New rules require containers to be kept at least 5 km from the ice edge and the ice to be closely monitored (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"9,000 litres of diesel sinks in Antarctica after ice sheet with 7 containers drifts and breaks apart","publisher":"WION","date":"2026-05-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wionews.com/trending/9-000-litres-of-diesel-sinks-in-antarctica-after-ice-sheet-with-7-containers-drifts-and-breaks-apart-1779857118353","basis":"News (single secondary source)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Neumayer Station III","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neumayer_Station_III","basis":"Reference page (coordinates only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":3,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Only one news report was opened; the AWI and Antarctic Treaty pages opened carried no text on the incident, so the ATCM statement is unconfirmed from a primary source.","The quantity of diesel actually released and any environmental monitoring result are not reported."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-ATCM47-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"CCAMLR-44 records that about 58% of the 2024/25 catch was taken from Subarea 48.1, more than double the previous season, and the Scientific Committee judged concentration there not precautionary; no mortality is documented (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The fishery was closed on 1 August 2025 by reaching the trigger level, so 12 vessels lost the last months of the season (refs 1, 3, 4).","scale":"The measure covers Area 48 only (Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean), one regional fishery in a single sea (ref 1).","duration":"CM 51-07 expired at the end of 2024 and the Commission again failed to agree a replacement in October 2025, so the issue has run through two seasons and into 2026 (refs 3, 4).","significance":"A catch-triggered closure under CM 51-01 was the first in the fishery's history and the Commission formally recorded no consensus on a revised measure (refs 1, 3)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[{"note":"The CCAMLR fishery report text states the closure date as 1 August 2026 for the 2025 season; the Aker statement and the Oceanographic article date it 1 August 2025, and the report's own season definition is 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025. The record treats 2026 in the report as a typographical error."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-CCAMLR-MPASTALEMATE-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-MICROPLASTICS-2025"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ANTPEN-KRILLCLOSURE-2025","title":"Antarctic krill fishery reaches its 620,000-tonne trigger level and closes four months early for the first time in 2025","description":"CCAMLR's Secretariat reports that the 2024/25 krill catch in Area 48 was the highest on record and reached the trigger level set in Conservation Measure 51-01, closing the fishery for the first time. About 58% of the catch came from Subarea 48.1 off the Antarctic Peninsula after the subarea allocation in CM 51-07 expired at the end of 2024. The Commission did not agree a replacement at its October 2025 meeting, and Aker QRILL reported its 2026 season closing in mid-August 2026 at the same trigger level.","location":{"name":"Bransfield Strait and Subareas 48.1-48.3","type":"Fishery management area (CCAMLR Subareas 48.1-48.3)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","GS"],"detail":"Krill fishery off the Antarctic Peninsula (Bransfield Strait), South Orkney Islands (48.2) and South Georgia (48.3), CAMLR Convention Area.","coordinates":{"lat":-62.5,"lon":-57,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[{"name":"Bransfield Strait (Subarea 48.1, main fishing ground)","lat":-62.5,"lon":-57,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1,"role":"Main krill fishing ground"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A krill fishery concentrated in predator foraging areas reached its catch trigger and closed, a harvest-pressure issue on a keystone prey stock.","secondary_drivers":["Lapse of CM 51-07 subarea allocation","Expanding krill fleets"],"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Krill catch in Subareas 48.1-48.3 reached 624,918 tonnes in the 2024/25 season (CCAMLR fishery report), above the 620,000-tonne trigger level by 4,917 tonnes (CCAMLR-44 report)."},"measures":[{"name":"Total krill catch, Area 48, 2025 season","value":624918,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"CCAMLR Fishery Report 2025, catch table for Subareas 48.1-48.3 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Catch in Subarea 48.1, 2025 season","value":359266,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 58% of the total; 164,641 t in 2024 (ref 1, ref 3)."},{"name":"Active vessels in Area 48, 2025","value":12,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"CCAMLR Fishery Report 2025 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Trigger level (CM 51-01)","value":620000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Total combined catch limit for Subareas 48.1-48.4 absent a subarea allocation (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The 2025 closure ended the season about four months early (ref 4).","Aker QRILL said its 2026 season was closing in mid-August 2026 at the same 620,000-tonne trigger level (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Catch rose from 498,350 t in 2024 to 624,918 t in 2025 and the share taken in Subarea 48.1 more than doubled (ref 1, ref 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation that sets krill catch limits","contact":"https://www.ccamlr.org/"}],"public_contact":"CCAMLR Secretariat, 181 Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; telephone +61 3 6210 1111 (as printed in the CCAMLR-44 report).","corrective_actions":["The CCAMLR-44 Commission asked the Secretariat to set up a Discussion Group led by Norway to continue work on a krill management measure between meetings (ref 3).","CCAMLR-45 is scheduled for 18-30 October 2026, where a replacement measure may be discussed (ref 5)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Fishery Report 2025: Euphausia superba in Area 48","publisher":"CCAMLR Secretariat","date":"2026-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://fishdocs.ccamlr.org/FishRep_48_KRI_2025.html","basis":"Agency report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Antarctic krill fishery set to close this week, as precautionary management measures take effect","publisher":"Aqua Asia Pacific (Aker QRILL statement)","date":"2026-08-13","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aquaasiapac.com/?p=25043","basis":"News (industry statement)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Report of the Forty-fourth Meeting of the Commission (Hobart, 20-31 October 2025), section 4","publisher":"CCAMLR","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetings.ccamlr.org/system/files/meeting-reports/e-cc-44-rep.pdf","basis":"Treaty body report"},{"ref":4,"title":"Antarctic conservation summit closes with stalemate on MPAs & krill fishing rules","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/antarctic-conservation-summit-closes-with-stalemate-on-mpas-krill-fishing-rules/","basis":"News"},{"ref":5,"title":"Fisheries notifications and 2026 meeting dates","publisher":"CCAMLR","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ccamlr.org/en/category/fisheries-notifications","basis":"Agency page"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Commission report notes Members' concern that the Antarctic Peninsula is among the fastest-warming regions and that the current krill management situation is neither sustainable nor precautionary; no habitat loss is documented (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure or restriction followed from the failed adoption, so no fishery or route is disrupted (ref 1).","scale":"Three proposals across East Antarctica, the Weddell Sea and Domain 1 span the Southern Ocean sectors of the Convention Area (ref 1).","duration":"The East Antarctic proposal has been refined for 12 years according to its co-proponents, and the Domain 1 proposal was first tabled in 2017 per Mongabay (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The 44th Commission meeting recorded no consensus on the three MPA measures and on a krill measure, which is a formal treaty-body outcome (ref 1)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[{"note":"Mongabay attributes the MPA blocking to Russia and China; the CCAMLR-44 report records both delegations questioning the science and monitoring plans, and Mongabay states neither responded to requests for comment on their reasons."}],"missing_fields":[],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTPEN-KRILLCLOSURE-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-SGEORGIA-TOOTHFISHDISPUTE-2025"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-CCAMLR-MPASTALEMATE-2025","title":"CCAMLR again fails to adopt East Antarctic, Weddell Sea and Antarctic Peninsula marine protected areas in 2025","description":"At its 44th meeting in Hobart (20-31 October 2025) the Commission did not reach consensus on three large marine protected area proposals, including the Domain 1 area off the Antarctic Peninsula, or on a replacement krill management measure. The Commission report records Russia and China questioning the scientific basis and monitoring plans of the proposals, while most Members said the proposals were ready for adoption. The Commission did adopt a transshipment rule and a Record of Carrier Vessels.","location":{"name":"CCAMLR Convention Area (Southern Ocean)","type":"Marine protected area proposals (CCAMLR Convention Area)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","ABNJ"],"detail":"Proposed MPAs in East Antarctica, the Weddell Sea and Domain 1 (western Antarctic Peninsula and southern Scotia Arc).","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Consensus rules in a treaty body have blocked area-based protection that has been proposed for over a decade.","secondary_drivers":["Consensus decision rule","Krill fishery expansion"],"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 44th CCAMLR meeting ended without adopting any of the three proposed large MPAs; four MPA proposals awaiting adoption would, with existing protection, cover 26% of the Southern Ocean (MarineLink, 5 November 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"MPA proposals before the Commission (East Antarctic, Weddell Sea Phases 1 and 2, Domain 1)","value":4,"unit":"proposals","status":"Reported","note":"CCAMLR-44 agenda items 5.2; MarineLink describes four proposals awaiting adoption (refs 1, 3)."},{"name":"Share of the Southern Ocean covered if existing and proposed MPAs were adopted","value":26,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"As stated by MarineLink (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Mongabay reports the debate was tied to krill fishing expansion proposals, including a Norwegian proposal to raise the catch limit to nearly 1.2 million tonnes (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"MPA proposals have been tabled and not adopted at successive meetings (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)","role":"Treaty body that adopts conservation measures and MPAs by consensus","contact":"https://www.ccamlr.org/"}],"public_contact":"CCAMLR Secretariat, 181 Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; telephone +61 3 6210 1111 (as printed in the CCAMLR-44 report).","corrective_actions":["Intersessional work was requested through a krill management Discussion Group (ref 1).","CCAMLR-45 is scheduled for 18-30 October 2026 (ref 4)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report of the Forty-fourth Meeting of the Commission (Hobart, 20-31 October 2025), sections 4 and 5","publisher":"CCAMLR","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetings.ccamlr.org/system/files/meeting-reports/e-cc-44-rep.pdf","basis":"Treaty body report"},{"ref":2,"title":"Antarctic conservation summit closes with stalemate on MPAs & krill fishing rules","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/antarctic-conservation-summit-closes-with-stalemate-on-mpas-krill-fishing-rules/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"CCAMLR talks end without consensus on krill","publisher":"MarineLink","date":"2025-11-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinelink.com/news/ccamlr-talks-end-without-consensus-krill-532069","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Fisheries notifications and 2026 meeting dates","publisher":"CCAMLR","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://ccamlr.org/en/category/fisheries-notifications","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":5,"title":"In regression, not progression: a response to MSC on Antarctic krill","publisher":"Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC)","date":"2025-11-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.asoc.org/ice-archive/in-regression-not-progression-a-response-to-msc-on-antarctic-krill/","basis":"NGO statement"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Scientific Committee advice cited by New Zealand found no scientific justification to block a 48.3 catch limit, so any harm is a management-uncertainty risk rather than a documented stock decline (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Argentina told the Commission that most fishers and importers had stopped, and Russia said no fishing is permitted, so trade in the catch is restricted for some parties (ref 1).","scale":"The dispute concerns one subarea and one stock around South Georgia (ref 1).","duration":"Ukraine, Argentina and the UK all describe the situation as running for several years, and Argentina called it irregular and long on the agenda (ref 1).","significance":"The Commission recorded no consensus on 48.3 catch limits and no consensus to list the UK-flagged Argos Helena and Nordic Prince as IUU, a formal Commission record but no enforcement (ref 1)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[{"note":"Argentina and Russia say fishing in 48.3 without a conservation measure is illegal; the UK rejects that, saying CM 31-01 does not create a prohibition if no measure is adopted and that its vessels fish under lawful domestic regulation."}],"missing_fields":["Catch volumes taken in Subarea 48.3 in 2025 are not stated in the sources opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-CCAMLR-MPASTALEMATE-2025"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-SGEORGIA-TOOTHFISHDISPUTE-2025","title":"No CCAMLR toothfish catch limit for South Georgia (Subarea 48.3) leaves a UK-licensed fishery disputed at the 2025 meeting","description":"At CCAMLR-44 the Commission again did not reach consensus on catch limits for Patagonian toothfish in Subarea 48.3 around South Georgia. Russia said that without a limit no fishing is permitted and that two UK-flagged vessels had violated CM 31-01, Argentina called the UK-licensed fishing illegal, and the UK rejected that and said the block was Russia's. The Commission left the CP-IUU Vessel List unchanged.","location":{"name":"Subarea 48.3, South Georgia","type":"Fishery management area (CCAMLR Subarea 48.3)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["GS","GB"],"detail":"Toothfish fishery in the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands maritime zone, Subarea 48.3.","coordinates":{"lat":-54.28,"lon":-36.51,"precision":"sea","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A disputed legal basis for fishing between members of a regional fisheries body, not an observed stock collapse.","secondary_drivers":["Consensus decision rule","Dispute over vessel compliance"],"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Commission did not reach consensus on the proposed catch limits for Subarea 48.3 (CCAMLR-44 report, paragraph 4.82)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Argentina said those who had been importing the catch were not importing it (ref 1).","Russia raised concern about the Marine Stewardship Council's sustainability assessment of the 48.3 fishery (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The Commission report describes a situation on the agenda for several years (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)","role":"Regional fisheries management organisation (catch limits and IUU lists)","contact":"https://www.ccamlr.org/"}],"public_contact":"CCAMLR Secretariat, 181 Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; telephone +61 3 6210 1111 (as printed in the CCAMLR-44 report).","corrective_actions":["No catch limit adopted; the UK, New Zealand, Norway and others called for re-adoption of CM 41-02 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Report of the Forty-fourth Meeting of the Commission (Hobart, 20-31 October 2025), paragraphs 4.79-4.82, 7.41-7.51, 7.59-7.66","publisher":"CCAMLR","date":"2025-10-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://meetings.ccamlr.org/system/files/meeting-reports/e-cc-44-rep.pdf","basis":"Treaty body report"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Scientists observed unusual elephant seal mortality at Heard Island and CSIRO's ACDP confirmed H5N1 in the samples (ref 1, ref 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery, port or route is affected; Heard Island has no permanent human population (ref 3).","scale":"Detections are confined to one island group, though the virus is also reported on Marion, Crozet and Kerguelen (ref 1).","duration":"Detection in November 2025 and spread to fur seals and gentoo penguins by the February 2026 voyage is a span of months so far (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Environment and Agriculture ministers announced the confirmation in a joint media release, a formal government notice (ref 1)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Number of animals affected is not reported in the cited sources.","No status after March 2026 was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SATL-FALK-H5N1-2024","OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-EMPERORPENGUIN-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-MARINEPARKEXPANSION-2024","OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-TOURISM-2026"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-H5N1-2025","title":"H5 avian influenza confirmed in elephant seals, fur seals and gentoo penguins on Heard Island","description":"Australian authorities announced in November 2025 that testing confirmed H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in southern elephant seals on Heard Island after unusual mortality was seen during a management voyage. A second expedition reported the virus in elephant seals, Antarctic fur seals and gentoo penguins by February 2026, with no signs of mass mortality observed. It was the first confirmed H5 bird flu in an Australian territory.","location":{"name":"Heard Island, Australian sub-Antarctic territory","type":"Sub-Antarctic island wildlife colonies (Heard Island)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["HM","AU"],"detail":"Heard Island and McDonald Islands, southern Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean, about 4,000 km from the Australian mainland.","coordinates":{"lat":-53.08,"lon":73.5,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"site"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A virus spreading through sub-Antarctic seal and seabird colonies.","secondary_drivers":["Highly pathogenic avian influenza spread by seabirds"],"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"BirdLife Australia says the number of affected gentoo penguins is unknown (ref 2)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"H5 bird flu was confirmed in samples from Southern Elephant Seals, Antarctic Fur Seals and Gentoo Penguins on Heard Island; scientists saw no signs of mass mortality in mammals or birds during the February 2026 visit (BirdLife Australia)."