Whaling

OceanX Launches Scientific Research Mission in the Seychelles Islands in Partnership with the Republic of Seychelles, Seychelles Island Foundation, Island Conservation Society, and Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 16, 2024

NEW YORK, Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX has embarked on a scientific research mission from January 14 to February 11, 2024, to the Seychelles islands of Aldabra, Amirantes Islands, Farquhar, Cosmoledo Atoll, and Mahe Plateau. The mission is conducted in partnership with the Republic of Seychelles Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment through its Environment Department, the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF), Island Conservation Society (ICS), the University of Seychelles, the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), and Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT). A deep-sea submersible dive from the mission will be broadcast live at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (Davos 2024), with OceanX Head of Science Operations Mattie Rodrigue and marine biologist Dr. Diva Amon participating in a panel discussion on ocean exploration and protection from Seychelles. The broadcast will be available live here on Wednesday, January 17, at 10 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. CET.

Key Points: 
  • The mission is conducted in partnership with the Republic of Seychelles Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment through its Environment Department , the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) , Island Conservation Society (ICS) , the University of Seychelles , the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) , and Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) .
  • Seychelles, situated in the Western Indian Ocean, faces a scarcity of deep-water research due to limited access and substantial funding requirements.
  • "OceanX is proud to be working with like-minded partners to lead this mission, shaping the future of deep-sea exploration and environmental conservation."
  • Data collection and findings from the OceanX mission will form a solid foundation for Seychelles ocean conservation and protection.

Island Fin Poké Co. Partners with GNF Worldwide To Expand its Reach into the Global Market

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 11, 2024

Island Fin Poké Co. has earned its reputation through an unwavering commitment to excellence and an authentic passion for poké.

Key Points: 
  • Island Fin Poké Co. has earned its reputation through an unwavering commitment to excellence and an authentic passion for poké.
  • Island Fin Poké Co. officially signed the Franchise Sales Agreement with GNF Worldwide, setting the stage for a transformative phase of expansion and growth.
  • The strategic alliance with GNF Worldwide brings forth a multitude of opportunities for Island Fin Poké Co., such as a refined sales organization.
  • "We're excited to join forces with Island Fin Poké Co. in their global expansion journey," said Fernando López de Castilla, Founding Partner at GNF Worldwide.

Churchill Asset Management Announces 2024 Promotions, Expands Operating Committee and Establishes New Executive Committee

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 8, 2024

Churchill Asset Management LLC, an investment-specialist affiliate of Nuveen providing customized financing solutions to private equity firms and their portfolio companies, today announced its 2024 promotion class.

Key Points: 
  • Churchill Asset Management LLC, an investment-specialist affiliate of Nuveen providing customized financing solutions to private equity firms and their portfolio companies, today announced its 2024 promotion class.
  • Positioning the firm for continued growth, six senior professionals have also been added to Churchill’s Operating Committee, which oversees day-to-day operational matters, and a new Executive Committee has been established (reporting to the CEO), responsible for management of the firm and setting overall strategic direction for the business.
  • Effective immediately, the Executive Committee members are:
    The Operating Committee now consists of the following 12 members:
    The Operating Committee will report to the newly established Executive Committee.
  • I am confident that in his new position, Randy will continue to bring his unmatched creativity and exemplary leadership to further elevate our business.”

Global Times: Guardians of Yangtze River witness inspiring changes in ecological conservation under China's modernization process

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 5, 2024

It plays a crucial role in assessing the ecological status of the Yangtze River ecosystem.

Key Points: 
  • It plays a crucial role in assessing the ecological status of the Yangtze River ecosystem.
  • In the past, the ecological environment of the Yangtze River suffered severe damage due to overfishing and other intensive human activities.
  • Before 2015, only 2 to 3 members of the species remained in the Yichang section of the Yangtze River.
  • In recent years, with the advancement of the Yangtze River conservation initiative, the playful glee of the Yangtze finless porpoise has been witnessed more frequently in the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River.

New research harnesses AI and satellite imagery to reveal the expanding footprint of human activity at sea

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 3, 2024

More than 25 percent of transport and energy vessel activity are also missing from public tracking systems.

Key Points: 
  • More than 25 percent of transport and energy vessel activity are also missing from public tracking systems.
  • Using machine learning, they then concluded which of those vessels were likely engaged in fishing activity.
  • Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea.
  • We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.

Commissioner Falk to conclude with second term

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Published: 10 November 2023

Key Points: 
  • Published: 10 November 2023
    The Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk has advised the Attorney-General that after having the privilege of serving two terms she will not be seeking a third term.
  • The Australian Information Commissioner said: “I am greatly honoured to have led the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) through a time of exponential growth, technological development, heightened community expectations and great domestic and international change in the regulatory landscape.
  • I remain focused on the protection and promotion of privacy and information access rights and ensuring the OAIC is well positioned for the challenges of the future.”
    Commissioner Falk said the move to a three Commissioner model marked an exciting chapter for the OAIC.
  • The Attorney-General’s Department has advertised the position ahead of the conclusion of the Australian Information Commissioner’s term in August 2024.

