Save the phages to protect Big Blue

Peer-Reviewed Publication

INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF THE POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

 

IMAGE: MICROPLASTICS ARE ENEMIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS. THEY PENETRATE THE ORGANS AND BLOODSTREAM OF LIVING BEINGS, DISTURBING EVERY ECOSYSTEM ON EARTH. AN AVERAGE PERSON EATS SEVERAL TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MICROPLASTIC PARTICLES EVERY YEAR. PHOTO: GRZEGORZ KRZYZEWSKI view more 

CREDIT: SOURCE IPC PAS, GRZEGORZ KRZYZEWSKI

The plastic era has begun, and for sure, it will last for decades or even longer. Polymer-based materials are almost everywhere, reaching even the deepest regions of the oceans, and their global production is larger than recycling, leading to the generation of tremendous amounts of water pollution with microplastics. These tiny polymer particles not only release chemicals but also reduce the number of bacteriophages. Recently, researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, led by Prof. Jan Paczesny, explored this field, showing the scale of such a problem. In their work, they studied the effects of microplastics on the infectivity of the bacteriophages in an aqueous environment.

It is challenging to imagine a world without plastic-based products. Synthetic materials are used in every field of life, from textiles, food packaging, and pharmacy, to materials used in the building industry. They are an indispensable part of life because of their multi-functionality. Plastics are lightweight, easily shaped, resistant to environmental conditions, and cheaper than many other synthetic materials, which makes them so popular. However, they are not necessarily friendly to health and the environment, especially when the plastic particles are small. Getting to the water reservoirs, synthetic materials are easily mechanically fragmented into even smaller pieces. They can also undergo degradation under UV radiation, chemical degradation, or even biodegradation, so small plastic particles flow in the aqueous reservoirs for a very long time. Such microplastics with a diameter below 5 mm or smaller pieces like nanoplastic (even a million times smaller than microplastic) are everywhere, even in tap water or the milk of mammals. When these tiny plastic particles get into the environment, they become a serious problem for aquatic systems like lakes, rivers, seas, and even oceans, where they slowly decompose, releasing many harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, the list of them is quite long, starting from plasticizers, pigments, and flame retardants to even heavy metal ions that can cause many disorders or diseases. What is more, the surface of microplastic adsorbs organic compounds that work as food storage for microbial biofilms, leading to an imbalance between the particular groups of microorganisms forming biofilms, including bacteriophages.

Here, the science story begins. Recently, the team of Prof. Jan Paczesny from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, demonstrated the effects of various microplastics on different types of bacteriophages in aqueous media. In their work, scientists used twelve different types of commonly used polymers, e.g., polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), PET, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), etc., cut them into tiny pieces, and used them as sources for all prepared materials.

 “We judiciously chose industrial-grade polymers to reflect the real sources of microplastic in the environment. We prepared polymer samples by mechanically crumbling larger pieces of commercial-grade plastics. This process simulates how plastic fragments are created in the environment.” - claims prof. Jan Paczesny.

Sounds easy, right? In fact, the experiment is much more complicated to simulate the natural environmental conditions. Besides many features influencing the experiment, the commonly used leachates used as polymer additives play an important role. Researchers found a correlation between the decrease in bacteriophages on the microplastic’s surface and the presence of particular leachates.

Interestingly, the decrease in the number of phages on the surface of microplastic can undergo two different mechanisms. The first one relates to the presence of leachates that can deactivate even 50% of phages. The second one correlates with certain sizes of polymer materials, where the generation of nano- and sub-microparticles plays a key role and the adsorption results in phage scavenging. 

Prof. Paczesny remarks - “The effect of leachables was measured upon exposure of phages not to particles themselves but to the buffer preincubated with microplastics. A double-overlay plaque counting method was used to assess phage titers. We employed a classical linear regression model to verify which physicochemical parameters (65 variables were tested) govern the decrease of phage titers.”

