New information panels will be designed for that area and as it will take the place of our shop, we will be taking advantage of this opportunity and revamping our shop area.  Currently our architects are drawing up plans for the build, so we are waiting in anticipation of the new design layout.

The Save our Seas Foundation have been supporting the work of the National Lobster Hatchery for several years now.  Initially to fund a project that focused on releasing hatchery reared juvenile lobsters through our stakeholders, the local fishermen.  By involving the fishermen in the project, it meant we could reach perfect lobster ground that we could not otherwise reach.  Long term, it meant the fishermen were not just seeing the benefit first hand but restocking their own fishery and therefore creating a change in the way the industry operates.

Last year SOS also gave money towards developing our educational exhibits within the visitor centre to make it a more interactive, informative and fun experience for our younger visitors.  A step was created around the display tanks so that children could see into the tanks and small wooden boats were designed to fit between the waves that circle the interior of the visitor centre.

In order to promote the conservation, education and research efforts of the Lobster Hatchery, SOS wanted to come and photograph and film the story; from fishermen donating egg bearing females to the hatchery, the eggs hatching and being raised through their most vunerable stage of their life cycle, away from predators and then to be released back into the sea around Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by the local fishermen.  Both the film and photographs are breathtaking and we believe some of the best shots of the European Lobster we have ever seen.  They will be a great asset to the project and used in the visitor centre and literature to promote our work in the future.

In the meantime, check out some of the amazing photographs and film created by Thomas Peschak and Dan Beecham, from the Save our Seas Foundation.

Alarmingly 7 out of 25 Michelin-starred restaurants visited were serving species listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. However, the campaign appears to already be having an effect, with landmark London restaurants J Sheekey and Scott’s having moved from negative red fish ratings into the blue fish zone. Nonetheless, these red/blue fish ratings aren’t as clear cut as black and white: the caviar from one of these restaurants is now classed as sustainable due to being from farmed sturgeon as opposed to wild sturgeon. Although the target fishery may be demographically sustainable when farmed, fish farms themselves remain controversial due to the disproportionately large amount of wild fish caught to supply them.

Have your say on the fish being served in your local restaurants over at: www.fish2fork.com. Together we can make a difference when eating out by choosing to dine on sustainably sourced fish.

Also, for those readers based in the UK, be sure to catch The End of the Line online if you haven’t already.

Personally, I am enthralled with the mystery and unrivalled beauty of the marine realm and believe that future generations should also have the privilege of experiencing its natural wonders for themselves.

However, putting aside a moral sense of stewardship, there are formidable socio-economic reasons to promote marine conservation and prevent overexploitation of marine resources.

SOSF research scientist James Lea discusses marine conservation. Photo by Peter Rear

Entire communities depend on fishing to survive, both as a source of nourishment and income. Nearly 3 billion people depend on fish as a source of protein and global fisheries generate in the region of $90 billion annually.

Despite all this, more than 70% of global fisheries are harvested unsustainably. Without fish as a source of food and income there could be widespread famine and economic crises.

Fisheries have to be managed sustainably, such that catch rates do not exceed the recovery rate of the population, there is little to no bycatch and minimal environmental impact.

The oceans also regulate atmospheric temperature and shape our climate. Our own health and habitable climate depends on a stable marine ecosystem: it is our life support system.

But what can we do to help as individuals?

As far as overfishing is concerned, supply is tailored to meet demand and the power lies with the consumer, and perhaps one of the most important changes we can make as consumers with regards to marine conservation is simply knowing where the fish we eat is from.

Essentially, is it from a sustainable source? Choosing to eat from sustainable fisheries is actually incredibly simple to do, and the easiest way in the UK is to look out for the Marine Stewardship Council logo on fish products. This logo shows that the fishery from which that particular product came has been certified as sustainable. MSC certified products are widely available in all major supermarkets, so there’s no need to even change your shopping habits. FishWatch offers a similar service in the US.

Simply buying fish with this blue logo over standard products will help dramatically.

Additionally, all of the usual tips for conserving energy to minimise carbon emissions and pollutants will help here too: the more you can reduce the use of electricity, water, plastic bags etc. the better. Every little helps. For more information on how small changes to your everyday life can help make a big difference check out our eco-friendly tips to save the planet.

One of the most important things you can do is just talk about it, many people simply don’t know where their fish if from or even why that might be important.

All it takes is an understanding to nurture a love and appreciation for the marine environment, and with each of us making small and simply lifestyle changes, we can and will make a difference.

This move iterates these supermarkets’ intentions to support sustainable fisheries to ensure an ongoing supply of fish and follows their decision more than a year ago to cease trading in bluefin tuna products. Other fish, such as European flounder, have also been taken off the shelves.

Their efforts have been commended by Greenpeace, who expressed hope that a general move towards supporting sustainable fisheries will continue, whilst urging for further endangered species to receive the same treatment.

There is some concern, however, that many species not listed as threatened may in fact be so, but are not simply due to there being insufficient data on their populations to pass judgement on the viability of their stocks. As such other species may not be receiving the protection they also need from over exploitation, highlighting an urgent need for more comprehensive assessments of data deficient populations.

UPDATE: It has since come to our attention that these supermarket chains will continue to sell North West Atlantic spiny dogfish products, despite the species’ current listing as endangered on the IUCN Red List and extensive efforts by the Shark Alliance to promote their conservation. Although there is some evidence to suggest increasing biomass of spiny dogfish in the fishery, the population structure reveals that there may simply be insufficient juveniles to replace the ageing stock of adults. Furthermore two additional endangered shark species have in fact been excluded from the supermarkets’ policy. As ‘Wild Ocean Blue’ states below, it can’t be denied that the supermarkets are making a step in the right direction, however it goes some way towards discrediting their commitment to only support sustainable fisheries if endangered species such as the spiny dogfish remain on the shelves.