"Once engineered genes are introduced into the wild salmon gene pool, it cannot be undone," said Mike Conroy, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. Julia Manzerova / flickr / cc
By Andrea Germanos
Food safety campaigners on Thursday welcomed a federal court's finding that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) violated U.S. law in its approval of genetically engineered salmon.
<p>"This decision underscores what scientists have been telling FDA for years — that creating <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-genetically-modified-organism/">genetically engineered</a> salmon poses an unacceptable risk if the fish escape and interact with our wild salmon and that FDA must understand that risk to prevent harm," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/11/05/federal-court-declares-genetically-engineered-salmon-unlawful-0" target="_blank">said</a> Steve Mashuda, managing attorney at Earthjustice, one of the organizations representing plaintiffs in the case.</p><p>"Our efforts should be focused on saving the wild salmon populations we already have," said Mashuda, "not manufacturing new species that pose yet another threat to their survival."</p>
<p>The lawsuit stems from Earthjustice and Center for Food Safety's 2016 <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/03/31/groups-sue-fda-over-unlawful-and-irresponsible-approval-frankenfish" target="_blank">legal challenge</a> to the FDA's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/11/19/emergency-lawsuit-filed-fight-fda-approval-frankenfish" target="_blank">approval</a> of the so-called "frankenfish" engineered by aquaculture firm AquaBounty.</p><p>Federal Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District for the Northern District of California found that the FDA violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA), <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-10-05-ecf-285--order-granting-in-part-and-denying-msj_03835.pdf" target="_blank">writing</a>, in part:</p><blockquote>[T]he FDA did not adequately explain in its environmental assessment why the potential impacts of the production and growth of engineered salmon will be insignificant. The central problem is that the document failed to conduct the very inquiry it stated was necessary. In the section describing the "approach to assessment," the environmental assessment stated that an analysis of environmental risk would need to consider two probabilities: the probability of "exposure," or a bad event, and the probability of harm that could occur given exposure. The document thoroughly analyzed the probability of exposure, concluding that it was low. But it failed to assess and explain the potential consequences of that low probability being realized.<br>[...]<br>The NEPA evaluation addressed the potential impacts of engineered salmon on wild salmon; the ESA analysis was also concerned with wild salmon, albeit more specifically the endangered Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon. Because the FDA did not sufficiently examine whether the engineered salmon would significantly impact wild salmon under NEPA, it follows that the agency cannot defend its conclusion that the engineered salmon would have no effect at all on Gulf of Maine salmon. Indeed, the fact that the FDA apparently reached a conclusive determination that the AquaBounty salmon would have "no effect" on the Gulf of Maine Salmon in 2010, while the environmental assessment was still under active consideration and five years before the NEPA process was completed, suggests that the agency may have failed to grasp the practical relationship between the two statutes' requirements in this case.</blockquote>
<p>Chhabria sent the assessment back to the FDA, ordering the agency to "reconsider its 'no effect' determination under the ESA together with its revised NEPA evaluation."</p><p>Mike Conroy, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, one of the plaintiffs in case, framed the ruling as a clear win for fish and those whose livelihoods depend upon them given the possible ecological consequences of the genetically engineered salmon.</p><p>"It's a terrible idea to design genetically engineered 'frankenfish' which, when they escape into the wild (as they inevitably will), could destroy our irreplaceable salmon runs," said Conroy. "Once engineered genes are introduced into the wild salmon gene pool," he added, "it cannot be undone."</p><p>Conroy further hailed the ruling as "a major victory for wild salmon, salmon fishing families and dependent communities, and salmon conservation efforts everywhere."</p>
<p>According to Center for Food Safety legal director George Kimbrell, who was counsel in the case, Thursday's decision marks "a vital victory for endangered salmon and our oceans."</p><p>"Genetically engineered animals create novel risks and regulators must rigorously analyze them using sound science, not stick their head in the sand as officials did here," he said.</p><p>"The absolute last thing our planet needs right now," added Kimbrell, "is another human-created crisis like escaped genetically engineered fish running amok."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/05/major-victory-federal-court-smacks-down-fda-approval-frankenfish" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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An orca jumps in the Canary Island archipelago of Spain. Mikhail Akkuratov / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Killer whales have been ramming yachts and boats off the coast of Northern Spain and researchers are puzzled by their behavior. In several attacks over the last couple of months, orcas have damaged boats and injured sailors, according to The Guardian.
<p>One sailor said that the attacks felt orchestrated, while another described it as if a sledgehammer had struck their boat, according to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/killer-whales-orcas-ramming-attacking-sailing-boats-spain-portugal-b434745.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Independent</a>.</p><p>Earlier this month, a nearly 40-foot catamaran used by the Spanish Navy was headed to a regatta when it was surrounded by a pod of orcas. One of the pod hit the boat's rudder and damaged it, according to <a href="https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2020/09/02/navy-sailing-boat-damaged-in-tense-stand-off-with-killer-whales-in-spain/" target="_blank">The Olive Press</a> in Spain. So far, in the last two months, two boats have lost part of their rudders and several boats have sent distress calls.</p>
<p>Researchers say it is normal for intelligent mammals like whales and dolphins to follow small boats and express curiosity, but it is very unusual for them to show aggressive behavior and for it to be sustained, according to The Independent.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.cemma.org/principal_eng.htm" target="_blank">CEMMA</a> cetacean research center, an NGO in Galicia dedicated to the research and protection of sea mammals and turtles, has reminded boaters that it is illegal for them to interact with the orcas, according to The Olive Press.</p><p>The most recent incident occurred on Friday afternoon, just off the northern coast of Spain. According to Pete Green of Halcyon Yachts, the company's 36-foot boat was headed to the UK from Spain when an orca rammed at least a dozen times. The boat then lost its steering and needed to be towed into port for the damage to be inspected and repaired, as The Guardian reported.</p>
<p>"It was repeatedly smashing the rudder, 15 times I'm guessing. It ripped it out of our hands," Justin Crowther, captain of the Beautiful Dreamer, told the Spanish newspaper <a href="https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/coruna/coruna/2020/09/11/capitan-beautiful-dreamer-orca-golpeo-15-veces/00031599845358133980100.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Voz de Galicia</a>, as <a href="https://gizmodo.com/for-some-strange-reason-orcas-are-ramming-into-boats-i-1845043233" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a> reported. "We switched everything off, we turned the engine off, we turned all the electronics off, and it disappeared. Until we took the salvage."</p><p>A simultaneous distress call was sent nearly 70 miles away to the south at the site of the attack on the Spanish Navy boat that happened earlier this month.</p><p>In another attack in late July that occurred in the Strait of Gibraltar, a popular shipping passage, a pod rammed a boat for more than hour, disabling the autohelm and the engine, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/13/the-tale-of-the-killer-whales" target="_blank">The Observer</a>.</p>
<p>"The noise was really scary," said Victoria Morris, a biology graduate student on the boat, to The Observer. "They were ramming the keel, there was this horrible echo, I thought they could capsize the boat. And this deafening noise as they communicated, whistling to each other. It was so loud that we had to shout."</p><p>Morris added that the attack felt "totally orchestrated."</p><p>Alfredo Lopez from CEMMA told The Guardian that the attacks seem to be happening in the area where orcas travel this month to chase tuna in the Bay of Biscay. Furthermore, scientists do not know if the attacks are happening from the same pod, but they say it's probable.</p><p>"These are very strange events," Ezequiel Andréu Cazalla, a cetacean researcher, told The Guardian. "But I don't think they're attacks."</p>
<p>Instead, scientists believe the interactions are related to stress as more boats populate the water and the food supply is dwindling. According to The Independent, the Gibraltar orcas are critically <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species">endangered</a>, with only about 50 left. As their food supply becomes increasingly scarce, they are drawn into the strait, which is inhospitable for them.</p><p>"They're very intelligent. They know people are out there: I've seen them look at boats hauling fish. I think they know that humans are somehow related to the scarcity of food," Ken Balcomb from the Center for Whale Research was quoted as telling <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/08/orca-family-grief/567470/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Atlantic</a> in 2018, as The Independent reported.</p><p>"And I think they know that the scarcity of food is causing them physical distress, and also causing them to lose babies."</p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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"There's evidence that plastic is making its way into our bodies," said Charles Rolksy, a scientist at Arizona State University. asuresearch / YouTube
By Krissy Waite
Bolstering activists' demands to reduce plastic pollution worldwide, Arizona State University scientists on Monday presented their research on finding micro- and nanoplastics in human organs to the American Chemical Society.
