Latest news with #MediterraneanMonkSeal
CNN
23-05-2025
- Science
- CNN
Mediterranean monk seals: Back from the brink
Editor's Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. Mediterranean monk seals, with their big, round eyes and gentle appearance, are cleverer than they look. Known for their sneaky tactic of snatching the catch from fishing nets and sometimes ripping them in the process, they have not been popular with fishermen, with some deliberately killing seals in retaliation. The mammal, which was once widespread across the Mediterranean, Black Sea, northwest Africa, and the Atlantic islands of the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores, was also historically hunted for meat, oil and skins. As a result of these threats, populations suffered a dramatic decline in the 20th century, with the species becoming one of the most endangered marine mammals on Earth. But in recent years, the tide has turned. While Mediterranean monk seals remain at risk, thanks to conservation efforts and legal protections, populations have bounced back. Some estimate that earlier this century, the population was between 400 and 600; now there are up to 1,000 estimated globally. In 2015, the species was reclassified from 'critically endangered' to 'endangered,' and two years ago, it was listed as 'vulnerable.' Scientists hope that with continued care, the species will have a brighter future.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Science
- CNN
Mediterranean monk seals: Back from the brink
Editor's Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. Mediterranean monk seals, with their big, round eyes and gentle appearance, are cleverer than they look. Known for their sneaky tactic of snatching the catch from fishing nets and sometimes ripping them in the process, they have not been popular with fishermen, with some deliberately killing seals in retaliation. The mammal, which was once widespread across the Mediterranean, Black Sea, northwest Africa, and the Atlantic islands of the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores, was also historically hunted for meat, oil and skins. As a result of these threats, populations suffered a dramatic decline in the 20th century, with the species becoming one of the most endangered marine mammals on Earth. But in recent years, the tide has turned. While Mediterranean monk seals remain at risk, thanks to conservation efforts and legal protections, populations have bounced back. Some estimate that earlier this century, the population was between 400 and 600; now there are up to 1,000 estimated globally. In 2015, the species was reclassified from 'critically endangered' to 'endangered,' and two years ago, it was listed as 'vulnerable.' Scientists hope that with continued care, the species will have a brighter future.
National News
25-04-2025
- Health
- National News
Saturday, April 26, 2025
NNA - Time Topic Ministerial Activities: 10:00 am Public Health Minister Dr. Rakan Nassereddine visits the University of Balamand – Koura to inaugurate the Dr. Elias Chami Medical Center. 11:15 am Visit to Ras Maska Charitable Primary Healthcare Center – Koura, to review its conditions and needs. 12:30 pm Visit to Tannourine Governmental Hospital to assess its situation. 1:00 pm Inspection of Batroun Governmental Hospital. 2:00 pm Arrival at Ftouh Keserwan – Bouar Governmental Hospital to review its status. Saint George Festival Program in Qlayaa: 9:30 am Morning prayer and daily Mass for Saint George. 8:00 pm Traditional evening celebration ('Village Day') and village-style wedding event. Other Events: 10:00 am Volunteer Agricultural Day titled 'Volunteer for Agriculture in the South #Agriculture_Pulse_of_Life', organized by the Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with civil society organizations, in Qana, near the Cave of Qana, under the patronage of Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani. 10:00 am The 'Tajaddod Al-Watan' movement holds its third conference, 'Decentralization: It's Time, Local Development with Community Participation,' at the Seaside Pavilion, Beirut Waterfront. 10:00 am The University of Balamand inaugurates the Dr. Elias George Chami Medical Simulation Center at the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences – Koura Campus. 11:00 am Dialogue meeting organized by Terre Liban and the Save Our Seals Campaign with Dr. Nassim Ozan Qarayari, researcher at SAD-AFAG Turkey, titled 'Protecting the Mediterranean Monk Seal and Its Natural Habitats,' at the Tourism Center – Municipality of Byblos. 4:00 pm President of the Federation of Byblos Municipalities and Mayor of Qartaba, Fadi Martinos, announces the 'Qartaba Deserves Better' municipal list during a gathering at his residence in Qartaba, introducing the list members, followed by a celebratory toast. 4:00 pm The 'Constitution First' gathering officially launches its political work at Gabriel Hotel – Ashrafieh. 5:00 pm Book signing of 'Bint Al-Ossoul' by writer and journalist Georges Maalouli, organized by the Abdullah Shehadeh Forum for the Poet of Green Koura, at the conference hall of the Cultural Association – Tripoli. 5:00 pm Nabu Museum opens its new exhibition of posters (1908–2024), titled 'Peoples Against Wars, Bombs, and Governments,' at its premises in Al-Hari – Batroun, North Lebanon. 6:00 pm Seminar on the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day titled 'The Role of Intellectual Property in Supporting Innovation and Stimulating Creativity and Its Impact on Economic Development,' organized by Confidence IP Office under the patronage of the Ministry of Economy and Trade, in collaboration with the Municipality of Aley, at the Cultural Center – Municipality of Aley. ======R.H.
