Home

fisheries

Court: Canada must protect killer whales

Thu, 09/12/2010 - 08:19 by Prince damin

Vancouver, British Columbia -- Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans has not done enough to protect critical killer whale habitat off the coast of British Columbia, a court has ruled.

A federal court said Tuesday the federal government failed to protect at-risk resident whales by inadequately dealing with issues of salmon availability, environmental contamination and noise pollution from marine traffic, The Vancouver Sun reported.

Environmentalists launched a lawsuit in 2008 after the DFO used provincial guidelines to outline a protection strategy, which environmentalists argued did not address key issues such as food supply or pollution.

Call for European ocean health 'network'

Fri, 17/09/2010 - 06:13 by Prince damin

Brussels -- Scientists and policy makers in Europe say they want an integrated network of marine observatories to monitor the health of the area's seas and oceans.

The aim is reliable, long-term data to underpin science and policy decision regarding the use of seas for fisheries, aquaculture, energy and shipping, as well as tourism and recreation, a European Science Foundation release said Thursday.

"We should not take for granted the wealth and well-being provided by the seas and oceans" Lars Horn of the Research Council of Norway and chair of the Marine Board said. "This call needs to be heard by national and European decision makers and budget holders.

Alaska river turbine not harming fish

Thu, 09/09/2010 - 11:25 by Rakhi

Anchorage, Alaska -- Researchers in Alaska investigating the effects a power-generating turbine in the Yukon River is having on fish say things look good so far.

"In the brief testing that we have been able to accomplish, we have no indication that the turbine has killed or even injured any fish," said Andrew Seitz, project leader and assistant professor of fisheries at the University of Alaska.

Alaska Power and Telephone installed the in-stream turbine near Eagle, Alaska, this summer to tests its ability to provide power for the village.

Seitz is studying the device's potential effects on fish moving through the river channel, a U of A release said.