REEFING NEWS ALERT !!!

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hmm why so many reefers are

crazy over wrasses recently?

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Beats me...but ask these WRASSEYS...!!!

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Unique coral reef spurs Mexico tourism battle

AFP - 27 minutes ago

CABO PULMO, Mexico (AFP) - – A 20,000 year-old coral reef, the only one in the Gulf of California, is at the center of a dispute over a huge tourist development which could draw thousands to a remote part of Mexico.

At the moment, most only hear about Cabo Pulmo, where pristine beaches meet a turquoise sea, by word of mouth.

US tourist Lenny McCarl said he discovered the village thanks to his girlfriend's family, during a visit in June.

"I like the little niche up here. You drive two hours outside of Cabo San Lucas and you're only 80 miles (130 kilometers) away, but there's no houses, there's just a villa here, a villa there," McCarl said, standing on the beach.

The site is less than two hours north of Cabo San Lucas and its luxury hotels and Hollywood celebrity-owned mansions, which have transformed the south of the peninsula in the past few decades.

The village also lies next to the site for one of Mexico's largest tourist development projects.

A wire fence marks out some 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) destined to include several thousand hotel rooms and condominiums rising in five stages over 25 years.

The 500-million-dollar plan includes a tourist town "where school children will parade on the plaza," a jet port for private planes and golf courses.

Locals and environmental groups say the scale of the project is bound to impact on the land as well as the sea -- with runoff from golf courses, desalinisation facilities and large yachts in a new marina.

"The government is blocking its ears and allowing a project like this, right on the limit of the marine reserve. As if there'll be no damage beyond an imaginary line," said Enrique Castro, whose family has lived in the area for five generations.

Commercial fishing is now banned and locals have spent 15 years changing their habits to try to preserve the reef under a government plan hailed as an example of conservation by ecologists.

Activities still revolve around the marine-rich Gulf of California, once nicknamed the "world's aquarium" by French explorer Jacques Cousteau.

Spanish company Hansa Urbana has meanwhile gathered permits to start building the Cabo Cortes development, including requirements for protecting the environment.

Such measures, including a ban on lights on the beach to avoid disturbing endangered turtles, water recycling and solar power, make the project 40 percent more expensive, representative Sergio Tabansky told AFP in Mexico City.

More than 60 percent of the land would be left for conservation, Tabansky said, admitting the eco-friendly label was also a good selling point.

"We want to help Mexico by giving jobs to Mexicans," Tabansky added, as the country struggles to emerge from one of its worst economic crises in years.

The H1N1 swine flu and the global crisis contributed to a drop of 1.1 million tourists in 2009 compared with the previous year, and a two-billion-dollar loss in revenues, the tourism ministry said recently.

Promotions and development plans are again picking up in a country which hosts some 22-23 million foreign tourists each year.

"Development is inevitable. What we can avoid are the (bad) terms under which we develop, right?" said Alejandro Gonzalez, who manages the Cabo Pulmo marine park for the government.

A handful of security guards patrol the vast site for Cabo Cortes on quad bikes for now, as the crisis has slowed construction.

Juan Castro, a former diver for pearls, and other locals hope the delay will buy them time to stop it completely.

"If the government allows this development, we can say that the government is the only one responsible for whatever damage is done to the reef," Castro said.

"It's the heritage of humanity. It's not mine, it's not yours."

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Amphiprion pacificus, a new species of clownfish discovered

Amphiprion pacificus is a new species of anemonefish discovered by Gerald R. Allen, Joshua Drew and Douglas Fenner described in the latest issue of the Aqua, the International Journal of Ichthyology. The researchers discovered A. pacificus in the Wallis Island and Tonga in the western Pacific with other underwater photographs revealing its presence on coral reefs of Fiji and Samoa.

The team notes the new taxon is nearly identical in appearance to A. akallopisos from the Indian Ocean. The two share common characteristics — typically pinkish-brown and grading to orange or yellow on the lower portion of the head and side, with a similar white stripe extending from the head along the dorsal midline ending at the caudal fin. Genetic testing does reveal show A. pacificus is more closely related to A. sandaracinos (Orange Skunk Clownfish) hailing from the Western Australia and Indo-Malayan region. The physical differences between the common orange skunk differs from A. pacificus with its more uniform orange coloration and the white forehead stripe extends onto the upper lip. The team also noticed what appears to be differences in the number of soft dorsal and annal rays on each species.

This is an exciting find and just like the lightning maroon clownfish from Papua New Guinea, we are hoping enough species can be found in the wild to be able to harvest these unique fish to see if they can be successfully bred in captivity.

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Sympodium encrusting soft coral starting to appear in blue and green colors

Sympodium is an interesting encrusting soft coral which is just beginning to show up in some coral shipments. We personally spied the Sympodium colony above tucked away in a corner of a display tank at Amazing Aquariums and Reefs and we’ve been getting reports of this genus showing up sporadically at stores throughout the country. Not to be confused with the “Blue Clove” polyps that became much more widely available in the last couple of years, Sympodium is related to Xenia but it does not pulse and it has much smaller polyps. Better yet, the Sympodium colonies we’ve seen are pretty darn colorful with brightly colored blue or green topsides, contrasting undersides and large knobby reddish brown pinnules.

This is the most amazing and colorful unknown soft coral I have ever seen. The colors are absolutely stunning and this is the first coral I have ever seen that looks much better under T-5 HO lighting than Metal Halide. I believe most would argue that this coral is in either the Anthelia or Xenia genus. Anthelia typically have individual polyps joined to a common encrusting base, whereas Xenia typically have a stalk with branches. Although this coral is very compact, there appear to be several individual stalks which branch. I have also observed some individual polyps pulse on occasion. I strongly believe this is a new Xenia species!

The center of each polyp (flower) is a brilliant blue which leads into a bright green on each of the tentacles which are “feathered”, the stalk is a knock your eyes out brilliant blue. This rock had some clove or glove polyps mixed between the stalks which looks quite nice. This is a 1/3 piece of a single rock with 10-12 individual colonies on it. I placed each of the thirds into different tanks and different lighting and water flows. All three pieces opened up quickly and seem to like low, medium, and high flow. I did break a piece off of one stalk and the stalk itself seemed to break like a sponge would. It was more brittle than it appeared. I filmed it with my POS digital camera and I will film it again when I upgrade. If you have anything intelligent to add about this unknown soft coral please do so. This specimen was collected in Jarkarta a province of Indonesia.

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Hanna Instruments PO4 checker Phosphate Colorimeter - HANNA HI 713 Checker®HC

Hanna Instruments has released a new phosphate checker colorimeter that should make it easier for you to check your water parameters or at least phosphate. The new phosphate colorimeter has a resolution of 0.01 ppm (250 points) and 4% ±0.04 accuracy of reading. And requires the use of the Hanna reagent that is included. The colorimeter is very affordable.