<p>Greenpeace UK responded to the reporting on the study by calling to "massively reduce the amount of plastic" produced and used worldwide. </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Microplastic particles have been found in human organs for the first time! 😟<br><br>Microplastic pollution effects the entire planet. The best way to tackle the problem is to massively reduce the amount of plastic that's being made and used.<a href="https://t.co/ARSPnjttLn">https://t.co/ARSPnjttLn</a></p>— Greenpeace UK (@GreenpeaceUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceUK/status/1295346422477463552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Microplastics are plastics that are less than five millimeters in diameter and nanoplastics are less than 0.001 millimeters in diameter. Both are broken down bits of larger plastic pieces that were dumped into the environment. According to <a href="https://www.plasticseurope.org/application/files/9715/7129/9584/FINAL_web_version_Plastics_the_facts2019_14102019.pdf" target="_blank">PlasticsEurope.org</a>, 359 million tons of plastic was produced globally in 2019.</p><p>Previous research has shown that people could be eating a credit card's <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/?348371/Could-you-be-eating-a-credit-card-a-week" target="_blank">worth of plastic a day</a>; a study <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517" target="_blank">published in 2019 suggests</a> humans eat, drink and breathe almost 74,000 microplastic particles a year. Microplastics have been found in places ranging from the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/27/the-hills-are-alive-with-the-signs-of-plastic-even-swiss-mountains-are-polluted" target="_blank">tallest mountains</a> in the world to the depths of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/20/plastic-pollution-mariana-trench-deepest-point-ocean" target="_blank">Mariana Trench</a>. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/31/microplastics-found-every-marine-mammal-uk-study" target="_blank">Plastic particles in wildlife</a> have been shown to substantially <a href="https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/plastic-problem/plastic-affect-animals/" target="_blank">harm entire ecosystems</a>, especially <a href="https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/microplastics-problem-for-marine-animals/" target="_blank">marine organisms</a>.</p>
<p>The Arizona State University scientists developed and tested a new method to identify dozens of plastics in human tissue that could eventually be used to collect global data on microplastic pollution and its impact on people. To test the technique, the scientists used 47 tissue samples from lung, liver, spleen and kidney samples collected from a tissue bank. Researchers then added particles to the samples and found they could detect microplastics in every sample.<br></p><p>These specific tissues were used because these organs are the most likely to be exposed to, filter or collect plastics in the human body. Because the samples were taken from a tissue bank, scientists also were able to analyze the donors' lifestyles including environmental and occupational exposures.</p>
<p>"It would be naive to believe there is plastic everywhere but just not in us," Rolf Halden, a scientist on the team, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/17/microplastic-particles-discovered-in-human-organs?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco" target="_blank">told</a> The Guardian. "We are now providing a research platform that will allow us and others to look for what is invisible — these particles too small for the naked eye to see. The risk [to health] really resides in the small particles … This shared resource will help build a plastic exposure database so that we can compare exposures in organs and groups of people over time and geographic space."</p><p>The researchers found bisphenol A (BPA) in all 47 samples and were also able to detect polyethylene terephthalate (PET) — a chemical used in plastic drink bottles and shopping bags. They also found and analyzed polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene (PE). These particles can end up in human bodies through the air or by consuming wildlife like seafood that has eaten plastic; or by consuming other foods with trace amounts of plastic from packaging.</p><p>The team also <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2020/august/micro-and-nanoplastics-detectable-in-human-tissues.html" target="_blank">developed a computer program</a> that converts the collected data on plastic particle count into units of mass and area.</p><p>"In a few short decades, we've gone from seeing plastic as a wonderful benefit to considering it a threat," Charles Rolsky, a member of the team, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/in%20a%20press%20release" target="_blank">said</a> in a press release. "There's evidence that plastic is making its way into our bodies, but very few studies have looked for it there. And at this point, we don't know whether this plastic is just a nuisance or whether it represents a human health hazard."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/activists-demand-bolder-efforts-address-pollution-after-scientists-find" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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UQ study lead Francisca Ribeiro inspects oysters. The study of five different seafoods revealed plastic in every sample. University of Queensland
<p>Researchers bought raw samples of popular seafood from a market in Australia, including 10 oysters, 10 farmed tiger prawns, 10 wild squid, five wild blue crab and 10 wild sardines, reported <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8619413/Microplastics-sample-seafood-purchased-market.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a>. At least trace levels of plastic contamination were found in each, with the highest content found in sardines, according to the research.</p><p>The scientists used a new technique to identify and measure five different types of plastics contained within the tissues of each sample of seafood simultaneously, reported <a href="https://www.intrafish.com/sustainability/new-study-finds-plastic-traces-in-all-seafood-samples/2-1-857286" target="_blank">Intrafish</a>. They did so in order to better understand the potential harm <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a> in seafood could have on human health, lead author Francisca Ribeiro said in a <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/08/research-reveals-microplastic-content-levels-seafood" target="_blank">University of Queensland press release</a>.</p>
<p>The study, published by the University of Exeter and the University of Queensland in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.0c02337" target="_blank"><em>Environmental Science & Technology</em></a>, found greatly varying amounts of plastic in each of the different types of seafood tested as well as in the individual species, said a <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/homepage/title_809571_en.html" target="_blank">University of Exeter press release</a>.</p><p>"From the edible marine species tested, sardines had the highest plastic content, which was a surprising result," Riberio told the University of Queensland. "Another interesting aspect was the diversity of microplastic types found among species, with polyethylene predominant in fish and polyvinyl chloride the only plastic detected in oysters."</p>
<p>Riberio compared the exposure levels to microplastics in the University of Exeter release: "Considering an average serving, a seafood eater could be exposed to approximately 0.7mg of plastic when ingesting an average serving of oysters or squid, and up to 30mg of plastic when eating sardines, respectively …. For comparison, 30mg is the average weight of a grain of rice."</p><p>The new method is a "major step forward" towards plastic quantification techniques in seafood because it allows results to be reported in a mass unit, something wasn't possible before, noted the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/08/research-reveals-microplastic-content-levels-seafood" target="_blank">University of Queensland release</a>.</p><p>"We can now define what microplastic levels can be considered harmful to human health," Ribeiro said in the release.</p>
<p>The plastics found by the scientists are commonly used in plastic packaging and synthetic textiles, including polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and poly (methyl methacrylate), reported <a href="https://www.intrafish.com/sustainability/new-study-finds-plastic-traces-in-all-seafood-samples/2-1-857286" target="_blank">Intrafish</a>. Polyvinyl chloride was found in all samples, while the plastic found in highest concentrations was polyethylene, the world's most popular plastic, reported <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8619413/Microplastics-sample-seafood-purchased-market.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a>.</p><p>These plastics frequently end up in waterways and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans/" target="_self">oceans</a>, where they continue to break down into microplastics, very small pieces of plastics that are often eaten by marine creatures of all sizes and types. Microplastics are absorbed by plankton, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bioaccumulation" target="_self">bioaccumulate</a> as they are <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/shark-plastic-stomach-2646956951.html" target="_self">carried up the food chain</a> and eventually end up on our plates, reported <a href="https://www.energylivenews.com/2020/08/13/your-seafood-platter-might-contain-a-hidden-ingredient-plastic/" target="_blank">Energy Live News</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/people-eat-microplastics-2638716775.html" target="_self">Humans are exposed to microplastics</a> not only in the seafood we eat, but also through bottled water, sea salt, beer, honey, and even dust that settles on our meals, the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/homepage/title_809571_en.html" target="_blank">University of Exeter release</a> said.</p><p>"We do not fully understand the risks to human health of ingesting plastic, but this new method will make it easier for us to find out," co-author Tamara Galloway said in the release.</p><p>The next phase of the research will seek to identify the sources of the plastic contamination found in the seafood tested, noted the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/08/research-reveals-microplastic-content-levels-seafood" target="_blank">University of Queensland release</a>.</p>
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A diver swims with sharpfin barracuda, one of the many ocean species under threat from global warming, in Australia, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef. Pete Atkinson / The Image Bank / Getty Images Plus
The oceans could look much emptier by 2100, according to a new study that found that most fish species would not be able to survive in their current habitat if average global temperatures rise 4.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, as The Guardian reported.
