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Category: Fisheries

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ20: Cross-boundary marine tourism

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Tang Ka-piu and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (July 2):

    Question:

    It is learnt that the Mainland is actively developing the Nan’ao checkpoint pier project in the Dapeng New District of Shenzhen (the Nan’ao checkpoint), with plans to set up a number of routes to and from Hong Kong. On the other hand, the SAR Government has been promoting multi-destination cross-boundary tourism in recent years, while the Urban Renewal Authority has proposed to develop the waterfronts of Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay, Kai Tak and To Kwa Wan along the Victoria Harbour into a world-class bay region known as “Victoria Cove Area”. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) whether the Working Group for Sha Tau Kok Co-operation Zone set up under the Task Force for Collaboration on the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy under the Guangdong-Hong Kong and Hong Kong-Shenzhen cooperation mechanism has discussed the development of the Nan’ao checkpoint and the routes to and from Hong Kong; if so, of the relevant progress; whether, in view of the opening of the Nan’ao checkpoint, it will consider setting up more sea control points in the eastern part of Hong Kong and introducing more streamlined immigration measures and policies, so as to create favourable conditions for multi-destination cross-boundary marine tourism across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2) as it has been reported that the Nan’ao checkpoint will set up a route connecting to Ma Liu Shui via Tung Ping Chau, which is only four kilometres away, while Tung Ping Chau, a tourist hotspot in Hong Kong, is yet to be supplied with tap water and electricity, whether the SAR Government will take advantage of the opportunity arising from the development of the Nan’ao checkpoint to work with the Shenzhen Municipality in providing Tung Ping Chau with infrastructure such as tap water and electricity to promote the development of the island; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (3) given that the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy proposes the establishment of the Mirs Bay/Yan Chau Tong Eco-‍recreation/tourism Circle, and there are views pointing out that the infrastructural facilities on the islands in such waters, particularly piers or landing facilities, are relatively outdated, whether the Government will allocate resources to upgrade the infrastructure on such islands so as to serve tourists’ needs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (4) given that the Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the Yacht Industry (2024-2027) announced by the Guangdong Provincial Government proposes to strive for the implementation of a pilot prorgamme for the free flow of yachts among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, of the progress of the SAR Government’s discussion with the Mainland authorities on the implementation of the plan, and whether additional measures conducive to cross-‍boundary high-end marine tourism will be pursued at the same time for Hong Kong’s tourism industry;

    (5) whether, in the light of the establishment of the Nan’ao checkpoint, adjustments will be made to the planning for the Northern Metropolis to dovetail with the relevant development; and

    (6) whether it will consider creating a “cross-boundary marine eco-‍tourism belt along the eastern waters of Hong Kong” through a multi-destination tourism approach, including but not limited to the development of tourism routes connecting the Nan’ao checkpoint with various scenic spots, such as Sai Kung, Lei Yue Mun (the Sam Ka Tsuen Ferry Pier), Kwun Tong (the Kwun Tong Public Pier and the Kwun Tong Ferry Pier), Kai Tak (the Runway Park Pier and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal), the Kwun Tong Waterfront Water Sports Centre, the Kai Tak Water Sports Centre and the proposed yacht club in Yau Tong Bay, with a view to utilising existing or planned facilities in combination with eco-tourism and water sports activities in Hong Kong’s eastern waters to attract high-value added visitors to come and spend money in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

    As set out in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) promotes in-depth integration of Hong Kong’s unique world-class resources with tourism, leveraging Hong Kong’s position as an international metropolis and tourism hub to promote the development of multi-destination travel itineraries and tourism products with other cities inside and outside the Greater Bay Area (GBA). According to the Northern Metropolis (NM) Action Agenda published in 2023, the Blue and Green Recreation, Tourism and Conservation Circle situated in the easternmost part of the NM comprises Robin’s Nest, Lin Ma Hang, Sha Tau Kok, Yan Chau Tong as well as coastal villages and the outlying islands. With abundant blue and green resources including country parks, marine parks and a geopark as well as a number of traditional rural townships, this zone has the potential for recreation and tourism development.

    Having consulted the CSTB, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Security Bureau, and the Transport and Logistics Bureau, a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu is as follows:

    (1) and (5) The Working Group for Sha Tau Kok Co-operation Zone (the Working Group) under the Task Force for Collaboration on the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy aims to promote cultural and tourism collaboration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in Sha Tau Kok. The development of the proposed Nan’ao checkpoint, as mentioned in the question, includes routes to and from Hong Kong and is outside the scope of work of the Working Group. As regards setting up sea travel control points in the eastern part of Hong Kong and developing cross-boundary ferry routes between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, these will involve quite a number of considerations, including the long-term market demand for the ferry routes concerned and the carrying capacity of the region, the required infrastructure and supporting facilities and the cost-effectiveness, and the potential impacts on the ecological environment, etc, which warrant careful consideration.

    (2) Regarding the power supply to Tung Ping Chau, the Scheme of Control Agreements signed between the Government and the two power companies stipulate that the power companies are obliged to contribute to the development of Hong Kong by providing, operating and maintaining sufficient electricity related-facilities and supplying electricity to meet the demand. This includes the conducting of feasibility studies and putting forward of proposals for supplying electricity to remote areas. The Government will conduct comprehensive assessments on the two power companies’ proposals, taking into account such factors as the supply method, cost-effectiveness and the impact on the environment, etc, with a view to achieving the balance of the four objectives of our energy policy, namely, safety, stability, reasonable prices and environmentally friendliness.  Regarding the electricity supply to Tung Ping Chau, the Government has approved the proposals in the 2018-2023 Development Plan of the CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP) to supply electricity generated from solar power systems for Tung Ping Chau. The Government has also urged the CLP to maintain close liaison with the local residents.

    Regarding the water supply to Tung Ping Chau, as the permanent residence of the island is sparse, if a treated water supply system is to be constructed irrespective of whether the submarine pipeline is constructed from Shenzhen or Hong Kong to Tung Ping Chau, it is expected that the low water consumption will likely lead to stagnant water in water mains,  resulting in deterioration of water quality. Preliminary study shows that the capital cost per capita for the construction of treated water supply system for Tung Ping Chau is very high. Factors such as cross-boundary project and management should also be considered for laying the cross-boundary submarine pipeline. In view of technical and financial feasibility of the water supply system, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) is actively exploring using technology to provide water supply to Tung Ping Chau. To this end, the WSD is providing assistance to a non-governmental organisation to carry out pilot use of domestic seawater filter devices to provide an alternative water source for the villagers of Tung Ping Chau.

    (3) The Government launched the policy of Pier Improvement Programme (PIP) in 2017, aiming to upgrade the structural safety and facilities of a number of existing public piers at remote areas in the New Territories and outlying islands, with a view to enhancing accessibility of some scenic spots and natural heritage as well as meeting the basic needs of local villagers relying on boats as their main transportation mode and fishermen’s operation. Under the PIP, eight public piers are located within the Mirs Bay/Yan Chau Tong in the NM, of which the construction of Lai Chi Chong Pier, Sam Mun Tsai Village Pier and Sham Chung Pier are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025. The remaining five piers are at the investigation and design stage. Upon completion of the detailed design, the Government will apply to the Legislative Council for funding for individual pier projects at appropriate time, based on the resource priority and related engineering deployment of the public works projects.

    (4) The CSTB supports the development and co-operation of yacht tourism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA, with a view to expanding and promoting high value-added tourism activities in Hong Kong and demonstrating the role of Hong Kong as a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and the departments under its purview would make appropriate preparation in relation to land use planning and hardware for disembarkation and shores facilities so as to support the future development of yacht tourism in Hong Kong. With regard to the hardware facilities, the DEVB invited the market to submit expressions of interest (EOIs) for the proposed yacht berthing facilities at the ex-Lamma Quarry site and the expansion area of Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter in the first half of this year, and are currently consolidating and analysing the feedback collected. The target is to firm up the development parameters and requirements, conduct the relevant statutory procedures as needed, and invite tender by the end of 2026 and 2027, or even earlier, for the two projects mentioned above respectively. At the same time, the DEVB released in April this year the preliminary land use proposals for the sites around Hung Hom Station and its waterfront areas, proposing to make use of the water body to the west of the former Hung Hom Railway Freight Yard site to provide yacht berthing facilities. The DEVB is currently consulting the public on the whole land use proposal which includes, amongst others, the yacht berthing facilities. The target is to commence town planning and other statutory procedures in the second half of 2026.

    To promote yacht tourism, apart from providing more yacht berthing facilities to address the shortage of berths, the Government will also need to consider whether there is any need to improve the immigration clearance procedures for yachts, the visa requirements for crew members, as well as arrangements and ancillary facilities such as ship repairing and maintenance, which involve the work of various bureaux and departments. In this relation, the DEVB has already made use of the opportunity of the EOI exercises mentioned above to collect the industry’s views and improvement recommendations on the development of yacht tourism and the related ancillary facilities. We are currently consolidating and analysing the feedback collected, and will provide them to the relevant bureaux and departments for reference, with a view to facilitating the formulation of more facilitating measures in the future to promote yacht tourism.

    (6) At present, Mainland visitors can conveniently enter Hong Kong through various boundary control points to join local tours, including eco-tourism itineraries in Hong Kong. The Government will, under the premise of striking a balance between ecological conservation and tourism development, unveil Hong Kong’s precious ecological resources to visitors and develop island tourism. We will also make good use of the coastline and waterfront resources and encourage the trade to develop diversified tourism products.

    Under the Tourism Commission’s Lei Yue Mun Waterfront Enhancement Project, the public landing facility was opened for public use in June. It has provided better supporting facility for developing tourism products in the eastern waters of Victoria Harbour, and promoting the development of marine tourism. In particular, for the licensed ferry route plying between Sai Wan Ho and Sam Ka Tsuen, some of the existing departures from Sai Wan Ho to Sam Ka Tsuen has been operated via the new public landing facility at Lei Yue Mun on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The service has commenced since June 28 on a trial basis for six months.

    In addition, the Legislation Council approved the amended Protection of the Harbour Ordinance (Cap. 531) recently. The introduction of a streamlined mechanism under the amended Ordinance has facilitated small-scale reclamations to promote harbourfront enhancement and to strengthen harbour functions. We will explore suitable locations for taking forward harbour enhancement works that can upgrade ancillary tourist facilities on both sides of the Victoria Harbour, by capitalising on the streamlined mechanism, with a view to better leveraging harbourfront resources and promoting tourism.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Christopher J Waller: Welcoming remarks – IJCB Research Conference

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Thank you, Aleš, and thank you to the Czech National Bank (CNB) for hosting this year’s conference. The CNB also supported this conference in 2017. It is wonderful to have such a great relationship between the International Journal of Central Banking (IJCB) and one of our sponsoring institutions.

    I would like to take a few minutes as the outgoing managing editor of the IJCB to emphasize the importance of this journal and the research it supports.1 Central banks play an important role promoting the growth and effective functioning of their economies, and many of the decisions they make are influenced by careful and cutting-edge research. In fact, I recently gave a speech that discussed the importance of economic research in monetary policy decisions.2 The IJCB, through this conference and its volumes, provides an outlet to share and disseminate research that adds to public knowledge and understanding and informs the operational and policy decisions of central bankers.

    The value of central bank–focused research has long been known. In the summer of 2004, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the European Central Bank, and the Group of Ten central banks agreed to support the development of the IJCB to focus on the theory and practice of central banking. The journal has attracted distinguished managing editors, including my colleagues from the Federal Reserve; my immediate predecessor, Luc Laeven, from the European Central Bank; and the current managing editor, Antoine Martin, from the Swiss National Bank, who, unfortunately, could not be here today. We have the strong support now of nearly 55 sponsoring institutions, including the Czech National Bank and also the host of last year’s conference, the Central Bank of Italy. Among the ways that central banks serve the public interest is as an ongoing source of economic research, and the strong commitment to the IJCB here in Prague and other capitals advances our collective interest in strong economies and financial stability.

    Turning to this year’s conference, we chose the theme based on events that have been very much on the minds of central bankers: “Assessing the Effectiveness of Monetary Policy during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The past several years have seen significant monetary policy actions across the globe in response to COVID-19–induced recessions, inflation higher than in several decades, unprecedented supply chain disruptions, and, in some countries, very tight labor markets. Early on, policymakers’ responses appeared quite in sync, but with differing speeds of recovery and varying challenges faced by different types of economies, that changed over time. Additionally, geopolitical tensions and energy price shocks have introduced new complexities. So we thought this conference could be a good place to come together and hear about the lessons we have learned from these common and different experiences.

    Today and tomorrow we will be discussing the yield curve, policy rules, and monetary policy transmission. We also will look into banking issues such as loan issuance and financial stability. And we are lucky to have the Fed’s Vice Chair for Supervision Miki Bowman here to give a keynote speech. As we go through these sessions, I hope we will all ask ourselves how this work can help policymakers do their jobs better. Through our conversation, I would ask you to share knowledge about each of these topics as they are pertinent around the world.

    But before we get to those presentations, and what I hope will be vigorous discussion, let me recognize several people who made this event possible. Here at the CNB, Simona Malovaná and Martin Hodula helped organize this conference. Year round, the IJCB co-editors devote many hours of their time to review papers to keep the journal at its high-quality and high-impact status. These individuals are Ana Babus, Diana Bonfim, Huberto Ennis, Carlos Garriga (who is here with us today), Refet Gürkaynak, Òscar Jordà, Robin Lumsdaine, Fernanda Nechio, Steven Ongena, and Enrico Sete. Finally, for the past three years, the day-to-day smooth running of the journal couldn’t have been accomplished without the editorial team at the BIS and the Board of Governors. A special thank you goes to my team: Kommaly Dias, Jane Ihrig, and Elie Singer, who worked to oversee the process.

    And with that, I will step away from the microphone and put the spotlight where it should be, on the scholars presenting their work today. Thank you, and I believe Martin has a few words to get us started.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Christopher J Waller: Welcoming remarks – IJCB Research Conference

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Thank you, Aleš, and thank you to the Czech National Bank (CNB) for hosting this year’s conference. The CNB also supported this conference in 2017. It is wonderful to have such a great relationship between the International Journal of Central Banking (IJCB) and one of our sponsoring institutions.

    I would like to take a few minutes as the outgoing managing editor of the IJCB to emphasize the importance of this journal and the research it supports.1 Central banks play an important role promoting the growth and effective functioning of their economies, and many of the decisions they make are influenced by careful and cutting-edge research. In fact, I recently gave a speech that discussed the importance of economic research in monetary policy decisions.2 The IJCB, through this conference and its volumes, provides an outlet to share and disseminate research that adds to public knowledge and understanding and informs the operational and policy decisions of central bankers.

    The value of central bank–focused research has long been known. In the summer of 2004, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the European Central Bank, and the Group of Ten central banks agreed to support the development of the IJCB to focus on the theory and practice of central banking. The journal has attracted distinguished managing editors, including my colleagues from the Federal Reserve; my immediate predecessor, Luc Laeven, from the European Central Bank; and the current managing editor, Antoine Martin, from the Swiss National Bank, who, unfortunately, could not be here today. We have the strong support now of nearly 55 sponsoring institutions, including the Czech National Bank and also the host of last year’s conference, the Central Bank of Italy. Among the ways that central banks serve the public interest is as an ongoing source of economic research, and the strong commitment to the IJCB here in Prague and other capitals advances our collective interest in strong economies and financial stability.

    Turning to this year’s conference, we chose the theme based on events that have been very much on the minds of central bankers: “Assessing the Effectiveness of Monetary Policy during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The past several years have seen significant monetary policy actions across the globe in response to COVID-19–induced recessions, inflation higher than in several decades, unprecedented supply chain disruptions, and, in some countries, very tight labor markets. Early on, policymakers’ responses appeared quite in sync, but with differing speeds of recovery and varying challenges faced by different types of economies, that changed over time. Additionally, geopolitical tensions and energy price shocks have introduced new complexities. So we thought this conference could be a good place to come together and hear about the lessons we have learned from these common and different experiences.

    Today and tomorrow we will be discussing the yield curve, policy rules, and monetary policy transmission. We also will look into banking issues such as loan issuance and financial stability. And we are lucky to have the Fed’s Vice Chair for Supervision Miki Bowman here to give a keynote speech. As we go through these sessions, I hope we will all ask ourselves how this work can help policymakers do their jobs better. Through our conversation, I would ask you to share knowledge about each of these topics as they are pertinent around the world.

