Dutch island wants its rabbits to breed like …

Biodiversity concerns prompt emergency plan to use ferrets to round up the few rabbits left

Daniel Boffey in Brussels

Mon 16 Apr 2018 14.41 BSTFirst published on Mon 16 Apr 2018 13.53 BST

It is not a pastime for which rabbits usually require much encouragement. But a mystery depletion in numbers on the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog has led to an emergency effort to coax the local population into breeding … well, like rabbits.

Ferrets are being deployed to chase the reluctant remaining animals out of their warrens and into the hands of conservationists, who are bringing them together, safe from the stress of predators, in the hope that romance will blossom.

It is believed that the number of rabbits on Schiermonnikoog, or Grey Monk island, has been declining for the last three years, although conservationists are only working from the memory of the 947 people who live there.

The concern is that the unexplained decrease could have a negative effect on the biodiversity of Schiermonnikoog, a 9.9-mile-long nature reserve off the northern coastline, which attracts 300,000 visitors a year.

The rabbits play a vital role in nibbling away at the invasive American black cherry, a variety of the woody plant Prunus serotina that gets in the way of other species. Birds on the island are also known to use the rabbit warrens to lay eggs.

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Carpet Sea-squirt found in north Kent

THE invasive Carpet Sea-squirt (Didemnum vexillum) has recently been found along the north Kent coast.

This immobile tube-like invertebrate occurs in colonies, and has been introduced into British waters through aquaculture equipment, hull fouling and ship ballast water.

The Carpet Sea-squirt grows very quickly. It has been found to carpet whole marine communities in areas that it has invaded, having a significant impact on biodiversity and species richness. It particularly likes to grow on hard surfaces and can become a real problem to marine industries. It has no impact on human health.

Those work directly in the marine environment should remain vigilant for this and other invasive species. The species description document from the Non-native Species Secretariat (NNSS) provides detailed pictures and information about this species' appearance.

For those working along the north Kent coast in particular, please be aware of this issue and take special care to clean, disinfect and preferably dry equipment after use in the area. Hypochlorite has been found to be an effective disinfectant.

If you find any examples of this species, please report them directly to the NNSS.

http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/uk/7000-carpet-sea-squirt-found-in-north-kent.html

Fisheries Committee calls for international action to fight illegal fishing

Illegal fishing not only seriously distorts markets for EU fishermen and consumers, but threatens to destroy the biodiversity of the world's oceans, warned the Fisheries Committee on Tuesday. An estimated 15% of world catches - between 11 and 26 million tonnes a year - come from illegal fishing. The committee's own-initiative report calls on the EU to promote international action, including stepping up inspections at sea and closing markets to illegal seafood, to maintain world fish stocks.

Given the high mobility of fish stocks and fishing fleets, illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing can only be effectively tackled by international cooperation, said MEPs, stressing that the EU, as the world's major fishing power and the largest importer of fisheries products, should play a key role in mobilising international community to combat IUU.

An estimated 15% of world catches - between 11 and 26 million tonnes a year - come from illegal fishing, making sustainable management of marine resources impossible, says the text. Besides threatening fish stock sustainability and food security, which affects both consumers and fishing communities illegal fishing constitutes unfair competition for fishermen who abide by the rules, says the text.

"The EU needs to do more to promote effective international cooperation to combat illegal fishing", said rapporteur Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, SE) stressing that "we need to ensure that ruthless operators cannot simply change the flag of their vessels to avoid their responsibilities. With many fish stocks around the world already perilously threatened, illegal fishing could be the final straw".

Sanctions against negligent states
The technology to monitor and prevent illegal fishing now exists - what is missing is the political will to do so, say MEPs. The committee urges the Commission and Member States to press the issue in international fora such as the WTO, and calls for sanctions against states that fail to meet their international obligations, e.g. by ensuring that vessels that fly their flags abide by the rules.
The committee also says that aid from the EU's generalised preference system should be conditional upon applicant countries' compliance with FAO and UN rules against IUU and that the Commission and Member States should step up their financial and technical support for surveillance programmes in the waters of developing countries.

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