Easier to use and more accurate than chemical test kits Adaptation of Standard Method 4500-P E Accuracy 4% ±0.04 ppm (mg/L) of reading 0.04 ppm (mg/L) resolution (250 points) Large, easy to read digits Auto shut-off. Dedicated to a single parameter Designed to work with HANNAs powder reagents Uses 10 mL glass cuvettes. Small Size, Big Convenience Weighing a mere 65 g (2.3 oz.), the Checker®HC easily fits into the palm of your hand or pocket.Use for quick and accurate on the spot analysis. Single button operation: Zero and Measure Operated by a single AAA battery. Ideal for Natural, waste and drinking waters.

ACCURATE AND AFFORDABLE PHOSPHATE MEASUREMENT

Orthophosphates are found in natural and waste waters. They are commonly added to drinking water as a corrosion inhibitor. The instantaneous analysis of orthophosphate by colorimetric determination provides rapid results using a standard analysis technique. The HANNA HI 713 Checker®HC bridges the gap between simple chemical test kits and professional instrumentation. Chemical test kits are not very accurate and only give 5 to 10 points resolution while professional instrumentation can cost hundreds of dollars and can be time consuming to calibrate and maintain. The HANNA HI 713 Checker®HC is accurate and affordable. The HI 713 Checker®HC portable handheld colorimeter features a resolution of 0.01 ppm (250 points) and 4% ±0.04 accuracy of reading. The HI 713 Checker® HC uses an adaptation of Standard Method 4500-P E. The contoured style of this Checker®HC fits in your palm and pocket perfectly and the large LCD is easy to read. The auto shut-off feature assures the battery life will not be drained if you forget to turn it off. The HI 713 Checker®HC is extremely simple to use. First, zero the instrument with your water sample. Next, add the reagent. Last, Place the vial into the HI 713 Checker®HC, press the button and read the results. Its that easy.

HOT OFF THE PRESS FROM REEFBUILDERS:

Hanna Checkers for Ammonia and Nitrate ready in 2 months

Hanna Checkers for Ammonia and Nitrate that we told you about in JUNE are getting close to being released. We have been told that they are going through final testing with production happening so thereafter. Alkalinity might be released before the end of this year, apparently they are working on compensating for temperature before the model is approved and ready for production. Expect to see Ammonia and Nitrate Hanna Checkers in another 30-90 days.

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Mass Die-off at Coral Reef Triggered by 93-Degree Ocean

livescience.com – Tue Aug 17, 12:45 pm ET

One of the most destructive and swift coral bleaching events ever recorded is underway in the waters off Indonesia, where water temperatures have climbed into the low 90s, according to data released by a conservation group this week.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) says a dramatic rise in sea temperature, potentially linked to global warming, is responsible for the devastation.

In May, the WCS sent marine biologists to investigate coral bleaching reported in Aceh - a province of Indonesia - located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. The initial survey carried out by the team revealed that more than 60 percent of corals in the area were bleached.

Subsequent monitoring of the Indonesian corals completed in early August revealed one of the most rapid and severe coral mortality events ever recorded. The scientists found that 80 percent of some species have died since the initial assessment, and more colonies are expected to die within the next few months.

"This is a tragedy not only for some of the world's most biodiverse coral reefs, but also for people in the region, many of whom are extremely impoverished and depend on these reefs for their food and livelihoods," said WCS Marine Program Director Caleb McClennen. Coral reefs provide haven for fish and other creatures, and larger fish tend to congregate around reefs because they are good places to feed.

Bleaching - a whitening of corals that occurs when symbiotic algae living within coral tissues are expelled - is an indication of stress caused by environmental triggers such as fluctuations in ocean temperature. Depending on many factors, bleached coral may recover over time or die.

The event is the result of a rise in sea surface temperatures in the Andaman Sea - an area that includes the coasts of Myanmar, Thailand, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and northwestern Indonesia. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Hotspots website, temperatures in the region peaked in late May at more than 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius). That's 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) higher than long-term averages for the area.

"It's a disappointing development particularly in light of the fact that these same corals proved resilient to other disruptions to this ecosystem, including the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004," said WCS Indonesia Marine Program Director Stuart Campbell.

Surveys conducted in the wake of the 2004 tsunami revealed that the many reefs of Aceh were largely unaffected by this massive disturbance. Indeed, reefs severely damaged by poor land use and destructive fishing prior to the tsunami had recovered dramatically in the intervening years due to improved management. Government and community-managed areas in the region have been remarkably successful at maintaining fish biomass despite ongoing access to the reefs. But the bleaching and mortality in 2010 have rapidly reversed this recovery and will have a profound effect on reef fisheries.

Of particular concern is the scale of the warmer ocean waters, which the NOAA website indicates has affected the entire Andaman Sea and beyond. Similar mass bleaching events in 2010 have now been recorded in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and many parts of Indonesia.

"If a similar degree of mortality is apparent at other sites in the Andaman Sea this will be the worst bleaching event ever recorded in the region," said Andrew Baird of James Cook University in Australia. "The destruction of these upstream reefs means recovery is likely to take much longer than before."

Efforts to bring back the reefs will have to be both local and global in scale, McClennen said.

"Immediate and intensive management will be required to try and help these reefs, their fisheries and the entire ecosystem recover and adapt," he said. "However, coral reefs cannot be protected from the warming ocean temperatures brought on by a changing climate by local actions alone. This is another unfortunate reminder that international efforts to curb the causes and effects of climate change must be made if these sensitive ecosystems and the vulnerable human communities around the world that depend on them are to adapt and endure."

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The Dark Hobby; Can We Stop the Devastating Impact of Home Aquaria on Reefs Worldwide?

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Guest Commentary by Sea Shepherd Advisory Board Member Robert Wintner

A generous Sea Shepherd supporter for more than 15 years, Robert Wintner is well-known in Hawaii for Snorkel Bob's, the largest reef outfitter in the Islands. He has authored six novels and two story collections.

The average aquarium hobbyist is a 30-50+ male who spent hundreds or thousands, depending on the size of his tank, stand, lights, filters, pumps, tubing and ornaments. The tentative hobbyist with a ten-gallon tank and one anemone clownfish as seen in Finding Nemo stays in briefly, because anemone clownfish die soon in a small tank.

Topping the tank totem are corporate billionaires like Sumner Redstone (ex-chairman, Viacom and CBS), who compared his wall-to-wall-to-wall aquarium to all of Hawaii. “We went out in a boat (in Hawaii) where you could see what was underneath. They didn’t have a fraction of the fish that are in my living room,” Redstone told Kai Ryssdal of PBS.

Or Michael Dell (Computers), whose mega-tank runs about 8x8x40 and needs a maintenance crew.

When aquarium fish die (99% within a year), tanks need more fish. The fishious circle is relentless: flush & plunk a new fish. Most fish run $50 to $150 retail, with 15¢ to $15 to the collector. The Hawaii average is $4 per fish. Hobbyists may up the ante on a bandit angelfish for $400, or a masked angel for $5,000.

