Read on for the latest aquatic news and find out how you can help our oceans.
|
Fish and climate change
It's little surprise that climate change affects fish and aquatic life. For the last two years, Pacific coastal waters have endured abnormally high sea surface temperatures. As a result of warmer waters, observable shifts in the distribution of marine life were seen all along the coast. Tropical species such as jumbo squid, mackerel, and sunfish, were found in higher frequency than normal along the coast of British Columbia. Pacific salmon, meanwhile, returned to the Fraser River nearly a month late and smaller than average. These irregularities, and others, are likely a product of having to travel further north to find enough food.
In 2004, the Fraser River registered record high temperatures and the migrating adult sockeye salmon population saw losses of more than a million fish before they reached spawning grounds. Scientific research shows these climate-related impacts will occur with greater frequency and severity in the near future.
All the more reason that Canada must stay in the Kyoto Protocol, commit to deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions over the next generation and invest in salmon management that can help the fish survive climate change.
For more details, check out fishclimate.ca.
|
Did you know that the male barnacle quite possibly has the largest penis, proportionate to its body size, in the animal kingdom.
It reaches out of the shell and transfers its sperm to the female.
After fertilization, the female barnacle broods its eggs until they hatch as small cypris larvae, which swim until they are ready to settle head-down on a suitable surface. |
Conservation Plan for the Great Bear Rainforest
This month's announced conservation plan for British Columbia's central and north coast is a critical step towards protecting one of Canada's most ecologically important areas. The plan lays out a protected areas strategy for the region known as the Great Bear Rainforest and commits government, industry, First Nations and environmental groups to continue working towards more sustainable logging practices in the area.
For more information on this important announcement, visit: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Fisheries/News_Releases/
Beam me up: Boston Legal
The BC salmon farming debate took to the courts in the Broughton archipelago, with Denny Crane (William Shatner) and his legal partner Alan Shore (James Spader), in an October episode of ABC’s Boston Legal. Shatner and Spader fly-fished and even read from a book co-authored by DSF’s own Otto Langer. Spader captured the stakes in one comment: “once they (the salmon) are gone - they are gone!”
Ingredients for Extinction?
In late 2005, the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) began an add campaign alerting salmon consumers to the perils of choosing farmed salmon versus wild salmon. Part of the campaign encouraged concerned consumers to let Safeway know they have a responsibility to encourage their salmon suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices. The weight of evidence from published science is hard to dismiss – sea lice from salmon farms are killing wild salmon. Here’s hoping Safeway listens.
For more information, visit Farmed and Dangerous.
Good question
So how can I tell if a fish is farmed or not?
Being marked “fresh” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wild. But you can tell a great deal by the species:
- Atlantic Salmon are farmed
- Chinook (aka Spring) and Coho – might be farmed or might be wild. About 25 per cent of BC’s farmed salmon are Chinook or Coho, and Coho is farmed in Chile, although primarily for export to Japan.
- Sockeye, Chum and Pink are wild.
Have a question for the marine team? Simply e-mail: marine@davidsuzuki.org
Smart seafood
Confused about which type of fish to choose at your favourite restaurant or grocery store? We can help you make an informed decision.
Rockfish (sometimes sold as: Red Snapper or Yellow eye). These fish can live to be more than 100 years old, and are not reproductively mature until their late teens. They are often caught by trawling methods destructive to ocean floor habitats and are taken in by fisheries that have problems with bycatch. These fish are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and their stock status is poorly understood.
Pacific Black Cod (e.g. Sablefish). Sablefish, found only in the north Pacific, have buttery flesh. Most of the U.S. and Canadian catch is exported to Japan where it is prized for sushi. In B.C., most Sablefish are caught using traps suspended deep in the water on long lines. Meanwhile, most Sablefish fisheries on the Pacific coast outside of B.C. almost exclusively use hooks or trawlers to catch these fish. The trap method of Sablefish fishing is considered to be a sustainable one – the rate of bycatch is very low and it does not harm ocean bottom habitats. Because the populations are abundant and the fishery is well managed, British Columbia sablefish are the best choice, with Alaskan sablefish a good alternative.
For more information on these and other species, click here.
To unsubscribe, please click here.
Read about the David Suzuki Foundation's new vision for Canada: Sustainability within a generation
---------------------------
Please forward this message to family and friends, and encourage them to sign up for free e-updates from the David Suzuki Foundation.
----------------------------
----------------------------
The David Suzuki Foundation values your privacy and does not sell or trade email addresses. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
----------------------------
To unsubscribe, please click here.