<p>The researchers of the new paper said that 60 percent of fish species face a grave threat from global heating if temperatures approach that worst-case scenario level. The species under threat include many <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seafood" target="_self">common fish found in grocery stores</a>, including staples like Atlantic cod, Alaska pollock and sockeye <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/salmon" target="_self">salmon</a>, and sport fishing favorites like swordfish, barracuda and brown trout, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/02/weather/fish-vulnerable-ocean-warming-climate-change-scn/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>The new study, published in the journal <em><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6499/65" target="_blank">Science</a></em>, looked at how nearly 700 fresh and saltwater fish species respond to warming ocean temperatures. The problem for most fish is that as ocean temperatures rise, the oxygen level goes down, which makes it extremely challenging for embryos to survive.</p>
<p>"A 1.5C increase is already a challenge to some, and if we let global warming persist, it can get much worse," said Hans-Otto Pörtner, a co-author on the paper and a climatologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/02/fish-species-survival-climate-warming-study" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>That 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold would result in 10 percent of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_self">marine species</a> suffering over the next 80 years, including the aforementioned grocery staples.</p><p>However, even a 10 percent decline in fish species has a large ripple effect on ecosystems as one species being pushed out effects the food supply and the habits of many other species that have evolved to be interdependent.</p>
<p>Since we are already 1 degree warmer than the pre-industrial level and emissions are starting to rise around the world as countries reopen, it seems highly unlikely that the world will not blow past that lowest benchmark. In fact, we are currently on pace for a 3 degree increase over the pre-industrial level, as The Guardian noted.</p><p>"More than half of the species potentially at risk is quite astonishing, so we really emphasize that it's important to take action and follow the political commitments to reduce climate change and protect marine habitats," said Dr. Flemming Dahlke, a marine biologist at Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute and one of the authors of the study, as CNN reported.</p>
<p>The declining oxygen levels threaten fish because adult fish preparing to mate fill up their bodies with either eggs or sperm, which strains their hearts as they pump more blood to supply their reproductive organs with enough oxygen, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8484103/Rising-water-temperatures-endanger-matings-fish.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a>.</p><p>Also, fish embryos inside eggs could also die since they don't have gills — meaning they will be unable to get enough oxygen to survive.</p><p>"There's a difference in the tolerable temperature range of almost 20 degrees on average between embryos and adults," Dahlke said, as CNN reported. "This of course makes a big difference when you want to look at the sensitivity of species to global warming."</p>
<p>The rapid increase in temperatures could force fish to adapt in an unprecedented way or to move toward cooler water closer to the poles. Freshwater fish living in lakes and ponds have a bleak outlook since they cannot move towards cooler waters.</p><p>"Some species might successfully manage this change," said Dahlke, as the Daily Mail reported. "But if you consider the fact that fish have adapted their mating patterns to specific habitats over extremely long time frames, and have tailored their mating cycles to specific ocean currents and available food sources, it has to be assumed that being forced to abandon their normal spawning areas will mean major problems for them."</p><p>A lot of this is a conservative estimate since the study did not take into account pollution or the increased acidity of the ocean, which could present additional challenges to sensitive species, as The Guardian noted.</p><p>"Some tropical fish are already living in zones at their uppermost tolerance, their areas are already 40C," Pörtner said. "Humankind is pushing the planet outside of a comfortable temperature range and we are starting to lose suitable habitat. It's worth investing in the 1.5C goal."</p>
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Bekah Nelson / Florida Fish and Wildlife (CC BY 2.0)
By David Shiffman
Let's go fishin'! After all, a lone angler fishing from a dock or a few friends going out to sea can't have all that much of an effect on fish populations … right?
Think again.