Not every home hobbyist is oblivious to reef damage—some are seeing the difference between loving reef fish and loving to keep reef fish in a tank. An aquarium will not forgive bad chemistry, salinity, pH, temperature, predatory balance and other variables. When aquarium fish die, the hobbyist may try something new on the next round of fish, in a killing cycle for reef fish and reefs, a cycle called “sustainable” by the aquarium trade.

Aquarium hunters have oppressed Hawaii reefs for years, with huge discrepancies between reported catch and actual catch. A state agency manages the trade as a “fishery” admitting that the reported catch of 1-2 million fish per year is off by a factor of 2-5 times.

When South Maui Senator Roz Baker held a round table to review aquarium trade regulation, a major Hawaii exporter sat in and corrected the state’s count of 500,000 yellow tangs annual, saying he shipped a million yellow tangs as one of 15 exporters known by the state and 10 more shipping from unmarked warehouses and garages.

Let me, Snorkel Bob, help here: 1-2 x 2-5 = 2-10 million fish per year. If I present these numbers at any public forum, the aquarium hunters guffaw, sanguine that such extraction is not possible.

Last year on Maui, one dealer reported purchasing more fish than all the collectors reported catching. But let’s not bog down in details. 2 million? 5 million? Who’s counting?

Let’s go to morality. I, Snorkel Bob, frame aquarium collecting as a moral issue. The aquarium trade wants to call it a conservation issue and feels slighted by the moral context. But practicality has been a common cause of immoral behaviors through history. Guilt is most often denied, especially in public—like the crew of Nishin Maru waving signs that say RESEARCH, as the deck flows red with the blood of their cetacean victims.

An aquarium fish dealer on Maui claimed: “Fish are not a finite resource like oil and gold, they are highly reproductive, some releasing millions of eggs multiple times a year. The small fish population has to do with Maui having the wrong type of habitat that certain fish seek out to live in. You go into the desert and you won’t find an alligator.” Yes, we have no alligators on Maui, but we once had an abundance of fish, and it wasn't so long ago.

When State Senator Josh Green (District 3, Kona Coast) unveiled a bill to ban aquarium collecting recently, one aquarium hunter called Senator Green “politically motivated and uneducated.” Another called him “extreme and not warranted.” They cannot grasp the loathsome perception of the general public. They do not share the common morality.

Among fundamental facts are: 1) campaigns in the Hawaii State Legislature over the last few years showed that nearly all reps and senators want to ban aquarium collecting in Hawaii. All legislative efforts were derailed in the House, where every conservation measure suffers Water & Land Chair Ken Ito’s pledge that no bill will pass unless it is “good for fishing.” Speaker Calvin Say guides Rep Ito, and the matrix goes to (lame duck) Governor Linda Lingle ® and her Chief Policy Advisor, a former wholesaler for the aquarium trade. This is big money.

The Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR) began in 1956 as the aquarium trade removed coral reefs from Hawaii piece by piece. The trade also “harvested” (hammered & chiseled) live rock—porous substrate habitat for small creatures critical to reef survival and amusing in an aquarium. After 20 YEARS of coral reef reduction to rubble (1978), DLNR began limiting coral extraction by species till 1996, when State law banned all coral and live rock extraction—40 YEARS to protect reef habitat.

Yet we have no protection for the habitués.

Continuing moral and practical dilemma faces the State of Hawaii in the fish kill at Honokohou Harbor on the Big Island. The Kona coast is 135 miles of continuous reef. Once called the Gold Coast for its yellow tangs in the surf, now it’s the gold coast because Charles Schwab and Michael Dell plunked down $50 million on lots there. The new gold rush is for easy pickin’s on aquarium fish with no catch limits. Grossly mismanaged on data spun politically, those reefs are now minus 8 species. “Nobody knows where they went or why.” A typical prospector came over from the mainland, built a holding tank and got out there for his fair share, till his tank failed on 650 yellow tangs and butterflyfish. Oh, darn. He bagged them up for the freezer. Otherwise they’d stink!

A few months later, he tossed them into a dumpster at Honokohou Harbor. Why not? The dumpster gets emptied every day to two.

By the grace of Neptune, that bag was not green, it was clear.

That aquarium hunter had no idea where he was or whose kindred spirits he’d killed for chump change. Two women saw the bag and laid each dead fish on the pavement. The media swooped.

While the dramatic effect was huge, the practical meaning was nothing next to a single fish dying in each of the 1.5 million aquarium tanks worldwide.

The legal fallout may be monumental. DLNR manages the aquarium trade as “a fishery,” seeking optimal revenue by extraction. Yet entirely separate laws regulate treatment, feeding and handling of animals caught for the pet trade—wildlife pet trafficking. Aquarium trade “best practices” are inhumane. DLNR’s Honokohou-fish-kill investigation was no more legit than Mr. Fox’s hen house inventory control.

DLNR along with CORAL and Reef Check International call the aquarium trade “important” and “sustainable,” supporting disposable wildlife pet trafficking for the money. “Sustainable” means taking all but a few brood fish so the species won’t collapse—the Kona “fishery” is declining from collapsing butterflyfish populations. DLNR monitors the decline and defends the trade, claiming “no proof” that collecting causes decline.

Reef Check International and CORAL operate on grants and donations. Reef Check is an apologist/front group for the aquarium trade. Director Eric Cohen is the biggest Hawaii reef fish reseller in the nation. Eric Cohen calls himself a “stakeholder” in Hawaii reefs. Reef Check stridently solicits donations to help “monitor reef health” while urging more aquarium extraction with “sustainable” measures in place. This is “conservation” as a means to mo money. (see www.FortheFishes.org )

In January Hawaii will have a new governor and may have new leadership in the legislature. Grassroots efforts in Maui County cracked down on aquarium extraction in August, 2010 setting critical precedent in Hawaii.

Aquarium collecting in Hawaii has no limit on the catch, no limit on the number of catchers and no constraints on rare or endemic species. 98% of Hawaii reefs can be emptied of every fish by the aquarium trade, and it’s legal. The trade screams bloody murder on any regulation proposed to date, screaming with equal urgency that aquarium collecting MUST REMAIN SUSTAINABLE!

Maui’s Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, the entire legislative delegation, the Mayor and a majority of Maui County residents that may exceed 99% want to keep these so-called “aquarium fish” at home on Maui reefs.

The late Ed Lindsay, a Hawaiian and charismatic leader, recalled a tired walk through a hotel lobby in California. Road weary and ready to relax, he stopped short at the aquarium where a Hawaiian cleaner wrasse (hinalea) stared sadly out. Ed said he nearly cried. He felt helpless and angry and determined to let the world know that it is welcome in the land of Aloha, but it can no longer take what belongs here.

The Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, found nowhere else in the world, cleans parasites from other fish. Its absence exposes reefs to parasite infestation. Captive Hawaiian cleaners starve to death in 30 days—you can buy one on line today for $50. It left $4 in Hawaii.

