U.S. House passes Herrera Beutler bill on ocean acidification

By Calley Hair, Columbian staff writer

A bill that would allow institutions researching ocean acidification to compete for $50 million annually in federal prize money passed the U.S. House of Representatives after being introduced by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, earlier this year.

The Ocean Acidification Innovation Act, or H.R. 1921, coasted to victory Wednesday morning with 395 “yay” votes to 22 “nays.” Its next stop is the Senate, where the bipartisan legislation is expected pass.

Under the bill, federal agencies would be able to use existing funds to conduct prize contests — awarding competitors who find better ways to research, monitor and manage ocean acidification.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would free up $30.5 million per year through 2024 for the prize money, according to the bill’s text. The National Science Foundation would supply an additional $20 million per year.

Prize money is a carrot commonly dangled by the federal government to boost research and investment into environmental science. Last year, for instance, the U.S. Department of Energy launched a $3 million series of prize contests for entrepreneurs developing new solar technology.

Herrera Beutler represents Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, which stretches to the West Coast and includes a vast fishing and shellfishing community in Pacific County.

“Shellfish and fishing industry jobs in Pacific County are jeopardized by the detrimental effects of ocean acidification,” Herrera Beutler said in a media release.

About a quarter of the country’s oysters are harvested in Southwest Washington. In 2010, the Washington Shellfish Initiative estimated the regional industry provided 2,700 jobs and $184 million.

As the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the water’s pH level drops and it becomes more corrosive. That can spell disaster for coral reefs, which in a sensitive ocean ecosystem affects the entire marine food chain.


To read the full article click on the link below:

https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/jun/05/u-s-house-passes-herrera-beutler-bill-on-ocean-acidification/

Canadian fresh tuna exporter moves into frozen from Sri Lanka, Guinea supply

By Jason Smith

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Prior to the recent Brussels seafood show, Montreal, Canada's Ferro Import Export had been focused on selling fresh tuna supplied from artisanal fishermen in Guinea and Sri Lanka.

While that will remain the mainstay of the business, the supplier's CEO, Ibrahim Ferrer, told Undercurrent News that based on some of the preliminary conversations he and his employees had with potential partners and customers in Brussels, the company is considering expanding its presence in Europe as well. 

“It was a fantastic show. We need to reconsider the whole strategy and revisit our thinking,” he said.

The trader, which began four years ago selling canned fish, pivoted to Sri Lanka and later Guinea in West Africa when it saw opportunities to supply better quality fresh tuna from small-scale fishermen using traditional fishing methods.

“It was difficult to find fresh products with quality,” Jorge Hans, the company's regional manager for the US, said.

The company, which also has offices in Miami and does its own primary processing in its sourcing countries, has been selling fresh tuna, as well as other species such as grouper, into Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver in Canada as well as Miami and New York in the US.

“We wish to go to Seattle, California,” Hans said.

Ferro is also planning to broaden into frozen tuna exports as a way of giving the communities they work with a chance to sell more fish, Hans said. 

He said that adding frozen product will allow the company to offer more stable work to its fishermen as it will allow Ferro to take on higher volumes.

To read the full article follow the link below:

https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2019/05/31/canadian-fresh-tuna-exporter-moves-into-frozen-from-sri-lanka-guinea-supply/

Europeche: Fishing poses no threat to long-term preservation of marine resources

By Undercurrent News June 6, 2019 09:42 BST

“European fishing body Europeche has said that while the industry can pose a potential risk to the marine environment, with proper fisheries management and industry-led efforts, fish stocks are increasing.

This came in response to the new report from the UN expert group on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which found ecosystems are declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history, with many species facing extinction at accelerating rates.

According to the report, the oceans are no exception to this trend caused by changes in sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution, and invasive alien species. 

Proof that fishing need not be detrimental to the environment comes as "thanks to fisheries management and industry-led efforts, fish stocks have been generally increasing in many areas such as the North East Atlantic, currently reaching levels 36% higher than in 2003".

"This positive trend shows that UN’s extinction warning, particularly for fish populations, is a bit far-fetched."

UN expert authors highlighted that about 66% of the marine environment has been significantly altered by human actions, and claimed that 55% of the ocean is covered by industrial fishing. The report also states that, in 2015, 33% of marine fish stocks were being harvested at unsustainable levels.
 
According to Europeche, the report strongly overestimates fisheries' impact on global biodiversity in the oceans.

"The sector recalls that fish know no borders. Fishermen need to ‘chase’ highly mobile marine species across the oceans to provide healthy food to consumers. However, this does not mean that EU operators fish everywhere."

