Everyone knows the oceans are changing. Sea levels are rising, the water’s getting hotter, coral is disappearing. But what does that actually mean? What impact are the changing oceans having on humans? Hannah Stitfall is joined by climate activist Shaama Sandooyea, who explains how climate change is impacting her home nation of Mauritius, and grammy-nominated DJ and environmental toxicologist Jayda G travels to the studio to tell Hannah about her new CNN film, ‘Blue Carbon.’

Shaama Sandooyea (Intro):
One of my fondest memories is me standing on the beach in Flic en Flac in Mauritius, which is on the west coast. This is the beach where I used to go with my parents and my family during summer trips.

This is one of my most favourite beaches because of the memories, because of the laughter of the people there because of the scent, the smell of the food, the whole place is just amazing.

But unfortunately, that the change over the past decades because of the beach erosion, so we lost actually a huge amount of beach, small island developing states, we are being affected so much by the climate crisis to the point that the land is being reduced. And yet we are barely contributing to it. So the way that we see climate change in in other countries is very serious as well. But small islands came to a point where it’s disrupting the society there. It’s disrupting the way of life and the way that the people function.

Hannah Stitfall:
This is Oceans: Life Under Water, a podcast series that brings the oceans and the incredible life within them right into your headphones.

I’m Hannah Stitfall. And in this episode: Changing Oceans. We all know that climate change is having a huge impact on our seas. Trawling alone emits as much CO2 as the whole aviation industry. But away from the scary stats, what do the changing oceans actually look like?

Shaama Sandooyea (Intro):
It’s a huge part of us to be from Mauritius. Because wherever you are around the world, and you see Mauritan, the joy that you have. But having that be stripped away is is ripping off our identity of ourselves.

Hannah Stitfall:
Is there any hope?

Jayda (Intro):
Blue carbon essentially is where various plants within an ecosystem they’re really good at pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it into the ground where it stays. We’re basically giving them like a new press release. We’re like, come on guys. This is like the big new, like environmental ecosystem that we should be really paying attention to.

Hannah Stitfall:
This is Oceans: Life Under Water, Episode 11.

I’m really pleased to be joined today by Shaama Sandooyea. Shaama is a marine biologist from Mauritius. She staged the first ever underwater climate protest to highlight the impacts that climate change is having on Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, and it gives me great pleasure to welcome into the studio Shaama. Hello!

Shaama Sandooyea:
Hello! How are you?

Hannah Stitfall:
I’m very well! Where are you?

Shaama Sandooyea:
I’m currently in Serbia. I’m not in Mauritius at the moment.

Hannah Stitfall:
Oh, I see. Is that where you’re living then?

Shaama Sandooyea:
Yes, at the moment. Yes.

Hannah Stitfall:
A bit different from Mauritius.

Shaama Sandooyea:
Well, it’s not surrounded by the ocean. So yeah, it’s quite different.

Hannah Stitfall:
Tell me where you’re from. I mean, for some of our listeners that might not have ever had the opportunity to go to Mauritius. I mean, I never have, I would love to. Tell us what it’s like. What does it look like? What does it sound like? Tell us a bit about Mauritius.

Shaama Sandooyea:
Okay, so I might be sounding a bit nostalgic, when I’m talking about it because I love my country so much. But basically Mauritius, as all of you probably know is it’s an island. It’s a small island. And it’s found right in the middle of the ocean in the Indian Ocean. And it’s like on the south eastern coast of East Africa, East of Madagascar, and it’s really a dot on the map. But I also like to say that Mauritius is not just a small island, but it’s actually a large ocean state because it has 2.3 million kilometres square of exclusive economic zone which is like maritime zone and everything. Mauritius itself is the main island but we do have smaller islands around like Rodrigues, Agaléga, St Brandon, Chagos and Tromelin. And probably Mauritius is also famous for the dodo.

Mauritius for me, it’s a country that has many facets. So, the first thing that I say when I think about Mauritius is the beauty, the multicultural, the diversity of the people, of the languages, of the way of living. So, there is this part of Mauritius that is abundant with life. You have the endemic plants, you have insects, you have the birds that are flying by the mountains, you have the wetlands. They are sheltering, migrating birds from Europe basically. They are very important for us. We also have mangroves that are protecting the coastline so they are like these trees that are guarding the coast of the island. And of course we have sea grasses, sometimes you can catch a seahorse there. We have the coral reefs. And these coral reefs, they are home to the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, different types of fish of eels, sea turtles, that’s one side of the country that, that I really like to put forward like this, this quality of life, this diversity of life that exists there, the colours, the green forests, the green mountains, and also the blue ocean. And this is just fabulous.

But unfortunately, there is also another side of Mauritius, which is a bit damaged. We have, of course, social issues, a lot of inequalities on the island, but when we focus a bit more about the environment, there is a part of Mauritius that is, that has been pretty much destroyed. I would say since since the colonisation of the island, by the Dutch, British and French, of course, at the time, they were not fully aware of the environment and the importance of protecting it. So a lot of our natural endemic forest has been cleared. And also, of course, the dodo were killed and a lot of animals started disappearing because of that. For example, we had dugongs in the Mauritian waters. But of course, sailors started killing them to feed.

So there is also the side of the island that I really want to have in mind. Because when I speak of about Mauritius, to anyone, everyone is actually very excited about it, Oh Mauritius, it’s perfect! Yeah, yeah, it is beautiful. And I cannot I’m always amazed by the diversity of life, every time I’m seeing a new fish, I’m super excited about it. But also there is this part that is destroyed. And I want to raise awareness on it so that people can understand, Okay, this is beautiful, this is natural, this is paradise, but also we have other issues behind and these issues, they are growing faster than the country can recover faster than the animals can recover. So this is how I would like to describe Mauritius. It has plenty of faces, multifaceted, but beautiful.

Hannah Stitfall:
I mean, it sounds wonderful. Sign me up! Sign me up. I want to go there right now. So for some of our listeners that may not know what a small nation island is, can we can we just expand on what that actually means?

Shaama Sandooyea:
Well, of course! The most common term that is used for that is ‘small island developing state’. So basically, there are many small islands that are developing countries around the world, whether it’s in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean. You do have like small land territories, if I can say that. But the ocean is, they have a bigger ocean territory, but they’re just like, very small lands.

And they share challenges that are quite similar, whether it’s social, environmental, or economical. Like, for example, on the islands, on the small island developing states, there are limited resources, we don’t have as enough resources as any other bigger country. And that’s a problem because we need to import. Import products, we depend on in our international trade, whether it’s for food, whether it’s for transportation, or for development and everything. So there is that.

There is also the fact that the small islands, they are quite a way far away from from the mainland. So in terms of travelling, transportation, it’s very complicated. For example, when you’re living in Europe, you’re living in the US or Australia or Asia, whichever, like a big continent, you can travel, you can travel and it’s fairly easy. But to get out of Mauritius, for example, you need to have the aeroplane. So it’s always that remoteness that is very challenging. I know for example, a lot of Mauritians that never left the country, and probably never will because it does cost a lot of money. So we have that as well.

And we have the fact that most of these islands they are they are located on subtropical latitude, but the problem is that these places they are more susceptible to natural disasters, like heavy rainfall, cyclones, typhoons, etc. So having these conditions which make them more prone to disasters, and knowing that there are limited resources on the island, it’s complicated for recoveries, complicated for even to be prepared for these things and then to recover.

Also, these islands they they are not just limited in terrestrial resources, but they have a vast maritime resources like like really big maritime zone and a lot of these islands depend on the ocean. Depend on the ocean for food, depend on the ocean for travelling, depend on the ocean for, for just being, as part of their culture as part of who they are. So that’s mostly how I would describe the small island nation.

Hannah Stitfall:
And tell us a bit about what’s happening with the small island nations and climate change.

Shaama Sandooyea:
Okay, so even if all small island developing states, they are facing the same challenges, not all of them are being affected by the same way, by climate change. If we take the example of Vanuatu, if we take the example of some other islands in the Pacific, of course, sea level rise is, is gonna be a huge problem for them, a huge crisis for them because it’s a flat island, so it’s easier for them to be swallowed. But for example, in Mauritius and Reunion Island, we are mostly volcanic islands, and we have mountains we have higher lands. So of course, the sea level rise is going to affect us as well, as it is already – it’s eating a lot of our beaches, but there is still land for us to move to there is still this, there will still be Mauritius, Mauritius will still exist on the map. But it’s just that, of course, when the sea is rising, when the sea level is rising, people are going to be displaced, they’re gonna lose their homes, they’re gonna lose everything. And this displacement is not something that we have enough space for or enough capacity, resources, especially in terms of money. So the challenges are quite complicated.

