Marine News Roundup

Welcome to this week's Marine News Roundup... As ever, please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

Rare turtle turns up in Auckland waters

A Department of Conservation ranger has rescued an endangered olive ridley turtle from a south Auckland beach. The stranded turtle was found floating in the water at Kariotahi Beach, on the Awhitu Peninsula near Waiuku, by a local resident while she was horse riding. The turtle is an adult male and there are no signs of external injury. Marine scientist Dan Godoy says the turtle had goose barnacles on its shell which indicated it had been floating for sometime and was unable to dive for food. "That's usually due to an illness that could be caused by the ingestion of marine debris such as plastic." Godoy says the turtle will be x-rayed and that will show whether it is the victim of marine pollution.

Humpback whale numbers are increasing but so are strandings

The annual Humpback whale migration begins in May as the mammals make their way up the West Australian coast from the food-rich Southern Ocean to breeding grounds in warm northern waters. But, experts say an increasing number are not surviving the journey. Of the 14 Humpback whales to die along WA's coast already this season, most have been young. The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) says calfs are showing signs of malnutrition. There has been a marked increase in sick and dying Humpback whales in recent years. The reason for the increase in deaths could also simply be because of a growing population. The DEC and a team of researchers from Murdoch University have begun taking blubber samples from a number of the dead whales to try to find out why they are dying. Whales are sensitive to their environment and when there is an imbalance, they can act as an early warning sign.

Divers pal up with friendly dolphin Billy
A friendly dolphin has been playing with divers after turning up alone in Plymouth Sound.
Billy, as it has been nicknamed, was first spotted during a commercial diving course off Fort Bovisand on Friday. Over the weekend, Billy was spotted again in Whitsand Bay.

BBC Doc Shows Whales and Dolphins are Self-aware and Emotional
The Ocean Giants documentary showed dolphins and whales using complex thought and planning to communicate, rear their young, overcome apprehension and feed. Stephen Fry began the narration of Deep Thinkers by telling us that bottlenose dolphins have one of the biggest brains in the animal kingdom, and that they are thought to be one of the most intelligent animals. Scientists believe that we should be able to 'talk' with bottlenose dolphins within five years. The documentary showed a captive dolphins experiment. A two-way mirror had been placed in the dolphins' pool. The dolphins were shown taking a keen interest in themselves, moving their heads to look at themselves at different angles. Only humans, great apes and elephants were previously known to be so self-aware. Human babies usually take about two years to reach that level; about the same time as they learn empathy.

Cornish fisherman finds rare slipper lobster
A rare slipper lobster has been discovered by a Cornish fisherman six miles (10km) east of Falmouth. The lobster, normally found in warmer waters, is one of only a few recorded in the UK since records began back in 1758. It was caught by St Mawes fisherman John Hayse on his boat who discovered it sitting on one of his crab pots. Staff at Blue Reef Aquarium are looking after 12cm (4.7ins) long Popeye, who has orange eyes and a dark brown body. The crustacean uses specially adapted plates on its head to burrow in search of food and to escape would-be predators. Historically, records of slipper lobsters in UK waters have been extremely rare. However, in the past decade sightings have risen.

Clothing Sheds Microplastics Into Sea
Washing a fleece jacket may add to the fog of microscopic plastic floating in the oceans, according to a new study. Researchers report that the majority of these plastic particles probably washed off synthetic fabrics. Although stories of large chunks of plastic trash trapped in the guts of seabirds are devastating, most plastic pollution in the oceans takes the form of tiny, even microscopic, fragments. In the 1990s, researchers started tracking the amounts of these particles and searching for possible sources, such as the plastic beads used as scrubbing agents in face cleaners and soaps. The particles' shapes and sizes indicated they were fibers of synthetic fabrics. They found that polyester made up about three-quarters of the plastics; the rest consisted of polyamide, polypropylene, and acrylic, a composition that matches that of textiles. So the researchers analyzed the water drained from frontloading washing machines after throwing fleece jackets, blankets, and synthetic business shirts into them. In one wash cycle, they found, a single piece of clothing shed more than 1,900 tiny fibers. The scientists also determined that the chemical composition of their coastal plastic samples matched that of microscopic plastic found in treated discharge they collected from two wastewater treatment plants in Australia. They concluded that plastic fragments from synthetic fabrics most likely flow from wastewater treatment plants down to the seashore, and perhaps out to sea.

