By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent
OSLO, June 26 (Reuters) - Thousands of marine animals could be tracked under a $150 million project to understand threats to life in the oceans with technology perfected for supermarket checkouts, scientists said on Monday.
Under the scheme, scientists would implant electronic tags into creatures such as salmon, tuna, sharks, sturgeon, penguins or polar bears to register their movements via acoustic receivers on the floors of the oceans or via satellite.
"Today we know less about our marine life -- how these animals live, where they go -- than we know about the back side of the moon," said Ron O'Dor, head of the Ocean Tracking Network to be set up at Dalhousie University in Canada.
Tagging of marine life is now limited to regional projects. The scheme could give insights into wider ocean migrations and the impacts of overfishing or climate change, helping governments manage dwindling stocks.
Some 35 scientists from around the world will meet in Halifax, Canada, from June 27-30 to launch the network, which is seeking funds to set up listening station arrays in the Arctic, the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Indian oceans and the Mediterranean sea.
The scientists are applying for $32 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to gain tracking technology. That funding is a condition to unlock a total $150 million for the six-year project from other donors around the world.
The implants vary from the size of an almond to an AA battery. When fish pass an array, the implants set off a signal similar to a bar code scanner in a supermarket. Bigger implants can transmit via satellite from creatures that often surface.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Low Fat Fish Ice Cream Anyone?
A deep sea fish is being used to create ice-cream low in fat and calories.
A protein from the blood of the pout fish can lower the temperature at which ice-crystals form, meaning less cream or fat is needed in the final product.
Unilever, the company behind Wall's, Magnum and Carte Dor, has submitted an application to produce the protein using GM technology.
The Food Standards Agency is consulting on whether to allow the technology, which is already approved in the US.
The eel-like pout fish lives at the bottom of the North Atlantic and is able to survive extremely low temperatures, due to a naturally occurring protein in its blood called an ice-structuring protein.
These proteins which can be found in fish, plants and insects protect organisms from tissue damage in very cold conditions by lowering the temperature at which ice crystals grow and by changing the size and shape of the ice crystals.
But rather than extracting the protein from the fish - which Unilever said would be "not sustainable or economically feasible" - the company has developed a way of making the protein in the factory.
The process uses genetically modified yeast to make the protein in large sealed vats.
The genetically modifed yeast is already used in the production of some other foods including cheese.
No genetically modified material would be present in the final product, Unilever stresses in its application to the FSA and the level of the ice-structuring protein in the ice-cream will not account for more than 0.01% of the weight.
Approval
The manufacturing process has already been approved in some other countries including the US where it has been used to make ice-cream which has half the fat and 30% fewer calories than normal.
Low-fat ice-cream could be made using GM technology
An application to use the new technology has been lodged with the Food Standards Agency which is inviting comment.
Unilever said the process had already been approved in the US and other parts of the world.
The FSA said the consultation period was open until 10 July.
"Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be rigorously assessed for safety.
"In the UK, the assessment of novel foods is carried out by an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)."
A protein from the blood of the pout fish can lower the temperature at which ice-crystals form, meaning less cream or fat is needed in the final product.
Unilever, the company behind Wall's, Magnum and Carte Dor, has submitted an application to produce the protein using GM technology.
The Food Standards Agency is consulting on whether to allow the technology, which is already approved in the US.
The eel-like pout fish lives at the bottom of the North Atlantic and is able to survive extremely low temperatures, due to a naturally occurring protein in its blood called an ice-structuring protein.
These proteins which can be found in fish, plants and insects protect organisms from tissue damage in very cold conditions by lowering the temperature at which ice crystals grow and by changing the size and shape of the ice crystals.
But rather than extracting the protein from the fish - which Unilever said would be "not sustainable or economically feasible" - the company has developed a way of making the protein in the factory.
The process uses genetically modified yeast to make the protein in large sealed vats.
The genetically modifed yeast is already used in the production of some other foods including cheese.
No genetically modified material would be present in the final product, Unilever stresses in its application to the FSA and the level of the ice-structuring protein in the ice-cream will not account for more than 0.01% of the weight.
Approval
The manufacturing process has already been approved in some other countries including the US where it has been used to make ice-cream which has half the fat and 30% fewer calories than normal.
Low-fat ice-cream could be made using GM technology
An application to use the new technology has been lodged with the Food Standards Agency which is inviting comment.
Unilever said the process had already been approved in the US and other parts of the world.
The FSA said the consultation period was open until 10 July.
"Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be rigorously assessed for safety.
"In the UK, the assessment of novel foods is carried out by an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP)."
Monday, June 26, 2006
Fish Pick Up Tricks
Carnal Knowledge
Pretending to have a baby to score? Fish do it
By Faye Flam
Knight Ridder Newspapers
For our species and many others, fatherhood is sexy. According to one recent study, women are so attuned to fatherhood potential that they can tell whether a man likes kids by just looking at him. In other species, females won't give you a second glance if you're not already a devoted and prolific father.
For many fish, "being fatherly seems to be a strong signal to the female to mate," says Mark Sabaj, an ichthyologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences.
It poses a big catch-22 if you have to be a father to become a father. How can a guy break in?
