Conservationists Set Their Sights on Shipping

Canada already has the legal tools to restrict shipping activity in marine protected areas. These environmentalists think it’s time to start using them more rigorously.

Jul 7, 2021 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

New Viruses Found in Farmed and Wild Salmon

Scientists will now research whether these viruses are passing between farmed and wild fish.

Oct 11, 2019 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Canada Has New Rules Governing Its Marine Protected Areas. Do They Go Far Enough?

Fisheries and Oceans Canada cites public backlash as one of the motivating factors for changing the rules governing marine protected areas.

May 3, 2019 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

Tribes Use Western and Indigenous Science to Prepare for Climate Change

Northwestern tribes and the University of Washington climate group have joined forces to help protect salmon, roots, trees, and other important resources.

Feb 21, 2019 | 1,100 words, about 5 minutes

Is Canada Taking Shortcuts to Hit Its Marine Protection Targets?

The government is counting fisheries closures as protected spaces in order to hit a 2020 target. Many scientists argue this is not meaningful conservation.

Jul 11, 2018 | 1,400 words, about 7 minutes

The Consequences of China’s Booming Demand for Seafood

The country is putting restrictions on its domestic fishing fleet, but its distant water fleet has been growing to compensate.

Jun 28, 2018 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Designing Marine Protected Areas in a Changing Climate

How can vulnerable marine species be protected when climate change is a reality?

Mar 21, 2018 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

Oil Tanker Moratorium Act Not a Moratorium on All Oil Tankers

Despite its name, the new law would still allow many vessels to transport fuel along British Columbia’s coast.

Jan 25, 2018 | 1,100 words, about 5 minutes

New Underwater Sensors to Watch for the Big One

Canada’s west coast is getting a new earthquake early-warning system.

Dec 14, 2017 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

First Nations Test the Political Water with Fish Farm Protests

First Nations’ occupations of fish farms are rooted in a deeper conversation about Indigenous land rights.

Oct 13, 2017 | 1,000 words, about 5 minutes

Proposed Amendment Could Actually Protect Marine Protected Areas

New legislation would give planned MPAs interim protection during the years-long approval process.

Aug 30, 2017 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

Canada’s New Marine (Less) Protected (Than It Could Have Been) Area

A string of concessions to the oil and gas and fishing industries has severely weakened the protective value of Canada’s largest planned marine protected area.

May 9, 2017 | 1,300 words, about 6 minutes

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Was Ignoring Its Own Habitat Protection Guidelines

In 2012, the federal government relaxed rules limiting the degradation of fishing habitat, claiming the requirements were overly burdensome. But research shows they weren’t enforcing the rules in the first place.

Apr 5, 2017 | 900 words, about 4 minutes

Is China’s Hands-Off Approach to Fisheries Producing More Fish?

China’s fishers indiscriminately target predators as well as prey, putting different pressures on the ecosystem.

Feb 23, 2017 | 800 words, about 4 minutes

Political Suppression of Science: Lessons from Canada

Canadian scientists are lending support to worried American peers.

Jan 23, 2017 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

A Cull to Save the Kelp

An innovative project is rehabilitating California’s kelp forests after decades of degradation at the hands of environmental decay and sea urchin predation.

May 5, 2016 | 800 words, about 4 minutes