Saving Seafood

Study shows how local fishers respond to climate challenges

February 22, 2024 — When it comes to protecting a crucial resource in the face of changing conditions, it’s important to know how the humans reliant on that resource have organized themselves. Especially if there isn’t a lot of government supervision.

A new study of small-scale fisheries in Mexico’s Gulf of California has found that the fishers’ response to a changing climate can be strongly influenced by what they fish for and how they’re organized. The work appears in the January 2024 issue of Global Environmental Change.

“When we study climate change adaptation, we haven’t paid nearly enough attention to how those fishers, these farmers, these water irrigators are organized,” said Xavier Basurto, the Truman and Nellie Semans/Alex Brown & Sons Professor of sustainability science at the Duke Marine Lab and senior Co-Principal Investigator of this research project.

Their organization, or self-governance, turns out to be key.

Read the full article at SCIENMAG

Why are fish getting smaller as waters warm? It’s not their gills, finds study

February 22, 2024 — A collaborative team of scientists led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently found that there is no physiological evidence supporting a leading theory—which involves the surface area of fish gills—as to why many fish species are “shrinking” as waters grow warmer due to climate change. Known as the Gill Oxygen Limitation (GOL) theory, it has been proposed as the universal mechanism explaining fish size and has been used in some predictions of future global fisheries yields.

However, the researchers, representing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Geological Survey, the University of California Davis as well as UMass Amherst, conducted a series of long-term experiments on brook trout and found that though increased temperatures do lead to significantly decreased , gill surface area did not explain the change. The results of the study were recently published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

“We know that global  is happening and our oceans and rivers are getting warmer,” says Joshua Lonthair, lecturer in biology at UMass Amherst and the paper’s lead author. “And we know that many animals—not just fish—are growing to smaller adult body sizes under . We even have a name for this, the Temperature Size Rule. But despite decades of research, we still don’t understand why size decreases as temperature increases.”

In both marine and freshwater , rising water temperatures have a critical effect on metabolism, reproduction and other life functions, but a critical factor that most of the models underlying  rely on is fish size. Commercial fisheries are often regulated by tonnage, and when fish shrink, it takes more of them to fill out a ton. Lower weight is also linked to reduced reproduction. Altogether, this means that managers need to adjust their models for our changing world.

Read the full article at PHYS.ORG

ALASKA: Biden-Harris Administration announces $1 million to support climate resilience in remote Alaska communities as part of Investing in America agenda

February 21, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced the availability of $1 million for multi-year funding opportunities that will be distributed through the Alaska Fisheries Science Center Indigenous Engagement Program to support remote Alaska communities. This investment — funded by the Inflation Reduction Act — will help NOAA Fisheries advance efforts to promote climate resilience and food security in remote Alaska communities, strengthen collaboration with tribal governments and Indigenous communities and engage Indigenous Knowledge holder voices in NOAA Fisheries science. The Biden-Harris Administration has made historic investments in climate resilience and adaptation, including more than $50 billion from the President’s Investing in America agenda.

“This opportunity will enable entities working to benefit Indigenous Knowledge holders, including tribes and Alaska Native community members to advance equity and environmental justice — including just treatment, equal opportunities and environmental benefits for all people and communities and respect for tribal sovereignty,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Through this effort we hope to support research projects that address community concerns while enabling NOAA Fisheries to meet its research mission through collaborative and co-produced research.”

Up to $500,000 will be available in fiscal year 2024, with remaining funding potentially available in future years for continuation of work. Under this funding opportunity, projects will address one of three priority areas:

  • Support and collaborate with existing Indigenous Knowledge networks to build capacity in remote Arctic communities in line with the NOAA Fisheries Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy.
  • Incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into existing science, where possible, to build climate resilience in communities on the front lines of climate change in the Arctic. This requires NOAA services in the form of partnerships, internships and education opportunities.
  • Conduct collaborative and co-produced research providing opportunities for the co-development of research and knowledge needs with academic, international and Indigenous partners at the Inuit Circumpolar Council. 

“NOAA Fisheries recently produced its first Equity and Environmental Justice Policy with a goal of better serving all communities more equitably and effectively,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Through this funding opportunity, we hope to put that policy into practice by supporting efforts that build partnerships and promote knowledge sharing to advance climate adaptation and planning for Alaska communities on the frontlines of climate change.”