In some species, such as sticklebacks, males will steal eggs from other males. In one type of minnow, says Sabaj, a male will oust a rival from his nest, treating most of the other guy's eggs as caviar but leaving behind just enough to fool a female into thinking he's a nice single dad.
Another popular tactic is fakery. This, Sabaj suspects, might explain one weird-looking catfish he's seen in various South American waters. Called a bristlenose pleco, the female looks normal enough but the male sprouts dozens of wormlike tentacles from his head.
Could the tentacles have evolved because females started mistaking them for fish larvae? A similar tactic almost worked for Hugh Grant's character when he borrowed a friend's child to help him score in the 2002 film, "About a Boy."
Other fish display fleshy yellow knobs or spots on their fins that look like eggs. So why not larvae? And the male bristlenose catfish is under pressure to look desirable since he has to be chosen by a female. Males stake out cavities in rocks and wait like eager young girls at a middle-school dance as the females swim by and inspect them. The females look for males tending larvae, or so they think.
Once she makes her choice, a female enters his cavity, lays eggs all over the walls, and leaves. This may not sound like hot sex by our standards, but to them, apparently, this is as good as it gets.
For all his trouble, once the male fertilizes the eggs and becomes a real father, he ends up with all the parenting and housework. "He uses his fins and mouth to clean the eggs and clear the cavity of detritus ... and aerates the clutch by fanning it with his pectoral fins," Sabaj wrote in a scientific paper co-authored with Jonathan Armbruster and Lawrence Page.
While a number of fish species put the parenting burden on the fathers, others dump everything on the mothers, Sabaj says, and in still others, nobody does anything but release sperm and eggs.
Pretending to have a baby to score? Fish do it
By Faye Flam
Knight Ridder Newspapers
For our species and many others, fatherhood is sexy. According to one recent study, women are so attuned to fatherhood potential that they can tell whether a man likes kids by just looking at him. In other species, females won't give you a second glance if you're not already a devoted and prolific father.
For many fish, "being fatherly seems to be a strong signal to the female to mate," says Mark Sabaj, an ichthyologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences.
It poses a big catch-22 if you have to be a father to become a father. How can a guy break in?
In some species, such as sticklebacks, males will steal eggs from other males. In one type of minnow, says Sabaj, a male will oust a rival from his nest, treating most of the other guy's eggs as caviar but leaving behind just enough to fool a female into thinking he's a nice single dad.
Another popular tactic is fakery. This, Sabaj suspects, might explain one weird-looking catfish he's seen in various South American waters. Called a bristlenose pleco, the female looks normal enough but the male sprouts dozens of wormlike tentacles from his head.
Could the tentacles have evolved because females started mistaking them for fish larvae? A similar tactic almost worked for Hugh Grant's character when he borrowed a friend's child to help him score in the 2002 film, "About a Boy."
Other fish display fleshy yellow knobs or spots on their fins that look like eggs. So why not larvae? And the male bristlenose catfish is under pressure to look desirable since he has to be chosen by a female. Males stake out cavities in rocks and wait like eager young girls at a middle-school dance as the females swim by and inspect them. The females look for males tending larvae, or so they think.
Once she makes her choice, a female enters his cavity, lays eggs all over the walls, and leaves. This may not sound like hot sex by our standards, but to them, apparently, this is as good as it gets.
For all his trouble, once the male fertilizes the eggs and becomes a real father, he ends up with all the parenting and housework. "He uses his fins and mouth to clean the eggs and clear the cavity of detritus ... and aerates the clutch by fanning it with his pectoral fins," Sabaj wrote in a scientific paper co-authored with Jonathan Armbruster and Lawrence Page.
While a number of fish species put the parenting burden on the fathers, others dump everything on the mothers, Sabaj says, and in still others, nobody does anything but release sperm and eggs.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Echo Lake - Don't Feed The Ducks!
Feeding animals in a National Park is against regulations but at Echo Lake in Acadia National Park on any give summer day you'll find some dummies tossing potato chips at the ducks, at least until the lifeguards catch them. Here is some reasons not to feed the ducks:
If you feed them, they will come.
If you have ever visited a lake or pond and seen ducks, chances are you have seen people feed them.
Unfortunately this is not a good thing to do. You may think you are doing the ducks a favor by offering them bits of bread, potato chips or other types of food but you are not.
When you feed ducks you are likely giving them food that is not nutritious. While ducks seem to love bread, it is not that nutritious and generally just fills them up.
Feeding ducks also makes them dependent on hand-outs and makes them tame. Ducks are wild birds that should not rely on humans to feed them. They also need to learn how to get their own food.
When ducks become tame and use to humans they may not be able to protect themselves from predators.
Another reason not to feed ducks is because of the waste that is left behind. Duck droppings can contain bacteria that is not healthy for humans. Too much bacteria in the water and on the land where the ducks are attracted to can be detrimental to your health.
Don't forget, in many areas ducks are suppose to migrate to different areas at different times of the year. If you feed ducks you may be delaying their migration.
Ducks are cute little critters that are fun to watch and great to photograph. Most ducks can fend for themselves. If there are ducks in a pond or lake near you that have always seemed to be there chances are someone is taking care of them if they cant take care of themselves.
Go ahead and watch the ducks, but remember, it's not a good idea to feed them.
If you feed them, they will come.
If you have ever visited a lake or pond and seen ducks, chances are you have seen people feed them.
