The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition today called on the German government to lead the effort at European Council to phase-out deep-sea bottom trawling in the Northeast Atlantic to protect the biologically rich areas of the deep-sea in European waters.
Continue reading DSCC urges Germany to champion deep-sea conservation in Northeast Atlantic
DSCC urges UK to champion deep-sea conservation in Northeast Atlantic
The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition today called on the UK government to lead the effort at European Council to phase-out deep-sea bottom trawling in the Northeast Atlantic to protect the biologically rich areas of the deep-sea in European waters.
Continue reading New findings: Deep-sea bottom trawling represents a major threat to the ecosystem
Source: Science Daily
A study led by scientists from the Polytechnic University of Marche (Ancona, Italy) involving researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM, CSIC) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), has determined that fishing trawling causes intensive, long-term biological desertification of the sedimentary seabed ecosystems, diminishing their content in organic carbon and threatening their biodiversity.
Continue reading Ocean fishing: Bottom trawling causes deep-sea biological desertification
Source: NOAA Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries zoologist and deep-water corals expert Martha Nizinski explores the little-known ecosystems of the continental shelf.
Source: The Fish Site
PORTUGAL – Trawling’s impacts on marine ecosystems can be assessed using simple metrics which characterise easy-to-obtain samples of fish, new research suggests. The Portuguese study shows that groups of fish become dominated by fewer species as fishing intensity increases, while their total biomass declines. Moreover, in the most fished areas there were other noteworthy changes, such as substantial reductions in the proportion of sharks and rays. Bottom trawling, a form of fishing which involves dragging nets along the seafloor, can have devastating effects on marine life. The heavy equipment used to hold the net open can damage habitats, changing the structure and function of these sensitive environments.
Continue reading Seafloor trawling’s ecological impacts revealed
Source: Scientific Reports
The expansion of fishing activities into deeper waters1 is unquestionably one of the principal threats to the world’s ocean health2. Most deep-sea fisheries are unsustainable not only for target species but also for non-target fauna and their habitats3. Unless some radical changes in governance and management are being made4, damages to deep-sea ecosystems will soon be irreversible. The United Nations have recognized this issue and has urged governments and Regional Fishery Management Organizations to assess the impact of deep-sea fisheries on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), particularly on cold-water coral ecosystems5. To reach this goal, impact assessments of different types of deep-sea fishing gear and of specific fishery are urgently needed6.
Continue reading Deep-water longline fishing has reduced impact on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems
Spain, the main European Member State involved in deep-sea fisheries, holds major responsibility to protect these vulnerable ecosystems
Source: New York Times
Author: Daniel Pauly
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Some 120 years ago, fleets of trawlers, each with a crew of dozens, would steam into the open sea, having depleted the coastal fishing grounds around the British Isles. They caught several tons a day, mostly big fish — cod measuring one and half meters, huge flatfish of 3 meters, and many more. Today, vessels plying the North Atlantic catch a few kilograms of small fish — cod just 30 centimeters long and tiny flatfish.
Source: The UC Santa Barbara Current
Author: James Badham
You have probably heard that wild fish are in peril around the world, and that in some places their populations are in precipitous decline. That is particularly true on the high seas, or international waters.
Continue reading Could Closing the High Seas to Fishing Save Migratory Fish?
Thessalonika, Greece – Today a joint statement committing to adopt measures to tackle global fleet overcapacity was signed by the EU and major fishing nations including the United States, Japan, Colombia, Philippines and Indonesia.
Continue reading DSCC welcomes an international call to combat global fleet overcapacity