    But before we get to those presentations, and what I hope will be vigorous discussion, let me recognize several people who made this event possible. Here at the CNB, Simona Malovaná and Martin Hodula helped organize this conference. Year round, the IJCB co-editors devote many hours of their time to review papers to keep the journal at its high-quality and high-impact status. These individuals are Ana Babus, Diana Bonfim, Huberto Ennis, Carlos Garriga (who is here with us today), Refet Gürkaynak, Òscar Jordà, Robin Lumsdaine, Fernanda Nechio, Steven Ongena, and Enrico Sete. Finally, for the past three years, the day-to-day smooth running of the journal couldn’t have been accomplished without the editorial team at the BIS and the Board of Governors. A special thank you goes to my team: Kommaly Dias, Jane Ihrig, and Elie Singer, who worked to oversee the process.

    And with that, I will step away from the microphone and put the spotlight where it should be, on the scholars presenting their work today. Thank you, and I believe Martin has a few words to get us started.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets delegation from 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-06-30
    President Lai meets Minister of State at UK Department for Business and Trade Douglas Alexander  
    On the morning of June 30, President Lai Ching-te met with Douglas Alexander, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom. In remarks, President Lai thanked the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Noting that two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an enhanced trade partnership (ETP) arrangement, the president said that today Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP, which will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation. He expressed hope of the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) so that together we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to Minister Alexander and wish a fruitful outcome for the 27th round of Taiwan-UK trade talks later today. Taiwan-UK relations have grown closer in recent years. We have not only continued to strengthen cooperation in such fields as offshore wind power, innovative technologies, and culture and education but also have established regular dialogue mechanisms in the critical areas of economics and trade, energy, and agriculture. The UK is currently Taiwan’s fourth-largest European trading partner, second-largest source of investment from Europe, and third-largest target for investment in Europe. Two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an ETP arrangement. This was particularly meaningful, as it was the first institutionalized economic and trade framework between Taiwan and a European country. Today, this arrangement is yielding further results. I am delighted that Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP covering investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero. This will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation and advance industrial development on both sides. I also want to thank the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This month, the UK published its Strategic Defence Review 2025 and National Security Strategy 2025, which oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. These not only demonstrate that Taiwan and the UK share similar goals but also show that security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable from those of the transatlantic regions. In addition, last November, the House of Commons passed a motion which made clear that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 neither established the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan nor determined Taiwan’s status in the United Nations. The UK government also responded to the motion by publicly expressing for the first time its position on UNGA Resolution 2758, opposing any attempt to broaden the interpretation of the resolution to rewrite history. For this, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I once again want to extend my deepest gratitude. Taiwan and the UK have the advantage of being highly complementary in the technology sector. In facing the restructuring of global supply chains and other international economic and trade developments, I believe that Taiwan and the UK are indispensable key partners for one another. I look forward to the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP so that together, we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. In closing, I wish Minister Alexander a pleasant and successful visit. And I hope he has the opportunity to visit Taiwan for personal travel in the future. Minister Alexander then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great personal honor to meet with everyone today to discuss further deepening the UK-Taiwan trade relationship and explore the many opportunities our two sides can pursue together. He mentioned that he traveled to Taiwan in 2022 when he was a private citizen, a visit he thoroughly enjoyed, so he is delighted to be back to see the strength of the UK-Taiwan relationship and the strengthening of that relationship. He said that relationship is built on mutual respect, democratic values, and a shared vision for open, resilient, and rules-based economic cooperation. As like-minded partners, he pointed out, our collaboration continues to grow across multiple sectors, and he is here today to further that momentum. Minister Alexander stated that on trade and investment, he is proud that this morning we signed the ETP Pillars on Investment, Digital Trade, Energy and Net Zero, which will provide a clear framework for our future cooperation and lay the foundation for expanded access and market-shaping engagement between our two economies. The minister said he believes that together with our annual trade talks, this partnership will help UK’s firms secure new commercial opportunities, improve regulatory alignment, and promote long-term investment in key growth areas, which in turn will also support Taiwan’s efforts to expand high-quality trade relationships with trusted partners. Minister Alexander said that President Lai’s promotion of the Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the UK’s recently published industrial and trade strategies are very well-aligned, as both cover clean energy and semiconductors as well as advanced manufacturing. He then provided an example, saying that both sides plan to invest in AI infrastructure and compute power-creating opportunities for great joint research in the future. By combining our strengths in these areas, he said, we can open the door to innovative collaboration and commercial success for both sides. He mentioned that yesterday he visited the Taiwan Space Agency, commenting that in sectors such as satellite technology, green energy, and cyber security, British expertise and trusted standards can provide meaningful solutions. Noting that President Lai spoke in his remarks of the broader challenge of peace and security in the region, Minister Alexander stated that the United Kingdom has, of course, also continued to affirm its commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, along with its G7 partners. The UK-Taiwan relationship is strategic, enduring, and growing, he stated, and they reaffirm and remain firm in their longstanding position and confident in their ability to work together to support both prosperity and resilience in both of our societies. Minister Alexander said that, as Taiwan looks to diversify capital and build global partnerships, they believe the UK represents a strong and ambitious investment destination, particularly for Taiwanese companies at the very forefront of robotics, clean tech, and advanced industry. He pointed out that the UK’s markets are stable, open, and aligned with Taiwan’s vision of a high-tech, sustainable future, adding that he looks forward to our discussion on how we can further deepen our cooperation across all of these areas and more. The delegation also included Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific at the UK Department for Business and Trade. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones.   

    Details
    2025-06-27
    President Lai confers decoration on former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Ohashi Mitsuo
    On the morning of June 27, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon former Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Ohashi Mitsuo in recognition of his firm convictions and tireless efforts in promoting Taiwan-Japan exchanges. In remarks, President Lai stated that Chairman Ohashi cares for Taiwan like a family member, and expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan continue to deepen their partnership, bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and jointly build secure and stable non-red supply chains as we boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Every meeting I have with Chairman Ohashi, with whom I have worked side by side for many years, is warm and friendly. I recall that when we met last year, Chairman Ohashi said that he often thinks about what Japan can do for Taiwan and what Taiwan can do for Japan, and that it is that mutual concern that makes us so close. This was a truly moving statement illustrating the relationship between Taiwan and Japan. Chairman Ohashi has also said numerous times that our bilateral relations may very well be the best in the entire world, and that in fact they may serve as a model to other countries. Indeed, Chairman Ohashi is himself an exemplary model for friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan. His spirit of always working tirelessly to promote Taiwan-Japan exchanges is truly admirable. Assuming the position of chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in 2011, he served during the terms of former Presidents Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen, continuously making positive contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations. Over these past 14 years, Taiwan and Japan have signed over 50 major agreements, spanning the economy and trade, fisheries, and taxes, among other areas. In 2017, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association underwent name changes, strengthening the essence and significance of Taiwan-Japan relations. These great achievements were all made possible thanks to the firm convictions and tireless efforts of Chairman Ohashi. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I am delighted to confer upon Chairman Ohashi the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to express our deepest thanks for his outstanding contributions. Chairman Ohashi is not just a good friend of Taiwan, but someone who cares for Taiwan like a family member. When a major earthquake struck in 2016, he personally went to Tainan to assess the situation and meet with the city government. This outpouring of friendship and support across borders was deeply moving. As we look to the future, I hope that Taiwan and Japan can continue to deepen our partnership. In addition to bringing about the early signing of an EPA, I also hope that we can expand collaboration in key areas such as semiconductors, energy, and AI, continue building secure and stable non-red supply chains, and boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies as well as peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. As Chairman Ohashi has said, the close bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Japan is one the world can be proud of. I would like to thank him once again for his contributions to deepening Taiwan-Japan ties. Taiwan will continue to forge ahead side by side with Japan, jointly safeguarding the values of freedom and democracy and mutually advancing prosperous development. I wish Chairman Ohashi good health, happiness, peace, and success in his future endeavors, and invite him to return to Taiwan often to visit old friends. Chairman Ohashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for his kind words. He stated that the Taiwan-Japan relationship is not only worthy of praise; it can also serve as a superb model in the world for bilateral relations that is worthy of study by other countries. He added that this is the result of the collective efforts of President Lai as well as many other individuals. Chairman Ohashi said that the current international situation is rather severe, with wars and conflicts occurring between many neighboring countries. He said that there is a growing trend of nuclear weapon proliferation, emphasizing that use of such weapons would cause significant harm between nations. He also pointed out that some countries even use nuclear weapons as a threat, leading to instability and impacting the global situation. Chairman Ohashi said that neither Taiwan nor Japan possesses nuclear weapons, which is something to be proud of. That is why, he said, we can declare that a world without nuclear weapons is a peaceful world. He also mentioned that during his tenure as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, he consistently upheld this principle in his work. Chairman Ohashi said that the mission of the World Federalist Movement (WFM) is to promote world peace. He said that the WFM has branches in countries worldwide, with the WFM of Japan being one of the most prominent, and that it also aspires to achieve the goal of world peace. Having served as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for 14 years, he said, he is now stepping down from this role and will serve as the chairman of the WFM of Japan, aiming to promote peace in countries around the world. Chairman Ohashi said that both Taiwan and Japan can take pride in our friendly bilateral relationship, emphasizing that if the good relationship between Japan and Taiwan could be offered as an example to countries around the world, there would be no more wars. He expressed his sincere hope that under President Lai’s leadership, Taiwan and Japan can work together to jointly promote world peace. Also in attendance at the ceremony was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-06-25
    President Lai meets Japan’s former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki
    On the afternoon of June 25, President Lai Ching-te met with Kobayashi Takayuki, Japan’s former economic security minister and a current member of the House of Representatives. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains, and ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. The following is a translation of President Lai’s remarks: I welcome Representative Kobayashi back to Taiwan for another visit after seven years. During his last visit, he was with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division, and we met at the Executive Yuan. I am very happy to see him again today. Representative Kobayashi has long paid close attention to matters involving economic security, technological innovation, and aerospace policy. He also made a stunning debut in last year’s LDP presidential election, showing that he is truly a rising star and an influential figure in the political sphere. With this visit, Representative Kobayashi is demonstrating support for Taiwan with concrete action, which is very meaningful. Taiwan and Japan are both part of the first island chain’s key line of defense. We thank the many Japanese prime ministers, including former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, for the many times they have highlighted the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at important international venues, and for expressing opposition to the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can engage in more cooperation and exchanges to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region in all aspects. In particular, China in recent years has been actively expanding its red supply chains, which threaten the global free trade system and advanced technology markets. Taiwan hopes to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains. In the semiconductor industry, for example, Taiwan has excellent advanced manufacturing capabilities, while Japan plays an important role in materials, equipment, and key technologies. I am confident that, given the experience that Taiwan and Japan have in cooperating, we can build an industrial supply chain composed of democratic nations to ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an EPA in order to deepen our bilateral trade and investment exchanges and cooperation. I also hope that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. Taiwan and Japan are democratic partners that share the values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. I firmly believe that so long as we work together, we can certainly address the challenges posed by authoritarianism, and bring prosperity and development to the Indo-Pacific region. In closing, I welcome Representative Kobayashi once again. I am certain that this visit will help enhance Taiwan-Japan exchanges and deepen our friendship. Representative Kobayashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking the time to meet with him, and noting that this was his second visit to Taiwan following a trip seven years prior, when he came with his good friend from college and then-Director of the LDP Youth Division Suzuki Keisuke, now Japan’s minister of justice. Representative Kobayashi mentioned a Japanese kanji that he is very fond of – 絆 (kizuna) – which means “deep ties of friendship.” He emphasized that a key purpose of this visit to Taiwan was to reiterate the deep ties of friendship between Taiwan and Japan. In addition to deep historical ties, he said, Taiwan and Japan also enjoy a like-minded partnership in terms of economic, personnel, and friendship-oriented exchanges. He went on to say that at the strategic level, Taiwan and Japan also have deep ties of friendship, and that for Japan, it is strategically important that Taiwan not be isolated under any circumstances. Representative Kobayashi emphasized that cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, and even cooperation among Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, are more important now than ever, and that another important focus of this visit is the non-red supply chains referred to earlier by President Lai. He said that as Japan’s first economic security minister and the person currently in charge of the LDP’s policy on economic security, he is acutely aware of the important impact of economic security on national interests, and therefore looks forward to further exchanging views regarding Taiwan’s concrete steps to build non-red supply chains. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo.

    Details
    2025-06-16
    President Lai meets delegation led by Representative Bera, co-chair of US Congressional Taiwan Caucus
    On the morning of June 16, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Representative Ami Bera, co-chair of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus. In remarks, President Lai thanked the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives to strengthen Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The president said that we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation and create a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges to jointly enhance economic and developmental resilience. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet with the delegation and welcome Congressman Bera back to the Presidential Office. Last January, he visited after the presidential election, demonstrating the steadfast backing of the US Congress for democratic Taiwan. This time, as head of a delegation of new members of the House Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is continuing to foster US congressional support for Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a sincere welcome to Congressman Bera and all our esteemed guests. Over the years, staunch bipartisan US congressional backing of Taiwan has been a key force for steadily advancing our bilateral relations. I thank the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives, thereby strengthening Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space, and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. I want to emphasize that Taiwan has an unwavering determination to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience and accelerate reform of national defense. The government is also prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP this year. I hope that Taiwan-US security cooperation will evolve beyond military procurement to a partnership that encompasses joint research and development and joint production, further strengthening cooperation and exchange in the defense industry. Regarding industrial exchanges, last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) each visited Texas to see firsthand Taiwan-US collaboration in AI and semiconductors. And the delegation led by Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) sent by Taiwan to this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, was again the largest of those attending. All of this demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to working alongside the US to create mutual prosperity. In the future, we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation. And I hope that the legislation addressing the issue of Taiwan-US double taxation will become law this year. I want to thank Congressman Bera for co-leading a joint letter last November signed by over 100 members of Congress calling for such legislation. I believe that by creating a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges, Taiwan and the US can enhance economic and developmental resilience. In closing, I thank you all for making the long journey here to advance Taiwan-US relations. Let us continue working together to promote the prosperous development of this important partnership. Congressman Bera then delivered remarks, saying that on behalf of the delegation, it is an honor for him to be here once again, it being last January that he and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart visited and congratulated President Lai on his election victory, noting that theirs was the first congressional delegation to do so. Congressman Bera said that this is an important time, not just for the US and Taiwan relationship, but for all relationships around the world. When we look at conflicts in Europe and in the Middle East, he said, it is incumbent upon democracies to hold the peace in Asia. He emphasized that is why it is important for them to bring a delegation of members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee, adding that he believes for all of them it is their first trip to Taiwan.  Congressman Bera said that while this is a delegation of Democratic members of Congress, in a bipartisan way all of Congress continues to support the people of Taiwan. As such, in this visit he brings support from his co-chairs on the Taiwan caucus, Congressman Díaz-Balart and Congressman Andy Barr. He also took a moment to recognize the passing of Congressman Gerald Connolly, who was a longtime friend of Taiwan and one of their co-chairs on the caucus. Congressman Bera mentioned that there is always a special bond between himself and President Lai because they are both doctors, and as doctors, their profession is about healing, keeping the peace, and making sure everybody has a bright, prosperous future. In closing, he highlighted that it is in that spirit that their delegation visits with the president. The delegation also included members of the US Congress Gabe Amo, Wesley Bell, Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride, and Johnny Olszewski.