Unfortunately this is not a good thing to do. You may think you are doing the ducks a favor by offering them bits of bread, potato chips or other types of food but you are not.
When you feed ducks you are likely giving them food that is not nutritious. While ducks seem to love bread, it is not that nutritious and generally just fills them up.
Feeding ducks also makes them dependent on hand-outs and makes them tame. Ducks are wild birds that should not rely on humans to feed them. They also need to learn how to get their own food.
When ducks become tame and use to humans they may not be able to protect themselves from predators.
Another reason not to feed ducks is because of the waste that is left behind. Duck droppings can contain bacteria that is not healthy for humans. Too much bacteria in the water and on the land where the ducks are attracted to can be detrimental to your health.
Don't forget, in many areas ducks are suppose to migrate to different areas at different times of the year. If you feed ducks you may be delaying their migration.
Ducks are cute little critters that are fun to watch and great to photograph. Most ducks can fend for themselves. If there are ducks in a pond or lake near you that have always seemed to be there chances are someone is taking care of them if they cant take care of themselves.
Go ahead and watch the ducks, but remember, it's not a good idea to feed them.
Ocean Vortex Death Trap
A MASSIVE ocean vortex discovered off the West Australian coast is acting as a "death trap" by sucking in huge amounts of fish larvae and could affect the surrounding climate.
A team of scientists from The University of Western Australia Murdoch University, CSIRO and three American, French and Spanish research institutions announced the discovery of the vortex after a month-long research voyage in the ocean just west of Rottnest Island.
Led by Dr Anya Waite, a biological oceanographer from UWA, the 10-member team found the vortex – 200km in diameter and 1000m deep – spinning at speeds up to 5kph just off the Rottnest Canyon.
Dr Waite said the vortex, shaped like a giant child's spinning top, was created by current movement down the coast and is one of the largest ever found off of WA.
Visible from space, the vortex is acting as a "death trap" by sucking in fish larvae from closer to the shore, she said.
"It's actually acting as a predator, it's actually taking the fish larvae which need to stick around their natural habitat on the coast, and dragging them off to sea," Dr Waite said.
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She said the climate above the vortex was noticeably different.
"It feels like you're in the tropics," she said.
"It's warm, soft, moist air, with flying fish, it's a very different environment."
It could also potentially affect climate further afield, she said.
"The vortex is moving a large volume of a very warm current out back into cooler waters, so essentially it's taking that heat and moving it away from the coast.
"So essentially that really changes the heat budget of our regional ocean and it's the ocean that determines climate."
Dr Waite said the vortex was unlikely to pose a danger to people sailing or diving in the area but the change was definitely noticeable.
"We were in a 70-metre boat and you could immediately feel the shift in the ship's tract, so you can certainly tell that there's something unusual going on out there," she said.
A team of scientists from The University of Western Australia Murdoch University, CSIRO and three American, French and Spanish research institutions announced the discovery of the vortex after a month-long research voyage in the ocean just west of Rottnest Island.
Led by Dr Anya Waite, a biological oceanographer from UWA, the 10-member team found the vortex – 200km in diameter and 1000m deep – spinning at speeds up to 5kph just off the Rottnest Canyon.
Dr Waite said the vortex, shaped like a giant child's spinning top, was created by current movement down the coast and is one of the largest ever found off of WA.
Visible from space, the vortex is acting as a "death trap" by sucking in fish larvae from closer to the shore, she said.
"It's actually acting as a predator, it's actually taking the fish larvae which need to stick around their natural habitat on the coast, and dragging them off to sea," Dr Waite said.
Advertisement:
She said the climate above the vortex was noticeably different.
"It feels like you're in the tropics," she said.
"It's warm, soft, moist air, with flying fish, it's a very different environment."
It could also potentially affect climate further afield, she said.
"The vortex is moving a large volume of a very warm current out back into cooler waters, so essentially it's taking that heat and moving it away from the coast.
"So essentially that really changes the heat budget of our regional ocean and it's the ocean that determines climate."
Dr Waite said the vortex was unlikely to pose a danger to people sailing or diving in the area but the change was definitely noticeable.
"We were in a 70-metre boat and you could immediately feel the shift in the ship's tract, so you can certainly tell that there's something unusual going on out there," she said.
WHAT is a fish? AU Federal Parliament was to tackle the tricky issue.
Legislation being debated this week would amend quarantine laws to insert a definition of a fish.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Legislation Amendment (Export Control and Quarantine) Bill 2006 was to define a fish as "an aquatic vertebrate or an aquatic invertebrate but not a mammal or a bird".
In other words, prawns and barramundi yes, whales and dolphins no.
A spokesman for Fisheries Minister Eric Abetz said the change was needed because fish had previously not been defined in law.
The definition is not the sole change being made in the legislation.
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It also tightens controls on fish export lines and introduces penalties for people who fail to properly prepare fish for export.
And it provides a legal basis for the Commonwealth to recover quarantine service fees from other government agencies.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Legislation Amendment (Export Control and Quarantine) Bill 2006 was to define a fish as "an aquatic vertebrate or an aquatic invertebrate but not a mammal or a bird".
In other words, prawns and barramundi yes, whales and dolphins no.