Also, it depends a lot on… well, we know that every year we have climate phenomenon like El Nino or La Nina. So that also really influences the climate on the islands. In one way you can have, for example, the El Nino we had the El Nino for the summer of 2023 to 2024. And the masquerade islands, Madagascar, we, we witnessed, like an obscene amount of rainfall of water coming from the sky. And it was so serious that the rainy season started way earlier. It started since November. And usually it starts around January, February. It started since November, and almost every week, the government had to close schools because it’s too much water. It’s risky. There were many, many accidents, and you cannot just let people go out when it’s raining that much. And we had some severe cases, not just in Mauritius, but in Reunion Island as well, in Madagascar, where houses are flooded completely people don’t they are pushed out by the water. And they don’t know what to do it was it was very traumatising for the people. Also, at the same time, if we have, for example, La Nina, well, it’s going to be drier condition, which means that we don’t have water.

So even if we do our best to prepare and adapt for it, it’s something that we are limited to adapt to it, we for example, the piece of land that we have is not going to sustain 200 millimetres of water in 24 hours. It’s never going to do that. But also another thing is, of course, when we talk about rain, we talk about drought, we talking about food security. So a lot of a lot of these islands, they have some small plantations, even if they cannot plant like everything. But the extreme climatic conditions make it really hard to grow anything. And even if we managed to do it, where the prices are just going to skyrocket because it’s too… it’s not growing well or it’s bad. So this is these are the main points that I will say about how climate change is affecting small island nations.

Of course, I’m not even mentioning about the social issues that come behind it, but it’s a lot.

Hannah Stitfall:
And just for our listeners at home, El Nino and La Nina are just extreme climatic events.

Shaama Sandooyea:
They are actually natural currents that occur. They are just the different length. El Nino is a different direction and La Nina is a different direction. So these currents they occur in the Pacific Ocean, and they influence the weather a lot in South America, in Australia, east of Asia, and of course Africa as well. For us in the Indian Ocean. If we have El Nino, it means that we’re going to have warm currents and with a lot of humidity and rain, but La Nina for example, in Mauritius, in Africa, of course, it’s small, drier conditions. But if it’s drier for us, then it’s also more typhoons for Southeast Asia. These are like natural currents that exist already. But they influence the climate a lot on the neighbouring countries and with climate change is becoming extreme.

Hannah Stitfall:
And how often is it an El Nino or La Nina year? Is that Is it just every every other year?

Shaama Sandooyea:
No. For example, for the past three years, we’ve actually had La Nina consecutively because yeah, it was a bit problematic for African countries because they had long droughts, but it’s not necessarily one year El Nino and another year La Nina, it can be for example three years La Nina and one year El Nino.

Hannah Stitfall:
Yeah, cuz I was gonna say you know if it, if it is one year one and one year the other then, you know if it was raining raining a lot, then you could sort of, you know, store that water to see us through the next year but you know if La Nina lasting three years. That’s serious drought, isn’t it?

Shaama Sandooyea:
And yeah, it is it is serious drought. And that’s why for the past few years, we’ve seen like horrible drought conditions in African nations like unbelievable, but also now we can see that they are being flooded because of the of the rain and everything.

Hannah Stitfall:
Ok, back to Shaama…

If Mauritius, as a small island nation, if it were to become unlivable at one point, because of the effects of, of climate change, how would that affect your identity?

Shaama Sandooyea:
I mean, how would you feel about that, and I guess other people from Mauritius, the thing is that we are already feeling it. Because like I mentioned earlier, we had some pretty serious rainfall for the summer 2023/2024. And you don’t recognise your home anymore, you don’t recognise the island anymore. Like it’s destroyed, your house is destroyed. The island where you see is destroyed, the ecosystems are destroyed. And you feel a sense of, of danger, of insecurity, because you’re not sure if you can still be here in the next 10 years. And for sure, if you want to have kids, you’re not even sure they will be able to live here or to sustain themselves here. Like what is the future of the people there? What is the future of the next generations? And, and that’s something very hard because we are I mean, we are Mauritians, we are from an island, we see life differently, but also at the same time, it’s a huge part of us to be from Mauritius. Because wherever you are around the world and you see Mauritians, the joy that you have that someone is from an island is here next to you. It’s amazing! But having that be stripped away is, is ripping off our identity of ourselves. It’s a big thing for us.

Hannah Stitfall:
And are you hopeful for the future of Mauritius?

Shaama Sandooyea:
Ah, well, not so much.

Hannah Stitfall:
Oh!

Shaama Sandooyea:
Um, yeah, I’m very sorry about it. I am not hopeful at all because when we look at the picture of how Mauritius is, it’s an island that has been destroyed for the past 400 years probably. And we don’t have enough political will or enough strength to actually make a change. I’m very, I’m criticising always, I’m criticising the government and also the private sector because they are profit driven, they are not driven by the future of the island. Because if they were, they would actually work together with, with the communities there, with the people there, with the workers on the island. But it’s not happening that way is always a system of profit driven. And also at the same time, Mauritius is, I mean, all the states, they are not even contributing to 1% of the climate crisis. It’s not proportionate at all! I mean, whatever we do, even if we start planting a lot of trees on the island, okay, it can help us when we want to, I mean, for example, we want to adapt to the situation of higher heavy rainfall, planting trees and mangroves, it’s actually going to help us to adapt to it and to be stronger to be more resilient. But at the same time, for example, like I mentioned, when we have 200 millimetres of water falling down from the sky, how do we do it? How many trees do we need for it? So there is this part where we are not in control of the climate crisis at all, we are not, we cannot do anything about it for now. I mean, we can advocate for it, we can push, we can pressure the world leaders, we can pressure them, we can push our government, we can pressure the private sector to stop depleting the ocean like that. But I am not hopeful at all about the future of the island. And now we’ve come to a point where they’ve built so many houses on the beach, that they are going on mountains, to build hotels and villas there for wealthy people. I mean, if Mauritians cannot afford housing in the country, why? Why are we doing these things? But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be hopeless about it. I feel hopeless about it. But that doesn’t mean I should, I should just let it go. Because that’s what that’s what they want us to be hopeless and not do anything and just let them get away with it.

Hannah Stitfall:
Right, so Shaama? We know, things are pretty bad. Yeah. How can we stop it?

Shaama Sandooyea:
Oh, there are so many things that can be done. Okay. So there are things that we all can do by ourselves. Although I believe that it’s not big enough to make a change. I’m very sorry for saying that. I’m trying not to break the morale here. But for example…

Hannah Stitfall:
Give me some hope!

Shaama Sandooyea:
Like switching the way that we consume things, increasing our awareness about it, this is very important. But also, we need to know that every action does not have the same impact at every level. For example, when I’m refusing to eat meat, when I’m refusing to use plastic, okay, it’s going to reduce the amount of CO2 of emitting all the plastic and putting in back in nature and everything. But also at the same time, there is a huge cooperate there still producing plastic and giving to others. So the most consequent actions I can suggest is to take it up to politics, to take it up to the corporates, to the companies that are destroying constantly destroying areas because of the resources because of the oil, the oil industry, keep the pressure on the oil industry keep the pressure on where the government’s on, on world leaders that are refusing to acknowledge the need for climate urgency, because they keep on admitting and they don’t know, but it’s affecting us here in Mauritius, for example. So these are my line of actions that I would highly recommend to people. And I believe that if we keep doing that we they will need to change but yeah, that’s my take on it.

Hannah Stitfall:
Oh there you go, for all our listeners at home. That’s our call to action. After you’ve listened to this you’ won’t’ll need to email your MPs get in touch with everybody.

Shaama Sandooyea:
Yeah, and literally everyone, everyone has to be on board with this.

Hannah Stitfall:
Well listen Shaama thank you for coming on today and speaking to me, it’s been it’s been brilliant talking to you actually. Mauritius, I guess, I guess for me, you know, being in England and some of our listeners it seems like a world away and and of course it is one of the frontline places in in climate change. So thank you very much. It’s been really good talking to you. Thank you.

Shaama Sandooyea:
Well, thank you as well. And thank you all, to all the listeners for for paying attention and then doing what’s what needs to be done. Thank you so much.

Hannah Stitfall:
So what can we do? Are we headed for a future where our island nations disappear? I mean, that’s all a bit of doom and gloom, isn’t it? But I’ve got someone else in the studio with me now, who says the answer to that is No.

Jayda G is a Grammy nominated DJ and music producer from Canada, as she also happens to be an environmental toxicologist. Her film Blue Carbon comes out on CNN later this year. And it gives me great pleasure to welcome Jayda to the studio! How are you?

Jayda:
Hi! So glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Hannah Stitfall:
Thank you for coming on. I mean, I’ve been working in wildlife stuff for a while now. What is an environmental toxicologist? What is that?!

Jayda:
I know, it’s so funny, it’s like on like, my description on Instagram. And like I was talking about it on like, some Instagram real and someone was just like, Yo, what is actually an environmental toxicologist? Like, that’s a great question.

Yeah no, it’s basically the study of chemicals and how they affect our environment. So it could be how it affects plants, how it affects animals, and the ecosystem as a whole. Yeah, super fun.

Hannah Stitfall:
I mean, it’s a it’s a fascinating, fascinating life. Because as I said, you know, you don’t you don’t think of somebody being a DJ in, you know, playing all these amazing gigs and Grammy nominated, but also really interested in like chemical reactions.

Jayda:
Yeah, nature as a whole.

