September 4, 2014
Ocean Roundup: Big Bluefin Tuna Gain Protection from Fisheries, Commercial Fishermen Quickly Losing Consumer Trust, and More
– NOAA recently made amendments to its bluefin tuna management plan in an effort to reduce the number of bluefin tuna killed by commercial fishing vessels. The new rules say that commercial fishermen cannot catch giant bluefin tuna—fish longer than 81 inches—in the Gulf of Mexico or western Atlantic. NPR
– The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission’s outgoing executive director Glenn Hurry has warned that bluefin and bigeye tuna stocks are so depleted that they should no longer be harvested. With spawning biomass levels at dire levels, Hurry says that “in any sense in a well-managed fishery you’d actually stop fishing on that and begin to rebuild the stocks.” ABC Radio Australia
– Researchers have developed a computer model to help understand the origins of trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The researchers discovered that nations’ trash may drain into oceans that don’t directly border them, and that ocean borders aren’t as defined as previously thought. Discovery News
Op-Ed:
– Commercial fisheries are quickly losing consumer trust as seafood fraud, ecological damage from overfishing, and illegal fishing practices continue to come under the spotlight. This op-ed argues that commercial fishermen have the opportunity right now to switch to sustainable practices, or they can wait until they are forced and continue to lose consumer trust. The Guardian
– This op-ed provides a comprehensive summary of what ocean acidification is and how higher pH levels affect ocean ecosystems. The best thing that can be done to mitigate ocean acidification, argues the author, is for states, lawmakers, and organizations to work together on this issue. National Geographic