Fruitful days for anglers at Rio Vista Bass Derby

Recordnet – The 338 adults and 52 young anglers fishing in the Rio Vista Bass Derby on the weekend of October 12-13 enjoyed great weather and fine fishing. “It was a perfect weekend, with no breeze on the water,” said K.C. Nash, a volunteer for the 72nd Rio Vista Bass Derby and Festival. “A lot of fish were caught – we had a full leader board to 8 places in each Read More…

Southwest Atlantic humpback whales on recovery path

BBC News – One of the whale populations taken to the edge of extinction by commercial hunting in the early 20th Century has essentially recovered its numbers. It's estimated the humpbacks that frequent the southwest Atlantic once totalled perhaps 27,000 animals. This group was reduced to only a few hundred by the steam-driven boats and harpoons operating out of the British Overseas Read More…

You could get paid to fish for an invasive species in the Grand…

AZ Central – Invasive fish species have long been a challenge for scientists in the Grand Canyon because they attract fishermen but can devour threatened native species. Now, the National Park Service is ready to try a new approach to keeping things in balance: pay fishermen and women to harvest one of the worst offenders, the brown trout. These invaders like to eat other fish, including Read More…

“Restorative aquaculture” potential greatest in North Sea, East…

Seafood Source – Combined commercial shellfish and seaweed aquaculture have significant potential to provide sustainable food and jobs while restoring marine ecosystems in Europe's North Sea, the East China Sea, and Southern California. A new study published in PLOS ONE finds that every inhabited continent has marine regions well-suited for the kind of shellfish and seaweed aquaculture Read More…

Grand Jury report raises alarms about water security following an…

Sonoma Index-Tribune – First the electrical grid, now the water supply is being identified as one of the necessities of modern life that may be at risk in case of disaster. The 2018-2019 Sonoma County Grand Jury report, issued in July, addresses several areas of concern that county residents and governments should be aware of, and prepare for. One of them is found in the “water report,” a Read More…

Humpback whales herd salmon with their fins, new photos reveal

National Geographic – Humpback whales are well known for their sophisticated hunting strategies, such as blowing bubbles to form wide nets, then swimming in a clockwise motion to swiftly encircle their prey. This ingenuity, coupled with the marine mammals’ advanced social behavior and communication, led scientists to suspect they were missing something. It turns out Read More…

Fishing for answers: Researchers develop tool to incorporate social,…

Florida State University News – For years, fisheries managers have struggled to find a delicate balance between competing financial and ecological needs. Now, a team of researchers led by a Florida State University faculty member is working toward integrating a third factor — the social and cultural needs of different groups of people. “Everyone wants their piece of the pie of the Read More…

Sides battle over Monterey Bay’s anchovy population

Monterey Herald – A fishing industry group says it has new findings supporting its contention that there is a healthy population of anchovies, which is counter to a nonprofit’s lawsuit challenging how the number of anchovies are determined. Meanwhile, Monterey fishermen say there are tons of the little guys in the local fishery. Gino Pennisi and Neil Guglielmo have been fishing out of Read More…

The next fight in California’s water crisis is over salt, pollutants

The Fresno Bee – When it comes to drinking water in California — safety, supply and reliability — we can never rest. None of us. For those who think it’s a crisis that only impacts rural communities in our state, you are wrong. Children in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego and other urban communities are drinking lead-contaminated water from their drinking fountains, and nearly all Read More…

Lakes are experiencing worse algal blooms, global survey shows

UPI – In lakes all over the world, algal blooms are getting more severe. In a new global survey of large, freshwater lakes -- the first of its kind -- scientists found algal blooms have become more frequent and intense over the last 30 years. Algal blooms can negatively affect humans and ecosystems by robbing freshwater of sufficient oxygen supplies and producing dangerous Read More…