New study points to Skagerrak as nursery area for the enigmatic Greenland shark

A new international study shows that Skagerrak probably serves as a nursery area for young Greenland sharks

University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Small Greenland shark measuring approx. 120 cm from Vågsfjorden in northern Norway, released with a tag so that it can be recognized if recaptured. Photo: Martin Nielsen

view more 

Credit: Martin Nielsen

The Greenland shark – the world's longest-living vertebrate – is most often associated with cold Arctic waters. However, a new international study led by researchers from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and the University of Copenhagen shows that Skagerrak probably serves as a nursery area for young Greenland sharks. The study also points out that Greenland sharks are not born in Greenland or anywhere else in the Arctic.

It can live for several centuries and, measuring at least 5.5 meters from snout to tail tip, is one of the world's largest carnivorous sharks. The Greenland shark is usually associated with the cold deep waters of the Arctic, where it lives a slow life shrouded in mystery, with a white worm-like parasite dangling from each eye.  

A new study led by researchers from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and the Natural History Museum of Denmark presents important new pieces of the puzzle surrounding the mysterious life of the Greenland shark. Among other things, the study shows that the Greenland shark is found much closer to Denmark than most people imagine.

The researchers have examined catch data from over 1,600 Greenland sharks across the North Atlantic, and here the Skagerrak—between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden—stands out as the area with the highest proportion of young sharks between 90 and 200 centimeters.

“We consider the deepest areas of the Skagerrak to be a potentially important feeding ground for ‘teenage Greenland sharks’, and in fact, the study is the first to systematically examine the occurrence of Greenland sharks in the Skagerrak,” says Associate Professor and marine biologist Peter Rask Møller from the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

The mystery of shark birth

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Greenland shark's way of life has been where it gives birth to its (presumably) hundreds of pups per pregnancy. Newborn Greenland sharks measure approximately 40 centimeters at birth, and the new study concludes that this is unlikely to take place in fjords or on the continental shelf in the waters around Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, or Russia. This is because neither pregnant females nor newborn pups have ever been recorded in any of these areas.

However, through a thorough review of Danish, Norwegian, and German museum collections, as well as unpublished scientific databases from Iceland, Norway, and Russia, the researchers have managed to find observations of newborn Greenland sharks—all recorded near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Irminger Sea south of Iceland.

“Future targeted studies will most likely confirm that the Greenland shark gives birth to its many pups in undisturbed parts of the deep sea near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in deep waters , where there is little activity from commercial fisheries,” says the study's lead author Julius Nielsen, a visiting researcher at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and former employee of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.

Denmark's deepest sea area plays a role

The Greenland shark is listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Red List of Threatened Species and is currently exposed to significant bycatch, not least in trawl, gillnet, and longline fisheries for halibut and cod in deep water. 

Therefore, the new knowledge that the study brings to light about the geographical distribution and distribution of different life stages is important in relation to protecting the Greenland shark across national borders in the North Atlantic.

 “The study breathes new life into the story of the Greenland shark throughout the North Atlantic—and, among other things, provides an understanding of how Denmark's deepest sea area also plays a role in the species' life history,” says Peter Rask Møller, adding that individual Greenland sharks are very likely to travel across large parts of the North Atlantic during their very long lives.

This means that even though the birth area is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the teenage years may well be spent in the Skagerrak, and later in life the adult shark may reside in South Greenland or Iceland, for example. However, much more knowledge from, for example, tagging studies is needed to understand exactly how the different areas are used.

150 years of observations and Swedish anglers

Historical data from Denmark also supports the conclusion that Skagerrak is a special place for Greenland sharks. The study corresponds well with the strandings and bycatches that have occurred over the last 150 years in Denmark, which have been collected and reviewed by the Fish Atlas at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

In the new research article, the researchers have also drawn on a newer and somewhat special data source to study Greenland sharks in the Skagerrak. The catches come primarily from Swedish recreational fishermen who fish in the deep waters of the Skagerrak and often catch the juvenile sharks. This contribution has been crucial in documenting the common presence of Greenland sharks in the Skagerrak – a presence that is otherwise best known from sporadic strandings or bycatches over time.

Unlike many of the other areas studied in the 1610 Greenland shark study across the North Atlantic, the Skagerrak is also notable for the fact that adult individuals are very rare.

“This does not mean that large females cannot be found in the Skagerrak, but the probability of catching a large female is very small there,” says Julius Nielsen.

The large adult females, which typically measure over four meters in length and are over 100 years old, are most frequently found in Subarctic areas where warm Atlantic water also flows. For example, Southwest Greenland, Iceland, and southern Arctic Canada have been identified as regions where the largest females are most frequently found.