West African Fisheries Decline Steeply as Government Fails to Act
The Senegalese Maritime Economy Ministry has failed to save its country’s diminishing fish stocks. This week, it slashed the biological recovery period of commercial fisheries because of pressure from national industrial lobbyists. The recovery period is vital because it gives fish populations time to regenerate between fishing intervals. Cutting the amount of time between fishing periods means fisheries don’t have a chance to recover before being fished again. Millions of Senegalese depend on the fish caught off shore for their basic protein needs, but because the West Africans waters are becoming increasingly overfished by European trawlers. Many species, including Thiof - the traditional Senegalese delicacy - are now threatened with extinction. Greenpeace has called on the Senegalese government to reconsider its decision, and reinstate the two month moratorium on commercial fishing.

Warning over 'extremely worrying plans' to close coastguard stations
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has reiterated his condemnation of "extremely worrying plans" to close or downgrade Scottish coastguard stations. Mr Lochhead said the plans suggest any key incident involving North Sea oil platforms would be managed by senior officers in the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) which will be based in the Southampton and Portsmouth area. He said this is a departure from existing, well-established procedures which allow multi-agency teams, including MCA managers, police and oil company representatives, to be based at the Aberdeen MRCC at short notice and coordinate the response from there.

Birds Caught in Fishing Lines Dying by the Thousands
While it's no secret that keeping up with the world's demand for seafood puts terrible strain on ocean ecosystems, it turns out that fish aren't the only species feeling the pinch from overfishing. On the heels of a recent study which found that fishing nets and hooks in the U.S. kill around 4,600 sea turtles every year off the U.S. coast alone, a  new report suggests that seabirds are fairing even worse. According to researchers, the fishing industry may be responsible for inadvertently killing up to 320 thousand birds annually. And the problem is so bad, it could soon drive some bird species to extinction. Although there may be no way to ensure that birds, protected or otherwise, won't continue to be killed in fishing lines and nets, wildlife experts say that there are measures the industry can take to reduce the numbers. By making some small changes, like weighing down the nets or even just trawling at night, experts say that bird deaths could be minimized.

Scientists discover reef overfishing point
Fishermen and scientists questioning how many fish can be sustainably taken from a reef believe they've quantified the tipping point. In a report released today, researchers have demonstrated how overfishing can generate a predictable sequence of events that lead to the collapse of reef ecosystems.
It also offers targets in order to keep fisheries sustainable. As "fish biomass" - the number and weight of fish living on a reef - declines due to fishing, a number of tipping points are crossed, from which it is increasingly harder to return. The study shows that in well-protected areas, there are typically 1000 to 1500 kilograms of reef fish per hectare of coral reef. As this is reduced below 1000 kilograms, early warning signs such as increased seaweed growth and urchin activity begin to show up.
The researchers found that between 300 and 600 kilograms of fish per hectare was the "maximum sustainable yield". When fish stocks dropped below 300 kilograms/hectare the reef was in real trouble. The loss of hard corals, which had been thought of as a warning sign, was actually the last stage in the collapse of a reef, the study found.

That's it for this week - as always, please feel free to post a comment and let us know what you think!

Seychelles Shark Attack

On Tuesday 16th August, Ian Redmond, 30, from Lancashire, was fatally wounded by a shark as he snorkeled near the shore of Anse Lazio beach on the island of Praslin in the Seychelles. Mr Redmond was on honeymoon with his wife, Gemma Redmond, 27, whom he had married 10 days before. She was sunbathing on the beach when she heard his screams for help. Mr Redmond was pulled onto a small boat and brought onshore, conscious, but died at the scene from his injuries and blood loss, despite attempts to save him. The incident has been heavily reported worldwide and our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Mr Redmond was not the first tourist in the area to have been killed by shark attack recently. In the same month, 36-year-old French diver Nicolas Virolle was also fatally injured by a shark. Mrs Redmond has told the media that they had not considered that the waters were unsafe and that she had been told there were no sharks in the area. This has been disputed by authorities in the Seychelles, who say that, whilst there were no warning signs up on the beach, they had police patrolling the beach and warning tourists of the previous attack. However, they have also added that, in hindsight, they could have done more to warn people of the possible dangers of swimming in the area and could have closed the beach. It is possible that Mr Redmond's death could have been avoided if there were more obvious warnings present or the beach had in fact been closed to swimming following the death of Mr Virolle just over two weeks before.