A spokesman for Fisheries Minister Eric Abetz said the change was needed because fish had previously not been defined in law.
The definition is not the sole change being made in the legislation.
Advertisement:
It also tightens controls on fish export lines and introduces penalties for people who fail to properly prepare fish for export.
And it provides a legal basis for the Commonwealth to recover quarantine service fees from other government agencies.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Fish & Chips a National Treasure
Fish and chips has been officially recognised as the number one British treasure, according to a poll conducted by the Yellow Pages.
Food and drink came up trumps in the poll, with the treasured British pint of beer and cream tea also making the top 10.
The survey asked 1,000 people what items of national importance they would insure. Routemaster buses, deck chairs and red telephone boxes also all featured.
“All of our treasures have a place in the nation’s collective heart and for that reason they are priceless,” said Richard Duggleby, from publisher Yell.
Big Ben was voted top landmark, followed by Buckingham Palace and Stonehenge.
By Alix Young
Food and drink came up trumps in the poll, with the treasured British pint of beer and cream tea also making the top 10.
The survey asked 1,000 people what items of national importance they would insure. Routemaster buses, deck chairs and red telephone boxes also all featured.
“All of our treasures have a place in the nation’s collective heart and for that reason they are priceless,” said Richard Duggleby, from publisher Yell.
Big Ben was voted top landmark, followed by Buckingham Palace and Stonehenge.
By Alix Young
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Jackass Alert: Idiotic Golfers
Times like this we islanders wish the causeway could be blown up. - ed
According to the Bar Harbor Times and the Police Beat, a pair of jerks taking part in the Paul Bunyan Tournament at Kebo Valley Golf Course thought it would be cool to use the top of Cadillac Mountain as a driving range. Luckily a different kind of range - a Park Ranger, discovered them whacking balls from the summit and cited them for littering. Too bad they didn't arrest them for potentially endangering hiker.
According to the Bar Harbor Times and the Police Beat, a pair of jerks taking part in the Paul Bunyan Tournament at Kebo Valley Golf Course thought it would be cool to use the top of Cadillac Mountain as a driving range. Luckily a different kind of range - a Park Ranger, discovered them whacking balls from the summit and cited them for littering. Too bad they didn't arrest them for potentially endangering hiker.
Squids have sex all day long, for two weeks
Squids are a large, diverse group of marine cephalopods. They begin mating with a circling nuptial dance, revolving around across a 'spawning bed' (200 metres, in diameter). At daybreak, they begin having sex and continue all day long - they only take a break so the female can drive down and deposit eggs.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Family Reunited With Beloved Fish
N.H. family reunited with fish after flood
NASHUA, N.H. - Cats and dogs who wander from home get reunited with their owners all the time. But fish? That‘s what happened when flood waters from the Merrimack River recently swamped the Brand family‘s backyard pond, sweeping away seven of their 11 Koi fish and depositing them on the third fairway of the nearby Nashua Country Club.
The flooding hit Mother‘s Day weekend, when heavy rains pushed the river over its banks and to within inches of the Brands‘ home. The pond wasn‘t so lucky.
But the flooding had left enough water on the golf course to keep the fish alive long enough for David Deane, a city alderman and groundskeeper at the course, to find them.
"I popped them in and they started moving around pretty good. Guess they‘re quite resilient little things," he said.
"I brought them over and they took them in ... we wondered if anyone would ever claim them," she said.
On Tuesday, Brand and his 8-year-old daughter, Ashley, were reunited with their fish.
"It surprised me, too," Eric Brand said. "It looks like they stayed together, though, so maybe that‘s why."
NASHUA, N.H. - Cats and dogs who wander from home get reunited with their owners all the time. But fish? That‘s what happened when flood waters from the Merrimack River recently swamped the Brand family‘s backyard pond, sweeping away seven of their 11 Koi fish and depositing them on the third fairway of the nearby Nashua Country Club.
The flooding hit Mother‘s Day weekend, when heavy rains pushed the river over its banks and to within inches of the Brands‘ home. The pond wasn‘t so lucky.
But the flooding had left enough water on the golf course to keep the fish alive long enough for David Deane, a city alderman and groundskeeper at the course, to find them.
"I popped them in and they started moving around pretty good. Guess they‘re quite resilient little things," he said.
"I brought them over and they took them in ... we wondered if anyone would ever claim them," she said.
On Tuesday, Brand and his 8-year-old daughter, Ashley, were reunited with their fish.
"It surprised me, too," Eric Brand said. "It looks like they stayed together, though, so maybe that‘s why."
Friday, June 09, 2006
Don't Be Alarmed - It's Only Dynamite fishing
JAKARTA (AP): Police investigating a large cache of bombs found in East Java ruled out any link to a terrorist plot, saying Friday that the high-intensity explosives were produced for use by local fishermen.
Authorities discovered 43 bombs in a house in the East Java town of Pasuruan after one accidentally detonated Wednesday, badly wounding the man who assembled the explosives. The man, identified as Jordan, died of his injuries overnight.
Local police chief Ari Subiyanto said Friday the bombs were "purely for fishing," adding that the family for years had been illegally selling the explosives to anglers in the area.
Subiyanto said Jordan's father died in an accidental blast in 1996 and that his sister lost a hand in an explosion six months ago.
