Big Canadian Fish Farm Firm Seeks to Criminalize, Silence Environmental Critics

January 12, 2012–Mainstream Canada, the nation's second-largest farmed-salmon producer — and a subsidiary of an even more gargantuan Danish transnational holding company — will try to crush and silence environmental activist Don Staniford, who has had the temerity to criticize their operations publicly.

Feds Issue Regional Plans for Recreational Saltwater Fishing

December 21, 2011–NOAA Fisheries Service has developed an action plan for 6 coastal regions, plus a plan for highly migratory Atlantic species. Projects outlined in the plans will include a wide range of education and communication efforts, targeted fisheries improvements, altered management approaches, scientific studies, and improvements in social and economic data.

Another Interior Science Probe: This Time on Delta Smelt

October 19, 2011–The latest episode is an internal Interior Dept. probe into the work of two scientists who study the tiny but endangered smelt which live in the Sacramento River delta that feeds into San Francisco Bay.

NOAA Releases First Fishing Bycatch Report

October 12, 2011–Current fishing methods are rather destructive, with 17% of the fish caught commercially being unintended bycatch, according to NOAA's first national assessment of bycatch. That damages the environment, and costs those who fish time and money.

New NOAA Fishery Advisers Appointed

June 22, 2011–Thirteen new members join the ranks; 8 others are reappointed. The shift in members provides an opportunity to explore what each Council has been doing, whether the new people will shift its direction (and NOAA's), and what the fishing industry, the public, and various interest groups think about past decisions and future directions.

FWS: Climate Change Is Affecting Fish and Wildlife in Every State

May 11, 2011–To illustrate those impacts in each state — and related attempts at mitigation and collaborative projects — the US Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing a new article every weekday for fifty consecutive days. For example, one story is on Wisconsin's innovative native prairie restoration program. 

Ocean Issues Highlighted at 'Blue Vision' Summit May 20-23 in DC

May 11, 2011–The event will cover everything from the Gulf of Mexico's struggle to recover from the BP oil spill to protection of over-exploited commercial fish stocks … to ocean acidification, marine protected areas, offshore energy, and coastal ecosystem restoration.

Reports: Fish Habitat Seriously Degraded

April 27, 2011–A National Fish Habitat Board report, which includes maps and mitigation efforts, identifies the primary human sources of US fresh- and saltwater habitat degradation as urban development, livestock grazing, agriculture, point source pollution, and areas with high numbers of active mines and dams.

Local Hunting, Fishing, and Recreation Projects Get Funded

March 2, 2011–States and territories have just been allocated about three-quarters of a billion dollars for their use in building facilities, providing services, and conducting planning and research related to fishing, hunting, wildlife conservation, and recreational opportunities. This is a gold mine for local environmental stories.

Oyster Populations Have Plummeted in US and Globally

February 16, 2011–Down about 85% from their levels around 130 years ago, according to researchers from the US, China, Italy, Uruguay, and Australia, the decimation of native oysters — a contributor to healthy ecosystems and an indicator of ecosystem health — has largely been caused by overharvesting, disease, and introduction of exotic species.