For years, mackerel has been considered to be an ethical choice of fish for consumers, yet recent overfishing has led to this species no longer being a sustainable choice, according to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Mackerel has been downgraded to ‘amber’ on the MCS Good Fish Guide

Green to amber

In light of the drastic decline in stocks of cod and other much-loved food fish in recent years, mackerel has been promoted by the likes of Jamie Oliver and Raymond Blanc as an ethical, and healthy, alternative for consumers.

However, mackerel is distinctly absent from the most recent list of fish deemed by MCS to be from well-managed, sustainable stocks or farms, and is therefore no longer considered to be the best option for consumers. In its latest update to the Good Fish Guide, MCS has downgraded mackerel to the amber category, meaning that the society recommends that consumers only eat mackerel occasionally. International arguments over quotas have been cited as the reason for this species no longer being viewed as a sustainable choice.

“At the moment, the stock biomass according to the scientific data is above the levels that are recommended. However, the number of fish being removed is above the target and too high,” said Bernadette Clarke, Fisheries Officer at MCS. “The stock is good for now but it is currently declining. It is now rated as a fish to eat only occasionally – it is not rated as one to avoid.”

Atlantic mackerel

Placing the blame

Once found mainly in the northeast Atlantic, mackerel stocks have since been on the move, following their prey of squid and crustaceans westwards towards Iceland and the Faroe Isles. As a result of this shift, it has been reported that Icelandic and Faroese fisheries have increased the amount of mackerel that they catch, leading to overexploitation of the stock.

“The total catch is now far in excess of what has been scientifically recommended and previously agreed upon by all participating countries,” said Clarke. “Negotiations to introduce new catch allowances have so far failed to reach agreement.”

Yet in a statement issued last year, Icelandic ambassador to the UK Benedikt Jonsson insisted that his country had worked for years to reach an agreement on mackerel fishing.

“We have repeatedly offered proposals that sustain the mackerel population and ensure a fair outcome for all countries,” he said. “Unfortunately, certain countries have responded with attacks on Iceland and threats of sanctions, while simultaneously demanding a vastly oversized portion of the mackerel catch. The facts are clear: Icelandic fishing is generally recognised as sustainable and responsible.”

Atlantic herring has been suggested as an alternative to mackerel

Celebrity endorsement

Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who has promoted mackerel as an alternative fish in the past, has now said that he would be dropping his call for mackerel to be more widely eaten, with the exception of locally caught fish in support of fishermen. Fearnley-Whittingstall is angered by the fact that mackerel stocks have been allowed to become depleted, and urges countries involved in current disputes to reach an accord as soon as possible.

“When we started the mac bap campaign two years ago, mackerel was certified as sustainable and part of a well managed fishery,” he said. “Unfortunately, things have changed, and politics and greed are getting in the way of common sense. If the countries involved could agree sensible catch limits this could still be a certified sustainable fishery.”

Moving forward

MCS has recommended that consumers should seek alternatives to mackerel, including herring and sardines, or ensure that any mackerel purchased is caught locally using traditional methods, therefore being as sustainable as possible.

However, such recommendations have not been well received by Scottish fishermen for whom mackerel is a critical stock, with £164 million of the popular fish landed in 2011.

“The stock is actually still well above the precautionary level, even if Iceland and the Faroes continue to do this,” says Bertie Armstrong of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.

So far, political representatives have been involved in 12 rounds of talks in an attempt to come to a mutual agreement on mackerel quotas, and the UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) believes that this is the only way forward. It is clear that action needs to be taken for mackerel stocks to recover.

“We hope that these so-called mackerel wars can be laid to rest as soon as possible, so we can all go back to eating mackerel again with a clear conscience,” said Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Read more on these stories at BBC News – Dispute means mackerel is no longer catch of the day and The Telegraph – Mackerel no longer an ‘ethical’ choice because of overfishing.

Learn more about the work of the Marine Conservation Society.

Find out more about the Atlantic mackerel on ARKive.

Kathryn Pintus, ARKive Text Author

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European Union politicians have voted overwhelmingly to close a loophole that allows sharks to be slaughtered for their fins.

Fisherman holding dorsal fin cut from scalloped hammerhead

The vote means that the shocking practice of slicing the fins off live sharks and discarding their bodies at sea will be outlawed, ending a loophole that rendered a nine-year-old finning ban effectively useless.

EU companies catch sharks in the Atlantic, Indian, Mediterranean and Pacific Oceans, and the EU is one of the largest exporters of shark fins to Asia. The fins are used to make shark fin soup, which is considered a delicacy in some countries.