},"measures":[],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["The Agriculture minister said the detection does not substantially increase risks to Australia (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"From elephant seals only in November 2025 to fur seals and gentoo penguins by February 2026 (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Australian Antarctic Division","role":"Territory manager and biosecurity response","contact":"https://birdlife.org.au/news/update-on-heard-islands-h5-bird-flu-outbreak/"}],"public_contact":"Australian Government media releases, as relayed by ACAP and BirdLife Australia (no direct contact opened).","corrective_actions":["A second voyage to Heard Island aboard RSV Nuyina gathered more wildlife health information in early 2026 (refs 1, 2).","BirdLife Australia calls for long-term seabird monitoring at priority sites (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Bird flu confirmed in Southern Elephant Seals on Australia's sub-Antarctic Heard Island","publisher":"Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)","date":"2025-11-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://acap.aq/latest-news/bird-flu-confirmed-in-southern-elephant-seals-on-australias-sub-antarctic-heard-island","basis":"Treaty body news"},{"ref":2,"title":"Update on Heard Island's H5 bird flu outbreak","publisher":"BirdLife Australia","date":"2026-02-27","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://birdlife.org.au/news/update-on-heard-islands-h5-bird-flu-outbreak/","basis":"NGO report"},{"ref":3,"title":"Highly pathogenic bird flu strain detected on remote Australian territory","publisher":"The Medical Republic","date":"2025-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/highly-pathogenic-bird-flu-strain-detected-on-remote-australian-territory/121960","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Highly pathogenic avian influenza now reported from a seabird on Heard Island","publisher":"ACAP","date":"2026-03-11","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://acap.aq/latest-news/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-now-reported-from-a-seabird-on-heard-island.md","basis":"Treaty body news"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"High"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Using Sentinel-2 imagery, the authors found four of the five Bellingshausen Sea colonies failed completely in 2022 after sea ice broke up before chicks could fledge (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No fishery or community depends on the colonies, so no livelihood disruption is documented in the sources (ref 1, ref 2).","scale":"The 2025 analysis covers a key sector rather than the continent, and scientists said it is unclear whether the drop is continent-wide (ref 2).","duration":"Sea ice in the central and eastern Bellingshausen Sea was at record low through 2022 and the 2025 study covers a 15-year decline (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Oceanographic Magazine reports the IUCN listing as Endangered on 9 April 2026, which would be a status change (ref 3); this rests on one secondary source."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":7,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 9 April 2026 IUCN listing was not confirmed on an IUCN page; the IUCN site returned an error.","The journal and colony list for the 2025 study were not named by the cited news report."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-H5N1-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-SEAICE-2026"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-EMPERORPENGUIN-2025","title":"Emperor penguin colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea lost nearly all chicks in 2022 and a 2025 satellite study reports a 22% decline in a key sector","description":"A 2023 satellite study found four of five emperor penguin colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea produced no surviving chicks in 2022 after sea ice broke up early. A June 2025 British Antarctic Survey analysis reported a 22% population decline over 15 years in a key sector of Antarctica. Oceanographic Magazine reports that the IUCN listed the emperor penguin as Endangered on 9 April 2026.","location":{"name":"Bellingshausen Sea and Antarctic Peninsula colonies","type":"Emperor penguin breeding colonies (Bellingshausen Sea)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ"],"detail":"Fast-ice colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea and across the Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea sector, with Halley Research Station mentioned for one colony.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Loss of stable sea ice is removing breeding habitat for a threatened seabird.","secondary_drivers":["Record-low sea ice","Climate change"],"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"The cited sources give percentages, not a population count."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"A British Antarctic Survey satellite analysis reported a 22% emperor penguin decline over 15 years in a key sector of Antarctica (Anadolu Agency, 10 June 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Emperor penguin population decline in the studied sector over 15 years","value":22,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"BAS satellite analysis as reported by Anadolu Agency (ref 2)."},{"name":"Bellingshausen Sea colonies with total breeding failure in 2022","value":4,"unit":"of 5 colonies","status":"Reported","note":"Fretwell et al., Communications Earth & Environment 2023 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"2022 breeding failure, then a 22% decline reported over 15 years (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"British Antarctic Survey","role":"Satellite monitoring and research","contact":null},{"name":"IUCN Red List","role":"Species status assessment","contact":null}],"public_contact":"British Antarctic Survey and IUCN publish general contact channels on their own sites (not opened).","corrective_actions":["No management action is described in the cited sources; Trathan said other factors beyond habitat loss need to be understood (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Record low 2022 Antarctic sea ice led to catastrophic breeding failure of emperor penguins (Fretwell, Boutet, Ratcliffe)","publisher":"Communications Earth & Environment, via NERC Open Research Archive","date":"2023-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/534009","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"},{"ref":2,"title":"Antarctica's emperor penguin population declining faster than thought, report says","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","date":"2025-06-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.aa.com.tr/en/environment/antarcticas-emperor-penguin-population-declining-faster-than-thought-report/3593095","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Krill or be qrilled: who governs the Antarctic ocean?","publisher":"Oceanographic Magazine","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oceanographicmagazine.com/features/krill-or-be-qrilled-who-governs-the-antarctic-ocean/","basis":"News (undated; refers to events up to April 2026)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The cited reports document surveys and expressed concern but no drilling, spill or measured ecological damage (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No fishery, port or route is restricted; the surveys are not reported to disrupt other users (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Surveys span the Weddell Sea and, in 2020, the Riiser-Larsen Sea, a regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"Daily Maverick reports Rosgeo surveys in the Weddell Sea six times between 2011 and 2022, so the activity recurs over years (ref 3).","significance":"The US sanctioned two Rosgeo survey vessels in February 2024 and a House of Commons committee held an evidence session in May 2024 (refs 1, 3)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[{"note":"Rosgeo says the surveys are legitimate science, which the Madrid Protocol permits; critics, including Klaus Dodds in a written submission, say seismic data collection could be construed as prospecting. FCDO officials told the committee they accepted Russia's assurances that the work is scientific."}],"missing_fields":["No survey activity after 2023 was verified from an opened page."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-ATCM47-2025"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-WEDDELL-SEISMICSURVEYS-2024","title":"Russian state surveys of Weddell Sea seabed raise Madrid Protocol concerns over possible hydrocarbon prospecting","description":"Reporting in May 2024 said Rosgeo had carried out six seasonal hydrocarbon-focused surveys in the Weddell Sea since 2011, in waters under overlapping UK, Argentine and Chilean claims. Russia describes the work as science, which the Madrid Protocol permits, while UK academics told a parliamentary committee that seismic data collection could be construed as prospecting. The US sanctioned two Rosgeo survey vessels in February 2024, and no drilling has been reported.","location":{"name":"Weddell Sea and Riiser-Larsen Sea","type":"Seabed survey area (Weddell Sea)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ"],"detail":"Weddell Sea (under UK, Argentine and Chilean claims) and the Riiser-Larsen Sea off Queen Maud Land (Norwegian claim); surveys by Rosgeo vessels.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Disputed hydrocarbon-linked exploration in an area under a mining ban is a governance and economy question.","secondary_drivers":["Geopolitical competition"],"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Rosgeo says its surveys indicate about 500 billion barrels (70 billion tonnes) of hydrocarbon potential in Southern Ocean basins; this is Rosgeo's claim and no recoverable reserve is confirmed (Maritime Executive, Daily Maverick)."},"measures":[{"name":"Rosgeo Weddell Sea survey seasons since 2011 (to 2022)","value":6,"unit":"surveys","status":"Reported","note":"As reported by Daily Maverick (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Rosgeo's hydrocarbon potential estimate is unverified and no well has been reported (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Reporting spans 2011 to 2024; no 2025 or 2026 survey report was opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (Protocol on Environmental Protection, Madrid Protocol)","role":"Treaty parties that regulate mineral resource activities","contact":null},{"name":"Rosgeo (Russian state mineral explorer)","role":"Survey operator","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Antarctic Treaty Secretariat general channel (not opened in this session).","corrective_actions":["The US sanctioned two Rosgeo survey vessels in February 2024, effective at US ports from 23 May 2024 (ref 3).","Academics have proposed a permanent, legally binding hydrocarbon extraction ban, possibly adopted at the 2025 meeting in Italy (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UK's Parliament probes Russian oil exploration in Antarctica","publisher":"Maritime Executive","date":"2024-05-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/uk-s-parliament-probes-russian-oil-exploration-in-antarctica","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"UK urged to lead Antarctic coalition at India meeting amid Russia's controversial oil prospecting claims","publisher":"Daily Maverick","date":"2024-05-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-05-20-uk-urged-to-lead-antarctic-coalition-at-india-meeting-amid-russias-controversial-oil-prospecting-claims.md","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Antarctic diplomatic spat spurs renewed push for unambiguous mining ban","publisher":"Daily Maverick","date":"2024-05-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-05-28-antarctic-diplomatic-spat-spurs-renewed-push-for-unambiguous-mining-ban.md","basis":"News"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"WWF-Australia says about 90% of king penguin foraging habitat lies outside fully protected zones and that seamounts remain under-protected (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No closure of the toothfish or icefish concessions is reported; the cited pages do not describe any fishery disruption (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The decision concerns one marine park and one territory's waters (ref 1).","duration":"The Heard Island reserve was first declared in 2002 and expanded in 2014; the 2024 decision builds on a long-standing reserve (ref 4).","significance":"The Environment Minister's announcement was a government protected-area decision that quadrupled the park (refs 1, 2)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The government's own announcement and the new total area were not opened; figures come from NGO and news pages."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-H5N1-2025"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-MARINEPARKEXPANSION-2024","title":"Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Park expanded by about 310,000 square kilometres, with conservation groups citing gaps","description":"In October 2024 the Australian Environment Minister announced a roughly 310,000 km2 expansion of the sub-Antarctic Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park, about four times its previous size. WWF-Australia and the Blue Nature Alliance welcomed it but said seamounts, Williams Ridge and about 90% of king penguin foraging habitat remain outside fully protected zones.","location":{"name":"Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park","type":"Marine protected area (Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Park)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["HM","AU"],"detail":"Australian sub-Antarctic territory about 4,100 km south-west of Perth, southern Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean.","coordinates":{"lat":-53.08,"lon":73.5,"precision":"site","source_ref":1},"points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national marine park decision with documented zoning gaps.","secondary_drivers":["Commercial fishing pressure on foraging grounds"],"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park was expanded by 310,000 km2 (WWF-Australia, 8 October 2024)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area added to the marine park","value":310000,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"WWF-Australia (ref 1); Planet Ark says over 300,000 km2 (ref 2)."},{"name":"Share of Australia's EEZ in marine parks after the decision","value":52,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Planet Ark and Blue Nature Alliance (refs 2, 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["WWF-Australia warns that unprotected foraging grounds remain exposed to commercial fishing (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Protection area quadrupled in 2024 from the 71,200 km2 reserve after the 2014 expansion (refs 1, 4)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Australian Government, Minister for the Environment and Water","role":"Marine park designation","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Australian Government environment department general channel (not opened in this session).","corrective_actions":["Expansion of the marine park and its sanctuary zones announced October 2024; the Gunnari Ridge protection was strengthened after public consultation (refs 1, 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"310,000km2 expansion of Australia's most remote marine reserve is welcome, but","publisher":"WWF-Australia","date":"2024-10-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://wwf.org.au/news/2024/310-000km2-expansion-of-australias-most-remote-marine-reserve-is-welcome-but","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":2,"title":"More than half of Australia's oceans are now under protection","publisher":"Planet Ark","date":"2024-10-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.planetark.com/newsroom/news/more-than-half-of-australias-oceans-are-now-under-protection","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Statement on Australia's expansion of the Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve","publisher":"Blue Nature Alliance","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bluenaturealliance.org/news-insight/statement-blue-nature-alliance-exceed-goals-in-australia-with-heard-and-mcdonald-islands-marine-reserve-expansion/","basis":"NGO statement"},{"ref":4,"title":"The Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve gets larger: good for its albatrosses and petrels","publisher":"ACAP","date":"2014-04-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-marine-reserve-gets-larger-good-for-its-albatrosses-and-petrels","basis":"Treaty body news (2014 background)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Xataka, summarising a study, lists invasive grass in the South Shetland Islands and avian flu on sub-Antarctic islands as tourism-related risks, without a measured tourism impact (ref 2).","livelihoods":"No landing site or route is closed; the cited sources describe proposals such as quotas and fees only (ref 3).","scale":"Visitor traffic is concentrated on the Antarctic Peninsula region, a regional-scale footprint (ref 2).","duration":"Visitors rose from about 74,000 in 2020 to 122,000 in 2023-24 and stayed above 110,000 in 2025-26 (ref 3).","significance":"The ATCM 47 host communiqué records the meeting continuing work on a tourism framework and the need to monitor cumulative impact, a formal treaty-meeting note (ref 1)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[{"note":"Visitor totals differ by source and season labelling; IAATO's own 2025-26 paper was not opened, so 2025-26 figures rest on 36Kr."}],"missing_fields":["IAATO's own statistics page did not open (404); 2025-26 figure is secondary."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-ATCM47-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-H5N1-2025"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-TOURISM-2026","title":"Antarctic visitor numbers reach a record 122,000 in 2023-24 and remain above 110,000 as regulation is still being developed","description":"IAATO-based reporting puts Antarctic visitors at about 122,000 in 2023-24, about 118,000 in 2024-25 and about 113,500 in 2025-26, compared with fewer than 30,000 a year before 2016. The Antarctic Treaty meeting in Milan said the figures highlight the need to monitor cumulative impacts while it continues to develop a comprehensive tourism framework. Press reports cite concerns over invasive species, disease, ship emissions and repeated landings.","location":{"name":"Antarctic Peninsula and Southern Ocean cruise routes","type":"Tourism landing sites and cruise routes (Antarctic Peninsula)","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","AR","CL"],"detail":"Mainly the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands, reached by ship from Ushuaia and other Drake Passage ports.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"other","secondary_categories":["shipping-ports-noise","marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Visitor growth outpacing a still-developing regulatory framework.","secondary_drivers":["Cruise tourism growth","Invasive species and disease transfer"],"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 118,000 visitors in the 2024-25 Antarctic summer, per the Italian host-country communiqué of the 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting."},"measures":[{"name":"Antarctic visitors, 2023-24 season","value":122000,"unit":"visitors","status":"Reported","note":"IAATO figure as reported by Xataka and 36Kr (refs 2, 3)."