serial: Evolving Conservation

serial: Evolving Conservation

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How quickly do tropical forests recover? Faster than expected, but slower than it seems
- Tropical forests can regrow within decades, with species abundance and diversity recovering quickly, but full ecological recovery—especially the return of original species composition—takes much longer.
- Many mobile species such as birds, bats, and bees persist or return early, helping drive regeneration by dispersing seeds and pollinating plants, while slower-moving or long-lived species lag behind.
- Forests may regain high numbers of species relatively fast, but the specific mix of old-growth species takes decades or longer to reassemble, meaning a regrown forest is not the same as the one that was lost.
- Recovery depends on time, prior land use, and proximity to intact habitat, suggesting that protecting and allowing secondary forests to regenerate can be a practical and cost-effective path for restoring biodiversity.

Loss of prey could drive Atlantic Forest jaguars to extinction
- There’s little prey left for jaguars in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, which is driving the big cat’s decline there, according to new research.
- Hunting is wiping out species like deer and peccaries that sustain jaguars, which could spell localized extinctions for the fewer than 300 jaguars thought to remain there.
- To save these last jaguars, enforcement is needed to reduce hunting, the study authors and conservationists say.
- It may be necessary to translocate prey species to rewild this forest, experts say, and fragmented habitat must be reconnected to allow safe movement for jaguars and other wildlife.

Malawi hails win in ending smuggling of invasive crayfish
Authorities in Malawi have credited stronger monitoring and border controls with effectively ending the smuggling of invasive crayfish into the country, nearly a year after a major seizure from neighboring Zambia. Davie Khumbanyiwa, the fisheries department officer responsible for monitoring, control and surveillance, said the department has increased inspections for redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus), a […]
Mennonites from Belize spark deforestation fears with new settlement plans in Suriname
- Mennonite families in Belize could pay millions to settle on around 24,000 hectares (59,300 acres) in Para, Suriname, a district with around 90% forest cover.
- Community leaders from Shipyard and Indian Creek, Belize, have taken multiple trips to Suriname to analyze soil quality and learn about the country’s farming regulations. Members from Spanish Lookout, another Mennonite community, have also started looking into a Suriname relocation.
- The move is being facilitated by Braganza Marketing Group, run by Ruud Souverein, a Dutch national living in Suriname who was involved in a previously failed government program to bring Mennonites from Bolivia in 2023.
- Environmental groups have expressed concern about Mennonites’ tendencies to expand into forested areas, circumvent environmental regulations, and settle on land without proper titles.

Migratory species summit adopts new marine protections amid extinction warnings
- Delegates to the latest meeting of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals adopted new protections for 40 migratory species, including 33 marine animals like sharks, seabirds and shorebirds.
- The convention’s 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15), held in Brazil March 23-29, recognized the importance of “marine flyways” for migratory birds and highlighted key marine biodiversity areas.
- It also urged protection of seamounts from destructive fishing practices and a precautionary approach on deep-sea mining to address potential impacts on migratory species.
- Conservation advocates lauded the steps taken at COP15, but the summit also issued stark warnings that extinction and species decline are accelerating.

The little-known story of emerging ecotourism in the Central African Republic
- Though conflict and instability have shaped much of the Central African Republic’s recent history, Dzanga-Sangha in the country’s southwest is experiencing a modest rise in ecotourism centered on forest elephants, western lowland gorillas and the dense Congo Basin rainforest.
- Officials say about 800 tourists visited Dzanga-Sangha in 2025, generating roughly $1 million in revenue, with local guides and lodge workers reporting gradual growth linked to improved stability.
- Tourism is bringing some benefits, including income sharing, cultural tourism and small economic opportunities, though some involved in the country’s ecotourism ecosystem say job creation remains limited and uneven.
- While optimism is growing, challenges such as poor infrastructure, limited access and questions about equitable benefits mean Dzanga-Sangha’s ecotourism remains a work in progress.