The study has been published in the scientific journal Ecology and Evolution: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71564 

  

Greenland shark from NV released after being caught on a longline.

Credit

Foto Julius Nielsen

Greenland shark from NW approx. 2.5 m caught and released from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources' research vessel RV Sanna in the area around Uummannaq, NW Greenland. Photo: Julius Nielsen

Credit

Julius Nielsen

Journal

Ecology and Evolution

DOI

10.1002/ece3.71564 

Article Title

Spatial Distribution of Greenland Shark Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) Life Stages Across the Northern North Atlantic

 

Are sewage spills and coastal winds contributing to airborne microplastics?

Researchers used sewage and weather data and satellite monitoring to highlight a potential hidden source of microplastic pollution

University of Plymouth

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

This image was taken looking out across Plymouth Sound (UK) during Storm Eunice in February 2022. The area was the focus of new research which analysed existing records on two years of combined sewer overflows into Plymouth Sound, alongside same-day and long-term meteorological and satellite data

view more 

Credit: University of Plymouth

A combination of sewage overflows and coastal winds could be sending billions of airborne microplastic particles into the world’s coastal towns and cities, a new study suggests.

Scientists analysed existing records on two years of combined sewer overflows into Plymouth Sound, alongside same-day and long-term meteorological and satellite data to assess how often conditions for aerosolisation (the transfer of particles from water to air) occurred.

They found that on 178 days within the two-year period, sewage spills from land to sea coincided with winds of at least 6.5metres per second (23.4km/h) pushing back to shore and towards the city of Plymouth.

This, they say, could have resulted in microplastics and nanoplastics known to be discharged through sewage spills being lifted from the sea – specifically, according to the meteorological data, this could have happened during almost 1,600 hours (10%) of the period studied.

Once there, the airborne particles could have been breathed in by local residents, with an increasing and emerging body of research suggesting microplastics can have a range of detrimental effects on human health.

By examining satellite data, the scientists also found river plumes coincident with sewage spills detectable up to around 10km offshore, with a significant degradation in coastal water clarity during late autumn and early winter over the past decade. These months coincided with peak spill months.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, was conducted by experts in marine science, human health and big data from the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

It draws together existing research which has highlighted the presence of microplastics in sewage overspills, and the role of the wind in picking up and transporting sea spray and sea foam into the air and onto land.

The researchers say that with thousands of cities in the UK and worldwide still using combined sewer systems, comprising sewerage from treatment works and storm runoff, their findings suggest coastal spills – when combined with onshore aerosolising winds – may serve as a plausible and previously overlooked source of airborne microplastics.

Dr Lauren Biermann, Lecturer in Marine Science at the University of Plymouth and the study’s lead author, said: “Increasingly, I have been reading separate studies about incredibly high concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics in sewage spills, how winds are stripping microplastics and nanoplastics from the ocean surface into the air, and the negative impacts of ingested or inhaled microplastics and nanoplastics on human health. Our study is the first to make the connection between water pollution and air quality, and raises the question about potential health risks.”

Based on their theoretical findings, the research team has called for further investigation into any links between sewage spills, air quality and any potential risks to human health.

They have also recommended future scientific studies integrate air quality monitoring with assessments of coastal water quality so as to better understand potential exposure pathways.

Dr David Moffat, Artificial Intelligence and Data Scientist Lead at Plymouth Marine Laboratory and co-author on the study, said: “There has always been a gap between the amount of microplastics we believed were being deposited in the oceans, and the concentrations that were observed by ship-based measurements. We think we have finally worked out why, and the impacts on human health are concerning.”

Professor Clive Sabel, Professor of Big Data and Spatial Science at the University of Plymouth and co-author on the study, added: “The health implications of this work are important. Inhaled microplastics can cross into our blood streams and from there can accumulate in organs such as our brains and livers. We need legislation to force our UK water supply companies to remove microplastics from our waste water systems.”

---

Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-025-06115-5 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

The theoretical role of the wind in aerosolising microplastics and nanoplastics from coastal combined sewer overflows

Article Publication Date

9-Jul-2025

 

Do local voting rights affect migrants’ participation in protests?

Wiley

LinkedIn

Email

In research published in Social Science Quarterly, the study’s investigator expected that migrants living in cities where local voting rights are extended to non-citizens would be more likely to engage in protests compared with those in restrictive contexts. However, the findings revealed the opposite: migrant protests seem to flourish not where rights are granted, but where they are denied.