Featherduster worms bore into coral heads, then stick out their dusters to filter-feed. Aquarium hunters “collect” featherdusters by smashing the coral. The aquarium trade response: “But we don’t take featherdusters anymore!” Because they’re gone, leaving coral rubble behind. They took 67,000 in ’03. 16,000 in ’09.

Next came hermit crabs:

Hermits change shells, but with hundreds of thousands of hermits strip-mined by the aquarium trade, many reefs are vulnerable to collapse. In Kane’ohe Bay on Oahu they took 300,000 to sell for 11¢ each—indifferent to the hermits role as a lynchpin species integral to reef survival. The aquarium trade protests that it doesn’t take hermits (so much) anymore—because the hermits too are nearly gone.

Neither hermit crabs nor eels of any species require any permit for collection. With emphasis now on huge tanks in Hong Kong and Kona, demand is up for adult eels. Capture is quick, with a short piece of plastic pipe closed and baited at one end. Adult brood eels are now leaving Hawaii with no limit, no count and no future.

The Humane Society of the U.S. and Humane Society International (HSUS/HSI) state that reef fish have complex needs and are not suited for captivity. Reef animals in confinement live far short of their natural potential. Yellow tangs can live 40 years on a reef, but tank stress most often kills them in a year—if capture and transport doesn’t kill them first. Yellow tangs are herbivores who graze on algae dawn to dusk. Algae suffocation is a primary threat to Hawaii reefs. Millions of yellow tangs ship out annually.

HSUS/HSI call Hawaii’s approval of animal abuse for wildlife pet trafficking appalling. Fizzing is puncturing the fish’s air bladder with a hypodermic needle to compensate barotrauma on rapid ascent (bulging eye death).

Also speaking out is a new book by me, Snorkel Bob, from Skyhorse Publications, NY.

Some Fishes I Have Known is 300 photos on 200 pages—up-close family portraits of a few gill breathers in social interaction, communion and yes, friendship with an old familiar. The narrative may change minds. A few aquarium hobbyists may see the light and hear our beloved 41st President of the United States of America, Ronald W. Reagan, who cried out, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this aquarium!”

The promotional tour will reach millions, bringing this topic to the surface. All photos here are by me, Snorkel Bob, from Some Fishes I Have Known, except for one.

What can you do? If you see an aquarium, ask that it be taken down for the sake of the reefs, the fish and us.

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Distortions in Snorkle Bob's "Dark Hobby" Diatribe

By CORAL Editors - Posted on 31 August 2010

By Robert M. Fenner

A First Response to:

The Dark Hobby; Can We Stop the Devastating Impact of Home Aquaria on Reefs Worldwide?

I would like to formulate answers to this diatribe, point by point, some obvious things should be put on the record immediately.

The take-home message about Snorkle Bob's rants is that, yes, the majority of captive marines don't live a year in aquariums; however a larger percentage don't live a year in the wild.

The total biomass extracted by the "Trop Industry" (as marine livestock collection is known in Hawai'i) is a pittance compared with that taken by sport and commercial fishers. I would even state that indigenous fishers take more total numbers of tropicals for food than the ornamental industry. Yes, the local folk do cast net, spear, fish hook and line for damsels, tangs, parrotfishes and other species well-known to aquarists to eat them and simply for sport.

How much of the reduction in wild stocks results from these various sources of mortality?

The evidence is not yet clear, but there are very likely environmental issues (sewage and runoff of various sorts especially, including from lawns and golf courses) that play a very large role. Witness the incidence of idiopathic tumours on Chelonia mydas (Green Turtles), particularly on Maui.

The entire windward side of the Hawaiian Islands is a no-take zone (due to waves mostly), and other areas are set aside, in addition. However, these taboo zones have not yet proven to restore stocks to high levels. This is troubling.

Snorkel Bob is a proselytizer of the worst ilk. His damning statements regarding the aquarium hobby are entirely self-serving.

His rental of snorkle gear to tourists could be condemned as a huge source of reef damage, but I would encourage both practices: Keeping marines... and visiting them where they are. Snorkeling, diving, and aquarium keeping are all tremendously important in generating humans' awareness of the living world. Without this brush with reality, few people are wont to pledge protection for and conservation of these same resources.

It is my opinion that the entirely renewable resource of ornamental marines should be continued, but with higher cost and limited access. Akin to long-established mechanisms for issuing catch permits—a la the Haliotid/Abalone industry in California—permits should be let out only as available, by lottery, and the fees necessary to assess and regulate the fishery should be generated by licensee fees.

Robert M. Fenner is the author of The Conscientious Marine Aquarist (Microcosm/TFH, 2009) and the editor in chief of Wet Web Media. He lives in San Diego and Hawai'i.

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Vortech MP60 delivers up to 5500 GPH

The Vortech MP60 water pump is the EcoTech Marines most significant product announcement since the VorTech MP10. After years of serving the mid and high range of aquarium water pumps, the Vortech MP60 delivers a mind busting 5500 GPH while holding itself up on tanks with glass up to 1.25″ thick. The diameter of the motor assembly and wetside begin at 4″ but taper down to 3″; although the flow rate is much more than a Vortech MP40, the Vortech MP60 is only slightly larger in physical dimensions. EcoTech Marine has not yet showed off this pump since the MACNA show floor is not yet open, but be sure to follow the break for full press release, as well as our first hands on of the beta Vortech MP60 that weve been testing out this past week.

Flow: 2,500 5,500 GPH

Wattage: 10 60 watts

Maximum Tank Thickness: 1.25″ (range 3/8″ 1.25″)

Appropriate Tank Size Range: 120 to 1000+ gallons

Dimensions: Wet Side- 4″ diameter by 3 long.

Dry Side 4″ diameter by 2.8″ long.

Clearance Needed Behind Aquarium: 3.3″

EcoTech Marine, the company that revolutionized the reef aquarium propeller pump, is previewing their newest product, the MP60w ES, today at MACNA (Marine Aquarium Conference of North America) in Orlando, FL.

The MP60 is engineered for tanks holding 120 to over 1,000 gallons with up to one-inch glass thickness. The MP60 uses the same award-winning technology that has made EcoTech Marines VorTech line the number one brand of pump among reef aquarium enthusiasts. Capable of pushing 5,500/gph, the MP60 offers the smallest in-tank footprint for a commercially available pump.

The MP60 satisfies a pent-up market demand for VorTech technology in larger tanks, said Tim Marks, president of EcoTech Marine. Prior to this launch, aquarists with tanks having pane thicknesses greater than three-quarters of an inch had very few options for high-flow solutions. We are excited to provide this much desired solution for the most discerning and diehard hobbyists. Performance and quality are always our top priorities. This addition is a natural evolution for us, and perfectly rounds out our VorTech line of products.

The MP60 was designed to create the most flow in the smallest package possible. In EcoTech Marines quest to continually raise the bar on reef flow technology, the unit runs quiet, cool and with minimal vibration. This is a very proud introduction for us, added Marks.