},{"name":"Antarctic visitors, 2024-25 season","value":118000,"unit":"visitors","status":"Reported","note":"Host communiqué states about 118,000 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Antarctic visitors, 2025-26 season","value":113500,"unit":"visitors","status":"Reported","note":"36Kr citing IAATO data; a 4.2% fall on the prior season (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["36Kr reports IAATO is phasing out large sightseeing-only ships while landing trips rise (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Peak in 2023-24, then declines in 2024-25 and 2025-26, while landings rose from 78,000 to 85,000 (refs 2, 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCM)","role":"Treaty body developing a tourism regulatory framework","contact":null},{"name":"International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO)","role":"Industry body that collects visitor statistics","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Antarctic Treaty Secretariat and IAATO publish general channels on their own sites (not opened).","corrective_actions":["The ATCM continues to develop a comprehensive and adaptive regulatory framework for tourism and non-governmental activities (ref 1).","36Kr lists proposed measures such as limits on total numbers, landing-site quotas and ecological fees (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Host Country Communique: Italy, 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and 27th CEP","publisher":"Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Host-Country-Communique.pdf","basis":"Government communique (date from PDF metadata)"},{"ref":2,"title":"La Antártida era prácticamente el último rincón de la Tierra inmune a la turistificación. Eso se está terminando","publisher":"Xataka","date":"2026-05-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.xataka.com/magnet/numero-turistas-a-antartida-se-ha-disparado-1-000-30-anos-hay-quien-cree-que-autentico-boom-no-ha-llegado","basis":"News (Spanish)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Antarctic tourist numbers 2025-26 (IAATO data, republished from Zhiku Cultural and Tourism)","publisher":"36Kr","date":"2026-05-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3818441356936325","basis":"News"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The meeting noted available data show the virus spreading in different regions of Antarctica and described it as particularly aggressive (ref 1).","livelihoods":"No restriction on shipping, tourism or fisheries was announced in the communiqué (ref 1).","scale":"The treaty process covers the whole Antarctic Treaty area south of 60 degrees S, and the communiqué notes virus spread in different regions of Antarctica (ref 1).","duration":"The communiqué describes the tourism framework as still being developed, and the HPAI and tourism items recur on the treaty agenda, so the issues run across meetings (ref 1).","significance":"58 Parties and 450 delegates attended the formal 47th ATCM, which also failed to reach consensus on two Consultative Party applications (ref 1)."}},"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (SOUTHERN in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Final Report of ATCM 47 and the Hiroshima 2026 outcomes were not opened."],"related_ids":["OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-TOURISM-2026","OC-SOUTHERN-HEARD-H5N1-2025","OC-SOUTHERN-WEDDELL-SEISMICSURVEYS-2024","OC-SOUTHERN-NEUMAYER-DIESEL-2026"],"id":"OC-SOUTHERN-ANTARCTICA-ATCM47-2025","title":"Antarctic Treaty meeting in Milan calls for coordinated avian influenza biosecurity but leaves tourism rules and new Consultative Party applications unresolved","description":"The 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (Milan, 23 June to 3 July 2025) examined highly pathogenic avian influenza and said it urgently needs coordinated surveillance, biosecurity protocols and inter-agency cooperation. The Italian host communiqué records ongoing work on a tourism framework and no consensus on the Consultative Party applications of Canada and Belarus. The next meeting was scheduled for Hiroshima on 11 to 21 May 2026.","location":{"name":"Antarctic Treaty area south of 60 degrees S","type":"Antarctic Treaty System meeting process","sea":"SOUTHERN","seas":["SOUTHERN"],"basin":"SOU","countries":["AQ","IT"],"detail":"Treaty meeting held in Milan, covering the area south of 60 degrees S.","coordinates":null,"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife","other"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Treaty-level coordination on disease, tourism and consensus decisions.","secondary_drivers":["Highly pathogenic avian influenza","Tourism growth"],"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The meeting expressed the urgent need for coordinated surveillance, biosecurity protocols and inter-agency cooperation on HPAI (Italian host-country communique, July 2025)."},"measures":[{"name":"Parties represented at ATCM 47","value":58,"unit":"parties","status":"Reported","note":"Consultative and Non-Consultative Parties, 450 delegates (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Outcome of the May 2026 Hiroshima meeting was not verified."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting","role":"Treaty decision body","contact":null}],"public_contact":"Antarctic Treaty Secretariat general channel (not opened in this session).","corrective_actions":["The meeting called for coordinated surveillance and biosecurity protocols for HPAI (ref 1).","Next session: Hiroshima, Japan, 11 to 21 May 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Host Country Communique: Italy, 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and 27th CEP","publisher":"Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation","date":"2025-07-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.esteri.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Host-Country-Communique.pdf","basis":"Government communique (date from PDF metadata)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"}},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-KARA-SSTRECORD-2025","title":"Record August 2025 sea surface temperatures in the Kara Sea and up to 7 C above normal across Arctic Atlantic-sector seas","description":"NOAA's Arctic Report Card essay on sea surface temperature reports that the Arctic Ocean's mean August 2025 temperature was the second warmest on record, behind only August 2007, and that Kara Sea values were the warmest on record for the month. Parts of the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas ran roughly 1 to 4 C above the 1991-2020 mean, with local anomalies near 7 C. The authors note that Arctic marine heatwaves are a concern for already stressed ecosystems and that warming surface waters accelerate sea-ice loss.","location":{"name":"Barents, Kara and Laptev seas","type":"Marginal sea region","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["RU","NO"],"detail":"Atlantic and Siberian sector of the Arctic Ocean: Barents, Kara and Laptev seas, with Chukchi and Beaufort areas cooler than normal in August 2025","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A physical change in Arctic Ocean surface heat content and its link to sea-ice loss.","secondary_drivers":["Atlantification","Sea-ice loss","Marine heatwave"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The essay says Arctic marine heatwaves are further stressing already vulnerable ecosystems but documents no specific mortality event (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither cited source reports a fishery closure, advisory or route restriction tied to the August 2025 warmth (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The strongest anomalies sit in the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas, a regional sector rather than the whole Arctic Ocean, where Chukchi and Beaufort parts were cooler than normal (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Trends since 1982 are statistically significant for the Kara (0.12 C per year), Laptev (0.08) and Barents (0.06) seas, so the warming is chronic rather than a single month (ref 1).","significance":"The source is a NOAA-hosted Arctic Report Card essay with no regulatory or treaty action attached, so only informal-to-agency reporting applies (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"August 2025 mean sea surface temperatures were as much as ~7 C warmer than 1991-2020 August mean values (NOAA Arctic Report Card essay)."},"measures":[{"name":"Largest August 2025 SST anomaly vs 1991-2020","value":7,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Kara Sea, essay headline figure (ref 1)."},{"name":"Kara Sea SST warming trend 1982-2025","value":0.12,"unit":"C per year","status":"Reported","note":"Plus or minus 0.03 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Arctic Ocean (north of 65N) SST trend 1982-2025","value":0.3,"unit":"C per decade","status":"Reported","note":"Plus or minus 0.1 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Neither source quantifies fishery, shipping or coastal economic effects of the 2025 warmth (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Statistically significant SST warming trends in the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas since 1982 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Arctic Program (Arctic Report Card)","role":"Monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://arctic.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"Contact channel published on arctic.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["Monitoring continues through the annual NOAA Arctic Report Card (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Sea Surface Temperature (Arctic Report Card: Update for 2025)","publisher":"NOAA Arctic Program","date":"2026-01-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arctic.noaa.gov/report-card/report-card-2025/sea-surface-temperature-2025/","basis":"Agency report (Arctic Report Card essay by Timmermans and Labe)"},{"ref":2,"title":"From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected","publisher":"Down To Earth (republished from The Conversation)","date":"2025-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/from-record-warming-to-rusting-rivers-2025-arctic-report-card-shows-a-region-transforming-faster-than-expected","basis":"News"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-CENTRAL-ATLANTIF-2025"],"missing_fields":["No source coordinates; whole-region finding."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-NORWSEA-HEATWAVE-2025","title":"Severe marine heatwave and record daily sea surface temperature in the Norwegian Sea, July 2025","description":"Copernicus's European State of the Climate 2025 ocean chapter reports severe marine heatwave conditions in the Norwegian Sea from mid-July to early August 2025. On 24 to 25 July the daily average sea surface temperature over the sea reached a record 15.5 C, with a 3 C anomaly that was the largest daily anomaly recorded for the sector in any month. Record monthly sea surface temperatures also became more widespread across the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents seas in the second half of 2025.","location":{"name":"Norwegian Sea","type":"Marginal sea","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["NO","IS"],"detail":"Marginal sea between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea; the heatwave peaked along the Norwegian coast, with water near 19 C","coordinates":{"lat":69,"lon":2,"precision":"sea","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"An extreme in sea surface temperature and a marine heatwave, a physical ocean change.","secondary_drivers":["Atmospheric heatwave over Fennoscandia"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The Copernicus chapter documents temperature extremes only and reports no mortality, bloom or other damage in the Norwegian Sea (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The chapter reports no closure, advisory or shipping restriction linked to the July 2025 heatwave (ref 1).","scale":"The heatwave covered most of the Norwegian Sea, with SSTs 3 to 5 C above average across much of it, a regional-sea scale (ref 1).","duration":"The severe conditions lasted roughly three to four weeks, but record monthly SSTs spread across the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents seas through the second half of 2025, so duration is scored at months (ref 1).","significance":"Copernicus issues a climate report, not a notice, listing or enforcement action, so no formal action is recorded (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Daily SST averaged over the Norwegian Sea reached a record 15.5 C on 24 to 25 July 2025, a 3 C anomaly, the largest daily anomaly recorded for the sector in any month."},"measures":[{"name":"Record daily SST, Norwegian Sea average","value":15.5,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"24-25 July 2025; previous record 15.4 C in August 2003 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Daily SST anomaly at peak","value":3,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"Largest daily anomaly for the sector in any month (ref 1)."},{"name":"Coastal water temperature at peak","value":19,"unit":"C","status":"Reported","note":"About 19 C, up to 5 C above average, along the Norwegian coast (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The source does not describe fishery or aquaculture effects of the heatwave (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"July anomalies above 2 C were last seen in 2003 and 2014 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)","role":"Monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://climate.copernicus.eu"}],"public_contact":"Contact channel published on climate.copernicus.eu.","corrective_actions":["Monitoring only; no response measures are described in the source (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"European State of the Climate 2025: Ocean","publisher":"Copernicus Climate Change Service","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://climate.copernicus.eu/esotc/2025/ocean","basis":"Agency report (page shows no publication date)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Norwegian Sea (location and bordering countries)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Sea","basis":"Reference page (used for coordinates and bordering countries only)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-KARA-SSTRECORD-2025","OC-ARCTIC-CENTRAL-ATLANTIF-2025"],"missing_fields":["The Copernicus page carries no publication date; a second dated report or news article on the Norwegian Sea heatwave was not opened."],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":2,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-CENTRAL-ATLANTIF-2025","title":"Atlantification now reaches the central Arctic Ocean, weakening the halocline that shielded sea ice from ocean heat","description":"NOAA's Arctic Report Card 2025 essay by Polyakov, Ingvaldsen and Bluhm reports that an influx of warmer, saltier Atlantic water and biota now reaches the central Arctic Ocean, with a signal in the western Amerasian Basin moving toward Alaska. In the eastern Eurasian Basin the Atlantic Water layer has shoaled from about 150 m in the early 2000s to as shallow as 70 m, and sea-ice thinning linked to the process spans the central Arctic. The essay suggests the Atlantic water entering the Arctic from the Barents Sea has warmed more strongly than that through Fram Strait.","location":{"name":"Central Arctic Ocean and Eurasian Basin","type":"Ocean basin","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["ABNJ","NO","RU","US"],"detail":"Eurasian Basin, Transpolar Drift region, East Siberian Sea shelf break and western Amerasian Basin; Barents Sea throughflow as a source","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Changes in Arctic Ocean heat transport and stratification that drive sea-ice loss.","secondary_drivers":["Weakened stratification","Sea-ice loss","Borealization of food webs"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The essay documents loss of roughly 30% of Eurasian Basin halocline stability by the mid-2010s and sea-ice thinning along the Transpolar Drift, a documented habitat change (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Neither source reports a fishery or route restriction caused by atlantification (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The signal spans the central Arctic, the Eurasian Basin and the western Amerasian Basin, a basin-wide change (ref 1).","duration":"Warm pulses were recorded from 1990 and 2007-08, and the Atlantic Water layer shoaled from about 150 m to 70 m over roughly two decades, so the change is chronic (ref 1).","significance":"The essay is a scientific assessment without a regulatory, treaty or court action attached (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Atlantification, an influx of anomalous water properties and biota from lower latitudes, now reaches the central Arctic Ocean."},"measures":[{"name":"Depth of Atlantic Water layer, eastern Eurasian Basin","value":70,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Shoaled from about 150 m in the early 2000s to as shallow as 70 m in recent years (ref 1)."},{"name":"Rise of Pacific/Atlantic halocline boundary, eastern East Siberian Sea, 2015-2023","value":70,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"Brings nutrient-rich water closer to the light (ref 1)."},{"name":"Loss of Eurasian Basin halocline stability by mid-2010s","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Approximate, per the essay (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["Boreal species moving north are reshaping food webs, but no fishery value is cited (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The signal has spread eastward toward Alaska and models may underestimate it (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Arctic Program (Arctic Report Card)","role":"Monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://arctic.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"Contact channel published on arctic.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["Monitoring continues through the annual NOAA Arctic Report Card (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Atlantification of the Arctic Ocean (Arctic Report Card: Update for 2025)","publisher":"NOAA Arctic Program","date":"2025-11-26","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arctic.noaa.gov/report-card/report-card-2025/atlantification-of-the-arctic-ocean/","basis":"Agency report (Arctic Report Card essay by Polyakov, Ingvaldsen and Bluhm)"},{"ref":2,"title":"From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected","publisher":"Down To Earth (republished from The Conversation)","date":"2025-12-17","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/from-record-warming-to-rusting-rivers-2025-arctic-report-card-shows-a-region-transforming-faster-than-expected","basis":"News"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-KARA-SSTRECORD-2025","OC-ARCTIC-NORWSEA-HEATWAVE-2025","OC-ARCTIC-BARENTS-CODQUOTA-2026","OC-ARCTIC-CANADABASIN-ACIDIFICATION-2025"],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"missing_fields":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-TUKTOYAKTUK-EROSION-2025","title":"Tuktoyaktuk shoreline erosion threatens the harbour barrier, with C$53.7 million of federal protection and homes moved inland","description":"Tuktoyaktuk, a hamlet on the Beaufort Sea coast, is losing shoreline to storm waves and thawing permafrost. In July 2023 the federal government said it would spend about C$53.7 million on rock armour for the most-eroded shoreline and in front of Tuktoyaktuk Island, which shields the harbour, and researchers then expected the island to be breached in 20 to 25 years. A 2025 Arctic Inspiration Prize report says the island eroded 2 m in a year, forced three homes to be moved to higher ground, and could be breached in 18 to 20 years.","location":{"name":"Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories","type":"Coastal community","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Hamlet on Kugmallit Bay near the Mackenzie River delta, Beaufort Sea coast, Inuvik Region, Northwest Territories, Canada","coordinates":{"lat":69.45083,"lon":-133.03583,"precision":"city","source_ref":3},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Coastal erosion and storm-surge flooding of a community from a warming, ice-free Beaufort Sea and thawing permafrost.","secondary_drivers":["Permafrost thaw","Storm surge","Loss of sea ice"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2025 report says Tuktoyaktuk Island eroded 2 m in a year and three homes had to be moved to higher elevations (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Efforts to relocate some structures have begun and moving the whole hamlet has been discussed, but the hamlet itself is not yet displaced (ref 1).","scale":"The erosion and the barrier-island breach risk concern a single community and its harbour (refs 1, 2).","duration":"The island breach was projected in 20 to 25 years in 2023 and 18 to 20 years in the 2025 report, and storm-surge flooding has recurred, so the problem is chronic (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The federal government made a funding announcement of about C$53.7 million for shoreline protection, a formal government decision without an enforcement or court element (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":937,"status":"Reported","note":"2021 census population of the hamlet as given on the Wikipedia page (ref 3)."