The noise caused by the waves can injure and impair many different species of fish and marine wildlife.
East Asia and the Northwestern Pacific are home to some of the world’s biggest and most productive fisheries, with average yearly yields in the 20-24 million ton range (Ahlenius 2004). The region is home to many coral reefs and these fisheries provide food for a large percentage of the world’s population. The coral reefs are also some of the most important ecological sites in the world, home to thousands of marine species. These biologically diverse marine habitats these reefs continue to add ecological and economical value to the waters off of Eastern Asia through tourism, recreation, and extractable resources.
Offshore energy exploration allows nations to access additional fuel reserves and expand domestic industry, but there are many costs to consider. While large tracts of natural gas and oil occur in the seabed off the coast of East Asia in the Pacific Ocean they vary in degrees of difficulty and the resources needed to locate and extract these fuels. The process can be very lucrative and offshore drilling rigs are a common sight for many residents of coastal areas across the globe, but the hunt for these resources can be highly detrimental to the local ecosystems and other natural economic assets such as fisheries and tourist attractions.
Types of offshore energy extraction include drilling for oil and hydraulic fracking, both of which have large impacts on the environment in which they are done. For example, seismic mapping, the initial assessment and surveying for potential oil deposits, consists of blasting high decibel waves along the seafloor to map deposits and their sizes (CAOE 2010). The noise caused by the waves can injure and impair many different species of fish and marine wildlife. These disruptions, especially in a highly productive environment, could potentially damage populations to the point of impacting fisherman’s daily catches, bringing down local economies and making it more difficult for fishermen to provide for their families.
In addition, drilling also releases many toxic chemicals into the area, similar to the acidic heavy metal runoff created when mining on land. When used in close proximity to valuable ecological assets this concentration of chemicals can harm the reproductive cycles of fish and further exacerbate issues such as ocean acidification, a major factor in the decline in coral reefs (Boesch & Rabalais 2003).
Perhaps the greatest and most publicized impacts of offshore energy exploration are oil spills. Highly detrimental to the environment, a large-scale oil spill like the Exxon Valdez or Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico can cause adverse effects decades into the future. While extensive risk assessment and planning are required before drilling commences, accidents resulting in spills still occur, often due to poor regulation, oversight, or maintenance (Boesch & Rabalais 2003).
Another challenge that comes with oil spills is the clean up. In a region such as East Asia where many countries have access to the coast, a large-scale oil spill could create issues in determining the responsibility of clean up, and getting countries to act in conjunction to address a multinational problem. This would be further hindered by the large degree of territorial disputes among East Asian nations in terms of rightful ownership of areas with oil and natural gas reserves. Many lay claim to the ownership and rights to harvest these resources, but would each country defend their responsibility for a spill, or would a blame-game erupt and further destabilize the region?
The Latest Bing News on:
Fisheries decline
- Yellowstone fisheries chief highlights top spots for biggest trouton May 3, 2024 at 4:30 pm
Cutthroat have steadily rebounded in the lake following the Park Service’s nearly two decades of lake trout gillnetting, with intensive focus on netting dating back to 2012.
- Florida sawfish deaths, 'spinning' fish declineon May 1, 2024 at 7:54 am
The first reports of spinning fish came in fall 2023, with sawfish deaths beginning in January. McRae said red tide and dissolved oxygen issues have been ruled out, as samples have been taken from ...
- Florida sawfish deaths, ‘spinning’ fish declineon April 30, 2024 at 5:00 pm
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (WFOR) — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials hope they are seeing decreased incidents of what are described as “erratically spinning fish” and ...
- Agriculture and fisheries show resilience despite unfavorable weather, reporton April 30, 2024 at 8:30 am
Morocco’s agriculture and fisheries sectors displayed remarkable resilience in 2023, overcoming two consecutive years of challenging weather conditions and drought. The Ministry of Finance reported a ...
