ADVISORY/Experts Available To Discuss Global Study Stating 90 Percent of Big Ocean Fish Diminished.Business Editors ADVISORY... --(BUSINESS WIRE) TOPIC: A study appearing in this week's issue of the journal Nature found that 90 percent of the world's large ocean fish, including sharks, swordfish, tuna and marlin, have disappeared in the past 50 years due to industrial fishing, according to an article by CNN.com. Authors of the study tracked data going back 47 years from nine oceanic and four continental shelf systems from the tropics to the Antarctic and found that large fish populations have diminished in all regions. Boris Worm, co-author of the study, claims the losses are impacting the ocean ecosystems and that the fishing industry should adhere to conservation regulations. Worm also suggests that fish farming could be part of the solution to decreased fish populations. EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story: George H. Burgess is coordinator of Museum Operations at the Florida Museum of Natural History The Florida Museum of Natural History is located at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, USA. It displays exhibits on the flora, fauna, and people of Florida. The main museum is free of charge (but requests a donation). at University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. and is the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. He also serves as director of the International Shark Attack File The International Shark Attack File is a global database of shark attacks. It began as an attempt to catalogue shark attacks on servicemen during World War II. The Office of Naval Research funded it from 1958 until 1968. , the long-standing (established 1958) comprehensive scientific database that is recognized as the definitive source of information on shark attacks. Burgess has studied sharks for more than 30 years. He is active in the field of elasmobranch elasmobranch (ĭlăs`məbrăngk), cartilaginous fish, member of the subclass Elasmobranchii of the vertebrate class Chondrichthyes (see Chordata). This group includes sharks, skates, and rays. (sharks and their kin) conservation and is a founding member and Vice Chairman of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) or World Conservation Union, international organization founded in 1948 to encourage the preservation of wildlife, natural environments, and living resources. and Natural Resources' (IUCN IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. ) Shark Specialist Group, the world's leading shark conservation organization. Burgess has been engaged in the management of U.S. shark fisheries over the last two decades as a member of the Gulf of Mexico Noun 1. Gulf of Mexico - an arm of the Atlantic to the south of the United States and to the east of Mexico Golfo de Mexico Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east Fishery Management Council's Special Shark Scientific and Statistical Committee and the National Marine Fisheries Service's Sawfish sawfish: see ray. sawfish Any of about six species (genus Pristis, family Pristidae) of sharklike ray. Sawfishes have a long head, long body, and a long, toothed, bladelike snout. The largest attain lengths of 23 ft (7 m) or more. Status Review Team, as a participant in the National Marine Fishery Service's Shark Evaluation workshops, as an advisor to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is a Florida governmental organization created in 1999 with the purpose of regulating the environment and enforcing environmental legislation in the state of Florida. , and as the leader of the Commercial Shark Fishery Observer Program. The latter is a research program that has monitored the U.S. East Coast commercial longline long·line n. A heavy fishing line usually several miles long and having a series of baited hooks. long shark fishery since federal and state regulatory actions were enacted in the early 1990s, and provides baseline data utilized in fishery management. Burgess is a founding member and past president of the American Elasmobranch Society The American Elasmobranch Society (AES) is a professional society devoted to the study of chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras). External links
Stephen Grabacki, of Graystar Pacific Seafood, Ltd., has more than 22 years of experience in fisheries development and management, and seafood business and marketing. Grabacki is a certified Fisheries Scientist/Professional, with specialization in the business aspects of fisheries. He is adjunct Professor at University of Alaska Anchorage UAA comprises eight colleges and schools: The College of Education, College of Health and Social Welfare, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Public Policy, the Community and Technical College, School of Engineering, School of Nursing and School of Social Work. , teaching a small-but-complete ocean-to-plate fisheries curriculum: Oceanography, Fisheries Management, and Seafood Marketing. He can address the following issues: Seafood is the last major food group which is hunted, rather than farmed (although aquaculture is growing rapidly). Natural fluctuations cannot be predicted with certainty, but they can be anticipated, and adapted to; Many wild-capture (as vs. cultured) fisheries have been overfished and depleted, but several are well-managed and sustainable; The future of fisheries development and management lies in sustainable management of both wild-capture fisheries, and of aquaculture; and The future of seafood marketing lies in consistent quality, reliable supply, and perceived value. 907-272-5600 Professor Yonathan Zohar, of the University of Maryland, Center of Marine Biotechnology is an expert in topics involving oceanography and aquaculture. He can discuss the physiology, endocrinology and molecular endocrinology of fish reproduction. He can provide insight into the development of biotechnologies for the exogenous manipulation of fish reproduction, in relation to aquaculture, fish farming and stock enhancement. 410-234-8824 ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue. ExpertSource provides academic and industry experts to the media at no charge. Journalists are encouraged to submit queries to ExpertSource when seeking experts on specific subjects. An online registration form is available at http://www.businesswire.com/. |
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