This multi-year funding opportunity aims to provide crucial support for 5-15 innovative projects per year, with individual project funding ranging from $15,000 to $50,000. In an effort to foster impactful and diverse projects, NOAA encourages project proposals within the specified funding range. 

In December 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a first-of-its kind Indigenous Knowledge guidance on incorporating Indigenous Knowledge in federal research, policy and decision-making at the Tribal Nations Summit. The Biden-Harris Administration formally recognizes Indigenous Knowledge as one of the many important bodies of knowledge that contribute to the scientific, technical, social and economic advancements of the United States and our collective understanding of the natural world.

Interested organizations are invited to submit their applications by Friday, April 26, 2024. To access detailed guidelines and submit a proposal, please visit the NOAA Fisheries website. Questions regarding this funding opportunity may be directed to Laura Hoberecht via phone (206) 526-4194 or email Laura.Hoberecht@noaa.gov. NOAA Fisheries will also host public webinars to answer questions regarding this funding opportunity. 

As part of NOAA Climate-Ready Fisheries, NOAA is committed to bolstering the nation’s $370 billion fishing industry and the states, communities and tribes who rely upon it. In addition to the funding opportunity outlined above, NOAA will invest $145 million to address NOAA Fisheries’ data acquisition priorities. More details about this funding will be coming soon. 

Please visit NOAA’s Inflation Reduction Act website for updates on current and future funding opportunities. 

Ocean Temperatures Keep Shattering Records—and Stunning Scientists

February 15, 2024 — FOR NEARLY A year now, a bizarre heating event has been unfolding across the world’s oceans. In March 2023, global sea surface temperatures started shattering record daily highs, and have stayed that way since.

You can see 2023 in the orange line below, the other gray lines being previous years. That solid black line is where we are so far in 2024—way, way above even 2023. While we’re nowhere near the Atlantic hurricane season yet—that runs from June 1 through the autumn—keep in mind that cyclones feed on warm ocean water, which could well stay anomalously hot in the coming months. Regardless, these surface temperature anomalies could be triggering major ecological problems already.

Read the full article at WIRED

Scientists Identify Ways to Account for Effects of Climate Change on Fish Stock Estimates

February 10, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Climate-driven changes in the timing of pollock spawning and migration can affect the timing of when fish aggregate in areas where surveys are conducted to monitor their abundance. This can affect survey estimates. It also complicates efforts to assess pollock stock status and sustainably manage fisheries because survey estimates are a data source for preparing annual stock assessments. However, NOAA Fisheries scientists have developed a new method to address climate-driven mismatches in survey timing and when fish gather to spawn. This has helped to improve the accuracy of Alaska pollock population estimates.

“Climate change is causing fish and other species to shift their distributions and behavior in response to warming ocean conditions all around the world,” said Lauren Rogers, fishery biologist and lead author of a new paper published today in ICES Journal of Marine Science. “We now have a new tool to support climate-ready fisheries management.”

Collaboration Across Scientific Disciplines Led to Success

From 2017 to 2019, scientists saw different trends in the pollock estimates collected in Alaska Fisheries Science Center surveys in the Gulf of Alaska. Some surveys showed declines in biomass, while one other—the Shelikof Strait acoustic-trawl survey—showed a steep increase. This annual winter acoustic-trawl survey is designed to measure pollock abundance when the fish gather to spawn.

Rogers teamed up with survey scientists and the scientist who produces the annual Gulf of Alaska pollock stock assessment. They explored what may be causing the differences in abundance trends in the surveys.

“We got talking and wondered if changes in spawn timing could be affecting the Shelikof Strait survey estimates,” said Rogers. “Together, we explored how to account for these changes and what could be done to ensure the accuracy of the assessment.”

This involved pulling together information about how spawning changes across years. The scientists looked at spring larval surveys and observations of spawning state in mature female pollock. They found that changes in spawn timing relative to survey timing explained a significant portion of recent and historical discrepancies between survey and model estimates of biomass.

They also found that estimates of biomass from the survey tended to be relatively higher when the survey was closer in timing to estimated peak spawning. From there, they were able to develop a time series of relative timing that could be incorporated directly in the stock assessment. In doing so, the assessment model fit to the winter acoustic survey data was significantly improved.

This work was informed by Rogers’ previous studies examining data collected during larval fish surveys over the past 30 years. She found that the timing of pollock spawning varies by as much as a month depending in part on ocean temperatures. For instance, when temperatures are warmer, spawning happens earlier.