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About C$53.7 million in federal funding for rock armour and shoreline upgrades; Tuktoyaktuk Island, which shields the harbour, may be breached in 18 to 20 years at current erosion."},"measures":[{"name":"Federal shoreline protection funding","value":53.7,"unit":"million CAD","status":"Reported","note":"Announced July 2023, headlined as 54 million (ref 1)."},{"name":"Tuktoyaktuk Island erosion in the last year","value":2,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"2025 report, text not dated more precisely (ref 2)."},{"name":"Projected years until island breach","value":18,"unit":"years (lower bound of 18 to 20)","status":"Reported","note":"At the current rate of erosion (ref 2); the 2023 article gave 20 to 25 years (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Federal spending of about C$53.7 million is committed to rock armour (ref 1).","Homes have had to be moved to higher ground (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"The breach projection shortened from 20 to 25 years (2023) to 18 to 20 years (2025 report) in the cited sources (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Government of Canada","role":"Funder of shoreline protection","contact":"https://www.canada.ca"},{"name":"Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk","role":"Local government and relocation program"},{"name":"Government of the Northwest Territories","role":"Territorial government","contact":"https://www.gov.nt.ca"}],"public_contact":"Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk office; the cited sources give no contact details.","corrective_actions":["Rock armour along the most-eroded shoreline and in front of Tuktoyaktuk Island, plus upgrades to slab protections and the south barrier beach (ref 1).","Voluntary relocation of homes to higher ground (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Ottawa will spend $54M to defend Tuktoyaktuk's shoreline","publisher":"Cabin Radio","date":"2023-07-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://cabinradio.ca/138154/news/environment/climate/ottawa-will-spend-54m-to-defend-tuktoyaktuks-shoreline","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tuktoyaktuk Community Climate Resiliency Project (AIP3 report)","publisher":"Arctic Inspiration Prize / Qatalyst Research Group","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arcticinspirationprize.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AIP3-Tuktoyaktuk-Community-Climate-Resiliency-Project.pdf","basis":"Community report (PDF metadata shows creation on 2025-05-09; no date printed in the text)"},{"ref":3,"title":"Tuktoyaktuk (coordinates and 2021 population)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuktoyaktuk","basis":"Reference page (used for coordinates and population only)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"missing_fields":["No 2024 to 2026 decision on relocation or construction progress was found in an opened page.","The federal announcement is dated July 2023, before the research window, but the erosion is unresolved."],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-ICELOSS-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-ICELOSS-2025","title":"Greenland ice sheet and Arctic glaciers keep adding to global sea level rise in the 2024-25 season","description":"NOAA's Arctic Report Card 2025 reports that the Greenland Ice Sheet lost 129 Gt of ice in the 2025 mass balance year (September 2024 to August 2025), less than the 2003-24 average loss of 219 Gt but part of net loss every year since the late 1990s. Arctic glaciers and ice caps outside Greenland lost 151 Gt in 2023/24, adding about 0.42 mm to sea level, and Svalbard glaciers had severe losses. Meltwater from these ice masses raises sea level at coasts worldwide, including Arctic shorelines already eroding.","location":{"name":"Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic glaciers","type":"Ice sheet and glacier region","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["GL","SJ","CA","US"],"detail":"Greenland Ice Sheet plus glaciers and ice caps in Svalbard, Arctic Canada and Alaska; effect is global mean sea level rise","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"Land-ice melt that raises global mean sea level and coastal flood risk.","secondary_drivers":["Arctic air-temperature warming","Glacier melt"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The sea-level effect is potential for coasts, with 0.42 mm added in 2023/24 by Arctic glaciers and no flood damage attributed to it in the sources (ref 2).","livelihoods":"The sources report no closures, advisories or displacement attributable to the ice loss (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Greenland and pan-Arctic glaciers contribute to global mean sea level, so the scale is global (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Greenland has had net ice loss every year since the late 1990s and glaciers lost 181 Gt per year on average since 2002 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are agency assessment essays with no regulatory or treaty action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet for 2025 was -129 +/- 50 Gt, against a 2003-24 average of -219 +/- 16 Gt."},"measures":[{"name":"Greenland Ice Sheet mass balance, Sept 2024 to Aug 2025","value":-129,"unit":"Gt","status":"Reported","note":"GRACE-FO, plus or minus 50 Gt (ref 1)."},{"name":"Greenland Ice Sheet mean annual mass balance 2003-24","value":-219,"unit":"Gt","status":"Reported","note":"Plus or minus 16 Gt (ref 1)."},{"name":"Pan-Arctic glaciers and ice caps mass loss 2023/24","value":151,"unit":"Gt","status":"Reported","note":"Contributed 0.42 mm to sea level (ref 2)."},{"name":"Pan-Arctic glaciers sea-level contribution since 2002","value":0.55,"unit":"mm per year","status":"Reported","note":"181 Gt per year average loss (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic effect is quantified in the cited essays (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"2025 Greenland loss was below the 2003-24 average, but ice has been lost every year since the late 1990s (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"NOAA Arctic Program (Arctic Report Card)","role":"Monitoring and reporting","contact":"https://arctic.noaa.gov"}],"public_contact":"Contact channel published on arctic.noaa.gov.","corrective_actions":["Monitoring only through the annual Arctic Report Card (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Greenland Ice Sheet (Arctic Report Card: Update for 2025)","publisher":"NOAA Arctic Program","date":"2026-01-31","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arctic.noaa.gov/report-card/report-card-2025/greenland-ice-sheet-2025/","basis":"Agency report (Arctic Report Card essay by Poinar and others)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Glaciers and Ice Caps Outside Greenland (Arctic Report Card: Update for 2025)","publisher":"NOAA Arctic Program","date":"2025-11-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://arctic.noaa.gov/report-card/report-card-2025/glaciers-and-ice-caps-outside-greenland-2025/","basis":"Agency report (Arctic Report Card essay by Wolken and others)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-TUKTOYAKTUK-EROSION-2025"],"missing_fields":["Coastal flood damage linked to this melt is not described in the cited essays."],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":5,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-CANADABASIN-ACIDIFICATION-2025","title":"Aragonite-undersaturated water thickens in the Canada Basin, the open-ocean region most susceptible to acidification","description":"A 2025 study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans found that aragonite-undersaturated water in the Canada Basin thickened from none at the surface in 2003 to 19 m in 2019, and from 94 m to 136 m in the subsurface layer. The undersaturated share of the 0 to 250 m water column rose from 38% to 62%. The authors say surface thickening was driven by freshening until 2012 and by anthropogenic CO2 uptake after 2012, and warn that a weaker Beaufort Gyre could bring undersaturated water shallower, potentially affecting marine life.","location":{"name":"Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean","type":"Deep ocean basin","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["US","CA","ABNJ"],"detail":"Deep basin of the Amerasian Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska and northwest Canada","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"acidification-deoxygenation","issue_layer":"Climate & Physical","layer_rationale":"A chemical change in seawater carbonate saturation driven by CO2 uptake and sea-ice melt.","secondary_drivers":["Anthropogenic CO2 uptake","Sea-ice melt freshening"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The authors warn that undersaturated water could affect marine life if it rises, but the summary documents no observed biological damage (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The summary reports no fishery or route restriction linked to the undersaturation (ref 1).","scale":"The study covers the Canada Basin of the Amerasian Arctic, a regional part of the ocean (ref 1).","duration":"Observations span 2003 to 2019, showing a sustained, chronic expansion (ref 1).","significance":"The finding is a peer-reviewed study without a regulatory or treaty action (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Surface undersaturated-water thickness increased from 0 m in 2003 to 19 +/- 2 m in 2019; subsurface from 94 +/- 6 m to 136 +/- 11 m."},"measures":[{"name":"Surface aragonite-undersaturated layer thickness, 2019","value":19,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"0 m in 2003; plus or minus 2 m (ref 1)."},{"name":"Subsurface undersaturated layer thickness, 2019","value":136,"unit":"m","status":"Reported","note":"94 m in 2003; plus or minus 11 m (ref 1)."},{"name":"Undersaturated share of the 0-250 m water column, 2019","value":62,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"38% in 2003 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No fishery or economic exposure is described in the cited summary (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Undersaturated water thickened between 2003 and 2019 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Study authors (Yamamoto-Kawai, Tsujimoto, Zhang, Zimmermann, Williams)","role":"Researchers"}],"public_contact":"Not applicable: research finding.","corrective_actions":["No management response is described in the source (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Vertical expansion of aragonite undersaturated waters in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean from 2003 to 2019","publisher":"OA-ICC news stream (summary of Yamamoto-Kawai and others, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans 130(2): e2024JC021166)","date":"2025-02-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news-oceanacidification-icc.org/2025/02/25/vertical-expansion-of-aragonite-undersaturated-waters-in-the-canada-basin-of-the-arctic-ocean-from-2003-to-2019/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (via summary page; the journal page returned an access error)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Canada Basin","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Basin","basis":"Reference page (used for the basin's location off Alaska and northwest Canada only)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["The journal article itself was not opened; figures come from the OA-ICC summary of the abstract."],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":4,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-CENTRAL-ATLANTIF-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-FRAMSTRAIT-MICROPLASTIC-2025","title":"Microplastic fluxes recorded over 21 months at the HAUSGARTEN observatory in Fram Strait, with high levels in sea-ice algae","description":"An Alfred Wegener Institute study published online in December 2024 measured microplastics in sediment traps at the HAUSGARTEN observatory in Fram Strait from September 2019 to July 2021. Fluxes ranged from 0 to 2.9 particles per square metre per day, peaked in April 2020 and April 2021, and all particles were under 300 micrometres. An earlier pilot study found microplastics in all samples of the sea-ice alga Melosira arctica, up to 5.7 x 10^4 particles per cubic metre.","location":{"name":"Fram Strait (HAUSGARTEN observatory)","type":"Deep-sea observatory and ocean strait","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["GL","SJ","ABNJ"],"detail":"Strait between Greenland and Svalbard, the main deep connection between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic; coordinates are the 2021 Melosira sampling stations in the HAUSGARTEN area","coordinates":{"lat":78.90194,"lon":-3.151111,"precision":"site","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Microplastic particles reaching and sinking through the Arctic marine system.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-ice transport of plastics","Atlantic Water inflow"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"Microplastics were detected in all ice-alga samples, but neither study documents mortality or a contamination standard exceeded (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The studies report no fishery or route restriction tied to the particles (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Fram Strait is a regional gateway into the Arctic Ocean, and sea-ice back-tracking points to several source regions (ref 1).","duration":"The sediment-trap series ran 21 months (September 2019 to July 2021) as a baseline for future monitoring (ref 1).","significance":"The sources are peer-reviewed papers with no regulatory or treaty action attached (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Microplastic fluxes ranged from 0 to 2.9 particles per m2 per day over 21 months; all detected particles were smaller than 300 micrometres."},"measures":[{"name":"Vertical microplastic flux, HAUSGARTEN","value":2.9,"unit":"particles per m2 per day (maximum)","status":"Reported","note":"Range 0 to 2.9, September 2019 to July 2021 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Microplastics in ice alga Melosira arctica (upper value)","value":57000,"unit":"particles per m3","status":"Reported","note":"5.7 x 10^4; range 1.3 to 5.7 x 10^4, versus 1.4 to 4.5 x 10^3 in seawater (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No fishery or economic exposure is described in the cited studies (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The 21-month series is presented as a baseline for future assessments (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research","role":"Researchers and HAUSGARTEN operator"}],"public_contact":"Not applicable: research finding.","corrective_actions":["Continued HAUSGARTEN monitoring as a baseline for future flux assessments (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Origin and intra-annual variability of vertical microplastic fluxes in Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean","publisher":"Science of the Total Environment 958 (Roscher et al.), via Europe PMC record","date":"2024-12-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178035","basis":"Peer-reviewed study (online-first date as given in the Europe PMC record)"},{"ref":2,"title":"High Levels of Microplastics in the Arctic Sea Ice Alga Melosira arctica, a Vector to Ice-Associated and Benthic Food Webs","publisher":"Environmental Science & Technology 57(17) (Bergmann et al.)","date":"2023-04-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10157888/","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["The 2025 paper's full text was not opened; figures come from the Europe PMC record's abstract."],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-SVALBARD-BEACHLITTER-2023"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-SVALBARD-BEACHLITTER-2023","title":"Plastic dominates litter on Svalbard beaches, with debris traced to more than 25 countries","description":"Alfred Wegener Institute researchers working with expedition-cruise tourists collected more than 23,000 items weighing 1,620 kg on 14 remote Spitsbergen beaches between 2016 and 2021, about 80% of it plastic. Debris traced to more than 25 countries, led by Russia (32%), Norway (16%) and Germany (8%), and more than a third of the plastic came from outside the Arctic. A separate 2023 study found particles of 1 mm or more in only 2 of 53 beach sediment samples but warned that this likely underestimates microplastic contamination.","location":{"name":"Svalbard beaches (Spitsbergen)","type":"Arctic coastline","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["SJ","NO"],"detail":"Remote beaches on Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway; the microplastic survey covered 23 beaches between about 76.9 and 80.3 N and 11.5 and 24.8 E","coordinates":{"lat":78.6,"lon":18.15,"precision":"coastline","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"plastics-marine-debris","issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Accumulation of plastic litter on a remote Arctic coastline from local and distant sources.","secondary_drivers":["Fisheries debris","Long-range ocean transport"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":0},"notes":{"harm":"The surveys document heavy beach litter (23,000 items, 1,620 kg) but report no wildlife mortality or contamination standard exceeded (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The cited sources report no beach closure or tourism restriction tied to the litter (refs 1, 2).","scale":"Surveys covered 14 beaches on Spitsbergen and sampling 23 beaches across the archipelago, a regional coastline (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Debris was collected across campaigns in 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2022, so the problem is recurring (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The sources are research publications without a regulatory or treaty action (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"More than 23,000 litter items weighing 1,620 kg were collected on 14 Spitsbergen beaches between 2016 and 2021; about 80% was plastic."},"measures":[{"name":"Litter items collected, 14 Spitsbergen beaches","value":23000,"unit":"items (more than)","status":"Reported","note":"2016 to 2021, 1,620 kg total (ref 1)."},{"name":"Share of debris that was plastic","value":80,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"About 80 percent (ref 1)."