In it, photographer Brian Skerry shoots life above and below the waves – as he puts it, both the horror and the magic of the ocean. Sharing amazing, intimate shots of undersea creatures, he shows how powerful images can help make a change with people’s habits.

Well worth a few minutes!

At the end, Brian says, “the ocean is willing to give to a point, but we need to be better stewards”. Hopefully the world is listening.

From the Shem Creek blog.

The ocean is not our supermarket

That’s fine, but I consider it a waste of gas on their part. If all the fish are gone, what would they do then? Once there’s proof things are okay, the government will loosen their restrictions, and we’ll all be able to enjoy fishing again.

Legare Smith, captain of a private sport fishing boat, says “What if they come back and say dolphin or wahoo numbers are down?” I’m assuming it’s because their population numbers are too low to sustain themselves – surely they’re not trying to drive away our tourism dollars…

Don’t forget: NOAA declared four fish stocks fully rebuilt as a result of international fishing pressure, so they’re on the right track with their regulations.

Overfishing is going to be the death of the fishing industry unless steps are taken to curb our ferocious appetites for seafood, and I for one, am 100% behind the government regulations, because I love seafood so much and want it to always be here – if you do, you should be encouraging their sustainability efforts.

For more information on new fishing regulations, visit South Atlantic Fishery Management Council website, where you can read the current Snapper Grouper Recreational Regulations Summary.

That ‘United We Fish’ rally will be held Feb. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. in Washington. For more information, go to unitedwefish.blogspot.com.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Gee, lets keep fishing ’til there are no more out there!

In 5 of 10 well-studied regions — Iceland, Newfoundland-Labrador, the Northeast U.S., Southeast Australia, and the California Current — fishing pressures have on average become less intense. 1/3 of all fish populations have been steered away from imminent doom, and appear to be recovering. Their ecosystems are no longer fast-tracked for collapse.

The solutions were relatively simple: abandon destructive fishing techniques like longlining and bottom trawling, reduce catches, put some waters off-limits, and give fishermen an economic reason to not overfish.

As this passage from Science suggests, new solutions didn’t need to be invented:

“After a long history of overexploitation, increasing efforts to restore marine ecosystems and rebuild fisheries are under way… Yet 63% of assessed fish stocks worldwide still require rebuilding, and even lower exploitation rates are needed to reverse the collapse of vulnerable species.

Combined fisheries and conservation objectives can be achieved by merging diverse management actions, including catch restrictions, gear modification, and closed areas, depending on local context.

Impacts of international fleets and the lack of alternatives to fishing complicate prospects for rebuilding fisheries in many poorer regions, highlighting the need for a global perspective on rebuilding marine resources.” – Science Magazine

A side-product of trawling for shrimp – a bunch of unwanted fish.
Credit: Wired

From the Shem Creek blog.

Proper fishing habits bring renewed fish populations

In the case of both fish stocks, U.S. fishermen have not been able to catch the U.S. quotas designed to ensure that the stocks are fished sustainably. While these species are managed internationally, the United States manages the domestic part of these fisheries by taking into account the ecosystem and working to reduce bycatch of turtles and other species. This approach increases expenses for U.S. fishermen and makes it more difficult for them to compete in the marketplace with cheaper imports from fishing nations that subsidize their fleets and do not use an ecosystem approach.

“Swordfish are nearly rebuilt, yet our fishermen are only catching 54 percent of the U.S.
quota. Bluefin tuna are a more complicated story. U.S. fishermen have followed quotas based on scientific recommendations designed to end overfishing. There may be ways to fish more of the U.S. quotas for both stocks in a sustainable manner.” – Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA Assistant Admin. for NOAA’s Fisheries Service

The public process will also be a chance to examine using “catch shares,” which would allocate a portion of the total catch to a person, company, community or sector, to better manage these fisheries. NOAA will examine novel ways to limit the bycatch of sea turtles, marine mammals, or undersized, prohibited and spawning fish in the bluefin and swordfish fisheries.

Jim Balsiger says they’ve “heard a number of ideas from constituents and we want to broaden the conversation to include recreational fishermen, environmental organizations and the general public on how best to manage these valuable highly migratory fish species.”

This effort to involve the public comes as NOAA’s Fisheries Service announces this season’s bluefin tuna quota for U.S. commercial and recreational fishermen. The rule puts in place reductions in overall quota that were adopted at the November 2008 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the international body that manages tuna, swordfish and other species that cross international boundaries.

The rule, which published on June 1, raises the daily catch limit from one to two bluefin tunas for recreational fishermen. NOAA had originally proposed a daily limit of one but raised the limit to two per day after reviewing comments from the fishing industry and analyzing the change for consistency with the bluefin tuna rebuilding program. The new rule maintains the three-fish per day limit for commercial fishermen.

NOAA received many comments and suggestions during the recent bluefin tuna rule making on ways to improve long-term management of bluefin and swordfish. These proposals will now be part of this summer’s public process.

