Saving Seafood

Researchers identify behavioral adaptations that may help Antarctic fishes to adapt to warming Southern Ocean

November 30, 2021 — At first glance, Antarctica seems inhospitable. Known for howling gales and extremely cold temperatures, the continent is blanketed with a mile-thick ice shelf. Occasional elephant seals and seabirds fleck the glacial shorelines.

Yet dipping below the waves, the Southern Ocean teems with biodiversity: vibrant swaths of sea ice algae and cyanobacteria, swarming krill and crustaceans, bristling kelp forests, gigantic polar sea spiders and sponges, whale pods, and abundant Antarctic fish fauna.

These fishes play a vital role in the Southern Ocean’s food web of 9,000 known marine species, yet their subzero haven may be at risk. A 2021 climate analysis posited that by 2050 some areas of the Antarctic continental shelf will be at least 1 degree Celsius warmer.

Researchers from Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have published a new study in PLOS ONE describing how two species of Antarctic fish – one with hemoglobin in its blood cells and one without – respond to acute thermal stress.

The research team, directed by Virginia Tech Vice President for Health Sciences and Technology Michael Friedlander, observed that both species responded to progressive warming with an elaborate array of behavioral maneuvers, including fanning and splaying their fins, breathing at the surface, startle-like behavior, and transient bouts of alternating movement and rest.

Read the full story from Virginia Tech

 

National Geographic adds 5th ocean to world map

June 11, 2021 — National Geographic announced Tuesday that it is officially recognizing the body of water surrounding the Antarctic as the Earth’s fifth ocean: the Southern Ocean.

The change marks the first time in over a century that the organization has redrawn the world’s oceanic maps, which have historically only included four: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic Oceans.

“The Southern Ocean has long been recognized by scientists, but because there was never agreement internationally, we never officially recognized it,” National Geographic Society geographer Alex Tait told the magazine.

“It’s sort of geographic nerdiness in some ways,” Tait said. “We’ve always labeled it, but we labeled it slightly differently [than other oceans]. This change was taking the last step and saying we want to recognize it because of its ecological separation.”

The Southern Ocean stretches from Antarctica’s coastline to 60 degrees south latitude, excluding the Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea, according to the National Geographic. The newest body of water makes it the second-smallest, after the Arctic.

Read the full story at NBC News

The Complicated Role of Iron in Ocean Health and Climate Change

January 6, 2020 — One brisk day in April 2013, as he drove with colleagues along the southern coast of Patagonia, Mike Kaplan spotted a geologist’s treasure trove—an active gravel pit with freshly exposed walls. He pulled over, grabbed the backpack full of digging tools stowed in the car trunk and walked into the large hole.

To Kaplan’s south lay the Southern Ocean, stretching toward Antarctica. Strewn around him was evidence of Earth’s most recent ice age: heaps of crushed rock and gravel released by one of the many glaciers that had once covered North and South America. Standing in the pit, Kaplan spotted what he was looking for: a layer of fine gray silt deposited by ice sheets roughly 20,000 years ago.

A geologist at Columbia University in New York, Kaplan has spent over a decade collecting the sediments that make dust, and studying how that dust, launched from earth to air to sea, influences Earth’s climate, past and present. Dozens of intriguing samples have made their way home with him, stowed in his suitcase or shipped in a duct-taped cardboard box. As he scraped the dark gray sediment into a plastic bag, he felt a rush of anticipation. Given the sample’s location, he thought that it might be just what he needed to test an aspect of a controversial idea known as the iron hypothesis.

Read the full story at the Smithsonian Magazine

China launches “biggest and best” fisheries research vessels for international waters

July 1, 2019 — China has launched its two largest fisheries research vessels to date that will give it an extensive reach into global waters.

Launched at the Hu Dong Zhong Hua shipyard in Shanghai, the “Lan Hai 101” and the “Lan Hai 201” –both 3,000 tons and 85 meters in length – will study fisheries resources and the marine environment in seas around China as well as the high seas, including the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean, according to a statement from the Chinese Academy of Fisheries, which will staff the vessels.

“With these vessels, we can now construct a comprehensive research platform,” said Chinese Fisheries Academy President Wang Xiao Hu, speaking at the launch ceremony in Shanghai. “These are our most modern and largest vessels so far.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

SFP: Reduction fishery sustainability improving, Asian fisheries still an issue

October 9, 2018 — The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership has released its latest annual report on reduction fisheries, and has concluded that the sustainability of the fisheries worldwide has improved by roughly eight percent.

The report, which analyzed 26 reduction fisheries – fisheries that harvest fish to be processed into fishmeal and fish oil – found that the amount of catch coming from poorly managed fisheries has dropped 16 percent from last year, and has been steadily decreasing since 2016. The report also found the 91 percent of the catch volume came from stocks “that scored 6 or better on all five criteria outlined by SFP’s FishSource database,” according to SFP.

