Tippets: Saving Golden Mahseers, Sunscreen and Coral Reefs, Zinke Proposes Shrinking National Monuments

October 25, 2017 By: Erin Block

  • For fly anglers, the golden mahseer is a legendary and exotic fish. The species faces threats from multiple fronts, from pollution and overfishing to shrinking migratory range, and is now considered endangered. In the Royal Manas National Park, “a new catch-and-release ecotourism site established by WWF and the government of Bhutan promises to benefit the iconic fish, as well as tigers, by creating livelihood opportunities for people in the region.” Read “Can responsible fly fishing save tigers in the Himalayas?” Via WWF.        
  • Chemicals and micro-particles in sunscreens are causing severe damage to coral reefs. “Swimmers leave nearly eight million pounds of sunscreen in the oceans every year.” Oxybenzone, a chemical in nearly all sunscreens, “causes serious damage to coral reefs, including structural deformations, compromised DNA, and awakening viruses that bleach vast stretches of reef.” Read more, including suggestions for reef-safe alternatives, in this article via Adventure Journal.
  • A document recently obtained by the Washington Post reveals recommendations by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to reduce the size of four land-based monuments: “Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, Gold Butte in Nevada, and Cascade-Siskiyou in Oregon. He would also reduce the size of the Pacific Remote Islands and Rose Atoll monuments.” Read more from Steve Casimiro via Adventure Journal.