The great hammerhead, classified as Endangered by the IUCN, is just one species in demand for its fins

Despite a ban on shark finning in 2003, a loophole allowed companies with freezer vessels to apply for special permits enabling them to continue fishing for shark fins if they landed the fins separately from the sharks’ bodies. The issuing of these permits unfortunately became standard practice, meaning companies could easily get around the ban.

Sharks under threat

Tens of millions of sharks are killed every year to meet the increasing demand for shark fin soup, despite many species being classified as threatened by the IUCN. Conservationists have welcomed the EU vote on finning, but warn that more still needs to be done to save sharks.

Whale shark being kept in shallow water by fishermen until it is ready to be slaughtered

“Parliament’s overwhelming support for strengthening the EU finning ban represents a significant victory for shark conservation in the EU and beyond,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation at the Shark Trust. “Because of the EU’s influence at international fisheries bodies, this action holds great promise for combating this wasteful practice on a global scale.”

According to Scottish MEP Alyn Smith, who has campaigned for years for the strengthening of the finning ban, “Shark finning is not only immoral but it is threatening the very survival of many native European species. It is astonishing to think that one-third of European sharks are classed as under threat – something I hope will now change.”

The oceanic whitetip shark is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN

Groups campaigning for the conservation of sharks will now turn their attention to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is meeting in March next year to consider proposals from the EU and US to list commercially valuable but threatened shark species. Listing these species on CITES would mean that international trade in the sharks should be carefully monitored and controlled, or may be completely banned.

Read more on this story at The Guardian – EU to close shark finning loophole.

Find out more about shark conservation at The Shark Trust, Save our Seas Foundation and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group.

View photos and videos of sharks on ARKive.

Liz Shaw, ARKive Text Author

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Switzerland-based Save Our Species (SOS), a flagship species conservation initiative, has announced that it has secured US $2.5 million to fund 25 vital new projects.

The enigmatic dugong is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List

Vital funding

A whole host of threatened species – from dolphins and dugongs to rhinos and river turtles – will benefit from this second round of conservation projects supported by the SOS initiative. A global coalition initiated by IUCN, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank, SOS has secured a large amount of funding to enable the implementation of a wide variety of conservation projects, focusing on both charismatic and lesser-known species.

“With more funding available from a broader range of sponsors and donors, we can be much more efficient in addressing the current biodiversity crisis. That is why we are ramping up our efforts in promoting SOS to individuals and companies alike with the possibility to make online donations while also engaging with several progressive industry leaders,” said Dr Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director of IUCN’s Global Species Programme and SOS Director.

The Critically Endangered white-bellied heron is the second largest heron species in the world

Positive impact

Since its launch in 2010, SOS has not only had a positive impact on wildlife, but also on local communities. It has so far supported projects targeting more than 150 species listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and the newly secured funding will go some way to conserving many more. However, SOS staff warn that much remains to be done.

“The latest injection of US $2.5 million doubles the number of active SOS projects, but much more needs to be done in the field of species conservation,” said Dr Vié. “Every year we receive more project proposals than we can possibly fund and the selection process is extremely challenging.”

Urgent response

In response to the current biodiversity crisis, with one in three amphibians and one in four mammals at risk of extinction, SOS has adopted a species-focused approach to conservation. Through channelling capital into conservation projects which are deemed to be engaging as well as technically sound, well designed and cost effective, SOS aims to halt biodiversity loss and boost the resources available for conservation.

The Siamese crocodile is classified as Critically Endangered

Select species

The new SOS projects will be implemented by NGOs across the Americas, Africa and Asia, starting immediately. Among the latest list of SOS-funded ventures are the implementation of measures in Mexico to protect the vaquita, the world’s smallest porpoise species, a dugong conservation project in Mozambique, and a project to ensure the future survival of the Critically Endangered Siamese crocodile in Cambodia.

Through focusing on the protection of a target species, some of the proposed conservation measures will actually benefit several others in the process. For instance, a project aiming to enhance protection of the Critically Endangered Sumatran rhino is set to contribute towards the conservation of several other threatened charismatic species, including the Sumatran elephant and the Sumatran tiger.

The Critically Endangered western long-beaked echidna is one of many enigmatic species set to benefit from the latest SOS funding

Halting biodiversity loss

The welcome news from SOS comes just a few weeks after the meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad, where 193 countries discussed ways of honouring their engagement to preserve nature and the services it provides. A recent report in Science calculated the cost of improving the status of threatened species up until 2020, quoting a figure of US $4 billion annually, and while this may seem like a monumental payout, this equates to just 1% of the value of ecosystems being lost each year.

