OCEAN: Migrant Boat Capsizes off Mauritania & more – 2nd Sep 2025

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 2nd of September twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

Kicking off this week, AquaFeed reported on Monday the 1st, that African Aquaculture and AKVA Group will build Africa’s first sea-based salmon farm off Namibia, with the first smolt appearing in twenty twenty-sixteen and harvest taking place in twenty twenty-seven.

Authorities granted a license for fifty-one thousand tonnes, and five pens will launch the project, using feeding systems, cameras, and digital monitoring in year-round waters of ten to sixteen degrees Celsius (fifty to sixty degrees Fahrenheit).

Namibia backs jobs, skills, and export earnings; supporters say it’s a new ocean industry for the continent.

From early-stage developments to preventive practices in fisheries, EU Reporter said on Thursday, the 28th, that the European Commission accepted a proposal for the twenty twenty-sixteen Baltic Sea fishing limits, which is based on the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea’s science and plans

The project keeps Baltic herring and sprat quotas, nudges Gulf of Finland salmon up by one per cent, and imposes steep cuts elsewhere—especially cod and several herring stocks—to rebuild failing populations.

Belgium pairs the quotas with the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and the European Social Fund Plus support for temporary tie-ups and re-skilling, and will convene for the Our Baltic conference in Stockholm on the 30th of September.

Oceans not only offer fish but also other agricultural products, or at least their safe passage. The BBC reported on Wednesday, the 27th, that the UK government confirmed that the Irish Sea border for food and agricultural products, which has to do with post-Brexit checks and controls on food product logistics, will remain until twenty twenty-seven.

Part of the Windsor Framework, the deal means goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will still face customs paperwork, though physical checks are set to end once both sides align on EU agri-food rules. EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds gave an update that the next negotiation will be this coming fall, with a view to legislation in twenty twenty-sixteen, and potential implementation in twenty twenty-seven.

While businesses may welcome reduced checks, shoppers will continue to feel the cost of Brexit rules.

Raising concerns on animal welfare, Frontiers reported on Thursday, the 28th, that nearly eighty percent of endangered whale sharks in Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape show human-caused scars.

Over thirteen years, scientists photo-identified over 250 mostly young males with scars with most marks coming from traditional fishing platforms, called bagans, and tourist boats, while about eighteen percent showed serious propeller wounds. The fix is simple: smooth sharp edges, tweak nets, and approach more slowly.

For the public, this matters because thriving whale sharks mean safer tours that support fisheries and coastal protection. Responsible operators—and travellers—can cut injuries now and keep tourism sustainable.

Marine animals aren’t the only ones we must keep safe. The BBC reported on Monday, the 1st, that Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch urged a radical rethink of ship lookouts after a North Sea collision between cargo ship Solong and tanker Stena Immaculate left one sailor missing.

Investigators say neither vessel kept a dedicated lookout in patchy conditions and warn that people make poor passive monitors, often ignoring safety alerts.

Experts propose automating bridge alarms and tightening port-turnaround pressures, but rule changes via the International Maritime Organization could take years.

From one part of the Atlantic Ocean to the other, the BBC reported on Thursday, the 28th, that at least sixty-nine people died after a migrant boat bound for Spain’s Canary Islands capsized off Mauritania, with seventeen rescued and many still missing.

Survivors, mostly Gambian and Senegalese nationals, said about 160 left The Gambia six days earlier. Coastguards are diving north of Nouakchott as NGOs urge the search to continue amid allegations of migrant abuse linked to EU border deals.

As Atlantic crossings rise, expect tighter patrols, beach and port restrictions, and debates over safe migration and rescue funding..

Fish-shaped doesn’t mean fish-safe. ABC Australia reported on Monday, the 1st, that South Australia became the first state to ban the iconic fish-shaped soy sauce containers used in sushi shops, part of its ongoing crackdown on single-use plastics.

The ban also covers small plastic soy containers under thirty milliliters or about one fluid ounce, though sachets and bulk dispensers remain allowed.

Officials argue the fish-shaped packaging posed particular risks to birds and marine life, which mistake it for food.

Meanwhile, CNN reported on Thursday, the 28th, that Russia and China carried out their first joint submarine patrol in the Pacific. The Russian Pacific Fleet said it was conducted with diesel-electric boats operating in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

China has not confirmed the allegations, though state media amplified Russia’s statement. The move signals deeper naval coordination alongside recent joint patrols near Alaska and increased Russian flights into the Alaskan air-defense zone.

Experts say to expect tighter maritime security within the area of patrol, higher freight costs in commercial shipping services, especially in East Asia, and more misinformation spikes online. Coastal communities, fishers, and travellers should follow local alerts and avoid sharing unverified sightings.

As the Eastern world power further wades into oceans to widen alliances, Reuters reported on Wednesday, the 27th, that China courted Saudi Arabia to deepen ties in new energy, supply chains, and capital markets while a Gulf free-trade pact remains stalled.

Commerce chief Wang Wentao met investment minister Khalid Al-Falih to align Belt and Road with Vision twenty thirty, which is a global infrastructure development tactic to connect China with new partners, develop new economic relationships, and gain more access to resources. Saudi Arabia fears cheap imports could blunt its plan to build industry, yet two-way trade is huge: China sells phones, solar panels, and cars, while Saudi Arabia ships mostly oil.

Any deal could sway petrol and electricity prices, reshape shipping routes, and create port and logistics jobs as tariffs squeeze Chinese exports.

Going back to the rising pressure from China and Russia, NHK reported on Friday, the 29th, that Japan requested a $60 billion defense budget for fiscal twenty twenty-sixteen to harden its coasts and seas.

Plans include a multi-layered coastal Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense (SHIELD) system drone network, more stand-off missiles, mass-produced hypersonic weapons, and upgrading the air and space force, plus better pay. Officials cite the toughest security environment since World War II.

The package signals steadier deterrence but higher security spending and tax trade-offs. However, this also means safer shipping lanes, and shipyard and defense jobs.

In other news, on Wednesday, the 27th, ABC News reported that SpaceX’s Starship completed its first-ever satellite payload test before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.

The world’s biggest rocket carried eight dummy satellites, while its booster separately splashed into the Atlantic. It marked the 10th trial of Starship, following a series of fiery failures since twenty twenty-three.

NASA has already booked two Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade, with Mars as Elon Musk’s longer-term goal.

From crossing borders to cross-species discoveries, Simon Fraser University reported on Monday, the 1st, that according to researchers, sea stars are helping decode human fertility.

Biologists Michael Hart and Daryn Stover found that successful sea star mating depends on matching variants of reproductive genes.

They then checked humans and saw selection keeps two versions of three genes across populations, suggesting some partner gene pairings may boost or lower fertility. This finding might pave the way for future fertility screens that flag gene mismatches, which would be less expensive than other treatments.

Ending this week with another discovery, Gulf News reported on Wednesday, the 27th, that archaeologists in Denmark uncovered an 8,500-year-old Stone Age settlement submerged beneath the Bay of Aarhus.

Divers recovered tools, animal bones, and preserved wood, all of which were submerged in water, protecting them from oxygen.

The site is part of a six-year, 15-million-dollar EU project mapping lost coastal landscapes as offshore wind farms expand.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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