Rare deepwater species caught from the shore: A rare bluemouth rockfish – a species usually found at depths of hundreds of metres – has been caught from a UK beach. Steve Mayes was fishing at New Brighton, Merseyside when he caught the fish. While bluemouth rockfish are relatively common in very deep waters they are exceptionally rare in shallow water. Mr Mayes said that he attempted to return the fish to the sea and said: “I am hoping it made it and is still swimming around our Mersey but we’ll never know. I couldn’t wait to tell the lads and post it on our local sea fishing groups.” Read more by clicking here.
Anglers asked to kill invasive pink salmon: Anglers have been asked to humanely kill and then report any pink salmon which are caught in the UK. Pink salmon were introduced into Russia in the 1960s from the Pacific where they naturally occur. They have since spread across Europe and have colonised Norwegian rivers and are also found in Germany, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. In the UK they are mostly found in Scotland, especially in the highlands. Their unusual two-year life cycle means that they are more common in odd-numbered years, with the highest number recorded being in 2021 when 169 were found across Scotland. There are fears that the pink salmon could outcompete native salmon for food and take over Scottish rivers as they have in Norway. The Scottish authorities have told anglers that any pink salmon which are caught by anglers should not be returned to the water and instead humanely killed and reported to Fisheries Management Scotland. Click here to read more.
Scottish government urged to scrap Highly Protected Marine Areas: The Scottish government is coming under pressure to scrap its flagship plans to protect 10 per cent of Scottish seas through its plans for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). Set to be in place by 2026, HPMAs will see almost all human activities which impact the marine environment being prohibited. This will include both commercial and recreational fishing, even if the latter is carried out on a catch-and-release basis only. Seaweed harvesting, seabed mining and the laying of undersea cables would also be banned. Swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving would be permitted on a managed basis. The plans for HPMAs are part of the Bute House Agreement which brings the SNP into power with the Scottish Greens, with both parties saying they are committed to the HPMA scheme. However, commercial fishermen have criticised the plans for HPMAs, saying that they could devastate their industry. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) has said that HPMAs would have a “catastrophic effect” on commercial fishing in Scotland, with Elspeth Macdonald, the SFF’s chief executive, saying that the scheme was “politically driven” and the Scottish government need to have a “radical rethink” on HPMAs. On the other hand, conservation groups have said that the HPMA plans do not go far enough, with the Our Seas coalition – which includes the National Trust for Scotland, representatives of anglers, conservation and tourism groups and sustainable fishing firms, calling for a more comprehensive system of HPMAs. The Scottish National Party appears to be split on the issue. Former leadership candidate Kate Forbes has said that she still backed scrapping HPMAs and has worked with other MSPs to pass an amendment to the legislation which will mean that HPMAs will not be imposed on communities which “vehemently” oppose them. The Scottish government said that another consultation would be held next year and that no HPMA sites had yet to be identified. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Endangered shad beginning to return to River Severn: A project to allow endangered shad to migrate along the River Severn has been proven to be a success, with results of a survey showing that the species was returning to its spawning grounds along the river. Shad numbers have been decreasing for decades due to the species’ migratory routes being blocked by dams, weirs and sluice gates being built across rivers. The Unlocking the Severn project, a collaboration between the Canal and River Trust, Environment Agency, Severn Rivers Trust and Natural England, aims to stop this by creating fish passes and removing unnecessary barriers to migration. An underwater fish-viewing gallery has also been created, allowing members of the public to view the shad as they swim through the passes. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Fin whale washes up on Yorkshire beach: A huge fin whale which washed up and died on a beach in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, has been removed after it became a “tourist attraction” according to Sky News. The whale was 17 metres (55ft) long and was estimated to weigh between 25 and 30 tons. It was observed struggling in the water and was then found dead on the beach a few days later. Council workers set up a cordon around the whale and urged people to stay away for “health reasons” but as people continued to come to the beach to see the dead whale the council hired contractors to move the whale to an undisclosed lactation away from the beach and dispose of it. Read more on this story by clicking here. A few days after this story broke further news emerged of another large whale dying after washing up on a Welsh beach. A female sperm whale was found in an area known as Hell’s Mouth in Gwynedd, and was described as being around 10 metres (33ft) long and weighing around 10 tons, but was very underweight and malnourished. People were told to stay away from the carcass while plans were made for it to be removed and an autopsy carried out on it. Read more here.
Another smalltooth sand tiger shark found: In March a smalltooth sand tiger shark washed up on a beach in Hampshire, the first time the species had ever been recorded in British waters. The following month another washed up on a beach in Ireland and now a third has been found by a commercial fisherman off the coast of Dorset. Barry Trevett was fishing out of Lyme Regin when he found the shark, which was already dead, floating on the surface of the water. Trevett retained the shark and it was eventually given to the Zoological Society of London. It is believed that this shark died naturally, although it is not known why a species which is normally found in the warmer waters of the equator has begun turning up in British and Irish waters. Click here to read more on this story.
Arrests made in illegal eel exporting investigation: Police have made twenty-seven arrests after a two-year-long, Europe-wide investigation concluded. Police from Spain, Belgium, Portugal and France worked with Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office to make the arrests. They believe that four tons of European silver eels have been illegally exported to Asia between 2021 and the start of this year, generating a profit of more than one million euros. An additional 1.5 tons of contraband eels were recovered when the arrests were made. European silver eel is classed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and it is currently illegal to export the species outside of the European Union. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Thousands of new species found in areas earmarked for seabed mining: New research has shown that an area of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico which could soon be the scene of seabed mining is home to 5,000 new species. Scientists have calculated that the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico is home to 5,578 species and between 88 and 92 per cent are new to science. These include new species of arthropods, marine worms, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and carnivorous sea sponges. However, the International Seabed Authority, which regulates deep-sea mining, is set to give the go-ahead for 745,000 square miles of the CCZ to be mined from July. Prominent figures such as Sir David Attenborough have called for plans for deep-sea mining to be halted due to the damage it would cause to fragile marine environments. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Extremely rare rainbow sea slug found in rockpool: A rainbow sea slug has been found in a rockpool in Falmouth, the first time the species has been found along the shoreline of the UK. The species, which has the scientific name Babakina anadoni, is known for its bright pink, purple and orange colours and is usually found in the warmer waters of France, Spain and Portugal in Europe and on the other side of the Atlantic in South American and Caribbean waters. Rainbow sea slugs have been seen in British waters a few times before, but this has been offshore by snorkellers and divers, and this marks the first time they have been found along the shoreline anywhere in the UK. Read more here.