SCUBA Jan-Feb 2026 issue 162 | Page 52

News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Herring down, seabass up
Délice de deep wreck
Jersey shore
ENVIRONMENT

Protect Our Seas

News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation

PHOTO: FRENCH MINISTRY OF CULTURE
Jugs with HIS monogram on the seabed

Herring down, seabass up

The Marine Conservation Society has updated its Good Fish Guide, which advises on sustainable fish stocks around the UK. Rating seafood caught, farmed, or sold in UK, the guide gives a‘ traffic light’ rating for each fish or shellfish depending on how and where it was caught or farmed.
In the latest ratings update, increased fishing pressure has seen North Sea herring downgraded from green-rated to an amber score, meaning there are now no green options for herring. By contrast, seabass has seen an improvement in ratings across several regions including the North Sea, English Channel, and Bay of Biscay, where ratings have changed from amber to green.

Délice de deep wreck

The French Navy has stumbled on what is believed to be the nation’ s deepest known wreck, off Saint-Tropez. A navy sonar survey detected an abnormally large feature on the seafloor, which was then followed up with a Remotely Operated Vehicle( ROV). The team subsequently located the site of a well-preserved shipwreck, dubbed‘ Camarat 4’, lying 1.5 miles beneath the
surface. Researchers believe it to be a 16th Century merchant ship that had set sail from northern Italy. Around 200 jugs, 100 plates, six cannon and two cauldrons were recorded among the vessel’ s cargo. Some of the jugs contained the monogram‘ HIS’, the first three letters of the Greek name for Jesus, and were painted with floral and geometric patterns. This led archaeologists to conclude that the ship originated from the Italian region of Liguria.
Herring has come under increased pressure from fisheries
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Jersey shore

A research project has started on Jersey’ s south east coast to help protect the Channel Island’ s wildlife, it has been announced. The coast is part of an internationally recognised wetland known for its mudflats, seagrass beds, rockpools, and boulder reefs, said Société Jersiaise, which is supporting the project.
The initiative, funded by the Channel