- Fish imports during closed season to declineon April 25, 2024 at 4:47 am
IMPORTS during the closed fishing season are expected to decline starting next year, a agricultural organization said. “From 2025 onwards, I am informed that the volume will be progressively reduced, ...
- Family Fish Camp (S3, E30)on April 24, 2024 at 5:05 pm
Home to the largest sockeye salmon run in the world, Bristol Bay salmon are thriving while the rest of the world has seen their salmon fisheries decline or all but disappear. Set-netting is one ...
- Preview: Family Fish Camp (S3, E30)on April 24, 2024 at 5:21 am
Home to the largest sockeye salmon run in the world, Bristol Bay salmon are thriving while the rest of the world has seen their salmon fisheries decline or all but disappear. Set-netting is one ...
- What's being done to save California salmon as populations continue to declineon April 23, 2024 at 4:10 pm
From the Sacramento River to the coast, salmon populations have struggled to survive and California has put another ban on fishing for them for another year. Here are the problems the fish are facing ...
- Feds decline protections for ancient lake sturgeonon April 22, 2024 at 5:39 pm
Individual lake sturgeons can live up to 100 years old, weigh up to 300 pounds and grow over eight feet long. Its population, however, has declined by nearly 99%.
- Feds decline to list lake sturgeon under Endangered Species Acton April 22, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Conservationists had urged the ancient species to be listed, noting populations were a fraction of their historical numbers.
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The Latest Bing News on:
Offshore Energy
- NJ Opens Fourth Round of Offshore Wind Solicitationson May 5, 2024 at 4:03 pm
On Tuesday, April 30, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities opened the fourth round of offshore wind solicitations with interested bidders having until July 10 to submit proposals. This fourth ...
- Four sites for cluster of powerful offshore wind farms off the south coast revealedon May 5, 2024 at 3:45 pm
Four sites for cluster of powerful offshore wind farms off the south coast revealed ...
- Proposal to auction Oregon offshore wind energy areas introducedon May 3, 2024 at 4:20 pm
Plans to develop offshore wind energy areas off the Oregon coast are moving forward after the United States Department of the Interior announced a proposal on Tuesday to sell wind energy leases in ...
- Oil Companies Expand Offshore Drilling, Pointing to Energy Needson May 3, 2024 at 11:11 am
Shell and others say they plan to drill for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico in part because doing so releases fewer greenhouse gases than drilling on land.
- Lawsuit filed against Dominion Energy over environmental concerns of offshore wind projecton May 2, 2024 at 3:23 am
Three public interest groups, as well as two individuals, filed a lawsuit against Dominion Energy and the Biden administration, hopes to delay the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW) ...
- Shaping the Future of Solar Energy at Offshore Technology Conference,on May 1, 2024 at 7:31 pm
By Okoko Chidozie Christian[email protected]; 09025179984.As the world transitions to a more sustainable and low-carbon solar energy future, no other event provides attendees with more diverse ...
- California lawmakers call for $1 billion ‘down payment’ on offshore wind energy infrastructureon May 1, 2024 at 12:56 pm
Lawmakers are calling for including the $1 billion as part of a larger climate bond which may go before voters in November.
- Australia | Winds of change: New era for offshore energy industry set to blow inon May 1, 2024 at 8:49 am
If all the proponents demonstrate the viability of their projects and gain development approval, the Gippsland wind fleet could generate up to 25 gigawatts of electricity – 40 per cent of the grid’s ...
- Energy moves continue as Liberty takes Brit’s Khan for offshoreon April 30, 2024 at 4:57 am
Brit energy underwriter Balal Khan has resigned and will be joining the offshore energy team at Liberty Specialty Markets, Insurance Insider can reveal. The underwriter has worked at Brit for more ...
- Offshore Newson April 29, 2024 at 5:00 pm
01 May 2024 Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project Has Not Been Delayed Dominion Energy has announced that any reports that the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project has been delayed are ...
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