Plans for new Scottish fish farm rejected: Plans for a new type of fish farm in Argyll have been rejected. The proposal by Loch Long Salmon claimed that new technology would be used which would negate many of the environmental issues caused by the type of open-sea salmon farming which is most common in Scotland. This would include keeping farmed salmon separate from wild salmon through the use of semi-enclosed containers, something Loch Long Salmon claimed was a “game chang[er].” However, the Trossachs National Park Authority rejected the plans for the new fish farm with a representative saying “such a nationally important landscape is not the appropriate location to host a development of such an industrial scale.” It was noted that while the semi-enclosed containers were a “substantial step forward” for the industry, they had not been trialled in Scotland yet and there was a “clear risk that the technology may not be sufficiently successful.” Fish farming in Scotland has expanded significantly in the last few decades, with many prominent Scottish politicians praising the employment and investment that the industry has created. However, this expansion has brought concerns over pollution, parasite infections and impact on wild salmon numbers, with many environmental campaigners now arguing that inadequate attention has been paid to the environmental consequences of fish farms. The rejection of this farm adds further evidence to claims that the rapid expansion of the nation’s fish farming industry may be coming to an end. Read more here.
Amount of commercial fishing gear which ends up abandoned at sea revealed: A report on the UK edition of the Conversation website this month examined the amount of commercial fishing gear which is lost at sea each year. The calculations on lost gear were made by interviewing 450 fishermen from seven of the world’s major fishing nations and combining these findings with existing data on commercial fisheries. The research found that 285,700 square miles (740,000 sq km) of longline mainline were lost each year, along with 1,150 square miles (3,000 sq km) of gill nets, 29,000 square miles (75,000 sq km) of purse seine nets, 25 million pots and traps and almost 14 billion longline hooks. Lost fishing gear is a major environmental threat as lost nets become so-called ghost nets as they continue to catch fish, and fishing equipment will also break down into microplastics as it degrades in the sea. The report stated that incentives could be used to reduce the amount of lost gear. These could include buyback schemes for fishing gear reaching the end of its life to prevent it from being dumped at sea and waste receptacles at ports to encourage fishing gear to be disposed of responsibly. Read the full article by clicking here.
‘Fishless’ seafood set to grow in popularity: An article in this month’s Guardian predicted that imitation seafood made out of plants could be set for a rapid rise in popularity in the US market. Although plant-based seafood currently accounts for only around 0.1 per cent of US seafood sales, two companies have made significant financial investments in this type of food in anticipation of its popularity rising rapidly. These include the San Diego-based BlueNalu and Wildtype. The companies have raised $84.6m (£74.8m) and $100m (£88.4m) respectively, with Wildtype receiving investments from Hollywood celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and the Footprint Coalition, a fund set up by Robert Downey Jr which aims to raise money to address the planet’s environmental challenges. It is believed that plant-based imitation seafood will provide a solution to overfishing and the environmental damage that most types of commercial fishing cause. The companies both create cell-cultivated seafood which is grown indoors with the taste, texture and nutritional content all able to be optimised. This means that the imitation seafood which is produced can be cooked and prepared like traditional seafood. However, while the market for such seafood is potentially huge, there are concerns that consumers will not take to food which is grown in a lab, and the price may remain so high that it will not be able to replace wild-caught seafood in much of the developing world. Wildtype’s co-founder Aryé Elfenbein was quoted in the Guardian as saying that his company’s products may not entirely replace wild-caught seafood immediately, but they would help the transition to cell-based imitation seafood. He said: “Fish farms recognize that their current practices need to change and commercial fishing operations know something needs to change … Our role is to assist with that transition – that’s really what we’re there for.” Click here to read the full article in the Guardian.