Though dynamite fishing is banned in Indonesia, many fishermen use explosives to catch fish off the country's coast, damaging coral reefs and other marine life.
Indonesia has been hit by a series of terrorist attacks in recent years blamed on the al-Qaida-linked militant network Jemaah Islamiyah, and police wanted to make sure Wednesday's find was not part of a plot for more attacks. (**)
Authorities discovered 43 bombs in a house in the East Java town of Pasuruan after one accidentally detonated Wednesday, badly wounding the man who assembled the explosives. The man, identified as Jordan, died of his injuries overnight.
Local police chief Ari Subiyanto said Friday the bombs were "purely for fishing," adding that the family for years had been illegally selling the explosives to anglers in the area.
Subiyanto said Jordan's father died in an accidental blast in 1996 and that his sister lost a hand in an explosion six months ago.
Though dynamite fishing is banned in Indonesia, many fishermen use explosives to catch fish off the country's coast, damaging coral reefs and other marine life.
Indonesia has been hit by a series of terrorist attacks in recent years blamed on the al-Qaida-linked militant network Jemaah Islamiyah, and police wanted to make sure Wednesday's find was not part of a plot for more attacks. (**)
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
You May Have Seen Us At Bass Pro Shops!
Yes, Bass Pro Shops carries about ten Fishboy designs at the moment including "Does This Shirt Make My Bass Look Fat?" and a bunch of our "Indentification" line. Visit the Bass Pro Shops nearest you to see the complete display or shop at Fishboy.com online.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Big Bobber Floating Cooler
Just one of the cool items you might find at Fishboy - The Big Bobber Floating Cooler.
Piranha Bite In Indiana City Lake!
Young fisherman pulls piranha out of City Lake
Posted: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 11:52:12 am EDT
By Nathan Blackford-Warrick Publishing Online
Shaun Seibert holds the Red-Bellied Piranha he caught out of the Boonville City Lake on May 22.
This is a fish story with some teeth to it.
On May 22, 12-year-old Boonville resident Shaun Seibert was fishing with his father in the Boonville City Lake when he got a bite on his line. What he pulled in was more than a small surprise.
“It was really weird. The first thing I saw was its red stomach,” said Seibert. “Everybody was yelling at me to hurry up and get it out of the water before it snapped the line.”
What Seibert had hooked was a Red-Bellied Piranha - yes, a piranha - that is commonly found in the Amazon and its tributaries. The Pygocentrus nattereri can reach up to 12 inches in length, though this one was a little bit smaller.
Seibert, who will be a seventh-grader at Boonville Junior High School this fall, goes fishing at the City Lake fairly regularly. He was using a worm as bait when he caught the piranha.
“I was really, really excited,” he said. “But I was kind of confused, too.”
According to Randy Lang, the fisheries specialist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a fish like a piranha is caught in an Indiana body of water about once every year or two. The fish come from personal aquariums and have been released into public waterways, which is illegal.
“These things show up more often than they should,” said Lang. “People who have fish that outgrow them, they have a kind heart and they want to do something for the fish that they can feel good about. But putting a fish like that into public waters, you run the risk of that fish having an impact that may have long-term consequences.”
In the case of the piranha caught by Seibert, because the fish is a warm-water species, it is probable that it had only been in the lake a short period of time. A piranha could not survive lower temperatures in the lake during a winter in Indiana.
Lang said that although a piranha, or a shoal of piranha, would not have a major negative impact on a lake, there are plenty of species of fish and plants that could do some serious damage to a local ecosystem.
“This piranha might not be a big deal,” said Lang. “But under different circumstances, with a different plant or animal, it is a big deal.”
As for the piranha caught by Seibert, it was kept alive in a bucket for a while before it was taken to the DNR and frozen.
It was later returned to Seibert and his father, who say they plan to try to have the fish preserved and mounted.
“We've caught some big (catfish) and stuff like that,” said Shaun's father, James Seibert. “But we have never caught a piranha.”
Posted: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 11:52:12 am EDT
By Nathan Blackford-Warrick Publishing Online
Shaun Seibert holds the Red-Bellied Piranha he caught out of the Boonville City Lake on May 22.
This is a fish story with some teeth to it.
On May 22, 12-year-old Boonville resident Shaun Seibert was fishing with his father in the Boonville City Lake when he got a bite on his line. What he pulled in was more than a small surprise.
“It was really weird. The first thing I saw was its red stomach,” said Seibert. “Everybody was yelling at me to hurry up and get it out of the water before it snapped the line.”
What Seibert had hooked was a Red-Bellied Piranha - yes, a piranha - that is commonly found in the Amazon and its tributaries. The Pygocentrus nattereri can reach up to 12 inches in length, though this one was a little bit smaller.
Seibert, who will be a seventh-grader at Boonville Junior High School this fall, goes fishing at the City Lake fairly regularly. He was using a worm as bait when he caught the piranha.
“I was really, really excited,” he said. “But I was kind of confused, too.”
According to Randy Lang, the fisheries specialist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a fish like a piranha is caught in an Indiana body of water about once every year or two. The fish come from personal aquariums and have been released into public waterways, which is illegal.
“These things show up more often than they should,” said Lang. “People who have fish that outgrow them, they have a kind heart and they want to do something for the fish that they can feel good about. But putting a fish like that into public waters, you run the risk of that fish having an impact that may have long-term consequences.”
