North Sea cod back on the menu, marine body says

25 September 2015 

North Sea cod has been taken off the Marine Conservation Society's (MCS) list of fish to avoid eating.

The UK charity had previously said cod should not be eaten because stocks were only slightly above sustainable levels.

But it says it can now be eaten as an occasional treat following a recovery in numbers and having been removed from its red list of endangered fish.

Samuel Stone, from MCS, said the announcement was a "milestone", but fishing levels still needed to reduce.

The MCS said cod levels may never fully recover to their peak numbers of the 1970s and early 1980s.

There were now nine endangered stocks, which need "some of the attention that North Sea cod has had", it added.

Continued ...

Triumph of the blues - iconic iguana saved by trade ban

The idyllic Caribbean island of Grand Cayman is perhaps best known for the azure tint to the sea lapping against its white sandy shores.

But there is another famous Cayman blue - a species of large, long living lizard native to the island.

The blue iguana is the island's biggest land animal.

But size isn't everything when it comes to survival.

Back in 2002 there were just a dozen or so of these giants left.

“That's really pretty important, even if we get to 1,000 there is no way that we can sustain a harvest for the pet trade”

Fred Burton, Blue Iguana Recovery Programme

The reason for the decline were the old reliables - the destruction of their habitat and the encroachment of humans. The species was decimated by car accidents and attacks from dogs and cats. At one point it was the most threatened iguana species on the planet.

Now though there are around 750 of the creatures, land has been set aside for them, they are being released and are successfully breeding in the wild.

To all intents and purposes, the blue iguana has been saved.

So how has this happened when so many other species such as the Golden Toad or the Liverpool Pigeon have simply disappeared over the same period?

One of the factors is a breeding programme run by the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme that protects the young lizards in their first couple of years when they are especially vulnerable.

International agreement

But another important factor according to Fred Burton who runs the programme, is the influence of an international agreement called the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

More:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21599245

Green shoots of recovery for House Sparrows?

Slow recovery since the nadir of 2006

June 2012. House Sparrows are approaching a six-year high in gardens. Numbers declined sharply in 2006 but are now making a steady recovery. To help the public nurture this upturn, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has produced a free factsheet.

Long-term decline
The House Sparrow is a species that has been in long-term decline. Data collected by householders who take part in BTO surveys show that the number of House Sparrows using garden feeding stations during winter has dropped by two thirds since the early 1970s. The middle of the last decade saw a particularly sudden drop, which coincided with a large outbreak of disease (trichomonosis) in Greenfinches and Chaffinches. It is, therefore, possible that trichomonosis might also have had an impact on House Sparrows, although formal analyses are yet to be conducted.

Fragile recovery
Since this drop, however, numbers of House Sparrows in gardens have rallied and are now approaching a six-year high. This recovery is fragile and needs support. Gardeners can create a more hospitable environment for House Sparrows by cultivating thick vegetation, cleaning feeding stations regularly and by putting up groups of nest boxes in which House Sparrows can breed. Other top-tips are provided in the BTO House Sparrow factsheet.

English House Sparrows are in particular need of some TLC. Since 1995, when the year-round BTO Garden BirdWatch survey started, declines of House Sparrows in English gardens have been much steeper than those in Scotland or Wales. On average, almost one in four English householders have lost their House Sparrows since 1995, compared with fewer than one in ten householders in both Scotland and Wales. Early indications suggest that House Sparrows are also faring better in gardens in Northern Ireland and Ireland than in England.

Summer is a fantastic time of year to look out for House Sparrows. Territorial males can be heard ‘chirruping' from roof tops as they proclaim their breeding territories, with the main nesting period continuing until August. From June through to early September, numbers of House Sparrows in gardens increase rapidly as fledglings arrive in search of food and shelter.

Tim Harrison, BTO Garden BirdWatch Team, commented: "The decline of the House Sparrow has grabbed the public's attention unlike any other species. Just a few decades ago, children grew up surrounded by this charismatic species. Now, they are likelier to spot a Chaffinch, Collared Dove or Woodpigeon in their garden."

He added: "These green shoots of recovery for House Sparrows in gardens are small and delicate. They need nurturing and the BTO wants to help the public to do this."

For the free BTO House Sparrow Factsheet, email gbw@bto.org, telephone 01842-750050 or write to House Sparrow Factsheet, Garden BirdWatch, British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.