Saving Seafood Special Report: U.S. Seafood: Ratings and Realities
As the National Park Service implements seafood guidelines for its vendors Saving Seafood examines the value, limitations, and pitfalls of third party ratings and certifications.(Saving Seafood) August 1, 2013 -- When the National Park Service (NPS) announced it would utilize third party seafood ratings and certification programs to set guidelines for vendors offering seafood options within U.S. National Parks, the agency revived a debate surrounding the eco-certification of U.S. seafood. Tomorrow, NPS is meeting with NOAA in an attempt to reconcile concerns and ensure that its new sustainable seafood guidelines aren't detrimental to fishermen, processors, and consumers alike.In June, the National Park Service (NPS) announced a new initiative to provide healthier and more sustainable food options in national parks across the United States. As part of the program, NPS created guidelines for "sustainable seafood," stating that parks will "provide only [seafood options] that are 'Best Choices' or 'Good Alternatives' on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list, certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), or identified by an equivalent program that has been approved by the NPS."In response, John Connelly, President of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), wrote a letter to NPS, in which he asked that the Agency reconsider their guidelines. He stated that "any fish caught in U.S. waters is already 'certified sustainable,' based on rigorous NOAA oversight and does not need additional certifications." His point speaks to the strict conservation standards in the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), which are enforced by NOAA.The Seafood Coalition, an ad hoc group representing members of the seafood industry across the U.S., followed up with their own letter. In it they asked: "Why would the NPS limit its vendors to those whose products are deemed sustainable by outside interests while ignoring [NOAA's] FishWatch, an existing and proven program?"Read the full story here.
People who eat more fish live 2.2 years longer, say latest results from Harvard health study
The July Tufts Health Newsletter highlights the latest results from the long running Harvard public health study. According to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, the new results were among the first to look at the relationship of Omega-3 levels in the blood stream and overall mortality of older adults.“The advantages of eating fish are many,” says Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts’ HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory. “Fish offers omega3 fatty acids and, depending on how it is prepared, is low in calories and saturated fat.” Besides the inherent nutritional positives of fish, she adds, substituting fish (not fried or heavily breaded) for entrées such as steak and quiche pays off doubly.The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week, particularly fatty varieties high in omega-3s such as salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna. A “serving” is 3.5 ounces cooked, or about three-quarter cup of flaked fish.Now there’s fresh evidence that following that advice can not only reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, but actually help you live longer—especially if you’re already age 65 or older. “Although eating fish has long been considered part of a healthy diet, few studies have assessed blood omega-3 levels and total deaths in older adults,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, PhD, of the Harvard School of Public Health. New findings by Dr. Mozaffarian and colleagues published in Annals of Internal Medicine, he says, “support the importance of adequate blood omega-3 levels for cardiovascular health, and suggest that later in life these benefits could actually extend the years of remaining life.”The researchers examined 16 years of data from about 2,700 US adults age 65 or older who participated in the long-term Cardiovascular Health Study. Participants, average age 74, were generally healthy and did not take fishoil pills. Rather than relying on dietary questionnaires to measure fish consumption, the study took blood samples at baseline to analyze total omega-3s as well as levels of three specific omega-3s found in fish: DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DPA (docosapentaenoic acid).Overall, study participants with the highest total omega-3 levels had a 27% lower risk of total mortality due to all causes, and in particular were less likely to die of coronary heart disease and arrhythmia. Those with the most blood omega-3s lived, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with the lowest levels.Read the full story here.
Voyage to study effects of ocean acidification off U.S. West Coast
A team of scientists is setting out on a research expedition along the U.S. West Coast to study ocean acidification, the greenhouse gas-driven change in the chemistry of seawater that has been called climate change’s “evil twin.”Chemists and biologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will board the survey ship Fairweather next week, sailing from Canada to Mexico to collect samples of water, algae and plankton, officials said Thursday. The goal of the monthlong voyage is to better understand how marine ecosystems are responding to water that is becoming more acidic as a result of the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."We will for the first time not only study the chemistry of acidification but also study at the same time the biological impacts,” Richard Feely, an oceanographer with NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Research Laboratory, told reporters in a telephone briefing.Oceans have absorbed about 25% of the greenhouse gases that have accumulated in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, buffering some of the effects of climate change, Feely said. But that comes at a great cost to marine life because when carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it lowers itsthe water's. The gradual change in chemistry poses a particular threat to shellfish such as oysters and clams that require alkaline water to build their protective shells.The research expedition could shed light on whether acidification is harming pteropods, marine snails that are especially sensitive to changing acidity and are a key food source for fish, birds and whales. Scientists also want to know whether acidification is making harmful algae blooms more toxic to marine life. Increased toxicity has been shown in laboratory experiments but not observed the field.Read the full story here.
