MARTIN WALDMAN: A recent study by Greenpeace Canada has rated several brands of tuna sold in the country, and suggests most of them come from destructive fishery practices. Only two brands out of fourteen were given a passing grade, because of the use of certain fishing gear, greater support for local fisheries, and clear labelling for consumers. Clover Leaf, the largest producer of canned seafood in Canada, did not respond to information requests from Greenpeace, and ranked near the bottom of the list.

Tuna stocks are facing a steep decline and the overfishing and harvesting techniques used to catch them also pose a major threat to other marine life. Greenpeace is demanding that supermarket chains and canned fish brands look towards non-destructive fishing practices, and have warned that if tuna sourcing does not change, it may soon be removed from our regular diets. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has reported that global fish consumption hit record levels in recent years, and many stocks are struggling because of continued overfishing. [ index ]

MARTIN WALDMAN: A water conservation expert has resigned from the government panel designed to monitor the environmental effects of Alberta’s oilsands, citing major concerns with the composition of the panel and confidentiality. Helen Ingram of the University of California Irvine, withdrew from the panel in a letter sent to the group on Tuesday. Ingram pointed in particular to the lack of aboriginal representation on the panel, and the fact that there were so few scientists.

The panelists were announced last week and were set to meet for the first time next week. The aim of the group is to develop a credible monitoring system for the environmental impacts of the oilsands, and officials say meetings will go ahead as planned. The Albert government has stated that the panel will be able to connect with aboriginal groups and assess their concerns by engaging with them throughout northeastern Alberta. Members of the panel include a retired former head of TransCanada Corp., an official at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and a former policy adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. [ index ]

MARTIN WALDMAN: Australian mining company BHP Billiton is taking another step towards developing its enormous potash project in Saskatchewan, only months after it failed in a bid to take over Potash Corp of Saskatchewan Inc. According to a statement released Wednesday, the Jansen Lake project has reached the “feasability study stage”, at its location about 140 kilometres east of Saskatoon, and would be the largest Potash mine in the world. BHP also handed in an environmental impact statement for the proposed mine, but it is still unclear whether the company will go ahead with plans for the Jansen mine, as overall costs for the project are still unclear.

According to BHP, if original plans are followed, potash production could begin 2015, with the mine producing up to eight million tons per year. Potash is an essential crop nutrient used in fertilizers across the world. BHP has exploration rights to over 14,500 square kilometres in Saskatchewan, with the province producing 30% of the world’s potash supply. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The kunimasu salmon, which existed only in Japan and was thought to be extinct since 1940, has been re-discovered thanks to some local fisherman and a quirky TV personality. The kunimasu were exclusive to Lake Tazawako, and were thought to be wiped out when the lake was dammed in 1940. That was until some fisherman at nearby Lake Saiko caught an unusual specimen and sent it to a well-known TV personality known as “Mr. Fish” Mr. Fish, a self-taught fish expert known for his labcoat and blowfish hat, contacted scientists at Kyoto University who confirmed that it was the long-lost salmon. The Japanese government has taken the fish off of the extinct species list and is preparing measures to protect its habitat. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The Brazilian government has released aerial photographs of an isolated Amazonian tribe that is believed to have never had contact with the outside world. The photos have been released as part of a publicized effort to protect the tribe from illegal logging that is encroaching on their territory from neighbouring Peru. Brazil and native leaders have been pressuring the Peruvian government to stop illegal, cross-border logging incursions that they fear will destroy the forests that the tribe relies on for hunting and foraging. The stunning photos, which provide a glimpse into a long-forgotten world, can be seen on the web at www.uncontactedtribes.org/brazilphotos. [ index ]

BRYANT BOULIANNE: The European Union has vowed to put an end to wasteful fishing practices that occur under its system of fishing quotas. A recent expose of fishing practices by the UK’s Channel 4 and the Guardian Newspaper revealed that European fisherman were routinely forced to dump up to two-thirds of their catch because of strict quotas. It estimated that as much as 1million tonnes of dead fish were thrown back into the North Sea last year. Members of the “Fish Fight” campaign argue that this amounts to a tremendous waste of food and an unnecessary burden on dwindling fish populations. A growing movement of citizens and grocery chains has put pressure on the EU to reform its regulations and put an end to the wasteful practice. Their efforts culminated in an announcement this week by the EU fisheries commission, which promised to implement reforms to deal with the problem. [ index ]