In an assessment of migrant participation in protests across 4 major European cities with substantial migrant populations (Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, and Amsterdam), the results showed that perceived discrimination increased protest likelihood.

Protests were also more common in cities with favorable public opinion toward immigrants. Supportive public opinion environment appeared to lower the social and political risks of protest, enabling migrants to confidently and openly voice their demands.

“This study underscores the relevance of institutional contexts in shaping not only electoral engagement, as prior studies suggest, but also in modulating protest participation,” said study author Zeynep Mentesoglu Tardivo, a research fellow at the University of Milan. “Political inclusion is not a simple matter of legal rights alone but is deeply intertwined with social recognition and the everyday experiences of migrants.”

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.70055

 

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Nationally recognized as one of the top journals in the field, Social Science Quarterly publishes current research on a broad range of topics including political science, sociology, economics, history, social work, geography, international studies, sports and society, and women's studies.

About Wiley      
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

---

Journal

Social Science Quarterly

DOI

10.1111/ssqu.70055 

Article Title

Migrant Political Activism in Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, and Amsterdam: The Role of Voting Rights in Shaping Protest Behaviour

Article Publication Date

9-Jul-2025

Mexico’s president calls march against mass tourism ‘xenophobic.’ Critics blame government failures

By The Associated Press
July 08, 2025 

Demonstrators hold posters that read in Spanish ¨Here we speak Spanish, Real Estate Regulation Now¨, during a protest against gentrification, as the increase in remote workers has risen prices and increased housing demand in neighborhoods like Condesa and Roma, in Mexico City, Friday, July 4, 2025. 

(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

MEXICO CITY — A fierce protest in Mexico City railing against gentrification and mass tourism was fueled by government failures and active promotion to attract digital nomads, according to experts, who said tension had been mounting for years.

The criticism comes after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum alleged that Friday’s protest was marked by xenophobia, reviving a debate over an influx of Americans in the city.

Many Mexicans say they’ve been priced out of their neighborhoods — in part because of a move made by Sheinbaum in 2022, when she was the Mexico City mayor and signed an agreement with Airbnb and UNESCO to boost tourism and attract digital nomads despite concern over the impact short-term rentals could have.

‘Gringo: Stop stealing our home’

On Friday, that came to a head. A largely peaceful protest of hundreds of demonstrators marched through tourism centers of the city with signs reading “Gringo: Stop stealing our home” and “Housing regulations now!”

Near the end of the march, a group of protesters turned violent, breaking the windows of storefronts and looting a number of businesses. In one case, a protester slammed a butter knife against the window of a restaurant where people were hiding, and another person painted “kill a gringo” on a nearby wall.

“The xenophobic displays seen at that protest have to be condemned. No one should be able to say ‘any nationality get out of our country’ even over a legitimate problem like gentrification,” Sheinbaum said Monday. “We’ve always been open, fraternal.”

The frustrations were built upon years of mass tourism and rising rent prices in large swathes of the city. The influx of foreigners began around 2020, when Americans flooded into the Mexico City to work remotely, dodge coronavirus restrictions and take advantage of cheaper living costs.

In the years since, choice neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa, lush central areas dotted with cafes and markets, have grown increasingly populated by foreign tourists and the remote workers known as digital nomads, and there are more temporary housing units rented through companies like Airbnb that cater to tourists.

As they have, rent and living prices have soared and English has been increasingly common on the streets of those areas. Some groups have described the phenomenon as a sort of “neo-colonialism.”

Mounting tensions

The Mexico City Anti-Gentrification Front, one of the organizations behind the protest, it was “completely against” any acts of physical violence and denied that the protests were xenophobic. Instead, the organization said the protest was a result of years of failures by the local government to address the root of the problems.

“Gentrification isn’t just foreigners’ fault, it’s the fault of the government and these companies that prioritize the money foreigners bring,” the organization said in a statement. Meanwhile “young people and the working class can’t afford to live here.”

In its list of demands, the organization called for greater rent controls, mandates that locals have a voice in larger development projects in their area, stricter laws making it harder for landlords to throw out residents and prioritizing Mexican renters over foreigners.

Mexico’s protest comes on the back of a wave of similar protests across Europe railing against mass tourism. Tensions in Mexico have also been compounded by wider inequalities and the Trump administration targeting Latino communities in the U.S. as it ramps up deportations.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security took a jab at protesters Sunday, writing in a post on the social media platform X: “If you are in the United States illegally and wish to join the next protest in Mexico City, use the CBP Home app to facilitate your departure.”