‘I like impossible missions’: A conservationist’s mission to turn around Salonga’s fate
- At age 70, Luis Arranz has taken on a new mission aimed at helping turn around the fate of Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo: he became its co-director in 2022.
- Unlike his previous assignments, including his work in the DRC’s Garamba National Park marked by school kidnappings and violence by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, Arranz now faces a different type of challenge in Salonga.
- Undeterred, he says he enjoys “impossible missions” and is motivated by the prospect of protecting Salonga while improving livelihoods for communities living around the park.

AI infrastructure growth threatens water-stressed Thai regions
Thailand’s massive surge in data center development is prompting concerns about water shortages and pollution in already stressed regions. Mongabay’s Gerry Flynn reports that more than 70 data center-related projects are planned or underway, driven by global demand for AI and supported by government tax incentives. These projects are concentrated in the country’s Eastern Economic […]
The ‘unfair’ job of being a conservationist in a world working against nature
Jessie Panazzolo was given a stuffed gorilla when she was 3, and from then on, she always wanted to be a conservationist. But a reasonable career track of being gainfully employed or on a livable wage almost doesn’t exist in the sector, she explains to me this week on the Mongabay Newscast. She details the […]
At high seas treaty summit, a dispute over fisheries managers’ role in conservation
- The high seas treaty was agreed to by the world’s nations in 2023 and took effect in January. The treaty created a means to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, or the high seas.
- A summit to draft the treaty rules took place March 23-April 2 at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Five multilateral organizations that manage high seas fishing, known as regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), jointly proposed changes in a bid to ensure their own work is not duplicated or displaced.
- The draft rules that emerged from the summit, to be voted on at a future meeting, accommodated the RFMOs’ wishes, according to critical observers, who argue the RFMOs are influenced by fishing industry priorities and may use authority conferred by the rules to inhibit MPA creation.
- In other news at the summit, parties also worked on developing rules governing the participation of non-state observers such as NGOs and a process for determining the location of the treaty’s secretariat.

A French city cut its marine pollution — and its seagrass bounced back
- Neptune grass is generally regarded as the most ecologically important seagrass and shallow-water habitat in the Mediterranean Sea, where it is endemic. But the species has been in decline for many decades.
- A new study found that following the introduction of stronger environmental regulations and practices in the mid-to-late 1980s, Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica) repopulated sampled sections of the waters off Marseille, France, over the ensuing four decades at rates that experts called “exceptional” and “remarkable.”
- The lead author said the study shows the value of passive restoration: letting seagrass meadows regrow on their own after removing the human-caused drivers of decline, rather than focusing on replanting or transplanting the species.

Microplastics found in fish in Tuvalu, a remote South Pacific nation
Tuvalu is a remote Polynesian nation made up of three reef islands and six atolls. Home to fewer than 11,000 people, Tuvalu is 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from its nearest neighbor in Fiji. Yet dispite its isolation and small population, new research shows that the ocean ecosystems around Tuvalu are polluted with microplastics. A team of researchers […]
Indigenous & community leaders say, ‘secure forest financing with us, not for us’ (commentary)
- With the expansion of government forest protection programs like REDD+ in recent years, Indigenous communities are increasingly asking if these initiatives boost their autonomy and benefits, or repeat old patterns of exclusion.
- These programs’ success will increasingly depend on the full participation of their peoples in the process that determines how benefits and revenues from these transactions are shared, three Indigenous and Afro-descendant leaders write in a new op-ed.
- “We believe the path forward is clear: climate policy must be built with communities, not for them,” they say.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.

