Sustainable Fisheries
32% of the world's fisheries are overexploited, depleted or recovering, which threatens the health, economy, and livelihoods of communities all over the world. The global fishing fleet is estimated to be 250% larger than needed to catch what the ocean can sustainably produce.
» Demand for fish hits record high - UN report shows that the global consumption of fish hits a record high, while the status of the world's fish stocks have not improved. [The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010 UN report]
» Aquacalypse Now - The End of Fish
There are a number of issues that need to be addressed quickly in order to preserve fish stocks as a natural resource. These include among others:
1. Overfishing
Overfishing, formally defined as "situations where one or more fish stocks are reduced below predefined levels of acceptance by fishing activities", means that fish stocks are depleted to the point where they may not be able to recover. Areas such as the eastern coast of Canada and the northeastern coast of the U.S. have fished certain species to collapse, which consequently caused the fishing communities that relied on those stocks to collapse.
In some cases, depleted fish stocks have been restored; however, this is only possible when the species' ecosystem remains intact. If the species depletion causes an imbalance in the ecosystem, not only is it difficult for the depleted stocks to return to sustainable levels, other species dependent on the depleted stocks may become imbalanced, causing further problems.
Solutions:
Access agreements through government deals are helping fisheries in developing nations negotiate better agreements with rich countries that will help protect the marine environment and livelihoods of fishing communities. These local people rely on fish to sustain their health and their livelihoods.
Fish stocks recover as conservation measures take effect, analysis shows (July 2009
Foreign fishing fleets of enormous size and power from rich countries can overwhelm local people and deplete the fish stocks, causing further harm to the marine environment by disrupting the food chain. The more fish stocks become overexploited, the more fisheries must search for productive waters which are then quickly depleted.
The seafood industry, like all industries, is largely market driven. Seafood consumers are increasingly aware of the threats to global fish stocks, yet greater awareness is needed so that the market demands sustainable products from well-managed fisheries. A potentially powerful intervention is being implemented by organizations such as Blue Ocean Institute and the Monterey Bay Aquarium by publishing seafood guides to help consumers make informed choices when buying seafood. Furthermore, recent legislation requires fish sellers to identify the source of seafood. Some retail outlets such as Whole Foods Market are supposedly committed to preserving the ocean's resources by raising awareness and selling only products from well-managed fisheries. Organizations such as the WWF have worked with corporations such as Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer food companies, to form the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which provides a mechanism for identifying and certifying sustainable fisheries.
Seafood Summit brings together global representatives from the seafood industry and conservation community for in-depth discussions, presentations and networking with the goal of making the seafood marketplace environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Fish2fork is the world's first website to review restaurants according to whether their seafood is sustainable, and not just how it tastes. It is brought to you by the people behind the film, The End of the Line.
An independent, global charity, the MSC is headquartered in London and works to promote sustainable marine fisheries, and responsible, environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable fishing practices. This is accomplished by the development of a set of standards, the MSC Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fishing, to assess and certify fisheries. These standards are based on scientific data and were developed with relevant stakeholders. Third-party certifiers are used to assess MSC certified products. The MSC "seal of approval" should allow consumers to purchase fish and other seafood from well-managed sources though Daniel Pauly wrote in September, 2009 in his article titled Aquacalypse Now - The End of Fish:
At first, the MSC certified only small-scale fisheries, but lately, it has given its seal of approval to large, controversial companies. Indeed, it has begun to measure its success by the percentage of the world catch that it certifies. Encouraged by a Walton Foundation grant and Wal-Mart's goal of selling only certified fish, the MSC is actually considering certifying reduction fisheries, with the consequence that Wal-Mart, for example, will be able to sell farmed salmon shining with the ersatz glow of sustainability. (Given the devastating pollution, diseases, and parasite infestations that have plagued salmon farms in Chile, Canada, and other countries, this “Wal-Mart strategy” will, in the long term, make the MSC complicit to a giant scam.)
» Ecolabel credibility put to the test - Healthy Oceans Blog
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Fisheries News :: ScienceDailyLessons in coral reef survival from deep time
Lessons from tens of millions of years ago are pointing to new ways to save and protect today's coral reefs and their myriad of beautiful and many-hued fishes at a time of huge change in the Earth's systems. Today's complex relationship between fishes and corals developed relatively recently in geological terms -- and is a major factor in shielding reef species from extinction, say experts.
Carbon dioxide is 'driving fish crazy'
Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found. Carbon dioxide concentrations predicted to occur in the ocean by the end of this century will interfere with fishes' ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators, says a professor.