Government failures

Protesters’ cries against government failures were echoed by experts, who said that surging gentrification is a product of both shortage of affordable housing in the city and longtime government failures to regulate the housing market.

Antonio Azuela, lawyer and sociologist and others said that they do see the protest as a xenophobic backlash, and around 2020 the core of the problem was the influx of “digital nomads” in the city, but it grew out of hand because of lax housing laws.

“What has made this explode is lack of regulation in the market,” Azuela said.

Mexico City’s government over the course of decades has made a few efforts to control development and create affordable housing.

Legislators estimated there are about 2.7 million houses and apartments in the city, but it needs about 800,000 more. But such affordable housing developments that have popped up often are pushed off to the fringes of the city, said Luis Salinas, a researcher at National Autonomous University of Mexico who has studied gentrification in Mexico City for years.

Taking advantage of ‘insufficient’ laws

Controls, meanwhile, have been marked by lack of enforcement, which developers travel services companies like Airbnb take advantage of, he said.

Today, more than 26,000 properties in Mexico City are currently listed on Airbnb, according to the Inside Airbnb, an advocacy organization that tracks the company’s impact on residential communities through data. That’s compared to 36,000 properties in New York City and 19,000 in Barcelona, where protests have also broken out.

“The government has treated housing like it’s merchandise,” Salinas said. The actions the government is taking “are completely insufficient. The federal government needs to be intervening far more nowadays.”

Airbnb said it helped contribute more than a billion dollars in “economic impact” to Mexico City last year and that spending by guests has supported 46,000 jobs in the city. “What’s needed is regulation based not on prohibitions, but on respect for rights and transparency of obligations,” it said in a statement.

Last year, Mexico City’s government approved the most ambitious rent control law since the 1940s in an effort to control prices and also set caps on short-term rentals to 180 nights a year, but Salinas said that enforcement of short-term rental legislation has been put on pause until after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

And even then, the country’s government will have to take far greater actions to get the situation under control, said Azuela.

“This isn’t going to end by just reigning in Airbnb,” he said. “They’re going to have to do a whole lot more.”

Megan Janetsky And María Verza, The Associated Press

What to know about a potential deal to keep TikTok running in U.S.

By The Associated Press
 July 07, 2025 

The TikTok app logo is shown on an iPhone on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

Less than a month after extending a deadline to ban TikTok for the third time, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday night that, “We pretty much have a deal,” on TikTok -- but he did not offer details.

The details and timing of a potential deal are not clear. TikTok did not immediately respond to messages for comment on Monday.

Emarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman said while TikTok is “reportedly planning” a U.S. version of its app to comply with legal restrictions, the platform -- if it launches without the original TikTok algorithm -- “risks losing the very personalization that drives user engagement.”

In other words, TikTok just isn’t TikTok without its algorithm.

“And getting millions to download a new app is no small feat, to say the least,” Goldman added.

Here’s what to know about where TikTok stands in the U.S. following Trump’s comments.

Extensions continue

Though he has no clear legal basis to do so, Trump has continued to extend the deadline for TikTok to avoid a ban in the U.S. This gives his administration more time to broker a deal to bring the social media platform under American ownership.

It is not clear how many times Trump can -- or will -- keep extending the ban as the government continues to try to negotiate a deal for TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance. While there is no clear legal basis for the extensions, so far there have been no legal challenges against the administration. Trump has amassed more than 15 million followers on TikTok since he joined last year, and he has credited the trendsetting platform with helping him gain traction among young voters. He said in January that he has a “warm spot for TikTok.”

TikTok stays for now

For now, TikTok continues to function for its 170 million users in the U.S. Tech giants Apple, Google and Oracle were persuaded to continue to offer and support the app, on the promise that Trump’s Justice Department would not use the law to seek potentially steep fines against them.

Americans are even more closely divided on what to do about TikTok than they were two years ago.

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about one-third of Americans said they supported a TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly one-third said they would oppose a ban, and a similar percentage said they weren’t sure.

Among those who said they supported banning the social media platform, about 8 in 10 cited concerns over users’ data security being at risk as a major factor in their decision, according to the report.

Trump said Friday that on Monday or Tuesday, the U.S. would take the proposal to Chinese leader Xi Jinping or one of his representatives. The president said he thinks they “probably” need China to approve the deal but he wasn’t sure they needed to.

When asked whether he was confident China would approve the deal, Trump said, “I’m not confident but I think so.”

He said that for the U.S., “we make a lot of money if the deal goes through.”

The Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement that it has no new information to share and “China has reiterated its principled position on multiple occasions and will handle relevant issues in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations.”

Who wants to buy TikTok?