In the case of the piranha caught by Seibert, because the fish is a warm-water species, it is probable that it had only been in the lake a short period of time. A piranha could not survive lower temperatures in the lake during a winter in Indiana.
Lang said that although a piranha, or a shoal of piranha, would not have a major negative impact on a lake, there are plenty of species of fish and plants that could do some serious damage to a local ecosystem.
“This piranha might not be a big deal,” said Lang. “But under different circumstances, with a different plant or animal, it is a big deal.”
As for the piranha caught by Seibert, it was kept alive in a bucket for a while before it was taken to the DNR and frozen.
It was later returned to Seibert and his father, who say they plan to try to have the fish preserved and mounted.
“We've caught some big (catfish) and stuff like that,” said Shaun's father, James Seibert. “But we have never caught a piranha.”
Aussie Floating Metal Fish In Demand
Hot demand for metal fish as Games fervour lingers
Corrie Perkin
June 02, 2006
IN a disused storage shed at Melbourne's Docklands yesterday, two of the most popular symbols of the Commonwealth Games came face to face.
Melbourne Lord Mayor John So, the leading man of the closing ceremony in March, had an announcement to make about the future of the metal fish that floated in the Yarra River for the duration of the Games and inexplicably captured the public's imagination.
Why all the fuss over a few pieces of scrap metal? "It's always unpredictable what Australians find amusing," said East Gippsland Shire Mayor Jane Rowe, who was on hand to hear that her community was to receive four of the fish.
Fish fever started during the euphoric post-Games week when Premier Steve Bracks, so swept up by the public's support for the fish sculptures, declared any council that might be interested could have one.
In the weeks that followed, 44 councils expressed interest in acquiring one of the 72 fish. Games Minister Justin Madden said yesterday 33 had been successful. "Many councils were angling for the fish and everyone has netted themselves a prize catch," he said,
"More than 100,000 people lined the banks of the Yarra to see the sculptures during the Games. We're thrilled thousands more will be able to see them in their new homes."
The sculptures, made from perforated and galvanised metal sheets, corrugated iron and recycled plastic, were never intended to have a life after the Games. It took seven months to assemble them and involved 35 artists and designers. Once each fish was connected, the total work was 800m long.
Each sculpture depicted one native fish from each of the participating 71 countries. As the structure required an even number, Australia was given two short-finned eels.
The common carp (Wales), a spinner dolphin (Niue), a white-tip reef shark (Solomon Islands) and a sea bass (Jersey) are destined for East Gippsland. "They were lovely to look at along the Yarra and they captured the imaginations of the people. And now they can continue that in East Gippsland," Ms Rowe said. Here's the catch. It would cost about $10,000 to transport each fish and prepare it for its new home. "But the communities were very definite they wanted a fish, and so we've listened."
Maribyrnong Council, meanwhile, was successful in its bid for the islish fish, a native to Bangladesh. A council representative said residents were keen to acquire this fish because during the Games, Bangladesh was Maribyrnong's adopted country.
The islish is destined for one of the walls at the community's new $18 million acquatic centre, opening on June 25. "We don't know what the condition of the fish is yet, but we understand some of them are a little bit banged up," the spokesman said.
Homes for the fish include an environment centre, a Puffing Billy train station, the beach at Rosebud and the Harold Holt Swimming Pool in Malvern, in the city's southeast.
Corrie Perkin
June 02, 2006
IN a disused storage shed at Melbourne's Docklands yesterday, two of the most popular symbols of the Commonwealth Games came face to face.
Melbourne Lord Mayor John So, the leading man of the closing ceremony in March, had an announcement to make about the future of the metal fish that floated in the Yarra River for the duration of the Games and inexplicably captured the public's imagination.
Why all the fuss over a few pieces of scrap metal? "It's always unpredictable what Australians find amusing," said East Gippsland Shire Mayor Jane Rowe, who was on hand to hear that her community was to receive four of the fish.
Fish fever started during the euphoric post-Games week when Premier Steve Bracks, so swept up by the public's support for the fish sculptures, declared any council that might be interested could have one.
In the weeks that followed, 44 councils expressed interest in acquiring one of the 72 fish. Games Minister Justin Madden said yesterday 33 had been successful. "Many councils were angling for the fish and everyone has netted themselves a prize catch," he said,
"More than 100,000 people lined the banks of the Yarra to see the sculptures during the Games. We're thrilled thousands more will be able to see them in their new homes."
The sculptures, made from perforated and galvanised metal sheets, corrugated iron and recycled plastic, were never intended to have a life after the Games. It took seven months to assemble them and involved 35 artists and designers. Once each fish was connected, the total work was 800m long.
Each sculpture depicted one native fish from each of the participating 71 countries. As the structure required an even number, Australia was given two short-finned eels.
The common carp (Wales), a spinner dolphin (Niue), a white-tip reef shark (Solomon Islands) and a sea bass (Jersey) are destined for East Gippsland. "They were lovely to look at along the Yarra and they captured the imaginations of the people. And now they can continue that in East Gippsland," Ms Rowe said. Here's the catch. It would cost about $10,000 to transport each fish and prepare it for its new home. "But the communities were very definite they wanted a fish, and so we've listened."