    Details
    2025-06-13
    President Lai meets delegation led by French National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Marie-Noëlle Battistel
    On the morning of June 12, President Lai Ching-te met a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. In remarks, President Lai thanked the National Assembly for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait, helping make France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. The president also said that exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France are becoming more frequent, and that he hopes this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations and help build closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, I would like to welcome Chair Battistel, who is once again leading a visiting delegation. Last year, Chair Battistel co-led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. This is her fourth visit, and first as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group, which makes it especially meaningful. This delegation’s visit demonstrates strong support for Taiwan, and on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to express my sincerest welcome and thanks. France is a pioneer in promoting free and democratic values. These are values that Taiwan cherishes and is working hard to defend. I want to express gratitude to the French Parliament for their long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation, and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait. The French Parliament’s two chambers have continued to strongly support Taiwan, with the passage of a resolution supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations in 2021, as well as the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023. This has made France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. Through it all, the Taiwan Friendship Group has played a key role, and I want to thank all of our distinguished guests for their efforts. Over the past few years, Taiwan and France have continued to deepen cooperation in areas including the economy, technology, culture, and sports. At the Choose France summit held in Paris last month, Taiwanese and French enterprises also announced they will launch cooperation in the semiconductor and satellite fields. The VivaTech startup exhibition, now being held in France, also has many Taiwanese vendors participating. Exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France, whether official or people-to-people, are becoming more and more frequent. I hope that this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations, building closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  To address current geopolitical and economic challenges, Taiwan will continue to join forces with France and other like-minded countries to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and contribute our concerted efforts to global prosperity and development. Once again, I want to welcome our visitors to Taiwan. I hope to continue our joint efforts to create a more prosperous future for both Taiwan and France.   Chair Battistel then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for extending this invitation. Last year on May 20, she said, she and her delegation attended the presidential inauguration ceremony, so she was delighted to visit Taiwan once again with the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and bear witness to their friendship with Taiwan. Chair Battistel noted that this visit has given them an opportunity to strengthen Taiwan-France relations in areas including the economy, culture, the humanities, and diplomacy, and conduct exchanges with numerous heads of government agencies and research institutes. It has also been an opportunity, she said, to witness the importance of exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan in areas including energy, semiconductors, youth, and culture, and the impact created by important issues of mutual concern, including AI and disinformation, on the security of many countries. Chair Battistel praised Taiwan for its youth development efforts, and said that under the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, 30 Taiwanese young people have embarked on a visit to France, with itineraries including the United Nations Ocean Conference and the VivaTech exhibition, as well as the city of Toulouse, which is strategically important for the aerospace industry. Members of the group are also conducting exchanges at the French National Assembly, she said.  Chair Battistel stated that the Taiwan-France partnership is growing closer, and that she hopes to continue to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, as supporting peace for Taiwan supports peace around the world.  The delegation also included Taiwan Friendship Group Vice Chair Éric Martineau, as well as National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice Chair Laetitia Saint-Paul and Deputies Marie-José Allemand and Claudia Rouaux. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by French Office in Taipei Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur.

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MPEDA hosts inaugural National Skill Olympiad to boost seafood value addition

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, successfully on Tuesday held the grand finale of its first-ever National Skill Olympiad on seafood value addition at the Seafood Expo Bharat in Chennai. The initiative aims to foster a skilled workforce and promote innovation in value-added seafood exports.

    Emerging victorious in the closely contested final was Thanseer K R of Abad Foods, Malipuram, Kerala. The awards were presented by Member of Parliament and MPEDA Authority Member Hibi George Eden D. V. Swamy, Chairman of MPEDA.

    The Olympiad, a pioneering effort by MPEDA, saw participation from trained seafood processing professionals from both the East and West coasts of India. Preliminary rounds were held in Kochi on May 29 and in Visakhapatnam on June 5, with the top ten candidates advancing to the semi-finals on June 30. From there, four finalists were selected for the finale.

    The final round featured professionals from across the country competing on aspects such as quality, hygiene, execution, and presentation. Balamurugan I from Edhayam Frozen Foods Pvt Ltd, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu secured second place, while Sandya Rani Palaparthi of Coastal Cooperation Ltd, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh came third. D. Anitha, also from Kakinada, representing Sandhya Aqua Exports Pvt Ltd, finished fourth.

    Prize money of ₹1,00,000 was awarded to the winner, followed by ₹75,000 and ₹50,000 for second and third place respectively. The fourth-place finalist received a consolation prize of ₹25,000. All participants were also honoured with medals and certificates.

    Speaking at the event, Hibi Eden lauded MPEDA’s innovative approach in organizing the Olympiad and emphasized its role in advancing India’s seafood export industry. Chairman Shri D. V. Swamy highlighted the Olympiad’s contribution toward making India a global hub for value-added seafood and announced plans to make the event an annual feature in MPEDA’s calendar.

    The finale drew participation from a wide range of stakeholders, including officials from Central and State fisheries departments, seafood exporters, foreign buyers, and delegates of the ongoing Seafood Expo Bharat 2025.

    In addition to the competition, seafood products crafted by the finalists were showcased for public viewing, accompanied by a live tasting session at the MPEDA Skill Olympiad pavilion, giving attendees a direct experience of the culinary excellence and processing expertise on display.

  • MIL-OSI China: In pics: Qinghai Lake advances eco-tourism

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    In pics: Qinghai Lake advances eco-tourism

    By Zhang Jiaqi

    China SCIO | July 2, 2025

    Editor’s note: Qinghai Lake, China’s largest inland saltwater lake, has been continuously improving biodiversity and its whole ecosystem while developing sustainable tourism. All the necessary steps toward becoming a national park have now been completed. On their way to various scenic areas and viewing points, visitors can observe crystal-clear waters and thriving wildlife, including migratory birds, fish, and gazelles. These are the fruits of tireless environmental protection efforts that harmonize conservation with responsible tourism.

    A scene at Qinghai Lake, Qinghai province, July 1, 2025. [Photo by Zhang Jiaqi/China SCIO]

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is aflatoxin, the toxic chemical behind Coles’ peanut butter recall?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    Helen Camacaro/Getty

    Coles is recalling two of its homebrand peanut butter products, over concerns they have been contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxic chemical linked to liver cancer.

    The supermarket chain has issued the recall notice for Coles Smooth Peanut Butter 1kg and Coles Crunchy Peanut Butter 1kg, with the best before date of February 5 2027. They were sold in supermarkets and online nationally between May 1 and June 30 this year.

    Aflatoxin can cause injury or illness if eaten, according to Australia’s food safety authority.

    But what is aflatoxin? How does it get into food? And what is the risk if you eat it?

    What is aflatoxin? Where does it occur?

    Aflatoxins are a toxic chemical (a mycotoxin) produced by fungi. The mould-like fungi that produce aflatoxins belong to a large group called Aspergillus.

    These fungi are found in all environments, for example in soils, compost, building surfaces and on crops and other plants, and can cause infections or poisoning in humans and animals.

    Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which produce aflatoxins, thrive mainly in agricultural crops but also in soils, rotting food and compost. The fungi emerge as spores and form networks of microscopic filaments that can grow on products such as grains and nuts.

    As these fungi grow they release a range of chemicals, including aflatoxins, that can lead to contamination of produce before and after harvest, or after processing.

    Aflatoxins are some of the most poisonous types of mycotoxin.

    Different kinds of aflatoxins usually affect contaminated food (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1), crops (G2) and milk (M1).

    Which foods are most risky?

    Crops produced and stored in warm, humid or moist tropical locations are most at risk, as toxin-producing moulds thrive in these conditions.

    High-risk foods include peanuts, corn and tree nuts (such as brazil, walnut and pistachio nuts). The toxin-producing fungi can also grow on wheat, rice, sorghum and spice crops such as turmeric, chilli, ginger and coriander.

    If animals graze on contaminated crops, their milk and meat can also become contaminated.

    Internationally, the Joint Food and Agriculture Administration and World Health Organization is responsible for setting guidelines and monitoring standards for mycotoxins via its expert committee on food additives.

    In Australia, aflatoxin food contamination is not common. In the past decade, there have only been a handful of recalls.

    Why are aflatoxins dangerous?

    Aflatoxins can damage your liver and cause cancer.

    Eating a lot of contaminated foods over a short period of time can lead to aflatoxicosis, acute poisoning that immediately damages the liver. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and convulsions, and may be life-threating.

    Over a long period, smaller amounts of contaminated foods can lead to liver cancer, birth defects, kidney disease and immune system dysfunction.

    There is no specific treatment for alfatoxins. Management after acute or long-term exposure focuses on addressing symptoms and monitoring liver health.

    How can I stay safe?

    There is not much individuals can do to control the presence of aflatoxin and other mycotoxins in foods, as contamination occurs during agriculture and processing.

    You should store nuts and nut products in a way that stops mould growing. Use well-sealed containers kept in dry and cool conditions.

    Freezing and cooking may kill the fungi, but the toxin can survive extreme temperatures.

    Unfortunately, it is difficult to see the fungi with the naked eye. However you should avoid visibly mouldy foods and throw away nuts and grains that are shrivelled or discoloured.

    What should I do if I’ve bought or eaten these products?

    Coles has advised customers to return the products to stores and contact its hotline for more information (1800 061 562).

    If you’re concerned you may have eaten contaminated peanut butter, speak to a health professional.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What is aflatoxin, the toxic chemical behind Coles’ peanut butter recall? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-aflatoxin-the-toxic-chemical-behind-coles-peanut-butter-recall-260194

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Parents are feeling anxious about men in childcare centres. Stronger rules would make everyone feel safer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martyn Mills-Bayne, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, University of South Australia

    Getty Images

    Horrific allegations of child sexual abuse in childcare centres across Melbourne have put the role of men in early childhood education back in the spotlight.

    Coming after other major media reports of child mistreatment in care, many parents are feeling very anxious about the safety of their children.

    Some may be deeply suspicious of men working so closely with children. That caution is totally justified.

    But there are many innocent, well-intentioned and caring men working in centres across the country. They’re playing a vital role in a sector already plagued by well-documented staff shortages.

    Driving them out of the workforce would be a mistake for the sector, for parents and for children.



    Read more:
    Parents of kids in daycare are terrified following Melbourne abuse allegations. What can they do?

    Hyper-viligant behaviour

    Men are still a rarity in childcare centres nationally.

    The latest workforce data show about 8% of early childhood educators are male, though that statistic could include men who don’t work with children directly.

    We don’t know precisely how many early childhood educators are male, but best estimates are somewhere between 2–4% of the total workforce.

    Given there are so few of them, male educators often report being hyper-vigilant about how they do their jobs.

    I was once an early childhood teacher myself. Now in my academic research, I’ve spent almost 20 years mentoring men in the sector, including close to 100 male students coming through initial teacher education programs.

    They are extremely aware of protecting children and themselves. They talk about trying to make sure they’re never alone with children and use distancing strategies to keep themselves safe and in full view of colleagues and parents.

    If they’re changing nappies, they do so in open spaces, where others can see them. If a child is hurt or needs support, they often think twice about the most appropriate way to provide it.

    The men I hear from feel they are surveilled and monitored more closely than their female colleagues. Male educators must use a heightened degree of caution in their day-to-day caring work due to broad (largely unspoken) suspicions of sexual misconduct. This is an inherent part of being a male early childhood educator.

    There’s been no research done to determine whether men are watched more closely than women, but regardless, most don’t begrudge it. They fear ever harming a child, and would rather the extra supervision, perceived or real, to make everyone feel safer.

    Leaving the sector

    But early childhood education has an issue with worker attrition.

    This is especially concerning as pre-school for three-year-olds is rolled out in South Australia, Victoria and the ACT, increasing the demand for staff and pressure on services to meet staff ratios and keep children safe.

    Against this backdrop, it’s crucial we stem the tide of workers leaving the sector, including men.

    Unfortunately, men are often the first to leave, especially after cases of sexual abuse at other centres.

    In New Zealand, Peter Ellis was jailed in the 1990s for child sexual abuse in a creche, though his conviction was overturned posthumously in 2022.



    Read more:
    What are working with children checks? Why aren’t they keeping kids safe at daycare?

    The high profile case had long lasting negative impacts. Less than 1% of the childcare workforce in the country are men – one of the lowest participation rates in the world.

    Parental and societal concerns around the risk of abuse have a profound impact on retaining and attracting more male educators in early childhood education.

    This is also true at the student level. Typically, I see very few men enrol to study early childhood education (about four in a cohort of 150), but only about half that graduate. Many of these potential early childhood teachers drop their studies or move into primary teaching programs after they experience a sense of distrust during their professional placements in childcare.

    Keeping children safer

    Children who are abused experience lifelong trauma. Keeping them safe at all times should be the number one priority of educators and society at large.

    The Melbourne case has left many parents rightly cautious and feeling uncertain about leaving their children in the care of men. We may well see less interest from centres in employing men, as has happened after similar cases in the past.

    This would build on existing suspicions parents have of male educators.

    There’s no easy answer to this. But there are some things that may make early education safer.

    The first is to strengthen working with children screening checks, something the Victorian government has already flagged it will do.

    Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has also announced a statewide register of childcare workers to introduce “an extra layer of checks and balances”.

    Another is to ensure no educator, regardless of gender, is ever alone with a child. Though this may be challenging to achieve within tight staffing levels, it’s needed to prevent future abuse.

    The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted the need to make sure the physical environment minimises opportunity for abuse to occur. This includes glass walls around toilet and nappy change areas and no blind spots in centres.

    And finally, for parents to be scared and angry about this is to be human. But it’s also important to remember many men are doing the right thing, and male educators in the sector are also angry and concerned about this.

    Better processes and regulations would help restore confidence in parents that their children are safe in a man’s care. But it would also help male educators, who can do their work safe in the knowledge they’ve passed a robust set of requirements to get there.

    The Victorian government has set up a dedicated website and advice line for parents whose children may have been involved in the alleged offences.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, you can call 1800 Respect on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 131 114, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts (counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse) on 1800 272 831.

    Martyn Mills-Bayne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Parents are feeling anxious about men in childcare centres. Stronger rules would make everyone feel safer – https://theconversation.com/parents-are-feeling-anxious-about-men-in-childcare-centres-stronger-rules-would-make-everyone-feel-safer-260282

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Distrust in AI is on the rise – but along with healthy scepticism comes the risk of harm

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Ethics, Deputy Director Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne

    PlayStation/StaminaZero/YouTube

    Some video game players recently criticised the cover art on a new video game for being generated with artificial intelligence (AI). Yet the cover art for Little Droid, which also featured in the game’s launch trailer on YouTube, was not concocted by AI. It was, the developers claim, carefully designed by a human artist.

    Surprised by the attacks on “AI slop”, the studio Stamina Zero posted a video showing earlier versions of the artist’s handiwork. But while some accepted this evidence, others remained sceptical.

    In addition, several players felt that even if the Little Droid cover art was human made, it nonetheless resembled AI-generated work.

    However, some art is deliberately designed to have the futuristic glossy appearance associated with image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion.

    Stamina Zero published a video showing the steps the artist took to create the cover art.

    It’s becoming increasingly easy for images, videos or audio made with AI to be deceptively passed off as authentic or human made. The twist in cases like Little Droid is that what is human or “real” may be incorrectly perceived as machine generated – resulting in misplaced backlash.

    Such cases highlight the increasing problem of the balance of trust and distrust in the generative AI era. In this new world, both cynicism and gullibility about what we encounter online are potential problems – and can lead to harm.

    Wrongful accusations

    This issue extends well beyond gaming. There are growing criticisms of AI being used to generate and publish music on platforms like Spotify.

    Yet as a result, some indie music artists have been wrongfully accused of generating AI music, resulting in damage to their burgeoning careers as musicians.

    In 2023, an Australian photographer was wrongly disqualified from a photo contest due to the erroneous judgement her entry was produced by artificial intelligence.

    Writers, including students submitting essays, can also be falsely accused of sneakily using AI. Currently available AI detection tools are far from foolproof – and some argue they may never be entirely reliable.

    Recent discussions have drawn attention to common characteristics of AI writing, including the em dash – which, as authors, we often employ ourselves.

    Given that text from systems like ChatGPT has characteristic features, writers face a difficult decision: should they continue writing in their own style and risk being accused of using AI, or should they try to write differently?



    Read more:
    Google’s SynthID is the latest tool for catching AI-made content. What is AI ‘watermarking’ and does it work?

    The delicate balance of trust and distrust

    Graphic designers, voice actors and many others are rightly worried about AI replacing them. They are also understandably concerned about tech companies using their labour to train AI models without consent, credit or compensation.

    There are further ethical concerns that AI-generated images threaten Indigenous inclusion by erasing cultural nuances and challenging Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights.

    At the same time, the cases above illustrate the risks of rejecting authentic human effort and creativity due to a false belief it is AI. This too can be unfair. People wrongly accused of using AI can suffer emotional, financial and reputational harm.

    On the one hand, being fooled that AI content is authentic is a problem. Consider deepfakes, bogus videos and false images of politicians or celebrities. AI content purporting to be real can be linked to scams and dangerous misinformation.

    On the other hand, mistakenly distrusting authentic content is also a problem. For example, rejecting the authenticity of a video of war crimes or hate speech by politicians – based on the mistaken or deliberate belief that the content was AI generated – can lead to great harm and injustice.

    Unfortunately, the growth of dubious content allows unscrupulous individuals to claim that video, audio or images exposing real wrongdoing are fake.

    As distrust increases, democracy and social cohesion may begin to fray. Given the potential consequences, we must be wary of excessive scepticism about the origin or provenance of online content.

    A path forward

    AI is a cultural and social technology. It mediates and shapes our relationships with one another, and has potentially transformational effects on how we learn and share information.