In Brazil’s capital, Indigenous leaders rally as land disputes and mining pressures grow
BRASILIA (AP) — Indigenous people in Brazil have marched in the capital, Brasilia, to protest what they say are violations of their land rights. They accuse large corporations of advancing farming, logging and mining projects on their lands. The protest is part of the annual Free Land Indigenous Camp, Brazil’s largest Indigenous mobilization. This year’s […]
Cowboy boots can save an Amazonian river giant
Cowboy boots made from the skin of the giant Amazon pirarucu fish are a Wild West hit in the U.S. and Mexico. This sustainable leather trade helps Brazilian fishers recover the species while funding lake patrols against poachers. Still, communities get just a fraction of the $750 boot price. Progress still needs scaling.
Latin America’s largest hospital complex cancels plan to buy shark meat
- Last month saw a series of new policy developments for sharks in Brazil.
- Brazil’s biggest hospital complex said it would strike shark meat from a planned 2026 procurement, though the boneless fish could still be served at some of its institutes.
- The environment agency issued a host of new rules, including a ban on shark fins detached from the carcass, drawing ire from industry groups.
- A court ruled that federal procurements of shark meat for public institutions must meet new species labeling and traceability requirements.

How saving birds protects the planet: Interview with author Scott Weidensaul
- Birds are struggling, with serious population declines that seem in some cases to be accelerating, which author Scott Weidensaul says in in his new book should serve as a warning that the systems on which they depend – and on which we all depend – are breaking down.
- But birds also serve as a handy, readily apparent barometer for when things are starting to go right, too, he argues, in a new interview at Mongabay.
- The bestselling author centers multiple promising efforts to revive species in “The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet,” which W.W. Norton is publishing later this month.

Avian bird flu surges in New York urban wildlife, increasing disease concerns
- The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza has spread across the globe, infecting hundreds of birds and mammal species. Few places offer a clearer view of the virus’s spread in urban wildlife than New York state, where the Atlantic Flyway and a layered surveillance system have made the virus easier to track.
- Scientists and local wildlife rehabilitators in New York City have reported a sharp uptick in suspected avian influenza cases this past winter. The current H5N1 strain is unusual not only for its significant impact on migratory birds, but for its ability to jump to a growing number of mammal species.
- H5N1 continues to surface in live animal and poultry markets across New York City, after more than a decade of recurring avian influenza outbreaks. Experts say the crowded, mixed-species conditions in these markets can amplify viral spread and create new opportunities for spillover to other species, potentially including humans.
- If H5N1 can move this readily across species in a city as heavily surveilled and globally connected as New York, experts warn that the risks may be even greater in other urban centers with more migratory wildlife, large live animal markets and weaker surveillance.

Why conservation needs stories of progress
- Conservation progress often unfolds through sustained, incremental efforts by rangers, communities, and researchers, demonstrating that meaningful gains are still possible even in difficult contexts.
- Solutions journalism seeks to complement crisis reporting by examining what is working, under what conditions, and with what limitations, offering a more complete and actionable picture of environmental challenges.
- Evidence suggests that stories of credible progress can counter news avoidance, restore a sense of agency, and help practitioners and policymakers adapt successful approaches across regions.
- The launch of Mongabay’s Solutions Desk reflects this shift, writes Rhett Butler, the founder and CEO, in this commentary, aiming to document and disseminate effective conservation strategies alongside investigative reporting.

Mongabay launches Solutions Desk to track what works for the planet
- Mongabay has launched a dedicated Solutions Desk to expand reporting on how people and institutions respond to problems about nature, rather than spotlighting solely the problems themselves.
- The desk reflects a strategic shift toward solutions journalism, emphasizing evidence-based analysis of outcomes, trade-offs and lessons learned from real-world interventions.
- Mongabay’s solutions journalism has already contributed to tangible outcomes, including influencing Microsoft agroecology investment decisions in Latin America, supporting community-led wildcat conservation initiatives in Peru, and informing policy and accountability in the biomass industry.
- The Solutions Desk strengthens Mongabay’s capacity to deliver rigorous, independent journalism that helps audiences better understand effective responses to environmental challenges and supports more informed decision-making globally.