Hannah Stitfall:
And that, but that’s our fault. That is our fault. You know, you stereotype people. And we do it every single day. And yeah, you know, you can be really, really cool, but also really interested in nature.

Jayda:
No, I’m just really nerdy, like across the board.

Hannah Stitfall:
So, Jayda, tell me about your film that’s coming out with CNN later on this year.

Hannah Stitfall:
Yeah, Blue Carbon, I’m so excited about it. It has been in the makings for a number of years now. Yeah, so Blue Carbon is an environmental documentary, where I’m kind of like the host, the main person, you come along a journey with me where I learn about blue carbon ecosystems. And blue carbon ecosystems are these environments that are really good at pulling carbon out of the atmosphere, and putting it into the ground. So they’re amazing at combating climate change. And I go around the world kind of discovering these different ecosystems and how they can help our world essentially.

Hannah Stitfall:
Because I mean, blue carbon, I mean, how would you describe that for our listeners that might not have heard about it.

Jayda:
Totally, what is blue carbon? Blue carbon, essentially, is where various plants within an ecosystem on coastal ecosystems are really good at pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it into the ground where it stays. And it helps that whole ecosystem basically live and thrive. And blue carbon ecosystems include mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows. And we talked a lot about this on the film, like kind of like the skin to our land, like, it creates a barrier so that it really helps the mainland from kind of like storms and hurricanes and things like that. So these are very important ecosystems.

Also, they are like 10 times better at pulling carbon out of the atmosphere than like the Amazon rainforest. So they were basically giving them like a new press release. Like, come on, guys. This is like the big new, like environmental ecosystem that we should be really paying attention to. Yeah. And blue carbon essentially, is not blue. Just so you know, in case you were curious! Because it’s really just, you know, these plants that are really good at pulling carbon and putting into the ground. So it’s just like this muddy, like soil that’s very just thick. And yeah, has a whole amazing ecosystem that goes along with it.

Hannah Stitfall:
I love that analogy. You know, that it’s the skin of the land.

Jayda:
Yeah, it’s really cool. It really just, it really emphasises the importance of it. These are definitely not ecosystems to be overlooked. But they have been for a long time because they’re not maybe like the most like sexy environments.

Hannah Stitfall:
They’re important! Mud is important!

Jayda:
Mud is important!

Hannah Stitfall:
So what would happen because I know they, they themselves, they store a lot of CO2, they pull it out?

Jayda:
Yes, yes.

Hannah Stitfall:
What would happen if we, if we lost…

Jayda:
Yes, if we lost those ecosystems, it would emit a tonne of carbon out into the atmosphere essentially. So it’s not only just trying to grow and protect these ecosystems because they are good at pulling carbon, CO2 out of the atmosphere. But if we lose them, we lose what in biology you would call a carbon sink, you lose these areas that are holding and storing a tonne of carbon and when you lose those areas, that means more carbon in the atmosphere.

So about 67% of the collective mangroves, seagrass meadows and salt marshes have been lost.

Hannah Stitfall:
Oh!

Jayda:
Yeah. So it’s a very high number. They’re, yeah, they’re so important. So it’s kind of like we need to get our butts in gear. Yeah.

Hannah Stitfall:
Yeah. And I mean, you do see, you know, places they turn their mangroves into….

Jayda:
Yeah, they totally decimate them.

Hannah Stitfall:
You know, people with yachts can go there.

Jayda:
Totally and it’s like, I don’t know why, but humans really love to completely re make these really muddy. I don’t know, these marshy areas into parking lots. Yeah. I don’t know what it is about that. But um, yeah. And that’s kind of what this film is about, where it just really highlights the importance of these ecosystems and that we should really look at protecting them.

Hannah Stitfall:
For the film, you must have travelled all over the place. I mean, I was reading you went to you went to Vietnam to France to Brazil. Tell us about some of the stories when you were filming and some of the some of the people you met.

Jayda:
Oh, my goodness. So it was really cool because the production company and the director Nicholas Brown, they really wanted me to experience the whole film, like how the audience is going to experience it. So literally, like, as you are seeing the film, I’m like learning about these ecosystems like along with you.

So the first place we go to is Vietnam, and we learn about how, during the Vietnam War, when they were spraying Agent Orange everywhere, it completely decimated all of the mangrove forests there, which are so so important to protecting Ho Chi Minh City. And we end up meeting this man, Dr. Nam, this guy was just like, such a G. And he had been hired by the government of Vietnam, to literally just go and replant the mangroves. That’s what his job was, like after the Vietnam War. So he spent all the 70s and 80s. Learning how to plant mangroves literally just like from scratch, like there’s all these photos of him just like this, like old dugout canoe, just like putting the mangroves in and figuring it out, like in real time. And it’s he replanted the whole forest, like it was successful. That’s the craziest part. So just like that’s just like a tidbit of some of the crazy stories that we learn in this film.

Hannah Stitfall:
Where else, how many countries did you go to?

Jayda:
Yeah, so Vietnam, Brazil, obviously, Senegal, we ended up going to. I ended up being in Colombia, that was an amazing experience. And they also do a profile in France as well. And also the states of Florida. So six countries.

Hannah Stitfall:
When when you were there, and obviously spending, spending time with these communities that rely on the oceans, and are very, very entwined with them. I mean, what did you personally take away from spending time with them?

Jayda:
Yeah. So much. The number one thing I took home, and this kind of changes, like every day, because it’s like, you’re constantly processing this insane experience. But just how important community is, how important it is to work together on something. That’s something we really highlight in the film. And it’s kind of like the solution to everything. That when you band together and have agency, the ability to make good decisions for your community, things really start coming together.

Hannah Stitfall:
And I’ve heard that in the film, you mention carbon credits schemes. I mean, this is the first time I’d heard of them. I’m sure some of our listeners might have heard of them. For anybody that hasn’t, can you just explain a bit about what they are?

Jayda:
Yeah. So carbon credit schemes are essentially where it funnels money from people who are emitting carbon to people who are taking carbon out of the atmosphere. That’s like the basic.

Hannah Stitfall:
So basically it’s a bit like offsetting your air miles.

Jayda:
Kind of. Basically. But it’s a bit more detailed than that. But basically, we profiled this community in Senegal, where there are companies that hire people in Senegal who live near the mangrove forests, to they take money from that company and pay people to actually plant the mangroves. So that’s essentially it and then as we go through the film, we talk about the pros and cons of that scheme. So where does the money actually come from? How much do people get paid? Do the people who are actually planting the mangroves? Do they have agency on who they get to choose from who’s paying them? Those kinds of questions, and we really dig deep into that and find some pretty interesting solutions. So yeah.

Hannah Stitfall:
Because I mean, yeah, in the film, you are showing that these systems, yeah, they don’t currently work. There’s, there’s a lot of a lot of bad stuff about that at all. And, you know, these big companies, for them, it’s just, it’s just a box ticker, you know. And also, it’s not a like for like, you know, mangroves take years and years to grow.

Jayda:
Exactly like Dr. Nam in Vietnam, took multiple decades to replant this forest that was completely decimated during the Vietnam War. And it’s not something that happens over like, a couple years. It’s something that happens over many, many, many years. So yeah, it’s about protecting these ecosystems, what we have already, growing more so that they can flourish. And really understanding that this isn’t yeah, a tit for tat situation, that there’s a lot of time, energy, and a lot of love that goes into these ecosystems.

Hannah Stitfall:
And you were saying earlier that communities that they’re picking and choosing which companies that they…

Jayda:
Yeah in Colombia they are, yes.

Hannah Stitfall:
And that’s really, really cool. Because, you know, as I said, you know, the big companies, I guess they come in, it’s just a box ticker for them. We’ve done the carbon credit scheme, that’s it. So it’s good that the people on the ground are able to work with companies that I guess, do understand that this is an investment, and it’s going to take time, and they’re not just, they actually care.

Jayda:
Exactly, yeah. And it’s such a more holistic view, I guess that’s like, I think the one of the things I was really struck by because you have the communities, you have researchers working there, you have the government working there, and you have the companies. So it’s so interesting, because for me personally, because I got my masters in natural resource and environmental management. And you learn about stakeholders. Stakeholders are people, all the different kinds of people who are invested in that resource. And there’s each person or area, whether it’s the government, whether it’s people who live there, etc. have their own take on that. And Colombia is really a great example of all the stakeholders coming together in a common value to actually protect, save and preserve these ecosystems for for the greater good of the planet.

Hannah Stitfall:
And I know that the film is there, there’s a lot of hope in the film.

Jayda:
Yes. That was a big reason why I want to do this.

Hannah Stitfall:
Do you think that there is hope?

Jayda:
Yeah, totally. It’s even before I did this film, like I remember working in my, with my professor who was the main environmental toxicologist in that department. And he would always say, like, there are so many hopeful stories out there within the research. It’s just anyone who works in academia knows this by the time like, someone has found whatever it is the thing that’s positive within, you know, the area that they’re working in, it takes sometimes a decade for that to reach, like to public knowledge.