    The fact that AI is challenging our trust relationships with companies, content and each other is not surprising. And people are not always to blame when they are fooled by AI-manufactured material. Such outputs are increasingly realistic.

    Furthermore, the responsibility to avoid deception should not fall entirely on internet users and the public. Digital platforms, AI developers, tech companies and producers of AI material should be held accountable through regulation and transparency requirements around AI use.

    Even so, internet users will still need to adapt. The need to exercise a balanced and fair sense of scepticism toward online material is becoming more urgent.

    This means adopting the right level of trust and distrust in digital environments.

    The philosopher Aristotle spoke of practical wisdom. Through experience, education and practice, a practically wise person develops skills to judge well in life. Because they tend to avoid poor judgement, including excessive scepticism and naivete, the practically wise person is better able to flourish and do well by others.

    We need to hold tech companies and platforms to account for harm and deception caused by AI. We also need to educate ourselves, our communities, and the next generation to judge well and develop some practical wisdom in a world awash with AI content.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Distrust in AI is on the rise – but along with healthy scepticism comes the risk of harm – https://theconversation.com/distrust-in-ai-is-on-the-rise-but-along-with-healthy-scepticism-comes-the-risk-of-harm-260189

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Consultation on catch limits for Chatham Rise orange roughy now open

    Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

    Fisheries New Zealand is seeking public input into proposed changes to catch limits and management measures for the Chatham Rise orange roughy fishery, says Fisheries New Zealand director fisheries management, Emma Taylor. 

    The consultation, which began today, is part of the regular fisheries sustainability review, which began with consultation on changes for other fish stocks last week.   

    “The Chatham Rise orange roughy fishery (ORH 3B) is New Zealand’s largest orange roughy fishery, by area and catch, and is of value to commercial fishers,” says Emma Taylor. 

    “Catch limits for ORH 3B were reduced by 40 percent in 2023 due to sustainability concerns. Recent stock assessments indicate that further changes are needed to put the fishery back on track to meet sustainability targets, so we are seeking feedback on a variety of different options to reduce catch limits in the fishery.”

    Also included in the consultation beginning today are proposals for catch limit changes for blue mackerel on the east coast of Northland and the Bay of Plenty (EMA 1). 

    “The latest information indicates the EMA 1 stock is at or around the target level and we are seeking views on whether there is an opportunity to make some slight increases to catch limits. We want to hear peoples’ views about the risks and benefits of the options we have proposed,” says Emma Taylor. 

    “Following this consultation, we will prepare advice for Fisheries Minister Shane Jones to make decisions on any changes, which would come into effect for the fishing year starting 1 October 2025.”

    The consultation for changes on these two stocks is open now and will run until 28 July 2025.

    The full proposals, as well as more information about the consultation and how to make a submission can be found on Fisheries New Zealand’s website: 

    Review of sustainability measures for orange roughy (ORH 3B) and blue mackerel (EMA 1) – 2025 October round

    For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

    For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Review of sustainability measures for orange roughy (ORH 3B) and blue mackerel (EMA 1) – 2025 October round

    Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

    Have your say

    Fisheries New Zealand is seeking feedback on proposed changes to sustainability measures for orange roughy in ORH 3B and blue mackerel in EMA 1 as part of the 2025 October sustainability round.

    The ORH 3B stock covers orange roughy across Southland, the East Coast of the South Island, the Sub-Antarctic and the Chatham Islands. The EMA 1 stock covers blue mackerel across the East Coast of Northland, and Auckland and the Bay of Plenty.

    We invite feedback from tangata whenua, stakeholders, and the public on the proposals for these stocks. Summaries of the proposals are on this page and full details are in the consultation documents. 

    The closing time and date for submissions on the ORH 3B and EMA 1 proposals is 9am on 28 July 2025.

    Summary of the proposals and consultation documents

    Supporting document

    Information on the interpretation and application of the statutory considerations relevant to TAC decisions is provided in the Legal Appendix. 

    Legal Appendix: Overview of legislative requirements and other considerations in relation to sustainability measures [PDF, 389 KB]

    About the proposed changes

    Fisheries New Zealand reviews catch limits for selected stocks twice a year. This is consistent with the purpose of the Fisheries Act 1996 to allow for sustainable utilisation.

    These proposals have been assessed:

    • in the context of the relevant statutory requirements
    • using the best available information, including the latest scientific information on the status of the stocks and tangata whenua and stakeholder input.

    Related consultation

    There is related consultation underway for other fish stocks as part of the 2025 October sustainability round. Submissions on that consultation close earlier (5pm on 23 July 2025).

    Review of sustainability measures for 1 October 2025

    Making your submission

    Email your feedback on the proposals set out in the ORH 3B and EMA 1 consultation documents by 9am on 28 July 2025 to FMsubmissions@mpi.govt.nz 

    A template is available to help you complete your submission.

    Submission template [DOCX]

    While we prefer email, you can post written submissions to:

    2025 Sustainability Review
    Fisheries Management
    Fisheries New Zealand
    PO Box 2526
    Wellington 6140
    New Zealand.

    What to include

    Make sure you tell us in your submission:

    • the title of the consultation document
    • your name and title
    • your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
    • your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).

    Submissions are public information

    Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

    People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

    If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

    Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Provision to Bring Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston Passed in Senate’s One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today celebrated the passage of his provision to reconsider moving the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to its rightful home near the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston in the Senate’s reconciliation legislation:

    “Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation’s human space exploration program, and it’s long overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the Space Shuttle Discovery home,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am glad to see this pass as part of the Senate’s One Big Beautiful Bill and look forward to welcoming Discovery to Houston and righting this egregious wrong.”“Houston has long stood at the heart of America’s human spaceflight program, and this legislation rightly honors that legacy,” said Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Chairman Ted Cruz. “It ensures that any future transfer of a flown, crewed space vehicle will prioritize locations that have played a direct and vital role in our nation’s manned space program, making Houston, Texas, a leading candidate. Bringing such a historic space vehicle to the region would underscore the city’s indispensable contributions to our space missions, highlight the strength of America’s commercial space partnerships, and inspire future generations of engineers, scientists, and pioneers who will carry our legacy of American leadership in space.”

    Background:

     The Senator’s provision included in the Senate’s legislation would result in consideration of the Space Shuttle Discovery moving from Virginia to its rightful home near NASA’s JSC in Houston.

    Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center led all of the space shuttle flights throughout the program’s history, and the astronauts who flew aboard the shuttles lived and trained in the area Houston. Four space shuttles were retired from NASA in 2010, and one of them was expected to go on display in the Space City. Congress stated in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 that the four space shuttles were to be given to states with a “historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations, or processing of the Space Shuttle orbiters or the retrieval of NASA-manned space vehicles, or significant contributions to human space flight.” Unfortunately, this directive was unlawfully ignored by the Obama administration, who played politics to keep Houston from getting one of the shuttles. Notably, the administration gave one of the four shuttles to New York City, which has not made any major contributions to the nation’s history of space exploration and is not home to a NASA center—unlike Houston. The Space Shuttle Discovery should be transferred to Houston. This legislation would authorize the movement of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to an entity near the JSC in Houston.

    Additional space-related provisions led by Sen. Cornyn, including the Mission to Modernize Astronautic Resources (MARS) for Space Act, nearly $10 billion in NASA funding for programs at JSC, funding for National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis program, and resources to support the International Space Station (ISS), were included in the Senate’s legislation.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong enjoys broad prospects, a promising future: FM spokesperson

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Citizens interact with cruising fishing vessels on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    With the firm support of the motherland, the protection of the “one country, two systems” policy, the dedication of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, and the concerted efforts of all sectors of society, Hong Kong has broad prospects and a promising future, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

    Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular press briefing, noting that over the past five years since the promulgation and implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong’s legal framework has been strengthened, social stability and unity have improved, and the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law have been fully protected.

    Mao said that the baseless and malicious smears by certain Western politicians and anti-China organizations against the “one country, two systems,” along with their attacks on Hong Kong’s rule of law, fully expose their ill intent to undermine stability in Hong Kong.

    She noted that with a high level of security, Hong Kong is able to achieve high-quality development and the city’s GDP has grown for nine consecutive quarters. It has ranked among the top three international financial centers in the world, and has reclaimed a spot among the top three in global competitiveness rankings.

    As the world’s third-largest recipient of foreign direct investment, Hong Kong tops the world in terms of fundraising from IPOs since the beginning of this year, ranks first in the world in air cargo shipping and fourth in the International Shipping Center Development Index, and is among the top 10 in talent competitiveness, with many foreign chambers of commerce recommending increased investment in the city, Mao said.

    These data show that Hong Kong’s economy is highly resilient and vibrant, and its international appeal continues to grow, she added.

    “Today marks the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. We believe that with the steadfast support of the motherland, the safeguard of ‘one country, two systems,’ the dedication of the government of the HKSAR and the joint efforts of the whole society, Hong Kong enjoys broad prospects and a promising future,” Mao said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By James Marcus Drymon, Associate Extension Professor in Marine Fisheries Ecology, Mississippi State University

    These ‘pez diablo,’ or devil fish, are actually guitarfishes that have been caught, killed, dried and carved into exotic shapes. Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    From the Loch Ness monster to Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, to the jackalope of the U.S. West, mythical animals have long captured human imagination.

    Some people are so fascinated with mythical creatures that they create their own, either working from pure fantasy or by modifying real animals. In a newly published study, we show that in countries such as Mexico, people are catching, drying and shaping guitarfishes – members of the rhino ray family, one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes – to create mythical specimens called “pez diablo,” or devil fish.

    Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras. The origin and meaning of the term “Jenny Haniver” is unclear, but the most accepted explanation is “Jeune d’Anvers,” or “young girl from Antwerp” in French.

    We found that pez diablo are made for many reasons, including as curios for the tourist trade and as purported cures for cancer, arthritis and anemia. Some are simply used for hoaxes. Regardless, the pez diablo trade could threaten the survival of guitarfishes.

    Young guitarfishes on display at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

    Fishy talismans

    Skates and rays, including guitarfishes, are flat-bodied fishes related to sharks and are found worldwide. Together, they make up a group known as elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their unique skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone like most other fishes.

    Skates have long been used to craft mythical creatures. The earliest known examples date back to 1558 in Europe, where they were fashioned to resemble dragons. These objects were thought to offer pathways to the divine or medicinal cures.

    In the mid-20th century, dried guitarfishes emerged as a new generation of mythical creatures. This may be because their unique shape can be fashioned into more humanlike forms. Their long nostrils, which are positioned just above their mouths, can resemble eyes.

    The ‘eyes’ of these dried guitarfishes are actually nostrils on top of the fishes’ long, pointed snouts.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    The first known case of a modified guitarfish was described in 1933. Since then, specimens have made their way into museums, and dozens of North American newspapers have published stories featuring modified guitarfishes.

    A real and endangered fish

    Guitarfishes are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet: Without careful management, they are at risk of global extinction. As many as two-thirds of all guitarfishes are classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List, a global inventory that assesses extinction risks to wild species.

    Guitarfishes are found in warm temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Fishers target them as an inexpensive source of protein. Guitarfishes may also be caught accidentally or collected live for the aquarium trade.

    Ultimately, however, these species are worth more as pez diablo than for other uses. For example, an entire fresh guitarfish in Mexico is worth approximately US$2, whereas guitarfish that have been killed, dried and carved into pez diablo can be worth anywhere from $50–$500 on eBay and other e-commerce sites.

    Curbing the pez diablo trade

    Internationally, the guitarfish trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments. This agreement requires member countries to manage guitarfish trade across international borders.

    Most countries where guitarfishes occur, however, do not have national regulations to protect these species. As a result, people who create or sell pez diablo are likely unaware that these fishes are threatened.

    There are as many as 37 species of guitarfish, some of which are at higher risk of extinction than others. Yet to the untrained eye, it can be hard to distinguish one guitarfish species from another. It’s especially hard to identify dried and mutilated guitarfishes that have been processed into pez diablo and look very different from their natural form.

    An intact guitarfish, left, and a carved, dried version.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    This is a common challenge for agencies that monitor trade in animal products. The global wildlife trade is an enormous market, involving billions of animals moving through both legal and illegal channels. Many wildlife products are heavily altered, which makes it hard to identify the species and determine where the product came from.

    Another source of confusion is that many people in Mexico also refer to an invasive freshwater fish that has overrun lakes and rivers across the nation as pez diablo. This “other” pez diablo is actually a suckermouth catfish and is not at all related to any of the threatened guitarfishes. Local education efforts need to distinguish clearly between these two species, since the desired outcome is to protect guitarfish while removing the invasive catfish.

    A dried and modified guitarfish, left, compared with an invasive suckermouth catfish.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    Guitarfish CSI

    Fortunately, advances in wildlife forensics offer a way to distinguish between species. Molecular techniques have been used to identify many illegally traded species, including guitarfishes. By taking a small skin sample, scientists can use DNA to identify the species of individual pez diablo. This method can help protect endangered species by helping to ensure that laws against wildlife trafficking are followed.

    Refining this kind of molecular tool is the most promising way to improve traceability in the trade of guitarfishes. By documenting where and how pez diablo are traded, scientists and conservationists can help clarify the threats to these species. The pez diablo is an imaginary creature, but it is doing real harm to threatened guitarfishes in the world’s warm oceans.

    Bryan Huerta-Beltran receives funding from Save Our Seas Foundation.

    Nicole Phillips is affiliated with the Sawfish Conservation Society and receives funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation.

    James Marcus Drymon and Peter Kyne do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk – https://theconversation.com/trade-in-a-mythical-fish-is-threatening-real-species-of-rays-that-are-rare-and-at-risk-247433

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By James Marcus Drymon, Associate Extension Professor in Marine Fisheries Ecology, Mississippi State University

    These ‘pez diablo,’ or devil fish, are actually guitarfishes that have been caught, killed, dried and carved into exotic shapes. Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    From the Loch Ness monster to Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, to the jackalope of the U.S. West, mythical animals have long captured human imagination.

    Some people are so fascinated with mythical creatures that they create their own, either working from pure fantasy or by modifying real animals. In a newly published study, we show that in countries such as Mexico, people are catching, drying and shaping guitarfishes – members of the rhino ray family, one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes – to create mythical specimens called “pez diablo,” or devil fish.

    Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras. The origin and meaning of the term “Jenny Haniver” is unclear, but the most accepted explanation is “Jeune d’Anvers,” or “young girl from Antwerp” in French.

    We found that pez diablo are made for many reasons, including as curios for the tourist trade and as purported cures for cancer, arthritis and anemia. Some are simply used for hoaxes. Regardless, the pez diablo trade could threaten the survival of guitarfishes.

    Young guitarfishes on display at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

    Fishy talismans

    Skates and rays, including guitarfishes, are flat-bodied fishes related to sharks and are found worldwide. Together, they make up a group known as elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their unique skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone like most other fishes.

    Skates have long been used to craft mythical creatures. The earliest known examples date back to 1558 in Europe, where they were fashioned to resemble dragons. These objects were thought to offer pathways to the divine or medicinal cures.

    In the mid-20th century, dried guitarfishes emerged as a new generation of mythical creatures. This may be because their unique shape can be fashioned into more humanlike forms. Their long nostrils, which are positioned just above their mouths, can resemble eyes.

    The ‘eyes’ of these dried guitarfishes are actually nostrils on top of the fishes’ long, pointed snouts.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    The first known case of a modified guitarfish was described in 1933. Since then, specimens have made their way into museums, and dozens of North American newspapers have published stories featuring modified guitarfishes.

    A real and endangered fish

    Guitarfishes are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet: Without careful management, they are at risk of global extinction. As many as two-thirds of all guitarfishes are classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List, a global inventory that assesses extinction risks to wild species.

    Guitarfishes are found in warm temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Fishers target them as an inexpensive source of protein. Guitarfishes may also be caught accidentally or collected live for the aquarium trade.

    Ultimately, however, these species are worth more as pez diablo than for other uses. For example, an entire fresh guitarfish in Mexico is worth approximately US$2, whereas guitarfish that have been killed, dried and carved into pez diablo can be worth anywhere from $50–$500 on eBay and other e-commerce sites.

    Curbing the pez diablo trade

    Internationally, the guitarfish trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments. This agreement requires member countries to manage guitarfish trade across international borders.

    Most countries where guitarfishes occur, however, do not have national regulations to protect these species. As a result, people who create or sell pez diablo are likely unaware that these fishes are threatened.