“We invite everyone who is interested and passionate about protecting the world’s animals and plants to join us and help answer the SOS call from the wild, so that we can do more for the amazing diversity of life on our planet on which our own lives depend so dearly,” said IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre.

Read more on this story at IUCN.org – Answering the SOS call from the wild: dolphins, rhinos, tigers and others to benefit from more funding.

Learn more about endangered species on ARKive.

Find out more about SOS – Save Our Species.

Kathryn Pintus, ARKive Text Author

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The observance of Thanksgiving Day is primarily associated with the United States, and is a tradition which is thought to date back to colonial times following the safe arrival of the first European settlers to the untamed shores of North America. Nowadays, families and friends congregate to give thanks for what they have, so to celebrate Thanksgiving in our own wild way, we’ve gathered together a few of nature’s special inhabitants that we think owe each other thanks: symbiotic species!

Exclusive residence

Common clownfish are able to live among the tentacles of stinging sea anemones

Simply speaking, symbiotic species are those that interact in some way, to the benefit of one or both of the critters in question. A classic example, and one that many Disney fans will be familiar with, is the relationship that exists between clownfish and sea anemones.

Sea anemones usually sting fish that come into contact with their tentacles, but clownfish have developed a clever, yet rather gross, method of disguise. By covering its skin in mucus, the clownfish can trick the anemone into thinking it is touching itself, and so does not get stung. In return for a safe place to live and food in the form of debris and parasites found amongst the anemone’s tentacles, the clownfish is thought to scare away fish that may prey upon the anemone, and even lure fish in for its tentacled home to eat – a classic win-win situation! The clownfish is also believed to provide the anemone with good water circulation through fanning its fins as it swims around.

Did you know?

There are different kinds of symbiotic relationships. Some benefit both species involved, and are known as ‘mutualistic’ symbioses, whereas ‘parasitic’ relationships are those in which one species profits at the expense of the other. In some cases, one species benefits but the other is affected neither positively nor negatively, and these are known as ‘commensalistic’ symbioses.

Nutritious nectar and pollen parcels

Bees, such as this small garden bumblebee, play an important role in plant pollination

Bees feed on pollen and nectar sourced from a variety of flowering plants, with honey bees using the nectar to make their sticky, sugary treat. Although flowers appear to lose out by ‘donating’ nectar, they actually benefit from these flying visits. As a bee rummages around the flower head for food, some pollen gets stuck to its hairy body and legs, and this accidental cargo is then transferred to the next flower the insect visits, pollinating it and enabling the plant to reproduce.

Did you know?

The traditional origin of the modern Thanksgiving Day is commonly thought to be the festivities that occurred at the Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts in 1621, when the European settlers celebrated their safe voyage, peace and good harvest. However, there is some evidence to suggest that Spaniards in Florida were the first to truly celebrate Thanksgiving back in 1565.

Getting a little peckish…

Oxpeckers help remove parasites from large mammals such as this roan antelope

In the wilds of the African savanna, large mammals such as this roan antelope can quickly become covered in ticks and all sorts of other creepy crawlies, which doesn’t sound entirely pleasant! Luckily, help is at hand in the form of winged wonders known as oxpeckers. Oxpeckers are known to hitch a ride on the backs of a range of iconic species including hippos, buffalos, giraffe and various antelopes, gorging themselves on ticks, botfly larvae and other parasites – the mammals get cleaned, and the birds get fed, and so this has often been classified as a mutualistic relationship. However, more recent studies have shown that oxpeckers often pick at scabs and cuts to keep them open to get more food, subjecting the wounds to possible infection and potentially harming the host mammal, making this symbiotic relationship more of a parasitic one.

Helpful houseguests

Reef-building corals rely on tiny blue-green algae to survive

Reef-building corals provide homes for single-celled blue-green algae known as zooxanthellae, and in return these microscopic plants provide energy-containing compounds for the coral through the process of photosynthesis. The coral uses these vital compounds to build its calcium carbonate skeleton. In a way, these tiny blue-green algae are like live-in coral chefs…and they even clean up after themselves by removing any waste products! Brilliant!

Nature’s six-legged gardeners

Leaf-cutter ants tend to their fungus garden by creating 'mulch' from leaf fragments

Leaf-cutter ants are known as nature’s gardeners, as they spend their time foraging for leaves and cutting them into suitably sized fragments before transporting them back to their huge underground nests where the leaves are used to cultivate a fungus garden. While the ant colony is entirely dependent upon this fungus supply for food and so greatly benefits from this situation, the fungus benefits by being cultivated by the ants but also loses out by being eaten, and so this relationship could be classified as a more commensalistic one.