},{"name":"Beach samples with plastic particles of 1 mm or more","value":3.8,"unit":"% (2 of 53 samples)","status":"Reported","note":"23 beaches, microplastic study (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["No economic effect is quantified; tourists collected the debris (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Authors call for systematic sampling grids to build a baseline (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren)","role":"Environmental authority on Svalbard"},{"name":"Alfred Wegener Institute","role":"Researchers"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Authors call for urgent, binding global action against plastic pollution (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Plastic Pollution From All Over the World on Svalbard Beaches, New Study Finds","publisher":"High North News","date":"2023-02-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.highnorthnews.com/science/plastic-pollution-from-all-over-the-world-on-svalbard-beaches-new-study-finds/150002","basis":"News reporting an AWI study (Meyer, Bergmann, Lutz)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Citizen scientists reveal small but concentrated amounts of fragmented microplastic on Arctic beaches","publisher":"Frontiers in Environmental Science 11 (Pasolini, Walther, Bergmann)","date":"2023-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1210019/full","basis":"Peer-reviewed study"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"missing_fields":["Both sources predate the window start (2023-10-13); the issue is treated as unresolved. The Governor of Svalbard's own beach-clean data was not opened."],"conflicts":[],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-FRAMSTRAIT-MICROPLASTIC-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-KARASEA-NUCLEARSUBS-2025","title":"Sunken nuclear submarines K-27 and K-159 remain on the Kara and Barents Sea floors as Russia funds a lifting plan","description":"Two Soviet nuclear submarines lie on the Arctic seabed: K-27, scuttled in Stepovoy Bay off Novaya Zemlya in the Kara Sea, and K-159, which sank in the Barents Sea in 2003 with about 800 kg of spent nuclear fuel. The Barents Observer reported on 20 October 2025 that Russia's draft 2026 budget and 2027-2028 plan include about 30 billion rubles for planning and lifting them, with preparations in 2026 and funding from 2027. Bellona, on 4 November 2025, judged raising them in the foreseeable future highly improbable and said no concrete plan is public.","location":{"name":"K-27 (Kara Sea) and K-159 (Barents Sea) wrecks","type":"Radioactive wrecks on the seabed","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["RU"],"detail":"K-27 at Stepovoy Bay, southeast coast of Novaya Zemlya, Kara Sea; K-159 in the Barents Sea off the Kola coast (Kildin Island area)","coordinates":{"lat":72.5244,"lon":55.5025,"precision":"site","source_ref":4},"points":[{"name":"K-27 wreck, Stepovoy Bay","lat":72.5244,"lon":55.5025,"precision":"site","source_ref":4,"role":"Scuttled reactor submarine"},{"name":"K-159 wreck, Barents Sea","lat":69.377,"lon":33.825,"precision":"site","source_ref":5,"role":"Sunken submarine with spent fuel"}],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Radioactive material from wrecked and dumped reactors that poses a contamination risk to Arctic seas.","secondary_drivers":["Nuclear legacy waste"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"K-159 carries about 800 kg of spent fuel with an estimated 5.3 GBq of radionuclides, and the sources describe a risk but not a documented release (refs 1, 4, 5).","livelihoods":"No fishery closure or route restriction is reported in the cited sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The wrecks and dumped reactors lie in the Kara and Barents seas, a regional-sea footprint (ref 1).","duration":"K-27 was scuttled in 1982 and K-159 sank in 2003, and both remain on the seabed (refs 1, 4, 5).","significance":"A draft 2026 federal budget with 30 billion rubles and a 2020 presidential decree proposal are formal government acts, though no lifting has begun (refs 1, 4, 5)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 30 billion rubles are earmarked in the draft federal budget for 2026-2028 for planning and lifting the two submarines."},"measures":[{"name":"Federal budget earmark for lifting K-27 and K-159, 2026-2028","value":30,"unit":"billion rubles","status":"Reported","note":"Draft 2026 budget and 2027-2028 plan, per the Barents Observer (ref 1)."},{"name":"Spent nuclear fuel aboard K-159","value":800,"unit":"kg","status":"Reported","note":"Estimated 5.3 GBq of radionuclides (refs 1, 5)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":["The state budget carries 30 billion rubles for the project (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Budget funding appeared in late 2025 but Bellona says no concrete plan exists (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Rosatom","role":"State nuclear corporation named as the lead in budget reports"},{"name":"Bellona Foundation","role":"Independent monitor and analyst"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited sources.","corrective_actions":["Russia's draft budget funds preparations in 2026 and lifting work from 2027 (ref 1).","A Kurchatov Institute prototype underwater radiation monitoring station near K-27 was planned by end of 2025 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Moscow puts money on the table to raise nuclear subs from Arctic seabed","publisher":"The Barents Observer","date":"2025-10-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/news/moscow-puts-money-on-the-table-to-raise-nuclear-subs-from-arctic-seabed/439056","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Is it possible to raise the sunken nuclear submarines K-27 and K-159 in the Arctic in the foreseeable future?","publisher":"Bellona Environmental Transparency Center","date":"2025-11-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://etc.bellona.org/2025/11/04/k-27-k-159-in-media/","basis":"NGO analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Russia plans to lift two sunken Soviet nuclear submarines from the Arctic seabed","publisher":"Euromaidan Press","date":"2025-10-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=368035","basis":"News (labelled industry focus)"},{"ref":4,"title":"Soviet submarine K-27","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_K-27","basis":"Reference page (coordinates and scuttling details)"},{"ref":5,"title":"Soviet submarine K-159","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_K-159","basis":"Reference page (coordinates and spent-fuel estimate)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Wreck depths differ: Wikipedia gives about 33 m for K-27 and about 200 m for K-159, while the Euromaidan Press article gives 75 m and 250 m (refs 3, 4, 5). The Barents Observer gives no depths."}],"missing_fields":["Wreck depths are inconsistent between sources and are not stated as measures."],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-NSR-TRAFFIC-2025"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-TROMSO-RUBYCARGO-2024","title":"Cargo ship Ruby with 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate sheltered off Tromsø in September 2024","description":"The Maltese-flagged cargo ship Ruby, carrying 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate from Kandalaksha, Russia, bound for Las Palmas, asked Norway for shelter on 26 August 2024 because of storms and anchored near Vannoya. It then docked at Breivika in Tromsø, where police ordered it to leave, and on 4 September 2024 it departed with two tugs to anchor about 30 nautical miles north of the city. The captain reported slight hull, propeller and rudder damage, and the Barents Observer reported its future was uncertain.","location":{"name":"Tromsø coast and Vannoya, Norway","type":"Port of refuge and anchorage","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["NO"],"detail":"Anchorage near Vannoya and the Breivika quay in Tromsø, northern Norway, then an anchorage about 30 nautical miles north of Tromsø","coordinates":{"lat":69.6517,"lon":18.9556,"precision":"city","source_ref":2},"points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"A hazardous-cargo ship in distress that posed a potential chemical risk near a populated coast.","secondary_drivers":["Ship damage in storm","Hazardous cargo"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":0,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The fire service found no immediate danger and no spill occurred, but the cargo was more than seven times the ammonium nitrate in the 2020 Beirut explosion, a potential hazard (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Tromsø police ordered the ship out of the port and it was moved to an anchorage 30 nautical miles north, a port restriction (ref 1).","scale":"The episode affected a single vessel at a single port area (ref 1).","duration":"The episode ran from 26 August to 4 September 2024, about ten days (ref 1).","significance":"A police order in Tromsø to leave the port is a formal enforcement step (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited source."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Ruby carried 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, over seven times the amount in the 2020 Beirut explosion, per the Barents Observer."},"measures":[{"name":"Ammonium nitrate cargo","value":20000,"unit":"tons","status":"Reported","note":"Ship is 183 m long; 19 crew aboard (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":["Repairs would likely require unloading the cargo and a willing shipyard was uncertain (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Only the first ten days of the incident are documented in the opened source (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Norwegian Joint Headquarters","role":"Granted place of refuge"},{"name":"Tromsø police","role":"Ordered the ship to leave port"}],"public_contact":"Not published in the cited source.","corrective_actions":["Tromsø police ordered the ship out of the port; two tugs took it to an anchorage 30 nautical miles north on 4 September 2024 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Trouble vessel has departed Tromsø, but future uncertain","publisher":"The Barents Observer","date":"2024-09-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/security/trouble-vessel-has-departed-tromso-but-future-uncertain/166105","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Tromsø (coordinates)","publisher":"Wikipedia","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troms%C3%B8","basis":"Reference page (used for coordinates only)"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"missing_fields":["Final outcome of the ship and cargo after 4 September 2024 was not found in an opened page.","The Norwegian Joint Headquarters had not said whether it knew the cargo when granting refuge (ref 1)."],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":3,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-IMOARCTIC-HFOBAN-2024"]},{"revision":1,"change_type":"new","id":"OC-ARCTIC-IMOARCTIC-HFOBAN-2024","title":"IMO Arctic heavy fuel oil ban in force since July 2024 but waivers and exemptions allow continued use until 2029","description":"IMO's MARPOL Annex I regulation 43A bans the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil as fuel by ships in Arctic waters from 1 July 2024, but ships with protected fuel tanks are exempt and Arctic coastal states can waive the rule for their flagged ships until 1 July 2029. The Clean Arctic Alliance, citing ICCT analysis, says 74% of Arctic shipping can continue as before and that HFO use and carriage may rise between 2024 and 2029. Russia told the IMO the amendments would not enter into force for it, and Canada said it intends to comply.","location":{"name":"IMO Arctic waters (Polar Code area)","type":"Regulated sea area","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["RU","CA","NO"],"detail":"Arctic waters as defined in MARPOL Annex I regulation 43A; Russia and Canada are the states named in the sources on implementation","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"chemical-oil-pollution","issue_layer":"Pollution","layer_rationale":"Spill and black-carbon risk from heavy fuel oil carried and burned by Arctic shipping, and the regulation meant to cut it.","secondary_drivers":["Arctic shipping growth","Regulatory waivers"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The Clean Arctic Alliance warns HFO is nearly impossible to clean up in cold water, a potential spill risk, but no HFO spill is documented in the sources (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"The sources report no fishery or route restriction; the ban itself restricts a fuel type (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The rule covers all IMO-defined Arctic waters, a basin-scale regime (refs 1, 2).","duration":"Waivers run from July 2024 to July 2029, a multi-year period (refs 1, 3).","significance":"The IMO adopted regulation 43A and it took effect on 1 November 2022, a formal international rule, with Russia not applying it (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"ICCT analysis cited by the Clean Arctic Alliance: the rule reduces HFO use by 16% and carriage as fuel by 30% in July 2024, allowing 74% of Arctic shipping to continue business as usual."},"measures":[{"name":"Reduction in HFO use at entry into effect (ICCT estimate)","value":16,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"ICCT analysis cited in a November 2020 article (ref 3)."},{"name":"Reduction in HFO carriage as fuel (ICCT estimate)","value":30,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Same ICCT analysis (ref 3)."},{"name":"Arctic shipping that could continue as before (ICCT estimate)","value":74,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Same ICCT analysis (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Arctic fleets can keep using HFO under waivers to 2029 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"No post-July-2024 data on waivers granted or HFO volumes was found in an opened page."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"International Maritime Organization (MEPC)","role":"Regulator","contact":"https://www.imo.org"},{"name":"Clean Arctic Alliance","role":"NGO coalition pressing for a stronger ban"}],"public_contact":"IMO's published general channel on imo.org.","corrective_actions":["Regulation 43A bans HFO use and carriage in Arctic waters from 1 July 2024, with waivers to 1 July 2029 (ref 1).","The Clean Arctic Alliance asked IMO members to remove the coastal-state waiver option (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Clean Arctic Alliance Responds to Russian Opt-out from Heavy Fuel Oil Ban, Raises Concerns Over Canada's Implementation","publisher":"Hellenic Shipping News","date":"2022-11-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/clean-arctic-alliance-responds-to-russian-opt-out-from-heavy-fuel-oil-ban-raises-concerns-over-canadas-implementation/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"IMO as momentum builds, NGOs call for concrete proposals to reduce black carbon impact on Arctic","publisher":"AJOT","date":"2022-12-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ajot.com/news/imo-as-momentum-builds-ngos-call-for-concrete-proposals-to-reduce-black-carbon-impact-on-arctic","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Environmentalists slam MEPC decision on Arctic HFO ban","publisher":"MarineLog","date":"2020-11-20","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.marinelog.com/news/environmentalists-slam-mepc-decision-on-arctic-hfo-ban/","basis":"News"}],"verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"missing_fields":["All three sources predate the research window (2020 to 2022); no 2024 to 2026 report on waivers or implementation was opened.","Whether Canada has completed its adoption of the amendments was not confirmed."],"secondary_categories":[],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":6,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","conflicts":[],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-NSR-TRAFFIC-2025","OC-ARCTIC-TROMSO-RUBYCARGO-2024"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-NORWAY-SEABEDMINING-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Norway opened 281,200 km2 of Arctic seabed to mining exploration in 2024, then dropped the first licensing round in December 2025","description":"On 9 January 2024 the Storting approved opening about 281,200 km2 of Norwegian Arctic seabed to exploration for seabed minerals, per the European Parliament's summary. The European Parliament called for a moratorium on 7 February 2024, and WWF-Norway notified the government in April 2024 that it would take legal action, arguing the strategic impact assessment fell short of legal minimums. In early December 2025 a budget agreement dropped the first licensing round, and Parliament voted on the pause on 5 December 2025; Mongabay reports no round before 2029 while the Energy Ministry says its policy and regulatory framework are unchanged.","location":{"name":"Norwegian Arctic seabed mineral area","type":"Seabed mineral exploration licensing area","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["NO"],"detail":"Norwegian national waters in the Arctic. The cited sources give the area size (about 281,200 km2) but no coordinates.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"deep-sea-mining","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national licensing decision on seabed minerals, contested by the EU Parliament and environmental groups, and since paused by a budget deal.","secondary_drivers":["Critical-minerals policy","Opposition from the EU Parliament and NGOs"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Harm is potential only: WWF and Greenpeace warn of irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems (ref 4); no mining has taken place.","livelihoods":"No fishery or community disruption is documented; the sources describe a licensing process, not operations (refs 1, 3).","scale":"The approved area of about 281,200 km2 sits in Norwegian national waters, a regional extent (ref 1).","duration":"The process runs from the 9 January 2024 Storting decision to the December 2025 pause, almost two years (refs 1, 3).","significance":"A national parliament vote opened the area, the European Parliament adopted Resolution 2024/2520(RSP) by 523 to 34 (ref 1), and a second Storting vote paused licensing on 5 December 2025 (ref 3); no court ruling is cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Storting's 9 January 2024 decision opens about 281,200 km2 to exploration, according to the European Parliament summary (ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Area opened to exploration","value":281200,"unit":"km2","status":"Reported","note":"European Parliament summary of the 9 January 2024 Storting decision (ref 1); Anadolu Agency gave about 280,000 km2 (ref 2)."},{"name":"European Parliament vote on moratorium resolution (in favour)","value":523,"unit":"votes","status":"Reported","note":"523 for, 34 against, 59 abstentions, 7 February 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Earliest licensing round after the December 2025 pause","value":2029,"unit":"year","status":"Reported","note":"Mongabay reports no licensing round until at least 2029 (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Adepth's chief executive said the decision showed how challenging it is to build new industry in Norway and that the company would focus on international opportunities (ref 3)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Area approved in January 2024, licensing then postponed in December 2025; the government says the framework is unchanged."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Norwegian Ministry of Energy","role":"Seabed minerals licensing authority","contact":"https://www.regjeringen.no/en/"},{"name":"Storting (Norwegian Parliament)","role":"Approved the opening decision and the pause","contact":"https://www.stortinget.no/en/"}],"public_contact":"Norwegian Ministry of Energy, general enquiries via the ministry's published channels at regjeringen.no.","corrective_actions":["Budget agreement of early December 2025 dropped the first licensing round and cut public funding for state-led seabed mineral mapping; Parliament voted on it on 5 December 2025 (ref 3).","European Parliament urged the Commission and member states to promote an international moratorium on deep-seabed mining (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Resolution on Norway's recent decision to advance seabed mining in the Arctic (2024/2520(RSP)), summary","publisher":"European Parliament Legislative Observatory","date":"2024-02-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://oeil.