Indigenous governance key to protecting Amazon Basin connectivity, experts say
- The connectivity of the Amazon’s rivers, lowlands, wetlands and Andean areas is vital for the functioning of these different ecosystems, but it is threatened by hydroelectric dams, mining and deforestation, among others.
- According to the Science Panel for the Amazon, 23% of the Amazon lowlands, 24% of rivers, 25% of wetlands and 28% of the Amazonian Andes are affected by at least one anthropogenic activity, with some parts of the Amazon Basin more affected by loss of connectivity than others.
- Indigenous territories and conservation units suffer from less ecosystem disruption, which highlights the importance of guaranteeing the protection of these areas, particularly by supporting Indigenous governance, the researchers argue.
- Other solutions include the creation of dam-free river sanctuaries and biodiversity corridors in the areas of the Amazon Basin that have been least affected by deforestation to help maintain landscape connectivity.

Wildlife concerns remain after Kenya court ruling over luxury safari camp
- A luxury Ritz-Carlton safari camp built along the Sand River has triggered legal action over its location within a key wildlife migration corridor in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
- Conservationists and Maasai leaders warn the project could disrupt the Great Migration and erode traditional ecological knowledge and livelihoods.
- The Environment and Land Court at Narok dismissed the complaint, ruling that the plaintiff had not used all existing complaint mechanisms before bringing the issue before the court. However, the court did not rule on the substance of the case.
- Kenyan authorities say monitoring shows no impact on migration routes so far, though an independent scientist calls for long-term, data-driven studies.

A human rights center opens a path to justice for Indigenous Peoples in the Central African Republic
- In Bayanga, a forest town on the edge of the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas complex, a small human rights center is restoring hope to the Ba’aka, one of the best-known Indigenous peoples of the Congo Basin.
- Established in 2015, the center helps resolve conflicts within local communities, promotes access to justice, provides human rights training and awareness, and helps the Ba’aka community participate in political and societal life. It also assists residents in obtaining administrative documents such as birth certificates and identity cards.
- The center has already handled 880 cases, ranging from financial disputes over loans or wages to physical violence and sexual abuse.
- Thanks to the trust it has earned from the communities, it plays a role in preserving social peace in this forested region.

Is the Galápagos damselfish extinct?
- A once-common reef fish in the Galápagos has not been seen since 1983, raising the question of whether it has already disappeared.
- A recent study by Jack Stein Grove and colleagues concludes the species is likely extinct, based on decades of failed searches and historical records.
- Its disappearance is linked to the severe 1982–83 El Niño, which disrupted the islands’ nutrient cycles and food webs.
- The case highlights how even well-known marine ecosystems can lose species quietly, with declines only becoming clear in hindsight.

Camera traps take first photos of rare island antelope on Zanzibar
Conservationists have captured the first camera trap images of the highly elusive Pemba blue duiker, a tiny antelope that lives in a remnant of native forest in the north of Zanzibar’s Pemba Island. Standing just 30 centimeters (12 inches) high at the shoulder, the Pemba blue duiker is possibly a subspecies of the blue duiker […]
After harsh winter, Ukrainians find joy in releasing bats rescued from war
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As night falls over a nature park on the edge of Kyiv, children crowd around volunteers who carefully open cloth bags and release bats into the twilight. As each one takes flight, snapping through the air, more than 1,000 spectators cheer and applaud — families, off-duty soldiers, and bat enthusiasts, a few […]
A Congo Basin-led bioeconomy could boost Central Africa’s green transition (analysis)
- As the global economy shifts toward greener, more sustainable models, the Congo Basin has a unique opportunity to position itself within this landscape by building a resilient bioeconomy that prioritizes local value creation while preserving critical ecosystems.
- Despite its rich natural endowments, this region often faces a paradox: while conservation protects, extraction exploits, and agreements frequently stall.
- “Promoting innovative approaches to biodiversity value creation directly supports efforts to enhance innovation and competitiveness, while emphasizing the need for durable, inclusive systems that capture long-term value for local communities,” a new analysis argues.
- This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

A unique clearing in Central Africa draws elephants from the dense forests
- Dzanga Bai is an exceptional forest clearing where hundreds of elusive forest elephants gather, offering scientists and visitors opportunities to observe their behavior, social interactions and family dynamics in the open.
- Mineral-rich soil and shallow pools draw elephants and other wildlife like bongos and forest buffalo, making the clearing a unique ecological hotspot and a valuable site for long-term research on a little-understood species.
- Dzanga Bai is a growing tourism spot for the Central African Republic, but growth remains limited by difficult access, infrastructure constraints and perceptions of insecurity.

