Fish products

• The fish products made from the cell mass, such as fish sticks or fish balls, are both GMO-free and free from heavy metals and microplastics often found in wild-caught fish.
• With the new plant and the associated scale-up, BLUU Seafood is taking the next step towards industrial production.
• "If the scalability and market conditions are favorable, we will be able to offer cultivated fish at wholesale fish prices in as little as three years.
• BLUU Seafood therefore expects the first approval in Singapore in early 2025, with the US, and the European Union to follow.

• Even more dangerous is the inhalation of mercury vapours, which are released as mercury is used in the extraction of another trace element – gold.
• Miners inhaling mercury vapour can experience the same toxic effects as people eating mercury-laden food: limb tremors, blurred vision, loss of limb functionality, and even death.
• My recent research has found an effective way to reduce mercury emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Senegal through education and equipment distribution.
• We conducted educational sessions on the dangers of mercury and on the use of equipment to reduce mercury emissions and exposure.

Mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining

• Artisanal and small-scale gold mining produces about 20% of all the gold sold on the world market.
• Mercury is used in the extraction of gold because it is cheap, easy to obtain, and efficient at separating gold.
• Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the largest source of mercury pollution globally, emitting more mercury than coal combustion.
• Article 7 specifically deals with mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

Strategies to reduce mercury emissions from gold mining

• Despite the Convention, there has been little success in reducing mercury use and emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
• Many researchers and organisations have sought to train people about the dangers of mercury, or have introduced mercury-free technologies.

Intervention in Senegal

• In a recent study, I worked with collaborators in Senegal to reduce the emissions of mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
• Through surveys before and after the intervention, we found that it was highly successful in increasing knowledge about the dangers of mercury and increasing the use of improved technologies.
• Local people were trained to present the information to miners and community members and to answer questions.
• Information was also spread through local radio, an effective technique for reaching a wider audience in Senegal.
• Read more:
  Ghana's artisanal miners are a law unto themselves: involving communities can help fix the problem

Implications of this intervention

Artisanal gold mining is an important livelihood for many people in Senegal and globally. Given the dangers of mercury toxicity, it’s necessary to reduce the high exposure of miners and their communities. Our study provides one mechanism to achieve this. It has seen a positive reaction, suggesting that similar interventions could be effective in other countries with artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
Jacqueline Gerson receives funding from World Connect and the National Science Foundation.

• The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global industrial refrigeration service market, owing to the temporary closure of service provider firms during the lockdown.
• The Industrial Refrigeration Service market is expected to grow rapidly in Asia-Pacific, due to increase in demand for refrigeration systems in the food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and other industries.
• The LAMEA market for Industrial Refrigeration Service is experiencing growth due to the rise in demand for food and beverages.
• These industries make extensive use of industrial refrigeration systems, eventually driving the demand for related services.

• “Given the past year of inflation and increased interest rates, the government can provide an immediate reduction on the cost of residential energy,” said Watt.
• Senior care facilities, hospices, school and university residential accommodation, monasteries, nunneries, and similar religious communities could also be included.
• The change would see low emission propane and other heating fuels that are marketed exclusively to domestic consumers for residential purposes be zero-rated.
• “Its time that the federal government recognizes that home energy is an essential part of everyday life and should be made as affordable as possible for Canadians.”