Thanks to recent high-resolution data of fishing activities, the footprint of fishing worldwide is revealed to be less than 4%, and not 55%, it said.

Europeche acknowledged that further efforts were needed towards achieving the global goal to have all commercial fish stocks exploited at sustainable levels. "However, it is to be noted that the majority of global fisheries (67%) are currently sustainable."

It also said a large number of fish come from sustainable populations; about 82% of the fish consumed worldwide is sustainably caught, 86% in the case of tuna. As for Europe, almost 100% of the landings from Atlantic stocks managed by the EU come from catches responsibly fished in line with the maximum sustainable yield policy, it added.”

To read more follow the link:

https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2019/06/06/europeche-fishing-poses-no-threat-to-long-term-preservation-of-marine-resources/

Thai Union Strikes it Rich with Tuna Oil

business May 21, 2019 01:00

By JINTANA PANYAARVUDH 


When Tunyawat Kasemsuwan, the director of Global Innovation Centre (GIC), joined Thai Union Group five years ago, he saw a lot of “value” left unused at the firm’s tuna processing factory, and decided to take on the responsibility of finding ways to tap that value.

Tunyawat later led the centre to research and develop ways to cash in on this abandoned value, and finally proposed that the company produce refined tuna oil as a new business. 

And now, the long journey of extracting value from the remains of tuna-fish has reached its destination. Crude fish oil extracted in Samut Sakhon province is being shipped to Germany, where Thai Union’s new marine oil refinery is purifying the oil to be sold in the market. 

Five months after the seafood giant’s “Thai Union Marine Nutrients” oil refinery in Rostock, Germany, began operations late last year, they have so far sold 250 tonnes of refined tuna oil to one of the world’s top five infant formula manufacturers.

In the past, the company had treated tuna fish heads as a waste and normally sold it as animal feed at Bt6 per kilo, but after being transformed into refined oil through state-of-the-art technology it has become a value-added product, Tunyawat said.

“And it could increase its value a 100 times if it were developed to the highest level for use as an ingredient in pharmaceutical products,” the director said, during a recent visit to the refinery by a group of Thai journalists.

To read the full article click on the link below:


https://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/business/30369707

Study: Climate change will redistribute tuna populations

By Undercurrent News

More skipjack and yellowfin tuna will move to the tropical waters, while albacore, Atlantic bluefin, bigeye and southern bluefin will shift into colder seas in the future, according to research led by AZTI, a Spanish research body. 

If a coastal country's local fleet anticipates the changes in abundance and distribution of the target species, it may adapt its fishing gear or change its target species, said Haritz Arrizabalaga, who carried out the study with Maite Erauskin-Extramiana.

"Knowing in advance what will happen in the future enables adaptation strategies to the transformations to be drawn up. [A coastal country's local fleet] may be able to continue fishing the same species, but investing in larger vessels, capable of going out further in search of these species," said Arrizabalaga.

The researchers took into account the effect of the environmental conditions on the worldwide distribution of tuna species, such as albacore, Atlantic bluefin, southern bluefin, tropical bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin between 1958 and 2004. This enables the influence of climate change in the future to be assessed and specific predictions to be made, they claim. The study has been published Global Change Biology. 

"During the historical period analyzed, the habitat distribution limits of the tuna have moved towards the poles at a rate of 6.5 kilometers per decade in the northern hemisphere and 5.5km per decade in the southern one. Based on the influence of climate change, even strong changes in tuna distribution and abundance are expected in the future, particularly at the end of the century (2088 - 2099)," said Arrizabalaga.

More specifically, the study forecasts that temperate tuna species, such as albacore, Atlantic bluefin and southern bluefin, will move towards the poles. Bigeye tuna will reduce its presence in the tropics and will move to warmer areas. On the other hand, the analysis predicts that the main two canned tuna species -- skipjack and yellowfin -- will become more abundant in the tropical areas, as well as in most of the fishing areas of coastal countries, or in other words, in the maritime economic exclusive zones which stretches from their coastline to a distance of 200 nautical miles.

To read the full article click on the link below:

https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2019/04/18/study-climate-change-will-redistribute-tuna-populations/

Tuna Fishermen Say Agencies Rejected Input on New Rules

ERIKA WILLIAMS Courthouse News Service

(CN) – Representing large net-fishing vessels in the Pacific Ocean, the American Tunaboat Association filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming government fishery regulators left industry experts in the dark about a forthcoming biological opinion that could limit commercial tuna operations.

The complaint, filed by Baker Botts attorney Megan Berge in Washington, D.C., federal court, names as defendants Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS. 

According to the lawsuit, NMFS is preparing a biological opinion that could impose new permit requirements and limits on tuna fishery operations in the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the American Tunaboat Association says it was denied the ability to provide input during an informal phase of the assessment process.