    There are as many as 37 species of guitarfish, some of which are at higher risk of extinction than others. Yet to the untrained eye, it can be hard to distinguish one guitarfish species from another. It’s especially hard to identify dried and mutilated guitarfishes that have been processed into pez diablo and look very different from their natural form.

    An intact guitarfish, left, and a carved, dried version.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    This is a common challenge for agencies that monitor trade in animal products. The global wildlife trade is an enormous market, involving billions of animals moving through both legal and illegal channels. Many wildlife products are heavily altered, which makes it hard to identify the species and determine where the product came from.

    Another source of confusion is that many people in Mexico also refer to an invasive freshwater fish that has overrun lakes and rivers across the nation as pez diablo. This “other” pez diablo is actually a suckermouth catfish and is not at all related to any of the threatened guitarfishes. Local education efforts need to distinguish clearly between these two species, since the desired outcome is to protect guitarfish while removing the invasive catfish.

    A dried and modified guitarfish, left, compared with an invasive suckermouth catfish.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    Guitarfish CSI

    Fortunately, advances in wildlife forensics offer a way to distinguish between species. Molecular techniques have been used to identify many illegally traded species, including guitarfishes. By taking a small skin sample, scientists can use DNA to identify the species of individual pez diablo. This method can help protect endangered species by helping to ensure that laws against wildlife trafficking are followed.

    Refining this kind of molecular tool is the most promising way to improve traceability in the trade of guitarfishes. By documenting where and how pez diablo are traded, scientists and conservationists can help clarify the threats to these species. The pez diablo is an imaginary creature, but it is doing real harm to threatened guitarfishes in the world’s warm oceans.

    Bryan Huerta-Beltran receives funding from Save Our Seas Foundation.

    Nicole Phillips is affiliated with the Sawfish Conservation Society and receives funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation.

    James Marcus Drymon and Peter Kyne do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk – https://theconversation.com/trade-in-a-mythical-fish-is-threatening-real-species-of-rays-that-are-rare-and-at-risk-247433

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tara-Lyn Camilleri, Postdoctoral researcher of transgenerational effects, Monash University

    Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

    As war continues to rage in Gaza and Ukraine, there is concern about how the related trauma might be transmitted to future generations of people in those regions.

    More generally, interest in the idea of transgenerational trauma has recently surged. For example, earlier this year, National Geographic magazine asked whether genes carry past family trauma.

    But while this might be a catchy question, it’s also slightly misleading. Because while trauma can ripple across generations, shaped by how our bodies respond to their environments, its effects aren’t hard-coded in our genes.

    Plastic minds and bodies

    At the heart of this process is what’s known as phenotypic plasticity.

    This is the capacity for organisms to produce different outcomes from the same genes, depending on their environment. These outcomes, called phenotypes, can include stress sensitivity and body shape.

    One way different phenotypes can arise from the same genes is via epigenetics: small chemical changes to the DNA molecule that make particular genes more or less active. Think of these like a director’s notes on a script. These notes guide the cell on which lines to emphasise or soften, without changing the script itself.

    But epigenetics is just one way this plasticity is expressed.

    Understanding how trauma is passed across generations means looking beyond genes and cells to the environments that shape and influence them.

    Human development is sculpted by lived experience, from caregiving and community to stress, safety and belonging.

    These factors interact to produce lasting – but not always fixed – effects. By focusing on how they interact, rather than on single causes, we can better understand why trauma echoes across generations. This also helps us identify how that cycle might be disrupted.

    Widespread in nature

    Phenotypic plasticity is widespread in nature.

    In honeybees, genetically identical larvae become queens or workers depending on what they eat while developing. In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape, making them harder for predators to grasp.

    These aren’t genetic differences – they’re environmental effects on development.

    In humans, early-life conditions similarly shape development. A child raised in an unsafe setting may develop heightened vigilance or stress sensitivity – traits that help in danger but can persist as anxiety or chronic stress in times of safety. This is known as environmental mismatch.

    Across generations, plasticity becomes more complicated. In some of my past research, I studied how diet in one generation of fruit flies shaped health, reproduction and longevity in their offspring and grand offspring.

    The results varied depending on diet, generation and trait. Traits that appeared to be useful in one generation weren’t always so in the next. This highlights how difficult transgenerational effects are to predict – precisely because of this plasticity.

    In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape.
    drakiragavon/iNaturalist, CC BY-ND

    Too narrow an explanation

    Epigenetics often reflect environmental exposures – such as stress, trauma, nutrition or caregiving. But they’re not necessarily permanent “scars”. Many are dynamic and can shift with changing environments – especially early in life.

    Studies show that epigenetic patterns linked to early childhood adversity vary depending on later environments such as family stability and social support. This suggests the biological imprint of early stress is shaped by what happens next.

    It’s tempting to treat epigenetics as the key to explaining inherited trauma – but that’s too narrow. Trauma can influence the next generation through altered hormones, immune function or in utero conditions – all of which shape brain development and stress reactivity.

    Genetic variation also plays a major role. It doesn’t encode trauma itself, but it shapes traits such as sensitivity to threat or emotional regulation. These traits aren’t chosen – they arise from a web of biological and social influences beyond our control.

    But how they unfold, and whether they’re amplified or softened, depends on the systems that surround us.

    Connection to culture

    Connection to culture plays an important role too.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori-led initiatives that centre land, language and whakapapa (ancestral lineage) have shown promise in restoring wellbeing after generations of colonisation-related trauma.

    For Holocaust survivors and descendants, connection to cultural identity through ritual and shared narrative can reduce the psychological burden of transmitted trauma.

    But not all trauma is collective or institutional. Interventions such as trauma-informed parenting and early relational therapies have been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.

    These psychological supports affect biology. Feeling safe in our relationships, having stable routines and a sense of meaning can reduce stress hormones, modulate immune function, and buffer against long-term disease risk.

    In this way, culture, caregiving and connection are all biological interventions. When they soften the effects of earlier stress, they may help interrupt its transmission.

    Trauma-informed parenting has been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Reframing inherited vulnerability

    This matters, because it changes how we understand inherited vulnerability.

    Rather than a permanent wound passed down through DNA, the effects of trauma are better understood as changeable responses shaped by context.

    Thanks to plasticity, our biology is always in conversation with the environment – and when we change the context, we can change the outcome.

    Tara-Lyn Camilleri receives funding from from Australian Graduate Women, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for education and supports women in postgraduate education with scholarships. Her research has also been supported by Australian Research Council grants and Royal Society funding. She is a volunteer committee member for Graduate Women Victoria.

    – ref. Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story – https://theconversation.com/trauma-is-carried-in-your-dna-but-science-reveals-a-more-complicated-story-259057

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tara-Lyn Camilleri, Postdoctoral researcher of transgenerational effects, Monash University

    Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

    As war continues to rage in Gaza and Ukraine, there is concern about how the related trauma might be transmitted to future generations of people in those regions.

    More generally, interest in the idea of transgenerational trauma has recently surged. For example, earlier this year, National Geographic magazine asked whether genes carry past family trauma.

    But while this might be a catchy question, it’s also slightly misleading. Because while trauma can ripple across generations, shaped by how our bodies respond to their environments, its effects aren’t hard-coded in our genes.

    Plastic minds and bodies

    At the heart of this process is what’s known as phenotypic plasticity.

    This is the capacity for organisms to produce different outcomes from the same genes, depending on their environment. These outcomes, called phenotypes, can include stress sensitivity and body shape.

    One way different phenotypes can arise from the same genes is via epigenetics: small chemical changes to the DNA molecule that make particular genes more or less active. Think of these like a director’s notes on a script. These notes guide the cell on which lines to emphasise or soften, without changing the script itself.

    But epigenetics is just one way this plasticity is expressed.

    Understanding how trauma is passed across generations means looking beyond genes and cells to the environments that shape and influence them.

    Human development is sculpted by lived experience, from caregiving and community to stress, safety and belonging.

    These factors interact to produce lasting – but not always fixed – effects. By focusing on how they interact, rather than on single causes, we can better understand why trauma echoes across generations. This also helps us identify how that cycle might be disrupted.

    Widespread in nature

    Phenotypic plasticity is widespread in nature.

    In honeybees, genetically identical larvae become queens or workers depending on what they eat while developing. In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape, making them harder for predators to grasp.

    These aren’t genetic differences – they’re environmental effects on development.

    In humans, early-life conditions similarly shape development. A child raised in an unsafe setting may develop heightened vigilance or stress sensitivity – traits that help in danger but can persist as anxiety or chronic stress in times of safety. This is known as environmental mismatch.

    Across generations, plasticity becomes more complicated. In some of my past research, I studied how diet in one generation of fruit flies shaped health, reproduction and longevity in their offspring and grand offspring.

    The results varied depending on diet, generation and trait. Traits that appeared to be useful in one generation weren’t always so in the next. This highlights how difficult transgenerational effects are to predict – precisely because of this plasticity.

    In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape.
    drakiragavon/iNaturalist, CC BY-ND

    Too narrow an explanation

    Epigenetics often reflect environmental exposures – such as stress, trauma, nutrition or caregiving. But they’re not necessarily permanent “scars”. Many are dynamic and can shift with changing environments – especially early in life.

    Studies show that epigenetic patterns linked to early childhood adversity vary depending on later environments such as family stability and social support. This suggests the biological imprint of early stress is shaped by what happens next.

    It’s tempting to treat epigenetics as the key to explaining inherited trauma – but that’s too narrow. Trauma can influence the next generation through altered hormones, immune function or in utero conditions – all of which shape brain development and stress reactivity.

    Genetic variation also plays a major role. It doesn’t encode trauma itself, but it shapes traits such as sensitivity to threat or emotional regulation. These traits aren’t chosen – they arise from a web of biological and social influences beyond our control.

    But how they unfold, and whether they’re amplified or softened, depends on the systems that surround us.

    Connection to culture

    Connection to culture plays an important role too.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori-led initiatives that centre land, language and whakapapa (ancestral lineage) have shown promise in restoring wellbeing after generations of colonisation-related trauma.

    For Holocaust survivors and descendants, connection to cultural identity through ritual and shared narrative can reduce the psychological burden of transmitted trauma.

    But not all trauma is collective or institutional. Interventions such as trauma-informed parenting and early relational therapies have been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.

    These psychological supports affect biology. Feeling safe in our relationships, having stable routines and a sense of meaning can reduce stress hormones, modulate immune function, and buffer against long-term disease risk.

    In this way, culture, caregiving and connection are all biological interventions. When they soften the effects of earlier stress, they may help interrupt its transmission.

    Trauma-informed parenting has been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Reframing inherited vulnerability

    This matters, because it changes how we understand inherited vulnerability.

    Rather than a permanent wound passed down through DNA, the effects of trauma are better understood as changeable responses shaped by context.

    Thanks to plasticity, our biology is always in conversation with the environment – and when we change the context, we can change the outcome.

    Tara-Lyn Camilleri receives funding from from Australian Graduate Women, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for education and supports women in postgraduate education with scholarships. Her research has also been supported by Australian Research Council grants and Royal Society funding. She is a volunteer committee member for Graduate Women Victoria.

    – ref. Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story – https://theconversation.com/trauma-is-carried-in-your-dna-but-science-reveals-a-more-complicated-story-259057

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Thomas J. Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture, Macquarie University

    minoandriani/Getty Images

    The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armour – when people imagine ancient Rome, they often think of its sights and sounds. We know less, however, about the scents of ancient Rome.

    We cannot, of course, go back and sniff to find out. But the literary texts, physical remains of structures, objects, and environmental evidence (such as plants and animals) can offer clues.

    So what might ancient Rome have smelled like?

    Honestly, often pretty rank

    In describing the smells of plants, author and naturalist Pliny the Elder uses words such as iucundus (agreeable), acutus (pungent), vis (strong), or dilutus (weak).

    None of that language is particularly evocative in its power to transport us back in time, unfortunately.

    But we can probably safely assume that, in many areas, Rome was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. Property owners did not commonly connect their toilets to the sewers in large Roman towns and cities – perhaps fearing rodent incursions or odours.

    Roman sewers were more like storm drains, and served to take standing water away from public areas.

    Professionals collected faeces for fertiliser and urine for cloth processing from domestic and public latrines and cesspits. Chamber pots were also used, which could later be dumped in cesspits.

    This waste disposal process was just for those who could afford to live in houses; many lived in small, non-domestic spaces, barely furnished apartments, or on the streets.

    A common whiff in the Roman city would have come from the animals and the waste they created. Roman bakeries frequently used large lava stone mills (or “querns”) turned by mules or donkeys. Then there was the smell of pack animals and livestock being brought into town for slaughter or sale.

    Animals were part of life in the Roman empire.
    Marco_Piunti/Getty Images

    The large “stepping-stones” still seen in the streets of Pompeii were likely so people could cross streets and avoid the assorted feculence that covered the paving stones.

    Disposal of corpses (animals and human) was not formulaic. Depending on the class of the person who had died, people might well have been left out in the open without cremation or burial.

    Bodies, potentially decaying, were a more common sight in ancient Rome than now.

    Suetonius, writing in the first century CE, famously wrote of a dog carrying a severed human hand to the dining table of the Emperor Vespasian.

    Deodorants and toothpastes

    In a world devoid of today’s modern scented products – and daily bathing by most of the population – ancient Roman settlements would have smelt of body odour.

    Classical literature has some recipes for toothpaste and even deodorants.

    However, many of the deodorants were to be used orally (chewed or swallowed) to stop one’s armpits smelling.

    One was made by boiling golden thistle root in fine wine to induce urination (which was thought to flush out odour).

    The Roman baths would likely not have been as hygienic as they may appear to tourists visiting today. A small tub in a public bath could hold between eight and 12 bathers.

    The Romans had soap, but it wasn’t commonly used for personal hygiene. Olive oil (including scented oil) was preferred. It was scraped off the skin with a strigil (a bronze curved tool).

    This oil and skin combination was then discarded (maybe even slung at a wall). Baths had drains – but as oil and water don’t mix, it was likely pretty grimy.

    Scented perfumes

    The Romans did have perfumes and incense.

    The invention of glassblowing in the late first century BCE (likely in Roman-controlled Jerusalem) made glass readily available, and glass perfume bottles are a common archaeological find.

    Animal and plant fats were infused with scents – such as rose, cinnamon, iris, frankincense and saffron – and were mixed with medicinal ingredients and pigments.

    The roses of Paestum in Campania (southern Italy) were particularly prized, and a perfume shop has even been excavated in the city’s Roman forum.

    The trading power of the vast Roman empire meant spices could be sourced from India and the surrounding regions.

    There were warehouses for storing spices such as pepper, cinnamon and myrrh in the centre of Rome.

    In a recent Oxford Journal of Archaeology article, researcher Cecilie Brøns writes that even ancient statues could be perfumed with scented oils.

    Sources frequently do not describe the smell of perfumes used to anoint the statues, but a predominantly rose-based perfume is specifically mentioned for this purpose in inscriptions from the Greek city of Delos (at which archaeologists have also identified perfume workshops). Beeswax was likely added to perfumes as a stabiliser.

    Enhancing the scent of statues (particularly those of gods and goddesses) with perfumes and garlands was important in their veneration and worship.

    An olfactory onslaught

    The ancient city would have smelt like human waste, wood smoke, rotting and decay, cremating flesh, cooking food, perfumes and incense, and many other things.

    It sounds awful to a modern person, but it seems the Romans did not complain about the smell of the ancient city that much.

    Perhaps, as historian Neville Morley has suggested, to them these were the smells of home or even of the height of civilisation.

    Thomas J. Derrick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank – https://theconversation.com/what-did-ancient-rome-smell-like-honestly-often-pretty-rank-257111

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Ends Handouts to the Idle Rich

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) Ending Unemployment Payments to Jobless Millionaires Act as an amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill to save up to $100 million over the next decade.
    The bill will end the backwards practice of forcing small businesses and job creators to foot the bill for unemployment insurance for those making more than $1 million annually.

