Significant rise in number of Portuguese Man O’ War jellyfish: A warning has been issued after the number of Portuguese Man O’ War jellyfish-like creatures increased over the last year across the UK. While they look like jellyfish, Portuguese Man O’ Wars are actually a colony of individual creatures which are incapable of independent life. They are usually found in warmer waters around the equator but appear to be increasing their range around the UK, extending from Cornwall and the south west to as far north as Cumbria. Between October 1 last year and September 30 this year 1,432 were found on UK beaches – an increase of 16 per cent. While Portuguese Man O’ Wars have an attractive purpley/pinky/blue colouration which often attracts inquisitive beachgoers, they are highly dangerous as the tentacles – which can reach 20 metres in length – contain harpoon-shaped stinging cells which can deliver a powerful toxin. This can cause excruciating pain, and the tentacles retain their sting long after the Portuguese Man O’ War has been washed up on a beach and died. Read more here. In another jellyfish-related story, the BBC reported this week that thousands of jellyfish were found washed up dead across the coast of Cornwall this month. Thousands of mauve stingers, a species which can deliver a powerful sting to humans, were found across Carne Beach. Becks Allen, of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, told the BBC that it was “a fairly unprecedented number of washed-up jellyfish” and it was believed that a sudden cold snap may have killed the jellyfish, click here to read the full BBC News article.
Scottish fishermen warn over quota cuts: Scottish fishermen have warned that cuts to their quotas of cod could bring the industry “to its knees.” ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) has proposed cuts in catches of North Sea cod in order to protect stocks due to predicted increased mortality. Whether or not this goes ahead will be decided at talks held in Brussels between the UK, EU and Norway next month. Mike Park, the chief executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association, told STV News: “Cod is a commercially important stock for us. For every thousand tonnes caught that’s worth £4 million to the fleet. The data we’re now looking at has gone from a 38 per cent reduction to a 50 per cent reduction, which is a big change … we have to be careful because it could bring the sector to its knees.” A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “We take our responsibility to balance the competing pressures on the marine environment seriously and will, as always seek to deliver the best outcome for Scotland’s fishing industry.” Read more by clicking here.
Strange sea creature spotted on UK beach: A rare and unusual sea creature was spotted on a Sussex beach this month. A sea mouse is a species of marine polychaete worm which has the scientific name Aphrodita aculeata. Usually found on the seabed at great depths, sea mouses can be found on beaches after they are washed there by storms or bad weather. This sea mouse was found moving slowly through the sand in the intertidal zone by members of Sussex Wildlife Trust and was released back into the sea after being filmed. Read more and see pictures by clicking here.
Billingsgate fish market set to close: London’s famous Billingsgate fish market is set to close in 2028. The market in Poplar, East London has been in business for 850 years. But the City of London Corporation’s decision to withdraw support means that Billingsgate market will now close, along with Smithfield meat market which is located next to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Traders have been offered compensation and support to find a new site. Billingsgate is the UK’s largest inland fish market, with 25,000 tons of fish and related products passing through every year. It is believed that the site will be used for housing. Read more here.
Killer whale ‘salmon hat’ mystery returns: Killer whales off the coast of Washington State have been seen with dead salmon on their heads, reviving a decades-long mystery. In 1987 a killer whale in the area was first observed on the surface with a dead salmon on its head. This was soon dubbed as a ‘salmon hat’ and the behaviour spread with many killer whales around the area also sporting dead salmon on their heads. However, after a year the killer whales abruptly ceased the behaviour. Now, killer whales in the area have been sighted once again with dead salmon on their heads. This has left scientists baffled as there does not appear to be any purpose served for the killer whales having the salmon on their heads. Furthermore, why the killer whales restarted this behaviour after a thirty-seven-year gap remains unexplained. Read more by clicking here.
EU criticised over attempts to stop sandeel ban: The European Union has been criticised for calling for arbitration over the UK’s proposed ban on sandeel fishing. The ban would see industrial-scale fishing for sandeel being prohibited in British waters due to the impact that removing the small fish species has on marine ecosystems, as sandeels are a key food source for many fish species as well as marine mammals and seabirds. The ban is set to come into force in March 2025, but Danish fishermen (whose fishing industry catches the majority of European sandeels) are being backed by the EU in claiming that the ban breaches the Brexit deal signed between the EU and UK. This is seen by environmental groups as a way of preventing the ban from being implemented. The RSPB’s director of conservation Katie-Jo Luxton told the Express: “The EU’s decision flies in the face of its commitment to protect and restore marine ecosystems … It is a scandalous attempt to reverse a hard-won victory for under-pressure seabirds like puffins and kittiwakes, as well as the many other marine species that depend on sandeels.” Read more here.
Skate ‘rams’ fishing boat: A video has emerged this month showing a skate ‘ramming’ an angler’s rigid inflatable boat. Paul Hutchison was fishing off the Shetland Island of Muckle Roe when the flapper skate swam upwards and rammed the boat twice, leaving its teeth (or possibly spines) embedded in the boat and piercing the rubber, forcing Hutchison to return to port. Writing on social media (and quoted in the Scotsman), Hutchison said: “I saw a skate chomping into the tubes of the rib, and with a big hiss I realised it was actually attacking the boat and had badly punctured it, so I had to make a hasty retreat back to the marina with a rapidly deflating boat. On inspection of the boat, it had bitten into the tubes about six times, leaving dozens of teeth.” Anglers have been warned not to try and locate and catch the skate, which is a critically endangered species. Click here to read more.
Scientists claim that crabs and lobsters feel pain: New research has shown that crustaceans feel pain, leading to calls for change in how they are killed and cooked. Eleftherios Kasiouras, a PhD student at the University of Gothenburg, attached electrodes to the central nervous system of crabs and applied electric shocks to the soft tissue of crabs. This caused an increase in brain activity in the crabs, but this was not seen when the crabs were subjected to non-painful stimuli. This has led to calls for crabs and lobsters – which are often killed by being submerged in boiling water – to be dispatched more humanely. Read more by clicking here.