The MP60′s unmatched flow and out-of-the-box multi-pump wireless communication makes it the best value on the market for larger tanks. The MP60 leverages EcoSmart driver technology, introduced earlier this year, providing unmatched versatility, controllability and customization of flow patterns.

EcoTech Marines patented VorTech technology produces broad yet gentle flow while placing the motor outside the tankpreserving the beauty of the aquarium and enhancing the health of the tanks ecosystem.

Availability and Pricing

The MP60w ES is slated to be available later this year through EcoTech Marines network of premiere reef stores and online vendors with an MSRP of $695. Keep checking our website for an exact release date.

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PHEW !...lucky moi never buy.

EcoTech Marine bids adieu to VorTech MP20, ceasing production

EcoTech Marine has decided to cease production of its VorTech MP20 after nearly two years. The pump aimed at the 70-gallon and under market, most likely faced dwindling sales after the introduction of the VorTech MP10 last year. The main selling point for the MP20 was offering a less expensive pump that was upgradeable to a full-fledged MP40 down the line in case you wanted more punch. More details after the break.

We can only speculate at this point but most likely the sales of the MP20 has not been large enough to justify continuing the production with the company deciding to focusing its production efforts around the MP10 and MP40 with the new EcoSmart drivers. According to EcoTech Marine, there are only around 24 of the MP20 that will be produced and will most likely be completely out of inventory in less than a month. The company also announced the original MP10, without the next generation EcoSmart technology, will also be discontinued once its inventory of approximately 200 units is depleted.

This really comes as no surprise as the benefits of the next generation EcoSmart technology is a major improvement over the earlier devices without the cost being too significant on the consumer. Tightening the production of the VorTech line to focus on the next generation devices makes sense and we look forward to seeing great technology from EcoTech Marine in the future.

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Marine Alkalinity from Hanna Checkers

Hanna Instruments, the company responsible for the popular line of Hanna Checkers has just released their Marine Alkalinity in the wild for pre-orders. This means of course that for those of you testing Alkalinity the old fashioned way you will be able to get into the 21st century in style. Aquarium Specialty has now started to accept pre-orders for the new Alkalinity checker with these expected to arrive in October of this year. Whats more though is that we now have learned specs of the new device with a estimated range of: 0 to 250ppm (mg/L) along with a resolution of 0.1 ppm (mg/L).

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KZ’s New ZeoStart 3 and Bio Mate Supplements

Eric Michael

September 13, 2010

Korallen Zucht, makers of the popular bacterioplankton ZEOvit system have two new reef related products coming out. ZEOStart3 will be making its way into the Basic 4 line up, as an update to the previous ZeoStart2 organic carbon source. ZeoStart is added to fuel bacterial growth within the aquarium and Zeolite reactor.

Additionally KZ will be rolling out Bio Mate which they are calling a bacterial concentrate that is good for “cleaning substrate and rock, reduction of mulm deposits and phosphates.” Thomas Pohl writes, “The effect on SPS is a better coloration when you dose normal 2-3 times a week. When you overdose the corals get a little darker but lighter colors come back after a while.”

As for what these products actually are? Time may provide some educated guesses, but keep in mind KZ does not release what is inside their little blue bottles.

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Feature Article: Tunze Wavebox, Turbelle Stream Pump, and Wave Controller

By Advanced Aquarist, Dana Riddle

Tunze makes many claims about the Wavebox - a pump producing 'high speed' currents while using little power, wave heights of 3 cm (1.18 inches) with oscillations corresponding 'precisely' to wave action seen on natural reefs.

How do these claims hold up under scrutiny?

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Census surveys vast body of global marine life

AFP - Monday, October 4

LONDON (AFP) - – Results of the first-ever global marine life census were unveiled Monday, revealing an unprecedented view of life beneath the waves after a decade-long trawl through the murky depths.

The Census of Marine Life estimated there are one million-plus species in the oceans, with at least three-quarters of them yet to be discovered.

The 650-million-dollar (470-million-euro) international study found more than 6,000 potentially new species, and found some species considered rare were actually common.

The research involved more than 2,700 scientists, 670 institutions, more than 540 expeditions and around 9,000 days at sea. Nearly 30 million observations of 120,000 species were made.

The census establishes a baseline against which 21st-century changes can be monitored.

New species were discovered, marine highways and rest stops mapped and changes in species abundance were documented.

"Presented is an unprecedented picture of the diversity, distribution and abundance of all kinds of marine life in Planet Ocean -- from microbes to whales, from the icy poles to the warm tropics, from the tidal near shores to the deepest dark depths," the study said.

The survey set out to find out what used to live in the oceans, what lives there now and what might live there in the future.

The census said 16,764 species of fish had so far been described, but an estimated 5,000 more were yet to be discovered.

The estimated percentage of marine species not yet described by scientists were: Europe 10 percent; South Africa 38 percent; Antarctica: 39 to 58 percent; Japan 70 percent; Mediterranean deep-sea 75 percent and Australia 80 percent.

Australian Ian Poiner, chair of the census steering committee, said the researchers "systematically defined for the first time both the known and the vast unknown, unexplored ocean".

"All surface life depends on life inside and beneath the oceans. Sea life provides half of our oxygen and a lot of our food and regulates climate. We are all citizens of the sea," he said.

"While much remains unknown, including at least 750,000 undiscovered species and their roles, we are better acquainted now with our fellow travellers and their vast habitat on this globe."

The census documented a changing marine world, richer in diversity, more connected through distribution and movements, more impacted by humans and less explored than was expected.

The researchers used sound, satellites and electronics to track migratory routes.

They got down to 10 kilometres metres (6.2 miles) below the sea in the western Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench.

They affirmed that by weight up to 90 percent of marine life is microbial, equalling about 35 elephants for every living person.

Scientific steering committee vice-chair Myriam Sibuet of France, said: "The census enlarged the known world. Life astonished us everywhere we looked.

"In the deep sea we found luxuriant communities despite extreme conditions. The discoveries of new species and habitats both advanced science and inspired artists with their extraordinary beauty."

The census was to be formally launched in London on Monday, when more than 300 census figures were to meet in the British capital to share the results and consider their implications.

Much of the marine world remains to be explored, so vast are the seas.

The census shows where explorers have not yet looked. For more than 20 percent of the oceans' volume, the database has no records at all, and for large areas very few.

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Hong Kong Goldfish Market: Shops for threatened species threatened

Sun Sep 26 22:18pm

By Sharon Wong

Fish, pythons and albino turtles are for sale at Goldfish Market, but government plans may shut it down

The nickname "Goldfish Market" doesn't do the area justice. Spanning the length of Tung Choi Street, from the intersections at Nullah Street to Mongkok Street, this shopping district is like the Florida Everglades boiled down to several hundred meters of pet stores. Everything from albino turtles to tarantulas are on sale at what is one of Hong Kong's oldest and most beloved markets.