Although it’s unclear if ByteDance plans to sell TikTok, several potential bidders have come forward in the past few months.

Aides for Vice President JD Vance, who was tapped to oversee a potential deal, have reached out to some parties, such as the artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI, to get additional details about their bids, according to a person familiar with the matter. In January, Perplexity AI presented ByteDance with a merger proposal that would combine Perplexity’s business with TikTok’s U.S. operation.

Perplexity had no comment on Monday.

Other potential bidders include a consortium organized by billionaire business executive Frank McCourt, which recently recruited Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as a strategic adviser. Investors in the consortium say they’ve offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for TikTok’s U.S. platform. And if successful, they plan to redesign the popular app with blockchain technology they say will provide users with more control over their online data.

“Every day that passes without a qualified divestiture of TikTok puts Americans at greater risk of manipulation and surveillance. We believe the administration will ultimately obey the courts and follow the requirements for a lawful divestiture,” McCourt’s internet advocacy organization, Project Liberty, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with members of the administration, policymakers, and our many outstanding partners in The People’s Bid to achieve this goal.”

Among other possible investors are the software company Oracle and the investment firm Blackstone. Neither company immediately responded to messages seeking comment on Monday.

Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press

Ghana’s president inaugurates a special task force to tackle illegal gold mining

By The Associated Press
 July 08, 2025 

Damien Larbli Tchintchibidja, Vice president of the ECOWAS Commission, left, Ghana's President John Mahama, center and Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar pose for a photo, prior to the start of the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)

ACCRA, Ghana — Ghana’s president launched a special task force on Tuesday to combat rampant illegal gold mining and smuggling that has long plagued the West African nation.

The chronic challenge of illegal gold mining — known locally as “galamsey” — was a major issue during Ghana’s presidential election campaign last year and a source of concern for voters, triggering protests and criticism against the outgoing government.

Ghana’s President John Mahama inaugurated the GOLDBOD Task Force, saying its creation “signals our readiness to act decisively.”

The task force — comprised of officers from various security agencies and the military — is empowered to arrest and detain suspects. It follows the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board agency in January as the sole legal entity managing all transactions and exports of gold mined in the country by small mining companies.

Mahama said that along with the agency, the task force will strive to curb the proliferation of illegal miners and “dismantle the black-market economy surrounding gold.”

He touted what he described as the rebound of the cedi, Ghana’s currency, which has had a poor track record against the dollar, as a result of setting up the Ghana Gold Board.

The illegal gold mining industry has resulted in significant economic losses and environmental degradation for Ghana, Africa’s largest gold-producing country. It has flourished as a result of a massive slump in Ghana’s economic fortunes as millions of young people struggle to find jobs.

Huge protests broke out across the country against illegal gold mining after many rivers were polluted, becoming a political hot-button issue in the election. Mahama, who won the election, promised in his campaign to clamp down on the practice.

“Let this serve as a warning to all those involved in gold smuggling and illegal trade: the law will be enforced without fear or favor,” he said Tuesday.

Mahama emphasized how the task force members would wear body cameras, which allows for accountability and monitoring of their actions in real time. However, many analysts say past attempts to curb illegal gold mining have not produced tangible results.

“The task force can help,” Festus Aboagye, an Accra-based security analyst, told The Associated Press. But ”the challenge, as usual, is not regulation but enforcement.”

___

Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria. Francis Kokutse And Ope Adetayo, The Associated Press

This Canadian city led the way with the largest decrease in average asking rents

By The Canadian Press
July 08, 2025 

Canada's housing agency says advertised rents in major cities are easing due to factors such as increased supply and slower immigration, but renters are still not feeling relief relative to their income levels. Kyle Jerry, right, helps De-Ren Jhou carry a mattress into an apartment building on Quebec's unofficial moving day in Montreal, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Canada’s housing agency says advertised rents in some major cities are easing due to factors such as increased supply and slower immigration, but renters are still not feeling relief.

In its mid-year rental market update released Tuesday, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said average asking rents for a two-bedroom purpose-built apartment were down year-over-year in four of seven markets.

Vancouver led the way with a 4.9 per cent decrease in the first quarter of 2025, followed by drops of 4.2 per cent in Halifax, 3.7 per cent in Toronto and 3.5 per cent in Calgary. Average asking rents grew 3.9 per cent in Edmonton, 2.1 per cent in Ottawa and two per cent in Montreal, compared with the first quarter of 2024.

Landlords reported that vacant units are taking longer to lease, CMHC said, especially for new purpose-built rental units in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, where they face competition from well-supplied secondary rentals such as condominium units and single-family homes.