The research study focuses on the correlation between the number of phages and the physicochemical properties of microplastics as an introduction to the broad field of ecotoxicological studies. As only daily, the bacteriophages terminate up to 40% of bacterial biomass, they play a vital role in the maintenance of homeostasis in the bacterial community in all environments, from Big Blue to wastewaters. Once the microplastic gets into the environment, its surface hosts the biofilm layer, which is a booster for microorganisms to colonize, and here is the problem. Transported through the microplastics, many bacterial strains can colonize uncontrollably. As an effect, they can affect ecosystems in certain aquatic zones without the control of the phages, affecting not only animals but also humans. What does it mean in practice? Let’s take a look at the seafood. Microplastic reaches the digestive tract of fish and other animals, disturbing the gut biota as well as forming aggregates in other tissues. Therefore, when we consume them, such microplastic gets into our digestive system, and with a decrease in the size of these polymer pieces, it can also aggregate in the body, which can lead to severe health issues. It sounds scary, but from the findings of scientists from IPC PAS, it is clearly seen that the growing pollution of the environment with microplastics can have a dramatic effect on global ecosystems.

Based on these findings, the main take-home message is: proper recycling and the deep need for the reduction of plastic in life!

The work on the microplastic effect on phages was published in the Journal of Environmental Quality. The research was financed by the National Science Centre, Poland, within PRELUDIUM BIS grant 2020/39/O/ST5/01017 and SONATA BIS grant 2017/26/E/ST4/00041.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Environmental Quality

DOI

10.1002/jeq2.20459 

Visualizing PET's degradation by bacterial enzymes

Peer-Reviewed Publication

SPANISH NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (CSIC)

 

IMAGE: PHOTO OF PLASTIC BOTTLE DEBRIS WITH THE SHAPE OF_ESRGAN view more 

CREDIT: CREATIVE COMMONS

The rigidity, transparency and hardness of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) make it one of the most valuable plastics for the manufacture of plastic bottles, packaging and other single-use products. However, these characteristics make it highly persistent in the environment, to the point that a plastic PET bottle may take several hundred years to degrade in the ocean.  

At the molecular level, PET, and all plastics, have a polymeric structure made up of tens of thousands of repetitions of small subunits called monomers. In the last decades, the degradation of PET by a kind of bacterial enzymes called polyester hydrolases (or PETases) has been regarded with much hope, as it is considered as a potential eco-friendly method for recycling plastic waste and recover the original monomers, thus enabling an effective circular-material economy loop. Now, a new study led by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and the University of Leipzig (Germany) has revealed the details, at the molecular level, of the PET degradation process by these enzymes.

"The results of our work can be very useful for the industry, as this is the first time we can "see" the motion picture of the process. Also, they pave the way to design new enzymes capable of breaking down the plastic into its original soluble components with high efficiency", explains Francesco Colizzi, a leading author of the study.

From her side, Ania Di Pede-Mattatelli, one of the work co-authors, adds that "these enzymes could also be applied to treat PET microplastics from washing of microfleece textiles that end up in sewage treatment plants, thus contributing to the preservation of the marine environment”.

Experiments and 3D simulations

To unravel the inherent mechanism of biocatalytic degradation of PET at the atomic level, the authors of the work, recently published in the journal ACS Catalysis, designed a glass matrix that stabilized the enzymatic reaction intermediates and allowed their detection in real time by specific experiments of magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Then, using molecular calculations on a supercomputer, they were able to interpret the spectroscopic data and generate a detailed 3D molecular model of the enzymatic process of PET degradation.

Until now, how PET could bind and interact with these enzymes have been the subject of intense research, and controversial hypotheses have been put forward. For example, the simultaneous binding of a large portion of PET to the enzyme was thought to be necessary for the enzyme to break down the plastic polymer into its original components. Instead, this work shows that the interaction of only 2 PET subunits is enough for the enzyme to cut the polymer. Lastly, the study reveals that the enzyme can "walk" or slide on the PET chain to move from one cut to the other.

“Understanding how PET interacts with the enzyme is important to guide the design of new improved systems for recycling. In the end, nature itself provides us with the starting material to reduce plastic pollution, but we must use them appropriately", concludes Colizzi in this regard.