Sunfish is the largest bony fish ever discovered: A sunfish which was found dead in waters off an island in the Azores has been confirmed as the largest bony fish ever discovered. The bump-head sunfish (Mola alexandrini) weighed 6,049lbs (2,744kg) and was 10.6ft long and almost 12ft in height. The sunfish was found dead off Faial Island with a mark on its body which may have been caused by collision with a boat, although it is unclear whether this was the cause of death or happened after the sunfish died. The discovery was made last year, although confirmation of the size of the sunfish was only made public this month. Read more about this story by clicking here.
Fisherman fined for taking prohibited shellfish: A north east fisherman has pleaded guilty to breaking national fisheries legislation and Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) byelaws at North Shields Magistrates Court this month. The Northumberland Gazette reported that Neil Priestly, owner of the fishing vessel Mary May landed his catch at Seahouses Harbour where it was inspected by fisheries officers. They found prohibited shellfish or their commercially valuable parts, as well as catch that had been concealed from officers during an initial inspection. The catch broke national and regional legislation which is designed to protect stocks. The Northumberland Gazette stated that the court imposed penalties of £6,764 for the landing of egg-bearing lobsters, parts of the lobsters and detached crab claws. A further £3,079 fine was imposed for failing to send accurate information to the NIFCA in addition to a victim surcharge of £190 and court cost of £2,914. Nick Weir of the NIFCA said: “The protection of juvenile shellfish, breeding stocks and the accurate reporting of catch and effort are crucial to the fishery and NIFCA will vigorously pursue any individual or company that disregards regulations. “Fishing for shellfish in Northumberland is vitally important to commercial fishers who currently have well documented and publicised pressures on their industry, especially around the Farne Islands and Holy Island where Mr Priestley fishes.” Read more on this story here.
New scientific research reveals eel migration mystery: The lifecycle of the silver eel has puzzled scientists for centuries, but new research has finally confirmed the species’ migratory patterns. Scientists believed that silver eels swim from Europe to the Sargasso Sea (which is part of the Atlantic Ocean) to spawn, but there has never been any direct evidence to prove this. But now a research project has fitted eels with satellite tags and tracked their movements, finally confirming that they do indeed swim to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce. Ros Wright, who led the research for the Environment Agency, told the BBC “This is the first time we’ve been able to track eels to the Sargasso Sea and we are delighted we have the first direct evidence of adult European eels reaching their spawning area … Their journey will reveal information about eel migration that has never been known before.” The research was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports. Silver eels are classed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with numbers decreasing by more than 90 per cent across Europe in recent decades. Overfishing and illegal fishing, pollution and barriers such as dams and weirs blocking freshwater migration paths are all contributing factors to the species decline. Read more on this story on the BBC News website here.
Scottish salmon fishing industry accused of cover-up: An investigation carried out by the charity WildFish has alleged that the Scottish salmon farming industry is using loopholes in regulations to conceal the true scale of sea lice infestations in farmed fish. Under current regulations, salmon do not need to be included in lice counts if they are just about to be harvested (killed for sale). Wildfish say that farms are using this ‘withdrawal period prior to harvesting’ to avoid sending weekly sea lice counts to the authorities. One fish farm in Orkney gave no sea lice count for twenty-five weeks, citing the ‘withdrawal period prior to harvesting’ as the reason for not doing so. Dr Matt Palmer of WildFish was quoted in the Guardian as saying: “Our report paints a shocking picture of what is happening on salmon farms in Scotland – with one in four fish dying prematurely, and sea lice parasites proliferating in huge numbers. This has a serious impact on the surrounding environment, and wild fish populations – not to mention it being at odds with the image presented publicly by the salmon farming industry.” The Scottish salmon farming industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, with many senior figures in Scottish politics supporting the expansion. However, as the industry has grown the issues associated with open-water salmon farming, such as parasite infestations, pollution and high levels of mortality, have become more prevalent. This has led to conservationists and environmentalists calling for a halt to the industry’s expansion. Read more on this story by clicking here.