While the report is positive, the authors – Pedro Veiga, Marina Mendes, and Blake Lee-Hardwood – also noted that Asian fisheries have been largely excluded from the data, “because of the current difficulty in establishing management and catch data.”

“This omission is significant, because the fisheries of Asia provide very large quantities of fishmeal; it is hoped that future editions of the report will be able to extend coverage to at least some of these fisheries,” the authors wrote. “Nonetheless, we are confident that the report covers approximately 50 percent of global fishmeal and oil production.”

Roughly three percent of the total catch volume of what was included in the report is coming from fisheries that have stock in “very good condition.” The entirety of that amount is attributed to one fishery: Antarctic krill in the Atlantic Southern Ocean. Of the 91 percent of fisheries that are “reasonably well-managed” or better, the largest contributor was the Peruvian anchoveta fishery, representing 33 percent of the total catch.

“This report clearly identifies a positive trend among the reduction fisheries of the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, although there is still significant room for improvement with some fisheries,” the authors wrote. “The proportion of fisheries achieving higher sustainability ratings has increased significantly; this builds on improvements identified in the previous report for 2017. These results clearly represent a good news story for the fishmeal and fish oil industry and show that it is becoming ever more responsible with regards to fisheries management.”

Industry leaders within aquaculture were pleased by the news in the report.

“BioMar is proud to support SFP in its efforts to improve the environmental stewardship of global marine resources. The positive trend in this year’s report demonstrates the power of the multi-stakeholder approach to “greening” value chains through responsible sourcing,” BioMar sustainability specialist Erik Olav Gracey said. “We will continue to actively support SFP through collaboration and support of fisheries improvement projects worldwide.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Australian fisheries declared free from overfishing

October 1, 2018 — Commonwealth fisheries in Australia, the Southern Ocean and the south Pacific managed by Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) have been assessed as not subject to overfishing.

It is the fifth year in a row the fisheries, which include fisheries for southern bluefin tuna, toothfish, skipjack tuna, billfish, scale fish, squid and shark, have been been declared free from overfishing.

The assessments reported by Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) in its status reports 2018, assessed 95 species that are either solely or jointly managed by AFMA.

AFMA’s CEO, James Findlay, said the result is a credit to the Australian seafood industry, scientists and fisheries managers.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

 

Japan prevented from resuming commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean after failed IWC bid

September 17, 2018 — Japan will not be able to resume commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean after losing its bid at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Overnight the commission held a meeting in Brazil where Japan’s proposal that would have opened the door to commercial whaling was defeated 41 to 27.

In response, Japan is threatening to quit the commission.

It has been arguing that whale stocks have recovered sufficiently for the ban to be lifted.

Japan’s Agriculture Minister Masaaki Taniai has warned his country will consider its options, if different positions and views cannot coexist.

“Then Japan will be pressed to undertake a fundamental reassessment of its position as a member of the IWC,” he said.

Read the full story at ABC News

Updated ISSF Status of the Stocks Report Shows Tuna Stock Abundance and Fishing Mortality Improvements

November 2, 2017 — WASHINGTON — The following was released  by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:

Of the total tuna catch, 78% comes from stocks at “healthy” levels, an increase of 2% since last reported, according to a November 2017 International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Status of the Stocks report. Eleven percent of the global catch came from overfished stocks, and another 11% of the catch is from stocks at an intermediate level of abundance. (See “Key Questions” below for definitions of overfished and overfishing.)

Updated several times per year, Status of the Stocks ranks the 23 stocks of major commercial tunas around the world using a consistent methodology. The report assigns color ratings (green, yellow or orange) on stock health, alternately noted as “abundance” and “spawning biomass”; fishing mortality; and ecosystem impact.

There are some encouraging changes in tuna stock status since the previous February 2017 Status report. The November 2017 report reflects new data from 2017 tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) meetings:

  • Abundance ratings improved for Eastern Pacific bigeye, Western and Central Pacific bigeye, Mediterranean albacore, and Western Atlantic bluefin.
  • Fishing mortality ratings improved for Western and Central Pacific bigeye, North Pacific albacore, and Indian Ocean albacore.

In contrast, two bluefin stocks (Southern and Pacific Ocean), one yellowfin stock (Indian Ocean), and one bigeye stock (Atlantic Ocean) remain overfished. See Tables 1 and 2 in the report for specific rating changes.

Inadequate bycatch monitoring and/or bycatch mitigation measures — represented by separate “Environmental Impact” scores, the third rating area — still are a concern in many of the tuna fisheries studied.