Researchers at ICM-CSIC are currently extending this work to study PET degradation by enzymes from marine bacteria through projects funded by the Spanish Research Agency (AEI). The overall goal of this line of research is to guide the design of highly efficient enzyme variants for biotechnological applications to ultimately give value to plastic waste. This will be done in synergy with the interdisciplinary team already established at ICM-CSIC to understand and mitigate plastic pollution in the ocean.

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JOURNAL

ACS Catalysis

DOI

10.1021/acscatal.3c00259 

‘Sea butterfly’ life cycle threatened by climate change may impact Southern Ocean ecosystem

Scientists examining pteropod life cycles in the Southern Ocean find that some species might be more vulnerable to ocean change than others

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FRONTIERS

 

IMAGE: AN EXAMPLE OF A SUMMER POPULATION OF LIMACINA RANGII FROM THE SCOTIA SEA. LARGER JUVENILES LIVING ALONGSIDE A SMALLER, LARVAL STAGE COHORT view more 

CREDIT: DR VICKY PECK

The world’s oceans absorb approximately a quarter of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. During absorption, CO2 reacts with seawater and oceanic pH levels fall. This is known as ocean acidification and results in lower carbon ion concentrations. Certain ocean inhabitants use carbon ion to build and sustain their shells. Pteropods, which are important components of the marine ecosystem, are among them.  

Certain aspects about pteropods, including life cycles and population dynamics, are not well-studied. This is partly due to their size – some sea butterfly species measure less than a millimeter – and poor long-term survival in captivity. Now, a team of marine scientists has examined life cycles, abundance, and seasonal variability of shelled sea butterflies in the north-east Scotia Sea, a region undergoing some of the fastest climate change in the Southern Ocean.

“Decline in Antarctic Ocean pteropod populations could have cascading ramifications to the food web and carbon cycle,” said Dr Clara Manno, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey and corresponding author of the study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. “Knowledge about the life cycle of this keystone organism may improve prediction of ocean acidification impacts on the Antarctic ecosystem.”

Population stability essential for species survival

For their work, the scientists collected sea butterflies in a sediment trap, a sampling device moored at 400 meters depth. “It is impossible to observe the full life cycle of sea butterflies in a laboratory setting, so we had to piece together information about their spawning, growth rate and population structure,” added Dr Vicky Peck, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey and co-author of the study. “Using sediment trap samples, we successfully reconstructed their life cycle over a year.”

For the two dominant species collected – Limacina rangii and Limacina retroversa – the scientists observed contrasting life cycles, leading to different vulnerabilities to changing oceans. L. rangii, a polar species, can be found as both adults and juveniles during the winter months. L. retroversa, a subpolar species, appear to occur only as adults during the winter.

During the coldest season, ocean water is more acidic than during other times of the year because cooler temperatures increase CO2 dissolution in the ocean. The life stages of sea butterflies that exist then are more exposed and vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification, the researchers wrote.

The fact that L. rangii adults and juveniles coexist over winter may give them a survival advantage. If one cohort is vulnerable, the overall population stability is not at risk. With L. retroversa, however, if one cohort is removed, the whole population may be vulnerable.

Prolonged exposure is a survival challenge

The researchers noted that despite species being impacted differently, neither is likely to remain unharmed if exposed to unfavorable conditions for extended time periods.

As the intensity and duration of ocean acidification events increase, they begin to overlap with spawning events in the spring. This may put the most vulnerable life stage, the larvae, particularly at risk and could jeopardize future populations, the scientists warned.

To learn how such a scenario might play out in the Scotia Sea, the research team will continue to study sea butterflies dwelling there. “A next step will be to focus on multiyear sediment trap samples to identify potential inter-annual variability in the life cycle associated with environmental change,” said Dr Jessie Gardner of the British Antarctic survey, lead author of the study.

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JOURNAL

Frontiers in Marine Science

DOI

10.3389/fmars.2023.1118570 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Contrasting life cycles of Southern Ocean pteropods alter their vulnerability to climate change

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

11-May-2023

Songs of the oceans raise environmental awareness #ASA184

Oceanic data is transformed into hypnotic and impactful music that encourages reflection.