<p>"When you're floating in the open ocean, it can be hard to imagine that your hobby will have an impact on the overall health of a fishery," said Sepp Haukebo, who works on recreational fisheries <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> issues for the Environmental Defense Fund. "But multiply the number of fish a single angler catches and discards in a day by <em>millions</em> of anglers and you have a significant harvest on your hands."</p><p>Haukebo echoes points made in two new studies, published in the journals <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/faf.12417?af=R" target="_blank"><em>Fish and Fisheries</em></a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00012/full" target="_blank"><em>Frontiers in Marine Science</em></a>, that show recreational fishing has a much bigger collective effect on oceanic species than previously realized, with nearly one million tons of fish caught every year.</p><p>Far from being an insignificant drop in the proverbial ocean, this is a massive amount of fish — about 1% of total global marine fisheries catch, a much higher number than many scientists and managers used to believe.</p>
<h3>Collective Impact</h3><p>So how is it that the actions of individuals can have such a far-reaching effect? Recreational anglers usually catch just a few ocean fish in a whole day, while industrial-scale commercial fishing often uses miles-long gear and catches tons of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life">marine life</a> at a time.</p><p>Part of the answer is scale: Previous research has shown that there are a <em>lot</em> more recreational anglers than there are commercial fishing vessels — at least <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/12/5209" target="_blank">220 million people</a> go fishing for fun every year all around the world.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjg4MzQxNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjgyNDgxOH0.vLAgKxCIzQxKO98Il9inI-6-MJy1bklVzy0gkZJMJls/img.jpg?width=980" id="2719f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0c0d1ff53acd4099dcd49a687418e4cd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The marina in Valencia, Spain. Mark Chinnick (CC BY 2.0)
<p>That number is expected to grow as people and countries become more affluent, said Jessica Meeuwig, a professor at the University of Western Australia and a coauthor on the <em>Frontiers in Marine Science</em> paper.</p><p>Another part of the answer involves economics: For people and companies trying to make a profit from fishing — like with commercial fisheries — there's an incentive to stop fishing when populations get low.</p><p>But if you're fishing for fun, you're paying for the experience, and the experience of catching a relatively rare fish is often considered worth paying extra.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9mfbrlHQSi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9mfbrlHQSi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9mfbrlHQSi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">A little something we found whilst jigging! We are so lucky to have such an epic array of species like this Bohar snapper! Only found on pristine reefs... #jigging #verticaljigging #fishing #primezulufishing #primezulufishingcharter #mozambique #travelforfishing #travel #moz</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/primezulu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Prime Zulu</a> (@primezulu) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-03-11T17:17:05+00:00">Mar 11, 2020 at 10:17am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>Indeed there are many threatened populations of fish where commercial fisheries are banned <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/faf.12076" target="_blank">but recreational angling continues</a>.</p><p>Additionally, a subset of recreational anglers called trophy anglers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X14001754" target="_blank">intentionally target the biggest individuals in a population</a>, often with the goal of getting a perceived-as-prestigious certificate that says they hold a record for catching the biggest fish of that species.</p><p>This can affect entire species populations, explained Meeuwig.</p><p>"Recreational fisheries targeting larger fish means they are taking the most fit individuals, the big breeders, out of the population," she said. Bigger fish tend to reproduce more often and have a greater number of young at a time. This culling preference is different from commercial or subsistence fishing, which aim to catch as many fish as possible, but not necessarily the largest individual member of a species.</p><p>There are other factors are play, although those aren't always as clear.</p><p>"Recreational catch of threatened species is an issue that's poorly understood," said Peter Kyne, a senior research fellow at Australia's Charles Darwin University who was not affiliated with either of the new papers. "In Australia, this is a significant issue for the grey nurse shark on the east coast," he said. "Their habitat is close to major cities where recreational fishing levels are high. Even in remote areas of northern Australia, catches of river sharks are an issue — although they are protected, they're similar in appearance to a number of common non-threatened species and anglers may not recognize them."</p>
<h3>A Regulatory Failure?</h3><p>The research also found that most nations don't do a very good job managing their recreational fisheries — especially when compared to their commercial fisheries.</p><p>"Governments fail to recognize that recreational fisheries can decimate populations" or that they can be as important to monitor as commercial fisheries, said Warren Potts, a professor of fisheries science at Rhodes University and lead author of the <em>Fish and Fisheries </em>paper. "This ignores or underappreciates recreational fishing's economic and ecological effects and causes governments to fail to prioritize regulating the practice."</p><p>The paper looked at the global state of management regulations for recreational fishing and found that only 86 nations define recreational fisheries in their national fisheries-management legislation.</p><p>More than half of experts surveyed for the paper raised significant concerns about their nation's recreational-fisheries management. No experts from developing nations, where the popularity of recreational fisheries has exploded as international tourists seek out "exotic" places to fish, believed that their countries effectively manage those fisheries.</p><p>But Robert Arlinghaus, a professor of fisheries management at Humboldt University in Germany who was not involved with either paper, pointed out that many countries do employ a basic fisheries-management regulation called a minimum size limit — in other words, you can't land a fish if it's below a certain size and hasn't had the chance to reproduce yet. This isn't exactly the cutting edge of adaptive science-based management, but it's a lot better than nothing.</p><p>Arlinghaus feels that characterizing the majority of the world's recreational fisheries as ineffectively managed may be taking things a little too far.</p><p>"Recreational fisheries might not be managed <em>optimally,</em>" he said, "and I do think the governance and management systems could be improved in many areas of the world, but I'm not sure that recreational fisheries are generally managed <em>poorly</em>."</p>
<h3>By the Numbers</h3><p>Another major issue with recreational fisheries management boils down to numbers — or lack of them. In most places nobody knows exactly how many fish are caught.</p><p>That's another difference from commercial fisheries — it's just easier to gather data when you're dealing with a limited number of fishing vessels than with hundreds of millions of individual people.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjg4MzQyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTQ4MzIxMn0.CXOVsL9rME2aFITfNu0XIdJRDDlezXmCRhYSFWSwXgo/img.jpg?width=980" id="117ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e3206f8ae396ef6d4b0abeb82551f6ef" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Cod in a commercial net. Derek Keats (CC BY 2.0)
<p>"Some countries keep detailed data on their recreational fisheries catch, but others don't," said Daniel Pauly, principal investigator of the Sea Around Us project at the University of British Columbia and a coauthor on the <em>Frontiers in Marine Science</em> paper. He added that some countries use different agencies to collect data from recreational and commercial fisheries, and those groups don't always speak with each other or consolidate their findings.</p><p>"If you know there are recreational fisheries in a country, but there's no data, you have to be creative," said Pauly. "You can't say 'there's no data, so we'll assume nothing has been caught.'"</p><p>To resolve this data gap and estimate the global catch of marine recreational fisheries, the paper used a method called "catch reconstruction" — a mix of computer analysis and good, old-fashioned detective work.</p><p>Catch reconstruction, he explained, assumes that fishing doesn't happen in a vacuum. Even if you don't have data on how many fish are caught or brought to shore, there's often other information showing things like how many boats used a marina, how much fuel they used, and how much seafood was for sale in local markets.</p><p>That's where Pauly and his team came in. They consolidated information from a variety of sources and built a bigger picture.</p><p>Pauly provided an example of how they accomplished this.</p><p>"In West Africa, many people thought there weren't any substantial recreational fisheries, because there's no catch data available," he told me. "But there are fishing lodges there for tourism, and those lodges post images of what people catch on social media and websites. We know how many people go to those lodges, because tourists entering the country are reported and they fill in where they're staying. If we know how many people visit, how long they stay and what's usually caught, we can estimate catch even with an absence of official statistics."</p><p>This isn't foolproof. Potts pointed out that this kind of formulation can cause complications. He noted that the paper estimated the catch from one fishing lodge and extrapolated it to two others, including one lodge that exists on paper but hasn't actually been built yet. Pauly responded to this concern by pointing out that "we were able to generate first estimates of the catch of West African recreational fisheries … but the fact these these estimates can be improved goes without saying."</p><p>Even though the results are estimates, they suggest two potentially troubling trends. First, all recreational fisheries catch is significantly increasing in developing-world nations, especially in Africa and South America. For example, the number of recreational fishing licenses in Brazil jumped from 276,500 in 2011 to more than 400,000 just two years later.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjg4MzQzMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDQxNTk2MX0.Dz7Khbf_NuvobL3adRM1lNNgN-pCT-RGqtYiE8y6jtc/img.jpg?width=980" id="05b83" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d7c6dabd9561b74c1ae03ef14a2255ae" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Fishing off the coast of Brazil, with dolphins swimming nearby. Felipe Vaduga (CC BY 2.0)