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/en/document-summary?id=1775098","basis":"Official parliamentary record"},{"ref":2,"title":"Environmental group to challenge Norway's deep-sea mining in court","publisher":"Anadolu Agency","date":"2024-04-18","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://aa.com.tr/en/environment/environmental-group-to-challenge-norways-deep-sea-mining-in-court/3195376","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Norway pauses deep-sea mining for four years in policy U-turn","publisher":"Mongabay","date":"2025-12-08","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/norway-pauses-deep-sea-mining-for-four-years-in-policy-u-turn/","basis":"News"},{"ref":4,"title":"Norway freezes plans for Arctic seabed mining after budget deal","publisher":"Arctic Today","date":"2025-12-03","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arctictoday.com/norway-freezes-plans-for-arctic-seabed-mining-after-budget-deal","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Arctic Today (ref 4) describes the freeze as covering licensing 'through 2025'; Mongabay (ref 3) reports no round until at least 2029. Anadolu gives about 280,000 km2 where the European Parliament gives 281,200 km2."}],"missing_fields":["The brief's hint of a December 2024 budget deal postponing the first round was not confirmed by any page opened; the pages opened date the budget deal to December 2025.","The outcome of the WWF-Norway legal action was not found in the pages opened (notice of intent only, ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-PORTUGAL-SEABEDMINING-2025","OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-OILBAN-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-BARENTS-CODQUOTA-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Northeast Arctic cod quota set at 285,000 tonnes for 2026, the lowest since 1991, after a 25% cut for 2025","description":"Norway and Russia agreed in December 2025 a 2026 total quota of 285,000 tonnes for Northeast Arctic cod, a 16% cut after a 25% cut from 2024 to 2025; High North News calls it the lowest since 1991. Haddock rises 18% to 153,293 tonnes, and there is no capelin fishery in 2026, as in 2025. Norway's Polar Institute monitoring page says the cod stock's recruitment has been below average and fishing mortality in 2022 was well above the precautionary level.","location":{"name":"Barents Sea Northeast Arctic cod stock","type":"Fish stock (Northeast Arctic cod)","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["NO","RU"],"detail":"Joint Norwegian-Russian stocks in the Barents Sea; the quota is set by the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A shared commercial fish stock with falling recruitment and record-low quotas.","secondary_drivers":["Below-average recruitment","Fishing pressure"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"The Polar Institute indicator says recruitment has been below average and was the main reason for the stock decline, with fishing mortality well above the precautionary level in 2022 (ref 3).","livelihoods":"The cod quota falls to 285,000 tonnes and the capelin fishery stays closed in 2026, a restriction on both fleets (ref 1).","scale":"The stock is a Barents Sea resource shared by two coastal states, a regional-sea extent (ref 1).","duration":"Quotas have fallen across several years, 25% from 2024 to 2025 and 16% for 2026 (ref 1).","significance":"The quota is a bilateral agreement under the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission, a treaty body (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2026 Northeast Arctic cod total quota is 285,000 tonnes, a 16% cut and the lowest since 1991 (High North News, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Northeast Arctic cod total quota 2026","value":285000,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Agreed December 2025; Norway's share 139,827 tonnes (ref 1)."},{"name":"Change from 2025 quota","value":-16,"unit":"%","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1 and ref 2."},{"name":"Quota 2024 (agreed)","value":453427,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Polar Institute indicator page (ref 3)."},{"name":"Cut from 2024 to 2026 quota","value":-37,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"Computed from 453,427 t (ref 3) and 285,000 t (ref 1)."},{"name":"Haddock total quota 2026","value":153293,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Up 18% (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["The lowest cod quota since 1991 limits the Norwegian and Russian whitefish fleets (ref 1).","Norway's fisheries ministry says the stock may recover enough for higher quotas later (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Cod quota falling; haddock quota up 18% for 2026 (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission","role":"Sets annual quotas for the joint stocks","contact":"https://www.fiskeridir.no/English"},{"name":"Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries","role":"Fisheries management","contact":"https://www.regjeringen.no/en/"}],"public_contact":"Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, published general contact channels at fiskeridir.no.","corrective_actions":["The 2026 cod quota was set at a level meant to reduce fishing pressure and rebuild the stock (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Agreement for 2026: 'Noteworthy,' says researcher","publisher":"High North News","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.highnorthnews.com/politics/norwegian-russian-fisheries-agreement-for-2026-noteworthy-says-researcher/1093445","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Norway, Russia reach agreement on Barents Sea fishing quotas","publisher":"Arctic Today (Barents Observer)","date":"2025-12-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arctictoday.com/norway-russia-reach-agreement-on-barents-sea-fishing-quotas","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Stock of Northeast Arctic cod","publisher":"MOSJ, Norwegian Polar Institute","date":"2024-03-22","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mosj.no/en/indikator/fauna/marine-fauna/stock-of-northeast-arctic-cod/","basis":"Agency page"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":7,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The 2024 and 2025 quota levels come from different pages (ref 3 for 2024; the 25% cut for 2025 from ref 1), so the 37% two-year cut is an estimate."}],"missing_fields":["ICES-style stock assessment for 2026 was not opened; the Polar Institute page is dated March 2024.","Capelin closure reasons were not opened; the capelin indicator page opened (28 February 2024) shows an open fishery for 2024."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-BARENTS-FISHERIESCOOP-2026","OC-ARCTIC-CENTRAL-ATLANTIF-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-BARENTS-FISHERIESCOOP-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Russia scales back Barents Sea fisheries cooperation with Norway after Norwegian sanctions on two Russian fishing companies","description":"Norway joined EU sanctions in July 2025 on two Russian fishing companies, Norebo and Murman Seafood, barring their vessels from Norwegian ports and territorial waters and from renewed licences in Norway's economic zone. Russia protested and agreed the 2026 quotas but is suspending participation in working groups under the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission, covering areas such as management and control, statistics exchange and research. Technical rules continue and a joint research programme was agreed for 2026.","location":{"name":"Barents Sea Joint Fisheries Commission area","type":"Bilateral fisheries management regime","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["NO","RU"],"detail":"Norwegian and Russian waters of the Barents Sea; management of shared stocks under the 1976 bilateral agreement.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A bilateral fisheries treaty regime strained by sanctions, with joint management and control work being reduced.","secondary_drivers":["Sanctions","Geopolitical tension"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":1,"duration":1,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Potential harm to joint stock management: High North News reports the suspension of control, statistics and research cooperation and quotes a researcher calling it worrying (ref 1).","livelihoods":"Vessels of the two listed companies lost access to Norwegian ports and territorial waters and will not receive renewed licences in Norway's economic zone (ref 2).","scale":"The regime covers the shared Barents Sea stocks of two coastal states (ref 1).","duration":"The sanctions date from July 2025 and the working-group suspension was recorded in the December 2025 protocol, so months of tension are documented (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Norway listed two companies under sanctions and Russia summoned Norway's chargé d'affaires and suspended working groups under a treaty commission (ref 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Russia is suspending its participation in working groups under the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission, per the protocol; it is unclear whether this covers all groups (High North News, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Russian companies under Norwegian sanctions","value":2,"unit":"companies","status":"Reported","note":"Norebo and Murman Seafood, listed in July 2025 (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Russia argued the sanctions violate the 1976 bilateral fisheries agreement and threatened unilateral management measures in the Barents Sea if the listings were not withdrawn (refs 1, 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Cooperation areas are being suspended, although the 2026 quotas were still agreed (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission","role":"Bilateral fisheries management body","contact":"https://www.fiskeridir.no/English"},{"name":"Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries","role":"Norwegian party; sanctions implementation","contact":"https://www.regjeringen.no/en/"}],"public_contact":"Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, published general contact channels at fiskeridir.no.","corrective_actions":["Shared technical rules such as minimum and mesh sizes continue and a joint research programme was agreed for 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Russia downscales parts of fisheries cooperation","publisher":"High North News","date":"2026-01-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.highnorthnews.com/politics/russia-downscales-parts-of-fisheries-cooperation/1096338","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Norway, Russia reach agreement on Barents Sea fishing quotas","publisher":"Arctic Today (Barents Observer)","date":"2025-12-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arctictoday.com/norway-russia-reach-agreement-on-barents-sea-fishing-quotas","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Agreement for 2026: 'Noteworthy,' says researcher","publisher":"High North News","date":"2025-12-19","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.highnorthnews.com/politics/norwegian-russian-fisheries-agreement-for-2026-noteworthy-says-researcher/1093445","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":6,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Ref 2 does not give the year of the Norwegian sanctions; ref 3 dates them to July 2025."}],"missing_fields":["The 2024 to 2026 port-access arrangements for Russian trawlers before the July 2025 listing were not documented in pages opened.","Russia's published position was read only through news reports, not a Russian ministry page."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-BARENTS-CODQUOTA-2026","OC-ARCTIC-ARCTICCOUNCIL-COOPERATION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-NSR-TRAFFIC-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Northern Sea Route cargo stayed near 37 million tonnes in 2025 while Russia and China expanded container and LNG shipping","description":"Gecon's analysis, reported by Breakbulk, puts 2025 Northern Sea Route cargo at 37.02 million tonnes, 2.3% below the prior year, with hydrocarbons over 80% of volume. Interfax reports Rosatom's chief expecting about 14% growth in 2026 and Chinese carriers planning more than 30 voyages. The sources describe the same 37.02 million tonnes as both a decline and a record plateau.","location":{"name":"Northern Sea Route","type":"Arctic shipping route","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["RU","CN"],"detail":"Russian Arctic seas from the Kara Sea to the Bering Strait; traffic is permitted and escorted by Rosatom.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Growing commercial shipping, mostly hydrocarbons, through ice-affected Arctic waters.","secondary_drivers":["Hydrocarbon exports","Sea-ice retreat"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Potential harm only: hydrocarbons are over 80% of route cargo (ref 1) and the sources document no spill or wildlife impact.","livelihoods":"No port or route is out of use; the 2025 shipping window was about three weeks shorter than 2024 because of early ice in the East Siberian Sea (ref 1).","scale":"The route spans several Russian Arctic seas (ref 1).","duration":"Traffic series run across 2024 to 2026 and Rosatom expects further growth (refs 2, 3).","significance":"Rosatom issued 1,196 ship permits in 2025 as the route regulator (ref 3); no enforcement action is cited."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Total 2025 Northern Sea Route cargo was 37.02 million tonnes, a 2.3% drop from the prior year, with LNG 58% and oil 21% of volume (Breakbulk citing Gecon, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"NSR cargo 2025","value":37.02,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Refs 1 and 2."},{"name":"Implied 2024 cargo","value":37.9,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Estimated","note":"Computed from 37.02 Mt and the 2.3% drop in ref 1; matches the 37.9 Mt record cited in the brief."},{"name":"China-Russia cargo share","value":5.4,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Nearly 15% of NSR cargo (Interfax, ref 2)."},{"name":"Container voyages 2025 (Gecon)","value":15,"unit":"voyages","status":"Reported","note":"321,000 tonnes, up from 11 voyages in 2024 (ref 1); Interfax counts 23 China-Russia container voyages (ref 2)."},{"name":"Ship permits issued by Rosatom 2025","value":1196,"unit":"permits","status":"Reported","note":"TASS, October 2025; 1,340 voyages, up 20% (ref 3)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["Gecon found no visible sources of volume growth for 2026 (ref 1), while Rosatom expects about 14% growth (ref 2)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Total flat to slightly down in 2025; container traffic and China-Russia shipments up."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Rosatom Northern Sea Route Directorate","role":"Route operator and permit issuer","contact":"https://www.rosatom.ru/en/"}],"public_contact":"Rosatom, published general contact channels at rosatom.ru.","corrective_actions":["No environmental corrective action is cited in the sources."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Northern Sea Route 2025 cargo analysis (Gecon), Breakbulk News report","publisher":"Breakbulk News","date":"2026-03-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://breakbulk.news/?p=51120","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Interfax newsroom item of 1 September 2026 on Northern Sea Route cargo","publisher":"Interfax","date":"2026-09-01","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/118929/","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"China's cargo traffic to western ports along Northern Sea Route doubles in 2025 - Rosatom","publisher":"TASS","date":"2025-10-28","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://tass.com/economy/2035913/amp","basis":"News (Russian state agency)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Breakbulk (ref 1) calls 2025 the second consecutive annual decline (-2.3%); Interfax (ref 2) calls 37.02 million tonnes a record held for two years. Container voyage counts also differ (15 against 23), probably because of definitions."}],"missing_fields":["The 2024 figure is implied, not read from a page.","No independent environmental or noise assessment of the route was opened."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-GYDAN-LNGSHADOWFLEET-2026","OC-ARCTIC-IMOARCTIC-HFOBAN-2024","OC-ARCTIC-KARASEA-NUCLEARSUBS-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-GYDAN-LNGSHADOWFLEET-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 builds out its tanker fleet and Northern Sea Route shipments as the UK sanctions four more carriers","description":"On 16 June 2026 the UK sanctioned four LNG carriers (Orion, Merkuriy, Kosmos, Luch) linked to the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, part of a 27-ship package, according to gCaptain. The Barents Observer reports at least 18 gas carriers serving the project, 2.3 million tonnes shipped to China in 2026 across 31 shipments per Reuters, and ships about 20 years old among the recent acquisitions. The plant has been under international sanctions since 2023.","location":{"name":"Arctic LNG 2 terminal and Saam floating storage","type":"LNG export terminal and tanker fleet","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["RU","CN"],"detail":"Gydan Peninsula export terminal, Saam floating storage unit in Ura Bay on the Kola Peninsula, and Northern Sea Route to China.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes","offshore-energy"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Sanctions evasion and fleet expansion for Arctic LNG shipping, a shipping governance issue.","secondary_drivers":["Sanctions","Ageing tonnage","Ship-to-ship transfers"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":2},"notes":{"harm":"Potential harm: the Barents Observer notes recent acquisitions are about 20 years old and carry LNG on ice-affected routes (ref 2); no incident is cited.","livelihoods":"No fishery or port disruption is documented in the sources (refs 1, 2).","scale":"The activity links the Gydan and Kola terminals to China over several seas (ref 2).","duration":"The plant has been sanctioned since 2023, and 2025 to 2026 reports record fleet expansion (refs 2, 3).","significance":"The UK designated 27 ships on 16 June 2026 and the EU sanctioned Kord-Bunker a day earlier (ref 1)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The UK sanctioned four recently acquired Arctic LNG 2 carriers on 16 June 2026 within a 27-ship package (gCaptain, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Gas carriers serving Arctic LNG 2","value":18,"unit":"vessels","status":"Reported","note":"At least 18, Barents Observer (ref 2)."},{"name":"Arctic LNG 2 cargo shipped to Benhai, China, 2026","value":2.3,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"31 shipments, citing Reuters (ref 2), reported 25 August 2026."},{"name":"Ships in UK sanctions package","value":27,"unit":"ships","status":"Reported","note":"UK, 16 June 2026 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The EU ban on Russian LNG imports takes effect on 1 January 2027 and analysts expect Novatek to need dozens more carriers (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Fleet and shipments growing in 2026 against widening sanctions (refs 1, 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"UK sanctions authorities (OFSI and FCDO)","role":"Sanctioning government","contact":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-financial-sanctions-implementation"},{"name":"Novatek","role":"Project operator","contact":"https://www.novatek.ru/en/"}],"public_contact":"UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, published enquiry channels at gov.uk.","corrective_actions":["UK and EU designations of vessels and operators, June 2026 (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"UK targets new Arctic LNG 2 shadow fleet vessels as Russia scrambles for tankers","publisher":"gCaptain","date":"2026-06-16","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://gcaptain.com/uk-targets-new-arctic-lng-2-shadow-fleet-vessels-as-russia-scrambles-for-tankers/","basis":"News (trade)"},{"ref":2,"title":"Expanding Russian tanker fleet exports more Arctic LNG to China","publisher":"The Barents Observer","date":"2026-08-25","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://thebarentsobserver.com/news/expanding-russian-tanker-fleet-exports-more-arctic-lng-to-china/456516","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 tankers approved for Northern Sea Route","publisher":"Energy Intelligence","date":"2025-05-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.energyintel.com/00000197-21a5-d68a-a1ff-bbe707d30000","basis":"News (trade; headline and summary only)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Barents Observer says 'at least six' recent acquisitions but names seven vessels (ref 2)."