Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Alternative solution to discards?
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
Out of plaice: popular UK fish at risk from rising temperatures
Study predicts dinner favourites plaice and lemon sole facing severe depletion and rapid warming of North Sea already forcing haddock out of British waters
Some of the UK’s most popular fish may be driven from the North Sea, and the UK’s dinner plates, by rising temperatures, scientists warned on Monday.
Fishmonger favourites plaice, lemon sole and haddock are being pushed out of their traditional feeding grounds by rapidly warming sea temperatures. The waters of the North Sea have warmed by 1.3C in the past 30 years, four times faster than the global average. Since the 1980s landings of cold-adapted species have halved.
How much fossil fuel has been used in your lifetime? Read more Flatfish, such as plaice and sole, live on the shallow, muddy bottom of the southern North Sea. As the sea warms some species are being driven further north. But the rockier, deeper seas to the north are unsuitable habitat for these bottom feeders. With North Sea temperatures set to increase another 1.8C in the next half century, a team of scientists from Exeter University believes the fishing industry for these species is likely to collapse.
“For flatfish there’s really not anywhere to go. They’re kind of squeezed off the edge of a cliff,” said study author Dr Steve Simpson who is a senior lecturer in marine biology. “In terms of being commercially viable, I doubt these fisheries can continue for much longer.” For haddock, the North Sea is already its southern limit. Their fishery, and much of the UK’s supply, is increasingly coming from Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic waters.
The study assessed future distributions of 10 common North Sea fish species and predicted a general trend of decline. By including habitat requirements into its modelling, the new research confounds previous assertions that fish species will simply be able to shift northwards as the oceans warm. Dr Peter Richardson, biodiversity programme manager at the UK’s Marine Conservation Society, said the study “rightly questions the assumption that species can simply head polewards as waters warm” and called for stronger catch limits to ensure the North Sea’s native species remained sustainable for as long as possible.
“Our fisheries are worth billions, providing an important and healthy source of protein, yet European governments (including the UK) consistently fail to follow scientific advice and set total allowable catches over and above the sustainable limits advised by their fisheries experts. We cannot continue to be so cavalier with such a valuable resource and expect it to be resilient to the impacts of climate change,” he said.
The Exeter team has previously found that sardine, anchovy, squid and cuttlefish are likely to become staples of the UK fishing industry. Simpson said their study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, had confirmed the changing ecology of the North Sea.
“We will see a real changing of the guard in the next few decades. Our models predict cold water species will be squeezed out, with warmer water fish likely to take their place. For sustainable UK fisheries, we need to move on from haddock and chips and look to southern Europe for our gastronomic inspiration,” he said. Separate research released last week found cod increased dramatically in recent years. Cod is an apex predator and a heavily-fished species. These interactions confounded modelling, said Simpson, and the study could not predict its future under a warming climate.
Angus Garrett from seafood industry body Seafish said the new research was valuable, but the future for many fisheries remained uncertain. “Temperature change is clearly influencing fisheries and ought to be considered in fisheries management. How temperature is considered and the modelling of impacts is likely to be a continuing debate but we welcome this contribution to the evidence base,” he said.
Full story courtesy of Karl Mathieson of the Guardian Online.
Some of the UK’s most popular fish may be driven from the North Sea, and the UK’s dinner plates, by rising temperatures, scientists warned on Monday.
Fishmonger favourites plaice, lemon sole and haddock are being pushed out of their traditional feeding grounds by rapidly warming sea temperatures. The waters of the North Sea have warmed by 1.3C in the past 30 years, four times faster than the global average. Since the 1980s landings of cold-adapted species have halved.
How much fossil fuel has been used in your lifetime? Read more Flatfish, such as plaice and sole, live on the shallow, muddy bottom of the southern North Sea. As the sea warms some species are being driven further north. But the rockier, deeper seas to the north are unsuitable habitat for these bottom feeders. With North Sea temperatures set to increase another 1.8C in the next half century, a team of scientists from Exeter University believes the fishing industry for these species is likely to collapse.
“For flatfish there’s really not anywhere to go. They’re kind of squeezed off the edge of a cliff,” said study author Dr Steve Simpson who is a senior lecturer in marine biology. “In terms of being commercially viable, I doubt these fisheries can continue for much longer.” For haddock, the North Sea is already its southern limit. Their fishery, and much of the UK’s supply, is increasingly coming from Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic waters.