<p>Second, recreational fisheries targeting sharks and rays are on the upswing worldwide. Sharks and rays represented less than 1% of total recreational catch in the 1950s, but about 6% today, and are especially increasing in South America, the Indo-Pacific and West Africa.</p><p>"This is a cause for concern given the threatened status of many species of sharks and rays," Meeuwig said. Previous research has shown that about 24% of sharks and related species are threatened or <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species">endangered</a>. "The capture of large sharks is particularly worrisome," she adds, because of their importance as breeders.</p>
<h3>Swimming Forward</h3><p>Arlinghaus said he feels the <em>Frontiers in Marine Science</em> paper represents a "Herculean effort" to gather global recreational catch.</p><p>It's also an opportunity to shift our attention to a previously invisible or ignored problem. Increasingly, as scientists and environmentalists have been raising the alarm about commercial and industrial overfishing, they've implicitly or explicitly sent the message that fishing for fun has so little environmental impact that it wasn't worth considering.</p><p>And Arlinghaus cautioned that the papers' recommendations about recreational fishing have already been misinterpreted in some circles. A widely shared <em>Nature News</em> article about this paper <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00211-4" target="_blank">claimed</a> "hobbyists' harvest of sharks and rays have soared, and catch and release is no solution,"— despite the fact that the paper did not address catch and release. Additionally, some on social media claimed that this paper was proof that all recreational angling needed to be shut down, which was not a recommendation issued by the paper.</p>
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<p>Arlinghaus warned against making those leaps in logic based solely on the data from these papers. "We can't learn much about the conservation concerns associated with a fishery just by looking at landings," he pointed out.</p><p>But the <em>Fish and Fisheries</em> paper did contain some recommendations for improvement.</p><p>"There are some basic guidelines for improving governance that can be followed and should improve the quality of a governance of a country's recreational fisheries," Potts said. These include clearly defining recreational angling in national legislation and stressing how its management differs from commercial fisheries. The paper also calls for increased cooperation with stakeholders to gather more effective data and ensure compliance with rules, and scientific monitoring of populations of fishes targeted by recreational fisheries — all things that are currently done relatively well in the U.S. and Australia, but done relatively poorly in large parts of the developing world.</p><p>"I want to commend these authors for their recommendations," Haukebo said. "This framework is a great reference for any nation that is aspiring to improve, or even just establish, responsible management of their recreational fishery."</p><p>While Haukebo and other experts say you don't have to feel bad about "goin' fishin'" with family and friends just yet, the science presented in these papers makes it clear that in some places individual actions can collectively pose a significant threat to marine species — and that's something governments and conservationists around the world, not to mention anglers, need to start to address.</p>
<p><em>David Shiffman is a marine biologist specializing in the ecology and conservation of sharks.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/recreational-fishing-environmental-impact/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>
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Dungeness Crabs’ Shells Are Dissolving From the Severity of Pacific Ocean Acidification
28 January
Oceans
A solitary Dungeness crab sits in the foreground, at low tide on an overcast day. The crabs' shells are dissolving because of ocean acidification on the West Coast. Claudia_Kuenkel / iStock / Getty Images
As the Pacific Ocean becomes more acidic, Dungeness crabs, which live in coastal areas, are seeing their shells eaten away, according to a new study commissioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
<p>The study authors looked at ocean acidification levels from 2016. They found that the lowered pH is dissolving the shells of young Dungeness crabs in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Without strong shells, the young crabs suffer damage to their sensory organs, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/pacific-ocean-acidification-crabs-dissolving-shells-scn-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. </p>
<p>The findings contribute to growing concerns about the viability of the Dungeness crab as atmospheric carbon dioxide, which continues to rise, is absorbed by the Pacific Ocean and increases acidification, as <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crab-larvae-off-oregon-and-washington-suffering-shell-damage-from-ocean-acidification-new-research-shows/" target="_blank">The Seattle Times reported</a>.</p><p>Ocean acidity was not expected to damage Dungeness crabs so quickly. Researchers say it is a warning for the future of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seafood" rel="noopener noreferrer">seafood</a> and the health of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" rel="noopener noreferrer">marine life</a>.</p><p>"If the crabs are affected already, we really need to make sure we pay much more attention to various components of the food chain before it is too late," said study lead author Nina Bednarsek, a senior scientist with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/pacific-ocean-acidification-crabs-dissolving-shells-scn-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720301200" rel="noopener noreferrer">study was published</a> last week in the journal Science of the Total Environment. </p><p>Dungeness crabs are vital to the West Coast <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fishing" rel="noopener noreferrer">fishing</a> industry — netting around $200 million annually. They are also important to tribal and recreational crabbers. The crabs have thrived in coastal waters that have recently become hotspots for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean-acidification" rel="noopener noreferrer">ocean acidification</a>, according to <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crab-larvae-off-oregon-and-washington-suffering-shell-damage-from-ocean-acidification-new-research-shows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Seattle Times</a>. </p>
<p>Ocean acidification happens when the pH of ocean water drops. The primary cause is an increase in absorption of atmospheric CO2 over a long period. When CO2 is absorbed by seawater, a chain of chemical reactions is set in motion. That causes the sea water to increase its acidity as an increase in hydrogen ions tamps down carbonate ions, which would balance out the water's pH level, as <a href="https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2581/Dungeness-crab-showing-impact-of-coastal-acidification" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NOAA explained in a statement</a>. </p>
<p>Crustaceans and corals need carbonate ions to help them build strong shells. In their absence, it becomes difficult for crabs, oysters and clams to build shells. It also stops corals from building strong skeletons and it weakens plankton, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/pacific-ocean-acidification-crabs-dissolving-shells-scn-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. </p>
<p>"Decreases in carbonate ions can make building and maintaining shells and other calcium carbonate structures difficult for calcifying organisms," explains <a href="https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2581/Dungeness-crab-showing-impact-of-coastal-acidification" target="_blank">NOAA</a>.</p><p>Previous research had shown that ocean acidification was causing harm to West Coast pteropods, small free-swimming snails that are food for Dungeness crab, according to <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crab-larvae-off-oregon-and-washington-suffering-shell-damage-from-ocean-acidification-new-research-shows/" target="_blank">The Seattle Times</a>. Direct damage to Dungeness crabs was not expected for many years to come, so the findings have alarmed NOAA scientists.</p>
<p>"We found dissolution impacts to the crab larvae that were not expected to occur until much later in this century," Richard Feely, study co-author and NOAA senior scientist, said as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/pacific-ocean-acidification-crabs-dissolving-shells-scn-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p>
<p>The research boat that took samples in 2016 did not just find damage to the crab's shell, but also to tiny hair-like structures crabs use to navigate their environments, which is something scientists had never seen before. Crabs without these tiny mechanoreceptors could move slowly and have trouble swimming and finding food, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/pacific-ocean-acidification-crabs-dissolving-shells-scn-trnd/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to CNN</a>.</p>
<p>As for shell damage, the shells showed signs of scarring and abnormal ridging, which may impair a crab's ability to swim, stay buoyant and escape from predators. The damaged crabs were also smaller, which suggests developmental delays, as the <a href="https://www.sustainability-times.com/environmental-protection/acidic-ocean-is-dissolving-crab-shells-earlier-than-predicted/" target="_blank">Sustainability Times reported</a>. </p>
<p>"We were really surprised to see this level of dissolution happening," Bednarsek said, as <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crab-larvae-off-oregon-and-washington-suffering-shell-damage-from-ocean-acidification-new-research-shows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Seattle Times reported</a>.</p>
<p>The authors say their findings mean more research is needed to make new predictions about the future of the Dungeness crab as the Pacific coastal waters continue to absorb more carbon dioxide, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crab-larvae-off-oregon-and-washington-suffering-shell-damage-from-ocean-acidification-new-research-shows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to The Seattle Times</a>.</p>
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A woman sits on a sand berm created by city workers to protect houses from El Nino storms and high tides at Playa Del Rey beach in Los Angeles, Calif. on Nov. 30, 2015. MARK RALSTON / AFP / Getty Images
Ocean waters off the coast of California are acidifying twice as fast as the rest of the world's oceans, new research shows.
