‘Lungs of the Mediterranean’ at risk | Malay Mail

  • 📰 malaymail
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 68 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Qulity Score:
  • News: 30%
  • Publisher: 86%

TUNIS, May 3 — Under the Mediterranean waters off Tunisia, gently waving green seagrass meadows provide vital marine habitats for the fishing fleets and an erosion buffer for the beaches the tourism industry depends on. Even more importantly, seagrass is such a key store of carbon and producer of...

Malaysia Headlines News

Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines

TUNIS, May 3 — Under the Mediterranean waters off Tunisia, gently waving green seagrass meadows provide vital marine habitats for the fishing fleets and an erosion buffer for the beaches the tourism industry depends on.

Named Posidonia oceanica after the Greek god of the sea Poseidon, seagrass spans the Mediterranean seabed from Cyprus to Spain, sucking in carbon and curbing water acidity. The underwater flowering plants absorb three times more blue carbon — the term used to describe the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by the ocean and coastal ecosystems — than a forest, and they can store it for thousands of years, she said.But a dangerous cocktail of rampant pollution, illegal fishing using bottom trawling nets that rip up the seagrass, and a failure by people to appreciate its life-giving importance is spelling its demise.

Areas of seagrass meadows have been slashed by more than half in the Gulf of Gabes, a vast area on Tunisia’s eastern coast, Sghaier said, with a 2010 study blaming excessive fishing and pollution. Magdiche calculates his catch is three times less than what it was 25 years ago, but said he had little alternative income.“You are not looking out for the interests of the sea, but to feed your children,” he added.Nearly 70 per cent of the Tunisian population lives on 1,400 kilometres of coastline, and for many Posidonia is considered mere rubbish.

“We are helping to make beaches disappear by removing the banks,” said Ahmed Ben Hmida, of Tunisia’s Coastal Protection and Development Agency.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 1. in MY
 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Taiwan flags risk of Stinger missile delays, says pressing US | Malay MailTAIPEI, May 3 ― Taiwan's Defence Ministry today said deliveries of shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles could be delayed, saying they were pressing the United States to deliver on schedule as the war in Ukraine pressures supplies. The missiles are in hot demand in Ukraine, where they... US will make more money in the proxy wars…
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

Australia hikes interest rates for first time since 2010 | Malay MailSYDNEY, May 3 — Australia’s central bank raised interest rates for the first time in more than a decade on Tuesday, a pre-election hike designed to curb soaring consumer prices. The Reserve Bank of Australia raised the main lending rate by 25 basis points to 0.35 per cent, the first increase...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

BP plunges into US$20.4b loss on Russia exit | Malay MailLONDON, May 3 — British energy giant BP on Tuesday plunged into a huge net loss in the first quarter after it decided to exit Russia over the country’s invasion of neighbour Ukraine. The loss after tax stood at US$20.4 billion (RM88.8 billion) following BP’s decision in February to pull its...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

Fiji court rules United States can seize Russian superyacht | Malay MailYDNEY, May 3 ― A Fiji court ruled today that the United States can seize a Russian-owned superyacht, 21 days after it arrived and was impounded by police, as the United States and its allies press Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. US authorities assert that the luxury vessel, the Amadea, is...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

Taiwan cuts Covid quarantine for arrivals even as cases rise | Malay MailTAIPEI, May 3 ― Taiwan announced today it was cutting to seven days from 10 mandatory quarantine for all arrivals, its latest relaxation of the rules to try to live with Covid-19 and resume normal life even as the number of domestic infections spikes. Taiwan has kept its quarantine rules in place...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

Norway sovereign wealth fund CEO warns of ‘rocky ride ahead’ | Malay MailOSLO, May 3 — Norway’s US$1.2 trillion (RM5.2 trillion) sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, expects difficult market conditions in the time to come, affected by geopolitical events and inflation, its chief executive said today. Inflation, already on the rise before the war in Ukraine,...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »