Fish & Fisheries

Lake Ontario's lake trout have been a key indicator of pollution that affects humans and other species.

"STONINGTON, Me. — Lobsters are flooding the market here. A combination of warm weather and good conservation techniques has led to what could end up being a record lobster harvest across Maine waters."

"Thousands of people consume fish from Washington, D.C.’s highly polluted Anacostia River, despite safety warnings."

"For salmon trying to make it upriver to spawn before a hot summer hits, slow and steady loses the evolutionary race. Salmon DNA records stretching back over 30 years show that nature has increasingly selected for fish that migrate from the ocean earlier in the year. It is among the first pieces of genetic evidence that climate change is driving the evolution of a species."

"A disturbing nationwide decline in oysters and the life-giving reefs that they build is particularly dramatic in California, where the once-abundant native species has been virtually wiped out, according to a recent scientific study."

"Humane Society International called it a 'monumental decision' and a 'watershed moment for the global movement to protect sharks.' The conservation group Shark Savers said it 'could be the best news for the oceans in some time.' The major development? The Chinese government announced Tuesday that it would ban the serving of shark fin soup, a prized and expensive delicacy, at official banquets."

"Sockeye salmon -- great table fare, but not good biters on sport gear -- are streaming up the Columbia River in massive numbers and appear likely to be a record return this year."

"Last month a virus broke out in several open water salmon farms in British Columbia that has the region’s fish farm owners scrambling to mitigate their losses."

"Within the next few decades, ocean acidification – an effect of global warming – could leave sea creatures along the West Coast unable to maintain their protective shells, according to a new study."

"The wasteful practice of throwing away healthy and edible fish at sea will be ended in Europe, for the first time in four decades, in a partial victory for environmental campaigners who have viewed a discards ban as the key step to preserving fish stocks. But -- crucially -- the date when such a ban will come into force is still in question, raising fears that it may be implemented too late to save some species."