“Purpose-built rental operators are responding to market conditions by offering incentives to new tenants such as one month of free rent, moving allowances and signing bonuses,” the report said, adding some landlords anticipate they may need to lower rents over the next couple of years.


The agency said rents for occupied units are continuing to rise but at a slower pace than a year ago. It said higher turnover rents in several major rental markets have decreased tenant mobility, leading to longer average tenancy periods and “more substantial” rent increases when tenants do move.

In 2024, the gap in rental prices between vacant and occupied two-bedroom units reached 44 per cent in Toronto, the highest among major cities, while Edmonton had the smallest gap at roughly five per cent.

Vacancy rates are expected to rise in most major cities this year amid slower population growth and sluggish job markets, CMHC said.

“As demand struggles to keep pace with new supply, the market will remain in a period of adjustment. This is particularly true in Ontario due to lowered international migration targets, especially in areas near post-secondary institutions,” the report stated.

“While the market may have abundant supply in the short-term, there is still a need to maintain momentum in new rental supply to meet the needs of projected future population growth and to achieve better affordability outcomes for existing households.”

Despite downward pressure on rent prices, CMHC said affordability has still worsened over time as rent-to-income ratios have steadily risen since 2020, especially in regions like Vancouver and Toronto where turnover rents are driving increases.

A separate report released Tuesday outlined similar trends across the national rental market last month.

The latest monthly report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation said asking rents for all residential properties in Canada fell 2.7 per cent year-over-year in June to $2,125, marking the ninth consecutive month of annual rent decreases.

Despite the drop, average asking rents remained 11.9 per cent above levels from three years ago and 4.1 per cent higher than two years ago, “underscoring the long-term inflationary pressure in the rental market,” the report said.

Purpose-built apartment asking rents fell 1.1 per cent from a year ago to an average of $2,098, while asking rents for condos dropped 4.9 per cent to $2,207. Rents within houses and town homes fell 6.6 per cent to $2,178.

“Rent decreases at the national level have been mild so far, with the biggest declines mainly seen in the largest and most expensive cities,” Urbanation president Shaun Hildebrand said in a news release.


“However, it appears that the softening in rents has begun to spread throughout most parts of the country.”

B.C. and Alberta recorded the largest decreases in June, with asking rents falling 3.1 per cent year-over-year in each province to an average of $2,472 in B.C. and $1,741 in Alberta.

That was followed by Ontario’s 2.3 per cent decrease to $2,329, Manitoba’s 1.3 per cent decrease to $1,625 and Quebec’s 0.9 per cent decrease to $1,960. Nova Scotia’s average asking rent ticked 0.1 per cent lower to $2,268, while Saskatchewan was the only province to record year-over-year growth, at 4.2 per cent, to an average of $1,396.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press

Do renter protection policies reduce rental housing discrimination?

Wiley

LinkedIn
MessageWhatsAppEmail

Research in Contemporary Economic Policy indicates that well-intentioned renter protection policies may actually increase discrimination against certain minority races and ethnicities.

The research applies to a policy implemented in Minneapolis that limits the use of background checks, eviction history, and credit scores on rental housing applications. Investigators submitted fictitious email inquiries to publicly advertised rentals using names manipulated on perceived race and ethnicity before and after this policy was implemented.

After the policy was implemented, discrimination against African American and Somali American men increased. Also, discrimination increased in Minneapolis relative to its “twin city” St. Paul, where the policy was not in effect.

Although ads requiring specific credit scores or banning applicants with criminal records fell dramatically after the policy went into effect, restricting information on individual applicants appeared to have caused landlords to rely more on stereotypes and increased discrimination against Somali American and African American renters. In most cases, the landlord simply did not respond to inquiries from such applicants.

“Policymakers in Minneapolis aimed to expand access to rental housing for individuals previously excluded due to criminal records, credit history, or income. Our research suggests that while the policy may have lowered these specific barriers, limiting the information available to landlords increased discrimination based on race and ethnicity,” said corresponding author Deborah Rho, MA, PhD, of the University of St. Thomas.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/coep.12704

 

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
First published in 1982, Contemporary Economic Policy publishes scholarly research and analysis on important policy issues facing society. The journal provides insight into the complexity of policy decisions and communicates evidence-based solutions in a form accessible to economists and policy makers. Contemporary Economic Policy provides a forum for debate by enhancing our understanding of key issues and methods used for policy analysis.

