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That Sustainable Seafood Label You're Believing Might Be Crap: Report
Mother Jones, 04/12/2013"Another black eye for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)—which is failing its own strict standards for awarding its coveted 'sustainable' label. This according to a group of researchers, whose analysis published in Biological Conservation found that 'the MSC’s principles for sustainable fishing are too lenient and discretionary, and allow for overly generous interpretation by third-party certifiers and adjudicators, which means that the MSC label may be misleading both consumers and conservation funders.'"
Interior Recommends Removal of Dams on Klamath River To Aid Salmon
Reuters, 04/05/2013"The government on Thursday recommended the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California to aid native salmon runs and help resolve a decades-long struggle over allocation of scarce water resources."
"Business Interests Trump Health Concerns in Fish Consumption Fight"
Investigate West, 04/01/2013"The Washington State Department of Ecology has known since the 1990s that its water-pollution limits have meant some Washingtonians regularly consume dangerous amounts of toxic chemicals in fish from local waterways."
System Turns US Fishing Rights Into Commodity, Squeezes Small Fishermen
Center for Investigative Reporting, 03/20/2013"SAN FRANCISCO – For centuries, men like Larry Collins, a garrulous crab and sole fisherman, were free to harvest the seas. But sweeping across the globe is a system that slowly and steadily hands over a $400 billion ocean fishing industry to corporations. The system, called catch shares, in most cases favors large fishing fleets, a review of the systems operating across the United States shows."
"Bay’s Intersex Fish Mystery Remains Unsolved"
Wash Post, 03/18/2013"Ten years have gone by since one of the weirdest discoveries in the Chesapeake Bay region, on the south branch of the Potomac River — male smallmouth bass with lady parts, eggs in places where they absolutely should not be."
"Sharks, Rays Win New Trade Protections"
Wash Post, 03/12/2013"Five species of sharks and two types of manta rays won new safeguards Monday, as delegates to a global wildlife summit voted to limit the trade of species that have been overharvested for decades."
Activists Fight FDA OK Of Aquabounty’S Genetically Engineered Salmon
McClatchy, 03/06/2013Tens of thousands of fishermen and activists have written the Food and Drug Administration, which is considering approving genetically engineered salmon as food. They worry the giant fish could escape into the wild and interbreed with natural salmon.
"Shark Overfishing Pushes Many Species To the Brink"
Reuters, 03/04/2013"Protection measures have failed to stop around 100 million sharks being fished every year and a third of all shark species are now threatened with extinction, conservationists say."
"Aquarium Dumping Linked To Giant Tahoe Goldfish"
NPR, 02/25/2013"You're going to need a bigger fishbowl.
"One-Third of Seafood Mislabeled, Study Finds"
Wash Post, 02/22/2013"If you order tuna at a D.C. restaurant, chances are half the time you’ll be getting another, less expensive fish in its place. But those odds are better than if you had wanted snapper. Testers nationwide found that 87 percent of the time, restaurants and grocery stores were selling something else under that label."
"Study: Fish In Drug-Tainted Water Suffer Reaction"
AP, 02/15/2013"What happens to fish that swim in waters tainted by traces of drugs that people take? When it's an anti-anxiety drug, they become hyper, anti-social and aggressive, a study found. They even get the munchies."
"Bringing Oysters Back to the Bay"
KQED, 02/13/2013"During the Gold Rush, the San Francisco Bay’s native oyster habitat was all but wiped out due to overharvesting and hydraulic mining washing sediment onto the bay floor. But a Richmond-based nonprofit has plans to restore the shellfish’s lost habitat along the Point Pinole shoreline."
"Is Sustainable-Labeled Seafood Really Sustainable?"
NPR, 02/12/2013The labels meant to give consumers confidence in the sustainability of the seafood they buy may be deceptive.
"The Sockeye’s Secret Compass"
Green/NYT, 02/08/2013"Every summer, millions of sockeye salmon flood into the Fraser River in British Columbia, clogging its shivering waters with their brilliant blushing bodies."
"Japan Subsidy for Whaling Is Challenged"
NY Times, 02/07/2013"TOKYO -- A wildlife conservation group said in a report on Wednesday that Japan has been propping up its whaling industry with nearly $400 million in tax money in recent years, stepping up subsidies even as consumption of whale meat here has slumped."

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