<p>A <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=4fb6c5e624&e=0afd421a28" target="_blank">study</a> published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration used fossil analysis of planktonic organisms to create a 100-year acidification records for California's ocean waters. </p>
<p>Increased acidity in ocean waters is harmful to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_self">marine life</a>, especially shellfish, and California's fisheries provide more than 10 percent of the nation's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seafood" rel="noopener noreferrer">seafood</a> production. "While the ocean has served a very important role in mitigating climate change by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, there's a capacity at which the ocean can't absorb anymore," NOAA's Emily Osborne, one of the lead authors on the study, told the LA Times. "From this study, and so many other published studies, there's no question that the answer is to curb our carbon emissions." </p>
<h4>For a deeper dive:</h4><p><a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=d4178ee0ab&e=0afd421a28" target="_blank">LA Times</a>, <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=b8e2fa8b10&e=0afd421a28" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, <a href="https://climatenexus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=72061a7c77&e=0afd421a28" target="_blank">NBC</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The climate crisis is changing the New England fishing industry, a new report says. Ed Dunens / Flickr
By Eoin Higgins
The climate crisis is hurting the New England fishing industry, claims a new report published Monday, with a decline of 16% in fishing jobs in the northeastern U.S. region from 1996 to 2017 and more instability ahead.
<p>University of Delaware researcher Kimberly Oremus' <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/10/pnas.org/content/early/2019/12/03/1820154116" target="_blank">paper</a>, "Climate variability reduces employment in New England fisheries," was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.</p><p>"This is an important signal to incorporate into the fisheries management process," Oremus <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-12-england-fishermen-jobs-due-climate.html" target="_blank">told</a> <em>Science X</em>. "We need to figure out what climate is doing to fisheries in order to cope with it."</p><p>Oresmus found that the fishing industry is in trouble due to variations in <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">ocean</a> temperature. Of particular concern is the Gulf of Maine, an area of the ocean warming faster than nearly any other in the world.</p><p>"New England waters are among the fastest-warming in the world," said Oremus said. "Warmer-than-average sea-surface temperatures have been shown to impact the productivity of lobsters, sea scallops, groundfish and other fisheries important to the region, especially when they are most vulnerable, from spawning through their first year of life."</p>
<p>As The New Food Economy explained, the New England fishing industry has been under threat for decades due to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/overfishing" target="_self">overfishing</a> and climate change.</p><blockquote>Due to overfishing, cod stocks are nearly depleted. To avert complete collapse, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now sets limits on fish catches, or quotas. In the past decade, catches have plummeted, from 100 million pounds of cod in the early 1980s to a fraction today. </blockquote><p>Oresums told HuffPost's Alexander Kaufman that while her research shows the fisheries' decline is driven by warmer winters, she wasn't able to get a full picture of the crisis.</p><p>"This doesn't capture all the anthropogenic climate change," said Oresmus. "There's probably additional warming on top of the variability that I don't account for."</p><p><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-england-fish_n_5dee8f3fe4b07f6835b73fa0" target="_blank">According to</a> Kaufman:</p><blockquote>The Gulf of Maine, which stretches from Nova Scotia in Canada to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has warmed faster than 99% of global oceans, increasing by an average of <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2798/watery-heatwave-cooks-the-gulf-of-maine/" target="_blank">0.11 degrees Fahrenheit</a> per year over the past three decades. While temperatures fluctuate, melting Arctic ice is weakening the southward current that once flushed the basin with cold waters from Greenland, putting the basin's temperatures on a firm upward trajectory.</blockquote><blockquote>The effects have made the fishing industry even less predictable than in years past. Record lobster hauls over the past decade in Maine now look set to decline, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/578827da5d9642e685de612a951d6916" target="_blank">two studies published</a> in the past month. The New England fishery for Northern shrimp, once a winter mainstay, is set to <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/maine-shrimp-climate_n_5da8b76fe4b0b5c9be4b4c43" target="_blank">remain closed for a seventh</a> consecutive year. An iconic seafood processing firm in Gloucester, Massachusetts, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/11/gloucester-based-seafood-company-closes-abruptly-leaving-unemployed/QYpkWmq8cZ8fD6AFA9eLpI/story.html" target="_blank">went bankrupt</a> in May. </blockquote><p>Ultimately, Oresmus told The New Food Economy, New Englanders have to prepare for a different-looking coastal future.</p><p>"The individuals who can't weather these climate shocks are the small mom-and-pop businesses and smaller fishing establishments," said Oresmus. "There are communities that are just not going to be fishing communities anymore."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/10/new-england-fishing-communities-being-destroyed-climate-shocks-study?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Could the Climate Crisis Spell the End for Maine Lobster? - EcoWatch ›
- Northern Fish Are Tough, but No Match for Climate Change - EcoWatch ›
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5 Ways Sustainable Seafood Can Benefit People and the Environment
29 October 2019
Insights + Opinion
A woman carries fish in Nauta, Peru. Oceana / Shutterstock / Christian Vinces
By Emily Petsko
For many, the end of October evokes images of falling leaves or Halloween's ghosts and ghouls. But those of us focused on oceans also know October as National Seafood Month.
<p>Oceana works to save the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans/" target="_blank">oceans</a> and feed the world, and we can't do that without sustainable seafood. We help our oceans thrive by promoting fishery policies that follow science-based quotas, reduce bycatch, put an end to overfishing and protect fragile habitats. These tactics not only help marine life flourish — a win in its own right — but also ensure that our oceans can continue to nourish the people who need it most.</p><p>Seafood is an indispensable part of many people's diets, livelihoods and cultural traditions. This is especially true for populations that don't have access to an alternate source of healthy, affordable protein. In recognition of National Seafood Month, here are five ways that seafood can sustain and support communities around the world.</p>
1. Seafood can provide a healthy source of protein to a growing population.
<p>Right now, 821 million people around the world are living in hunger. This problem isn't likely to disappear anytime soon, especially with the population projected to grow by 2 billion people over the next 30 years. But by ensuring that fisheries are managed sustainably, and within scientifically sound parameters, we can restore ocean abundance and put enough fish in our waters to feed a sizable portion of the planet. If we look after our oceans properly and avoid overexploiting their resources, they could provide a nutritious meal every day for 1 billion people.</p>2. Seafood could fill the micronutrient void that exists in many developing countries.
<p>Enough fish are caught in many developing countries to nourish their populations, and yet malnutrition remains a persistent problem. How can this be? A team of researchers, including Oceana Science Advisor Dr. Eddie Allison, found that the fish being caught in tropical countries are chock full of important micronutrients — including calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, omega-3 and vitamin A — but they don't always end up on local people's plates. That's because much of the catch is exported, sometimes for the sole purpose of being churned into fishmeal and fed to carnivorous farmed fish like salmon, which are ultimately consumed by people in higher-income countries.</p><p>This has consequences for both local people and the economy. "A lack of fish-derived nutrients has been found to have a large effect on public health, notably infant mortality and hence GDP," Oceana Board Member and fisheries scientist Dr. Daniel Pauly wrote in a <a href="https://oceana.org/blog/daniel-pauly-having-access-fish-good-us" target="_blank">response</a> to the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1592-6" target="_blank">study</a>, which was led by Dr. Christina Hicks. That's why, when we consider the benefits of seafood, it's important to also consider who has access to those benefits.</p>3. Seafood tends to be a low-carbon food, so it reduces the strain on the environment.