Reports and Proceedings

ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

 

IMAGE: MALLOY WITH THE OIL DRUM USED FOR HIS MUSICAL PERFORMANCES. view more 

CREDIT: COLIN MALLOY

CHICAGO, May 10, 2023 – For many people, there are few sounds as relaxing as ocean waves. But the sound of the seas can also convey deeper emotions and raise awareness about pollution.

At the upcoming 184th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Colin Malloy of Ocean Network Canada will present his method to transform ocean data into captivating, solo percussion songs. The talk, “Sonification of ocean data in art-science,” will take place Wednesday, May 10, at 3:25 p.m. in the Indiana/Iowa room. The meeting will run May 8-12 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile Hotel.

To construct his compositions, Malloy employs sound from underwater microphones, called hydrophones, and introduces elements inspired by ocean-related data such as temperature, acidity, and oxygenation. Listeners can find performances of Malloy’s music on YouTube.

In his piece, Oil & Water, Malloy represents the impact of oil production on the oceans. He plays an eerily catchy melody on steel drums and inserts noise to represent oil production over the past 120 years. The interjections increase throughout the piece to mimic the increased production in recent years. Near the end of the song, he uses oil consumption data as the oscillator of a synthesizer.

By representing data in this way, he hopes his music encourages listeners to reflect on the meaning and the medium.

“Art helps people digest information on an emotional level that typical science communication may not,” Malloy said. “I hope that in listening to these pieces, people use them as a space to reflect on what each piece is trying to portray. Ultimately, I'd like for them to help create awareness of the various issues surrounding the oceans.”

The aptly named field ArtScience encourages scientists and artists to learn from each other about communication, connection, and science. Ocean Network Canada’s artist-in-residence program recruits artists to work with scientists, engage with research, and connect to a larger cultural audience.

Malloy, who has an educational background in mathematics, computer science, and music, believes working in the balance of science and art provides him with a unique perspective.

“There is a lot of art in science and a lot of science to art -- more than most people realize for either direction,” said Malloy.

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----------------------- MORE MEETING INFORMATION -----------------------

Main meeting website: https://acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/ 
Technical program: https://eppro02.ativ.me/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING23&proof=true    

ASA PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA's Press Room will be updated with newsworthy stories and the press conference schedule at https://acoustics.org/asa-press-room/. 

LAY LANGUAGE PAPERS

ASA will also share dozens of lay language papers about topics covered at the conference. Lay language papers are summaries (300-500 words) of presentations written by scientists for a general audience. They will be accompanied by photos, audio, and video. Learn more at https://acoustics.org/lay-language-papers/.

PRESS REGISTRATION

ASA will grant free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend the meeting or virtual press conferences, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, AIP staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

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Singing humpback whales respond to wind noise, but not boats

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

 

IMAGE: UQ RESEARCHERS RECORDED HUMPBACK WHALES OFF THE QUEENSLAND COAST FOR THE STUDY. view more 

CREDIT: THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

A University of Queensland study has found humpback whales sing louder when the wind is noisy, but don’t have the same reaction to boat engines.

Research lead Dr Elisa Girola from UQ’s Faculty of Science said this quirk of whale evolution could have consequences for breeding and behaviour.

“Humpback whales evolved over millions of years with noise from natural sources but noise from man-made vessels is foreign to their instincts,” Dr Girola said.

“It’s a surprising finding given engine noise has a similar frequency range to the wind.

“It’s possible the whales are picking out other differences such as wind noise being broadband and the same over large areas, while vessel noise is generated by a single-point source with specific peaks in frequency.

“We don’t know yet if this lack of response to boat noise is making whales communicate less effectively or making breeding practices more difficult.

“Male humpback whale singing is probably used to mediate reproductive interactions, but we can’t say if vessel noise is interfering.”

The audio data for the study was collected in late 2010 off Peregian Beach in Queensland, during the whales’ southward migration from breeding grounds in the lagoon of the Great Barrier Reef to feeding grounds in Antarctica.

