July 31, 2025 — The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and Friends of the Earth plan to sue NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Coast Guard over vessel strikes on whales and sea turtles off the coast of California.
According to CBD, neither NOAA Fisheries nor the Coast Guard have properly analyzed how California shipping lane designations could contribute to vessel strikes on whales or sea turtles.
May 20, 2021 — The following was released by Friends of the Sea:
From an adorable panda to a white shark, from a Tristan albatross to the Titicaca water frog and pangolins, these are all endangered species, which means they are under a real threat of extinction if nothing is done to prevent it.
As we look at images of dinosaurs and wonder what these incredible creatures looked like, one day, our sons and grandsons might stare at the picture of a tiger and ask why didn’t we make enough to save them.
For this reason, every third Friday of May, we mark Endangered Species Day. It’s a date to raise awareness about the species in danger, but most importantly, to take action to protect the biodiversity of our planet. The World Sustainability Organization supports conservation projects to restore the population of species under threat and prevent others from becoming endangered.
THE RED LIST
But, which are the most threatened species? The main reference to answer this question is the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Established in 1964, it’s the world’s most comprehensive information source on the status of animal, fungus, and plant species. The list is being continuously updated by scientists who so far have assessed more than 134,000 species. Their studies reveal some shocking facts:
Extinction is not a remote possibility. For species in a critical situation, it could happen as sooner as in the next ten years. In December 2020, the IUCN announced 31 new extinct species.
SOME GOOD NEWS
However, extinction is not inevitable, and we shouldn’t be discouraged from acting. Good news from conservation projects shows that endangered species can recover. As recently as last year, the European Bison, Europe’s largest land mammal, came out of the threatened category thanks to conservation efforts. This is why the World Sustainability Organization supports concrete action to save endangered species around the globe. We create campaigns to raise the public’s awareness and pressure the authorities; we also commit to conservation projects, and we need all the help we can get.
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SAVE ENDANGERED SPECIES
The World Sustainability Organization is a Non-Governative Organization whose aim is to protect critical habitats and endangered species globally by means of the sustainability certifications Friend of the Sea and Friend of the Earth and the related conservation and awareness projects.
May 7, 2019 — Alaska Rep. Don Young filed legislation on Thursday 2 May that would ban U.S. officials from allowing the establishment of new commercial aquaculture operations in federal waters.
Young’s bill, the Keep Fin Fish Free Act, would keep both the Secretary of the Interior and the Commerce Secretary from permitting fish farms in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone unless specifically authorized by Congress.
Young, a Republican, is the senior member of the House of Representatives. He also is a key legislator when it comes to legislation regarding the seafood industry.
“The seafood industry is critical to Alaska’s economy, and we must be doing all we can to protect the health and integrity of our state’s wild fish stock,” he said in a statement. “If not properly managed, industrial aquaculture operations threaten Alaska’s unique ecosystem with non-native and genetically modified fish species. My legislation takes needed steps to prevent the unchecked spread of aquaculture operations by reigning in the federal bureaucracy, and empowering Congress to determine where new aquaculture projects should be conducted.”
Young’s bill was immediately supported by numerous environmental organizations, including Friends of the Earth, the Institute for Fisheries Resources and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance.
September 5, 2018 — A group of U.S. non-governmental organizations have begun a nationwide campaign urging the nation’s three largest foodservice management companies to buy more local and community-based products, including seafood.
The Community Coalition for Real Meals, which includes the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), Friends of the Earth, and Real Food Challenge, say that Aramark, Compass Group, and Sodexo need to reorient their business models away from “a system of exclusive relationships with ‘Big Food’ corporations toward greater investments in real food that support producers, communities, and the environment,” according to one of the organization’s statements.
The coalition of farmers, fishers, farmworkers, and others kicked off the campaign with a march against Aramark at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, on 2 September. In the next few months, the Coalition will be holding a series of coordinated actions across the country to urge Aramark, Compass Group, and Sodexo to meet their “real food” targets within five years.
“The reality we’re facing is that the globalized seafood market leads to massive consolidation, where the average seafood travels thousands of miles from point of harvest to point-of-consumption, and is fraught with labor and environmental destruction,” said Julianna Fischer, a NAMA community organizer. ”We envision a different reality – where ecologically responsible, community-based food producers are able to feed their communities first, are paid a fair price, and those working across the food chain are afforded lives with dignity.”
Aramark, Compass Group, and Sodexo, which together manage over half of the country’s cafeterias at universities, hospitals, and other institutions, purchase billions of dollars worth of food from “multinational corporations that pay workers and producers unlivable wages,” the coalition said in a press release.
Read the full story at Seafood Source