Bottom trawling, possibly the most destructive fishing method yet devised by man, is to be regulated across the whole North Atlantic ocean. The process, which involves dragging nets weight down by metal girders across the seabed, is notorious for its wastefulness. Besides legitimate target species such as cod, plaice and sole, vast quantities of corals, sponges and other deep sea creatures are destroyed as bycatch. The devastation caused is so great that Greenpeace has been calling for some time for a moritorium (suspension of activity) on bottom trawling. Now it looks as though some progress may be being made.
Posted by jossc — 29 April 2008 at 11:13am
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Video: the discovery of Aaptos kanuux
Fascinating news just in - our two month research expedition to the Bering Sea last summer led to the discovery of a new species. Using manned submarines and a Remote Operated Vehicle, the crew of the Esperanza explored two of the world's deepest underwater canyons and took samples of never before seen life on the sea floor. Now, careful analysis has revealed one of them to be an entirely new species of sponge. Discovered in Pribilof Canyon, the new discovery is to be named Aaptos kanuux.
Five of the world's principal tuna suppliers were forced to stop doing business at the seafood industry's largest trade fair by almost 100 environmental campaigners this morning.
The Greenpeace volunteers entered the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels - where many UK supermarkets buy from the 1,600 exhibitors - at 10am. Using fishing nets and chains, they shut down the tuna traders' stands and used the public address system to urge industry buyers to purchase only sustainable seafood.
Posted by jossc — 3 April 2008 at 2:58pm
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Today sees the long overdue publication of the Draft Marine Bill. The Bill presents a key opportunity not just to improve the management of our national waters, but to begin the concerted action that is needed to protect marine biodiversity and reverse the decline in our fish stocks.
But the Marine Bill is only a tool, not the finished product.
Posted by jossc — 15 February 2008 at 4:20pm
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Do you like eating fish? Did you realise that around 75 per cent of the world's
fish stocks are now fished to their limit or over-fished? While you can still eat some species of fish with a clear
conscience, others are being rapidly fished close to extinction. Oxford-based band Stornoway has helpfully recorded a song
that tells you which are which. 'The Good Fish Guide' is based on the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) guidelines
to ethical fish consumption. It will shortly be released as a downloadable single via the Truck label, an environmentally
proactive record label, with all profits to the MCS.
Posted by jossc — 15 February 2008 at 3:14pm
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It's official; mankind is killing off our oceans far faster than previously thought. The first global-scale study of human impacts on marine ecosystems, published today in the flagship US journal Science, reveals a picture of widespread destruction with few if any areas remaining untouched.
Posted by Willie — 4 May 2007 at 12:00pm
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Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
We often talk about 'destructive' fisheries on the oceans campaign - so I thought it was maybe time I explained what that means when we talk about cod. A purist could say that all fishing is destructive, in that it destroys the fishes' life at least, I guess.