So there are a lot of really positive stories out there, where we’ve discovered something about this chemical, and now we know how bad it is. And then there are all these policy restrictions now, within that country that keep it from using it. Like there’s a lot of really cool stories like that. And this film is along a similar track where it really talks about, you know, obviously, like the really bad things about climate change. We all know about it. It’s not pretty, it’s really depressing in a lot of ways. But there are ecosystems that are really good at combating it. And there are ways of really galvanising, those ecosystems basically, by empowering the people who really live and breathe within those ecosystems to take care of their home, essentially.

Hannah Stitfall:
Yeah. And when people start to take care of the ecosystems more, it makes them more resilient. You know, it’s not half the battle, but it’s but it’s part of the battle.

Jayda:
Exactly. It’s a good, it’s a very healthy start. Yeah.

Hannah Stitfall:
And have you had any, any first hand feedback back from say, some of your fans that know you for your music. Have you had any of them, you know, reach out to you and say, you know, I’m now interested in the environment, I had no idea.

Jayda:
Oh, yeah, totally like, the nice thing too, was just hearing how there’s so many people out there who also work in sciences. And they’re so interested in dance music as well. They love to dance music. And yeah, it’s just how they both kind of reside in these two worlds. And they just get really happy to see someone who is the same. So yeah, yeah, camaraderie.

Hannah Stitfall:
I know a lot of people in science that are into dance music, I like to think that it’s because if you’re into science, and you’re quite intelligent, but we also like to go and have a good rave.

Jayda:
Yeah, I think everyone needs to, like, let it all out and have a good dance. You know, get those endorphins going. Especially when you’re studying about climate change, yeah, really helps.

Hannah Stitfall:
So Jayda, for our listeners into podcast, you’ve got your own one coming out.

Jayda:
Yes, I’ve been working on my own podcast, it’s called Here’s Hoping. And it really was born out of this entire experience of this film, because the film is so based on hope. And it really got me actually researching about what hope actually means. And I am a big Brené Brown fan. Shout out to Brené Brown, and she wrote this book called Atlas of the Heart. And it really is a dictionary about emotions, and what emotions actually mean, and how they are related to each other.

So she talks about hope. And hope is essentially when you have three things; when you have a goal, and when you have a pathway, and when you have agency for that goal and pathway, when you actually are able to believe in yourself. When you have those three things, you are able to have hope. And that’s basically what this podcast is about.

Hannah Stitfall:
Well enough. I can’t wait to listen to that.

Jayda:
It’s been really amazing doing like, you know, just filming all the beginning episodes for this because it’s supposed to come out at the top of May, hopefully and so, yeah, it’s been really wonderful hearing everyone’s stories of hope.

Hannah Stitfall:
Oh Jayda, thank you so much for coming in today. I can’t wait to see the film. And I know our listeners are going to be on the edge of this as well. Keep up the brilliant work, the dance music and saving the planet. I mean, it’s a win-win.

Jayda:
Trying over here. Thank you so much for having me. I truly appreciate it. Bye!

Hannah Stitfall:
In our next and final episode, we’re looking to the future. And I meet someone who is on the front lines of the oceans Treaty, which was finally passed last year after decades of negotiations. It was a huge deal. And I’m asking: How much is it really going to help. But before that, we’re going to Brazil, where a group of fishermen have developed a very special working relationship with the dolphins there.

This episode was brought to you by Greenpeace and Crowd Network. It’s hosted by me, wildlife filmmaker and broadcaster Hannah Stitfall. It is produced by Anastasia Auffenberg, and our executive producer Steve Jones. The music we use is from our partners BMG Production Music. Archive courtesy of Greenpeace. The team at Crowd Network is Catalina Nogueira, Archie Built Cliff, George Sampson and Robert Wallace. The team at Greenpeace is James Hansen, Flora Hevesi, Alex Yallop, Janae Mayer and Alice Lloyd Hunter. Thanks for listening and see you next week. Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Protect the Oceans

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This story was originally posted by Greenpeace Argentina in Spanish.

Clearing and deforestation are aggressively advancing on the native forests of northern Argentina, according to a recent report from Greenpeace Argentina based on satellite monitoring imagery.

To understand the magnitude of the damage caused, the images below show some of the highlights from this new investigation along with part of the photographic survey of cleared areas.

During 2023, 126,149 hectares of native forests were lost in the north of the country, 6.2% more than in 2022.

It’s clear that there was an increase in land clearings last year, especially illegally.

100% of the clearings in Chaco and 80% of the clearings in Santiago del Estero were illegal.

The main cause of the loss of native forests in Argentina is the growth of the agricultural industry, mainly for intensive livestock farming and genetically modified  soybeans, which are mostly exported to Asia and Europe.

The increasing levels of deforestation in Argentina and around the world intensify the consequences of climate change, which range from more and frequent extreme weather events, to the extinction of species, displacement of native and Indigenous communities and impacts on human health.

Meri Castro is a Digital Content Creator at Greenpeace Andino.

Oceans are life and all life is connected. 

Wherever we live, we need the oceans. And the oceans need all of us, everywhere, to push for their protection. There is no green and just future anywhere without protection for our blue oceans and all who depend on them.

The adoption of the Global Oceans Treaty by the United Nations in June 2023 was a massive step toward ocean protection. It took decades of work from many nations and organisations and the support of millions to achieve, but there is still work to do: The Treaty is a powerful tool — which can be used to create vast ocean sanctuaries where marine life can recover and thrive — but will only enter into force once at least 60 governments have written it into their national law. 

The world is watching — and waiting on — this countdown for ocean protection!

Which countries have written the Global Oceans Treaty into law? 

From early ratifiers like Palau and Chile and all the way through the number 60 we’ll be tracking nations as they sign the treaty into law. 

Countries to ratify: Palau, Chile, Belize, Seychelles, the European Union

Don’t see your home or resident nation included above? Add your name to our global petition to call on leaders to create new ocean sanctuaries and protect our blue planet: 

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Greenpeace urges governments to ratify the Treaty by the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025, and at the same time to create new marine protected areas.

From Treaty to Sanctuaries  

With a heating climate, overfishing and pollution pushing our oceans to the brink of collapse, world leaders need to sign the Treaty into law to bring it into force and unlock its potential for creating ocean sanctuaries that can ensure we protect at least 30% of the oceans by 2030. Alongside ratification, governments must also start to develop the first ocean sanctuaries proposals. 

In September 2023, Greenpeace International published 30×30: From Global Ocean Treaty to Protection at Sea setting out the political process to deliver protection for the global oceans. 

Alongside ratification, governments must also start to develop the first ocean sanctuaries proposals. The report outlines the political steps and actions necessary to establish ocean sanctuaries using the Treaty and recommends three specific sites on the high seas to be the first set of ocean sanctuaries, due to their ecological significance: the Sargasso Sea, the Emperor Seamounts in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and the South Tasman Sea/Lord Howe Rise between Australia and New Zealand. 

We’ve come so far since 2005, when Greenpeace first publicly called for a new treaty under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which would protect biodiversity and provide tools to create marine protected areas on the high seas. 

The journey toward safer oceans continues, and we’ll only make it far as we go together!

Becca Field, Chris Greenberg, and Gaby Flores are Multimedia and Content Editors at Greenpeace International.

One of the most extraordinary experiences I’ve had as a marine biologist was when we were tracking lobsters on Wolf Island in the Galápagos Islands in 2003. The work occurred at night, so I used to take a nap after lunch. One day, I was still asleep in my pyjamas when suddenly, someone came running to tell me there was a whale shark under the boat. I thought they were joking, and tried to ignore them, but they kept insisting, and when I looked over the deck, sure enough, there it was. I was so excited that I just jumped into the water. The crew passed me a diving mask, and I spent the next 45 minutes swimming around in my pyjamas with a juvenile whale shark. I started asking myself where it had come from and where it was going. Years later, I would discover that juvenile whale sharks are actually quite rare in the Galápagos. Most whale sharks here are large adult females, and we still don’t know why!

The natural environment has always fascinated me. Initially, I wanted to become an ornithologist because I love birds. I never saw myself as a marine scientist until I was about sixteen when we went on a school trip to the north of Spain. We spent a week in Galicia doing science work on the seashore and boats, which changed everything for me. After finishing my PhD in Ocean Science in 2001, I came to the Galápagos, and I’ve been involved in research here ever since.  

I joined the 2024 Greenpeace Galápagos expedition on the Arctic Sunrise to help gather information on the variety of fish and larger marine life that live in the oceans around the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The open ocean is much more vulnerable than we thought, and we need a baseline to measure change and improve the conservation of this area. 

The primary goal of this expedition was to track sharks around the Galápagos Marine Reserve and understand to what extent they live inside protected waters and move out to unprotected waters. In this region, there are several endangered or critically endangered migratory species that we’re interested in, like hammerhead sharks, which move between the Galápagos Island and Cocos Island along a swimway called the Cocos Ridge. 

Human activities like overfishing, poaching, or ship strikes directly impact these creatures, and there are things we can do about these dangers. By studying the populations, habitats, and migratory routes of the affected species, we can create areas to protect them. 

The historic Global Ocean Treaty is a tool countries can use, but they must first ratify it as quickly as possible. The Treaty can only be brought to life once at least 60 governments have written it into their national laws. 

