In a changing climate, ocean populations sometimes rise and fall in unpredictable waves. Scientists, managers and fishers must make economically and ecologically sound decisions based on long-term outlooks.
Monitoring fishing vessels could be a growth industry in the tiny Pacific island nations that govern the world’s largest tuna fishery.
AAP Image/Xavier La Canna
A tiny handful of Pacific island nations control more than 50% of the world’s tuna fishery, and their efforts to monitor international fishing vessels are set to become a major source of jobs.
Looks healthy, but still lacks the big predatory fish… how would it rate on the index?
AF Johnson
We know that fishing has significant impacts on our oceans and the animals that live in them. Effects can range from habitat modification caused by bottom trawls, stock declines from overfishing or subtler…
It has long been news that overfishing persists in many of the world’s oceans. Fish and invertebrate stocks have been over-exploited for our ever-hungry, growing human population, leaving some species…
Trawling for fish? You might be setting yourself up for a paltry haul next time.
Glenn Perrigo
Trawling – dragging heavy gear over ocean bottoms in search of fish near the sea floor – is arguably one of the most destructive human practices. Removing fish from the sea for an ever-hungry, growing…
Coral reef ecosystem off Palmyra Atoll part of newly expanded Marine National Monument.
Jim Maragos/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This fall, President Obama signed a proclamation that created the biggest marine reserve in the world. By extending the protective boundaries around Wake Island, Jarvis Island and Johnston Atoll from 50…
Australia’s Commonwealth marine parks were designed to protect marine life, including important foraging areas for sea birds.
In June 2012 the Labor government announced the “world’s largest” system of marine parks, adding 2.3 million square kilometres and taking the overall size of Australia’s Commonwealth marine reserves to…
Fishing of potato rock cod is totally banned in Queensland waters. Better regulation might avoid similar bans for other species.
Mark Priest
Tighter bag limits for fishing could be the key to ocean conservation, according to new research showing that limiting fishing across entire regions can offer better protection than using marine reserves…
Could the discard ban hinder more than it helps?
Olivier Hoslet
It was hailed as a great victory for conservation, common sense and people power. Last year the European Commission finally voted to phase out the shameful practice of discarding hundreds of thousands…
Garom, a sculpture made from discarded “ghost nets” in the Torres Strait.
Australian Museum/Supplied
With more than half a million people participating in last Sunday’s Clean Up Australia Day, it’s perhaps not surprising that some odd objects came to light. Not all the rubbish was on land, and not all…
If science is excluded from fisheries policy, we’re headed back to the bad old days of overfishing.
Greg Bishop
Last week, the “super trawler” Abel Tasman left Australia, with far less fanfare than you might have expected. Many hail this as good news for Australian fisheries, but we believe it could be a great step…
Rubbish in the ocean - marine debris - is a terrible threat to wildlife. Discarded fishing nets are among the worst.
AAP Image/Department of the Environment and Heritage/Melbourne Zoo
Each year around 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is lost or thrown overboard by the fisheries around the world. These “ghostnets” drift through the oceans and can continue fishing for many years. They kill…
Minister for the Environment Tony Burke and Minister for Agriculture Joe Ludwig will amend Australian law to prevent the super trawler from fishing in Australian waters for up to two years.
AAP
Super trawler the Abel Tasman (formerly the Margiris) will be blocked from fishing in Australian waters for up to two years after the Federal Government announced plans to amend legislation to address…
Environment Minister Tony Burke says he can’t stop the super trawler, but will place conditions on it to help protect listed species.
AAP
The super trawler Margiris is an environmental “experiment” and the conditions placed on it by the government don’t go far enough to protect dolphins, seals and other protected species, fisheries and oceans…
The Margiris is heading to Australia to catch jack mackerel, but there are plenty more fish in the sea.
Richard Ling
The Margiris “super-trawler” is heading for Australia to catch jack mackerel and associated small surface-dwelling species. It faces a lot of opposition, largely based on assertions that the vessel’s catches…
Tuna fishers agree that too many tuna are caught. But there is no good system to decide who should catch less.
Justin Woolford
The world catches too many tuna. Thanks to our high levels of fishing, some tuna species are under threat. Everyone involved in the fishing industry agrees that fishing effort needs to be reduced. But…
Sanctuary: marine parks can create new ways to prevent illegal fishing.
Mia Hoogenboom, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
Environment Minister Tony Burke announced the final proposed Commonwealth marine protected area (MPA) network last month. The network would be the largest in the world, covering more than a third of Commonwealth…
Reducing fishing in the Coral Sea could hugely benefit species. It’s up to the government to make sure it benefits fishers too.
Sam Ilic
Coral Sea protection is eminently doable - but the question is, will Australia effectively manage the process of creating the largest network of marine protected areas in world? The creation of the largest…
Hard numbers: less than 1% of the world’s oceans are protected but marine scientists think 20% should be off-limits to fishing.
AAP/Lloyd Jones
As a marine scientist, I welcome Senator Burke’s brave decision today to roll out Australia’s marine park system. This puts us on a par with other leading nations like the US and UK who have established…