    Click here to watch Ernst’s remarks.
    Ernst’s full remarks:
    “Too many of the idle rich are living high off the hog, collecting government checks for not working, while at the same time earning a million dollars or more from some other side venture.
    “Thousands of out-of-work millionaires were paid more than $271 million in unemployment assistance during just the first two years of the Biden Administration.
    “In 2022, the most recent year data is available, nearly 6,000 millionaires were paid almost $58 million in jobless benefits.
    “That’s about $10,000 each for each millionaire to not work.
    “The question is: WHY?
    “Able-bodied millionaires shouldn’t expect handouts made possible by the overtaxed and overworked Americans.
    “My amendment ends freebies for free-loading fat cats by disqualifying anyone making a million dollars or more from being eligible for unemployment income support.
    “The Senate previously approved a similar proposal by a vote of 100 to zero that unfortunately never became a law.
    “We can’t afford to miss this opportunity to save as much as $100 million by passing my amendment.
    “So, let’s show some bipartisan unity for reducing the deficit by getting millionaires back to work.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Statement on FBI Headquarters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement:

    “Moving the FBI from the Hoover building to the Reagan Building isn’t a plan, it’s a punt. For years, Democratic and Republican administrations alike have agreed on the need for a secure, purpose-built headquarters that actually meets the FBI’s mission needs. This announcement brushes aside years of careful planning, ignores the recommendations of security and mission experts, and raises serious concerns about how this decision was made. Unfortunately, it fits a broader pattern from this administration — one marked by indiscriminate firings, canceled leases, and a general disregard for the federal workforce.

    “The law enforcement and intelligence professionals of the FBI deserve more than a hasty, improvised approach. They deserve a facility that matches the gravity of their work to keep Americans safe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Introduces Legislation Delisting the Mexican Wolf from the Endangered Species Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after introducing H.R. 4255, the Enhancing Safety for Animals (ESA) Act, legislation delisting the Mexican wolf from the Endangered Species Act and delinking its populations in the United States and Mexico:

    “Since being reintroduced to the wild in Arizona, Mexican wolves have preyed on cattle, livestock, and even family pets, causing significant financial losses and economic hardship on family-run ranches.

    The Mexican wolf has lingered on the Endangered Species list for nearly 40 years. During that time, there have been numerous accounts of livestock killings and even declines in some big game herds since these wolves were first listed. Much of this can be attributed to failed management by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) as the uncontrolled and unmanaged wolf populations have been allowed to roam free. In fact, nearly 90% of the wolf’s original habitat falls within the border of Mexico.  Significant attacks by wolves on cattle, elk, moose, and sheep have occurred and have negatively impacted hunters and ranchers throughout Arizona.

    To make matters worse, the USFWS considers recovery within the borders of Mexico in its management goals. American ranchers are being punished for Mexico’s failure to manage its own animal populations effectively.  Immediate delinking is needed to ensure American ranchers are put first.  

    Unfortunately, lawsuits filed by extremist environmental groups have prevented the Mexican wolf from being delisted nationally, even though the Mexican wolf was released into Arizona and New Mexico as part of an experimental program. 

    The Mexican wolf population has grown steadily since being reintroduced to the wild.  In the U.S., the Mexican wolf population now exceeds the original federal recovery goals for wolves in the wild, with hundreds more in captivity for breeding.  Now a stable population, the wolf is no longer in danger of extinction and should be delisted from the Endangered Species Act,” stated Congressman Gosar.

    “The Mexican wolf is destroying the livelihood of western ranchers by slaughtering their cattle. Because of its status as an endangered species–a falsehood perpetuated by the Biden Administration and environmental groups–ranchers cannot protect their herds from these predators,” added Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05). “I’m thankful that Rep. Gosar is leading the effort to allow Arizona ranchers to protect their cattle without fear of repercussions from the federal government. Cattle are a vital part of Arizona’s economy, and Congress must ensure that ranchers are able to protect their herds from dangerous predators.”

    “Now is the time to recognize the catastrophic impact that bad federal policy has on local communities.  For too long, ranchers in states near our southern border have shouldered the burden of managing this species with limited tools and little support from the federal government who has imposed all manners of burdens. Ranchers and rural communities face daily challenges such as livestock predation and threats to community safety due to overpopulated wolf packs. We commend Congressman Gosar for introducing the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act and working to bring some relief to these communities,” said Kaitlynn Glover, Executive Director, Public Lands Council. 

    The 10(J) experimental population listing of the Mexican wolf is one of the clearest examples in the country of ESA abuse by the environmental community and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The federal protections have been misused by activists to control landscapes and land managers, and their rhetoric often contradicts established science. The rapid increase in wolf populations, coupled with these federal protections, has restricted management options for producers, leading to an increase in cattle losses that negatively impact their profitability. I would like to thank Congressman Gosar for introducing the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act that acknowledges the abuse of the ESA with the Mexican wolf listing and seeks to provide relief to U.S. cattle producers,” stated National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane.

    “We applaud Representative Gosar for his leadership on efforts to delist the Mexican wolf,” said John Boelts, President of the Arizona Farm Bureau. “For years, our members have dealt with the devastating effects of the reintroduction of this apex predator. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently reported that the Mexican wolf population in the U.S. has surpassed 280. It’s time to delist the species and provide relief to Arizona’s ranchers and rural communities who have dealt with years of negative impacts and complex regulations. State governments should now be given the opportunity to manage the wolf population directly.”

    Original Cosponsors: 

    Representatives Biggs (AZ), Boebert, Crane, Hageman, Hamadeh, Hurd, LaMalfa, Stauber, Tiffany, Zinke

    Outside Group Supporters:

    American Farm Bureau Federation, American Lands Council, Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, Blue River Cowbelles, Catron County Commission, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties, Cochise-Graham Cattle Growers’ Association, Eastern Arizona Counties Organization, Graham County Chamber of Commerce, Greenlee County Board of Supervisors, Greenlee County Cattle Growers’ Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, New Mexico Federal Lands Council, Protect Agriculture Now, Public Lands Council, R-CALF USA, Southeaster Arizona Sportsmen Club

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to unpublished conference abstract looking at microplastics in human reproductive fluids

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    An unpublished conference abstract presented at the ESHRE 41st Annual Meeting in Paris looks at microplastics in human reproductive fluids.

    Prof Oliver Jones, Professor of Chemistry, RMIT University, said:

    “It is hard to say much at all about this study without knowing the full details of the methods used and the precautions taken against background contamination.  All we have to go on is a very brief abstract, not a peer-reviewed paper.  Many previous scary-sounding headlines on microplastics in blood and food have turned out to be measurement errors by people unfamiliar with the problems of microplastic measurements1,2 and/or background contamination3.  I don’t think lab contamination can be ruled out in this case.  The most common plastic found, PTFE, is very widely used in laboratories, including IVF labs, and background contamination makes all forms of microplastic analysis extremely technically challenging.

    “Even if we assume no measurement errors, the results are from a total of 51 individuals, so they are far from conclusive (a limitation acknowledged by the authors), and this study does not claim to demonstrate any harm.  We would need these findings to be replicated, ideally in other laboratories around the world, before we could tell if this was a one-off event or not.  So, while the data are certainly interesting, they are at best preliminary.  I don’t think people who may be trying to conceive, either naturally or via IVF, need to be concerned.”

    References
    1 Kuhlman, R. L., Letter to the editor, discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood. Environment International 2022, 167, 107400, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022003270?via%3Dihub

    2 Mühlschlegel, P. et al. Lack of evidence for microplastic contamination in honey. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A 2017, 34 (11), 1982-1989, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28665769/  

    3 Rauert C.  et al. Blueprint for the design construction and validation of a plastic and phthalate-minimised laboratory. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2024 468 133803, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389424003820

    Dr Channa Jayasena, Associate Professor in Reproductive Endocrinology, Imperial College London, said:

    “Microplastics are able to interfere with how cells in different bits of the body speak to each other, and can cause cell damage.  Unfortunately, it is no longer a surprise that microplastics find their way into the fluids which are essential for men and women to reproduce.  This study was very small, and did not report fertility outcomes in the study participants.  But it was well-designed study using state-of-the-art technology to show just how commonly microplastics enter reproductive fluids.  They showed that most of the studied samples in men and women contained microplastics.  Some previous studies have reported that microplastic exposure is associated with lower-than-normal fertility in men.  The results contribute to a growing concern for public health – we don’t know what the impact of all types of microplastics are on reproductive function in men and women.  Understanding this will help us understand how big a problem microplastics post for fertility in society.”

    Dr Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology, Imperial College London, said:

    “Without information on the sizes of the microplastic particles observed, it is challenging to interpret how meaningful this data is.  There is a high potential for samples to become contaminated with microplastic throughout the sampling, laboratory processing, and analysis procedures.  If stringent steps to minimise this are taken, other clues such as the size of the particles observed can be used to rule out such contamination, with there being a greater likelihood for smaller particles ( 0.01 mm) being absorbed and redistributed around the body.  It is not a surprise that microplastics have been found – they are everywhere, even in the lab – but the data provided do not support that they are there as a result of human exposure as opposed to methodological artefact and must be interpreted with caution at this early stage.”

    Prof Fay Couceiro, Professor of Environmental Pollution, and Head of the Microplastics Research Group, University of Portsmouth, said:

    “As this is not peer reviewed and there is no detailed methodology it is difficult to give specific information on quality etc.  Here are some general comments:

    “The study is very interesting and considering the global reduction in fertility rates, looking at possible causes is very topical and timely.  As the authors state, finding microplastics is not that surprising as we have found them in lots of other areas of our bodies. Presence is also not the same as impact and the authors are clear that while they have found microplastics in the reproductive fluids of both men and women, we still don’t know how they are affecting us.  As a preliminary study the work is interesting, but more information is required on numbers of microplastics found, sizes, method blanks and any plastics used during the medical procedures before any real conclusions can be made.  I look forward to reading the full article once it is ready. (A method blank is when you run the experimental steps, but with clean water, and then analyse that to see if you have any microplastics in it.  This would let you know if there is any external contamination, and if the microplastics in the samples are from the reproductive fluid, or introduced from the digestion and analysis steps.  It would be very unusual not to see any microplastics in the blanks if they are looking below 10 micrometres in size range. At that size, microplastics are in the air and very hard to get away from.  If they only analysed larger particles then you tend to find less in your method blanks, but it is common practice to give these in a full paper so that people can see if the number you are finding in your samples is higher than in the blanks.)

    Does the press release accurately reflect the science?

    “To the extent of which data is available it does, it is clear this is only looking at the presence of microplastics and not impacts.

    Is this good quality research?  Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?

    “Very hard to judge without more in depth information on methods, numbers found in blanks, size ranges of microplastics etc.

    Is there enough data available to be able to judge the quality of this work?

    “At this stage I would say no – as above the methods really need to be more detailed.  Microplastics are everywhere and even with the best methods you find some in the blanks at the smaller sizes (less than 10 um).  They say they looked in the containers but the method blank data is missing as are the actual numbers found, e.g. is it 10 microplastics per ml of SF?  Is 10 significantly greater than what was found in the method blank?  Size range is also very important and not mentioned anywhere I can see.

    Is this a peer-reviewed journal publication or more preliminary?

    “Preliminary.

    How does this work fit with the existing evidence?

    “It is expected as microplastics have been found in all bodily fluids/organs tested.

    Have the authors accounted for confounders?  Are there important limitations to be aware of?

    “It is unclear if there is any plastic used in the collection of the samples as I am unfamiliar with the procedures – the storage vessel is glass but is plastic used in the follicular aspiration?  Many medical instruments are made from plastic, is that the case here?

    What are the implications in the real world?  Is there any overspeculation?

    “No – they are clear this is just a presence/absence experiment and that further work needs to take place to determine any impacts.”

    Abstract title: ‘Unveiling the Hidden Danger: Detection and characterisation of microplastics in human follicular and seminal fluids’ by E. Gomez-Sanchez et al. It will be presented at the ESHRE 41st Annual Meeting in Paris, and the embargo lifted at 23:01 UK time on Tuesday 1 July 2025.

    There is no paper.

    Declared interests

    Prof Oliver Jones: “I am a Professor of Chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.  I conduct research into environmental pollution, including microplastics.  I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”

    Dr Channa Jayasena: “None.”

    Dr Stephanie Wright: “Own research: MRC, NERC, NIHR, Common Seas, Minderoo Foundation, LECO;

    To attend scientific meetings: American Chemistry Council – to attend a workshop on microplastic reference materials (2022); Minderoo Foundation – to attend workshops on microplastic measurement in human tissue (2024, 2025);

    Current or previous advisory roles or committee membership: ILSI Europe, PlasticsEurope (BRIGID project), Cefic LRI projects advisory roles, have been a temporary member of UK Air Quality Expert Group;

    Previous employment in companies: none.”

    Prof Fay Couceiro: “I work in the field of microplastics but I was not involved in the study and I am not working with the authors.  I am unaware of any conflict of interest.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Going to extremes – understanding Antarctic sea-ice decline

    Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

    Most people will never see Antarctic sea ice up close, but its presence or absence affects our day-to-day lives.
    Now scientists are questioning whether a ‘regime shift’ to a new state of diminished Antarctic sea-ice coverage is underway, due to recent record lows.
    If so, it will have impacts across climate, ecological and societal systems, according to new research published in PNAS Nexus.

    These impacts include ocean warming, increased iceberg calving, habitat loss and sea-level rise, and effects on fisheries, Antarctic tourism, and even the mental health of the global human population.
    Led by Australian Antarctic Program Partnership oceanographer Dr Edward Doddridge, the international team assessed the impacts of extreme summer sea-ice lows, and the challenges to predicting and mitigating change.
    “Antarctic sea ice provides climate and ecosystem services of regional and global significance,” Dr Doddridge said.
    “There are far reaching negative impacts caused by sea-ice loss.
    “However, we do not sufficiently understand the baseline system to be able to predict how it will respond to the dramatic changes we are already observing.
    “To predict future changes, and to potentially mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on Antarctica, we urgently need to improve our knowledge through new observations and modelling studies.”
    What’s at stake?
    While sea-ice loss affects many things, the research team identified three key impacts:

    Reduced summer sea-ice cover exposes more of the ocean to sunlight. This leads to surface water warming that promotes further sea-ice loss. Ocean warming increases melting under glacial ice shelves, which could lead to increased iceberg calving. Warmer water also affects the flow of deep-water currents that help move ocean heat around the globe, influencing the planet’s climate.
    Sea-ice loss exposes the ice shelves that fringe the Antarctic continent to damaging ocean swells and storms. These can weaken the ice shelves, leading to iceberg calving. As ice shelves slow the flow of ice from the interior of the Antarctic continent to the coast, iceberg calving allows this interior ice flow to speed up, contributing to sea-level rise.
    Sea ice provides breeding habitat for penguin and seal species, and a refuge for many marine species from predators. It is also an important nursery habitat and source of food (sea-ice algae) for Antarctic krill – an important prey species for many Southern Ocean inhabitants. Adverse sea-ice conditions that persist over several seasons could see population declines in these sea-ice dependent species.

    The research team also identified socio-economic and wellbeing impacts, affecting fisheries, tourism, scientific research, ice-navigation, coastal operations, and the mental health (climate anxiety) of the global population.
    For example, shorter sea-ice seasons will reduce the window for over-ice resupplies of Antarctic stations. There could also be increased shipping pressures on the continent, including from alien species incursions, fuel spills and an increase in the number and movement of tourist vessels to and from new locations.
    Research co-author and sea-ice system expert, Dr Petra Heil, from the Australian Antarctic Division, said the paper highlighted the need for ongoing, year-round, field-based and satellite measurements of circumpolar sea-ice variables (especially thickness), and sub-surface ocean variables.
    This would allow integrated analyses of the Southern Ocean processes contributing to the recent sea-ice deficits.
    “As shown in climate simulations, continued greenhouse gas emissions, even at reduced rate, will further accelerate persistent deficits of sea ice, and with it a lack of the critical climate and ecosystem functions it provides,” Dr Heil said.
    “To conserve and preserve the physical environment and ecosystems of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean we must prioritise an immediate and sustained transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
    “Ultimately our decison for immediate and deep action will provide the maximum future proofing we can have in terms of lifestyle and economic values.”
    Learn more about Antarctic sea ice in our feature ‘Sea ice in crisis’.
    This content was last updated 8 minutes ago on 2 July 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Invasive carp threaten the Great Lakes − and reveal a surprising twist in national politics

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mike Shriberg, Professor of Practice & Engagement, School for Environment & Sustainability, University of Michigan

    Invasive Asian carp are spreading up the Mississippi River system and already clog the Illinois River. AP Photo/John Flesher

    In his second term, President Donald Trump has not taken many actions that draw near-universal praise from across the political spectrum. But there is at least one of these political anomalies, and it illustrates the broad appeal of environmental protection and conservation projects – particularly when it concerns an ecosystem of vital importance to millions of Americans.

    In May 2025, Trump issued a presidential memorandum supporting the construction of a physical barrier that is key to keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. These fish have made their way up the Mississippi River system and could have dire ecological consequences if they enter the Great Lakes.

