Overfishing threatens world food supplies

The Age

Despite Australia’s efforts to protect marine life, global fish stocks are collapsing due to overfishing. A key example is the jack mackerel - its numbers in the Southern Ocean have been decimated by 90% in just the last two decades. Now industrial fishing fleets are sailing further and further south into waters off Antarctica in search of catches, while the international community cannot agree on measures to make fishing sustainable. Oceanographer Daniel Pauly believes a major world power must take a stand and rally nations into action to protect fish stocks before it’s too late for them to rebound.

posted by seamas on January 30, 2012 at 7:27 am · filed under

Drone deployed in whaling fight

The Age

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has announced it is using a donated military-style remote controlled drone to track the Japanese whaling fleet. The new technology gives the protest group a new edge in its campaign of direct interventions to stop whaling.

Earlier this month it was revealed that the Japanese Government is using $29 million from its tsunami reconstruction fund to support the whaling industry. Greenpeace has questioned whether this money is being siphoned away from real victims of the disaster.

posted by seamas on December 28, 2011 at 7:22 am · filed under

Coral Sea marine park to be largest on the planet

CNN

The Australian Government has announced plans to create the world’s largest marine protected area in the Coral Sea, covering almost 1 million square kilometres of biodiversity rich waters off the country’s northeast coast. Conservation groups want a larger area covered, but have described the announcement as “a good start”.

posted by seamas on November 26, 2011 at 2:30 pm · filed under

Shark cull the wrong response to attacks

The Age

The Australian Director of marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, Jeff Hansen, says shark nets and the West Australian State Government’s call for a shark cull are the wrong responses to the threat of shark attacks, following a number of recent attacks off the WA coast. Hansen joined the victims’ families in calling for sharks not to be killed. In a public appeal, Hansen points out the high number of other marine species that fall victim to shark nets. He also notes that sharks “play a vital role in the health of our oceans” and that the great white shark is listed as “vulnerable to extinction” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Sharks travel long distances in the ocean, which brings into question the effectiveness of culling to reduce attacks. A cull would put further pressure on a vulnerable species that we already kill 100 million of around the world each year. Voice your support by signing this petition opposing the sharks cull.

posted by seamas on November 2, 2011 at 7:27 am · filed under

Protection and aid boost for Great Barrier Reef marine turtles

WWF

A new partnership between James Cook University and WWF Australia will help improve protection for marine turtles that depend on the Great Barrier Reef. The joint project aims to supplement and support existing efforts by Reef HQ, through care for sick and injured turtles, by conducting research into turtle disease and health, and by promoting the establishment of protected areas where turtles can be safe from fishing nets and coastal development.

posted by seamas on October 22, 2011 at 7:21 am · filed under

Climate change mixed news for marine species

Feature by Soraya Salleh

We’ve all heard about global warming and climate change†, but what does it mean for our marine life? A rise in temperature, as little as 1 degree, could result in critical changes in marine ecosystems, threaten the lives of countless marine animals and push vulnerable species into extinction.

Read & Comment »

posted by ecomedia on October 1, 2011 at 5:02 pm · filed under

Cod stocks collapse in the EU

The Guardian

European Union commissioner for fisheries Maria Damanaki has warned that if the EU do not make moves to reform their fisheries policies and reduce overfishing, only 8% of the 136 fish stocks in EU waters will be at sustainable levels by 2022. Following the collapse of cod stocks in the Irish Sea and off the west coast of Scotland, the European Commission recommended this week that all cod fishing in the area cease.

posted by ruby on October 1, 2011 at 3:24 am · filed under