HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — Stevie Fitz, a commercial fisherman, was pulling up his catch in one of his favorite spots off of Point Reyes in June when he saw something terrifying — in his nets were nearly 300 bocaccio, a dwindling species of rockfish protected by the government. Continue reading “Partnership Preserves Livelihoods and Fish Stocks”

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FIJI’S coral reef fisheries are under threat from climate change and the threats are greatest for people who will continue to depend on coral reef fisheries.

However, a new book Vulnerability of Tropical Pacific Fisheries and Aquaculture to Climate Change says there are options for sustaining food resources through tuna and aquaculture.

The book also says there will be winners and losers from climate change, and the way Pacific governments react and adapt will be vital.

Dr Johann Bell, a principal fisheries scientist with SPC’s Strategic Engagement, Policy and Planning Facility and one of the book’s three editors, said coral reefs were likely to suffer a lot of damage under the changing climate, and coastal communities in many Pacific island countries and territories would have to find new sources of food.

He said the good news was that Fiji had options – tuna catches were expected to increase in the waters surrounding the country with climate change.

“As coral reefs decline, communities can transfer some of their fishing effort to tuna by using inshore fish aggregating devices,” Dr Bell said.

“Higher rainfall levels are also expected to provide new opportunities to grow freshwater fish in ponds.”

Fiji’s Fisheries Department director Sanaila Naqali says Fiji is already taking steps to counter the expected effects of population growth and climate change on food security.

The book will be published by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and was launched at the Conference of the Pacific Community in Noumea yesterday by James Batley, the deputy director general of AusAID.

The book was edited by Dr Bell, Johanna Johnson and Alistair Hobday, with the support of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

It includes contributions from 88 international scientists and took three and a half years to bring together. It also includes summaries for Pacific island countries and territories designed to provide easy access to the main findings for policy makers and other stakeholders.

Dr Bell says the final chapter in the book sets out ways that the Pacific nations can adapt to the new circumstances.Margaret Wise

Solutions range from installing more fish aggregating devices (FADs) to attract tuna closer to shore, to encouraging some communities to grow fish in freshwater ponds; and improving management of mining and forestry industries to prevent sediments and nutrients spoiling fish habitat.

Pacific nations face many pressures to sustain their fish resources and maintain a vital source of food, with climate change posing a fresh challenge.

Dr Bell says like Fiji, losers throughout the Pacific will be those who will continue to depend on coral reef fisheries.

“Higher sea temperatures, ocean acidification, and loss of important habitats like coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and intertidal flats are expected to have a dramatic impact on the fish and shellfish that support many coastal communities.”

“Coral reefs are very likely to suffer a lot of damage under the changing climate, and coastal communities will have to find new sources of food.”

He said communities would need to transfer their fishing effort from coral reef fisheries to the rich tuna resources of the region.

A winner under climate change will be the freshwater fisheries that are so important to the inland population of Papua New Guinea.

The book also outlines the expected improvement of conditions for freshwater pond aquaculture.

But this will not be enough to feed the rapidly increasing populations of Pacific islands, and they will need to rely more on tuna as a source of food.

Dr Jimmie Rodgers, director-general of SPC, says the book is the most comprehensive analysis of the impact of climate change on Pacific fisheries and aquaculture, and the ecosystems that underpin these vital activities.

“The reality is that there will be countries in the Pacific with increased populations and fewer fish to eat. We ignore the book at our peril because it comes up with sound scientific analyses, hard-hitting key messages and policy options,” he said.

“It gives Pacific leaders the opportunity to look 20 years ahead and plan for the future.”

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — A 107,000-gallon tank once used to store liquid hydrogen at NASA’s Stennis Space Center was sunk in Fish Haven 13, which is located 23 miles south of Pascagoula, to form an artificial reef.

The 98,000-pound tank was deployed on Oct. 26 in 85 feet of water by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources‚ Artificial Reef Bureau, according to a DMR news release.

It was the department’s 113 artificial reef deployment since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Katrina destroyed nearly all of Mississippi’s artificial reefs.

The tank, and two smaller ones sank on the same day, were donated by the Stennis Space Center.

The sphere was built in the 1960s and used as a reservoir for liquid hydrogen in case of an emergency during testing at the second stage of Saturn V.

“The sphere was no longer needed after the Saturn V program ended,” said Bryon Maynard, a lead system engineer in the NASA Engineering and Test Directorate at Stennis. “A lot of people forgot what it was or what it had been built for. It became known as the ‘big round thing’ — the BRT. Everyone who visited out here would ask about it.”

The BRT sank in less than 10 minutes with the help of air bags attached to the top by Matthews Brothers of Pass Christian to make sure the container sank in an upright position on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. To ensure safety — proper clearance for passing shipping vessels — the tank was sank in 85 feet of water to gain enough clearance for the vessels.

Kerwin Cuevas, Artificial Reef Bureau director, said the BRT has a safe clearance of 50 feet. The 37-foot-tall, 45-foot-wide tank has a relief of 35 feet off the bottom.

Cuevas said the new structure will immediately attract baitfish that ultimately will attract predators such as red snapper, mangrove snapper, grouper and trigger fish.

“The funds used to deploy the BRT were the Emergency Disaster Relief Program funds from NOAA due to Hurricane Katrina,” Cuevas said. “This was a joint effort between Stennis Space Center, Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

“We would like to thank Mr. Bryon Maynard from Stennis Space Center, who was instrumental in getting the tanks donated for reef material. The BRT and the other two tanks will provide excellent reef fish habitat fish for a long time. This new habitat will also offer our fishermen of Mississippi more offshore fishing opportunities.”

Partnerships such as these, along with federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after Katrina and continuous effort by the Artificial Reef Bureau have helped to restore Mississippi’s inshore and offshore artificial reefs, Cuevas said.

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Culverts head out to be dumped in the ocean near Port Mansfield last week. Photo by TPWD.

Reefing operations began in Port Mansfield last week in a joint project between the Coastal Conservation Association, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow and Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Over 4,000 concrete culverts will be deployed about seven nautical miles offshore from Port Mansfield. These artificial forms will join 800 other Continue reading “reefs build fish habitat, coastal economy”