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	<channel>
		<title>Conservation news</title>
		<atom:link href="https://news.mongabay.com/feed/?s=&#038;type=post&#038;location=north-korea" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/north-korea/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
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	<title>North Korea environmental news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/north-korea/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Study: Chinese ‘dark fleets’ illegally defying sanctions by fishing in North Korean waters</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/study-chinese-dark-fleets-illegally-defying-sanctions-by-fishing-in-north-korean-waters/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/study-chinese-dark-fleets-illegally-defying-sanctions-by-fishing-in-north-korean-waters/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Jul 2020 19:50:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ashoka Mukpo]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Ashoka]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/07/22201734/flying-squid-Bernardo-Alps-NOAA-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=232866</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[North Korea and Pacific Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation Technology, Global Environmental Crisis, Illegal Fishing, Oceans, Overfishing, Remote Sensing, Satellite Imagery, Squid, Technology, and Wildtech]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Chinese “dark fleets” illegally fished a $440 million haul of the squid species Todarodes pacificus in North Korean waters during 2017 and 2018, according to a study published today in the journal Science Advances. The study used a novel set of satellite images to track fishing vessels operating off the northeast coast of the Korean [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Chinese “dark fleets” illegally fished a $440 million haul of the squid species Todarodes pacificus in North Korean waters during 2017 and 2018, according to a study published today in the journal Science Advances. The study used a novel set of satellite images to track fishing vessels operating off the northeast coast of the Korean peninsula, including satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR), visible infrared imaging radiometer suite sensors (VIIRS), high-resolution optical imagery, and identification beacon data from some of the vessels themselves. Its authors say that this is one of the first times those technologies have been combined to map illicit fishing at such a large scale over a years-long period. “We believe that this study marks the beginning of a new era in fisheries management, transparency, and monitoring,” said Jaeyoon Park, senior data scientist at Global Fishing Watch and a co-lead author of the paper. Park and his colleagues used data collected from Planet Labs, an Earth-imaging company that has also been instrumental in tracking deforestation caused by hard-to-track illegal gold mining, to map the movement of fishing boats in contested waters around the Korean peninsula. They found that in 2017, more than 900 Chinese fishing boats traveled to an area in North Korea’s exclusive economic zone, followed by another 700 in 2018. Origin of vessels fishing in North Korean waters. During 2017 and 2018, vessels that fished in North Korean waters originated from Chinese ports and also fished in Chinese waters. Included are all AIS positions broadcast by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/study-chinese-dark-fleets-illegally-defying-sanctions-by-fishing-in-north-korean-waters/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-232866</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>As the DMZ turns 65, a call for Korean peace through conservation (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/as-the-dmz-turns-65-a-call-for-korean-peace-through-conservation-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/as-the-dmz-turns-65-a-call-for-korean-peace-through-conservation-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Aug 2018 13:37:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Michael I. CrowtherRussell A. Mittermeier]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/08/24132038/THOUSANDWasabi-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=209676</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, East Asia, North Korea, and South Korea]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Birds, Commentary, Conservation, Development, Ecotourism, Endangered Species, Environment, Research, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As the world continues to watch the high-stakes diplomacy that is unfolding between North Korea, South Korea, and their key allies, there’s been wide speculation about the many outcomes that could result from talks of peace. One that has not yet been widely mentioned is the opportunity for the permanent ecological protection of the Korean [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As the world continues to watch the high-stakes diplomacy that is unfolding between North Korea, South Korea, and their key allies, there’s been wide speculation about the many outcomes that could result from talks of peace. One that has not yet been widely mentioned is the opportunity for the permanent ecological protection of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) — the de facto border between the two nations that just turned 65 years old. This expanse of mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, and coastlines is just two-and-a-half miles wide by 160 miles long — roughly the size of Rocky Mountain National Park, or one-third the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island — and because it’s been off-limits for nearly 70 years, it is surely the most pristine, intact parcel of natural habitat left on the Korean Peninsula. Long viewed as an untouchable border between two hostile nations, the DMZ has become an accidental paradise for plants and animals. Its 400 square miles have been largely unmarred by human activities since the 1950s, providing refuge for some 90 threatened or endangered species, including some that are found nowhere else on the planet. It’s likely that this area also contains many species new to science, as well as important migratory animals that transit the area. As relations in the Korean Peninsula improve, there is now an opportunity to establish the DMZ as a globally significant natural site and cultural venue. South Korea has already demonstrated a commitment to conservation by hosting the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/as-the-dmz-turns-65-a-call-for-korean-peace-through-conservation-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-209676</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Happy