10 years after Vietnam’s Formosa steel plant spill, justice for victims remains elusive
- This month marks the 10th anniversary of a marine disaster in Vietnam, caused by the release of toxic chemicals by the Formosa steel plant off the coast of Hà Tĩnh province.
- At least 100 metric tons of dead fish washed ashore beginning April 6, 2016, sickening thousands of people and shutting down the fishing and tourism industries.
- After widespread public mobilization, the company admitted responsibility and agreed to pay $500 million in compensation.
- Thousands of Formosa victims say they have not been properly compensated; lawsuits against the company are stalled; and victims and their supporters face repression, including imprisonment, inside Vietnam.

10% of the ocean is protected. Now just 20% more to go
- Data from the World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA) indicate that more than 10% of the ocean is now protected, marking a significant milestone for ocean conservation efforts.
- With a global goal to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, experts warn that efforts must accelerate dramatically: An area roughly the size of the Indian Ocean must be protected within the next four years to meet the goal.
- While overall coverage is important, protection levels vary widely. For instance, only about 3.3% of the ocean is currently classified as fully or highly protected — and that number may even decrease.
- Experts have also raised concerns about the quality and effectiveness of many areas designated as “conserved,” which are now counted alongside traditional marine protected areas.

Far from home, a Rwandan doctor fulfills her calling among CAR forest communities
- Alphonsine Colombe Irahali is a Rwandan doctor stationed in Bayanga, a remote outpost near Dzanga-Sangha National Park in the Central African Republic.
- Her daily routine consists of traveling from village to village to provide care to communities that rarely have access to it.
- She says she fully embraces her calling as a doctor in communities that are virtually excluded from the formal health care system, with very positive results.
- Through mobile clinics, her team conducts tuberculosis and HIV screenings, raises awareness among the population and encourages vaccination, thereby helping to improve the health conditions of the people living around the protected area.

Mitchell Byrd, ornithologist who helped bring bald eagles back from the brink in the Chesapeake area
- Mitchell Byrd spent decades tracking bird populations in the Chesapeake Bay, helping document and support the recovery of bald eagles from near disappearance in Virginia.
- His work combined long-term field research with practical conservation, from aerial surveys to engaging landowners and shaping habitat protection efforts.
- As co-founder of the Center for Conservation Biology, he trained generations of scientists, extending his influence far beyond the region where he worked.

Hidden cameras reveal macaws’ secret lives
High up in the Amazon canopy, camera traps have recorded the entire breeding cycle of red-and-green macaws in Peru’s Madre de Dios region. Researchers watched these birds team up to defend their nest, raise a chick, and face rivals — all from a single artificial nest box. As natural nesting spaces are lost to logging, […]
Once lost, now found: Five “missing” bird species rediscovered in 2025, offering hope
- Birders in 2025 rediscovered five species of birds that scientists hadn’t documented in the wild for at least 10 years, according to the latest update of the Lost Birds List.
- All of the “found” birds are endemic to islands in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
- Two birds, one considered extinct and one reclassified as a subspecies, were taken off the list in 2025 and another bird, not seen in 94 years, was documented early this year.
- Six new species will be added to the list in 2026, those not documented in the wild for a decade. This puts the list at 120 birds — down from 163 when it started in 2022.

