International Update Volume 46, Issue 9
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<p>Beginning in April, the Panama Canal will set new restrictions on ships because of the falling water levels of nearby lakes that filter into the waterway. The Panama Canal Authority (APC) is hopeful that the impact on operations will be minimal. Beginning on April 18, ships must have a maximum depth of 39 feet. Ships loaded after March 21 will be required to comply with these restrictions. These measures have been described as "temporary and preventative." They are connected to impacts on the local climate from El Nino.

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<p>European Union member states agreed on a plan to end the overfishing of cod, herring, and sprat in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, April 22. The multi-year deal attempts to ensure that the species are managed sustainably and to take into account the interdependence of the three types of fish. Under the current plan, only cod are subject to management, which threatens the livelihood of all three species: sprats and herrings eat the eggs of cod, and cod eat sprats and herrings.

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<p>On March 26, the Lebanese government approved a plan to rectify the garbage crisis that has fuelled protests throughout the past seven months. The crisis has raised concerns about public health and the viability of the Lebanese government. The plan supports the creation of two landfills near Beirut, and a third one south of Beirut to house the trash that has been piling up since July. The crisis began when a landfill south of Beirut was closed last summer without any plan for its reinstatement.

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