Several species of sharks are known to inhabit the waters around the Seychelles but attacks are not common. The species of shark which killed Mr Redmond is currently unknown, but is believed to have been a Bull shark or Tiger shark. According to local media reports, the last fatal attack in the Seychelles before these latest two incidents occurred in 1963. Reports have suggested that increased pollution in the waters around the islands is attracting more sharks to the area. A large number of yachts are believed to empty their waste and sewage into the sea and sharks, which are opportunistic feeders, have moved in to take advantage of this food source. Shark expert Jeremy Cliff has warned the local authorities to close beaches as they have, "a serious problem". He believes that changes to the sharks’ environment, possibly caused by fishing methods (e.g. by fishermen discarding part of their catch in shallow water), are bringing sharks closer to the shore. He also said there could be issues with the sea bed or reef, and that changing conditions could also attract sharks.

Fatal shark attacks are uncommon worldwide, with an average of just 4.3 people being killed by shark attack each year between 2001 and 2010. The Seychelles authorities have enlisted the help of the Navy and Coastguard, as well as shark experts from South Africa, to help them catch the shark, or sharks, responsible for the latest two attacks. Seychelles fishermen have also joined in the hunt, with local businesses offering a £3,000 reward for it's capture. However, several groups, including The Global Shark Conservation Initiative and Support Our Sharks, are calling for an end to the hunt as they believe that many 'innocent' sharks may be killed in the hunt for a shark that may not be found, with several species of shark already threatened with extinction due to overfishing. Marine biologists says there are now only 10% of the sharks that were in the oceans 15-20 years ago and this is likely to have a devastating impact on the marine ecosystem.

It is clear that the reasons behind these attacks need to be investigated and improvements made within the local area to keep people safe from possible future attacks. If sharks are being encouraged into the area by discharge from boats and fishing discards, then these practices will have to be changed and new rules and legislation set in place by the authorities. We do not believe that a shark hunt aimed at capturing the "killer shark" in reaction to the recent deaths would be at all beneficial, particularly when the species of shark responsible for the deaths has not yet been determined. Sharks are important apex predators and maintain balance within the marine environment, and they are already being fished to extinction. Whilst the recent deaths have been extremely tragic, many 'innocent' sharks may be killed during the hunt in the hope that the shark responsible for the deaths is caught. Whilst the shark attacks may have a temporary affect on tourism in the area, particularly given the sensationalist reporting we have seen on the incident, the sudden removal of a large number of sharks would undoubtedly have a negative impact on the marine ecosystem in the Seychelles and this itself would impact tourism in a much larger way over a more sustained period. Whilst the authorities must be seen to be doing something, we would not encourage anyone to fish any of these already threatened species and would instead urge the authorities to look at what they can do to discourage large sharks from feeding in the local area.

If you would like to oppose the shark hunt in the Seychelles, you can sign the online petition, or alternatively use The Global Shark Conservation Initiative's 'standard letter' to write to the tourism authorities in the Seychelles.

Shark Finning

Thanks to films like 'Jaws' and sensationalist reporting by the media, many people have come to fear sharks. In truth, on average only 12 people are killed by sharks each year. More people are killed each year by falling coconuts, or by donkeys, or by being struck by lightening whilst playing golf, than by sharks. But did you know that humans are killing millions of sharks each year? Most sharks deaths are through 'finning', a topic which we will explore in this blog post. This post has also been featured on The Global Shark Conservation Initiative's website as a guest blog.

Shark finning is a process that involves the removal and retention of fins from a shark. Shark finning takes place at sea and, as shark meat is considered to be of low value (around US$650 per ton), most fishermen do not consider it worthwhile to transport the bodies. The sharks are hauled on board and the fins are removed, usually whilst the shark is still alive, with the finless body of the shark then being thrown back overboard into the sea. The shark, unable to swim, then sinks towards the bottom and dies through suffocation, blood loss, starvation, or through predation by other species.

This practice is widespread with more than 100 countries involved in the trade of shark fins, and is largely unmonitored and unmanaged. Most countries act as exporters, with the main consumer nations being mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The United States and the European Union also import significant quantities for use in their local Chinese communities. Where figures exist, they suggest that shark fin trading by Hong Kong accounts for an estimated 50% of all shark fin trading.