Key Findings in Updated Report
Other notable statistics and findings include:

  • Total catch: In 2015, the total major commercial tuna catch was 4.8 million tonnes, a 4% decrease from 2014. More than half of the total catch (58%) was skipjack tuna, followed by yellowfin (28%), bigeye (8%) and albacore (4%). Bluefin tunas accounted for only 1% of the global catch. These percentages did not change from the February 2017 report.
  • Abundance or “spawning biomass” levels: Globally, 57% of the 23 stocks are at a healthy level of abundance (an increase of 5% from the previous report), 17% are overfished, and 26% are at an intermediate level.
    • Stocks receiving orange scores, indicating overfishing or overfished status, include both Southern Hemisphere and Pacific Ocean bluefin, Indian Ocean yellowfin, and Atlantic bigeye.
  • Fishing mortality levels: 65% of the stocks (an 8% improvement since the previous report) are experiencing a low fishing mortality rate, and 13% are experiencing overfishing.
  • Largest catches by stock: The three largest catches in tonnes are Western Pacific Ocean skipjack, Western Pacific Ocean yellowfin, and Indian Ocean yellowfin.
  • Tuna production by fishing gear: 64% of the catch is made by purse seining, followed by longline (12%), pole-and-line (9%), gillnets (4%) and miscellaneous gears (11%).

For the first time in Status of the Stocks history, the November 2017 report features an appendix with a list of fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

“The MSC fishery certification scheme is the most widely recognized indicator of seafood sustainability,” explains Dr. Victor Restrepo, Vice President of Science, ISSF. “The list helps us to track the tuna stocks and fishing gears that are certified.”

About the Report
There are 23 stocks of major commercial tuna species worldwide – 6 albacore, 4 bigeye, 4 bluefin, 5 skipjack, and 4 yellowfin stocks. The Status of the Stocks summarizes the results of the most recent scientific assessments of these stocks, as well as the current management measures adopted by the RFMOs. In addition, this report ranks the status and management of the 23 stocks using a consistent methodology based on three factors: Abundance, Exploitation/Management (fishing mortality) and Environmental Impact (bycatch).

ISSF produces two reports annually that seek to provide clarity about where we stand —and how much more needs to be done – to ensure the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks: the Status of the Stocks provides a comprehensive analysis of tuna stocks by species, and the Evaluation of the Sustainability of Global Tuna Stocks Relative to Marine Stewardship Council Criteria provides a review of the health of tuna fisheries by region. The MSC-certified fisheries list (Appendix 2) in Status of the Stocks complements the Evaluation report.

Together, these tools help to define the continuous improvement achieved, as well as the areas and issues that require more attention. Access the newly updated ISSF stock status ratings here.

Key Questions Answered by the Report
Status of the Stocks answers three key questions about each tuna stock:

  1. Is the stock overfished?
    A. The report measures the abundance of fish that are able to reproduce each year, called the spawning stock biomass (SSB), and compares it to an estimate of the biomass that would produce maximum sustainable yield (SSBMSY), which is the spawning biomass that results in the highest average catches in the long-term (this is a target of fisheries management). When SSB is below SSBMSY the stock is in an “overfished” state.

Overfishing doesn’t necessarily mean that the stock is in immediate danger of extinction or collapse — it means that currently, the fish aren’t being allowed to grow and reproduce at their most productive level. If a stock is overfished, the report will note any corrective measures being taken by the relevant fisheries management organization (RFMO).

  1. Is it in danger of becoming overfished?
  2. The report measures the fishing mortality rate (F), a measure of fishing intensity, and compares it to the fishing mortality that produces maximum sustainable yield (FMSY). When F is above FMSY, the stock is in danger of becoming overfished in the future. This is called overfishing. If overfishing is taking place, the report will note any corrective measures being taken.
  3. Are the methods used to catch the tuna also catching significant numbers of non-targeted species?
  4. The report also measures the environmental impact of fishing in terms of “bycatch” rates. Bycatch is any species caught by the boat that is not the kind of fish the skipper is searching for. All fishing methods result in some bycatch of non-target species. The report identifies the relative bycatch rates by fishing gear and reports on mitigation measures adopted by the RFMOs for various species groups.

About the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is a global coalition of scientists, the tuna industry and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) — the world’s leading conservation organization — promoting science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health.

To learn more visit their website at issf-foundation.org.

Sea Shepherd Activists Halt Pursuit of Japanese Whalers

August 30, 2017 — The environmentalist group Sea Shepherd has called off its annual pursuit of Japanese whaling ships in the Southern Ocean, according to the group’s founder, who said it cannot keep up with Japan’s surveillance technology.

“What we discovered is that Japan is now employing military surveillance to watch Sea Shepherd ship movements in real time by satellite,” the group’s founder, Paul Watson, said in a statement. “If they know where our ships are at any given moment, they can easily avoid us.”

Sea Shepherd, a self described “eco-vigilante” group founded in 1977, has spent years patrolling the remote Southern Ocean, investigating and documenting illegal fishing and whaling operations, putting it directly at odds with Japanese vessels. In addition to filming the operations, the group uses confrontational tactics that include shooting water cannon and stink bombs at the Japanese vessels.

Mr. Watson maintains that his group acts within the law. “We never caused a single injury to any person in all of these years,” he said in an interview. “The criminals are quite plain to see.”

Since 2005, Sea Shepherd has patrolled the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, a protected area where whaling is prohibited. A few nations, including Japan, have special research permits that allow for some whaling.

Read the full story at the New York Times