Almost one-third of adults over the age of 25 have a Vitamin D deficiency, a new study from the University of Melbourne has found. The study involved 11,218 Australians. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 31 per cent, with Australian women being more commonly affected (39 per cent, in contrast with 23 per cent in Australian men, overall). University of Melbourne’s Professor of Medicine, and study author, Professor Peter Ebeling say the findings show that government-supported... ...Read more »

The international Extended Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), which is made up of six nations, has devised a formal plan to help rebuild the global stock of southern bluefin tuna. Southern bluefin tuna fish are found throughout the southern hemisphere mainly in waters between 30 and 50 degrees south but only rarely in the eastern Pacific. The only known breeding area is in the Indian Ocean, south-east of Java, Indonesia. Under the CCSBT’s strategy, Australia’s national... ...Read more »

Australian canned tuna brand Greenseas announced today that it will no longer source tuna caught using Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) after 2015. FADs usually consist of buoys or floats tethered to the ocean floor with concrete blocks. They attract fish for numerous reasons that vary by species. Currently, Greenseas uses FADs in conjunction with purse seine fishing methods. HJ Heinz Company, which owns the Greenseas brand, said it will be working closely with suppliers and other stakeholders to... ...Read more »

Australia’s bluefin tuna industry chiefs are eager to see a higher catch quota permitted for southern blue fin tuna for the 2012 and 2013 fishing seasons. The quota is to be decided on by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) which met today in Sydney, Australia, to discuss future quotas. The commission is made up of delegates from Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan. Southern bluefin tuna fish are found throughout the southern hemisphere mainly in waters... ...Read more »

Aquaculture pioneer Clean Seas Tuna has announced the survival of some of their world-first captive-reared juvenile Southern Bluefin Tuna, beyond the company’s expectations. Some of the young tuna have now lived for more than 150 days, and survived transfer to sea cages at the company’s Arno Bay facility in South Australia. Clean Seas Tuna Managing Director Clifford Ashby said the survival of the young tuna was unlikely, with sea temperatures soon to drop to 11C-12C, but that merely making... ...Read more »

On land, being small and lurking at the bottom of the food chain is usually a far better strategy for species survival than being big, fierce and perched on top, at least when humans are after you. But talk to sharks and anchovies and they’ll tell you a different story, according to a new study of fisheries collapses led by Stanford researchers. Analyzing over 200 scientific assessments of fisheries around the globe, the team found that populations of small fish such as sardines and anchovies... ...Read more »

An overwhelming majority of EU citizens want the fish they buy to come from sources that are sustainable and not overfished, according to an independent poll commissioned by WWF and carried out in 14 EU countries. With 88% of respondents believing it is important that fish products on sale within the European Union come from non-overfished stocks, WWF believes a clear signal is being given to the European Union that ambitious reform of the failing Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is urgently needed.... ...Read more »

Simplot’s tuna brand, John West, has released a new offering in canned tuna – John West No Drain. The new cans contain a significantly smaller amount of liquid than standard canned tuna, meaning the fish can be taken straight out of the tin without draining. The new tuna, available in 130g snack-size varieties, is aimed at the single-serving tuna market – lunches and quick meals. Each can contains skipjack tuna, and is available in springwater, brine or olive oil varieties. All... ...Read more »

Aquaculture specialist Clean Seas Tuna has reported a new milestone in its pioneering Southern Bluefin Tuna research, reporting a succesful transfer of its young tuna into sea cages. After last month’s world-first succesful transfer, the company has followed with a second batch of 60 young tuna fingerlings. A total of 85 juvenile tuna are now living in the company’s sea cages, with Clean Seas reporting that they are feeding extremely well and have grown to around 15cm in length. The company’s... ...Read more »

Coles has announced plans to introduce more certified sustainable seafood options for customers, as well as phasing out sales of several overfished and at-risk species, in an effort to decrease the supermarket’s impact on fish stocks. Coles said it has enlisted the WWF to help it review all Coles fresh seafood and advise where action is needed to ensure fish is sourceed on a sustainable basis. In an agreement signed last week with WWF, Coles has agreed not to stock any seafood without taking... ...Read more »