"I don't know any of the shop-owners here, but even if I'm not planning on buying anything I still come here after work every day to walk around. You can call it a habit or just something to keep myself going," says Poon, who lives near Goldfish Market. While it costs to visit Ocean Park, it's free to walk around Goldfish Market, and Poon can get the same thrill from seeing exotic creatures. He can also learn the names, biological traits, features and how to take care of the creatures, if you ask nicely.

But not all shop owners are enthusiastic about offering free zoology lessons. “We want customers, not tourists,’’ says Ah Sing, one of the staff working at the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. Many proprietors feel aggrieved by the government's HK$100 million plan to revitalize a big chunk of the Mongkok district including the Goldfish Market.

"Ever since the government came out with this big proposal to improve the area, landlords here have been raising rents like crazy. Mine was jacked up by 25 percent and he’s already the saner one compared to the others. One of my neighbors who sells seaweed has had his rent doubled. How can you expect us to survive?" says Great Barrier Reef Aquarium owner Tsui. As with any family business, the pet store is more than work for Tsui -- she raised two kids with the store and Goldfish Market has become her life.

"People here just work hard. It’s not uncommon to see them working 13, 14 hours on a normal day," says Tsui. "We survived the financial tsunami when business was down more than 20 percent. It now looks like we may not survive these government policies."

"The government wants to revitalize the area for tourists. But what are the chances of a tourist buying a fish and bringing it home? If you shut down the driveway for cars how can our customers move their goods home? Maybe this government just has too much free time. They've already destroyed the Bird Market. Now they're doing the same to Sneaker Street. It's only a matter of time before they get to us."

While many shop owners can’t stand the high rent and are contemplating moving out, others see it as an opportunity of a lifetime. John has been operating Myth Aquarium for nearly half a year and is confident that things can only get better with the economy recovering.

"Our products come straight from Malaysia and it certainly helps that I happen to be in the importing business myself. There’s no need to worry about competition as long as you’re selling quality products," he says.

Asked to recount his biggest sale so far: "There was this customer who bought about 30 angel fish each priced at a few thousand dollars."

Despite such bullishness, John admits rents account for the biggest share of his operating cost and business would be much easier had it gone back to a more reasonable level.

Great Barrier Reef Aquarium (大堡礁水族)

G/F, 207 Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, tel +852 2787 3568

Myth Aquarium(神話水族)

G/F, 196 Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, tel +852 2380 0065

Urban Jungle (城市森林爬蟲專門店)

The Loft, 148 Tung Choi Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, tel +852 2380 7803

Lake Tung Ting (洞庭湖水族)

Shop 8-9, 3-13 Nullah Road, Mongkok, Kowloon

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Guide to Decapod Crustaceans of the South Pacific is a FREE download

Throw your claws up for Joseph Poupin and Matthieu Juncker, two French crustacean researchers who have not only completed an awesome guide to the decapod crustaceans of the South Pacific, but they’ve also made it available as a free downloadable PDF. If that weren’t enough, the free guide to decapod crustaceans is available in both French and English. The Crustacean Guide by Poupin and Juncker isn’t going to replace Kuiter and Debelius World Atlas of Marine Fauna but it weighs and costs a lot less.

The decapod crustacean guide is also different in that it goes through all the ten-legged crustaceans based on the different habitats where they can be found; from the land crabs, to the beaches, lagoons and the reefs, the authors of Decapod Crustacean Guide do a great job of not just introducing a ton of species, many of which we have never seen, but you can see the continuum of body shapes which has allowed these creatures to live in different habitats.

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Scientists say Asia's corals dying on mass

AFP - 23 minutes ago

SYDNEY (AFP) - – Coral reefs in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean are dying from the worst bleaching effect in more than a decade, Australian marine scientists said Tuesday.

The bleaching, triggered by a large pool of warm water which swept into the Indian Ocean in May, has caused corals from Indonesia to the Seychelles to whiten and die, Australia's Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies said.

Reefs in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore were also affected by the phenomenon under which sea temperatures rose by several degrees Celsius in Indonesia, researcher Andrew Baird said.

"It is certainly the worst coral die-off we have seen since 1998. It may prove to be the worst such event known to science," he said.

Baird, a fellow at James Cook University, said the magnitude of the event was so large, and the ocean temperatures in some places raised so much higher than normal, that it was "almost certainly a consequence of global warming".

He said for six to eight weeks from mid-May the temperatures were high enough to cause bleaching of the corals in Indonesia's Aceh, the area worst hit by the event.

"You jump into the water and you are just surrounded by white and dead corals," he said. "It is an extraordinary sight. The locals tell us they have seen nothing like this before."

Baird said the massive die-off was expected to compare in scale and magnitude to the damage caused in 1998, when warmer water bleached reefs globally and about 16 percent were seriously degraded.

"This is the second big global bleaching event that we have documented," he told AFP.

"The scale of the event is so large that it is going to take reefs a long time to recover," he added.

The bleaching is caused by the warm water sweeping over the reefs, shocking the corals and causing them to shed the algae which nourish them. If corals fail to regain their algae, they starve to death.

Baird said it was too early to say whether Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a major tourist attraction swarming with marine life, would be damaged but that he expected bleaching to affect reefs in the Andaman Sea and central Pacific.

"Once the reef dies you lose both live coral cover, which lots of fish need... but then everything that feeds on them will disappear as well," he said, adding that he expected some fish species to decline within a year.

He said in Aceh alone, an area with some unique marine creatures, there would be a loss of biodiversity.

"There's a very good chance that there will be some local extinctions both of endemic fish and of coral," he said.

Baird said the reefs could take years to recover, heavily impacting fishing and tourism in the region and could become a security issue.

"It's one of the reasons that countries like Australia need to act quickly and decisively on climate," he said.

Scientists say corals are vital to marine life because they provide habitats for a vast variety of creatures and absorb large levels of poisonous carbon dioxide.

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Reef Octopus biopellet reactors showcase innovative bottom cone

Posted on October 18th, 2010 by Brian Blank

Reef Octopus appears to be releasing a biopellet reactor sometime soon and we were surprised to see an innovative feature on these reactors. These images of the Reef Octopus BP Reactor show a nifty acrylic inverted cone at the bottom with the aquarium water being fed directly into the center of the cone allowing a consistent turnover of the bio pellet media within the chamber. As the water is fed down to the cone, the pellets are able to dance from the flow. Coupled with the constant movement of the pellets and gravity forcing the pellets down the cone towards the water inlet, your biopellets will be in constant motion eliminating inconsistent areas of flow.

The Reef Octopus BP reactors have acrylic knurled thumb screws to allow easy access to change or add media or get in there to clean out the reaction chamber. As we mentioned before, the water inlet comes through the top-center of the reactor and features a barbed hose fitting and union connection which should make cleanup and connection a snap. The effluent outlet is high on the body with a similar barbed hose fitting and union connector. One thing these reactors don’t appear to have is some sort of screen or plenum at the top to prevent errant pellets from exiting with the effluent. While this may not be a deal breaker, sometimes pellets can float when first introduced inside the reactor. This could probably be remedied by soaking your pellets for a few days prior to dumping them into the reactor.