Researchers uncover 10 new moth species and 7 new genera in Hawaiʻi
Researchers in Hawai’i have described 10 new species and seven new genera of moths, highlighting how much remains unknown about the Pacific archipelago’s biodiversity. Hawai’i is home to a large number of endemic species, plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Discovery of a new species is so common, “nobody turns their head,” study […]
Orcas never seen before in Seattle delight whale watchers with a visit
Seattle (AP) — When tourists travel to Seattle, it’s common to take in the Space Needle and the downtown skyline from Puget Sound. It’s an itinerary that a newly arrived pod of killer whales appears to be following too. Three orcas that had not previously been recorded in the Seattle area have delighted whale watchers with several […]
Kenya to receive 4 mountain bongos from European zoos
The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) is on track to receive four male mountain bongos from European zoos, a move aimed at helping boost the population of one of Africa’s most endangered antelope. The transfer was led by experts from Chester Zoo, in England, in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the European Association […]
Canadian muskoxen hit by double punch of novel diseases and climate change
- New emerging diseases and other threats, including climate change, are upending muskox recovery in parts of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
- An emerging pathogen, dubbed Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Arctic clone, was linked to widespread muskox mortalities on Victoria and Banks islands from 2009-14. Another outbreak was identified on Ellesmere Island in 2021.
- Brucellosis, a zoonotic disease, is now appearing in muskoxen on Victoria Island and parts of the mainland, with rates increasing since 2015.
- These emerging diseases were identified, researched and tracked via an innovative community-based wildlife health surveillance program that teams up Inuit hunters and trappers, scientists and government agencies. Muskoxen are a key food source for many Inuit communities and play a vital role in Arctic ecology. Their loss could put food security and Indigenous culture at risk.

How an engineer brought degraded wetlands back to life in drought-hit Bangladesh
- In drought-hit regions of Bangladesh, excavation and restoration of wetlands are crucial for local ecosystem and agriculture.
- An engineer at a government agency, A.K.M. Fazlul Haque challenges anomalies in wetland regulations around the country’s northern region.
- His efforts serve the community and biodiversity, and Fazlul’s story shows that conservation is a continuous struggle.

Pyrenees brown bear population climbs to an estimated 130 in latest census
The annual census of brown bears in the Pyrenees mountain range of Spain, France and Andorra estimated that 130 bears are now living in the region with an average annual population growth rate of more than 11% over the last 18 years. The subpopulation of Pyrenees brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) has been steadily increasing […]
Unwrapping deforestation: Your chocolate Easter bunny may harm the environment
- The United Kingdom’s cocoa imports drove more than 2,000 hectares of deforestation in 2025 alone, mainly in Côte d’Ivoire (78%) and Ghana (18%), according to an analysis by climate NGO Global Witness.
- Total post-2021 losses linked to chocolate products exceeded 8,244 hectares. For all commodities — including palm oil, soy, beef, coffee and rubber — the deforestation exposure was 52,000 hectares.
- Britain continues to be exposed to deforestation despite enacting the 2021 Environment Act, designed to purge illegal forest destruction from supply chains. The reason is that the U.K. has not put in place key rules.
- Promised regulations remain stalled, with no timeline from the government to implement them. This leaves companies without due diligence rules and consumers remain exposed to goods linked to deforestation.

Indonesian geothermal projects stall amid Indigenous concerns over justice
An island in eastern Indonesia was meant to lead the country’s transition into renewable energy. But nearly a decade later, the “geothermal island” has suspended projects due to local resistance and concerns for justice and safety. Mongabay’s Basten Gokkon reports that, back in 2017, up to 21 geothermal sites were identified on the island of […]
Indonesia’s deforestation surges 66% in 2025, reversing years of decline
- New satellite data show that deforestation in Indonesia surged in 2025, up 66% from the previous year, marking a sharp reversal after several years of decline.
- The implications extend beyond forest loss, as rising deforestation could derail Indonesia’s climate goals, including its target of turning the forestry and land use sector into a net carbon sink by 2030.
- NGO Auriga Nusantara points to policy decisions under both the current and former administrations; at the same time, government-backed projects have been allowed to expand into forest areas, often without adequate spatial planning.

Today is Jane Goodall Day. Her movement continues.
- April 3, now recognized as Jane Goodall Day, is intended as a day of action—an invitation to carry forward the habits and responsibilities she encouraged, rather than simply commemorate her life.
- From Roots & Shoots to community-led conservation models like Tacare, her work continues through people who apply her approach locally, linking the well-being of people, animals, and the environment.
- Colleagues at the Jane Goodall Institute describe a consistent throughline in her thinking: start small, stay attentive, and build change through actions that accumulate over time.
- The day reflects a broader idea at the center of her life’s work—that progress depends less on scale or certainty than on individuals choosing to act, where they are, with what they have.

