Fish Update Briefing, Friday, March 16

CARNEY WARNS OF OVERFISHING DISASTER
MARK Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, has warned of market failures ahead because of overfishing around the world, which in turn threatens the sustainability of humankind in its relationship with the sea. He told Sky News that there was growing evidence that fish stocks worldwide are diminishing following decades of over exploitation. This is not his first warning about overfishing, but this time his intervention comes amid growing evidence of industrial fishing fleets employing ever more sophisticated techniques to catch fish, including the use of remote nets and electrical pulse systems. Scientists have warned that unless there are restrictions on fishing the world could have exhausted the main species of fish by the middle of this century.
SEAFOOD COMPANY FUNDS LOBSTER RESEARCH
READY Seafood, a company in the US city of Portland, Maine, is donating $75,000 a year to help fund a continuing study into lobster settlement larvae. The Portland Press Herald reports that the study, led by University of Maine research professor Rick Wahle, is designed to see if lobster larvae are settling in deeper water more than they have done in the past, which would suggest that the number of baby lobsters is not declining.  But funding for the project is running out so, at the recommendation of Ready Seafood\’s lobster biologist, Curt Brown, the company has stepped in with the money needed for it to continue. Curt Brown told the paper: ‘We know next to nothing about lobster settlement in waters deeper than 30 feet. I just find that staggering.’ Brendan Ready, co-owner of Ready Seafood, which sells lobsters, said collaboration between science and industry on research was highly important.
HURRICANE RAVAGED SEAFOOD SECTOR RECOVERING
THE commercial fishing and processing industry in the state of Texas, which was badly hit by Hurricane Harvey last summer, is showing signs of real market recovery. Damage and lost revenue is said to have cost the industry at least $50 million. But six months on seafood restaurants in Texas are having little trouble in providing diners with what they want, with prices more or less back to normal. Steven Curtis, president and co-owner of Austin Seafood Products, a wholesale distributor to restaurants and grocery stores, said there were a number of hiccups in the weeks after the hurricane, but now seafood lovers were finding little trouble in getting their favourite dishes. And he added: ‘You’re not going to be paying drastically higher prices than in a normal year.’
FISH RICH DIET MAY HELP MS SUFFERERS
A DIET rich in fish may play a part in helping to keep multiple sclerosis (MS) at bay, according to a detailed study from the United States. Dr Annette Langer-Gould — who works at Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena — has been looking at the link between certain nutritional choices in the likelihood of developing this condition.  She wanted to explore whether there was any association between a high intake of omega-3 through a fish rich diet and taking fish oil supplements, and a reduced risk of MS. She told Medical News Today: ‘We are increasingly recognising that MS is not only a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system but it also often leads to diffuse neuro-degeneration. While the cause is not known, the rising prevalence of MS has led to increased interest in identifying modifiable risk factors including diet.’