Whale songs were recorded using an acoustic array of five hydrophone buoys, which sent signals back to the beach.

A 19-metre fishing boat was introduced to produce vessel noise.

The researchers say it is possible that humpback whales are using other strategies to compensate for vessel noise.

“Even with a 19-metre boat making a racket, the whales just didn’t sing any louder,” Dr Girola said.

“There are a few things going on – they might be using ‘spatial release from masking’, which is the ability to discriminate between audio signals coming from different directions.

“Or there’s ‘comodulation release from masking’ which is the ability to discriminate between signal and noise when the noise has distinctive frequency components and at least some of these components are not overlapping with the signal.

“There’s still so much more research to be done.

“Understanding humpback whales’ response to noise is important for developing mitigation policies for human activities at sea.

“I’m sure these beautiful, mysterious creatures will continue to surprise and amaze us.”

The UQ research team included Professor Michael Noad and Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop.

The research is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Dr Elisa Girola collecting data on humpback whales.

CREDIT

Marla Barker

JOURNAL

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

DOI

10.1098/rspb.2023.0204 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Singing humpback whales respond to wind noise, but not to vessel noise

 

Research reveals majority of gig economy workers are earning below minimum wage

Reports and Proceedings

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

As the cost of living continues to spiral, a new report shows more than half of gig economy workers in the UK are paid below the minimum wage.

The first-of-its-kind study, led by the University of Bristol, found 52% of gig workers doing jobs ranging from data entry to food delivery were earning below the minimum wage. On average respondents were earning £8.97 per hour – around 15% below the current UK minimum wage, which rose to £10.42 this month.

More than three-quarters (76%) of survey respondents also experienced work-related insecurity and anxiety.

Lead author Dr Alex Wood, Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Future of Work at the University of Bristol Business School, said: “The findings highlight that working in the UK gig economy often entails low pay, anxiety, and stress. As food, fuel and housing costs keep rising, this group of workers are especially vulnerable and need to be more adequately remunerated and better protected.”

Equally concerning, more than a quarter (28%) felt they were risking their health or safety in doing gig work and a quarter (25%) experienced pain on the job.

When asked what would improve their situation, basic rights such as minimum wage rates, holiday and sick pay, and protection against unfair dismissal were most wanted.

Unions and platform councils (similar to works councils that exist in some European countries) to represent their needs and help influence how gig economy platforms operate and affect their working conditions also featured on their wish list. More than three-quarters of respondents believed the introduction of such bodies would bring immediate benefits.

Dr Wood said: “A major factor contributing to low pay rates is that this work involves spending significant amounts of time waiting or looking for work while logged on to a platform. Not only is the work low paid, but it is also extremely insecure and risky.

“The self-employed who are dependent on platforms to make a living are urgently in need of labour protections to shield them against the huge power asymmetries that exist in the sector. This clearly warrants the expansion of the current ‘worker’ status to protect them.”

The study involved 510 UK gig economy workers who were surveyed last year. There was representation from across the sector, with around half being remote freelancers using platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr to pick up jobs ranging from data entry to website design. The other half comprised local drivers providing food delivery and taxi services via platforms including Deliveroo and Uber.

More than just side hustles to earn extra cash, respondents spent on average 28 hours a week undertaking gig work, comprising 60% of their total earnings.

Respondents overwhelmingly considered their work to be best described as self-employment and thought an extension of labour rights to include the self-employed would significantly improve their working lives.

This was the first research to investigate what forms of voice gig workers want. The findings suggest strong support for European style co-determination whereby worker representatives are consulted on and approve changes that impact working conditions and employment. Works councils that exist in countries like Germany could therefore provide a model for platform councils and assemblies in the gig economy to facilitate workers having a say over the decisions which affect their ability to make a living.

Brendan Burchell, Professor in Social Sciences at the University of Cambridge and co-author of the report, added: “Respondents strongly felt the creation of co-determination mechanisms would allow workers, and their representatives, to influence platform provider decisions which could instantly improve their working lives.