}],"missing_fields":["Terminal coordinates were not taken from a source opened.","Full US and EU sanction notices were not opened; sanctions are described through news reports."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-NSR-TRAFFIC-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-MILNEINLET-IRONORESHIPPING-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Baffinland iron ore shipping through Milne Inlet narwhal habitat: Phase 2 rejected in 2022, 6 Mt extension suspended and 4.2 Mt limit for 2025","description":"Baffinland's Mary River mine ships iron ore from Milne Port through Milne Inlet, which crosses the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area, described by Nunatsiaq News as sensitive habitat for narwhals and seabirds. The federal government rejected the 12 Mt Phase 2 plan in 2022; in 2024 the company shipped about 6 Mt on 70 ore carriers, then suspended its application to extend 6 Mt shipping and said it would return to the 4.2 Mt limit in 2025 while developing the Steensby rail and port route. The operator's monitoring reports temporary, localized narwhal responses; community and regulator views come only through those reports.","location":{"name":"Milne Inlet and Eclipse Sound, Nunavut","type":"Iron ore shipping route in a marine conservation area","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["CA"],"detail":"North Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada; ore shipped July to October from Milne Port.","points":[],"extent":"local"},"primary_category":"shipping-ports-noise","secondary_categories":["marine-wildlife"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"Industrial ore shipping through narwhal habitat in a conservation area, governed by an impact review process.","secondary_drivers":["Mining","Shipping noise and ice"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Potential effects on narwhals; the operator's 2024 monitoring reports temporary and localized behavioural responses and an immature narwhal share of 0.152, equal to 2014 (ref 2).","livelihoods":"Shipping is limited by annual caps (6 Mt until December 2024, 4.2 Mt from 2025) and the operator's engagement with five North Baffin communities concerns harvesting areas (ref 2).","scale":"The route is Milne Inlet and Eclipse Sound, a single local waterway (ref 1).","duration":"Shipping at 6 Mt a year has run since 2018 (ref 2) and the dispute dates to the 2022 rejection (ref 1).","significance":"The federal government rejected the Phase 2 proposal in 2022 and the Nunavut Impact Review Board posted the 6 Mt extension application in 2024 (ref 1), which the operator later suspended (ref 2)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"About 6 Mt of ore was shipped from Milne Port in 2024 on 70 ore carriers, and the operator plans to return to the 4.2 Mtpa limit in 2025 (Baffinland report summary, ref 2)."},"measures":[{"name":"Ore shipped from Milne Port 2024","value":6,"unit":"million tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"About 6 Mt on 70 ore carriers, 92-day season from 27 July (ref 2)."},{"name":"Planned 2025 shipping limit","value":4.2,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Early Revenue Phase limit (ref 2)."},{"name":"Rejected Phase 2 volume","value":12,"unit":"million tonnes per year","status":"Reported","note":"Rejected by the federal government in 2022 (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Watch","signals":["The operator suspended its 6 Mtpa extension application in October 2024 to focus on the Steensby component (ref 2).","The Steensby rail line was approved in 2012 and the company planned to break ground in 2025 (ref 1)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Improving","note":"Shipping volume steps down from 6 Mt to the 4.2 Mt limit for 2025 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Nunavut Impact Review Board","role":"Environmental assessment and monitoring","contact":"https://www.nirb.ca"},{"name":"Qikiqtani Inuit Association","role":"Inuit organization party to the impact benefit agreement","contact":"https://www.qia.ca"}],"public_contact":"Nunavut Impact Review Board, published general contact channels at nirb.ca.","corrective_actions":["Narwhal Adaptive Management Response Plan: shipping starts only with 3/10 ice clearance, speed and course limits, convoys and larger vessels (ref 2).","Application to extend 6 Mt shipping suspended in October 2024 (ref 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Baffinland hopes railroad to Steensby is built in next few years","publisher":"Nunatsiaq News","date":"2024-04-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/baffinland-hopes-railroad-to-steensby-is-built-in-next-few-years/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"2024 Annual Report to the Nunavut Impact Review Board: Popular Summary","publisher":"Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation","date":null,"accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://baffinland.com/_resources/document_portal/2024-NIRB-Annual-Report_Popular-Summary_ENG.pdf","basis":"Operator's own report (undated; company claims)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":5,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The operator's report shows 6 Mt shipped in 2024 and monitoring without lasting narwhal effects; Nunatsiaq (ref 1) describes the route as sensitive narwhal habitat. Independent monitoring results were not opened."}],"missing_fields":["The Qikiqtani Inuit Association's and communities' positions on 2024 to 2026 shipping were not read from a primary page.","No 2026 shipping or Steensby construction status was found in pages opened.","Coordinates not taken from a source opened."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-WESTERNHUDSONBAY-POLARBEAR-2024"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-SVALBARD-SEABIRDDECLINE-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Svalbard seabirds in decline: Brunnich's guillemot, ivory gull and kittiwake monitoring to May 2026","description":"The Norwegian Polar Institute's May 2026 monitoring pages report the Svalbard breeding population of Brunnich's guillemot falling about 4% a year since the mid-1990s, probably by a third in the last decade at Bjornoya and western Spitsbergen, and the ivory gull falling about 7% a year over 2015 to 2025. Black-legged kittiwake numbers have turned more negative since about 2021, with avian influenza likely explaining at least part of it. A 2022 SEAPOP study of western Spitsbergen found colony declines linked with sea-ice loss.","location":{"name":"Svalbard seabird colonies","type":"Seabird breeding colonies","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["NO","SJ"],"detail":"Bjornoya, western and eastern Spitsbergen, Hopen and Nordaustlandet; Barents Sea and Greenland Sea.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"Documented declines of Arctic seabird populations, with ocean warming, sea-ice loss and avian influenza as drivers.","secondary_drivers":["Ocean warming","Sea-ice loss","Avian influenza"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":2,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"Brunnich's guillemot has fallen about 4% a year since the mid-1990s and the ivory gull about 7% a year over 2015 to 2025 (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"No fishery, community or tourism disruption is documented in the sources.","scale":"The declines span the Svalbard archipelago and the Barents Sea region (ref 1).","duration":"The guillemot decline runs from the mid-1990s and the kittiwake downturn from about 2021 (refs 1, 2).","significance":"Svalbard's Brunnich's guillemot is listed Vulnerable and the ivory gull Vulnerable on the Norwegian Red List 2021 (refs 1, 3)."}},"status":"Ongoing Major Issue","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The Svalbard Brunnich's guillemot breeding population has declined about 4% per year since the mid-1990s (Polar Institute MOSJ page updated 7 May 2026, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Brunnich's guillemot breeding pairs, Svalbard","value":615000,"unit":"pairs","status":"Reported","note":"142 known colonies (ref 1)."},{"name":"Brunnich's guillemot annual change","value":-4,"unit":"% per year","status":"Reported","note":"Since the mid-1990s (ref 1)."},{"name":"Ivory gull annual change, Svalbard 2015-2025","value":-7,"unit":"% per year","status":"Reported","note":"Authors caution the 17-year series is short (ref 3)."},{"name":"Black-legged kittiwake breeding pairs, Svalbard","value":270000,"unit":"pairs","status":"Reported","note":"Bjornoya about 90,000 pairs (ref 2)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Worsening","note":"Guillemot and ivory gull declining; kittiwake decline resumed from about 2021 (refs 1 to 3)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Norwegian Polar Institute","role":"MOSJ monitoring of Svalbard environment","contact":"https://www.npolar.no/en/"},{"name":"Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren)","role":"Protected area management","contact":"https://www.sysselmesteren.no/en/"}],"public_contact":"Norwegian Polar Institute, published general contact channels at npolar.no.","corrective_actions":["The Barents Sea Management Plan sets an action level of a 20% reduction lasting over five years (refs 1, 2)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Brunnich's guillemot (Svalbard)","publisher":"MOSJ, Norwegian Polar Institute","date":"2026-05-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mosj.no/en/indikator/fauna/marine-fauna/brunnichs-guillemot/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":2,"title":"Black-legged kittiwake (Svalbard)","publisher":"MOSJ, Norwegian Polar Institute","date":"2026-05-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mosj.no/en/indikator/fauna/marine-fauna/black-legged-kittiwake/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":3,"title":"Ivory gull (Svalbard)","publisher":"MOSJ, Norwegian Polar Institute","date":"2026-05-07","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://mosj.no/en/indikator/fauna/marine-fauna/ivory-gull/","basis":"Agency page"},{"ref":4,"title":"Loss of sea ice affects Arctic seabirds","publisher":"SEAPOP","date":"2022-03-02","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://seapop.no/en/2022/03/loss-of-sea-ice-affects-arctic-seabirds/","basis":"Programme news summarising a peer-reviewed study"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Ongoing Major Issue","score":6,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"The Brunnich's guillemot page (ref 1) does not mention avian influenza and names ocean warming in winter habitats as the likely main cause; the kittiwake page (ref 2) names avian influenza as a likely partial cause."}],"missing_fields":["The brief's 2024 to 2026 Norwegian avian influenza seabird mortality was only covered via the MOSJ kittiwake page, not a dedicated incident report.","The three MOSJ pages share one publisher; they are indicator pages, with a SEAPOP study summary as the independent report."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-SVALBARD-TREATYTENSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-ARCTICCOUNCIL-COOPERATION-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Arctic Council cooperation remains limited: ministerial meetings paused since 2022, Denmark chairs 2025 to 2027","description":"The Arctic Council's official meetings have been paused since March 2022 and its working groups resumed virtual meetings in 2024 with Russia taking part, Arctic Today reported in June 2026. Russia stopped paying its Council dues in 2024, per the same report. Denmark took the chair from Norway in May 2025 and Sweden follows in 2027; Denmark's ambassador said the Council is 'not back to what it used to be. But it's not dead either.'","location":{"name":"Arctic Council","type":"Intergovernmental forum","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["DK","GL","RU","NO","US","CA","FI","IS","SE"],"detail":"Eight Arctic states and Indigenous permanent participants; Denmark (with Greenland) chairs 2025 to 2027.","points":[],"extent":"basin"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A regional governance body whose consensus-based work on the Arctic marine environment is constrained by the Russia split.","secondary_drivers":["Russia-Western split","US-Greenland tension"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":2,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No ecological harm is documented; the sources describe a governance constraint (refs 1 to 3).","livelihoods":"No livelihood disruption is documented in the sources.","scale":"The Council covers the whole circumpolar Arctic and its marine working groups (ref 1).","duration":"Official meetings have been paused since March 2022, over four years (ref 1).","significance":"The seven Western members suspended Council work and partially resumed projects without Russia in June 2022 (ref 3); Russia stopped paying dues in 2024 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Arctic Council official meetings have been paused since March 2022 while working groups meet virtually with all eight states, including Russia (Arctic Today, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Arctic Council working groups","value":6,"unit":"groups","status":"Reported","note":"Arctic Today, June 2026 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Years of paused official meetings","value":4,"unit":"years","status":"Estimated","note":"March 2022 to October 2026, computed from ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"Limited cooperation continues; no return to full meetings reported in the pages opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Arctic Council Secretariat and Danish chairship","role":"Forum secretariat and 2025 to 2027 chair","contact":"https://arctic-council.org"}],"public_contact":"Arctic Council Secretariat, published contact channels at arctic-council.org.","corrective_actions":["Working groups resumed virtual meetings in 2024; Denmark's chairship holds smaller strategic planning consultations (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Kenneth Hoegh's mission to keep the Arctic talking","publisher":"Arctic Today","date":"2026-06-24","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.arctictoday.com/kenneth-hoeghs-mission-to-keep-the-arctic-talking/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Keep the Fires Going: What the Kingdom of Denmark's Leadership Means for the Arctic Council","publisher":"Center for Maritime Strategy","date":"2025-05-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/?p=5094","basis":"Think-tank analysis"},{"ref":3,"title":"Denmark takes the helm: Arctic Council's virtual chairmanship handover amid geopolitical tensions","publisher":"The Northern Voices","date":"2025-04-12","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.thenorthernvoices.com/post/denmark-takes-the-helm-arctic-councils-virtual-chairmanship-handover-amid-geopolitical-tensions","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The Council's own published statements were not opened (the Arctic Institute page returned HTTP 403).","The 2025 US position on the Council was only read through a think-tank analysis (ref 2)."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-BARENTS-FISHERIESCOOP-2026","OC-ARCTIC-SVALBARD-TREATYTENSION-2025"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-SVALBARD-TREATYTENSION-2025","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Russia accuses Norway of militarizing Svalbard (March 2025) amid longstanding disputes over Svalbard Treaty rights and marine protection zones","description":"On 14 March 2025 Russia summoned Norway's ambassador, accusing Norway of militarizing Svalbard, which Norway denied, saying Svalbard is part of Norway and NATO and Norway acts in line with the 1920 treaty, Reuters reported. A 2020 Russian letter, reported by High North News, objected to Norway's fish protection zone around Svalbard and to nature protection zones that it said limit economic activity. Russia keeps two settlements, Barentsburg and Pyramiden, with about 340 residents.","location":{"name":"Svalbard","type":"Archipelago under the 1920 Svalbard Treaty","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["NO","SJ","RU"],"detail":"Norwegian archipelago in the Barents and Greenland Seas; Russian settlements Barentsburg and Pyramiden.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"governance-treaties-disputes","secondary_categories":["fisheries-overfishing"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A treaty dispute over Svalbard's regime including its fish protection zone and nature protection areas.","secondary_drivers":["Geopolitical tension"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No environmental harm is documented; the sources describe a diplomatic dispute (refs 1, 3).","livelihoods":"Russia objects to limits on its economic activity, a helicopter restriction and deportation procedures, but no disruption is quantified (ref 3).","scale":"The dispute concerns the Svalbard archipelago and its waters (ref 1).","duration":"Russian objections date from a February 2020 letter and recurred in March 2025 (refs 1, 3).","significance":"Russia summoned Norway's ambassador on 14 March 2025, a formal diplomatic step (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Russia's foreign ministry urged Norway to renounce activity that 'undermines the international legal foundations' of Svalbard's regime (Reuters, 14 March 2025, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Residents of Russian settlements","value":340,"unit":"people","status":"Reported","note":"Out of 2,945 Svalbard residents per Statistics Norway, cited by Reuters (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"Two dated Russian complaints (2020, 2025) were read; no trend can be drawn from them."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs","role":"Svalbard Treaty administering government","contact":"https://www.regjeringen.no/en/"},{"name":"Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren)","role":"Local authority","contact":"https://www.sysselmesteren.no/en/"}],"public_contact":"Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published general contact channels at regjeringen.no.","corrective_actions":["Norway's foreign ministry says all activities on Svalbard must follow Norwegian law (ref 3)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Russia accuses Norway of militarizing Svalbard Arctic islands","publisher":"Eye on the Arctic (Reuters)","date":"2025-03-14","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2025/03/14/russia-accuses-norway-of-militarizing-svalbard-arctic-islands/","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Russia accuses Norway of militarising Svalbard","publisher":"Baird Maritime (Reuters)","date":"2025-03-15","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.bairdmaritime.com/amp/story/security/non-naval-security/russia-accuses-norway-of-militarising-svalbard","basis":"News"},{"ref":3,"title":"Russia with stern Svalbard warning to Norway","publisher":"High North News","date":"2020-02-05","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.highnorthnews.com/politics/russia-with-stern-svalbard-warning-to-norway/228732","basis":"News (background)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[{"note":"Search snippets dated other Russian complaints to 2024 and 2026, but the pages opened were from 2020 and 2025; only those are cited."}],"missing_fields":["Chinese activity at Svalbard, the Pyramiden station plans and the EU-Norway Svalbard fish protection zone dispute were not confirmed from pages opened.","The brief's snow crab and EFTA Court items were not verified (only 2017 to 2019 background was seen in search results)."