The study assessed future distributions of 10 common North Sea fish species and predicted a general trend of decline. By including habitat requirements into its modelling, the new research confounds previous assertions that fish species will simply be able to shift northwards as the oceans warm. Dr Peter Richardson, biodiversity programme manager at the UK’s Marine Conservation Society, said the study “rightly questions the assumption that species can simply head polewards as waters warm” and called for stronger catch limits to ensure the North Sea’s native species remained sustainable for as long as possible.
“Our fisheries are worth billions, providing an important and healthy source of protein, yet European governments (including the UK) consistently fail to follow scientific advice and set total allowable catches over and above the sustainable limits advised by their fisheries experts. We cannot continue to be so cavalier with such a valuable resource and expect it to be resilient to the impacts of climate change,” he said.
The Exeter team has previously found that sardine, anchovy, squid and cuttlefish are likely to become staples of the UK fishing industry. Simpson said their study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, had confirmed the changing ecology of the North Sea.
“We will see a real changing of the guard in the next few decades. Our models predict cold water species will be squeezed out, with warmer water fish likely to take their place. For sustainable UK fisheries, we need to move on from haddock and chips and look to southern Europe for our gastronomic inspiration,” he said. Separate research released last week found cod increased dramatically in recent years. Cod is an apex predator and a heavily-fished species. These interactions confounded modelling, said Simpson, and the study could not predict its future under a warming climate.
Angus Garrett from seafood industry body Seafish said the new research was valuable, but the future for many fisheries remained uncertain. “Temperature change is clearly influencing fisheries and ought to be considered in fisheries management. How temperature is considered and the modelling of impacts is likely to be a continuing debate but we welcome this contribution to the evidence base,” he said.
Full story courtesy of Karl Mathieson of the Guardian Online.
Monday, 13 April 2015
Monday's marvellous fish from Newlyn
Look! new railings on the promenade...
as low cloud rolls in across the Bay...
sun-loving John Dory will be out in force in a few weeks time...
while lemons are a good choice of fish at this time of year...
is the collective noun a gaggle of gurnards?...
the Miller's Thumb will give the unwary a painful swelling if handled incorrectly...
it would take a lot of toast to go with these roe - alternatively maybe one of the local merchants could smoke some of these and give us some classic Newlyn taramasalata...
golden pollack form the Britannia IV...
plenty of hake this morning from the Ajax...
and some top-drawer line caught pollack from mr Smith's Sea Spray...
looks like it could be one of those days weatherwise...
when the low cloud stays put...
and shrouds the harbour in mist...
giving the place an eerie feel in low light...
talking of lights, two down two to go...
that Greek hero Ajax lays outside the IFCA protection boat St Piran...
the meter is running!
Sunday, 12 April 2015
A Grimsby fisherman's memories of a life at sea.
Michael said: "They had a survey done of it at the time and they said deep sea trawling was 40 times more likely to lose your life than any other job on earth. Just looking at myself, 10 of us left school, there's only me left. 8 lost at sea".
Great Grimsby is part of our tour of the '5 live Top Twenty', the 20 marginal seats across the UK where the 2015 general election could be won or lost.
This clip is originally from 5 live Breakfast on Tuesday 7 April 2015.
Water-born action all the way from Newlyn to Mousehole
5th world plastic gig finals meet heads for the finish line...
at Newlyn...
as a french trawler heads in to take ice...
looking like summer in Mousehole harbour, spot the bride...
like a scene from the Prisoner...
as a few of the boats still working from Mousehole...
head out of the gaps...
the harbour's storm boards on the quay ready for next year...
waiting for that third hand to show...
sit-on canoes are getting more and more popular, this one just made its maiden voyage to St Michael's Mount and back...
just as well sea birds don't leave contrails...
there's a plethora of do's and don'ts around the harbour these days...
keeping an eye on the bul carriers at anchor waiting for sailing orders...
a great sport for local kids aspiring to be the next Helen Glover, this is the best way to get into rowing locally...
the Irene after a day's sailing around the Bay...
information overload...
could be 100 years ago, except most of the masts are atop plastic hulls.
