Fisheries Management
Current connections: how far away coastlines influence marine reserves
A research team used a state-of-the-art model to map how four remote Marine Protected Areas are connected to the surrounding oceans, and how human activities are impacting them from afar.
Sand Tiger Sharks: Tracking US east coast movement for better management
Sand tiger sharks are a coastal species common throughout the world that can interact with many fisheries. Here we explain how acoustic and satellite tagging techniques can help scientists better inform sand tiger shark management.
Sea lampreys: grow faster = grow male
A new study suggests that growth rate may determine if lampreys, an invasive fish in the Great Lakes becomes male or female. Read to find out more!
Protecting Our Fish and Birds by Protecting Their Wetland Homes
Wetlands are the link between land and water, and are some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth. They need our protection, for the commercial fisheries we depend upon, for the recreational opportunities they provide us, and for the benefit of the species that use them.
Should all shark fishing be banned?
It might seem like a no-brainer to ban shark fishing as well as the sale and trade of shark products. But scientists wonder: is there a more effective management strategy? Read more to find out!
Highlights from the International Marine Conservation Congress, Newfoundland, Canada
At the International Marine Conservation Congress this year, I got a first-timer’s look into the world of marine conservation research and in-depth discussions about the future of conservation.
Go Green for Earth Day!
Do Mother Nature a solid with these helpful tips & tricks to go green today!
Are satellite tags the new dinner bell for harbor seals?
Satellite tags are being used to study the foraging behavior of fishes, but in the lab harbor seals have been found to be attracted to the acoustical signal given out by these tags. In the wild, does that mean these tags are acting as a dinner bell for harbor seals?
How to Stop Dragging Our Assets: The World’s First Fishery Habitat Quota
Setting limits on fish catch is standard practice in fisheries management. For the first time in history, limits on habitat damage was introduced in 2012 for the groundfish bottom trawl fishery in British Columbia. Was it successful? Read to find out!
Overfishing and climate variability interactions spell trouble for fast growing species
Rather intuitively, terrestrial ecosystems show that large, slow growing species are less adaptable in the face of environmental perturbations than their smaller, faster growing counterparts. However, in marine systems, harvest of all types of species, both fast and slow growing, switches the risk of collapse. Recent modelling work shows that in the face of overfishing and climate variability, small, fast growing fishery species are actually at greater risk of collapse than slow growing species.
Marine invertebrates- no backbone just makes them easier to eat.
Invertebrate fisheries are on the rise, invertebrate fishery management needs to rise along with it. This study examines the the impact of fishing invertebrate species on population numbers of animals in the ecosystem.
Untangling the issues with longline fishing
Longline fishing has been used for decades as a way to catch large amounts of commercial fish. Though effective in capturing target fish, longlines unintentionally snag and kill millions of other marine species. Aside from being caught themselves, marine mammals (i.e. dolphins and killer whales) may eat target fish off the hooks and destroy fishing equipment. Are there ways to reduce incidental bycatch and make longline fishing more sustainable?
North Sea fish stick to warming shallows rather than cooling off at depth
Models based on historical survey data indicate that with long term warming trends, fish distributions in the North Sea will remain at nearly the same depths while abundances across species may change considerably.
Technology for Turtles: TurtleWatch Program to Protect Sea Turtles and Assist Fishermen
A technology that both benefits fishermen and helps prevent sea turtle bycatch? Yes, please! The great news is that it exists! And now, it has been updated to include leatherbacks. Read on to learn more about TurtleWatch.
What would coral reefs be like without human impact?
One would think that an isolated reef ecosystem shielded from the influence of people would provide an ideal benchmark against which other coral reefs can be compared. But in a recent study, researchers found it isn’t that simple.
Survival at different stages of the fishing process informs management strategies for the silky shark
Knowing that a species has low survival rates after encountering a fishing vessel is useful. But knowing exactly what about the fishing process kills that species can result in more effective conservation efforts.
Analyzing bycatch to better understand natural fish communities
Commercial shrimp trawlers haul in 3 to 15 times more of anything else than they do shrimp. Most of these extra animals are dumped back into the ocean after they die, but analyzing this bycatch before it’s discarded could tell us how non-shrimp species are doing.
Local natural resource management can combat the effects of global environmental disturbances
Global environmental problems can’t be solved overnight by one person, but there are things we can do locally to positively impact natural resource supplies in the midst of these large-scale problems. This article describes one successful strategy used to increase fishing revenues in southern Kenya.
Hooded seals of the Greenland Sea
Hooded seals have been hunted for centuries in the North Atlantic. Despite increased regulation over the last three decades, a recent assessment of the Greenland Sea stock suggests that it will remain at unprecedented low abundances for the foreseeable future. Even with a ban on hunting, the stock will likely decline as climate change diminishes breeding habitat and increases susceptibility to predators such as polar bears and killer whales.
Not so alike after all: European hake populations might be locally adapted
Recent evidence that European hake populations might be adapted to local conditions (e.g. temperature and salinity at the surface) suggests the need to review current management strategies of their stocks.
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