Guest Author • Dec 02, 2017 •
By Ursula Ellenberg, La Trobe University. Fishing nets pose a serious risk to the survival of penguin species, according to a new global review of the toll taken by “bycatch” from commercial fishing. Fourteen of the world’s 18 penguin species have been recorded as fishing bycatch. Among the species under threat are Tasmania’s little penguins and New … Read More
John Kerr • Jun 21, 2017 •
New technology which tracks how much time seabirds spend around fishing vessels could be recruited into the fight against illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean. The use of GPS trackers to chart the travels of wildlife is not exactly new, but developments in animal tracking now allow researchers to not only see where animals are, but also who else might … Read More
Jamie Steer • Feb 14, 2017 •
New Zealand’s trout and salmon species are here to stay and every year they are evolving to become more a part of the unique fabric of this country, both culturally and genetically. In this second post in a two part series, Dr Jamie Steer says it’s to time recognise this and celebrate our wildlife – both new and … Read More
Guest Author • Dec 26, 2016 •
Phil Jellyman is jet boating up the Waimakariri River in Canterbury – not because it’s a fun thing to do but in search of salmon. The NIWA freshwater fish ecologist is planning to implant acoustic tags on the fish to find out whether irrigation schemes are affecting their migration to spawning grounds up river. Along the river he will install … Read More
Kimberley Collins • Aug 18, 2016 •
Scientists have known for decades that fish urine is important for coral reefs. Now, a new study has found urine excreted by large fish is critical to the survival and growth of these fragile ecosystems. Like most living things, coral reefs need nutrients to grow. In coral reefs, fish provide these, holding the nutrients in their tissue and excreting them through their urine … Read More
Guest Author • Oct 19, 2015 •
Rashid Sumaila, University of British Columbia Fish numbers are rapidly dwindling globally, and fishery subsidies are one of the key drivers behind this decline. In 2009, these subsidies totalled about US$35 billion, creating incentives for fishers around the world to increase their catch. But this short-term “race to fish” is jeopardising the long-term environmental, social, and economic … Read More
Waiology • Oct 31, 2013 •
By Neil Deans New Zealand is blessed with an abundance and multitude of freshwaters which provide the habitat for an equally diverse array of species, including both native and introduced fish and wildlife. Some of these have intrinsic value; others are also valued because they provide food or recreational pursuit, or are indicators of a healthy environment. (Credit: … Read More
Waiology • Aug 15, 2013 •
By Amber McEwan Beginning today, August 15th, a bunch of keen New Zealanders will creep out of their homes in the freezing dark morning and take to the rivers armed with waders, swandris and optimistic hearts. This canny lot set up their pozzies and then wait for luck to strike. To other whitebaiters in the area they give nothing … Read More
Rebecca McLeod • Sep 24, 2010 •
I am still reeling from an announcement made yesterday by the Minster of Fisheries and Aquaculture Phil Heatley regarding the setting of the total allowable “catch” for giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). I thought I might try and calm down a little before I wrote this post, but the 20 or so emails that greeted me this morning from marine ecologists … Read More
Rebecca McLeod • Sep 24, 2009 •
At this stage it’s a no-brainer - giant kelp is worth more in the water than spread over paddocks as fertilser, and we simply don’t know enough about how kelp forests will respond to harvesting … Read More