About Wiley      
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

---

Journal

Contemporary Economic Policy

DOI

10.1111/coep.12704 

Article Title

The Impact of Renter Protection Policies on Rental Housing Discrimination

Article Publication Date

9-Jul-2025

Yukon disaster one of two ‘most catastrophic’ in heap-leach mining history: expert

By The Canadian Press
 July 08, 2025 

Victoria Gold's Eagle gold mine site north of Mayo, Yukon, is shown in this handout aerial photo taken Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Yukon Government)

An engineer tasked with reviewing the spill of about two million tonnes of cyanide-soaked ore at a Yukon gold mine says it was one of the two “most catastrophic failures” in the 45-year history of the heap-leaching mining process.

Mark Smith says those disasters last year, the other occurring in Turkey, would “define the next 10 or 20 years for heap-leach practices,” in which minerals are extracted from piles of ore by running liquid chemicals through them.

Smith is a member of the independent review board that examined the disaster at the Eagle Gold Mine in June 2024, when an ore slope failed, leading to the contamination of a local creek and groundwater in central Yukon.

He says the board found several underlying causes, including the poor quality of ore, “over-steepened” slope and rising water table at the facility.

Together, he says those factors led to the large-scale liquefaction of saturated ore that triggered the massive failure in a matter of 10 seconds.

Smith told a briefing hosted by the Yukon government that he hopes the board’s findings and recommendations will extend beyond the territory, steering the industry toward better practices that lower the risks of failures.

He said the site that had been operated by Victoria Gold Corp. had “almost no surveillance,” something that’s “far too common” at heap-leach facilities.

“We need better surveillance of these facilities across the board.”

Asked if other mining companies had reached out to him after the disaster at the Eagle Gold Mine, Smith said he was receiving calls “as often as daily” in the months that followed.

The mine located about 85 kilometres north of Mayo has not operated since the collapse and Victoria Gold was placed in receivership in August 2024.

The review board makes 50 recommendations in its report released in early July, and Smith said none of them are “particularly expensive.”

“I’m pretty sure that the cost burden that’s now been put on the Yukon taxpayers for the Eagle Gold failure would fund all of our recommendations on every mining project that will ever be proposed in the Yukon,” he said.

“I think cost-wise, it’s nothing in comparison.”

Yukon officials have said the territory is reviewing the board’s report.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press

Percentage of Canadians who see the U.S. as a top threat triples: poll

By The Canadian Press
July 08, 2025 

A participant holds an "Elbows Up Canada" sign during a rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sunday, March 9, 2025.

 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

WASHINGTON — As U.S. President Donald Trump pursues his global trade war and talk of annexation, a new poll suggests the percentage of Canadians who view the United States as a top threat has tripled since 2019.

While this year’s survey by the Pew Research Center suggests that 55 per cent of Canadians still say the U.S. remains this country’s most important ally, it also says that 59 per cent now see the U.S. as a threat -- up from 20 per cent in the 2019 poll.Read the survey results

“Canada sort of stands out as one place where views of the U.S. have changed significantly and substantially,” said Janell Fetterolf, a senior researcher at the centre.

Pew polled people in 25 countries and the United States was cited as the most important ally in 12. It was the most commonly named threat in eight countries -- including America’s closest neighbours, Canada and Mexico.

Canada was an early target of Trump’s tariffs and taunts. He repeatedly called former prime minister Justin Trudeau “governor” and said he wanted to make Canada a U.S. state.

Trump hit Canada and Mexico with duties he linked to fentanyl trafficking in March, only to walk back the tariffs for goods that comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade a few days later.

Both countries are also being targeted by Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles.

The Pew Research Center said many people polled in Europe named Russia as a top threat, while China was more commonly named among those in the Asia-Pacific region.

Poll respondents were more likely to name the United States as an economic threat, while Russia was more likely to be considered a threat to national security and China was commonly cited as a mix of both.

But at least half of the people polled in Mexico, France and Canada who said the United States was a threat also said the U.S. posed “a great deal of a threat” to national security.

In Canada, roughly three-quarters of adults said the U.S. poses an economic threat and 53 per cent said it poses a national security threat.

Pew, a Washington-based non-partisan think tank, surveyed 28,333 adults across 24 countries -- not including the United States -- from Jan. 8 to April 26 by phone, online and in person. The centre also surveyed 3,605 Americans from March 24 to March 30 by phone, online and in person.

Israelis were particularly likely to name the U.S. as their country’s most important ally. Israelis also stood out for their particularly positive ratings of the U.S. and its president. Most Israelis polled named Iran as the top threat.

Japanese and South Koreans polled also overwhelmingly stated that the U.S. was their most important ally.