In addition to considering catch shares and by-catch reduction, some of the proposals that will be discussed include:

• • an industry request to lower the commercial minimum size for bluefin tuna from 73 to 65 inches
• • an industry request to allow more bluefin tuna to be landed that have been incidentally caught in longline fishing gear
• • a proposal to allow approximately 5,000 commercial tuna fishermen who use rod and reel to land swordfish at low catch levels

Public comments on bluefin tuna fishery issues will close June 30, while comments on all other issues, including swordfish, will remain open until Aug. 31.

All meetings will begin with an opportunity for people to view information on the issues raised in the public process and ask questions at 5 p.m., followed by a presentation and opportunity for public comment beginning at 6 p.m.

The closest public meeting to us here on Shem Creek will be held next Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. on June 25 at:

Roanoke Island Festival Park
1 Festival Park
Manteo, N.C. 27954

You can learn more about the public comment process or the bluefin tuna quota at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/

From the Shem Creek blog.

NOAA seeks our input on governing Swordfish, Bluefin Tuna fishing

“Overfishing is the great environmental disaster that people haven’t heard about”
– producer George Duffield.

In the film we see firsthand the effects of our global love affair with seafood – from right here on Shem Creek, all the way to the world’s biggest consumers of seafood: Asians, Japan specifically.

The documentary examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna, brought on by increasing western demand for sushi; the impact on marine life resulting in huge overpopulation of jellyfish; and the profound implications of a future world with no fish that would bring certain mass starvation.

Scientists predict that if we continue fishing as we are now, we will see the end of most seafood by 2048.

“The End of the Line” lays the responsibility squarely on consumers who innocently buy endangered fish, politicians who ignore the advice and pleas of scientists, fishermen who break quotas and fish illegally, and the global fishing industry that is slow to react to an impending disaster.

“Reading the book changed my life and what I eat. I hope the film will do the same for others,” producer Claire Lewis.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Overfishing: The End of the Line

1. Atlantic bluefish,
2. Gulf of Mexico king mackerel, and
3. two different stocks of monkfish in the Atlantic

While that of course is good news for long-range fishing and our marine habitat, four others appear to be overfished at the same time:

1. thorny skate,
2. Atlantic blacknose shark, and
3. Atlantic shortfin mako shark

These were added to the list of those being fished unsustainably just this year, and a fourth stock, Gulf of Mexico pink shrimp, was also listed as subject to overfishing but it’s still being reviewed.

With these fish being replenished, it proves NOAA officials are doing the best they can for all of us – the fish, the fisherman, and all my fellow seafood lovers out there.

From the Shem Creek blog.

NOAA declares four fish stocks fully rebuilt

From the Shem Creek blog.

Sustainable fishing levels won’t be back until 2032

Demand from Japan has triggered an explosion in hunting over the past decade and they even use illegal spotter planes to track the tuna.

The WWF and other campaign groups say bluefin can only be saved by a complete halt to fishing in May and June as the fish rush through the Straits of Gibraltar to spawn in the Mediterranean.

Here’s a scene you don’t see everyday; watch the guy to the right as he clubs the tuna over the head to kill it:

UPDATE: 6/27/2010: From today’s NYT’s: Tuna’s End

From the Shem Creek blog.

Bluefin tuna extinct by 2012

Headquartered here in N. Charleston, the SAFMC is a federal agency, but their decision will have to meet final approval from the National Marine Fisheries Service – likely not to take effect until the red snapper’s summer spawning season.

“The sad part is these kinds of (overfishing) problems should have been addressed long ago. As with anything, the more you delay it, the more severe it is (to deal with). We’re paying the piper now. No matter what the council finally decides, ‘you’re looking at a very limited fishery even when it’s restored.’” – Dick Brame of the CCA

Many red snapper fishermen – not to mention seafood connoisseurs & sushi lovers – are upset and confused with the decision, because fishermen are seeing a glut of larger fish at or above the 20-inch limit – scientists say some unusually strong spawning seasons from several years ago are what’s causing that.

“I don’t like having to do it. The big picture is that red snapper stocks are in very bad shape.” – Duane Harris,
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Chairman

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201
North Charleston, SC 29405
phone 843.571.4366
toll free 866.SAFMC-10
fax 843.769.4520
safmc@safmc.net

From the Shem Creek blog.

Red snapper fishing may soon be illegal

As a result, 7 fish stocks were removed from the overfishing list in 2007. Approximately 40 stocks are still experiencing overfishing according to NOAA, but the NOAA Fisheries Service and the fishery management councils are in the process of ending overfishing for all of these as well.

NOAA’s action provides guidance on how to comply with new annual catch limit (ACL) and accountability measure (AM) requirements for ending overfishing of those fisheries managed by Federal fishery management plans. Changes to the Act are effective February 17, 2009.

Meanwhile, here’s a one-minute video on overfishing:

“The commercial seafood industry and recreational saltwater fishing provide our nation food, jobs and other incredible benefits…” – Jim Balsiger, acting A.A. for NOAA Fisheries Service.

Finally, here are some common acronyms used in the fishery business:

btw: I couldn’t find which 7 species were removed from the overfishing list for the life of me! If you find out, please let me know. TIA!

From the Shem Creek blog.

NOAA’s final guidance on Annual Catch Limits to end overfishing