If we’re serious about protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, political leaders must prioritise Treaty ratification or time will run out. Leaders come and go, but the ones who ratify the Treaty will leave a legacy of lasting impact for generations to come. 

The oceans not only provide a home to many incredible species, but they’re also extremely important in regulating the climate. There is no green without blue. The high seas comprise over 60% of the world’s oceans, and whether we think about them or not, they are relevant to our daily lives. Oceanographers recently discovered that Galápagos can affect the climate as far away as the United Kingdom thanks to a system of currents  that transports heat throughout the oceans.

We’re one little blue planet floating in the middle of a vast, cold emptiness of space. Without the oceans, there is no life on Earth; that’s why we simply cannot fail to protect them.

Alex Hearn is a Professor of Marine Biology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador and co-founder of the Galápagos Whale Shark Project and MigraMar. 

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Isabela Island, Ecuador – Scientists on a Greenpeace expedition in the Galápagos Marine Reserve believe they have found what could be the first known smooth hammerhead shark nursery in the region after observing several young pups. For the first time in the Galápagos, the team was also able to track a subadult smooth hammerhead, which they named after the actress and ocean ambassador Alba Flores.

The Galápagos is famous for its aggregations of adult scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), but the smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) is rarely observed and has never been tracked until now.[1] After several observations and documentations of juvenile smooth hammerheads in a small bay at Isabela Island, scientists now believe that this could be the first known nursery for smooth hammerheads in the archipelago.

Alex Hearn from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and MigraMar, lead scientist on the expedition, said: “This is an amazing discovery! Not only is this species rarely reported here, but in this bay we have found numerous young-of-the-year, suggesting that this might be a nursery site.”

Paola Sangolquí, Marine Coordinator at Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, said: “The Galápagos Marine Reserve never stops surprising me. This finding shows us the importance of protecting the reserve and its surrounding waters. I hope all the information collected throughout this six weeks expedition will help to make a strong case for the ratification of the high seas treaty and the protection of migratory species, who don’t know about boundaries.”

To be confirmed as a bona fide nursery site, three criteria need to be fulfilled – first, there must be more shark pups here than in surrounding areas; second, the sharks must reside at the site for extended periods of time, and third, the site must be used by successive generations of pups.

Alex Hearn said: “If we can learn why the smooth hammerhead pups use this particular location, we can make predictions about where else we might find them across the region. Here in Galapágos, the sharks are protected, but this is not the case when they, as a migratory species, leave the reserve. If we can map the sharks’ key habitats, we can take steps to push for more protected areas in the high seas, where these sharks migrate, to avoid them being caught in the first place.” 

The science team were able to fit a satellite tracking device to a subadult smooth hammerhead – a female they named “Alba” after the actress and ocean conservation advocate Alba Flores, who was on board the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise during its first week in the Galapágos. As the scientists track Alba the shark’s movements, they will be able to assess her vulnerability if she leaves the protected waters of the Galapágos Marine Reserve. 

Alba Flores, best-known for playing Nairobi in the hit Netflix series Money Heist, said: “I am still very moved by my experience in the Galapágos. Knowing that a shark now bears my first name is a humbling thought and an important symbol for me which commits me to protecting the oceans even more. I’m determined to continue to speak out on the subject and support the people who work every day to defend this amazing wildlife.”

Sharks are key species to keep the balance in fish populations in the ocean, they help keep the food chain in the right track controlling prey populations. This prevents overgrazing and therefore biodiversity. Hammerhead sharks are also sensitive to changes in their environment, making them indicator species for the health of marine ecosystems. The shark tracking is being conducted by a team of independent scientists on board the Arctic Sunrise and the data collected during the expedition contributes to securing future ocean protection and the futures of generations of sharks in the region.[2]

Sophie Cooke, Arctic Sunrise expedition lead, Greenpeace UK, said: “Previously, it was impossible to protect this high seas area where these sharks migrate. But now, using the recently won UN Global Ocean Treaty, governments have a chance to boost protection of the migratory species in this region and provide a powerful example to the rest of the world of how to protect the high seas.” 

ENDS

Photo and video footage available from the Greenpeace Media Library.

Notes:

[1] Smooth hammerhead sharks lack the characteristic cleft in the centre of their hammer-shaped head, which gives scalloped hammerhead their name, and is classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Hammerhead sharks are particularly vulnerable to longlining, and fishing fleets today operate just outside the borders of the reserve. In fact, the last reliable records of smooth hammerhead sharks in Galápagos came from an experimental longline fishery inside the reserve in 2004.

[2] The research expedition aims to emphasise the power of marine protection, documenting the success of the Galápagos Marine Reserve and the incredible wildlife and habitats of the sea near the Galápagos.

Contacts:

Magali Rubino, Global media lead for Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign, Greenpeace France: magali.rubino@greenpeace.org +33 7 78 41 78 78 (GMT+1)

Karina Vivanco, coordinator communicator at Galapágos Science Center, avivanco@usfq.edu.ec, +593 99 750 6617

Turin, Italy – The G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers meeting has concluded with a coal phase out deadline that is too little too late and a further damaging endorsement of fossil gas.       

Tracy Carty, Global Climate Politics Expert, Greenpeace International, said:

“The commitment to phase out coal is simply too little, too late. If they are serious and aligned with what the science says is needed to keep 1.5° within reach, G7 countries must ditch this dinosaur, planet-wrecking fuel no later than 2030. And the climate emergency demands they just don’t stop at coal. Fossil fuels are destroying people and planet and a commitment to rapidly phase out all fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is urgently needed. 

“Faced with climate catastrophe, the G7’s persistent endorsement of fossil gas is alarming. Gas is not needed, not cheap and is certainly not a ‘bridge fuel’ to a safe climate. The biggest fossil fuel threat today by wealthy nations is coming from the rapidly expanding LNG industry. An urgent shift is needed towards less, not more, gas – and massively expanded renewables.

“G7 Climate and Energy Ministers offered little to inspire confidence in their commitment to agree to an ambitious new climate finance goal at COP29 later this year. Given their wealth and historically high emissions, G7 countries are among those with primary responsibility for providing international financial support to developing countries for climate action. By the G7 Summit in June, leaders need to make clear they will not be heading to the COP empty handed and be ready to significantly increase support. They need look no further than taxing the fossil fuel industry and other high emitting sectors in order to generate revenues to do so.”

Irène Wabiwa, Project Manager, Greenpeace International said:

“G7 Ministers reiterated the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP15 commitment of US$20 billion by 2025 per year of finance for biodiversity. Unfortunately, they also promoted carbon credits and offsets as key solutions to both generate money flows and protect forests. Wealthy countries such as the G7 have enough financial resources to deliver the US$20 billion to developing countries by 2025 without reverting to false solutions. Estimates show that the world is already spending US$1.9 trillion per year on subsidies to industries that are destroying nature. US$20 billion is equivalent to only 1.1% of that amount.” 

ENDS

Contacts

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Follow @greenpeacepress on X/Twitter for our latest international press releases.

Ottawa, Canada – The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4) for a Global Plastics Treaty ended on a disappointing note as the negotiation caved in to the interests of the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry. 

Graham Forbes, Greenpeace Head of Delegation to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and Global Plastics Campaign Lead at Greenpeace USA, said: “The world is burning and member states are wasting time and opportunity. We saw some progress, aided by the continued efforts of states such as Rwanda, Peru, and the signatories of the Bridge to Busan declaration in pushing to reduce plastic production.[1] However, compromises were made on the outcome which disregarded plastic production cuts, further distancing us from reaching a treaty that science requires and justice demands. People are being harmed by plastic production every day, but states are listening more closely to petrochemical lobbyists than health scientists. Any child can see that we cannot solve the plastic crisis unless we stop making so much plastic. The entire world is watching, and if countries, particularly in the so-called ‘High Ambition Coalition’, don’t act between now and INC5 in Busan, the treaty they are likely to get is one that could have been written by ExxonMobil and their acolytes.

“We are heading towards disaster and with time running out – we need a Global Plastics Treaty that cuts plastic production and ends single-use plastic. There is no time to waste on approaches that will not solve the problem.”

ENDS

Notes: 

Photos and videos are available from the Greenpeace Media Library. 

[1] Bridge to Busan: Declaration on Primary Plastic Polymers

Contacts:

Angelica Carballo Pago, Global Plastics Campaign Media Lead, Greenpeace USA, angelica.pago@greenpeace.org , +63 917 1124492 (also in Ottawa, Canada)

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Follow @greenpeacepress on X/Twitter for our latest international press releases.

Milan, Italy – In an interview with CNBC today[1], Andrew Bowie MP, Minister in the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, made a statement that the G7 has agreed to phase out coal during the first half of the 2030s. 

In response, Tracy Carty, Global Climate Politics Expert, Greenpeace International, said “The G7 phasing out coal in the first half of the 2030s would be too little, too late. If they are serious and aligned with what the science says is needed to keep 1.5° within reach, G7 countries must ditch this dinosaur, planet-wrecking fuel no later than 2030 – and as the climate emergency demands they can’t just stop at coal: Fossil fuels are destroying people and planet and a commitment to rapidly phase out all fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is urgently needed.” 