“These policies include elected bodies of worker representatives approving all major platform changes that impact jobs and working conditions. Our findings emphasise the potential for trade union growth in this sector, with majorities being willing to join and even organise such bodies.”

Families seek shelter in Myanmar as Cyclone Mocha approaches

AFP
Fri, May 12, 2023 

People shelter at a monastery in Sittwe town in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Friday

Families in western Myanmar left their homes to seek shelter and higher ground on Friday ahead of a cyclone forecast to bring high winds and a storm surge to the eastern Bay of Bengal.

Cyclone Mocha is predicted to make landfall on Sunday near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, according to India's meteorological office, packing winds of up to 175 kilometres (108 miles) per hour.

The office predicted a storm surge of between two and two-and-a-half metres (6-8 feet) for the low-lying coastal region, which on the Bangladeshi side is home to sprawling camps hosting hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees.


Residents of low-lying villages in Myanmar's Rakhine flocked to the state capital Sittwe on Friday, with around a thousand preparing to shelter at one monastery in the town, AFP correspondents said.

Some set down blankets and staked out sleeping places while unpacking provisions.

Cho Cho Tun, 34, had brought her children to the temporary shelter.

"I hope this monastery is safe and nothing will happen here because this place is the highest place in Sittwe," she said.

"We wanted to stay in our homes... But when I thought of my children and the danger to their lives, I decided to shelter here."

Thant Zaw, 42, said he had lost several family members when Cyclone Nargis ravaged southern Myanmar in 2008, killing more than 130,000 people in the country's worst natural disaster.

"I told my family we should shelter at this monastery," he told AFP.

"I have six children and I can't lose my family again."

Myanmar's junta authorities were supervising evacuations from coastal villages along the Rakhine coast, according to state media, which did not say how many people had been moved.

Any boats leaving shore in Rakhine from Friday afternoon would face legal action, the junta said.

- Floods, landslides -

Heavy winds and rain could trigger flooding and landslides further inland in Myanmar and Bangladesh, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said on Friday.

Around six million people across Rakhine and Myanmar's northwest are already in need of humanitarian assistance, it added.

The cyclone looked set to pass near sprawling camps in Bangladesh home to almost one million Rohingya refugees who fled a Myanmar military crackdown in 2017.

Bangladeshi officials said Friday that all mosques, learning centres and offices in the camps would be turned into cyclone shelters.

The United Nations refugee agency was carrying out "emergency preparedness" in the camps and authorities were on "standby" with heavy machinery to clear roads, a spokesperson said.

Bangladesh has yet to carry out any evacuations, but officials said hundreds of cyclone shelters have been readied to house evacuated people.

Cyclones -- the equivalent of hurricanes in the North Atlantic or typhoons in the Northwest Pacific -- are a regular and deadly menace on the coast of the northern Indian Ocean where tens of millions of people live.

Bangladesh was last hit by a superstorm in November 2007 when Cyclone Sidr ripped through the country's southwest, killing more than 3,000 people and causing damage worth billions of dollars.

sa-lpk-lmg-rma/ssy

South Africa investigating U.S. charge of supplying arms to Russia: Khumbudzo Ntshavheni

SABC News May 12, 2023

President Cyril Ramaphosa declined to answer a question during his question and answer session in parliament yesterday on allegations that South African arms were sent to Russia to use in the war with Ukraine. Meanwhile, the South African government has undertaken to institute an independent enquiry into the allegations of the U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety. A retired Judge will chair the inquiry. A Russian vessel, the "Lady R", docked in Simon's Town in December last year and Brigety alleges that it was loaded with South African ammunition. We now speak to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni about the allegations made by Brigety.

South Africans fret over US arms-to-Russia charge

Issued on: 12/05/2023 -

The row has exposed the dilemma facing President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling ANC, which has historic ties with Russia 

© MUJAHID SAFODIEN / AFP

Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africans were left angry and baffled on Friday after the US accused their country of secretly shipping arms to Russia, a charge that triggered both a government rebuke but also the announcement of an inquiry.