tigers: Siberian population continues to grow</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/06/happy-tigers-siberian-population-continues-to-grow/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/06/happy-tigers-siberian-population-continues-to-grow/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jun 2015 15:53:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2015/06/happy-tigers-siberian-population-continues-to-grow/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, China, North Korea, and Russia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Poaching, Predators, Tigers, Top Predators, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Captive Siberian tiger at the Wildlife Conservation Society&#8217;s (WCS) Bronx Zoo. Photo by: Julie Larsen Maher/WCS. The Siberian tiger population continues to rebound, according to the latest numbers from the subspecies&#8217; stronghold in Russia. Ten years ago, conservationists estimated 423-502 Amur tigers in Siberia. But last month, the Russian government and WWF said numbers had [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Captive Siberian tiger at the Wildlife Conservation Society&#8217;s (WCS) Bronx Zoo. Photo by: Julie Larsen Maher/WCS. The Siberian tiger population continues to rebound, according to the latest numbers from the subspecies&#8217; stronghold in Russia. Ten years ago, conservationists estimated 423-502 Amur tigers in Siberia. But last month, the Russian government and WWF said numbers had risen to 480-540 tigers, including an estimated 100 cubs. &#8220;This success is due to the commitment of Russia’s political leadership and the tireless dedication of rangers and conservationists in very difficult conditions,&#8221; said Igor Chestin, the head of WWF-Russia. Tiger conservation has been a rare environmental priority for Russia&#8217;s current government as Vladimir Putin has consistently highlighted the importance of the world&#8217;s biggest cats. It&#8217;s thought that around 95 percent of the world&#8217;s Siberian tigers are still found in Russia. Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as Amur tigers, were almost wiped off the face of the Earth. In the 1930s, the population dropped to just 20-30 individuals before being saved by conservationists over decades. The species remains endangered by deforestation and prey decline, but poaching for their body parts is still the biggest threat to the Siberian tiger. Even as the population grows in Far East Russia, the subspecies may be returning permanently to China as well. Camera traps have caught individual tigers across the border in China over recent years. Then earlier this year, a camera trap video showed a family of tigers&#8211;a mom and two cubs&#8211;for the first time in China,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2015/06/happy-tigers-siberian-population-continues-to-grow/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-23555</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Amur leopard population rises to 50 animals, but at risk from tigers, poachers</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/04/amur-leopard-population-rises-to-50-animals-but-at-risk-from-tigers-poachers/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/04/amur-leopard-population-rises-to-50-animals-but-at-risk-from-tigers-poachers/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Apr 2013 17:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2013/04/amur-leopard-population-rises-to-50-animals-but-at-risk-from-tigers-poachers/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, China, East Asia, North Korea, and Russia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, In-situ Conservation, Leopards, Mammals, Poaching, Predators, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Tigers, Top Predators, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the remote Russian far east, amid pine forests and long winters, a great cat may be beginning to make a recovery. A new survey estimates that the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) population has risen to as many as 50 individuals. While this may not sound like much, it&#8217;s a far cry from a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the remote Russian far east, amid pine forests and long winters, a great cat may be beginning to make a recovery. A new survey estimates that the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) population has risen to as many as 50 individuals. While this may not sound like much, it&#8217;s a far cry from a population that may have fallen to just 25 animals. Sporting the heaviest coat of any leopard, the Amur leopard largely hunts hoofed animals, such as deer and boar, in a forest still ruled by the Siberian tiger. &#8220;While we cannot help but be gladdened by this fact, it is no reason to let down our guard. 50 is still a critically small number for long term persistence of population,&#8221; WWF-Russia writes in a news release. Counting Amur leopard tracks along snowy trails, scientists counted 23 individuals, leading to a total estimate of a minimum of 43-45 Amur leopard adults and 4-5 cubs in the wild. This is around a 50 percent increase from the last survey in 2007, which estimated 27-34 animals total. The researchers also found that the leopards were expanding and shifting their range as the population grew. Most of the leopards are in Russia, however recent camera trap photos have shown a few individuals on the Chinese side of the border. Sightings have also been reported from North Korea. &#8220;The Far Eastern leopard, the rarest cat on the Earth, is stepping back from the brink,&#8221; says Yury Darman, Director of the Amur&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2013/04/amur-leopard-population-rises-to-50-animals-but-at-risk-from-tigers-poachers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-29242</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>As U.S. sees record heat, extreme weather pummels 4 continents</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/as-u-s-sees-record-heat-extreme-weather-pummels-4-continents/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/as-u-s-sees-record-heat-extreme-weather-pummels-4-continents/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jul 2012 17:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2012/07/as-u-s-sees-record-heat-extreme-weather-pummels-4-continents/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Asia, Bangladesh, Britain, Europe, India, Nigeria, North Korea, Russia, Sahel, South Korea, United Kingdom, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Science, Disasters, Drought, Environment, Extreme Weather, Fires, Flooding, Green, Heatwave, Impact Of