<p>Compared to land-based animal proteins like beef and pork, wild-caught seafood has a significantly lower carbon footprint (as long as it's not being carted around the planet by plane). Plus, it requires virtually no fresh water or arable land to harvest it. At a time when concerns over habitat destruction and <a href="https://oceana.org/blog/climate-change-and-oceans-what-you-need-know-united-nations%E2%80%99-new-report" target="_blank">climate change</a> are growing, it's more vital than ever to rethink our global food systems.</p><p>A recent <a href="http://dev-oceanpanel.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/2019-09/19_HLP_Report_Ocean_Solution_Climate_Change_final.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> from the High Level Panel for A Sustainable Ocean Economy suggested that climate change could be mitigated, in part, by shifting global diets towards plant- and ocean-based options. "Food from the sea, produced using best practices, can (with some notable exceptions) have some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per unit of protein produced of all protein sources," the panel wrote.</p>4. The fishing sector provides jobs to millions of people — half of whom are women.
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA0NTkxMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjQ1NzU4MX0.oXvmpilVB0-MJEhsqxKrSRD_AU855m0QPizlAXoIoe4/img.jpg?width=980" id="a29f6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2913e41194d8df4252bfc88b9adb73ed" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Women and children fish in Pemba, Mozambique. © OCEANA / Ana de la Torriente
<p>Roughly 120 million people work in capture fisheries around the world. Over 95% of those people live in developing countries, and nearly half of them are women. Although fishing is typically viewed as a "masculine" occupation, many women make a living by spearing octopus, digging for clams, diving for abalone and packing and processing seafood. This industry is particularly important in small island nations. In Palau and Seychelles, for instance, 10% to 50% of their GDPs may be derived from fisheries, according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/01/26/rethinking-our-oceans-investing-in-the-blue-economy/#603e11983531" target="_blank"><em>Forbes</em></a>.</p>5. Fisheries are vital to many Indigenous coastal communities.
<p>Indigenous peoples eat roughly 2 percent of all the seafood caught annually around the world, according to a 2016 <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0166681" target="_blank">study</a> written by Dr. Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor and co-authored by Dr. Pauly. Considering that Indigenous groups comprise just 5% of the global population, their seafood consumption works out to be 15 times higher than that of non-Indigenous peoples.</p><p>So what exactly does this mean? As the study's authors put it: "Marine resources are crucial to the continued existence of coastal Indigenous peoples, and their needs must be explicitly incorporated into management policies." Canada's revamped <em>Fisheries Act</em>, which was championed by Oceana and our allies, is a good example of how this can be achieved. The new version of the Act recognizes Indigenous knowledge and states that the Minster of Fisheries and Oceans has a duty to consider any adverse effects that decisions may have on Indigenous peoples.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA0NTkxMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODg2Mzc3M30.7ITuUQW2vlRL8J39VmOqZXZ4o69GwdBUWmDDPzN6Bm0/img.jpg?width=980" id="3a3a5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="75cb9d6fcfce4609f1bf30658b8f13dd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Fish at a market in Punta Gorda, Belize. © OCEANA / A. Ellis
<p>From coastal communities to octopus fishers to people living in the tropics, it's clear that millions of people around the world depend on abundant oceans. Of course, when we talk about the benefits of seafood, sustainability is an important caveat. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/overfishing" rel="noopener noreferrer">Overfishing</a> and destructive fishing methods are still ravaging marine habitats, rendering them less capable of providing for people's nutritional needs in the future. That's why, when you select a fish from a restaurant or your local supermarket's seafood counter, it's important to check the source. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a helpful tool called <a href="https://www.seafoodwatch.org/" target="_blank">Seafood Watch</a> that simplifies the process.</p><p><em>Want to learn more about how Oceana is helping to save the oceans and feed the world? Visit their campaign page <a href="https://oceana.org/feedtheworld" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media partner <a href="https://oceana.org/blog/5-ways-sustainable-seafood-can-benefit-people-and-environment" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oceana</a>.</em></p>
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Char and sockeye salmon moving upstream. Salmon are high in the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. Jonny Armstrong / USGS
By Bret Stetka
Glaciers continue to melt. Sea levels are on the rise. And now scientists believe the changing climate may put our brains at risk. A new analysis predicts that by 2100, increasing water temperatures brought on by a warming planet could result in 96 percent of the world's population not having access to an omega-3 fatty acid crucial to brain health and function.
<p>That molecule is called docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. It is the most common fatty acid in the mammalian brain and plays a key role in the survival and function of our neural cells, especially during the organ's development. Data suggest that not having enough of the compound may increase the risk of conditions such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and impair cognition in people with early dementia.</p><p>Our bodies do not make much DHA, so, for the most part, we obtain it through diet. Plants and meats have modest amounts of the fatty acid, but the most abundant source by far is fish (or fish-derived supplements). Fish obtain DHA by consuming algae. The authors of the new study predict that rising temperatures could disrupt algal DHA production and lead to a 10 to 58 percent reduction in availability of the compound, depending on the geographic region.</p>
<p>To predict the future of DHA availability, they used data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the fishery research institute Sea around Us to get numbers on how much edible fish are caught and farmed worldwide each year and on how much of that maritime tonnage is composed of DHA-containing fat. Then, using data showing how temperature influences algal DHA production, the researchers determined roughly how much of the fatty acid is presently available by consuming fish per capita versus how much will be available 80 years from now.</p><p>Their predictions show that larger countries with rapid population growth in East and Southeast Asia — including China, Japan and Indonesia — will face the most severe DHA shortages. Most African countries — especially landlocked ones — will also end up falling below recommended DHA intake, whereas nations with small populations and active fishing industries, such as Norway, Chile and New Zealand, will likely maintain access to adequate omega-3s.</p>
<p>"I already had an idea that DHA would decrease, based on previous data," recalls Stefanie Colombo, an assistant professor in aquaculture nutrition at Dalhousie University and co-lead author on the new paper. "But I was surprised and concerned when we saw the decline in DHA per capita—that people in some areas of the world would be more affected."</p><p>Tom Brenna, a professor with joint appointments in pediatrics, chemistry and human nutrition at the University of Texas at Austin, points out that the new results are open to a range of interpretation: "The [predicted] interval of 10 to 58 percent is so large as to be the difference between a mild inconvenience and a calamity." Yet he welcomes any investigation into the global DHA supply.</p><p>Brenna, who was not involved in the new study, also points out that whether or not dietary DHA is necessary in adults has been an area of conflict for decades. Yet he and most experts in the field agree that it is a critical nutrient during brain development and even into the late teen years — and that its influence on brain function may vary, based on an individual's genetic profile.</p><p>Omega-3 fatty acids can be derived from terrestrial sources, including nuts, seeds and land animals. Yet as Michael Crawford, now at Imperial College London, discovered in the 1970s, "ready-made" DHA — such as found in fish — is incorporated into the developing brain with 10-fold greater efficiency than plant-sourced DHA.</p><p>Crawford is a pioneer in understanding the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and brain health and believes that the evolution of our big and complex primate brain would have been impossible without access to DHA. He also thinks that a decline in consumption of omega-3s because of our increasingly processed diet explains increasing rates of mental illness and declining IQ. Marine agriculture such as projects now underway in Japan might be essential to saving ourselves and the planet. "If mental illness continues to escalate, then <em>Homo sapiens</em> are finished," Crawford predicts. "Seventy-one percent of the planet's surface is water, and marine cultivation will help reverse this trend. Without farming the seabed and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans">oceans</a>, food security goes out of the window."</p>
<p>Aquaculture initiatives abound throughout the world, including those intent on farming algae as a source of DHA. Other researchers are using genetic engineering to grow plants with a more available form of the fatty acid. And Richard P. Bazinet, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto and a co-author of the new paper, is working to understand how DHA enters the brain and how much of it a healthy adult brain actually needs.</p><p>Colombo is hopeful that in the face of a changing climate, scientists will devise new sources of DHA. And she plans to study how warming waters will affect fish metabolism and DHA availability. Yet she admits the outcome does not look good: "I don't think this is something we can ignore. In terms of the climate warming, we can't continue on this same trajectory."</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that have numerous health benefits. This article takes a detailed look at the 3 most important types of omega-3s<a href="https://t.co/I8K8jqZiUl">https://t.co/I8K8jqZiUl</a></p>— Frank Lipman MD (@DrFrankLipman) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrFrankLipman/status/1148947688349753351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p><em><em>This story originally appeared in <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/global-warming-may-dwindle-the-supply-of-a-key-brain-nutrient/" target="_blank">Scientific American</a>. </em><em>It is republished here as part of</em> <em>EcoWatch's partnership with Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.</em></em><br/></p>
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Tuna auctions are a tourist spectacle in Tokyo. Outside the city's most famous fish market, long queues of visitors hoping for a glimpse of the action begin to form at 5 a.m. The attraction is so popular that last October the Tsukiji fish market, in operation since 1935, moved out from the city center to the district of Toyosu to cope with the crowds.
