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https://theconversation.com/fish-species-off-icy-heard-island-bounced-back-when-illegal-fishing-stopped-and-sustainable-fishing-continued-267866>
"In the middle of the Southern Indian Ocean lies a vast underwater volcanic
ridge known as the Kerguelen Plateau. At its centre sits Australia’s most
remote territory: Heard Island and McDonald Islands. These icy outposts about
4,100km southwest of Perth are home to Australia’s only active volcanoes.
These isolated islands are a biodiversity hotspot. Seals and penguins abound on
rocky beaches. Underwater, seabed fish species have evolved antifreeze-like
compounds in their blood to cope with near-freezing temperatures.
Isolation doesn’t mean protection. The discovery of many dead elephant seal
pups on Heard Island suggests highly pathogenic avian influenza may have
arrived. For years, the rich fisheries around these islands were targeted by
illegal fishers hunting for the sought-after Patagonian toothfish.
There is good news. Our new research has found increasing numbers of fish
species and wider distributions around Heard and McDonald Islands. While it’s
difficult to pinpoint the exact drivers of these increases, we believe it’s a
combination of factors: the removal of illegal fishing, changes in fishing
practices to reduce bycatch, a long-established marine reserve, and possibly
climate-driven increases in ocean productivity."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