The Reef Octopus BP reactors are shown in three different sizes and while we weren’t able to dig up any stats on these, they should fit in a variety of applications to suit you needs from nano and smaller aquariums, to even the larger tanks of some hobbyists. Most likely you will have to supply a small, low-flow pump to feed the reactor. No word yet on availability or pricing, but Reef Octopus is known to have pretty decent pricing making it a good deal for reefers on a tight budget that are looking to add biopellets to their system.

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Bulk Reef Supply releases Bio Pellets for the cheap

Posted on October 19th, 2010 by Ryan Gripp

Popular discount retailer, Bulk Reef Supply has released their version of the Bio Pellet that we made famous among our readers way back in 2009. The solid carbon dosing bio pellets are popular for helping to remove nitrates from your aquarium and until recently these things were very expensive. When we first covered these Bio Pellets they were retailing for around $75 for a 500ml bag.

We recommend 1 cup (236 ml) of BRS biopellets per 50 gallons of system volume. BRS Bio Pellet Instructions

Solid carbon dosing (bio pellets) has recently become an extremely popular method of removing nitrates from the aquarium. The exact method of denitration can be different for each tank but it mainly consists of a few things:

* Nitrate laden Bacteria is removed via the protein skimmer

* Bacteria directly converts nitrite into nitrous oxide so nitrate is never produced

* Bacteria consumes nitrates and processes them down into nitrogen gas

* Nitrate laden Bacteria is consumed by tank inhabitants like corals and sponges

Depending on the system it should take 4-8 weeks for the bacteria population to multiply and begin its work on your nitrates. Once you have the reactor going we suggest not making any adjustments for 8 weeks. Give the media and bacteria time to adjust to the parameters found in your tank and begin working. Even small adjustments to the reactor can change the parameters inside the reactor and slow down the results. Please keep in mind that while solid carbon dosing (bio pellets) has become extremely popular it is very new to saltwater aquaria. There is a lot of good theory on why it works so well for most aquarists but some struggle to see results which means you may need to adjust some parameters to achieve best results. Because there are so many variables it’s often difficult to determine what might be holding an aquarist back. These are some of the most common variables that would affect the how the system works: starting nitrate levels, phosphorous (phosphate) levels, dominant strains of bacteria in the tank, use of additional commercial bacteria strains such as zeobak, types of live stock, protein skimmer size and quality, where the effluent of the reactor is fed, use of UV sterilizers, potassium levels, amount of light surrounding the reactor, type and amount of fish and coral foods used and speed at which the media is tumbling.

Because there are so many variables it is difficult to give a one size fits all advice for this product but this is the sweet spot where we have found the most success with the above variables.

* Most customers will use this system to reduce already high nitrate levels and then maintain them at the new low levels. This means the bacterial load is going to go through constant adjustment as the nitrate levels drop and add complexity to the beginning stages of starting the system. You may also choose to use a series of larger water changes near each other to get the levels down before starting the bio pellet system. This will keep the parameter changes to a minimum and remove a level of complexity during the initial stages. Either way please allow 8 weeks before making any changes.

* Bacteria require small amounts of phosphorous to metabolize nitrate properly and phosphate levels theoretically could be a limiting factor for this system. For this reason we recommend not using phosphate removal products like GFO during the initial phase when you are trying to lower nitrate levels. Once you have the nitrate levels down we recommend continuing the use of GFO to maintain optimal parameters in the tank. You may find that your GFO lasts longer when used in conjunction with the bio pellet system. We find that the Hanna PO4 checker is the best tool to test phosphate levels because it provides reliable easy to read readings.

* It is difficult to control the dominant strains of bacteria in the aquarium, however continual dosing of beneficial bacteria strains found in supplements such as zeobak can help with this.

* We do not think commercial bacteria products are absolutely required but they have the potential to speed the process up and control types of bacteria. This is certainly something we would recommend trying if you are having difficulty with the system.

* Some corals and sponges will consume the nitrate laden bacteria which will effectively reduce the amount of nitrate available in the water column.

* The skimmer will remove a lot of the nitrate laden bacteria so a high quality skimmer will greatly increase the effectiveness of the system.

* Feeding the effluent of the bio pellet reactor directly into the protein skimmer or near the protein skimmer’s intake pump can significantly increase the efficiency of the system by helping it remove the nitrate laden bacteria.

* A high quality UV sterilizer will damage the bacteria’s DNA and keep it from reproducing which could slow down your results and inhibit the effectiveness. If you own a low quality UV sterilizer the benefits are pretty minimal to begin with so we recommend completely removing it from the system. If you have invested in a high quality UV sterilizer we feel the benefits are substantial so you should try and incorporate it into your system rather than remove it. We recommend turning the UV sterilizer off until you have achieved results with the bio pellets and then turning the UV sterilizer back on.

* Some aquarists believe potassium could be a limiting factor. We recommend levels around 380ml/l . With this system this can typically be achieved with a quality salt mix and a reasonable water change schedule.

* We recommend keeping the reactor in a dark area to limit the amount of other organisms living inside the reactor itself.

* In general the best method to control nitrate is paying close attention to the quantity and types of foods used. In this case we believe maintaining a stable supply of food could also be helpful. Feeding the same amount at the same times of the day will help stabilize the food supply for both the bacteria and your tanks inhabitants. For instance if you feed every weekday, but are gone weekends this might produce instability in the food chain for the bacteria and resulting populations. A good automatic feeder could help with this.

* The speed at which the media tumbles will have an effect on the system because it is a combination of two things, contact time with the media and the amount of times a day the entire system water volume passes through the reactor. Every tank is going to have a sweet spot in terms of contact time with the media and how many times the entire water volume should pass through the reactor each day. In general we recommend trying to maximize the contact time with the media which means tuning the reactor so 100% of the media is just barley tumbling. Going slower runs the risk of the bio pellets sticking together with biofilm. Faster flow reduces contact time, but increases system turn over. Please feel free to experiment with this after the 8 weeks.

The absolute best advice we can give with this system is to set it up and forget about it for two months. Unless something is obviously not right resist all temptation to make any changes until the two months are up.

*One note: Some aquarists experience a bacterial bloom when first starting this system which clouds the tank for a few days. The cloudy water is largely more scary than it is harmful but it can reduce the oxygen levels in the tank. If you do experience the bacterial bloom we recommend aiming a few powerheads at the surface of the water to maximize gas exchange. Feeding the effluent of the bio pellet reactor directly into the protein skimmer or near the protein skimmer’s intake pump will also help with this.

BRS Bio Pellets are PHA Bacteria Boosters

As we predicted, discount or bulk sellers are now getting into the solid carbon dosing or BioPellet game. Most notably, Bulk Reef Supply (BRS).