Explosives and fish are traced with chemical tags
Researchers have come up with a way of tagging gunpowder which allows its illegal use to be detected even after it has been detonated. Based on the addition of isotopes, the technique can also be used to track and differentiate between wild fish and those from a fish farm, such as trout and salmon.
Fish offspring grow best at same temperature as parents
Fish parents can pre-condition their offspring to grow fastest at the temperature they experienced, according to new research.
Bycatch-22: Protecting Butterfish
Scientists work to assist fishermen in ways to avoid accidentally hauling in butterfish, a species protected by fishing limits. The researchers develop models to predict where the fish will be.
Paddlefish sensors tuned to detect signals from zooplankton prey
Neurons fire in a synchronized bursting pattern in response to robust signals indicating nearby food.
Molecular mechanism links temperature with sex determination in some fish species
Researchers have found the epigenetic mechanism that links temperature and gonadal sex in fish. High temperature increases DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase promoter in females.
New theory emerges for where some fish became four-limbed creatures
A small fish crawling on stumpy limbs from a shrinking desert pond is an icon of can-do spirit, emblematic of a leading theory for the evolutionary transition between fish and amphibians. This theorized image of such a drastic adaptation to changing environmental conditions, however, may, itself, be evolving into a new picture.
Sunlight and bunker oil a fatal combination for Pacific herring
The 2007 Cosco Busan disaster, which spilled 54,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay, had an unexpectedly lethal impact on embryonic fish, devastating a commercially and ecologically important species for nearly two years, reports a new study.
Belize protected area boosting predatory fish populations
A 14-year study in an atoll reef lagoon in Glover's Reef, Belize has found that fishing closures there produce encouraging increases in populations of predatory fish species. However, such closures have resulted in only minimal increases in herbivorous fish, which feed on the algae that smother corals and inhibit reef recovery.
Hatcheries change salmon genetics after a single generation
The impact of hatcheries on salmon is so profound that in just one generation traits are selected that allow fish to survive and prosper in the hatchery environment, at the cost of their ability to thrive and reproduce in a wild environment. Researchers were surprised by the speed of evolution and natural selection.
Barracuda babies: Novel study sheds light on early life of prolific predator
Marine biologists shed light on the larval stage of the barracuda, as well as several other closely related species.
Researchers closer to understanding the evolution of sound production in fish
Researchers studying sound production in perch-like fishes have discovered a link between two unrelated lineages of fishes, taking researchers a step closer to understanding the evolution of one of the fastest muscles in vertebrates.
Comprehensive view of the status of Atlantic bluefin tuna
Bluefin populations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean have declined precipitously since 1950, according to a new study. The model estimates the number of Atlantic bluefin tuna remaining in the ocean and projects future population sizes based on alternative management scenarios. The new model is revolutionary in its ability to account for population overlap (mixing) of this highly migratory animal on the North Atlantic foraging grounds.
Expanding dead zones are shrinking tropical blue marlin habitat
Scientists sound an alarm that expanding ocean dead zones are shrinking the habitat for high value fish such as marlins, other billfish and tunas in the tropical northeast Atlantic Ocean. Without taking this phenomena into account, scientific fish stock assessments could provide false signals that stocks are healthy, when in fact they are not, thus allowing overfishing that further depletes these fish stocks.
Female fish choose sexier friends to avoid harassment
Scientists have observed a strategy for females to avoid unwanted male attention: Choosing more attractive friends. The study is the first to show females spending time with those more sexually attractive than themselves to reduce harassment from males. The study focuses on the Trinidadian guppy, a species of small freshwater fish. The research shows that the tactic is successful and by ensuring they are less attractive than other group members, the fish experience less harassment and fewer mating attempts from males.
Genetic markers help feds enforce seafood regulations
New discoveries in "marine forensics" will allow federal seafood agents to genetically test blue marlin to quickly and accurately determine their ocean of origin. The test is needed to ensure that the blue marlin sold in US seafood markets were not taken from the Atlantic Ocean. Regulation of Atlantic blues reflects overfishing and a troubling drop in population.
Sandeels with a full stomach swim for a longer time
Researchers have shed light on the peculiar behavior of the commercially and ecologically valuable sandeel.
Marine predators in trouble
Iconic marine predators such as sharks, tunas, swordfish, and marlins are becoming increasingly rare under current fishing trends, say researchers.
Young women may reduce heart disease risk eating fish with omega 3 fatty acids, study finds
Women who seldom or never eat fish may be increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease by 50 percent or more, according to the first population-based study among younger women. Those who ate fish most often, especially fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids, had 90 percent lower risk than those who ate little or no fish. The link with cardiovascular disease was evident, even among women in their 30s.
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