Maribyrnong Council, meanwhile, was successful in its bid for the islish fish, a native to Bangladesh. A council representative said residents were keen to acquire this fish because during the Games, Bangladesh was Maribyrnong's adopted country.
The islish is destined for one of the walls at the community's new $18 million acquatic centre, opening on June 25. "We don't know what the condition of the fish is yet, but we understand some of them are a little bit banged up," the spokesman said.
Homes for the fish include an environment centre, a Puffing Billy train station, the beach at Rosebud and the Harold Holt Swimming Pool in Malvern, in the city's southeast.
New Info On Electric Fish
ITHACA, N.Y., June 1 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say some electric fish in Africa might be living examples of a species diverging into separate species.
Cornell University researchers say the fish look alike and have the same genetic makeup, but have very different electrical signals and will only mate with fish that produce the same signals. The Cornell neurobiologists say they believe the different electrical signals are the fishes' first step in diverging into separate species.
"We think we are seeing evolution in action," said Matt Arnegard, a neurobiology postdoctoral researcher.
The electric fish -- known as mormyrids -- emit weak electric fields to sense their surroundings and communicate with other fish. Each species of mormyrid produces a characteristic electric impulse.
While the fish may be able to understand other species' impulses, said Arnegard, "They seem to only choose to mate with other fish having the same signature waveform as their own."
However, when researchers were about to publish descriptions of two separate species, Arnegard decided to take a genetic look at those particular fish -- and he couldn't find any differences in their DNA sequences.
The study appears in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Cornell University researchers say the fish look alike and have the same genetic makeup, but have very different electrical signals and will only mate with fish that produce the same signals. The Cornell neurobiologists say they believe the different electrical signals are the fishes' first step in diverging into separate species.
"We think we are seeing evolution in action," said Matt Arnegard, a neurobiology postdoctoral researcher.
The electric fish -- known as mormyrids -- emit weak electric fields to sense their surroundings and communicate with other fish. Each species of mormyrid produces a characteristic electric impulse.
While the fish may be able to understand other species' impulses, said Arnegard, "They seem to only choose to mate with other fish having the same signature waveform as their own."
However, when researchers were about to publish descriptions of two separate species, Arnegard decided to take a genetic look at those particular fish -- and he couldn't find any differences in their DNA sequences.
The study appears in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Rocket Fishing Rod
Have you seen this thing? Its like a combination of the pocket fisherman and a nerf missile launcher. Made for kids this infomercial, as seen on tv novelity product claims to make fishing safer for kids (and the adults who get wacked by the rod) by launching the lure into the air via an air pumped "rocket" launcher. Pump up the rod like and air rifle, release the safety, aim and fire! The payload includes a bobber that opens on impact and delivers the lure.
http://www.rocketfishingrod.com/
Has anyone tried it?
http://www.rocketfishingrod.com/
Has anyone tried it?
Review: Fishboy.com
ADD YOUR OWN REVIEW AT EPINIONS: http://www.epinions.com/content_220177993348
As the entire customer service department at Fishboy Art and Design I'd like to share some unique insight into the fishy world of Fishboy and share some of the comments we've received about our products and service.
First things first, what is Fishboy?
Fishboy is a company that markets sportswear based on the designs of artist Paul Ocepek. It sells its designs all over the country through a network of retailers who carry the Fishboy line through Lakeshirts and Fishboy sells direct to its customers via its web site. Fishboy has been around for about eight years and has grown its offerings to nearly 100 products including t-shirts, hats, decals and gift items.
How do I describe Fishboy? Well, its sort of like Big Dogs only for fish Like Big Dog they have funny graphic tees and other sportswear that appeals to fishermen and hunters. They also have a selection of cool fish related products like coffee mugs, fish shaped fishing pliers, fish shaped wine openers etc.
Fishboy has about 70 different t-shirt designs and the selection rotates as new designs replace the old ones. Some of the most popular designs include "dumbass", "fish control my brain" and the identification line which covers everything from sharks to turkey to white tail deer to sucker fish.
You might have seen Fishboy stuff while on vacation in Florida, Maine and Hawaii but no where else can you find the same selection of Fishboy products then the Fishboy web site. In the market for a gift for your fishing or hunting friend? Fishboy is the place to go.
So what feedback do we get about the Fishboy experience? I'd say its overwelmingly positive. Yahoo+ gives us their top ranking for overall customer satisfaction. People seem to delight in discovering our brand of funny fishing and hunting clothing. Once in a while we screw up an order or run out of something but the customer satisfaction department (me) makes sure we turn it around into a positive experience. Exceed expections is the goal.
Here is what some of our most recent (last five customers who left feedback) customer's have been saying:
"Best store I have been to on internet in a long long time! They have wonderful merchandise, I have already been back once, will be back again!"
"FISHBOY is a wonderful company. i have ordered products (mostly silkscreened t-shirts) from them around 6 times. i have always received shipment promptly and in excellent condition. customer service emails have been answered quickly, too. their products are top-notch, creative and unique. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!"
"An extremely delightful product. My item was loved by the person who received it as a gift. A definite hit! Put in more of your heavy cards with orders.. mine was fought after by four people :-)"
"The t-shirts arrived quickly and the people they went to loved them. They were going out of the country to Labrador and Newfoundland, and the men that wore them were offered twice and three times their cost for the shirts."
