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Overfishing costs EU £2.7bn each year

2/10/12

Overfishing of EU fisheries is costing £2.7bn (3.2bn euros) a year and 100,000 jobs, a report has said.

The research, by the UK-based New Economics Foundation, said a third of Britain's fish consumption could be met if stocks were allowed to recover.

Separate research suggests that half of fishermen would not be willing to give up their livelihoods.

Last week, a report said there were reasons to be optimistic that fisheries could recover from past exploitation.

"Overfishing is bad for the economy," said report author Rupert Crilly, environmental economics researcher for the foundation's Ocean2012 initiative.

"With the stroke of pen, European fisheries ministers are wiping out millions of pounds and thousands of jobs each year by allowing overfishing to continue."

The report, Lost at Sea, concluded that the restoring 43 of the continent's fish stocks to their "maximum sustainable yield" (largest annual catch that can be maintained over the long term) would result in an additional 3.5m tonnes of fish reaching markets, "enough to meet the annual demand for almost 160m EU citizens".

It added: "Overfishing is the single most destructive force in the marine environment.

"It has made the fishing industry economically vulnerable and caused coastal communities to crumble. Instead of rebuilding (fish) stocks, the industry has become heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.

Last week, the Prince of Wales launched a report by his think-tank, International Sustainability Unit (ISU), that looked at a way to put fisheries around the globe on a sustainable footing.

The report, Fisheries in Transition, concluded that by regulating the catch in a sensible way, fishermen were able to make more money for less effort, allowing the stock to be safeguarded against exploitation.

"We recognise that there is no 'one size fits all', solution - every fishery is different," said Charlotte Cawthorne, ISU marine programme manager, speaking at the report's launch.

But, she added, three things were essential: scientific understanding of the ecosystem, funding for the transition, and sound management.

A study published this week in the journal Plos One said that half of the fishermen in developing nations would not be willing to give up their livelihoods, regardless of declining catches.

"We found that half of fishermen questioned would not be tempted to seek out a new livelihood, even if their catch declined by 50%," said co-author Dr Tim Daw from the University of East Anglia.

Natural Splendor Bombarded By More Garbage

2/11/12

As dawn’s rosy fingers crept over the Arcata Bottom along Liscom Slough last Friday, Feb 10, they revealed to Ted Halstead the hideous pile of debris above, which included all manner of wretched refuse.

Three things we know:

1. That we have absolutely no idea who did the dumping.

2. That the envelope below was found in the garbage.

3. That the return addressee, Arthur Criner was arrested November 9 in Eureka. Here’s the EPD press release:

“On 11/09/11, at about 3:50 PM, POP investigators spotted a wanted fugitive, Arthur Thomas Criner (age 50 of Eureka), walking near Myrtle and West Ave. Criner had five confirmed warrants for his arrest stemming from five separate cases (misdemeanor and felony). This included a POP drug sales search warrant service on the 1100 block of O Street in June 2011 (Criner was arrested and booked by POP for possession of a controlled substance for sale). Criner was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Jail where he was booked on his warrants alleging the following offenses: burglary, petty theft, driving while license suspended or revoked, unlawful possession of prescription medication, being under the influence of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct (prostitution), resisting/obstructing a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance for sale.”

Later that day, when Ted returned to collect the mess for disposal, a was car parked nearby, with a blonde woman chopping her hair off and throwing it on the ground under the “No Dumping” sign.

“She had a ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ bumper sticker on her car, along with what appeared to be boxes of junk in her car,” Ted said. “She asked me if I lived nearby and why I was picking the trash up. I told her, because I cared and that I thought it was a nice area.”

Draft Coho Recovery Plan Comment Period Extended

The National Marine Fisheries Service has extended the comment deadline for the draft Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho Recovery Plan. Comments are due May 4.

HSU, Tribes to Hold Klamath Whale Retrospective Monday

2/9/12

Humboldt State University Zoology Professor Dawn Goley will join with colleagues from the Yurok Tribe and a host of other agencies on Monday, Feb. 13 in a detailed backgrounder on last summer’s Klamath River gray whale saga.

The debriefing will be presented at the Yurok Tribe’s headquarters in Klamath, CA from 6-7:30 p.m. and will address the biological, cultural and veterinary aspects of the multi-agency response.

“For those interested in the details of what happened during the gray whales’ stay, this will be a very informative meeting,” Goley said. “Those who attend will also have an opportunity to meet and talk with the diverse and dedicated team who worked with the cetaceans.”

The Humboldt State University Marine Mammal Education and Research Program, the Yurok Tribe, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Marine Mammal Center partnered in a coordinated response to monitor the health of the whales, encourage them to return to the sea and to maintain their safety and that of observers.

The gray whale cow is believed to have died from complications associated with its extended stay in fresh water. The calf left the river in late July, its fate unknown.

Yurok Tribe Headquarters are located at 190 Klamath Boulevard, just off U.S. Highway 101 in Klamath.

White Shark Tagging Map

Adam Brown, White Shark Biologist with Point Reyes Bird Observatory, has been studying white sharks on Southeast Farallon Island since 2000. He will be Beth and Mike's guest on Coastal Currents on Feb. 8 at noon on KHUM, 104.3 and 104.7 FM.

White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are the ocean's largest predatory sharks. The occasional encounter with humans (and movie producers) has made them the most famous. Although they can grow to almost 21 feet (7 meters), the length of an average shark is closer to 15 feet (5 meters); they weigh about 1,500 pounds (700 kg). White sharks, like some other fish such as salmon sharks and tuna, are warm-bodied -- that is, parts of their bodies can be warmer than the cold water in which they swim.

In the eastern Pacific, white sharks can be found from Alaska to Mexico, but you don't often see them north of Washington State. They hang out near haul-out sites for marine mammals, their main food. People used to believe they roamed only along the California coast. But our tags show that they travel regularly from California to Hawaii. Juvenile white sharks are found in the Southern California Bight, which appears to be an important nursery ground.

The World Conservation Union lists white sharks as vulnerable. Concerns for white shark populations have led to their protection in Californian and Mexican waters. To ensure their long-term survival, we need much more information about where they go to feed and breed. The recent tagging results indicate how little is actually known about white sharks. Also, white sharks will also provide a valuable comparison to results from salmon and mako sharks that are also capable of elevating their body temperature.

To view the white shark tagging map by Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP), click HERE.

Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) began in 2000 as one of 17 projects of the Census of Marine Life, an ambitious 10-year, 80-nation endeavor to assess and explain the diversity and abundance of life in the oceans, and where that life has lived, is living, and will live.