Association of Information Access Commissioners meeting communique

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Published: 17 November 2023

Key Points: 
  • Published: 17 November 2023
    The Association of Information Access Commissioners (AIAC) met in Perth on 3 November 2023 for its second biannual meeting, hosted by the Office of the Information Commissioner, Western Australia.
  • The AIAC is comprised of independent information commissioners and ombudsmen of Australia and New Zealand who have oversight responsibilities for access to government information laws under their respective state and national jurisdictions.
  • In the digital information age, robust information governance and reliable government information are now more important than ever.
  • This communique is endorsed by:
    |New Zealand|
    Peter Boshier, Chief Ombudsman
    Emma Leach, Senior Assistant Ombudsman
    |Commonwealth||Angelene Falk, Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner|
    |Australian Capital Territory||Iain Anderson, ACT Ombudsman|
    |New South Wales||Elizabeth Tydd, CEO and Information Commissioner|
    Sonia Minutillo, Director, Investigation and Reporting (Acting Privacy Commissioner)
    |Queensland||Stephanie Winson, Acting Information Commissioner |
    Anna Rickard, Acting Right to Information Commissioner
    |Victoria||Joanne Kummrow, Public Access Deputy Commissioner|
    |South Australia||Wayne Lines, Ombudsman|
    |Tasmania||Richard Connock, Ombudsman|
    |Western Australia||Catherine Fletcher, Information Commissioner|
    |Northern Territory||Brenda Monaghan, Deputy Ombudsman/Deputy Information Commissioner|

says appointment of new commissioners a significant step

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Published: 27 November 2023

Key Points: 
  • Published: 27 November 2023
    Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk today welcomed the appointments of a standalone Privacy Commissioner and a new Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioner.
  • The Attorney-General the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP announced today the appointment of Ms Elizabeth Tydd as FOI Commissioner and Ms Carly Kind as Privacy Commissioner.
  • Incoming FOI Commissioner Tydd will commence in her role on 19 February 2024 and Privacy Commissioner Kind on 26 February 2024.
  • “The new commissioners will bring considerable expertise to promote and uphold privacy and information access rights.

Xactly’s 2024 Sales Compensation Report Reveals Top Challenges in Achieving Revenue Growth

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xactly , a provider of intelligent revenue solutions, today announced the results of its 2024 Sales Compensation Report , which revealed quota challenges are top of mind for leaders, and reliance on legacy technology has impacted confidence and accuracy with compensation management.

Key Points: 
  • SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xactly , a provider of intelligent revenue solutions, today announced the results of its 2024 Sales Compensation Report , which revealed quota challenges are top of mind for leaders, and reliance on legacy technology has impacted confidence and accuracy with compensation management.
  • “To best equip them to improve sales performance and drive revenue growth, leaders must invest in better quota setting and benchmarking technology.
  • The report uncovers the latest sales compensation trends, insights, and benchmarks across topics such as on-target-earnings (OTE), variable compensation, quota achievement, quota assignment, and incentive compensation management.
  • Only 47% are using automation to keep their sales reps informed of plan changes, impacting confidence and time spent on auditing commission calculations.

From Blue Pacific to Indo-Pacific: how politics and language define our ‘Indigenous ocean’

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

They announced the way forward as the “Blue Pacific – Our Sea of Islands, Our Livelihoods, Our Oceania”.

Key Points: 
  • They announced the way forward as the “Blue Pacific – Our Sea of Islands, Our Livelihoods, Our Oceania”.
  • It’s a revealing example of how the study of the Pacific and the practice of Pacific politics often intersect.
  • Rapidly, the Blue Pacific – a story about a place – had become a new place.
  • Regional organisations connected through the Blue Pacific, and it became a cornerstone of diplomatic and national language.

New names, old stories

  • Holding together the new movement – which was launched at a moment of considerable difficulty for the region – was an old story.
  • The Forum leaders and others around it explicitly referred to the Blue Pacific as a narrative.
  • As the Samoan Prime Minister put it, “[t]he Blue Pacific provides a new narrative for Pacific Regionalism and how the Forum engages with the world”.

The Indo-Pacific as geopolitical construct

  • The Indo-Pacific is now a geopolitical construct said to encompass the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, and shifting, unspecified parts of the Pacific Ocean.
  • In other words, it both marginalises and co-opts the Indigenous Pacific of which I write.
  • Read more:
    Australia has long viewed the Pacific as a place of threats that must be contained.
  • Such is the power of this particular narrative and construct that it is central to many of the most vital geopolitical discourses and activities globally.

An unequal ocean

  • Though there is a vibrancy to Indigenous traditions and narration, they do not have the same access and circulation; the Pacific remains an unequal ocean.
  • In very few areas is this not apparent, but I wish to draw attention to one specific way in which the colonial, and particularly the decolonising experience, shaped the unequal oceanscapes of the present: mobility.
  • The terms and conditions of formal decolonisation – what I think of as the decolonising bargain – was a bargain struck in profoundly unequal times and in unequal ways, where much of the power lay with former colonial rulers and international players.

‘New blackbirds’

  • The Pacific diaspora, so deeply conditioned by the decolonising bargain, has not mattered equally to Pacific nations recently.
  • In smaller islands and nations these opportunities have seen mobility on remarkable scales; Niue is perhaps the most striking.
  • Since the 1970s the number of Niueans in Niue has declined by around two-thirds, falling from over 5,000 to less than 2,000.
  • As elsewhere in the former (or, as some might contend, currently) colonised world, the visible benefits of colonialism are not readily evident.

Mobility and sovereignty

  • In each of these places, Indigenous Pacific migrants experience outcomes that more closely match their Indigenous neighbours than those of Pākehā/Papālagi/white populations.
  • There are also other costs that these Indigenous Pacific people confront — paid in language, culture, well-being, identity, independence and sovereignty.
  • The transnational dimensions wrought by those Indigenous folks afforded mobility are profound.
  • As Epeli Hau‘ofa so powerfully put it, these Pacific peoples can craft lives that resonate with the mobility of the ancestors.
  • But the majority of Pacific peoples do not have access to transnational mobility.


Damon Salesa does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.