Fish & Fisheries

"Humans have been afraid of sharks since long before “Jaws” and “The Meg” patrolled summer movie screens. Whether it’s the teeth or the lifeless eyes, something about them can just make your blood run cold.

Marine biologists are quick to say this fear is way out of proportion. Lightning strikes and bear attacks are more common than shark bites, they say. Of the more than 500 species of shark, only a handful have ever attacked humans, and most bites in the United States can be traced to just four species.

"Among its many sweeping calls for change in American government, a conservative platform document known as Project 2025 urges the demolition of some of the nation’s most dependable resources for tracking weather, combating climate change and protecting the public from environmental hazards."

"Scientists in Brazil have come up with the first evidence that sharks are being exposed to cocaine."

"As northern snakehead and blue catfish continue to proliferate, the state is trying to get more people to eat them."

"Breakthrough genetic research at a Massachusetts lab could save the world’s vanishing kelp forests—and support American kelp farming, too."

"Rising water temperatures in the Columbia River Basin are raising questions about whether fishery managers must take new steps to save the imperiled fish."

"The United States and Canada have reached an agreement in principle on modernizing a 60-year-old pact on Columbia River flood control and power generation, and work on draft amendments will begin in the coming weeks, they said on Thursday."

"Only days after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the federal government’s program placing human observers on commercial fishing boats, a federal watchdog said NOAA Fisheries should do a better job monitoring the industry."

"The United Nations' International Seabed Authority (ISA) will meet on Monday to consider new rules allowing firms to extract minerals from the ocean floor, despite mounting concerns about the economic and environmental risks."