Climate Change, and Weather]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Over 30 fires burning in Eastern Russia yesterday. Photo by: NASA. It&#8217;s not only the U.S. that has experienced record-breaking extreme weather events recently, in the last couple months extreme weather has struck around the world with startling ferocity. In addition to the much-covered heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts in the U.S., killer floods struck India, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Over 30 fires burning in Eastern Russia yesterday. Photo by: NASA. It&#8217;s not only the U.S. that has experienced record-breaking extreme weather events recently, in the last couple months extreme weather has struck around the world with startling ferocity. In addition to the much-covered heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts in the U.S., killer floods struck India, the worst drought yet recorded plagued South Korea, and massive forest fires swept through Siberia to name just a few. Fires in Siberia: Exceptionally dry and warm conditions have led to hundreds of wildfires in Siberia this summer. Greenpeace has stated recently that the organization believes more forest has burned this year in Russia than the devastating fires of 2010. Killer Russian floods: Fire is not the only extreme weather event in Russia this summer: an incredible flood killed 171 people in southern Russia, damaged 13,000 homes, and has created a crisis of trust for Russian political leaders. Over two days, the region of Krasnodar Krai saw as much rain as it usually sees in five months. In less than 24 hours 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of precipitation fell. Wet Britain: The U.K. saw its wettest June on record, after an already rainy spring, leading to massive floods and property damage. Already, insurers are predicting the flood-heavy season will cost tens of millions of pounds. Forecasters predict more floods this month even as a month&#8217;s worth of rain fell in 24 hours in southwestern Britain. Battered Bangladesh: Five days of torrential downpours in Bangladesh resulted&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/as-u-s-sees-record-heat-extreme-weather-pummels-4-continents/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-30635</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>NASA, Google Earth catch North Korea logging protected area</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/05/nasa-google-earth-catch-north-korea-logging-protected-area/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/05/nasa-google-earth-catch-north-korea-logging-protected-area/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 May 2010 19:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/05/nasa-google-earth-catch-north-korea-logging-protected-area</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia and North Korea]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Conservation, Deforestation, Environment, Forests, Governance, Green, Protected Areas, Satellite Imagery, Technology, Temperate Forests, Tigers, and Wildtech]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Employing satellite data from NASA and Google Earth, Guofan Shao, a professor of geo-eco-informatics at Purdue University, has established that North Korea is logging Mount Paekdu Biosphere Reserve. Since North Korea is off-limits to most researchers, Shao has turned to open-access satellite data to monitor deforestation on the UN designated Man and Biosphere region. &#8220;Particularly [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Employing satellite data from NASA and Google Earth, Guofan Shao, a professor of geo-eco-informatics at Purdue University, has established that North Korea is logging Mount Paekdu Biosphere Reserve. Since North Korea is off-limits to most researchers, Shao has turned to open-access satellite data to monitor deforestation on the UN designated Man and Biosphere region. &#8220;Particularly in the core area, there should be no human activity—no deforestation,&#8221; Shao said in a press release. &#8220;But when you look at the data with Google Earth, you can see the forest is no longer intact.&#8221; Shao first noticed changes in forest cover by looking at NASA satellite data, but to see closer resolution he turned to Google Earth. Their images showed the logging to be extensive: according to Shao, as much as 75 percent of the core areas forest has been lost. &#8220;Hopefully more organizations, including governments, will pay more attention to the conservation issues there,&#8221; Shao said. Home to the Siberian tiger, Mount Paekdu along with adjacent areas in China possesses the world&#8217;s highest plant diversity found in a cool, temperate zone. Shao has asked to visit the site or to speak with North Korean officials, but his requests have been denied. He said he didn&#8217;t know if the logging was occurring to make way for expanded agriculture in a country known for large food shortages, or if loggers were simply extracting timber. Mount Paekdu (also spelled &#8216;Baekdu&#8217;), which rises 2,744 meters, is sacred to Koreans as the founding site of Korea&#8217;s first&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/05/nasa-google-earth-catch-north-korea-logging-protected-area/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-34233</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Korean demilitarized zone has become pristine wildlife habitat</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2008/11/korean-demilitarized-zone-has-become-pristine-wildlife-habitat/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2008/11/korean-demilitarized-zone-has-become-pristine-wildlife-habitat/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Nov 2008 14:30:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2008/12/korean-demilitarized-zone-has-become-pristine-wildlife-habitat/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[North Korea and South Korea]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Environment, Forests, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Korean demilitarized zone has become pristine wildlife habitat Korean demilitarized zone has become pristine wildlife habitat Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com November 17, 2008]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Korean demilitarized zone has become pristine wildlife habitat Korean demilitarized zone has become pristine wildlife habitat Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com November 17, 2008This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2008/11/korean-demilitarized-zone-has-become-pristine-wildlife-habitat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-37775</doi>				</item>
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