ENDS

Notes:

[1] Shared in an interview to CNBC

The G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers Communique is expected to be published on 30 April, 2024.

Contacts:

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Letter from a concerned father to Ramy Mohamed Youssef, Chair of the UN Tax Convention Committee, so he ensures the world gets a new fair global tax system. The historic vote to grow the UN’s role in international tax is a golden opportunity for more inclusive decision-making and fairer taxation for all nations.

Dear Mr. Ramy Mohamed Youssef,

As the Chair of the UN Tax Convention Committee, you have the power to create history this year.

I’m writing to you as a dad, a concerned citizen and a taxpayer. Today I feel angry and afraid, since I’m witnessing the collapse of everything that’s important to us: from peace to essential ecosystems. How is this possible?

We both know that this is mostly because multinational corporations have been exploiting the majority of the world for way too long, and governments in some rich countries have facilitated it. They’re making billions on the destruction of the world and our suffering. And then, they hide their profits in tax havens. A downward spiral where wealth and power have become so concentrated as to threaten democracy, civilisation and the living world we’re part of. 

I come from Africa, an incredibly rich continent where wealth doesn’t stay. How can I explain this to my kids? I could tell them that this is because of the way the economy is set up. A system that enables plundering, exploitation and around US$480 billion that are lost to tax havens each year, instead of funding what is really essential.

I could also tell my kids that humanity has all the money, knowledge and technology we need to thrive. So it is in humanity’s hands to prioritize the wellbeing of people and the planet. Especially now, when access to basic standard of living, health, education and social security is getting more and more difficult, as the planet heats and extreme weather events become more frequent, putting us and all living things at risk.

Mr. Youssef, you have a big responsibility and a unique opportunity to turn things around this year. Civil society, academics and countries that represent 80% of the world’s population are backing you and your colleagues at the UN Tax Convention Committee to change the global tax rules, which are critical for how the global economy works. The money for everyone’s basic needs and the recovery of climate and nature is there. Now we need equality, transparency and accountability. Polluters must pay and the wealthy must be taxed fairly.

It’s time for bravery, powershift and new economic thinking to build a shared wellbeing. We need you Mr Ramy Youssef to stand up to those who’ve taken from us and for those who are suffering the consequences, by making sure that the world gets a new and fair international tax system. We’re counting on you to make a leap towards the future we’re all longing for.

Sharing this letter is within my power. I trust you will do all in yours too.

Fred Njehu, Pan African Political Strategist, Greenpeace Africa

Wellbeing for All

We’re asking governments to put wellbeing at the top of the agenda. Join our global movement and let’s demand wellbeing for all!

Join our global movement!

Hannah Stitfall’s been getting updates from onboard the Arctic Sunrise, one of Greenpeace’s research ships, since the beginning of the series, from Panama where it set sail out into the Galápagos Islands marine reserve.

We heard as it crossed the equator, and we’ve learnt about the pioneering research the scientists and volunteers have already done on seamounts in the area. And now, they’ve finally anchored and we’re joining them onboard for an episode all about Galápagos.

You’ll meet Sophie Cooke the expedition lead; Captain Mike, the man behind the wheel; Andrea Vera, an Ecuadorian scientist; and Hannah is lucky enough to be able to catch up with Spanish actress Alba Flores (from Netflix’s Money Heist), who’s just got back home after spending a week onboard.

Usnea (Intro):
Hello, my name is Usnea and we are currently on our ship the Arctic Sunrise in the Galápagos Islands.

Hannah Stitfall:
We’ve been tracking the voyage of the Arctic Sunrise since the beginning of this series from Panama where it set sail, out into the Pacific Ocean. We were listening when it crossed the equator.

Usnea (Intro):
Really, really, really special and a beautiful thing to be a part of. And so we crossed last night at 01:30 in the morning.

Hannah Stitfall:
And we’ve heard about the pioneering research they’ve already done on sea mounts in the waters there.

Andrea Vera (Intro):
This is what sets the migratory route for some critically endangered species.

Hannah Stitfall:
But Usnea is far from the only person on the ship. They’re about 30 people, scientists, volunteers, first mates, cooks, cameraman, comms people; all crucial in gathering the research and sharing it with the outside world.

I’m Hannah Stitfall. And today, we’re joining them on board, ben episode all about the Galápagos.

Sophie Cooke (Intro):
It’s been absolutely amazing to see the richness and diversity of marine life here. Every time you go out on deck, you see something.

Hannah Stitfall:
This is Oceans: Life Under Water, Episode 10.

Usnea:
Here we are on board the Arctic Sunrise. And our plan is to walk around the ship and meet some of the amazing people that work here.

Hannah Stitfall:
The first person you’re going to meet is Sophie Cook. Sophie’s a Greenpeace campaigner and is the leader of this particular expedition. She and Usnea got chatting about how the expedition came about.

Usnea:
So I have the pleasure of being here with Sophie Cook, who is our expedition lead for this awesome adventure we’re on. Sophie, can you tell us a bit about why we are in the Galápagos? What are we doing here?

Sophie Cooke:
A year ago, we won the global ocean treaty. And as part of that we wanted to show people what ocean protection can be. And what is more iconic and well known globally from marine reserves than here at this amazing, amazing place that Galápagos Islands. And it has totally been that. The things that we have seen and the species and just the amount of life in the water has been absolutely, overwhelmingly wonderful.

Usnea:
And Sophie Can you tell us a bit about the work that we’re digging into here?

Sophie Cooke:
On the way here we came through the high seas and visited to sea mounts. And so these are underwater volcanoes that can be aeons old but they haven’t reached the surface. And sea mounts are really important biodiversity hotspots, especially for far from land. Migratory species use these as stepping stones between the areas of land even when you’re going 1000s of miles across the ocean. These are like the navigation waypoints, which is very cool. And so we took environmental eDNA samples, and so that’s like tiny bits of skin and faeces that animals drop, we can pick that up in the water and use that information to know what’s come by. And then we’ve also been using the BRUVs, which are baited underwater cameras that we put in the water at two hours at a time and see which species are attracted there. There were blue sharks out at the remote seamounts in the high seas, showing that they’re using these waypoints to the land. There is a really key sea mount here, that’s an oceanic seamount called paramount. And all the way on the way here where we were looking for thresher sharks and hadn’t seen them. And we saw them at paramount, which was really fantastic and very exciting for a lot of people on board.

Usnea:
Can you tell us a bit about the shark tagging and why we’re so excited and involved in this.

Sophie Cooke:
We are working with Dr. Alex Hearn and his team. And they have been tagging sharks in this region for 20 years. And their work was a significant direct part of a brand new marine reserve within the Galápagos economic exclusion zone. So the 200 miles around Galápagos, there was an extra new reserve two years ago that 60,000 square kilometres, so it’s absolutely massive and that has, half of it is no fishing at all. And then the other half is no long lines, which are the biggest threat to sharks. So we are helping continue that work. The more understanding we have of these migratory species, the more we can understand where to focus protection on.

Usnea:
We are currently drifting not too far away from the Arctic Sunrise over a sea mount and have just put in some lures. It’s a hopeful plan this morning.

Sophie Cooke:
At first things were really slow. We haven’t tagged as many sharks as we expected to. But we instead have found an exciting new discovery that we weren’t expecting. And that is the bay that we were anchoring in for the second week to do this work. We were seeing these juvenile, smooth hammerheads. There have been a few sightings in the Galápagos, but really no substantial evidence that they were here.

Crew member:
Shark on board. We’ve got a total length… (speaking Spanish)

Sophie Cooke:
…And because we’re finding juveniles, it looks like are they using that area as a nursery?

Crew member:
Oh, yeah. Okay, got it. Okay.

Usnea:
So we if we zoom out to look at oceans globally, what is the current situation right now in terms of protections.

Sophie Cooke:
Looking at the high seas, so this is the areas beyond 200 miles from any land, there is so little protection out there. There are a few designated marine protected areas. Some of them are in Antarctica. There’s some in the North Atlantic, but those are very much paper parks. I’ve been in, in a large MPA in the North Atlantic, with industrial fishing vessels, pulling sharks out of the ocean, you know, these should have real protection, these marine protected areas, these MPAs, they should be protecting these places from industrial fishing. We can’t be calling a place protected when their seas can still be stripped of all their life. So now we have this perfect opportunity where we can protect these places. We’ve got the global ocean treaty, we need to put pressure on them to make sure that fishing, industrial fishing, deep sea mining are all parts of these protections there and that we have real marine protected areas out there.

Hannah Stitfall:
The next person you’ll meet is Ecuadorian scientist Andrea Vera. Usnea had a chat with her during a shark tracking expedition to hear more about why the Galápagos Islands are such a unique place ecologically.

Andrea Vera:
My name is Andrea Vera. I’m from Ecuador. I’m 25 years old. And I’m currently working with an NGO called Miramar which is a network of scientific researchers in the marine area. And we study older, mainly migratory species along the eastern tropical Pacific to try to make different conservation actions along this area.