US ambassador Reuben Brigety on Thursday said Washington was confident weapons and ammunition had been laden onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base.

The explosive remarks drew an angry response from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who however did not deny the charge but said a retired judge would lead an investigation into the matter.

The move was welcomed by the United States but met with a mix of ridicule and bewilderment at home, with many questioning how the government could not have known what had happened.

"It perhaps points to a South African president who simply is unaware of what is happening effectively under his nose," political and economic analyst Daniel Silke told AFP.

The emerging picture was of "information disarray" within the government, he said.

The Lady R, a cargo vessel under western sanctions flying a Russian flag, docked at South Africa's largest naval base in December, officially to offload an old order of ammunition.

But ambassador Brigety said intelligence showed weaponry was loaded onto the vessel before it headed back to Russia.

"Did we or didn't we? And if we did, shouldn't the president know?" Bongani Bingwa, host of a popular morning radio show, wrote on Twitter.

Others quipped that the government appeared to be setting up inquiries for everything.

The deadline for the latest investigation has not been revealed, and there has been no immediate announcement as to who will lead it.
'Disingenuous'

If confirmed, the shipment would mark a break from South Africa's professed neutrality over the conflict in Ukraine.

The foreign ministry on Friday said there was no record of any approved arms sales to Russia during the period in question but the probe would shed light on the case.

"There should be nothing to investigate," Kobus Marais, a lawmaker with the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), told AFP.

"The president as the commander-in-chief and the minister of defence should know exactly what happened," he said.

"It's disingenuous of them to suggest they're innocent and just bystanders."

South Africa has been walking a diplomatic tightrope over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which it has refused to condemn, saying it prefers dialogue to end the war.

A continental powerhouse, the country has strong economic and trade relations with the US and Europe.

Trade with Russia is much smaller, but Pretoria has ties with Moscow dating back decades, to when the Kremlin supported the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in its struggle against apartheid.

The remarks triggered a diplomatic spat just hours after Brigety made them, during a briefing with local media.

Ramaphosa's office said it was "disappointing" that Brigety had gone public with comments that "undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership" between the two nations

The foreign ministry on Friday said it would formally protest to Brigety, while Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor would speak to Washington later.
'Economic suicide'

The quarrel has also heightened concerns about South Africa's ailing economy, with analysts saying the country has much to lose and little to gain from a fight with Washington.

The rand dropped sharply against the dollar reaching its lowest point in three years on Thursday.

"The news certainly aggravated the negative sentiments towards South Africa," said Hugo Pienaar, chief economist at Bureau for Economic Research, a think tank.

Afrikaans rights group AfriForum said the government was "leading South Africa to economic suicide" by siding with Russia.

Some worry the US could kick the country out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) -- a deal granting duty-free access to the US market for products from sub-Saharan nations that comply with standards on rights and democracy.

South Africa is the largest beneficiary of the agreement, which was worth $21 billion to the country's economy last year, according to the US ambassador.

"This is a very serious matter," said Silke, adding South Africa's economy was already "very vulnerable", facing almost zero growth and contracting domestic demand.

"South African exporters... desperately need their products to be sold on international shelves."

© 2023 AFP

South Africa hits back at US charge of supplying arms to Moscow | Russia-Ukraine War | WION Live

WION

 #RussiaUkraineWar #SouthAfrica #WIONLive

The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December. …

US ambassador accuses South Africa of providing weapons, ammo to Russia

By GERALD IMRAY and MICHAEL BIESECKER

yesterday

The Russian vessel, Lady R, is docked at the Simon's Town Naval Base near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of providing weapons to Russia. Ambassador Reuben Brigety said the U.S. government was certain that weapons were loaded onto a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December. 

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nation’s main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.

Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simon’s Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africa’s supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.

“The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved,” Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.

If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africa’s neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.

While Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently “no evidence” to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.

The news of Brigety’s comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that “the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.”

Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.

Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was “actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?”

Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.

Ramaphosa’s office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.

Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.

The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon’s Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.

MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.

Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.

Steenhuisen’s opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a “mystery” Russian vessel in Simon’s Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an “old order” for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.