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<p>Spectators can now watch the auction of fresh and frozen tuna from a specially designed Tuna Auction Observation Deck. Because tuna, which can weigh up to 650 kilos (1,433 pounds), is definitely the star of the show. This year a giant bluefin sold for $3.1 million (€2.77 million) at Toyosu, smashing previous records.</p><p>Yet as <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/seafood" target="_self">seafood</a> tourism in Japan booms, global fish stocks are <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/cetaceans/threats/fishstocks/" target="_blank">plummeting</a>. Bluefin tuna is among the worst affected — it's now one of the most <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/overfishing">over-exploited fish</a> in the ocean, with all three bluefin species <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" rel="noopener noreferrer">endangered</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDYyODc1Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTAwOTU0M30.9IjcaClWfRQXV8rsuc_tpJusDoGVXXfNPC1D2OsbVM4/img.jpg?width=980" id="f7070" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="367bd566cc86babe2ecc892f0c92967e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Tuna is the star of the show: The meaty fish is in such high demand that stocks have come under severe pressure.
<p>Following the Olympics' focus on sustainable food in Rio and London, Japan is under pressure to provide eco-friendly seafood to the huge numbers of visitors expected in Tokyo for the 2020 games.</p><p>"We want to establish sustainable seafood elements," said Wakao Hanaoka, founder of Tokyo-based sustainable seafood consultancy, Seafood Legacy. "We want to use this 2020 Olympics as a chance to boost acceleration of the movement in Japan."</p><p>Right now, that's no easy task.</p><h2>Tuna off the Menu</h2><p>Japan is one of the world's biggest consumers of seafood, at around 33 kilos (approximately 73 pounds) per capita in 2016, Euromonitor. By comparison, Italians consumed 16 kilos per capita in the same year.</p><p>To serve seafood certified as sustainable by the internationally recognized Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to visitors during the games, Japan would have to rely mainly on imports. The country has just one MSC-certified sustainable seafood restaurant.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDYyODc1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTkyMjY5N30.80LLK0bP_01Vgmoya__YG2DU3dtrgLiXJ3c9WeXL5RI/img.jpg?width=980" id="d5b36" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d79f263846ca024c01eed1bb2371402f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Lively trade: In Tokyo, the fish market isn't just big business, it's become a tourist attraction.
<p>Restaurant Blue opened its doors in 2017. The chefs use just two local MSC/ASC-certified products, and get the rest from overseas. One thing you definitely won't find at the restaurant is tuna, said Kota Shibai, who works at both the Tokyo eatery and Seafood Legacy.</p><p>"Many customers ask me why there is no tuna at Restaurant Blue … I think it's a great opportunity to explain about the situation of the Japanese fisheries industry," Shibai said. "At the moment, the situation of Japanese tuna is a bit far from sustainability."</p><h2>Bluewashing Japanese Fisheries</h2><p>This is news to many consumers. Hanaoka from Seafood Legacy says raising awareness is key to protecting fish stocks. "Many Japanese don't want to eat up all the fish from the ocean, they just don't realize yet [that stocks are so low], " he said.</p><p>Yet even for those in the know who want to protect the future of their country's favorite cuisine, critics say labeling can be confusing.</p><p>Japan has its own sustainable certification standards: industry groups introduced MEL in 2007 and AEL in 2014, which fisheries have taken up far more enthusiastically than the international certifications.</p><p>That's because they are far easier to achieve. Isao Sakaguchi, a law professor specializing in fisheries at Tokyo's Gakushuin University says the bar is so low that, "theoretically any wild-capture fisheries and aquaculture farmers can be certified as 'blue' by the local schemes" — blue denoting marine <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sustainability">sustainability</a>.</p><p>A Pacific bluefin tuna fishery was certified by MEL in 2015, even as bluefin tuna numbers were at historic lows. The fishery would never have passed the tests to be certified by MSC, Sakaguchi said, calling this "bluewashing."</p>
<h2>Mixed Signals From Government</h2><p>The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee's guidelines for serving "sustainable fishery products" in the Olympic and Paralympic villages and other Tokyo Game's venues says MEL and AEL fishery products satisfy <a href="https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sustainability/data/commentary-fishery-EN.pdf" target="_blank">sustainable criteria</a>. </p><p>Hanaoka and Seafood Legacy, meanwhile, have been looking into how organizers might provide seafood that meets higher standards of sustainability. Last year, Hanaoka visited London to find out how the 2012 Olympics ensured its fish and chips could be enjoyed guilt-free.</p><p>Turns out, they only offered two types of fish, which is fine for Britain's favorite takeout, but difficult to apply in Japan, where visitors will be eager to try sushi that includes as many as 10 to 20 species in a single dish.</p><p>"Mostly we are importing, so when we welcome guests from foreign countries to Japan, we serve sushi and it's a set of imported products and endangered species – that's not something to be proud of as Japanese people," said Hanaoka</p><p>The Japanese government has signaled that it's beginning to take this situation seriously. In December last year the biggest of its fishing laws for 70 years was enacted, which includes more limits on what can be caught, as well as recovery plans for overfished species.</p><p>"The government is slow but it's starting to tighten up its legislation," said Hanaoka. "Bit by bit, it's getting better."</p><p>Yet Japan's commitment to marine <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" rel="noopener noreferrer">conservation</a> looks a lot less convincing since the country resumed commercial whaling in July, after a 33-year moratorium.</p><p>For now, Tokyo's tourists and sports fans will have to choose carefully if they want to be sure they aren't eating threatened species. Most local catches might be off the menu, but among the glittering array of produce at the Toyosu fish market, sea urchin and flying squid are tipped as good bets for flavor and sustainability.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Eating Seafood Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint, But Some Fish Are Better Than Others <a href="https://t.co/GcsvrqZYxE">https://t.co/GcsvrqZYxE</a> <a href="https://t.co/Oyzmj1bQLg">pic.twitter.com/Oyzmj1bQLg</a></p>— Azula (@azula) <a href="https://twitter.com/azula/status/968383463580667904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/is-the-2020-olympics-an-opportunity-for-japan-to-tackle-seafood-sustainability/a-50004198" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>
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