Protection for Aleutian Islands

Science has the news that NOAA has agreed to set aside 950 000 square kilometres in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands as an area protected from bottom trawling. Very welcome - this disgusting fishing practice is wrecking what is left of our oceans.

Jennifer Washburn of the Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, which represents trawlers, says that the new proposal shouldn't harm the industry significantly. "A lot of the active fishing grounds have been active for the past 20 years," she says. "So it seems like if they haven't gone there yet, they're not going to be interested."

Well, there you go then. Environmentalists must take small victories when they can.