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-SVALBARD-SEABIRDDECLINE-2026","OC-ARCTIC-ARCTICCOUNCIL-COOPERATION-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-WESTERNHUDSONBAY-POLARBEAR-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Western Hudson Bay polar bears: 2021 survey counted 618 bears, down from 842 in 2016, as harvest consultations continued in 2024","description":"A Government of Nunavut aerial survey in 2021 estimated 618 polar bears in Western Hudson Bay, against 842 in 2016, a 27% decline; an Associated Press report said bears there continue to die in high numbers, with females and cubs hit hardest. Nunavut's Department of Environment says that when Western and Southern Hudson Bay are pooled the difference between 2016 and 2021 was one bear, and that part of the decline reflects movement across the subpopulation boundary. It recommended keeping the harvest limit at 38 bears a year in 2024 and hunters' organizations asked for an increase.","location":{"name":"Western Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation","type":"Polar bear subpopulation range","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["CA"],"detail":"Hudson Bay coast of Manitoba and Nunavut, including the Churchill area; harvest by Arviat, Whale Cove and Rankin Inlet.","points":[],"extent":"regional_sea"},"primary_category":"marine-wildlife","secondary_categories":["polar-oceans-sea-ice"],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A sea-ice-dependent marine mammal subpopulation with a contested decline and a managed harvest.","secondary_drivers":["Sea-ice loss","Harvest","Movement between subpopulations"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The 2021 survey estimated 618 bears against 842 in 2016, but Nunavut says pooled Western and Southern Hudson Bay estimates differed by one bear (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"A total allowable harvest of 38 bears a year applies and hunters' organizations did not support the recommendation, asking for an increase (ref 1).","scale":"The finding concerns a single subpopulation (ref 1).","duration":"Surveys from 2011 to 2021 show a long decline, with 949 or 1,030 bears in 2011 depending on the source (refs 1, 2).","significance":"The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board put the 2021 survey and harvest recommendation on its formal agenda for 30 October 2024 (ref 1)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"The 2021 Western Hudson Bay survey estimated 618 bears against 842 in 2016 (AP, ref 2; Nunavut Wildlife Management Board agenda, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Western Hudson Bay polar bear estimate 2021","value":618,"unit":"bears","status":"Reported","note":"Nunavut aerial survey (ref 1)."},{"name":"Estimate 2016","value":842,"unit":"bears","status":"Reported","note":"Ref 1."},{"name":"Total allowable harvest","value":38,"unit":"bears per year","status":"Reported","note":"Nunavut recommendation to keep it unchanged (ref 1)."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Unknown","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Volatile or Mixed","note":"Western Hudson Bay estimate down 27% from 2016 to 2021, but pooled with Southern Hudson Bay it is flat (ref 1)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Nunavut Wildlife Management Board","role":"Co-management decision body","contact":"https://www.nwmb.com"},{"name":"Government of Nunavut Department of Environment","role":"Polar bear survey and harvest recommendation","contact":"https://www.gov.nu.ca/en/environment"}],"public_contact":"Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, published general contact channels at nwmb.com.","corrective_actions":["Nunavut recommended no change to the 38-bear total allowable harvest and a management objective to maintain current abundance (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Regular Meeting 003-2024 agenda binder, Western Hudson Bay polar bear 2021 survey and consultations","publisher":"Nunavut Wildlife Management Board","date":"2024-10-30","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://nwmb.com/iku/2013-11-09-01-41-51/2013-11-09-01-47-14/regular-meetings/2024/rm-003-2024-october-30-31-2024-1/eng-5/10144-rm003-2024-binder-eng/file","basis":"Government meeting record"},{"ref":2,"title":"Polar bears in a key region of Canada are in sharp decline, a new survey shows","publisher":"NPR (Associated Press)","date":"2022-12-23","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.wsiu.org/2022-12-23/polar-bears-in-a-key-region-of-canada-are-in-sharp-decline-a-new-survey-shows","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":5,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Medium"},"conflicts":[{"note":"AP (ref 2) says bears are dying in high numbers and the actual decline is larger than expected, quoting an outside biologist; Nunavut's consultation summary (ref 1) says pooled estimates differ by one bear. The 2011 estimate appears as 949 (ref 1) and 1,030 (ref 1 survey report text)."}],"missing_fields":["The ESA listing litigation and the Southern Beaufort count named in the brief were not verified.","No 2025 or 2026 survey was found in pages opened.","Coordinates not taken from a source opened."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-MILNEINLET-IRONORESHIPPING-2024"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-SHRIMPQUOTA-2024","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Greenland cuts its shrimp quota to 83,125 tonnes, beyond the management plan's 12.5% limit, citing stock concern","description":"Greenland's government reduced the shrimp quota to 83,125 tonnes, going beyond the 12.5% annual variation the management plan allows, High North News reported on 4 December 2024 from Sermitsiaq. The government said the cut keeps catches at a level for long-term use of the stock. Shrimp exports were worth about 2 billion kroner from January to October 2024, around half of Greenland's exports.","location":{"name":"West Greenland shrimp fishery","type":"Fish stock (northern shrimp)","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["GL"],"detail":"Greenland's waters; the cited report does not name the fishing areas.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"fisheries-overfishing","secondary_categories":[],"issue_layer":"Living Resources & Habitats","layer_rationale":"A stock-concern quota reduction affecting Greenland's main export fishery.","secondary_drivers":["Stock decline"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":1,"livelihoods":1,"scale":0,"duration":1,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"The government cited concern for the stock; no biomass figure was reported (ref 1).","livelihoods":"The quota cut applies to a fishery worth about 2 billion kroner of Greenland's roughly 4 billion kroner of exports from January to October 2024 (ref 1).","scale":"A single stock under national management (ref 1).","duration":"One quota decision, reported December 2024; a Polar Seafood lawsuit over a halibut quota reallocation was reported in June 2025 as related context (ref 2).","significance":"A formal government decision exceeded the management plan's 12.5% variation limit (ref 1)."}},"status":"Corrective Action Underway","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Greenland's shrimp quota was reduced to 83,125 tonnes, beyond the 12.5% limit set by the management plan (High North News, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Shrimp quota","value":83125,"unit":"tonnes","status":"Reported","note":"Reduced quota, December 2024 (ref 1)."},{"name":"Shrimp share of Greenland exports, January to October 2024","value":50,"unit":"%","status":"Estimated","note":"About 2 billion of 4 billion kroner, rounded in ref 1."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Elevated","signals":["Shrimp is about half of Greenland's export value (ref 1).","Polar Seafood Greenland sued the government over halibut quota loss and warned of 2025 financial impact (ref 2, headline only)."]},"trend":{"direction":"Insufficient History","note":"The prior-year quota was not in the page opened."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland)","role":"Sets quotas","contact":"https://naalakkersuisut.gl/en"}],"public_contact":"Government of Greenland, published general contact channels at naalakkersuisut.gl.","corrective_actions":["The quota was set below the management plan's normal variation limit to protect the stock (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Reduced shrimp quota in Greenland","publisher":"High North News (from Sermitsiaq)","date":"2024-12-04","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://en.highnorthnews.com/home/reduced-shrimp-quota-in-greenland/219192","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Polar sues Greenland gov't over halibut quota loss, warns of 2025 financial impact","publisher":"Undercurrent News","date":"2025-06-06","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2025/06/06/polar-sues-greenland-govt-over-halibut-quota-loss-warns-of-2025-financial-impact/","basis":"News (paywalled; headline only read)"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Corrective Action Underway","score":4,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["Scientific advice, the prior quota and the 2026 shrimp and halibut quotas were not found in pages opened.","The Undercurrent article body is paywalled; only its headline and date were read."],"related_ids":["OC-NATL-GREENLAND-NARWHAL-2026","OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-OILBAN-2026"]},{"id":"OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-OILBAN-2026","revision":1,"change_type":"new","title":"Greenland keeps its 2021 halt on new oil and gas exploration licences as outside interest is reported in 2026","description":"In July 2021 Greenland's government announced it would stop issuing new licences for oil and gas exploration, citing climate and environmental concerns and cost, and said the step protects nature, fisheries and tourism. IBTimes UK reported in August 2026 on an unnamed company it described as linked to Donald Trump, quoting Greenlandic officials that no drilling can take place without official approval and that Greenland keeps full authority over natural resource decisions. The report says prospects for new oil drilling remain highly limited.","location":{"name":"Greenland offshore and onshore petroleum licensing","type":"National petroleum licensing policy","sea":"ARCTIC","seas":["ARCTIC"],"basin":"ARC","countries":["GL"],"detail":"Greenland's waters and territory; the cited sources do not locate specific licence blocks.","points":[],"extent":"national_waters"},"primary_category":"offshore-energy","secondary_categories":["governance-treaties-disputes"],"issue_layer":"Governance & Economy","layer_rationale":"A national moratorium on new licences, with reported foreign interest testing it.","secondary_drivers":["Geopolitical interest in Greenland"],"severity":{"components":{"harm":0,"livelihoods":0,"scale":1,"duration":2,"significance":1},"notes":{"harm":"No drilling harm is documented; the sources describe a licensing policy (refs 1, 2).","livelihoods":"No livelihood disruption is documented; the 2021 decision cited protection of fisheries and tourism (ref 1).","scale":"The policy applies to Greenland's national waters and territory (ref 1).","duration":"The halt dates from July 2021 and was still described as in force in August 2026, over five years (refs 1, 2).","significance":"A government decision halts new licences, and officials said in August 2026 that no drilling can take place without approval (refs 1, 2)."}},"status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","population_affected":{"value":null,"status":"Not reported","note":"No population figure in the cited sources."},"key_measure":{"status":"Reported","text":"Greenland's government will no longer issue new licences for oil and gas exploration (announced 19 July 2021; The Weather Network, ref 1)."},"measures":[{"name":"Years since licensing halt","value":5,"unit":"years","status":"Estimated","note":"July 2021 to October 2026, computed from refs 1 and 2."}],"economic_risk":{"level":"Not Indicated","signals":[]},"trend":{"direction":"Stable","note":"The halt is still described as in place in August 2026 (ref 2)."},"responsible_bodies":[{"name":"Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland)","role":"Licensing authority","contact":"https://naalakkersuisut.gl/en"}],"public_contact":"Government of Greenland, published general contact channels at naalakkersuisut.gl.","corrective_actions":["No new oil and gas exploration licences since the July 2021 decision (ref 1)."],"sources":[{"ref":1,"title":"Greenland government puts an end to new oil and gas exploration","publisher":"The Weather Network","date":"2021-07-21","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/climate/solutions/greenland-government-puts-an-end-to-new-oil-and-gas-exploration","basis":"News"},{"ref":2,"title":"Can a Trump-linked oil firm drill in Greenland? Officials issue clear warning","publisher":"IBTimes UK","date":"2026-08-10","accessed":"2026-10-12","url":"https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/greenland-warns-trump-linked-oil-firm-1813293","basis":"News"}],"history":[{"date":"2026-10-12","status":"Monitoring or Emerging Risk","score":4,"note":"New record (ARCTIC in-depth pass)."}],"first_seen":"2026-10-12","latest_seen":"2026-10-12","verification":{"status":"Verified through cited source date(s)","last_verified":"2026-10-12","confidence":"Low"},"conflicts":[],"missing_fields":["The 2025 to 2026 review of the ban and the company named in the 2026 report were not found in pages opened.","The Weather Network gives the GEUS value as roughly 3 million USD, which looks like an error, so no value is used."],"related_ids":["OC-ARCTIC-GREENLAND-SHRIMPQUOTA-2024","OC-ARCTIC-NORWAY-SEABEDMINING-2025"]}],"corrections":[{"id":"OC-NEPAC-CALIFORNIA-MPAREVIEW-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"sources[1].date","from":"None","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an undated source carries date null."},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHENNAI-OLIVERIDLEYDEATHS-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHENNAI-OLIVERIDLEYDEATHS-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-RUSHIKULYA-ARRIBADA-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-GAHIRMATHA-NESTINGSHIFT-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-GAHIRMATHA-NESTINGSHIFT-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMANTH-CORALBLEACHING-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-SAINTMARTINS-TOURISMCORAL-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-SAINTMARTINS-TOURISMCORAL-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-TURTLEDEATHS-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-COXSBAZAR-TURTLEDEATHS-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-SUNDARBANS-MANGROVEEROSION-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-SUNDARBANS-MANGROVEEROSION-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHILIKA-IRRAWADDYDOLPHIN-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-CHILIKA-IRRAWADDYDOLPHIN-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-ODISHACOAST-HORSESHOECRAB-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-BEN-ANDAMANNICOBAR-CORALBLEACHING-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-GULF-HORMUZ-TRANSITTOLL-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"Not found","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-GULF-KOLLAM-OFFSHOREBLOCKS-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[2].contact","from":"Not found","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-BAB-RUBYMAR-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-YEM-CHIOSLION-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-YEM-CHIOSLION-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-HOD-FUELTANKS-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-YEM-SOUNION-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-YEM-SOUNION-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-AQABA-MHW-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-AQABA-MHW-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-SAU-BRINE-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-JED-MICROPLASTIC-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-EGY-SEALEVEL-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-ATLANTISII-DEEPMINING-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-ATLANTISII-DEEPMINING-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-MARSAALAM-SHARKOVERFISHING-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-RED-PORTSUDAN-RUSSIANBASE-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-KENYA-COASTVULN-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-KENYA-COASTVULN-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-TANZANIA-ISLANDEROSION-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-TANZANIA-ISLANDEROSION-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-ALDABRA-PLASTIC-2025","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-LITTER-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-DARESSALAAM-METALS-2024","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-KENYA-WRECKS-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-KENYA-WRECKS-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[1].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-KENYA-WRECKS-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[2].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-REGIONAL-OILRISK-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[0].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."},{"id":"OC-WIND-REGIONAL-OILRISK-2026","date":"2026-10-12","field":"responsible_bodies[2].contact","from":"","to":null,"reason":"Contract 1.0.1: an unknown contact is null, not an empty string or a placeholder."}],"tombstones":[{"id":"EXAMPLE-CORAL-REEF-BLEACHING-2026","change_type":"removed","reason":"Placeholder record from the launch sample feed; not a finding."},{"id":"EXAMPLE-GLOBAL-TREATY-RATIFICATION-2026","change_type":"removed","reason":"Placeholder record from the launch sample feed; not a finding."}],"coverage":{"date_range":"2023-10-13 to 2026-10-12","searched_geography":["North Pacific (open ocean)","South Pacific (open ocean)","North Atlantic (open ocean)","South Atlantic (open ocean)","Southern Ocean","Arctic Ocean"],"categories":[{"slug":"ocean-warming-heatwaves","researched":true},{"slug":"sea-level-coastal-flooding","researched":true},{"slug":"acidification-deoxygenation","researched":true},{"slug":"coral-reefs","researched":true},{"slug":"fisheries-overfishing","researched":true},{"slug":"plastics-marine-debris","researched":true},{"slug":"nutrient-pollution-dead-zones","researched":true},{"slug":"chemical-oil-pollution","researched":true},{"slug":"shipping-ports-noise","researched":true},{"slug":"offshore-energy","researched":true},{"slug":"deep-sea-mining","researched":true},{"slug":"coastal-habitats","researched":true},{"slug":"marine-wildlife","researched":true},{"slug":"polar-oceans-sea-ice","researched":true},{"slug":"governance-treaties-disputes","researched":true},{"slug":"aquaculture","researched":true},{"slug":"other","researched":true}],"unverified_fields":[],"gaps":["Researched by Claude Code agents from international and national agencies, scientific monitoring programmes, courts and news; documented issues, not a census.","In-depth pass for North Pacific (open ocean), South Pacific (open ocean), North Atlantic (open ocean), South Atlantic (open ocean), Southern Ocean, Arctic Ocean (NPAC, SPAC, NATL, SATL, SOUTHERN, ARCTIC; Claude Code): 119 new findings across all 17 categories, added to existing findings."],"exhaustive":false,"regions_researched":["ARCTIC","BAL","BEN","BERING","BLK","BRA","CAR","CORAL","ECS","EIND","GOG","GOM","GULF","JPN","MED","NATL","NEATL","NEPAC","NPAC","NSEA","NWATL","RED","SAFR","SATL","SCS","SEA","SEPAC","SOUTHERN","SPAC","TASMAN","TROPEPAC","WIND"],"statement":"This is a ranked set of discoverable, reported, or officially documented issues, not a census of every problem in the world ocean. Low coverage or missing public records do not prove the absence of an issue."},"errors":[]}