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Industry Newsletter June 2010
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Greetings
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In this issue we update you with information on World Ocean Day, and discuss the recent media flurry around krill oil supplements, sharkfin legislation in Hawaii, and the most recent impacts of the oil spill.
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World Ocean Day
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June 8th was World Ocean's Day. Declared
officially by the United Nations in 2009, but unofficially celebrated since
1992, World Ocean's Day is meant to serve as a day to formally recognize the
importance of oceans to all forms of life, big and small.
As humans, we really do rely on the oceans a lot, it
provides the majority of the oxygen we breathe, potable water via the complex
water cycle, regulates our climate, is used for shipping goods across the world,
and recreation such as surfing, swimming, canoeing, etc.
As the world population increases, technology improves, and
our reliance on the oceans becomes greater, it is important to remember the
current threats to the ocean including: pollution, overfishing, resource
extraction, climate change, and ocean acidification.
And of course, we rely on the oceans for the products it
supplies, including seafood.
How can you help? Support ocean policy by signing on to these initiatives:
To learn more, visit the Official World Ocean's Day Website.
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Krill Update
| Dr. Joseph Mercola is arguably the best-known osteopath in America. His
alternative health website receives over 12 million hits per month.
Earlier this year, Dr. Mercola was interviewed on the Dr. Oz Show where
he announced to viewers that the consumption of Krill Oil tablets was
his #1 health secret. Due to the popularity of the Dr. Oz show, demand
for the product skyrocketed.
Krill are shrimp-like
invertebrates that exist in all oceans of the world. They are an extremely important part of marine food webs as they
make up a
large part of the diets of various sea mammals and fish. Krill is
essential for the continuing health of almost every marine animal in
the Antarctic and sub Antarctic region. 
Because
the biomass of the Antarctic Krill is so large (estimated to be over
500 million tonnes) a rich fishery exists for the species however
sustainability of this fishery has recently come into question.
Wholefoods
recently halted the sale of all krill oil supplements stating
sustainability concerns stemming from the unexplored decline in some
Antarctic predator populations.
Declines of some predator populations in the areas
where the krill fishery operates suggest that fishery management needs
to better understand how to evaluate the prey requirements of other
marine species in order to set sustainable catch levels for krill.
We at
FishWise believe that there is no good reason to support fishing out the base of
the Southern Ocean food web at a very foundational level. Instead try to source oil supplements made from sustainable pelagic wet fish like sardines and anchovies.
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Sharks Have a New Ally: Hawaii
| Hawaii has become the first state in the U.S. to ban the possession of
shark fins, historically linked to Chinese culinary tradition. This
means that the popular dish of shark fin soup will no longer be served
in the island state. The law comes into effect on July 1 and the state
hopes that the it will stimulate lawmakers elsewhere in the country to
make similar changes in order to prevent the overfishing of sharks
around the world.
 A report last year by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates 32 percent of open ocean shark
species are in danger of becoming extinct primarily because of
overfishing. Hawaii's lawmakers heard testimony that sharks are being
killed for their fins at a rate of 89 million per year, which helped
pass this legislation.
After the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES,
failed to protect 6 endangered shark species earlier this year,
Hawaii's ban is a step in the right direction. To read more about the
work of other nation's shark efforts, see our blog on Palau's shark
fishing laws here. |
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Update
| On June 1st, NOAA extended the northern and southern boundaries of the closed fishing area
in the Gulf of Mexico to capture moving portions of the expanding
slick. This latest expansion means that 31% of federal waters in the
Gulf are now closed to fishing. This closure does not apply to state
regulated waters.
Louisiana, arguably the most affected state, has a growing list of
oyster bed closures. Supply has shifted to places like Apalachicola
Bay, in Florida relatively which remains free of oil (for now) but
ultimately cannot cope with demand.
U.S. Commerce Secretary
Gary Locke today determined there has been a fishery disaster in the
Gulf of Mexico due to the economic impact on commercial and
recreational fisheries from the ongoing spill. The affected area adds
Florida to the earlier determination announced on May 24 for the states
of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Louisiana state officials
are demanding that BP fund a $457 million, 20-year multi-agency seafood
safety and education program, which would focus on seafood testing,
certification and consumer education. They argue that without this
financial assistance, the future of the Louisiana seafood industry is
in peril.
See these links to visualize the spill in your area, view a live feed of the leak, and view scuba dive footage in the oil slick.
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FishWise Blog
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The FishWise blog has new posts: Gulf Oil Spill -Looking Beyond the Shoreline, Oil Dispersants - Another Setback for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Gulf Oil Spill, One Month On, and Fishing Video: Sablefish Longline Survey.
Follow FishWise on Twitter and Facebook:  
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If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the FishWise newsletter please don't hesitate to contact us!
 Sincerely,
The FishWise Team
newsletter@fishwise.org
(831) 427-1707
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