Huffman introduces bill to refinance decade-old fishing industry loan
Legislation aimed at alleviating the financial hardship of a federal loan that has been weighing on Pacific Coast groundfish fisherman for nearly a decade has moved one step closer to passing, North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman's office announced on Thursday.Introduced into Congress this week, Huffman's “Revitalizing the Economy of Fisheries in the Pacific Act” picks up where a bipartisan bill introduced in September 2012 by former North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson left off, and would allow for the refinancing of a $35.7 million buyback loan authorized by Congress in 2003.In a press release, Huffman called the bill -- his second piece of legislation to be introduced since he took office in January -- “... a win-win for small businesses and the environment.”The opportunity to refinance the loan at a lower interest rate would give local groundfish fishermen the same opportunities as any homeowner or business, and would not require the federal government to spend any new money.“The success of our local fishermen is essential to the health of the North Coast's economy, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to repay the debt on a decade-old federal loan,” Huffman said in the release. “The combination of interest payments, new fees, and rising fuel costs are putting small businesses in our coastal communities at risk.”Read the full story here.
Agency says Pacific great white shark not in danger of extinction
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Friday that the northeastern Pacific Ocean population of great white sharks is not in danger of extinction and does not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act.NOAA had been researching the health of the great white population since last year, when the environmental groups Oceana, Shark Stewards and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition calling for endangered species protection.The petitioners were reacting to the first census of great whites ever attempted. Conducted by UC Davis and Stanford University researchers, and published in the journal Biology Letters in 2011, the census estimated that only219 adult and sub-adult great whites lived off the Central California coast, and perhaps double that many were in the entire northeastern Pacific Ocean, including Southern California.Read the full story here.
Oxford University reveal that a fishy diet can improve reading and concentration in kids
Omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA, found in fish and seafood, are essential for the brain’s structure and function as well as for maintaining a healthy heart.Research carried out at Oxford University and published in the journal PLOS One, found children’s blood levels of DHA “significantly predicted” how well they were able to concentrate and learn.Blood omega-3 levels were studied in 493 UK schoolchildren aged from seven to nine.Read the full story here.
Inked In Black: The Value Of Market Squid In Monterey Bay
Market squid create one of California’s most valuable fisheries. Due to its high quality as a fishery product, these squid are much sought-after by seafood traders around the world. In fact, California has become one of the world’s biggest squid suppliers. A growing taste for squid in restaurants has created a demand that now exceeds supply. As a result, the value of squid is on the rise. Check out the video below on the value of market squid in Monterey Bay from the perspective of a scientist, a student, a restauranteur, and fisherman.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QbAK7GIi4l4A Native California Species:Several species of market squid inhabit the world’s oceans. However, California’s species (Doryteuthis opalescens) is native to the Pacific coast of North America. These squid range from Baja (Mexico) to southeastern Alaska. The biogeographic distribution of market squid is similar to Pacific salmon and steelhead trout, which are also native to California.Market Squid Fishery Management:
Squid catch is landed at six California ports. The fishery is divided into northern and southern regions. The northern fishery is active from April – September while fishing operations in the south run from October to March.Monterey Bay and the Channel Islands form the centers of the northern and southern market squid fisheries in California. Today, these centers lie within two marine sanctuaries. Several Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Preserves have been established on traditional squid fishing grounds, as well. Commercial fishing in these areas is now limited or restricted. One benefit of MPAs and marine preserves is to create replenishment areas for market squid and other fishery species. In the case of Año Nuevo, which is an island known for its elephant seal and sea lion rookeries, restrictions help ensure adequate squid for the diets of these federally protected marine mammals.California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is responsible for managing the market squid resource. Goals of the Market Squid Fishery Management Plan are:1.) to ensure long-term sustainability and conservation of the resource, and2.) develop a management framework that is responsive to environmental and socio-economic changes.Read the full story here.
Harvard study finds eating tuna, mackerel, swordfish boosts memory
Eating tuna could boost memory and slow age-related mental decline, say researchers from Harvard Medical School.They looked at the diet of 6,000 women with an average age of 72 and monitored them for nearly ten years, measuring their memory and mental ability at different points.The women who ate tuna, mackerel or swordfish once a week had significantly better verbal memory compared to women who did not regularly eat the fish. There were no links between memory and consumption of light-meat fish or shellfish. It's thought the benefits are down to the high omega-3 content in tuna and mackerel — other studies suggest this may help boost memory.Read the full story here.