“It’s particularly exciting to demonstrate the value of having long-term surveys to assess the abundance of larval and juvenile fish,” said Rogers. “As we are faced with challenges posed by ocean warming and marine heatwaves, having an understanding of fish abundance, trends, and climate-sensitivity across their life stages is invaluable for helping us proactively plan and prepare for an uncertain future.”

New England marshes and seagrasses have huge potential to combat climate change

February 8, 2024 — As states across New England rush to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, a massive carbon reservoir sits just below the tide: reed marshes and seagrass beds.

Scientists call these coastal habitats “blue carbon,” because the plants, and importantly, the sediment underneath them, can sequester a lot of carbon — several times more than a terrestrial forest, for example.

At least 7.5 million metric tons of carbon are held beneath New England’s salt marshes and eelgrass meadows, tall grasses that grow beneath the water, according to a first-of-its-kind report published by the US Environmental Protection Agency last year.

The EPA’s findings were highlighted at an event celebrating a new temporary exhibit at the New England Aquarium on Wednesday. Massachusetts has by far the most blue carbon habitats in New England — more than 112,000 acres, or about half of the region’s total salt marshes and seagrass beds.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

Reinforcing the diverse ways people access seafood can ensure healthy communities in the face of change

February 8, 2024 — As climate change affects the oceans, coastal communities—particularly those at the front lines of ocean warming and sea level rise—are facing pressures that could threaten their access to aquatic foods.

“Climate change and other economic shocks are impacting how people access seafood, and typically households that are most reliant on seafood, such as those in Pacific Island countries, are most at risk,” said Jacob Eurich, a research associate at UC Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute, and a fisheries scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund. Which is why, he added, it is necessary to increase food system resilience in the area, which entails—among other things—the ability to maintain high levels of seafood consumption.

Read the full article at PHYS.org

Senators support fisheries in the face of climate change

Janurary 30, 2024 — U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced legislation to modernize outdated regulations governing commercial fishing along the Atlantic Coast. Even with fish locations changing drastically in response to warming ocean temperatures, the restrictions on species and the number of fish caught in Atlantic waters have not been updated in decades.

According to the release, commercial fishermen have been forced to travel further distances to access fish populations and are often forced to throw landings back, which results in higher mortality rates. The Supporting Healthy Interstate Fisheries in Transition Act (SHIFT) will require the Department of Commerce to consider changing geographic ranges of fish populations as it oversees federal fishery management plans and quota allocations for Atlantic states.

Senator Murphy of Connecticut has focused on job creation within his state, and in May 2023, he was a proponent of increasing federal and state spending on the cleanup of Long Island Sound to help restore commercial and recreational fishing in the state. Murphy also helped increase federal funding for aquaculture to $19 million in 2023.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

NEW JERSEY: Fish mortalities up in New Jersey waters due to low oxygen levels

January 26, 2024 — Dead fish, lobster, and crab were found in the ocean off the U.S. state of New Jersey in the summer of 2023, and the suspected cause of death was low oxygen and pH levels, according to a report by Rutgers University researchers.

Lower dissolved oxygen levels alone are not uncommon in summer months, as they are a natural part of the seasonal stratification of warmer and cooler waters off the U.S. Mid-Atlantic, but 2023 was notable for both lower than usual oxygen and a drop in pH – the measure of relative acidity in the water – the study found.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Canada lags behind on efforts to address human rights abuses in seafood supply chains

January 26, 2024 — Seafood has become a source of concern for consumers who pay attention to the environmental and social impacts of what they buy. Climate change is adversely affecting ocean ecosystems, and a series of widely publicized scandals have exposed widespread illegal fishing and awful working conditions in both fishing and seafood processing.

Seafarers in fishing often work 18 hours a day in what is widely considered to be the world’s most dangerous profession. Many are at sea for months or even years at a time, and most have no access to Wi-Fi. They are often excluded from labour laws and all are paid very low wages, despite producing food for high-income consumers.

Similarly, those working in seafood processing are also poorly paid, and many are migrant workers who lack basic labor rights.

In response to these concerns, governments in many seafood importing countries have taken action. The European Union and Japanese government have banned imports of seafood produced by illegal fishing, while the United States’ program to ban imports produced by forced labour includes seafood.

Read the full article at SALON