Ocean Issues: Overfishing

Overexploitation of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna continues in the Mediterranean Sea. A report commissioned by the Pew Environment Group concludes that Bluefin tuna boats in the Mediterranean Sea harvest many more fish than they report. The BBC reports findings of the study that show "last year 140% more bluefin meat from the Med entered the market than was reported as caught".

Under-reporting of catch is an issue, as evidenced by the gap between reported catch and total catch; as is a lack of information on illegal fishing operations. 

Another part of the problem is overcapitalization of the fishery - boats have far more capacity to catch tuna than the quotas allow. "Many Mediterranean fleets acquired new, more powerful purse seine boats in 2005-6; and having invested in them, owners now need to catch above quota to break even".


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Follow up with an earlier story on the Atlantic bluefin tuna here.

Ocean Issues: Aquaculture

Pacific wild salmon populations may be at risk for Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA), a disease that has caused severe mortality at fish farms in Europe and South America. Researchers from Simon Fraser University have detected the disease in wild populations on the West coast. Here is a link to the story released by Simon Fraser University.


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"Wild sockeye salmon from B.C.’s Rivers Inlet have tested positive for a potentially devastating virus that has never been found before in the North Pacific." - Vancouver Sun

Ocean Inspiration: Tool use by the orange-dotted tuskfish

A fascinating observation of tool use in fish by Giacomo Bernardi, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A clever wrasse, the orange-dotted tuskfish (Choerodon anchorago) excavates a clam and then searches for a suitable rock to crack it open!

The original article and electronic supplementary material is at Coral Reefs.
Reported on by Science Daily.