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Fishing

Tlingit artist Arthur B. Nelson’s Devil Fish Halibut Hook, 2012, is an impressive example of a contemporary wooden halibut hook designed to be a piece of art rather than a functional example of halibut fishing equipment. The carving depicts raven, frog, octopus, and human spirits.

The Traditional Wooden Halibut Hook That’s Still Snagging Fish Off Alaska

An Indigenous method of catching halibut on the northwest coast of North America mixes expert craftsmanship with spirituality—and the fish are biting

The "headless chicken monster," a.k.a. Enypniastes eximia.

A Rare Sighting of the ‘Headless Chicken Monster’ of the Sea

The strange sea cucumber, spotted in the Southern Ocean, has only been captured on video once before

Cool Finds

The Catch of the Day Is a 10,000-Year-Old Gigantic Deer Skull

Last week, Irish fishermen pulled up the skull and horns of an extinct great elk, which could have 12-foot-wide antlers

The pores visible on the underside of this shark's snout are electrical field-sensitive ampullae of Lorenzini.

New Research

Magnets Help Keep Sharks Out of Fish Traps

Adding cheap magnets to the traps reduced shark and ray bycatch by a third and increased fish hauls by just as much, according to a new study

A fisher from a small-scale fishery in Honduras hooks a yellowtail snapper—a species of fish that may vary its shape depending on where it's sourced.

To Pinpoint the Origin of a Fish, Check Out Its Physique

A new cost-effective tool may help small-scale fisheries simply and accurately determine the origins of a day’s catch.

Trending Today

How the Belize Barrier Reef Beat the Endangered List

An oil drilling moratorium, development restrictions and fishing reform has helped the 200-mile-reef come off Unesco’s endangered world heritage sites list

Readers Discuss Our June 2018 Issue

Feedback from our readers

An Intense Struggle to Catch a Giant West African Tarpon

Famed fisherman and adventurer Andy Coetzee thinks he may have snared a giant barracuda. He hasn’t, but he’s caught another interesting and prized fish

Catching a Giant 30-lb. Perch With a Wooden Reel

Fisherman and adventurer Andy Coetzee is going traditional with his bid to snare a giant perch

Fishing for Perch in Nile Crocodile-Filled Waters

South African fisherman Andy Coetzee has his eyes set on a giant perch—a massive freshwater predator fish indigenous to the waters of Uganda

Bycatch is a major problem in fisheries, resulting in the deaths of countless endangered animals. New dynamic software helps fishermen avoid this harmful phenomenon.

New Research

Smart Software Helps Fishermen Catch the Fish They Want, Not Endangered Species

Like a dynamic weather app for the sea, the program allows fishermen to pinpoint areas of conservation and can be updated daily

This Is How Hard It Is to Catch a 40-lb. Dogtooth With a Reel

Fisherman Andy Coetzee is holding onto his fishing line for dear life, as a monstrous tug threatens to drag him into the ocean

Inside South Africa’s Multi-Million Dollar Seafood Industry

Abalone, a large sea snail native to the Western Cape, is a popular local delicacy. To meet demand, the seafood industry created abalone farms

The lionfish is a maroon-and-white striped creature, but once it’s cleaned, restaurant chefs and home cooks like to grill, bake and fry its firm white flesh.

The Lionfish Have Invaded, But a Ragtag Army of Divers and Chefs Are Fighting Back

Those waging the war against this devastating wave of the venomous species have taken on an ‘eat ‘em to beat ‘em’ approach

“Tattooed Whale, 2016” by Tim Pitsiulak. Screen-print on Arches Cover Black.

Why Scientists Are Starting to Care About Cultures That Talk to Whales

Arctic people have been communicating with cetaceans for centuries. The rest of the world is finally listening in

Atlantic salmon are much more commonly farmed than their Pacific counterparts. After decades of farming, they are fast growing and thought to be fairly resistant to disease. Pictured here are farm-raised Atlantic salmon from Chile.

Why Washington State Is Phasing Out Atlantic Salmon Farming

The move will bring an end to three decades of non-native fish farming in the region

This map shows total fishing activity across the world's oceans as detected by satellite tracking.

New Research

Tracking Fishing Vessels Reveals Industry’s Toll on the Ocean

Satellites and artificial intelligence fill in gaps in global fisheries knowledge

The American eel fishery has historically focused on mature eels (as shown here), which are exported around the world. But these days, there’s more money to be made from juveniles.

The Epic Fight Over the Enigmatic Eel

The slippery fish is at the center of a Canadian national debate about economics, conservation and Indigenous rights

Whether or not fish feel pain has been debated for years. But the balance of evidence says yes. Now the question is, what do we do about it?

It’s Official: Fish Feel Pain

The verdict is in. But will our oceanic friends ever get the same legal protections as land animals?

Trending Today

Toxic Algae Closes Important Maine Shellfish Region

The unprecedented late-season bloom may be linked to warming waters and could be a preview of things to come

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