The fishing advocacy group claims the NMFS violated the Administrative Procedure Act by not allowing it to review any drafts or provide first-hand, expert recommendations for the developing opinion that could directly impact its members.

Biological opinions are approved by government agencies under the Endangered Species Act and can be used to set limits on the number of protected species “taken,” or harvested, by fishing vessels. This limit and the permit process required for some exceptions especially impacts members of the American Tunaboat Association, who use a purse seine method of fishing skipjack and other tuna species in the western and central Pacific Ocean.

Purse seine fishing is the controversial practice of deploying a large wall of netting that encircles a school of fish, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. This method has been known to entangle unlucky species that may be endangered or threatened.

Multiple protected species reside in the western and central Pacific Ocean, including loggerhead sea turtles and Hector’s dolphins.

There are currently about 31 vessels participating in the fishery operation, over half of which are certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, the complaint says. All of these ships and skippers need to comply with NMFS regulations to participate in the fishery.

The American Tunaboat Association says it discovered that NMFS consultation for the new biological opinion was well underway only after its members participated in a webinar series last September.

The new opinion would entirely replace current regulations that were set in 2006, the group says in the complaint, causing uncertainty for its members.

The association claims its application to get involved in the consultation for the biological opinion was rejected.

“Profit margins can be, and often are, razor thin for some ATA-member vessels. For these members especially but also for all other ATA members, the findings, conclusions and measures NMFS will adopt in its new BiOp are of utmost importance,” the complaint states. “ATA and its members are thus insisting that NMFS affords them their due applicant status and rights to ensure that the agency appropriately considers industry expertise and produces a legally defensible BiOp.”

To read the full article click on the link below:

https://www.courthousenews.com/tuna-fishermen-say-agencies-rejected-input-on-new-rules/

After an initial patch of rough seas, Fishing Vessel St. Jude is reeling in prized albacore, and accolades

By  Providence Cicero

ST. JUDE is the patron saint of lost causes. It wasn’t the name Joyce and Joe Malley would have chosen for the spanking-new 95-foot fishing vessel they bought in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1990, but it’s considered bad luck to change a boat’s name. In retrospect, a little heavenly protection might have helped. Buying the St. Jude took all they had, and then some.

The story turned out well in the end for this seagoing couple. Fishing Vessel St. Jude’s albacore tuna loins are on the menu at Seattle restaurants like Tilth, Terra Plata, Matt’s in the Market and Queen City. “In order to make a really good dish, you have to source ingredients that have great flavor,” says chef Maria Hines of Tilth. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Joe’s tuna because he puts so much care and attention into his product. He searches out schools of tuna that have a very high fat content, which is why his tuna is always so melt-in-your-mouth delicious. He also bleeds the fish quickly, so they have a super-clean flavor.”

Many area grocery stores stock St. Jude’s canned albacore (about $9 per 6-ounce can). Recent back-to-back “Good Food Awards” for their Mediterranean tuna packed in Spanish olive oil and their organic jalapeno-spiked tuna (one of several flavored versions) attest to the product’s excellence. The “Tarantella” line uses only luxurious tuna belly. Forget chicken of the sea: St. Jude’s Tarantella packed in Regalis White Truffle Oil (the rare truffle oil not made with synthetic flavoring) is the ocean’s answer to Wagyu. At $8.50 for a 3.5-ounce can, it’s an affordable splurge.

A lot of environmental concerns swirl around tuna. The Malleys care about sustainability. Their tuna is troll-caught, using lures dragged on the surface to selectively catch young, fatty albacore one-by-one. About 5 percent of albacore are troll-caught, according to Joe. Trolling selects for young albacore, 3 to 5 years old, averaging about 15 pounds. “They feed low in the food chain: anchovies, squid and krill. The result is low mercury levels, making them much healthier to consume. It is a much-targeted type of fishing. Bycatch is virtually nil.

To read the full article click on the link below:

http://fisherynation.com/archives/78930?fbclid=IwAR1TtBx1y46lyTFyHEA6zTREWQgAqzhnGqEk9YltNdWK7kvYWotcmtew1wE

Eating Fish May Help City Kids With Asthma Breathe Better

It's long been known that air pollution influences the risk — and severity — of asthma. Now, there's emerging evidence that diet can play a role, too.

A new study finds that higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines and lake trout, and in some plant sources such as walnuts and flaxseed, is linked to reduced asthma symptoms in city kids who are exposed to fairly high levels of indoor air pollution.

To read more click on the link:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/30/707991097/eating-fish-may-help-city-kids-with-asthma-breathe-better