Friday, 10 April 2015
It is not just North Sea cod – other fish stocks are healthy too!
Following on from The Guardian article on 8 April 2015 which reports on the remarkable recovery of North Sea cod stocks, it is worth remembering that a large number of other fish stocks around our coasts are also in a healthy state and being fish sustainably.
But first let’s focus on North Sea cod. The spawning stock biomass has tripled since 2006 (albeit from a low base) and continues to increase annually. The great news is that it is heading in the right direction, and as The Guardian reports, the stocks could soon be at such a size as to be considered for certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). If this happens, then North Sea cod will be following a whole host of other Scottish fish and shellfish that have also been independently certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for their responsible management. From scallops to saithe, and haddock to herring, our fishermen are leading the way in sustainable harvesting as independently confirmed by the MSC. The flagship ecolabel certification enables consumers to make informed choices when purchasing seafood and the increasing number of Scottish fisheries participating in the programme underlines the commitment of Scottish fishermen in ensuring a sustainable future.
One of the main Scottish species to be MSC certified is North Sea haddock, which is a key staple for UK consumers and a favourite fish for most of us to eat. The fishery was certified as sustainable by the MSC in October 2010 and only recently sailed through its latest audit with flying colours. North Sea haddock is Scotland’s most valuable whitefish stock and its certification underlines the trail-blazing path our fishermen are taking in stock conservation. And in another milestone development, North Sea and West of Scotland saithe (or coley as it is sometimes known) has also been MSC certified. Saithe, which is a member of the cod family, is a great fish to eat and much under-rated. If you see saithe in the fishmongers, it really is worth trying.
Three of Shetland’s main inshore fisheries – king scallop, velvet crab and brown crab – have also achieved MSC Certification as sustainable and well-managed fisheries. The certification was co-ordinated by the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) in partnership with NAFC Marine Centre UHI. The certification means that this is the only fishery in the world to have the MSC label for brown and velvet crab, and king scallops.
Scottish pelagic (mackerel and herring) fisheries are also real pioneers in certification. Stocks that are MSC certified under an initiative led by the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group (SPSG) are North Sea herring, Atlanto Scandian herring, and West of Scotland herring.
Full story posted on April 09, 2015 by fishing4thetruth.
But first let’s focus on North Sea cod. The spawning stock biomass has tripled since 2006 (albeit from a low base) and continues to increase annually. The great news is that it is heading in the right direction, and as The Guardian reports, the stocks could soon be at such a size as to be considered for certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). If this happens, then North Sea cod will be following a whole host of other Scottish fish and shellfish that have also been independently certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for their responsible management. From scallops to saithe, and haddock to herring, our fishermen are leading the way in sustainable harvesting as independently confirmed by the MSC. The flagship ecolabel certification enables consumers to make informed choices when purchasing seafood and the increasing number of Scottish fisheries participating in the programme underlines the commitment of Scottish fishermen in ensuring a sustainable future.
One of the main Scottish species to be MSC certified is North Sea haddock, which is a key staple for UK consumers and a favourite fish for most of us to eat. The fishery was certified as sustainable by the MSC in October 2010 and only recently sailed through its latest audit with flying colours. North Sea haddock is Scotland’s most valuable whitefish stock and its certification underlines the trail-blazing path our fishermen are taking in stock conservation. And in another milestone development, North Sea and West of Scotland saithe (or coley as it is sometimes known) has also been MSC certified. Saithe, which is a member of the cod family, is a great fish to eat and much under-rated. If you see saithe in the fishmongers, it really is worth trying.
Three of Shetland’s main inshore fisheries – king scallop, velvet crab and brown crab – have also achieved MSC Certification as sustainable and well-managed fisheries. The certification was co-ordinated by the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) in partnership with NAFC Marine Centre UHI. The certification means that this is the only fishery in the world to have the MSC label for brown and velvet crab, and king scallops.
Scottish pelagic (mackerel and herring) fisheries are also real pioneers in certification. Stocks that are MSC certified under an initiative led by the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group (SPSG) are North Sea herring, Atlanto Scandian herring, and West of Scotland herring.
Full story posted on April 09, 2015 by fishing4thetruth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)