Usnea:
Can you tell us a little bit about what makes this place so special? And your connection to it?

Andrea Vera:
What I particularly love about Galápagos is that right when you arrive here, we’ll see these amazing volcanic rock However, it’s also like, surrounded by ocean. So there are places for instance, in Isabela or in north where you’re going to see a volcanic rock, you’re going to see a penguin, a cactus, and you have the ocean. So it’s a pretty like unique environment. Will you have these amazing diversity of species from sharks, marine mammals, reptiles, birds, in the particular thing is that it’s an island, we have so many species that are endemic to the area. So you are not going to see these species anywhere else rather than just here in the Galápagos.

Usnea:
Andrea, can you perhaps highlight some of the most like iconic endemic species here?

Andrea Vera:
Yeah, for sure. Well, you can see the marine iguanas, which are pretty unique. There are no other marine iguanas that feed from algae. And also we have the penguins, the Galápagos penguins, which they’re actually the second smallest penguins from all the penguins, that’s really cool. We also have the Galápagos sea lions. Let’s not forget about the Galápagos sharks, just like from here. While also another like unique and pretty amazing species that we can find here; the hammerheads, whale sharks. Yeah, and lots of seabirds. Some of them are also endemic from here.

Usnea:
And we’re here shark tagging, like what is so unique about this species? What’s so special about these sharks here in Galápagos?

Andrea Vera:
Well, the most important thing about sharks in Galápagos is that we have lots of them and different species of them. So mainly sharks, they come here to the Galápagos to reproduce to feed also to grow. And some of them even not, like have babies here in the Galápagos. And so it’s an oceanic Island. It’s one of the like, the main points where that these highly migratory sharks come in throughout their way. So we have that like this really, really interesting like migratory pathway here in the Pacific. And Galápagos is one of the hot spots for this species, yes.

Usnea:
And, Andrea, can you share with us your role in this expedition that we’re currently on?

Andrea Vera:
Yeah, sure. So with my working partner Daniel, we’re in charge of carrying out the BRUVs, which are baited remote underwater video systems. So basically, is like imagine our triangle with two GoPro cameras in the sides, and we have some bait in the middle. So the idea is try to capture the different species that are around the area and that are attracted to the bait in these like 10 metre from the surface to the bottom of the ocean. So we probably will try to see if we’ve confined and we can see like different species of sharks for instance, we have actually seen some silkies, some hammerheads, some tuna we have also seen and other species of fish, which has been really interesting. So we try to describe the biodiversity and also like characterise the areas, for instance how many sharks do we see how many individuals of one especially do we see in each area. Today, my main job is to be like the logger. So I’m going to be taking notes about like the time, know which species it is, the sex, we’re gonna take some measurements like the total length, the fin length, the girth. And also take this measurement about like the latitude longitude, and the tag ID.

Usnea:
And what is your favourite ocean animal.

Andrea Vera:
My favourite definitely has to be the whale shark. Like the first time we get to swim with one. They’re like a particular animal because even though they are sharks, they have like this like charismatic look like their eyes. They’re like mammals, they’re like really warm. And I don’t know, like, you just want to hug them. I don’t know, they’re really interesting. And I really love the fact that this parts they have in their body they’re like, or fingerprints that they are unique from each individual. And there are a lot of like mysteries and things that we don’t know about them that makes them amazingly mysterious.

Usnea:
We’ve talked a bit about what’s so awesome about the Galápagos and special here. Can you tell us about some of the threats Galápagos, and its species, endemic and not, are facing here?

Andrea Vera:
Well, one of them main threats, I would say would be the plastics. If you can see there are parts of Galápagos that people never get there. However, you end up watching a lot of trash in actually, during our expedition here in open ocean, I’ve seen some plastic bottles in the ocean, some plastic garbage and everything. And the thing about this is that, well, plastics, they’re like a cocktail party, they actually call them. So when they get to the water, they dissolve. And they start like, well, they don’t dissolve, they’re start to break up into microplastics. And it’s microplastics. And they actually capture all this, like toxins, like PVCs and everything that is in the water, and was when a small fish, they eat them. And then larger fish like sharks, they eat this smaller fish, they buy or accumulate these plastics.

Also, there’s another really big threat, which is climate change. We have seen it and we were in this eastern part of the Galápagos, the water was really warm. So just imagine sharks, they don’t like this really hot water. So they will have to change their like migratory routes or their like their distribution, to allocate to better places that are cooler for them to survive. There’s the saying that I really love when they were trying to explain me like why should we protect the way that for instance, hammerheads go from the Cocos Island to the Galápagos Island. They are protected in Cocos Island and as well hear in Galápagos Island, but what happens along their way is like your kids in a bus, you protect them that you know that they are safe your house, you know that they are safe in school, but what happens if you don’t know if they’re safe the bus? Okay, so we’re trying to, to save them along this way. We’re trying to give them like these protected areas where they can move from one place to another that we know that they’re really important places for them. It doesn’t make sense protecting them in one place and another and that they can be fished in the middle of it.

Usnea:
What role does research expeditions like this play in conservation efforts? And do you think that science can really make a difference?

Andrea Vera:
Well, I’m gonna answer from back to the top. So yes, I really believe that science can make a difference, in conservation. Science can become actions. So understanding where species are, what they do and the main places that some species reproduce, you can know these really important places for the lifespan of the species that must be protected. So with this you can go to politicians and create laws in changes that can improve conservation of those species.

Hannah Stitfall:
There was huge excitement when Spanish actress and star from the Netflix series Money Heist, Alba Flores, joined the Galápagos expedition for a week. Alba is one of Greenpeace’s Ocean Ambassadors. In recent weeks, she was invited by Greenpeace to join the Galápagos expedition for a week, I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with her once she got back home.

Alba Flores:
Hello! How are you?

Hannah Stitfall:
I’m very well! How are you?

Alba Flores:
I’m good. I’m good. I’m still dealing with some jet lag. But I’m really good. Yeah. Happy.

Hannah Stitfall:
So Alba, you joined the Galápagos expedition very recently. How long were you on the ship for and what were you doing there?

Alba Flores:
I were with them for a week. And we were doing all these videos on the campaign about the marine sanctuary that they have there. And we also were like, as a witness of the work that the scientists were doing there.

Hannah Stitfall:
And can you describe for us what it was like being on the boat? I mean, did did you have any expectations before you went?

Alba Flores:
I never went on a ship in such a long journey. I never sleep over over a ship. So I didn’t know what to expect, because it was the first time for me. And it was like comfortable experience. Like they know how to make you feel that you’re at home.

Hannah Stitfall:
What would you say your favourite part of the experience was.

Alba Flores:
Well the snorkelling was awesome. I wish we could like swim more in those waters in that part of the ocean because it is full of life. And, and I also enjoyed the time spent with a crew because they are like, full of stories about activism and sea adventures and things like that. And that was like, I learned a lot. Everyone was in bed at like nine. Because they work really, really hard. I mean, all the crew, they are amazing. They were so helpful with the scientist and with us, with the media. And sometimes we asked for impossible things like, can you turn all the ship, because the sun, you know, is is too hard, and we cannot shoot this properly. They are like, kind of like super heroes and super heroines.

Hannah Stitfall:
And the Galápagos marine reserve is one of the best examples of ocean protection in action. It’s got, what 200,000 square kilometres are protected. What does that look like? And how different is it to unprotected areas?

Alba Flores:
Well, I never went to unprotected areas, but in the park, you have protected areas. And inside those areas, are there high protected areas. And you can also see the difference between them like…

Hannah Stitfall:
Can you? Just between the protected areas and the highly protected areas, you can clearly see a difference?

Alba Flores:
Yeah, of course, because the highly, highly protected areas. No human have been there, at all. So in those parts are aware, the you know, all the creatures, all the animals is where they are. They’re really, really safe to give birth and everything. So we didn’t see any ship or boat, or people for two or three days do it was like

Hannah Stitfall:
Wow!

Alba Flores:
Nobody was there. So, in Galápagos, we were not allowed to scuba diving. Because it’s protected. We just could do a snorkelling but doesn’t need like anything else there because because life is pumping up to your face like you just gotta go like this into the water. And its like… Woah! Because it’s like: a shark, a manta ray, a penguin like this in the same like two metres square.

Hannah Stitfall:
Wow!

Alba Flores:
Yeah, really awesome.

Hannah Stitfall:
Oh, I bet it’s… I visited marine protected areas before but I’ve never, I’ve never been to anywhere that’s highly, highly protected. As somebody that loves wildlife, but that must have been such an experience for you. Oh, I’m jealous, very jealous.

Alba Flores:
Yeah, I mean, I’m so lucky. So, so lucky. It is overwhelming. Just being in a ship, I think is really, really overwhelming because you have a sense of hugeness never ending space. And I’m just another animal between all these creatures. I think that is a lesson of humility, oceans are crucial. And all scientists, all thinkers of the people that knows about this, that have been studying this, they keep on saying it, like, this planet, the blue planet, is blue for a reason, like we are like, mostly water, we have to protect the oceans. And in that way, the oceans will protect us.

