New York Times (April 10)
“Time is running out” for bluefin tuna, but an ingenious new hook may provide some relief. Commercial fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico, where the catch of bluefin is illegal, will now be required to use thinner hooks. The hooks still support yellowfin tuna and swordfish, but give way under the massive weight of a bluefin, thus preventing inadvertent bluefin catches. In just the last decade, the number of bluefin in the Atlantic and Mediterranean fell by over 60%. The New York Times lays the blame for the dwindling bluefin population on “vast overfishing fueled by Japan’s insatiable sushi appetite” and advocates a worldwide ban on the sale of bluefin to help stocks recover.
The Guardian (April 10)
CO2 emissions grab most the attention, but a study by the European Nitrogen Assessment indicates “nitrogen pollution costs every person in Europe €650 a year in damage to water, climate, health and wildlife.” Some of this damage comes from nitrogen used as fertilizer, but approximately “60% of the costs of nitrogen damage stem from fossil fuels burned for energy generation and transport.”
Tags: Fertilizer, Fossil fuels, Nitrogen, Pollution
