Daily Archives: September 17, 2015
Canada sidesteps protection of endangered fish, study finds
Endangered and threatened marine fish species in Canada are routinely refused protection by the federal government, contrary to scientists’ recommendations, a new study has found. In fact, the more endangered the fish are, the less likely they are to get protection under Canada’s endangered species legislation, researchers at the University of Victoria and the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax report. “It’s a bit of a perverse outcome,” Julia Baum, a University of Victoria biologist who co-authored the report, said during an interview with CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks that airs Saturday. Read the rest here 21:51
EXXON VALDEZ RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTINUED COLLAPSE OF ALASKAN FISHERIES, STUDY SUGGESTS
Fish stocks in Alaska’s Prince William Sound may still be affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, according to a report from scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The report finds that the exposure of crude oil to Pacific herring and pink salmon embryos may affect their development into adults. The report challenges the notion that the collapse of herring stocks was unrelated to the Exxon spill, which was long held on the basis that the four-year gap between the spill and the herring collapse in 1993 suggested another cause. Read the rest here 16:42
Computer Glitch shuts inshore herring fishery causing bait shortage – Price Spikes!
While the DMR says the Atlantic herring fishery is usually very predictable, because its quotas are monitored throughout the year, a computer glitch caused regulators to miscalculate the quota in the inshore areas of the gulf of Maine. This caused an immediate cap on herring fishing in that area without warning, causing bait prices to spike in many northern fishing areas. Fishermen Downeast say, a normal price for a bushel of bait herring would be $25, but as late as last week, the price shot up to almost $40 in many areas. Video, Read the rest here 12:46
Giant tuna processed in Panacea – 777-pound bluefin caught in Canada and shipped to Mineral Springs
A 777-pound Prince Edward Island bluefin tuna ended up in Panacea, but it did not swim there. The Panacea seafood market Mineral Springs by the Bay processed the big beauty last week. Business owner Tim Williams said processing the catch was a career highlight. While Williams is not selling the tuna filets, the value is about $50 per pound. “These fish are so valuable,” Williams said. “We don’t have them in our fishery. They are very highly regulated. They’re protected because their numbers are low. Read the rest here 11:55
NOAA Seeking Input on Deep Sea Canyon and Seamount Protection
NOAA invites your input on possible permanent protections for three deep sea canyons –Oceanographer, Gilbert, and Lydonia — and four seamounts off of New England’s coast. Deep sea canyons, which plunge to depths greater than 7,000 feet, and sea mounts, which rise thousands of feet above the sea floor, create unique habitats supporting tremendous biodiversity and fragile ecosystems that are home to corals, fish, marine mammals, turtles, and more. Read the rest here 11:32Big Brother is watching
The growing powers of state management of fisheries – and the introduction of more and more laws, regulations, and other restrictions controlling commercial fishing operations – continue to concoct complex systems of inspection and monitoring. The Orwellian metaphor comes to mind also in view of a recently set up partnership between the NGOs Sky Truth and Oceana with Google in designing and initiating a system aimed at control and possible prevention of pirate fishing operations, employing a technology able to locate, track down and map from space illegal fishing going on in the world’s oceans. Read the rest here 08:11