Talks to reduce funding for overfishing remain stalled at WTO meeting
- Delegates at a recent World Trade Organization summit in Cameroon agreed to continue “Fish Two” negotiations aimed at a deal to curb government subsidies that support unsustainable fishing, but progress remains limited, with just three countries blocking consensus despite broad support.
- The first phase of the deal, “Fish One,” entered into force in September 2025 and now has 116 ratifications; but key fishing nations, including India and Indonesia, have not joined.
- Disputes over Fish Two center on fairness: Developing countries argue the draft text disadvantages them, particularly through sustainability-based exemptions that favor wealthier nations with better scientific capacity.
- A four-year “sunset clause” triggered by Fish One’s entry into force now puts pressure on talks: If a full agreement is not reached by 2029, the entire deal, including Fish One, risks collapsing.

Return of the giant tortoises
For the first time in nearly two centuries, giant tortoises are once again roaming Floreana Island in the Galápagos, a conservation milestone more than a decade in the making.
Green and gray: Mangroves and dikes show potential in protecting shorelines together
- A recent paper modeled how restoring mangroves in front of water-controlling infrastructure like dikes might create a hybrid coastal defense system in the face of global sea level rise.
- The model found that this combination, put in place today, could reduce the annual damage from storms and flooding by $800 million, and that 140,000 fewer people would be impacted by these events every year.
- They also found that these numbers would increase over time with the impacts of climate change.
- The researchers also evaluated where these projects would be most cost-effective, finding that the benefits disproportionately help lower-income areas, particularly in Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Africa.

Banned but not silenced: Gerry Flynn’s commitment to uncovering the truth across the Mekong
- Gerald “Gerry” Flynn is Mongabay’s features writer for Southeast Asia, reporting on the intersection of human rights, ecosystems and natural resource governance.
- In January 2025, Flynn was permanently banned from Cambodia in what appeared to be retaliation for his journalistic work; he is now based in Thailand and covers the Mekong region more broadly.
- He emphasizes that environmental journalism in authoritarian contexts must expose realities often omitted from state-controlled media.
- Flynn says he values on-the-ground reporting, amplifying local voices and balancing bravery with safety.

Brazilian banks to verify satellite deforestation data for rural credit
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s banks will be required to verify official satellite deforestation data before approving rural credit beginning on Wednesday in the South American country. Under the new rule, financial institutions must check whether a property appears in a government registry of areas with potential illegal deforestation after July 31, 2019. The database, maintained […]
Railroad & tariff war boost soy in Brazil’s Cerrado, endangering Indigenous lands
- Driven by the tariff war between the U.S. and China, soy production in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state is breaking records and encroaching on the Cerrado biome.
- Logistics projects such as the Ferrogrão railroad are expected to scale up production, further increasing the risk of deforestation.
- In the Tirecatinga Indigenous Land, amid still-standing Cerrado, Indigenous peoples are already feeling the impacts of pesticides and dams.

New species discovered in Cambodia’s rare rocky ecosystems
Scientists have discovered at least 11 new species in the caves and rocky outcroppings of northern Cambodia’s Battambang and Stung Treng provinces. The findings were compiled into a new biodiversity report. Seven new species have already been formally described and another four are in the process. To map the biodiversity in the nation’s karst ecosystems, […]
How underinvesting in information threatens our collective well-being
- This essay is adapted from the article, “Information as Civic Infrastructure—and How Philanthropy Can Support the Ecosystem,” which was originally published in Nonprofit Quarterly on March 3, 2026.
- While philanthropy traditionally funds direct solutions like land conservation or technology, it often overlooks the fragile information environment that these interventions require to succeed.
- The lack of credible, verified data creates an “information gap” that allows environmental harms to go unnoticed and undermines the public oversight necessary for regulatory and market accountability.
- Investing in the core capacities of a healthy information ecosystem—such as data verification and digital security—provides the essential clarity needed to address our most urgent global challenges.

