Popular seafood species in sharp decline around the world

July 21, 2020May 11, 2021

Octopus at a fish market in Indonesia. Photo by Deng Palomares.

Fish market favourites such as orange roughy, common octopus and pink conch are among the species of fish and invertebrates in rapid decline around the world, according to new research.

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the Sea Around Us initiative at UBC, the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the University of Western Australia assessed the biomass —the weight of a given population in the water— of more than 1,300 fish and invertebrate populations. They discovered global declines, some severe, of many popularly consumed species.

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Sea Around Us’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic

March 30, 2020May 11, 2021

Dear Sea Around Us network,

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to communicate that our number one priority is the health and safety of the Sea Around Us staff, partners and collaborators.

This post is aimed at explaining our current procedures and providing you with information on how we will ensure our work continues during these testing times.

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Billions lost as illicit fisheries trade hurting nations who can afford it least

February 26, 2020May 11, 2021

More than eight million to 14 million tonnes of unreported fish catches are traded illicitly every year, costing the legitimate market between $9 billion and $17 billion in trade each year, according to new research.

In a paper published in Science Advances, researchers from the Fisheries Economics Research Unit and the Sea Around Us initiative, both based at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, as well as the Sea Around Us – Indian Ocean at the University of Western Australia, looked at catch losses for 143 countries and found that significant amounts of seafood are being illicitly taken out of the food supply system of many countries, impacting the nutritional food security and livelihoods of millions.

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Climate change-threatened Marshall Islands under-reporting fisheries stats

January 31, 2020May 11, 2021

Humpback red snapper. Photo by Julien Bidet for MDC Seamarc, Wikimedia Commons.

Warming waters, king tides and storm surges are not the only things affecting the availability of seafood in the Marshall Islands. Incomplete reporting of fisheries catches and, therefore, of how much is being taken out of the oceans also is.

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Recreational fishers catching more sharks and rays

January 27, 2020May 11, 2021

Hammerhead shark. Photo by Kris Mikael Krister, Wikimedia Commons.

Recreational fishers are increasingly targeting sharks and rays, a situation that is causing concern among researchers.

A new study by an international team of scientists reveals that recreational catches of these fishes have gradually increased over the last six decades around the world, now accounting for 5-6 per cent of the total catches taken for leisure or pleasure.

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