The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa’s most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia’s side.

South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.

Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy’s flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”

South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosa’s office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.

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AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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Belgium learns to share its beaches with sleepy seals

by Marie GENRIES

During Covid restrictions, seals found Belgian beaches to be deserted resting spots. Now 

that's changing.

Visitors to Belgium's coast are having to get used to North Sea visitors not seen for a while—dozens of seals that are using the short sandy coastline as a resting place.

The reason? During the long period of COVID restrictions between early 2020 and early 2022, the sea mammals found the sandy stretches to be calm, without the usual crowds of people.

Now with people returning, and ahead of what could be a bumper summer season, the challenge for Belgian animal protection groups is to educate the public on how to coexist with dozens of seals getting some downtime.

The exact number of the seals using the coast is hard to pin down but is probably between 100 and 200, according to Kelle Moreau, a marine biologist who is spokesman for the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

The two species that waddle up here are gray seals, whose adults can weigh 300 kilograms (660 pounds), and common or harbor seals, a smaller mammal that weighs up to 165 kilograms.

The beaches, though, are essential for seal pups, which hang back in relative safety on land until they get hungry enough that instinct pushes them to go into the sea to find food.

That is why, Moreau explained, it is vital that humans do not feed them.

"At the start of the lives, the pups have to spend a few days on the beach until they get hungry. If someone feeds them, they won't go into the sea and learn how to hunt," he said.

To keep beachgoers at bay, volunteers rope off areas that seals are using.

In one spot near Belgium's main coastal town of Ostend, a dozen people stand behind a rope fascinated by two seals on the sand.

Around these zones, volunteers with the North Seal Team wearing orange fluorescent vests tell people that dogs have to be kept on a leash.

Beach areas with seals are roped off, to keep people at a safe distance.

"We take turns all day long, from seven in the morning to 10 or 11 at night," Inge de Bruycker, founder of the group, tells AFP in between calling out to curious passers-by to be less noisy.

The seals "need to be left alone because they get very stressed very quickly.

"And when you go near them, if they go swimming again they can drown. If they are tired, they can drown."

Keeping dogs away is important, she said, because "seals have bitten some dogs, and dogs have bitten some seals"

"We don't want that happening to people, especially not to children."

Injured seals

North Seal Team, created soon after COVID restrictions were imposed in Belgium, worked with Ostend municipal authorities to devise rules for behavior around beached seals, notably on giving the animals 30 meters (yards) of safe distance.

For the seagoing mammals, the return of people to coastline they had thought deserted is an adjustment.

"The seals became used to coming to rest up on the beaches and people are generally happy when they see them. They want to pet them, take selfies with them," said Moreau, who works for the Belgium natural sciences institute.

Some people have mistakenly thought the seals were inadvertently beached and tried to push them back into the sea. "But these are wild animals!" he said.

In some cases, however, the seals do need direct human care.

Fishing nets are a hazard for seals.

That is the role of the Seal Rehabilitation Center.

It is located in the Sea Life Blankenberge aquarium, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Ostend.

North Seal Team volunteers contact it through WhatsApp groups when they come across a seal that might need attention.

Increasing numbers of people walking the beaches also get in touch.

"They send us images of the animal and we decide if we need to step in or not," said Steve Vermote, head of Sea Life Blanenberge.

"We are actually having more interventions because some seals are perfectly fine to actually survive in the wild and they might have a minor wound, but we see seals with bigger wounds these days."

Most of the treated animals are released after two months. But some, like a blind female named Lily, are taken in indefinitely.

Last year, the center treated a dozen gray seals and three harbor seals.

It also gave care to several seals with neck wounds, probably caused by a type of fixed fishing net that is not easy for them to spot.

The Royal Institute of Natural Sciences says those types of nets were the cause of dozens of seal deaths in 2021, which led to Belgium banning them for recreational fishing.

Last year, the remains of 54 seals were counted on Belgian beaches, according to the institute, noting that that was half the number from 2021.

For Moreau, that is an indication that the new ban is working, and that humans and seals are able to find ways to coexist.

© 2023 AFP

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