How wild cattle recovery is transforming local livelihoods near key Thai reserve
- Banteng, a species of wild cattle, have suffered an 80% population decline across their range in recent decades. But in Thailand, populations are rebounding strongly in well-protected areas.
- Decades of strict habitat protection and ranger patrols have reduced poaching and recovered numbers to such an extent that several herds have spread outside of protected sites into surrounding buffer areas, where enforcement of wildlife laws is limited.
- In an effort to protect the growing herds, villagers living in the buffer area of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, who once experienced conflict with the banteng, have set up a community-led ecotourism initiative based on banteng-watching.
- The wildlife tours are creating powerful cultural, social and financial deterrents to poaching, and the banteng are proving to be a key species around which to rally local support for conservation.

Linda Dakin-Grimm and Geo Chen join Mongabay’s board as it expands global coverage
- Mongabay has appointed Linda Dakin-Grimm and Geo Chen to its board of directors, adding legal, philanthropic and investment expertise to support its mission of independent environmental journalism.
- Their appointments come amid rapid organizational growth, with traffic up 166% and story production rising 44% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
- The organization continues to expand its editorial capacity and global reach, including new investments in key reporting areas, additional language offerings, and a fellowship program that is expected to nearly double in size.
- Mongabay’s growth is guided not by scale alone but by how its reporting informs decisions by policymakers, practitioners and communities working on environmental challenges.

Australia’s flying foxes offer valuable services & deserve better reputation: Study
A new study in Scientific Reports provides the first economic valuation of the ecosystem services provided by flying foxes in Australia, focusing on their significant contribution to the timber industry.
Who gives up land for the world’s climate fixes?
Planting trees has become one of the most widely promoted responses to climate change. As forests grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while offering habitat for animals, plants and other organisms. The idea is straightforward: Expand forests, and the planet gains both climate mitigation and renewed biodiversity. Yet the land required to remove […]
Ethiopian women plant trees, restoring lands & livelihoods
- In southern Ethiopia, unsustainable farming practices and tree cutting for fuel are causing land degradation.
- The Integrated Women’s Development Organization has planted fruit and other trees as well as grass for animal fodder to restore soil and tree cover and provide additional income for its members.
- IWDO recently became a member of the GLFx network, connecting it with similar independent, community-oriented groups to strengthen its work protecting and restoring healthy forests and other landscapes.

Thai court rules gold mine liable, but villagers face uncertain justice
- A Thai court has ruled a gold mining company liable for environmental damage and health impacts, ordering compensation for nearly 400 villagers and mandating cleanup measures.
- The landmark verdict, Thailand’s first environmental class action, is being appealed, delaying payouts and prolonging an already decade-long legal battle.
- Villagers say the compensation falls far short of their losses, with many continuing to suffer from contamination, health issues and ruined livelihoods.
- The case highlights ongoing tensions over mining impacts and accountability, as operations continue and communities push for stronger legal action and remediation.

Marina Silva steps down as Brazil’s environment minister to run for Congress
SAO PAULO (AP) — Marina Silva is stepping down as Brazil’s environment minister so that she can run for Congress in national elections. Under Brazilian law, ministers must leave office six months before the vote. Silva returned to the job in 2023 and helped drive a sharp drop in deforestation after major losses under former […]
American Samoa said ‘no’ to deep sea mining, Washington heard ‘faster’ (commentary)
- The U.S. government is moving fast to grant leases to corporations for deep sea mining in places like the territory of American Samoa: once issued, these are very difficult to rescind.
- Leaders there have weighed in against this lease on cultural and environmental grounds, but the federal agency in charge has merely acknowledged this dissent while continuing to move forward.
- “American Samoa is not a test case; it’s at risk of becoming the federal government’s blueprint” on deep-sea mining licensing, a new op-ed states.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

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