    It was not a given that Trump would back this project, which had long been supported by environmental and conservation organizations. But two very different strategies from two Democratic governors – both potential presidential candidates in 2028 – reflected the importance of the Great Lakes to America.

    As a water policy and politics scholar focused on the Great Lakes, I see this development not only as an environmental and conservation milestone, but also a potential pathway for more political unity in the U.S.

    A feared invasion

    Perhaps nothing alarms Great Lakes ecologists more than the potential for invasive carp from Asia to establish a breeding population in the Great Lakes. These fish were intentionally introduced in the U.S. Southeast by private fish farm and wastewater treatment operators as a means to control algae in aquaculture and sewage treatment ponds. Sometime in the 1990s, the fish escaped from those ponds and moved rapidly up the Mississippi River system, including into the Illinois River, which connects to the Great Lakes.

    Sometimes said to “breed like mosquitoes and eat like hogs,” these fish can consume up to 40% of their body weight each day, outcompeting many native species and literally sucking up other species and food sources.

    Studies of Lake Erie, for example, predict that if the carp enter and thrive, they could make up approximately one-third of the fish biomass of the entire lake within 20 years, replacing popular sportfishing species such as walleye and other ecologically and economically important species.

    Invasive carp are generally not eaten in the U.S. and are not desirable for sportfishing. In fact, silver carp have a propensity to jump up to 10 feet out of the water when startled by a boat motor. That can make parts of the Illinois River, which is packed with the invasive fish, almost impossible to fish or even maneuver a boat.

    Look out! Silver carp fly out of the water, obstructing boats and hitting people trying to enjoy a river in Indiana.

    The Brandon Road Lock and Dam solution

    Originally, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River were not connected to each other. But in 1900, the city of Chicago connected them to avoid sending its sewage into Lake Michigan, from which the city draws its drinking water.

    The most complete way to block the carp from invading the Great Lakes would be to undo that connection – but that would recreate sewage and flooding issues for Chicago, or require other expensive infrastructure upgrades. The more practical, short-term alternative is to modify the historic Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, by adding several obstacles that together would block the carp from swimming farther upriver toward the Great Lakes.

    The barrier, estimated to cost US$1.15 billion, was authorized by Congress in 2020 and 2022 after many years of intense planning and negotiations. For the first phase of construction, the project received $226 million in federal money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to complement $114 million in state funding – $64 million from Michigan and $50 million from Illinois.

    On the first day of Trump’s second term, however, he paused a wide swath of federal funding, including funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And that’s when two different political strategies emerged.

    A brief documentary explains the construction of a connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin.

    Pritzker vs. Whitmer vs. Trump

    Illinois, a state that has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992, has the most financially at stake in the Brandon Road project because the project requires the state to acquire land and operate the barrier. When Trump issued his order, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, postponed the purchase of a key piece of land, blaming the “Trump Administration’s lack of clarity and commitment” to the project. Pritzker essentially dared Trump to be the reason for the collapse of the Great Lakes ecosystem and fisheries.

    Another Democrat, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, a swing state with the most at stake economically and ecologically if these carp species enter the Great Lakes, took a very different approach. She went to the White House to talk with Trump about invasive carp and other issues. She defended her nonconfrontational approach to critics, though she also hid her face from cameras when Trump surprised her with an Oval Office press conference. When Trump visited Michigan, she stood beside him as they praised each other.

    When Trump released the federal funding in early May, Pritzker kept up his adversarial language, saying he was “glad that the Trump administration heard our calls … and decided to finally meet their obligation.” Whitmer stayed more conciliatory, calling the funding decision a “huge win that will protect our Great Lakes and secure our economy.” She said she was “grateful to the president for his commitment.”

    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer greets President Donald Trump as he arrives in her state in late April 2025.
    AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    Why unity on carp?

    Whether coordinated or not, the net result of Pritzker’s and Whitmer’s actions drew praise from both sides of the aisle but was little noticed nationally.

    Trump’s support for the project was a rare moment of political unity and an extremely unusual example of leading Democrats being on the same page as Trump. I attribute this surprising outcome to two key factors.

    First, the Great Lakes region holds disproportionate power in presidential elections. Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have backed the eventual winner in every presidential race for the past 20 years. This swing state power has been used by advocates and state political leaders to drive funding for Great Lakes protection for many years.

    Second, Great Lakes are the uniting force in the region. According to polling from the International Joint Commission, the binational body charged with overseeing waterways that cross the U.S.-Canada border, there is “nearly unanimous support (96%) for the importance of government investment in Great Lakes protections” from residents of the region.

    There aren’t any other issues with such high voter resonance, so politicians want to be sure Great Lakes voters are happy. For example, Vice President JD Vance has been particularly vocal about the Great Lakes. And Great Lakes restoration funding was one of the few things in the presidential budget that Democrats and Republicans agreed on.

    Both Pritzker and Whitmer likely had state-based and national motivations in mind and big aspirations at stake.

    Their combined effort has put the project back on track: As of May 12, 2025, Pritzker authorized Illinois to sign the land-purchase agreement he had paused back in February.

    And perhaps the governors have identified a new area for unity in a divided United States: Conservation and environmental issues have broad public support, particularly when they involve iconic natural resources, shared values and popular outdoor pursuits such as fishing and boating. Even when political strategies diverge, the results can bring bipartisan satisfaction.

    Mike Shriberg was previously the Great Lakes Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation, which entailed being a co-chair (and, for part of the time, Director) of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition.

    – ref. Invasive carp threaten the Great Lakes − and reveal a surprising twist in national politics – https://theconversation.com/invasive-carp-threaten-the-great-lakes-and-reveal-a-surprising-twist-in-national-politics-257707

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why the US bombed a bunch of metal tubes − a nuclear engineer explains the importance of centrifuges to Iranian efforts to build nuclear weapons

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anna Erickson, Professor of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

    An image from Iranian television shows centrifuges lining a hall at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility in 2021. IRIB via APPEAR

    When U.S. forces attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 21, 2025, the main target was metal tubes in laboratories deep underground. The tubes are centrifuges that produce highly enriched uranium needed to build nuclear weapons.

    Inside of a centrifuge, a rotor spins in the range of 50,000 to 100,000 revolutions per minute, 10 times faster than a Corvette engine’s crankshaft. High speeds are needed to separate lighter uranium-235 from heavier uranium-238 for further collection and processing. Producing this level of force means the rotor itself must be well balanced and strong and rely on high-speed magnetic bearings to reduce friction.

    Over the years, Iran has produced thousands of centrifuges. They work together to enrich uranium to dangerous levels – close to weapons-grade uranium. Most of them are deployed in three enrichment sites: Natanz, the country’s main enrichment facility, Fordow and Isfahan. Inside of these facilities, the centrifuges are arranged into cascades – series of machines connected to each other. This way, each machine yields slightly more enriched uranium, feeding the gas produced into its neighbor to maximize production efficiency.

    As a nuclear engineer who works on nuclear nonproliferation, I track centrifuge technology, including the Iranian enrichment facilities targeted by the U.S. and Israel. A typical cascade deployed in Iran is composed of 164 centrifuges, working in series to produce enriched uranium. The Natanz facility was designed to hold over 50,000 centrifuges.

    Iran’s early intentions to field centrifuges on a very large scale were clear. At the peak of the program in the early 2010s it deployed over 19,000 units. Iran later scaled down the number of its centrifuges in part due to international agreements such as the since scrapped Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015.

    Legacy of enrichment

    Iran has a long history of enriching uranium.

    In the late 1990s, it acquired a Pakistani centrifuge design known as P-1. The blueprints and some components were supplied via the A.Q. Khan black market network – the mastermind of the Pakistani program and a serious source of nuclear proliferation globally. Today, the P-1 design is known as IR-1. IR-1 centrifuges use aluminum and a high-strength alloy, known as maraging steel.

    About one-third of the centrifuges that were deployed at the sites of the recent strike on June 21 are IR-1. Each one produces on the order of 0.8 separative work units, which is the unit for measuring the amount of energy and effort needed to separate uranium-235 molecules from the rest of the uranium gas. To put this in perspective, one centrifuge would yield about 0.2 ounces (6 grams) of 60%-enriched uranium-235 per year.

    A typical uranium-based weapon requires 55 pounds (25 kilograms) of 90%-enriched uranium. To get to weapons-grade level, a single centrifuge would produce only 0.14 ounces (4 grams) per year. It requires more work to go higher in enrichment. While capable of doing the job, the IR-1 is quite inefficient.

    The author explains the uranium enrichment process to CBS News.

    More and better centrifuges

    Small yields mean that over 6,000 centrifuges would need to work together for a year to get enough material for one weapon such as a nuclear warhead. Or the efficiency of the centrifuges would have to be improved. Iran did both.

    Before the strike by U.S. forces, Iran was operating close to 7,000 IR-1 centrifuges. In addition, Iran designed, built and operated more efficient centrifuges such as the IR-2m, IR-4 and IR-6 designs. Comparing the IR-1 with the latest designs is like comparing a golf cart with the latest electric vehicles in terms of range and payload.

    Iran’s latest centrifuge designs contain carbon fiber composites with exceptional strength and durability and low weight. This is a recipe for producing light and compact centrifuges that are easier to conceal from inspections. According to the international nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency, before the strike Iran was operating 6,500 IR-2m centrifuges, close to 4,000 IR-4 centrifuges and over 3,000 IR-6 centrifuges.

    With each new generation, the separative work unit efficiency increased significantly. IR-6 centrifuges, with their carbon fiber rotors, can achieve up to 10 separative work units per year. That’s about 2.8 ounces (80 grams) of 60%-enriched uranium-235 per year. The International Atomic Energy Agency verified that the IR-6 cascades have been actively used to ramp up production of 60%-enriched uranium.

    The most recent and advanced centrifuges developed by Iran, known as IR-9, can achieve 50 separative work units per year. This cuts down the time needed to produce highly enriched uranium for weapon purposes from months to weeks. The other aspect of IR-9 advanced centrifuges is their compactness. They are easier to conceal from inspections or move underground, and they require less energy to operate.

    Advanced centrifuges such as the IR-9 drive up the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation significantly. Fortunately, the International Atomic Energy Agency reports that only one exists in testing laboratories, and there is no evidence Iran has deployed them widely. However, it’s possible more are concealed.

    Bombs or talks?

    Uranium enrichment of 60% is far beyond the needs of any civilian use. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran stockpiled about 880 pounds (400 kilograms) of highly enriched uranium before the attack, and it might have escaped intact. That’s enough to make 10 weapons. The newer centrifuges – IR-2m, IR-4 and IR-6 – would need a bit over eight months to produce that much.

    It’s not clear what the U.S. attack has accomplished, but destroying the facilities targeted in the attack and hindering Iran’s ability to continue enriching uranium might be a way to slow Iran’s move toward producing nuclear weapons. However, based on my work and research on preventing nuclear proliferation, I believe a more reliable means of preventing Iran from achieving its nuclear aims would be for diplomacy and cooperation to prevail.

    Anna Erickson receives funding from Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) related to nuclear nonproliferation technologies. She has previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Nuclear Society.

    – ref. Why the US bombed a bunch of metal tubes − a nuclear engineer explains the importance of centrifuges to Iranian efforts to build nuclear weapons – https://theconversation.com/why-the-us-bombed-a-bunch-of-metal-tubes-a-nuclear-engineer-explains-the-importance-of-centrifuges-to-iranian-efforts-to-build-nuclear-weapons-259883

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Humans and animals can both think logically − but testing what kind of logic they’re using is tricky

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Olga Lazareva, Professor of Psychology, Drake University

    For some mental processes, humans and animals likely follow similar lines of thinking. Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment via Getty Images

    Can a monkey, a pigeon or a fish reason like a person? It’s a question scientists have been testing in increasingly creative ways – and what we’ve found so far paints a more complicated picture than you’d think.

    Imagine you’re filling out a March Madness bracket. You hear that Team A beat Team B, and Team B beat Team C – so you assume Team A is probably better than Team C. That’s a kind of logical reasoning known as transitive inference. It’s so automatic that you barely notice you’re doing it.

    It turns out humans are not the only ones who can make these kinds of mental leaps. In labs around the world, researchers have tested many animals, from primates to birds to insects, on tasks designed to probe transitive inference, and most pass with flying colors.

    As a scientist focused on animal learning and behavior, I work with pigeons to understand how they make sense of relationships, patterns and rules. In other words, I study the minds of animals that will never fill out a March Madness bracket – but might still be able to guess the winner.

    Logic test without words

    The basic idea is simple: If an animal learns that A is better than B, and B is better than C, can it figure out that A is better than C – even though it’s never seen A and C together?

    In the lab, researchers test this by giving animals randomly paired images, one pair at a time, and rewarding them with food for picking the correct one. For example, animals learn that a photo of hands (A) is correct when paired with a classroom (B), a classroom (B) is correct when paired with bushes (C), bushes (C) are correct when paired with a highway (D), and a highway (D) is correct when paired with a sunset (E). We don’t know whether they “understand” what’s in the picture, and it is not particularly important for the experiment that they do.

    In a transitive inference task, subjects learn a series of rewarded pairs – such as A+ vs. B–, B+ vs. C– – and are later tested on novel pairings, like B vs. D, to see whether they infer an overall ranking.
    Olga Lazareva, CC BY-ND

    One possible explanation is that the animals that learn all the tasks create a mental ranking of these images: A > B > C > D > E. We test this idea by giving them new pairs they’ve never seen before, such as classroom (B) vs. highway (D). If they consistently pick the higher-ranked item, they’ve inferred the underlying order.

    What’s fascinating is how many species succeed at this task. Monkeys, rats, pigeons – even fish and wasps – have all demonstrated transitive inference in one form or another.

    The twist: Not all tasks are easy

    But not all types of reasoning come so easily. There’s another kind of rule called transitivity that is different from transitive inference, despite the similar name. Instead of asking which picture is better, transitivity is about equivalence.

    In this task, animals are shown a set of three pictures and asked which one goes with the center image. For example, if white triangle (A1) is shown, choosing red square (B1) earns a reward, while choosing blue square (B2) does not. Later, when red square (B1) is shown, choosing white cross (C1) earns a reward while choosing white circle (C2) does not. Now comes the test: white triangle (A1) is shown with white cross (C1) and white circle (C2) as choices. If they pick white cross (C1), then they’ve demonstrated transitivity.

    In a transitivity task, subjects learn matching rules across overlapping sets – such as A1 matches B1, B1 matches C1 – and are tested on new combinations, such as A1 with C1 or C2, to assess whether they infer the relationship between A1 and C1.
    Olga Lazareva, CC BY-ND

    The change may seem small, but species that succeed in those first transitive inference tasks often stumble in this task. In fact, they tend to treat the white triangle and the white cross as completely separate things, despite their common relationship with the red square. In my recently published review of research using the two tasks, I concluded that more evidence is needed to determine whether these tests tap into the same cognitive ability.

    Small differences, big consequences

    Why does the difference between transitive inference and transitivity matter? At first glance, they may seem like two versions of the same ability – logical reasoning. But when animals succeed at one and struggle with the other, it raises an important question: Are these tasks measuring the same kind of thinking?

    The apparent difference between the two tasks isn’t just a quirk of animal behavior. Psychology researchers apply these tasks to humans in order to draw conclusions about how people reason.

    For example, say you’re trying to pick a new almond milk. You know that Brand A is creamier than Brand B, and your friend told you that Brand C is even waterier than Brand B. Based on that, because you like a thicker milk, you might assume Brand A is better than Brand C, an example of transitive inference.

    But now imagine the store labels both Brand A and Brand C as “barista blends.” Even without tasting them, you might treat them as functionally equivalent, because they belong to the same category. That’s more like transitivity, where items are grouped based on shared relationships. In this case, “barista blend” signals the brands share similar quality.

    How researchers define logical reasoning determines how they interpret results.
    Svetlana Mishchenko/iStock via Getty Images

    Researchers often treat these types of reasoning as measuring the same ability. But if they rely on different mental processes, they might not be interchangeable. In other words, the way scientists ask their questions may shape the answer – and that has big implications for how they interpret success in animals and in people.

    This difference could affect how researchers interpret decision-making not only in the lab, but also in everyday choices and in clinical settings. Tasks like these are sometimes used in research on autism, brain injury or age-related cognitive decline.

    If two tasks look similar on the surface, then choosing the wrong one might lead to inaccurate conclusions about someone’s cognitive abilities. That’s why ongoing work in my lab is exploring whether the same distinction between these logical processes holds true for people.