"Wow, wow, wow!!! The artwork is superb, and the quality of the materials are great as well. For anyone with fishermen (or women) who have a sense of humor will most definitely appreciate Fishboy! There are also great items featuring other outdoors sports, and also some fun kids items. The items arrived quickly, and the customer service was great. I had a question about another item and received an email response the same day! Thank you! I know Ill be back!"
Shipping
We ship out about 2 pm everyday. Any order that comes in before that time is shipped out the same day. We ship via U.S.P.S Priority Mail which has proven to be very reliable and very fast. We often surprise our customers with the quickness of delivery even though we are shipping from an Island off the coast of Maine. Donna at the post office is a big help.
We charge a flat fee of $4.95 for shipping so on big orders we end up picking up the rest of the postage. A lot of people would love to see us offer free postage (who wouldn't) but this keeps us from filling a lot of small orders on which we would make no money.
Fishboy can be found on the web at: www.fishboy.com
+To date we have received 589 customer ratings via Yahoo. 470 gave us excellent, 96 good, 17 ok, 4 bad and 2 awful.
As the entire customer service department at Fishboy Art and Design I'd like to share some unique insight into the fishy world of Fishboy and share some of the comments we've received about our products and service.
First things first, what is Fishboy?
Fishboy is a company that markets sportswear based on the designs of artist Paul Ocepek. It sells its designs all over the country through a network of retailers who carry the Fishboy line through Lakeshirts and Fishboy sells direct to its customers via its web site. Fishboy has been around for about eight years and has grown its offerings to nearly 100 products including t-shirts, hats, decals and gift items.
How do I describe Fishboy? Well, its sort of like Big Dogs only for fish Like Big Dog they have funny graphic tees and other sportswear that appeals to fishermen and hunters. They also have a selection of cool fish related products like coffee mugs, fish shaped fishing pliers, fish shaped wine openers etc.
Fishboy has about 70 different t-shirt designs and the selection rotates as new designs replace the old ones. Some of the most popular designs include "dumbass", "fish control my brain" and the identification line which covers everything from sharks to turkey to white tail deer to sucker fish.
You might have seen Fishboy stuff while on vacation in Florida, Maine and Hawaii but no where else can you find the same selection of Fishboy products then the Fishboy web site. In the market for a gift for your fishing or hunting friend? Fishboy is the place to go.
So what feedback do we get about the Fishboy experience? I'd say its overwelmingly positive. Yahoo+ gives us their top ranking for overall customer satisfaction. People seem to delight in discovering our brand of funny fishing and hunting clothing. Once in a while we screw up an order or run out of something but the customer satisfaction department (me) makes sure we turn it around into a positive experience. Exceed expections is the goal.
Here is what some of our most recent (last five customers who left feedback) customer's have been saying:
"Best store I have been to on internet in a long long time! They have wonderful merchandise, I have already been back once, will be back again!"
"FISHBOY is a wonderful company. i have ordered products (mostly silkscreened t-shirts) from them around 6 times. i have always received shipment promptly and in excellent condition. customer service emails have been answered quickly, too. their products are top-notch, creative and unique. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!"
"An extremely delightful product. My item was loved by the person who received it as a gift. A definite hit! Put in more of your heavy cards with orders.. mine was fought after by four people :-)"
"The t-shirts arrived quickly and the people they went to loved them. They were going out of the country to Labrador and Newfoundland, and the men that wore them were offered twice and three times their cost for the shirts."
"Wow, wow, wow!!! The artwork is superb, and the quality of the materials are great as well. For anyone with fishermen (or women) who have a sense of humor will most definitely appreciate Fishboy! There are also great items featuring other outdoors sports, and also some fun kids items. The items arrived quickly, and the customer service was great. I had a question about another item and received an email response the same day! Thank you! I know Ill be back!"
Shipping
We ship out about 2 pm everyday. Any order that comes in before that time is shipped out the same day. We ship via U.S.P.S Priority Mail which has proven to be very reliable and very fast. We often surprise our customers with the quickness of delivery even though we are shipping from an Island off the coast of Maine. Donna at the post office is a big help.
We charge a flat fee of $4.95 for shipping so on big orders we end up picking up the rest of the postage. A lot of people would love to see us offer free postage (who wouldn't) but this keeps us from filling a lot of small orders on which we would make no money.
Fishboy can be found on the web at: www.fishboy.com
+To date we have received 589 customer ratings via Yahoo. 470 gave us excellent, 96 good, 17 ok, 4 bad and 2 awful.
Read And Write Reviews of Fishboy
We've posted our own admittedly bias review of Fishboy on Epinions:
http://www.epinions.com/pr-Online_Stores_Services-FISHBOY/display_~reviews
We are hoping to get you, our Fishboy customers to write your own reviews. Not only do you get to tell others about your expriences with Fishboy but you get paid to do it! Epinions pays you for your opinions. Check it out.
http://www.epinions.com/pr-Online_Stores_Services-FISHBOY/display_~reviews
We are hoping to get you, our Fishboy customers to write your own reviews. Not only do you get to tell others about your expriences with Fishboy but you get paid to do it! Epinions pays you for your opinions. Check it out.
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