Shark finning is a multi-billion dollar industry and chiefly takes place due to the high demand for shark fin soup and traditional cures. Shark fin soup is considered to be an Asian delicacy and can cost as much as US$100 per bowl, with one pound of dried shark fin retailing for US$300 or more. Due to their high value, shark fins are highly prized by fishermen. Consequently, much of the shark fin trade is illegal and often involves organised crime. The trading of shark fins has even been used as a way to launder drug money. The only thing in the world more lucrative than the shark fin industry is the illegal drugs trade.

The increasing demand for fins for shark fin soup, coupled with improved fishing methods and improved market economics, has led to an increase in the number of sharks killed each year. Studies of shark fin markets in Hong Kong have shown that the number of sharks represented is three to four times greater than shark catch figures reported to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). This suggests that much of the shark fin trade is “off the books” of the world’s legal fisheries. Upper estimates suggest that as many as 73 million sharks are caught and finned each year. That’s three sharks every second!

In addition to its rather barbaric nature, shark finning presents several problems. It is a hugely wasteful practice, with the wet fins accounting for less than 5% of the total of a shark’s body weight. The discarded carcasses could provide a valuable protein source, particularly in developing countries. Shark fishing is also an unsustainable fishery. Shark populations decline rapidly when targeted by fisheries as sharks grow slowly, mature late and give birth to few large pups after a long gestation period. Populations recover slowly, if at all, when fished. Shark finning is indiscriminate as any sharks are taken, regardless of species, size or age. Sharks are often caught on longlines, which are the most significant cause of loss to shark populations worldwide. As a result, sharks are now at threat from over-fishing and this is pushing many shark species to the brink of extinction. Since the 1970s, the populations of several species have been decimated by over 95%. Experts estimate that most species of shark will be lost within a decade because of longlining. Sharks are apex predators and scavengers and maintain balance within the marine ecosystem. They play an important role in eliminating diseased and genetically-defective animals and help to stabilise fish populations. The loss of sharks threatens the stability of the marine environment, and also threatens the socio-economically important recreational fisheries.

Shark finning is illegal in several countries and is contrary to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s International Plan for the Management of Sharks. Many areas try to regulate fishing fleets by a fin-to-carcass weight ratio, with several stipulating that fins must arrive in a 5% weight ratio of the shark carcasses on board. Only a few countries demand that sharks arrive in port with fins attached. However, weak legislation and ineffective enforcement often undermines these regulations and fishing fleets routinely ignore them. International seas are largely un-policed and the enforcement of shark finning regulations is sorely lacking worldwide. The high value of shark fins further encourages the exploitation of regulatory loopholes.

Some organisations have called for a complete ban on shark finning on the grounds that it is an inhumane practice, fins provide no flavour or nutrition to shark fin soup (which is commonly flavoured with pork or chicken) and have been shown to contain dangerously high levels of mercury poison, and shark fishing is decimating shark populations with unknown consequences for the marine environment. Government bodies are starting to listen, with California currently awaiting the result of the AB376 Shark Fin Ban Bill. This Bill would ban the possession, trade and sale of shark fins in the State of California. There has been opposition to a complete ban though, with some arguing that it would unfairly target certain cultures. A complete ban would also be difficult to regulate and enforce, with most shark fishing taking place on the high seas. Even if fishermen land the entire shark in compliance with shark finning laws (rather than removing the fins and discarding the bodies at sea), the shark meat is not always marketable and is often sold as fertiliser or for animal feed.

The core issue is that sharks are being fished at an unsustainable rate. Work is being done by many organisations to change public opinion towards shark fishing and therefore reduce demand for shark fins and meat. For example, Sea Shepherd Singapore is running a campaign aimed at decreasing the number of couples offering shark fin soup at their weddings. A successful petition has recently seen the Food Network stop promoting shark meat on its website and network. The AB376 Bill is still being discussed by the Senate Committee in California. Not enough is known about marine ecology to understand what impact the loss of so many sharks will bring about, but there will be consequences. It has become overwhelmingly clear that we must act, and act quickly, to prevent the loss of entire shark species from our oceans.

There are many campaigns worldwide that you can get involved with, if you too are concerned about the future of sharks. If you would like to know more about sharks, shark finning and what you can do to help, why not check out the links below for further information.

http://www.sharksavers.org/
http://www.sharktrust.org/
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/
http://sharkalliancepetition.org/
Petition to ban the use, sale and import of shark fin products in the UK
Information on the successful petition to the Food Network
Update on the AB376 Bill