Based on the limited number of suppliers, we feel safe in guessing that the BRS Bio Pellets are PHA or Polyhydroxyalkanoates. Seeing as most of the PHA suppliers do not give significant discounts on the type of volume the aquarium industry turns over, it will be interesting to see how aquarium companies price and distinguish themselves. Currently 500ml of BRS BioPellets will cost you $38.99 which is spot on to pricing for the Vertex Pro BioPellets (also PHA). Likewise, for 1000ml both products come in at approximately $70 USD.

Interestingly BRS, notes the importance of contact time with their product. Initially biopellets were marketed as safe, and unable to be overdosed. This is not the case. “Dosing” with these biopellets is a function of surface area and water turn over, or contact time.

“Dosing” of BRS Bio Pellets:

“The speed at which the media tumbles will have an effect on the system because it is a combination of two things, contact time with the media and the amount of times a day the entire system water volume passes through the reactor. Every tank is going to have a sweet spot in terms of contact time with the media and how many times the entire water volume should pass through the reactor each day. In general we recommend trying to maximize the contact time with the media which means tuning the reactor so 100% of the media is just barley tumbling. Going slower runs the risk of the bio pellets sticking together with biofilm. Faster flow reduces contact time, but increases system turn over. Please feel free to experiment with this after the 8 weeks.”

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More than a million Atlantic sharks killed yearly

AFP - Tuesday, November 23

PARIS (AFP) - – At least 1.3 million sharks, many listed as endangered, were harvested from the Atlantic in 2008 by industrial-scale fisheries unhampered by catch or size limits, according to a tally released Monday.

The actual figure may be several fold higher due to under-reporting, said the study, released by advocacy group Oceana on the sidelines of a meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

Convening in Paris through November 27, the 48-member ICCAT is charged with ensuring that commercial fisheries are sustainable. It has the authority to set catch quotas and restrictions.

While the global spotlight has been trained on the plight of Atlantic bluefin tuna, many species of high-value sharks are in even more dire straits, say marine biologists.

"Sharks are virtually unmanaged at the international level," said Elizabeth Griffin Wilson of Oceana. "ICCAT has a responsibility to protect our oceans' top predators."

Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, "highly migratory" sharks must be managed by international bodies.

Of the 21 species found in the Atlantic, three-quarters are classified as threatened with extinction.

North Atlantic populations of the oceanic white tip, for example, have declined by 70 percent, and hammerheads by more than 99 percent, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Other species -- including the porbeagle, common thresher and shortfin mako -- have also been overexploited, and may be teetering on the brink of viability.

Many are fished for their fins -- prized as a delicacy in Chinese cuisine -- and then tossed, dead or dying, back into the sea once the choice morsels have been sliced off.

The practice is prohibited, but loopholes in the regulation have allowed the ban to be widely ignored.

Oceana and several conservation groups, backed by some governments, have called upon ICCAT to set catch quotas and other protective measures for these and other vulnerable sharks.

The United States has proposed requiring that all sharks be brought back to shore whole, which would boost enforcement of the finning ban and help scientists measure population levels.

Japan -- which quashed a drive earlier this year to protect four threatened shark species under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) -- is now urging ICCAT to prohibit fishing one of them, the oceanic white tip.

The initiative "is an example showing our commitment for conservation of shark resources," the head of the Japanese delegation said in an opening statement.

Sharks have reigned at the top of the ocean food chain for hundreds of millions of years.

But the consummate predators are especially vulnerable to industrial-scale overfishing because they mature slowly and produce few offspring.

"The classic fisheries management approach of 'fishing down' a given population to its so-called maximum sustainable yield, and then assuming it can recover, does not work for sharks," said Matt Rand, a shark expert at the Washington-based Pew Environment Group.

Tens of millions of the open-water hunters are extracted from global seas every year.

Regional studies have shown that when shark populations crash the impact cascades down through the food chain, often in unpredictable and deleterious ways.

[Soul]

Its funny how so many sharks are killed for their fins yearly yet whenever we goto a chinese wedding dinner theres only a few strands of fins in the much overhyped soup. Not saying the killing of sharks is funny though ...

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Feeling HUNGRY...???

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Shark attack kills German woman off Egypt's Sharm resort

AFP - Monday, December 6

CAIRO (AFP) - A shark mauled to death a German woman tourist snorkelling off Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday, in the third shark attack in Egypt's popular Red Sea resort in a week, local officials said.

Mohammed Salem, director of South Sinai Conservation, said the woman died after a shark attacked her in Naama Bay, only one day after Sharm el-Sheikh reopened its beaches following two other attacks in which Russians were mauled.

"There has been a death unfortunately. She was a German lady. We have taken everyone out of the water," he said.

Medical officials said the tourist -- identified as a woman in her 70s but whose name has not yet been released -- was pulled out of the water dead after the shark mauled her thigh and arm.

Tourism Minister Zuhair Garana told AFP all the resort's beaches had been closed to swimmers, with the exception of Ras Mohammed, a nature preserve south of the city.

The attack took place in waters facing the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

"We are getting marine biologists from abroad to assess the situation and why there was this change in biological nature," said Garana, referring to the repeated attacks, which one expert called unprecedented.

"This is unnatural. It has never happened before," he said. "We have no explanation."

Government conservation experts said on Friday they captured two sharks, an oceanic whitetip and a mako, which they believed had mauled two Russian women swimmers last Tuesday and Wednesday.

Government workers had dumped chum in the water to attract the sharks.

The resort's mayor, Gamal al-Mahdi, told AFP the beaches were reopened after authorities deemed there was no further threat off the coast, which attracts between three and four million tourists a year.

However, an Egyptian NGO warned on Saturday that at least one of the sharks thought to be behind the attacks was still at large.

South Sinai governor Mohammed Shosha has said the sharks could have turned frenzied after a ship transporting livestock dumped dead sheep into the sea, while marine experts said overfishing may have forced them closer to shore.

The string of attacks in Sharm el-Sheikh was "unprecedented," according to an shark expert Samuel Gruber, who heads Miami's Bimini Biological Field Station.

"The shark in one day bit more than one person. In all my years reading about shark attacks and writing about them you never hear about sharks biting more than one person," he said, apart from feeding sprees on shipwreck survivors.

"Then for it to happen the next day is almost like a 'Jaws' scenario," he said, referring to the 1975 iconic Hollywood movie about a killer great white.

Gruber said finding the predator or predators would be extremely difficult.

Salem said the first shark to have been captured, the oceanic whitetip, was identified as the same one filmed by divers just minutes before it surfaced to attack the snorkellers.

The mako believed to have attacked swimmers on Wednesday was also recognised by witnesses, according to the South Sinai Conservation chief.

But the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association said on Saturday that the captured oceanic whitetip was a different one from the shark caught on tape.

Statistics compiled by the International Shark Attack File reported 61 worldwide attacks in 2009, five of them fatal.