Despite Canadians’ increasingly negative views of the U.S., Americans remain positive about Canada. Fetterolf said Canada is one of the allies most commonly named by Americans, just behind the United Kingdom.


She said a poll earlier this year suggested 74 per cent of Americans have a favourable opinion of Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

Salmon group says aquaculture companies stashing garbage along Newfoundland coast

By The Canadian Press

July 08, 2025 

Degraded and broken sea cages and old salmon farming equipment tied together and anchored at The Locker near Gaultois, N.L., on June 23, 2025, as shown in this handout photo. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Atlantic Salmon Federation - Andrew Clarke

ST. JOHN’S — An eastern Canadian conservation group is calling for a moratorium on aquaculture expansion in Newfoundland and Labrador, alleging fish-farming companies are stashing plastic garbage along the province’s remote southern coastline.

In a report summary released Tuesday, the Atlantic Salmon Federation said satellite images suggest aquaculture companies appear to have left broken cages, rope and other debris in six sites along Newfoundland’s south coast.

The New Brunswick-based group is demanding the federal fisheries minister halt aquaculture expansion in the province until the companies get their waste under control, said spokesperson Neville Crabbe.

Under the Fisheries Act, the federal government can investigate or prosecute anyone who disrupts or causes harm to fish habitat.

“Fix your problems, utilize your existing sites, optimize what you have,” Crabbe said in an interview. “The industry is not going anywhere right now in Newfoundland and Labrador, but nor should it go anywhere else.”

The federal Fisheries Department said the Newfoundland and Labrador government is in charge of regulating the aquaculture in the province, and it respects that authority.

The department “recognizes the concerns regarding wild and farmed salmon interbreeding in Newfoundland and Labrador, specifically along the south coast of Newfoundland, and remains committed to collaborating with partners to mitigate associated risks to wild Atlantic salmon populations,” said an email from the department Tuesday.

Newfoundland’s south coast is known for its towering fiords and small communities dotting its shores, some of which are only accessible by boat or plane. The aquaculture industry is a valued source of jobs in the area.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation has been monitoring aquaculture waste in the region for more than a year. Crabbe said the federation is not calling for the companies to shut down or cut jobs.

In its latest investigation, the federation worked with Planetixx, a U.K.-based climate data and analytics firm. The team used more than 60,000 satellite images of the area, spanning more than a decade, to train an artificial intelligence model to recognize sea cage rings — the frames that support large nets inside which salmon is farmed.

The AI model could then identify sites with abnormalities, such as misshapen rings or haphazard arrangements. When the AI identified a site with anomalies, the researchers viewed high-definition images of the area from Maxar Technologies’ satellite constellations.

Through this process, they identified six sites they allege were dumping grounds for “broken, degraded salmon farm equipment,” the report said.

They found no equipment at any time between March 2020 to May 2025 in half of the 106 licensed sites analyzed, indicating the areas were inactive. For Crabbe, that suggests the companies don’t need to expand into other areas.

Last year, members of the federation visited a cove known locally as The Locker, near Gaultois, N.L., and captured images of discarded plastic bags, blue barrels, rope, buoys and old sea cages. Crabbe said the province ordered companies operating in the area to clean it up earlier this year, though the provincial Fisheries Department did not respond to a request for information about the order.

He flew over the site in a helicopter in February and saw the debris had been cleared. But when he returned last month by boat, it was once again full of trash, he said. A remotely operated vehicle took images of a sea cage and netting sunken beneath the water.

“The buoyant structure appears to be anchored to the sea floor, unable to float up, potentially indicating a deliberate sinking,” the federation’s report summary on Tuesday said.

They also found garbage at a site in nearby Roti Bay, Crabbe said.

“It’s very clear in their licences, and in the regulations governing the industry, that they have to have waste management plans,” he said. “The discovery of that sunken cage in The Locker, at the very least, should compel authorities to go and survey these areas to see what else is under the water.”

In a news release Monday, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association said the provincial regulator allows companies to store unused equipment, including sea cages, in leased marine areas before they are dismantled and recycled.

“Plastic sea cages may be held at leased sites until vessel and staff resources are available to safely transport them to shore-based yards and recycling facilities,” the release said.

Abandoned sites operated by different owners under different rules “have been and are being addressed,” it said.

But Crabbe disagreed that the waste was simply being stored, and likened it to tossing a coffee cup in a ditch and saying he was storing it there.

“This equipment was not being temporarily stored for removal and proper disposal. Some of it has been there since 2011, and possibly before,” he told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday. “This is obviously disposal, this is obviously obsolete equipment and this is a persistent, long-term problem.”

---

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.