US competition angler caught cheating: A cheating scandal in a US fishing competition has made international headlines this month. Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky looked set to win the $30,000 (£26,231) top prize at the Lake Erie Walleye Trail fishing tournament in Ohio with a catch of walleye fish (also known as yellow pike). However, other anglers – who had all paid to enter the competition – complained when Runyan and Cominsky’s five fish weighed 34lb instead of the expected 16lb. It was also noted that the fish were misshapen and bulging, and when they were cut open lead weights were found inside of them. Jason Fischer, the director of the competition was quoted as saying that evidence had been turned over to law enforcement. Ohio wildlife officers later confirmed that there were preparing a report on the incident. Questions are now being asked about the three victories which the pair recorded in different competitions earlier this year. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Seabed dredged in protected Scottish marine reserve: A row erupted this month when a supposedly protected area of seabed in a Scottish marine protected zone was dredged by a commercial vessel. The area is known as the Small Isles Marine Protected Area and was established around the islands of Canna and Mull in 2014. The area was given protection due to the presence of pink maerl, fan mussels and a large breeding colony of black guillemots. Despite this protected status commercial fishing can still take place within the zone with a scallop dredger – which gathers shellfish by dragging heavy metal rakes across the seabed – operating in the area recently. Greenpeace has gathered footage showing the damage the dredging has caused, with photographs of the seabed stripped clear and with heavy furrow lines being carried by many media outlets. The fact that dredging is allowed within supposed MPAs has caused outrage and controversy. Phil Taylor, from the ocean protection organisation Open Seas, said: “The Small Isles has remained without any protection from the most destructive fishing methods, despite being called an MPA for over eight years and despite unequivocal evidence from the government’s own scientists saying this needs to stop. It is a shocking dereliction of duty that Scottish ministers have allowed this damage to occur.” Click here to read more on this story.
900lb tuna caught off the coast of Wales: A tuna was caught this month which is believed to be the largest fish ever caught in Welsh waters. Experienced anglers Simon Batey and friend Jason Nott caught the 900lb fish off the coast of Pembrokeshire as they were returning from fishing an area of the Irish Sea which is known as Celtic Deeps. The tuna took an hour to land and after being caught the tuna was measured and then returned. Its length was 9ft (2.8 metres) meaning it would have weighed around 900lb. The previous record catch from Welsh waters was 600lb, according to Julian Lewis Jones, the Welsh actor who is also a patron of Angling Cymru. The tuna was caught from a boat skippered by Andrew Alsop and is one of only six Welsh vessels which are licenced to catch tuna under the CHART scheme which is run by the Welsh government in conjunction with Swansea University. The catch has reignited the debate over Wales becoming a catch-and-release recreational tuna fishery, with Lewis Jones telling the BBC: “Every year we are seeing more tuna and they are returning and we want anglers to come here from all over the world. As fishermen we are guardians of the marine habitat and have a passion for conservation and the environment. We have been working with researchers at Swansea University because we want marine life to thrive.” Read more here. In related news, a large tuna was seen and pictured leaping out of the sea off the coast of Cornwall this month. The tuna was spotted near St Michael’s Mount by angler Tristan Easterbrook who was fishing for mackerel and garfish. It was estimated that the tuna was around 7ft (2.1 metres) long and weighed 300lbs. See pictures of the tuna by clicking here.
Pacific marine reserve boosts tuna numbers: A study has found that a vast area of the Pacific Ocean which has been designated as a protected marine area has led to increased numbers of tuna and other threatened species, not just within the area but also in the waters surrounding it. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii is four times larger than California, encompassing 583,000 square miles (1,510,000 sq km). It was established in 2006 and enlarged to its current size in 2016 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While fishing is banned within the zone, research published in the journal Science has found that catches made outside of the zone had increased by 8 per cent on average, with catches of commercially valuable yellowfin tuna increasing by 54 per cent. It is estimated that over 7,000 species are supported by the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, including endangered species of sea turtles, albatrosses and seals. Read the full article on the BBC website by clicking here.