Did you know?

Most of us think of the US in relation to Thanksgiving, but did you know that several other countries observe similar days, too? These include Canada, Puerto Rico and Liberia. Additionally, the city of Leiden in South Holland celebrates the traditional US Thanksgiving Day, making the Netherlands the only non English-speaking country to formally celebrate this particular occasion.

Food on the go…

Dugong

Loggerhead turtle

Leopard shark

Giant manta ray

Scientists are somewhat divided over whether the relationship that exists between specialised fish known as remoras and a variety of larger ocean species is a mutualistic or commensalistic one. Also known as suckerfish, remoras have a specially adapted first dorsal fin which has been modified into a sucker-like organ. Remoras use this to attach themselves to other marine animals such as sharks, rays, sea turtles and dugongs, feeding on material dropped by the host species while also getting a free ride and protection from potential predators. This seems rather one-sided, but some scientists believe that the remoras may also feed upon certain parasites on the host’s body or gills, therefore providing a great cleaning service to their marine meal providers.

If these beholden bovids, indebted invertebrates and contented chondrichthyans haven’t quenched your thirst for wild Thanksgiving-related information, why not check out last year’s blog, which features a whole host of awesome animals that the first European settlers might have seen upon arriving in North America.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kathryn Pintus, ARKive Text Author

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With support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Government of the Cook Islands is set to establish the world’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) – the Cook Islands Marine Park.

Majestic manta rays are among the species found in the waters surrounding the Cook Islands

A landmark decision

Plans to create the new marine park were announced back in August of this year, with the aim of contributing to the conservation of the region’s rich marine biodiversity as well as to the health of oceans on a global scale, while boosting local economic growth.

Encompassing approximately 1.07 million square kilometres of marine habitat – an area more than twice the size of Papua New Guinea – the Cook Islands Marine Park will become the largest marine park ever declared by a single country for integrated ocean conservation and management, and has been hailed as a great achievement.

“This is a landmark decision and should be treated as an example to follow by countries around the world,” said Carl Gustaf Lundin, Director of IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme. “With just over 2% of the world’s ocean currently protected, this is a major step towards safeguarding our planet’s marine realm and the priceless services it provides us, including oxygen, food and water.”

Pacific protection

With support from IUCN, the Cook Islands Marine Park will serve to protect a wide variety of marine habitats, from remote atolls and reefs to high volcanic islands and underwater mountains. These important ecosystems are home to a whole host of marine species, including rare seabirds, blue whales, manta rays and several shark species, many of which are listed as threatened on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Longfin bannerfish in coral habitat

Conservation measures

Different levels of protection will be applied to a variety of zones within the Cook Islands Marine Park, with the establishment of areas where all fishing will be banned, and buffer areas where tourism and carefully monitored fishing will be allowed. The designation of such zones will depend upon the identification of several key factors, including what natural resources and habitats the marine park hosts and how they are being used, and how such resources can be used sustainably.

“Protecting the Pacific, one of the last pristine marine ecosystems, is the Cooks’ major contribution to the well-being of not only our people but of humanity in general,” said Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. “The marine park will provide the necessary framework to promote sustainable development by balancing economic growth interests such as tourism, fishing and deep sea mining with conserving biodiversity in the ocean.”

The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas will be on hand to provide assistance with regards to the rights of local people, ensuring that traditional methods of management and use of natural resources are taken into consideration when developing new, innovative, large-scale conservation initiatives for the region. IUCN believes that this will ‘foster community ownership of marine conservation areas and support scientific and policy research by national and regional institutions’.

The world’s largest living animal, the blue whale

A step forward

“Thanks to initiatives like this one, small island nations such as the Cook Islands and Kiribati are beginning to confidently act as ‘large ocean developing states’, leading the way to conserve large areas of national Exclusive Economic Zones in the Pacific Ocean – places where the state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources,” said Jan Steffen, IUCN Oceania Regional Marine Programme Coordinator.

IUCN’s involvement in the establishment of the Cook Islands Marine Park will be financially supported by Global Blue – a traveller service-related company headquartered in Switzerland. Other conservation partners that signed the memorandum of understanding with the Government of the Cook Islands include the Secretariat of the Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Conservation International and the Marine Science Institute of the University of California Santa Barbara.

Read more on this story at IUCN.org – IUCN supports Cook Islands to create the world’s largest marine park.

Find out more about the world’s protected areas.

Kathryn Pintus, ARKive Text Author

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