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Tag: halibut

Research expedition: what ever happened to the world’s first certified sustainable shark fishery?

Posted on April 3, 2019April 3, 2019 By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Research expedition: what ever happened to the world’s first certified sustainable shark fishery?
Research expedition: what ever happened to the world’s first certified sustainable shark fishery?
Conservation, Science

My Postdoctoral research has focused on understanding the causes and consequences of public misunderstanding about shark fisheries management. While scientists overwhelmingly support sustainable fisheries management as a solution to shark overfishing, many concerned citizens and conservation activists prefer total bans on all shark fishing and trade. Some go so far as to (wrongly) claim that sustainable shark fisheries cannot exist even in theory and do not exist in practice anywhere in the world, and that bans are the only possible solution.

There’s an important piece of data that very rarely makes it into these discussions. Amidst the ongoing discussions about whether or not sustainable shark fisheries are even possible, one right in my backyard became the first shark fishery anywhere in the world to be certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

However, a few years after BC’s spiny dogfish fishery got certified, the certification was quietly withdrawn. I couldn’t find any information in the MSC reports, or in associated scientific literature or government reports, that explained what happened to this fishery, which was thriving until recently. No scientists, managers, or conservation advocates who I asked about this knew exactly what happened to BC’s spiny dogfish fishery.

Read More “Research expedition: what ever happened to the world’s first certified sustainable shark fishery?” »

Amazing fish eyes, the real cost of halibut, and protecting local species: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, December 13, 2018

Posted on December 13, 2018December 13, 2018 By David Shiffman
Uncategorized

Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow UBC’s wildlife conservation economics lab on twitter!  The Deep-Sea Fish with the Telescopic Tubular Eyes. By Craig McClain, for Deep Sea News.  How to take action to help endangered species near you. A Revelator News Podcast by John Platt.  Spoils (long reads and deep dives): Why does halibut cost so … Read More “Amazing fish eyes, the real cost of halibut, and protecting local species: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, December 13, 2018” »

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