Milestone looms for farm-raised fish

The New York Times 24 January, 2013 Sometime this year, we will quietly pass a milestone in human history: the majority of the fish we eat will be farm-raised rather than wild-caught. In the last 20 years, the production of fish through aquaculture has grown exponentially, while marine fish catches have leveled off. Unless it’s an extraordinary year for marine fishing, in 2013 the lines Read More…

Could distributing minerals in the world’s oceans help slow climate…

Global Post 22 January, 2013 Could sprinkling mineral dust on the world's oceans actually help slow down climate-change? New research into geo-engineering indicates that it might be possible to remove tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with this technique — but the potential environmental side-effects are giving scientists pause. The researchers, led by Peter Köhler, of the Read More…

Climate change affecting fish catch, warn experts

The News International 19 January, 2013 Climate change is affecting fish catch in Pakistani waters as elsewhere in the world, as changes have been observed in the timing and duration of fishing seasons in the studies recently carried out in Jiwani, Keti Bunder and Kharo Chan districts. This was stated by Ali Dehlavi, Project Manager, Building Capacity on Climate Change Adaptation in Read More…

Fish journeying upstream are hampered by hydropower dams

Newswise 16 January, 2013 Major hydropower dams in the northeastern United States, constructed with state-of-the-art features designed to allow migratory fish to pass through them on their way to spawn upstream, have failed in that regard, raising questions that should be addressed as more dams are planned worldwide. Those findings were reported in a study published today in the journal Read More…

Global mercury pollution in oceans top layer doubled in last century

Huffington Post 10 January, 2013 Mercury pollution in the top layer of the world's oceans has doubled in the past century, part of a man-made problem that will require international cooperation to fix, the U.N.'s environment agency said Thursday. The report by the U.N. Environment Program showed for the first time that hundreds of tons of mercury have leaked from the soil into rivers and Read More…

Shrinking fish more at risk from predators

ABC Science 30 January, 2013 The decline of fish size due to fishing and climate change could make some fish more vulnerable to predators, say researchers. Marine biologist, Dr Asta Audzijonyte of the CSIRO's Wealth from Oceans Flagship, and colleagues, report their findings today in the journal Royal Society Biology Letters. Read Read More…

Overfishing threatens critical link in the food chain

Sustainablog 30 January, 2013 The fish near the bottom of the aquatic food chain are often overlooked, but they are vital to healthy oceans and estuaries. Collectively known as forage fish, these species—including sardines, anchovies, herrings, and shrimp-like crustaceans called krill—feed on plankton and become food themselves for larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Historically, Read More…

Tuna fishing in the Pacific starts

FIS 23 January, 2013 The National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) authorized the start of the capture of tuna species -- yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus orientalis) and skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) -- in Mexican federal waters of the Pacific Ocean. Since 19 January, Mexican flag purse seiners operating on Read More…

New international education effort promotes sustainable approach to…

PR Newswire 23 January, 2013 Today the Campaign for Eco-Safe Tuna launched an international effort to promote a more sustainable approach to tuna fishing and truth-in-labeling. By educating consumers about the true nature of current tuna fishing and labeling practices, the Campaign for Eco-Safe Tuna seeks to ensure that not only dolphins, but sharks, marine turtles, seabirds, juvenile tuna Read More…

Plan to dredge sand on Mekong

Radio Free Asia 22 January, 2013 Cambodia is to draw up a blueprint for dredging sand from the Mekong River. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered government planners Tuesday to draw up a master plan to dredge sand from the Mekong River, saying it was aimed at restoring shallow areas along the waterway. Read Read More…