Fish Update Briefing, Friday, February 2
FISH FINGER AD PULLED OVER SAFETY CONCERNS
BIRDS EYE has withdrawn a TV advert for fish fingers following safety concerns. It showed a man and boy leaping into the sea with a voiceover saying: ‘Captain Birds Eye loves the simple things, like jumping into cold water on a hot day with his grandson.’ But following the death of 14-year-old Cameron Gosling, who died from shock after jumping into the cold water of the River Wear, his family and Durham County Council said the advert was ‘inappropriate’. The council wrote to Birds Eye expressing concern that the ad suggested jumping into cold water on a hot day was safe. The frozen food giant has now agreed to amend the advert, saying it took its responsibilities seriously and was grateful for being made aware of the issue.
FISH \’WITH HANDS\’ COLONY FOUND
AUSTRALIAN scientists have discovered a new colony of one of the world\’s rarest sea creatures – a fish with hands. Known as the red handfish, they were found off the coast of Tasmania by researchers from the University of Tasmania\’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. Up to now, fewer than 40 such fish have been found. They get their name because of their hand like fins and they can be found crawling on the seabed. Scientist Dr Stuart Smith said: ‘Finding this second population is a huge relief as it effectively doubles how many we think are left on the planet.’
GLOBAL OCEAN PANEL LAUNCHED
A NEW international panel to promote a sustainable ocean economy was launched in Davos last week by Norway\’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg. She told the World Forum for Development and the Environment: ‘The ocean has enormous potential for meeting the world\’s resource needs and providing jobs and economic and social development. This can only be triggered through sustainable growth in the marine industries globally.’ Premier Solberg added: ‘We have to take far better care of the oceans than we do today, otherwise, we may risk that they will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.’ The panel will be open to both rich and Third World nations.
NORWAY 2017 SALMON VOLUMES UP
THE volume of salmon in cages at Norwegian fish farms as measured by weight rose by seven per cent year-on-year in 2017, the industry lobby group Seafood Norway has said. However, it added that the figures also showed that the quantity for the final and normally busiest month of December was estimated at 739,000 tonnes of salmon, down from 752,000 tonnes during the previous month. Seafood Norway represents about 500 Norwegian seafood companies, including all of the big names in the business.