    Just like a March Madness bracket doesn’t always predict the winner, a reasoning task doesn’t always show how someone got to the right answer. That’s the puzzle researchers are still working on – figuring out whether different tasks really tap into the same kind of thinking or just look like they do. It’s what keeps scientists like me in the lab, asking questions, running experiments and trying to understand what it really means to reason – no matter who’s doing the thinking.

    Olga Lazareva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Humans and animals can both think logically − but testing what kind of logic they’re using is tricky – https://theconversation.com/humans-and-animals-can-both-think-logically-but-testing-what-kind-of-logic-theyre-using-is-tricky-253001

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: When do we first feel pain?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laurenz Casser, Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow, University of Sheffield

    Alina Troeva/Shutterstock.com

    At some point between conception and early childhood, pain makes its debut. But when exactly that happens remains one of medicine’s most challenging questions.

    Some have claimed that foetuses as young as twelve weeks can already be seen wincing in agony, while others have flat-out denied that even infants show any true signs of pain until long after birth.

    New research from University College London offers fresh insights into this puzzle. By mapping the development of pain-processing networks in the brain – what researchers call the “pain connectome” – scientists have begun to trace exactly when and how our capacity for pain emerges. What they discovered challenges simple answers about when pain “begins”.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The researchers used advanced brain imaging to compare the neural networks of foetuses and infants with those of adults, tracking how different components of pain processing mature over time. Until about 32 weeks after conception, all pain-related brain networks remain significantly underdeveloped compared with adult brains. But then development accelerates dramatically.

    The sensory aspects of pain – the basic detection of harmful stimuli – mature first, becoming functional around 34 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. The emotional components that make pain distressing follow shortly after, developing between 36 and 38 weeks. However, the cognitive centres responsible for consciously interpreting and evaluating pain lag far behind, and remain largely immature by the time of birth, about 40 weeks after conception.

    This staged development suggests that while late-term foetuses and newborns can detect and respond to harmful stimuli, they probably experience pain very differently from older children and adults. Most significantly, newborns probably can’t consciously evaluate their pain – they can’t form the thought: “This hurts and it’s bad!”

    Does it hurt?
    Martin Valigursky/Shutterstock.com

    A history of changing views

    These findings represent the latest chapter in a long-running scientific debate that has swung dramatically over the centuries, often with profound consequences for medical practice.

    For most physiologists in the 18th and 19th centuries, the perceived delicacy of the infant’s body meant that it must be exquisitely sensitive to pain, so much so that some have had their doubts if infants ever felt anything else. Birth, in particular, was imagined to be an extremely painful event for a newborn.

    However, advances in embryology during the 1870s reversed this thinking. As scientists discovered that infant brains and nervous systems were far less developed than adult versions, many began questioning whether babies could truly feel pain at all. If the neural machinery wasn’t fully formed, how could genuine pain experiences exist?

    This scepticism had troubling practical consequences. For nearly a century, many doctors performed surgery on infants without anaesthesia, convinced that their patients were essentially immune to suffering. The practice continued well into the 1980s in some medical centres.

    Towards the end of the 20th century, public outrage about the medical treatment of infants and new scientific results turned the tables yet again. It was found that newborns exhibited many of the signs (neurological, physiological and behavioural) of pain after all, and that, if anything, pain in infants had probably been underestimated.

    The ambiguous brain

    The reason why there has been endless disagreement about infant pain is that we cannot access their experiences directly.

    Sure, we can observe their behaviour and study their brains, but these are not the same thing. Pain is an experience, something that’s felt in the privacy of a person’s own mind, and that’s inaccessible to anyone but the person whose pain it is.

    Of course, pain experiences are typically accompanied by telltale signs: be it the retraction of a body part from a sharp object or the increased activity of certain brain regions. Those we can measure. But the trouble is that no one behaviour or brain event is ever unambiguous.

    The fact that an infant pulls back their hand from a pin prick may mean that it experiences the pricking as painful, but it may also just be an unconscious reflex. Similarly, the fact that the brain is simultaneously showing pain-related activity may be a sign of pain, but it may also be that the processing unfolds entirely unconsciously. We simply don’t know.

    Perhaps the infant knows. But even if they do, they can’t tell us about their experiences yet, and until they can, scientists are left guessing. Fortunately, their guesses are becoming increasingly well informed, but for now, that is all they can be – guesses.

    What would it take to get certainty? Well, it would require an explanation that connects our brains and behaviour to our conscious experiences. But so far, no scientifically respectable explanation of this kind has been forthcoming.

    Laurenz Casser receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust.

    – ref. When do we first feel pain? – https://theconversation.com/when-do-we-first-feel-pain-259588

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine on FBI Headquarters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement:
    “Moving the FBI from the Hoover Building to the Reagan Building isn’t a plan, it’s a punt. For years, Democratic and Republican administrations alike have agreed on the need for a secure, purpose-built headquarters that actually meets the FBI’s mission needs. This announcement brushes aside years of careful planning, ignores the recommendations of security and mission experts, and raises serious concerns about how this decision was made. Unfortunately, it fits a broader pattern from this administration — one marked by indiscriminate firings, canceled leases, and a general disregard for the federal workforce.
    “The law enforcement and intelligence professionals of the FBI deserve more than a hasty, improvised approach. They deserve a facility that matches the gravity of their work to keep Americans safe.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas J. Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture, Macquarie University

    minoandriani/Getty Images

    The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armour – when people imagine ancient Rome, they often think of its sights and sounds. We know less, however, about the scents of ancient Rome.

    We cannot, of course, go back and sniff to find out. But the literary texts, physical remains of structures, objects, and environmental evidence (such as plants and animals) can offer clues.

    So what might ancient Rome have smelled like?

    Honestly, often pretty rank

    In describing the smells of plants, author and naturalist Pliny the Elder uses words such as iucundus (agreeable), acutus (pungent), vis (strong), or dilutus (weak).

    None of that language is particularly evocative in its power to transport us back in time, unfortunately.

    But we can probably safely assume that, in many areas, Rome was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. Property owners did not commonly connect their toilets to the sewers in large Roman towns and cities – perhaps fearing rodent incursions or odours.

    Roman sewers were more like storm drains, and served to take standing water away from public areas.

    Professionals collected faeces for fertiliser and urine for cloth processing from domestic and public latrines and cesspits. Chamber pots were also used, which could later be dumped in cesspits.

    This waste disposal process was just for those who could afford to live in houses; many lived in small, non-domestic spaces, barely furnished apartments, or on the streets.

    A common whiff in the Roman city would have come from the animals and the waste they created. Roman bakeries frequently used large lava stone mills (or “querns”) turned by mules or donkeys. Then there was the smell of pack animals and livestock being brought into town for slaughter or sale.

    Animals were part of life in the Roman empire.
    Marco_Piunti/Getty Images

    The large “stepping-stones” still seen in the streets of Pompeii were likely so people could cross streets and avoid the assorted feculence that covered the paving stones.

    Disposal of corpses (animals and human) was not formulaic. Depending on the class of the person who had died, people might well have been left out in the open without cremation or burial.

    Bodies, potentially decaying, were a more common sight in ancient Rome than now.

    Suetonius, writing in the first century CE, famously wrote of a dog carrying a severed human hand to the dining table of the Emperor Vespasian.

    Deodorants and toothpastes

    In a world devoid of today’s modern scented products – and daily bathing by most of the population – ancient Roman settlements would have smelt of body odour.

    Classical literature has some recipes for toothpaste and even deodorants.

    However, many of the deodorants were to be used orally (chewed or swallowed) to stop one’s armpits smelling.

    One was made by boiling golden thistle root in fine wine to induce urination (which was thought to flush out odour).

    The Roman baths would likely not have been as hygienic as they may appear to tourists visiting today. A small tub in a public bath could hold between eight and 12 bathers.

    The Romans had soap, but it wasn’t commonly used for personal hygiene. Olive oil (including scented oil) was preferred. It was scraped off the skin with a strigil (a bronze curved tool).

    This oil and skin combination was then discarded (maybe even slung at a wall). Baths had drains – but as oil and water don’t mix, it was likely pretty grimy.

    Scented perfumes

    The Romans did have perfumes and incense.

    The invention of glassblowing in the late first century BCE (likely in Roman-controlled Jerusalem) made glass readily available, and glass perfume bottles are a common archaeological find.

    Animal and plant fats were infused with scents – such as rose, cinnamon, iris, frankincense and saffron – and were mixed with medicinal ingredients and pigments.

    The roses of Paestum in Campania (southern Italy) were particularly prized, and a perfume shop has even been excavated in the city’s Roman forum.

    The trading power of the vast Roman empire meant spices could be sourced from India and the surrounding regions.

    There were warehouses for storing spices such as pepper, cinnamon and myrrh in the centre of Rome.

    In a recent Oxford Journal of Archaeology article, researcher Cecilie Brøns writes that even ancient statues could be perfumed with scented oils.

    Sources frequently do not describe the smell of perfumes used to anoint the statues, but a predominantly rose-based perfume is specifically mentioned for this purpose in inscriptions from the Greek city of Delos (at which archaeologists have also identified perfume workshops). Beeswax was likely added to perfumes as a stabiliser.

    Enhancing the scent of statues (particularly those of gods and goddesses) with perfumes and garlands was important in their veneration and worship.

    An olfactory onslaught

    The ancient city would have smelt like human waste, wood smoke, rotting and decay, cremating flesh, cooking food, perfumes and incense, and many other things.

    It sounds awful to a modern person, but it seems the Romans did not complain about the smell of the ancient city that much.

    Perhaps, as historian Neville Morley has suggested, to them these were the smells of home or even of the height of civilisation.

    Thomas J. Derrick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank – https://theconversation.com/what-did-ancient-rome-smell-like-honestly-often-pretty-rank-257111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Fox News Opinion: “JD Vance and Trump personify political theater. And we’re watching their biggest act yet”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    ICYMI: Fox News Opinion: “JD Vance and Trump personify political theater. And we’re watching their biggest act yet”

    Fox News Op-Ed

    Padilla: “The Trump administration wants this spectacle. They want to distract from their failures, while giving them an excuse to push the boundaries of Trump’s power.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, published an op-ed on Fox News’ website where he slammed President Trump and Vice President Vance for creating a militarized spectacle and scapegoating immigrants to distract from their failed and unpopular policies, including their “Big Ugly Bill” that will add trillions to the federal deficit and kick tens of millions of Americans off their health care in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires.

    Padilla emphasized that Trump’s deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines draws them away from important core missions and puts them in an “impossible position” of being “political props.” He also warned about how Trump’s manufactured crisis in Los Angeles sets a dangerous precedent for presidents abusing the military for their own partisan goals, causing chaos to suppress Americans’ fundamental rights.

    Key Excerpts:

    • “Last month, Vice President JD Vance visited Los Angeles. No, not to better coordinate with local law enforcement frustrated after the dangerous lack of communication coming from the Trump administration as they keep Marines and National Guardsmen in Los Angeles. Instead, the vice president came to escalate a crisis of President Trump’s own making and to disparage California’s elected officials.”
    • “The vice president, my former colleague and the current president of the U.S. Senate intentionally chose to call me ‘Jose’ instead of ‘Alex.’ He knows my name. But sadly, his behavior in June is indicative of a larger trend from this administration. In 2025, there is no one who personifies political theater better than JD Vance and Donald Trump. In fact, we’re in the middle of their biggest act yet — as they use service members and federal law enforcement in Los Angeles as props to justify their latest power grab. None of this is new.”
    • “It was no coincidence that at the lowest point of his presidency yet, Donald Trump turned to his break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option, federalizing and deploying 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles along with hundreds of Marines. The Trump administration wants this spectacle. They want to distract from their failures, while giving them an excuse to push the boundaries of Trump’s power.”
    • “This isn’t just about how the Trump administration treats blue states or immigrants. It’s about how they treat our military, too. Anyone who applauds President Trump’s militarization of Los Angeles is also applauding a politician tearing away our service members from critical missions any time the president begins to feel some political pressure. And applauding putting every Guardsman and Marine in an impossible position. No one enlists to become a political prop.”
    • “While you might not care to speak up today, imagine if a Democratic president returns to office and chooses to deploy our military to your state. It doesn’t matter that the overwhelming majority of protestors remain peaceful — one bad actor who chooses to exploit a protest to cause chaos, and the president could militarize your community, too.”
    • “In the end, this doesn’t come down to Republican versus Democrat, or Trump and Vance versus Los Angeles. It comes down to the basic question: do you believe that in America, an attack on anyone’s rights is an attack on everyone’s rights? Or, if you’re like J.D. Vance, are you just here for the show?”

    Senator Padilla has been outspoken in calling out the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles and Trump’s misguided deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. Padilla recently led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. He and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) also demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Padilla has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and deploying the National Guard and active-duty servicemembers to the region. He also joined all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats last month in calling on Chairman Grassley to schedule Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem for a broad oversight hearing for testimony before the committee.

    Full text of Senator Padilla’s Fox News op-ed is available here and below:

    Fox News Digital: Sen Alex Padilla: JD Vance and Trump personify political theater. And we’re watching their biggest act yet

    By U.S. Senator Alex Padilla

    Last month, Vice President JD Vance visited Los Angeles.

    No, not to better coordinate with local law enforcement frustrated after the dangerous lack of communication coming from the Trump administration as they keep Marines and National Guardsmen in Los Angeles.

    Instead, the vice president came to escalate a crisis of President Trump’s own making and to disparage California’s elected officials.

    How else would you describe the vice president’s conduct, when three days after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lifted the curfew downtown and protests were dissipating, he staged a press conference to attack state and local leaders, falsely claiming they had ‘decided to go to war against’ law enforcement.

    That’s a far cry from lowering the political temperature. But for this administration, it’s standard operating procedure.

    Yet, one thing the vice president said did surprise me. It came when one of his handpicked reporters lobbed yet another softball question, asking for his comment on the string of Democratic lawmakers — myself included — that the Trump administration has handcuffed for speaking out.

    ‘Well, I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater,’ he said, smirking. ‘That’s what this is: it’s pure political theater.’

    Political theater. Huh.

    The vice president, my former colleague and the current president of the U.S. Senate intentionally chose to call me ‘Jose’ instead of ‘Alex.’ He knows my name. But sadly, his behavior in June is indicative of a larger trend from this administration.

    In 2025, there is no one who personifies political theater better than JD Vance and Donald Trump. In fact, we’re in the middle of their biggest act yet — as they use service members and federal law enforcement in Los Angeles as props to justify their latest power grab.

    None of this is new.

    Time and time again, when the Trump administration finds itself in hot water, it returns to the same tired playbook: pick a fight to distract people. Scapegoat immigrants. Threaten the use of force. Do whatever you can to create a spectacle and change the news cycle. And as it turns out, just a few short weeks ago, things were going terribly wrong for Donald Trump.

    He was facing failures on nearly every front: failing to bring prices down or to secure a wave of trade deals despite his trade adviser’s promise to secure “90 deals in 90 days” Failing to quickly pass his “Big, Beautiful Bill” as allies and adversaries alike began to warn of the trillions of dollars it would add to the federal deficit. And perhaps most embarrassing of all, he was facing a messy public break-up with Elon Musk.

    So no, it was no coincidence that at the lowest point of his presidency yet, Donald Trump turned to his break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option, federalizing and deploying 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles along with hundreds of Marines.

    The Trump administration wants this spectacle. They want to distract from their failures, while giving them an excuse to push the boundaries of Trump’s power.

    But this isn’t just about how the Trump administration treats blue states or immigrants. It’s about how they treat our military, too. Anyone who applauds President Trump’s militarization of Los Angeles is also applauding a politician tearing away our service members from critical missions any time the president begins to feel some political pressure. And applauding putting every Guardsman and Marine in an impossible position.

    No one enlists to become a political prop.

    But to Americans watching from home who still think this doesn’t concern them because they’re not a Californian, not an immigrant, not a Democrat, or not from a military family: think hard about what comes next.

    The Trump administration has argued the president alone can deploy the military to put down protests over the wishes of the governor. Of the mayor. Even of local law enforcement.

    While you might not care to speak up today, imagine if a Democratic president returns to office and chooses to deploy our military to your state. It doesn’t matter that the overwhelming majority of protestors remain peaceful — one bad actor who chooses to exploit a protest to cause chaos, and the president could militarize your community, too.

    In the end, this doesn’t come down to Republican versus Democrat, or Trump and Vance versus Los Angeles. It comes down to the basic question: do you believe that in America, an attack on anyone’s rights is an attack on everyone’s rights?

    Or, if you’re like J.D. Vance, are you just here for the show?

    MIL OSI USA News –