fishing

Scratching the surface of Mauritius's illegal fishing industry

The ocean that surrounds Mauritius on any given day is as tranquil and sublime from January to December. Equally you will find on any given day , ships rolling past far out as the eye can see, many of them fishing trawlers and vessels .

Underneath this visually serene facade an unbridled issue of illegal fishing which is going on out there in the vast Mauritian territorial high seas. A criminal activity that costs Africa per year over 600 million USD.

Heading for cooler waters - Climate change impact of warming oceans on global fish stocks

For the first time scientists have demonstrated the impact of climate change on ocean warming and sea surface temperatures affecting global fisheries stocks. Previous studies were limited to individual fisheries. The changes have been occurring clearly since the 1970s, the scientists say. The implications of this research raises the need for timely changes in fisheries management practices and adaptation plans for communities dependant on fishing, particularly climate vulnerable developing countries in the tropics.

"Given global fisheries contribute hugely to the world's economy and food security, this is a significant finding," said co-author Dr Reg Watson from the University of Tasmania's specialist Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies."We are no longer talking about future hypotheticals - we are talking about impacts on a global scale that we can already demonstrate."

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Sea Shepherd scares toothfish poacher while searching for whaling fleet

The crew on board the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker have recovered illegal unmarked longlines and buoys in the southern ocean set to target an endangered species, the Patagonian toothfish, also known and marketed as Chilean sea bass. A vessel was seen in the distance, but when hailed by radio fled from the Bob Barker.