Hannah Stitfall:
But I think now, so many more people are aware and interested in issues with the environment and ocean conservation. And of course, having someone like you that’s actively going out to these places, and you’re and you’re vocal about it to your followers. You know, it’s it’s really important, because you might be reaching people that have never really thought about ocean conservation before but they watch you for for the shows you’re in, you know, so you’re doing a really, really good job as well to be a part of it. You know?

Alba Flores:
I hope so. I mean, that’s the point of doing. I don’t have a way to measure how well this is working like to spread a message that I believe in, and that the people who is I don’t know watching my my work, like my TV shows and everything if they engage with a message, but I have to fight for what I believe.

Hannah Stitfall:
Well I think just keep going because we think you’re doing a fantastic job. And I just want to say a huge thank you for coming on and talking to me today. It’s been an absolute pleasure and really do keep up the fantastic work.

Alba Flores:
Thank you.

Hannah Stitfall:
the Arctic Sunrise is a big icebreaker, a 50 metre long ship designed for polar expeditions coming in at almost 1000 tonnes. The scientists and the team of volunteers are one thing. But who’s the crew keeping the ship going? Let’s meet the Captain.

Captain Mike:
My name is Captain Mike. And I’m one of the Greenpeace captains currently on the Arctic Sunrise.

Usnea:
Would you tell us a little bit about how the journey has gone so far?

Captain Mike:
This expedition is just gone from strength to strength. The beginning was the tranquil seas of the mid international waters between Galápagos and Ecuador. Because it took a lot of to prepare the ship for for the Galápagos, a tremendous amount of biohazard control that we needed to make sure that the ship was completely clean of any foreign bugs, and how it was cleaned and made sure we didn’t have certain seeds and certain fruits and certain things on board that we could bring into the island that could evolve into their own super beings. So we had to do all of these controls before we arrived. So I had a little bit of apprehension, whether they would even let us in. Fortunately when we did arrive, and we’ve done such even like blanking out all white lights, only yellow light is visible from the ship. So it doesn’t distract birds or anything. When we did come there did a vigorous inspection. And once we got that certificate signed off, and yes, we had passed and we had a licence to navigate the Galápagos archipelago. The relief was phenomenal. And then the adventure really started.

Usnea:
Can you tell us a bit about what your job as Captain means and looks like on a day to day basis.

Captain Mike:
On a day to day basis. I would liken myself probably to mother hen with a clutch of chicks that are all running about.

Crew member:
Seven o’clock, seven o’clock. Copy.

Captain Mike:
have an engineering department very technical in keeping the ship running. I have a deck department that is responsible for the maintenance and the operations of the decks.

Crew member:
For day eight o’clock…

Captain Mike:
Then I have a galley, and that’s all the food and that’s quite a demanding a department because there’s a lot of hungry mouths to feed. There’s 36 people on board when it’s on its full capacity and we’ve been up to that on this trip. And then we have the the navigational side as well.

Crew member:
And then we’ll stop and drift back through the night and be back in position…

Captain Mike:
Having all of these personalities and activities going on.

Crew member:
Thank you 1891

Captain Mike:
I do feel a big part of mine is trying to encompass and make sure everybody’s comfortable and feeling safe and feeling that they can be at home on board the boat.

Usnea:
What’s it like to be a ship captain, on a boat like this that’s conducting such important research.

Captain Mike:
For me to be here in the Galápagos system is a complete honour. And I think the the rest of the crew recognise that too. Boats don’t come in and out of the Galápagos boats that operate in the area stay in the area, we are an international vessel coming in and out. And I describe how complicated and complex that is.

So to be on a boat that can come in, this is an international mariners dream to be able to navigate these waters. But not only that, we’re not just navigating on our own here, we have the best guides who give us their first hand experience. And that is years of experience. They’ll tell us all the detail, the extreme detail or everything. So for me, I have been at sea for nearly 40 years. But I’ve never seen a system or an archipelago as beautiful and as imaginative as this is, it is just mind boggling. It’s creative, it’s just breathtaking, and has really inspired me to carry on.

I do have this want to make the planet beautiful, to help the planet stay beautiful, it is already beautiful. And I wanted to stay intact. And hopefully even future generations will have that possibility to see that diversity and that we can hold on to that as much as possible. So that’s what keeps me going. That’s what drives me do what I do.

Captain Mike:
Copy that Pumar, done with the diving and you’re returning to the boat. We’ll turn and make a leave for you.

Usnea:
Do you feel that you’ve seen anything on this trip that’s shown us the impact of climate change on the oceans.

Captain Mike:
I have seen, I have noticed that the temperatures are quite warm. Being a mariner I studied oceanography at in the Maritime College. And there is this vertical movement of water in the oceans, which on the West Coasts causes an upwelling and cold water. That’s why the fisheries is generally much richer on this side. And so I would have expected to have pockets at least of cold water, possibly 20 degrees or even chillier than that. I grew up in South Africa on the west coast near Cape Town. And we have the same effect there as you would here. But if you look here at the Aqua graph where we have our sensor, its showing us currently sort of 26 and a half degrees, so it’s phenomenally warm. Whether that’s El Nino, which it could be or climate affecting anything, but it is unseasonably warm water for the area.

Usnea:
We did have an incident with a sea turtle and some crew members. Did you want to share about that Mike?

Captain Mike:
Oh, yeah, we would just pick you picking up the BRUVs, these basic remote underwater video systems. And as we just come to the end of the line, and we had a boat, we just happen to have a boat in the water. And I think it was the Chief Mate saw, I saw, he said there’s some plastic floating. If you’ve got a boat in the water, we’ll just shoot off and pick the plastic up. But when the boat arrived at the plastic, the plastic actually was moving. And it was a it was a sea turtle caught up in plastic but it didn’t have the plastic only wrapped around its neck, apparently it had ingested into too. And they managed to be the first responders really and pull the plastic out and happy little turtle did swim away. Very thankful.

Usnea:
Beautiful. Yeah, and I remember just the look on Chris and Audrey is our Third Mate and deckhands faces as they returned. They were so impacted by being able to participate in that rescue. Like you could tell they were wildly moved by it for sure.

Captain Mike:
Things like that are life changing. I mean, I remember just freeing in plastic a bird off the west coast of Africa. Many do, a lot of gannets and they will have plastic caught on their beaks because they dive at a bright spark and it’s actually from the fishing industry and then they suddenly got a piece of rope strapped to their beak for the, until… well you see them flying. We actually called them the ‘plastic gannets’. But one was really entangled and landed on the deck and I managed to throw net over it, it wasn’t a very happy, it was really an angry bird. It didn’t, wasn’t happy with us. But I did manage to free it from the plastic and see it fly off. Moments like that are so rewarding. But I wasn’t only rewarded by feeling wise, that evening, tucked under the pillow in my cabin, was a little note from the bird. And it said Thank you, the Angry Bird.

Usnea:
Love it. It seems like it got over its feelings of anger and moved to gratitude.

Captain Mike:
I don’t think it was from the bird, but I don’t know who it was from.

Hannah Stitfall:
And now back to Sophie, the expedition lead.

Sophie Cooke:
It’s been absolutely amazing to see the richness and diversity of marine life here, it’s just been, every time you go out on deck, you see something, whether it’s the sharks swimming by, the rays leaping out of the ocean, its amazing variety of bird life. It really is quite a special place. And knowing that there were really good protections in place around the Galápagos is really wonderful. But once you start going a bit further, we still have those threats from industrial fisheries, and you get out to the high seas and these areas could potentially be mined in the future for deep sea mining. Everything is still vulnerable, where we haven’t got protections in place. So yeah, that’s kind of going to be some of the next steps is looking at where in the high seas are the best areas and that we could actually make a difference.

Our oceans are such a special wondrous place. And often the things that are happening to them we don’t see, whether it’s the industrial fishing fleet so far from land or the mining machines down on the bottom of the ocean. A lot of this is like literally like swept under the carpet we don’t realise what effect we are having here. Because it’s just so far from where our eyes are seeing every day. And so just getting over the urgency and the threats that we’re facing right now and understanding that this has to happen. Now we’ve got the treaty we need to get these places protected before we lose them for good.

Hannah Stitfall:
Next week, I’m looking more into how the oceans are changing. I’m joined by the DJ and environmental toxicologist Jayda G to talk about a little magic thing called Blue Carbon. And Amit Sharma, a scientist and climate advocate from Mauritius to understand what the changing oceans mean for the future of our island nations.

This episode was brought to you by Greenpeace and Crowd Network. It’s hosted by me, wildlife filmmaker and broadcaster Hannah Stitfall. It is produced by Anastasia Auffenberg, and our executive producer Steve Jones. The music we use is from our partners BMG Production Music. Archive courtesy of Greenpeace. The team at Crowd Network is Catalina Nogueira, Archie Built Cliff, George Sampson and Robert Wallace. The team at Greenpeace is James Hansen, Flora Hevesi, Alex Yallop, Janae Mayer and Alice Lloyd Hunter. Thanks for listening and see you next week. Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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