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This week in ocean news,
...the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas approved next year's Atlantic tuna quotas, disappointing conservationists who say that only a complete closure of the fishery will allow the great fish to avoid collapse.
...scientists recommended a lower pollock quota this year in the North Pacific fishery, the largest in the U.S., as the population still struggles to rebound. Spawning levels are at their lowest in 30 years.
...in Japan, scientists photographed a juvenile coelacanth for the first time. Long thought to be extinct, these ancient creatures were rediscovered in the early 20th century and little is known about them.
...the U.S. Senate's Commerce, Science and Transporation Committee passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, which would require all sharks be landed whole in the U.S. and eliminate loopholes that allowed the transfer of fins at sea in order to get around shark finning laws. The vote brought the Act one major step closer to becoming law.
Ted Danson, "TV's Silver Fox"
We're all big fans of Ted Danson here at Oceana, and we definitely appreciate all he's done as a dedicated Oceana board member. Still, it's pretty cool to see Ted get some outside validation - today from Salon.com in its own version of People's Sexiest Man Alive.
That's right, Salon has named Ted as one of its Sexiest Men Living, calling him "TV's silver fox." Salon notes Ted's impressive turns on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Damages" and "Bored to Death," calling him "this year's Alec Baldwin."
I'd like to add suave oceans savior to Ted's list of accomplishments. Congrats Ted!
ICCAT Disappoints Again
To the surprise of no one, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) failed again this year to adequately protect Atlantic bluefin tuna. Last week, ICCAT met in Brazil to set the 2010 quotas for the critically endangered bluefin tuna, and several of Oceana's scientists and campaigners were present.
Shark Week and Mad Men
Since it's Shark Week, I want to take this opportunity to remind you about our new shark campaign PSAs featuring January Jones. Filmed and photographed in the Bahamas, January reminds you that humans kill tens of millions of sharks every year and that you should be scared for sharks, not of them.
Now allow me to take off my sensible conservationist cap and put on my fangirl pillbox hat and point your attention to the new, sprawling Vanity Fair feature on Mad Men, starring January and the hunky Jon Hamm. "Don and Betty's Paradise Lost" features all the kinds of behind-the-scenes chatter that fans of meticulous drama feast on, plus luscious set photography by Annie Leibovitz.
Sharks as Serial Killers? Try Again
Another summer, another season of shark hysteria in the media.
The Monday morning news cycle is all abuzz with a new study that likens great white sharks to serial killers.
"Great white sharks hunt just like Hannibal Lector," proclaims the Associated Press.
"STUDY SHOWS SHARKS LEARN FROM PREVIOUS KILLS AND DEVELOP AN M.O.," shrieks the New York Post.
"Great whites aren't just floating around there in the water waiting for some nature documentarians to come around and record them snapping up stray seals that happen to wander by. They are sitting in dank basements, chain-smoking, watching snuff films, and making creepy, obsessive collages of pretty seal co-eds while sharpening their incisors," reports Gawker.
Whale Sharks Lack Variation
In an ambitious research project, geneticists from the University of Illinois took DNA samples from 68 whale sharks from around the world - and found that the giant fish shared very similar genetic codes.
The findings have two implications for the sharks: first, that their numbers are dwindling, causing offspring to lose genetic diversity, and second, that whale sharks must be protected worldwide in order to recover to a healthy population level since they interbreed across the globe.
These gentle giants, which grow up to 50 feet in length and feed on plankton, are especially vulnerable to overfishing because they reproduce only after turning 25 or more years old, and then breed infrequently. Unfortunately, whale sharks are sometimes killed for shark fin soup.
The IUCN Red List categorizes whale sharks as "threatened," but the truth is that not much is known about the species' population size. This new study is a critical step in understanding a little-known fish.
Oceana's Mike Hirshfield, Opinion Leader
The Washington Post reported this morning that the confirmation of two top scientists to the Obama administration is on hold, thanks to the political machinations of a senator who, according to the Post, "is using the holds as leverage to get Senate leaders' attention for a matter related to Cuba rather than questioning the nominees' credentials."
That's the good news, at least, as the two scientists in question - marine biologist Jane Lubchenco and physicist John Holdren - have been hailed as excellent choices for the administration by conservation groups, with Oceana particularly enamored of Lubchenco as the new head of NOAA and therefore America's fisheries.
The Washington Post turned to Oceana's own Mike Hirshfield, chief scientist and senior vice president for North America, for reaction. Here's what he said:
"Climate change damages our oceans more every day we fail to act. We need these two supremely qualified individuals on the job yesterday."
Well said, Mike. Let's hope political maneuvering doesn't continue to delay these important appointments.
Another Freaky Fish
Speaking of freaky fish, here's another one to add to the list of potential nominees for our annual contest: the newly discovered yawning fish.
Ok, so this member of the frogfish family isn't totally new - divers first documented it a year ago. But it's just now been confirmed as a new species by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (that's people who study fish, amphibians and reptiles).
This new species could be their mascot, given its chimera-like appearance.
The freaky fish has leg-like fins and eyes on the front of its head, suggesting bifocal vision like humans, plus an exaggerated frowning mouth that gapes open in its signature yawn.
And in a video posted by the Christian Science Monitor, the fish doesn't seem like much of a swimmer, bumping from coral to coral like a pinball. You have to wonder how it spent so many years undetected with its wild coloration and less than smooth moves.
Track Your Seafood
One of the things I have found frustrating about ocean conservation is that most people don't think twice about the fish on their plate. Take canned tuna. Much like ground beef, it's comprised of many tuna fish mixed together, potentially from locations across the globe. It mystifies the meat and makes it very difficult for people to imagine that it ever came from a real fish in a real ecosystem.
That's why I was excited to see a pilot program called Pacific Fish Trax in Oregon that could end the mystery of where your fish comes from. Just swipe a barcode at the grocery store, and you can watch a video of the fisherman who caught your tuna and see a map of the spot where the fish was snagged.
It all sounds pretty cool, and I hope the pilot program is a huge success. Among revelations that even fancy restaurants aren't selling the fish they claim they're selling, a little transparency could be a great thing.
Good Tidings for Right Whales
CNN has a terrific story about this year's crop of right whales, among the most endangered animals on earth. Just an estimated 400 of these massive creatures still live off the U.S. Atlantic coast, and they sometimes get struck by ships or tangled in lobster trap lines.
But there seems to be good news: This year's crop of right whale calves is the largest ever recorded, with at least 32 new whales spotted by a bevy of scientists in prop planes and volunteers at lookout points on beaches.
It's really a great story, so head on over and check it out.
