Holy Mackerel

 

   It is the last day of March and one measure of my lack of productivity is found in the number "4",  which is the total of my posts for this month -- so far. At least I have been consistent, in that I was also unproductive during those thirty days in areas other than blogging. In order to increase my output and decrease the anger of an audience left with nothing to read, I will look about and see what I can come up with.

   Let's start with fish and begin with mackerel, which will be followed by squid. Never a particularly popular fish, the mackerel were at least plentiful. In the North Atlantic, however, their numbers have plummeted. Last year the Department of Fisheries and Oceans closed the mackerel fishery, and next week the DFO will announce if it will remain closed.

   That the mackerel stock has now reached the "critical zone", is partially caused by one of the factors that led to the collapse of the cod fishery - overfishing. U.S. fishermen, by the way, continue to fish for mackerel, which increases the Maritimers dissatisfaction with the way the DFO handles things. 

  Environmental factors and climate change also affect the migratory paths of fish, who like humans, seek water with the proper temperature. A historical example of this is found in 1816 which is known as the "year without a summer." The eruption of Indonesia's Tambora volcano in 1815 resulted in a global drop in temperature and the bad weather led to food shortages. 1816 is also referred to as the "Mackerel Year" since the fishermen in the Gulf of Maine focussed on them when other species declined, perhaps an aquatic example of the "butterfly effect." 

About Those Squid
   
   I learned about the situation in the North Atlantic from a recent article in the G&M. That reminded me of the squid in the South Atlantic. They are rapidly disappearing and the main problem is industrial fishing. Such overfishing is illustrated in the satellite mage above. You have probably seen such pictures which show the parts of planet earth at night when it is supposed to be dark. Major urban areas show up as illuminated strips where expected, such as along the North Atlantic coastline. It is surprising, however, when bright spots appear in what I imagine as one of the darker places, the South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Argentina. The lighted cities consist of hundreds of boats, many from Asian countries, using very bright lights to attract squid. Perhaps we need to cut back a bit on the calamari. 

The Bonus:

 

   The title of this post was deliberately chosen for marketing purposes since I knew that you were unlikely to be lured by "fish", for example. If you look up the history of "Holy Mackerel" you will learn a great deal and much of it will be more interesting than this post. It appears that in the old days, like the ones now, euphemisms were needed to soften the expressions used. It is better to say, "Holy Mackerel" than "Holy Mary" or "Holy Madonna". Actually, given the current explosion of euphemisms, students may be required to major in Euphemisms rather than English. 

   But, my "Holy Mackerel" comes from a different place, since I am not very religious. I associate it with a radio show from the 1950s and the catchphrase "Holy Mackerel There Andy!" It is a show now vilified, partially because of the appropriation accusation and you can learn more about it by reading the Wikipedia entry for "Amos 'n' Andy" or read the book by Bart Andrews pictured below.

Sources: 

  My wife insists that she sometimes reads this drivel, but she did admit that she never reads "The Bonus" (where I often place the best stuff) or "The Sources", so I will only put a few: 

   "Atlantic Mackerel Numbers Have Collapsed - Can A Moratorium Bring Them Back," Daniel Boyce and Jenn Thornhill Verma, The Globe and Mail, March 26, 2023.

   About the Mount Tabora and mackerel see: "What Can Mackerel and A Volcano Say About Climate Change" Patrick Whittle, AP in the G&M, Jan. 23, 2017

   "Squid in the Spotlight: Unregulated Squid Fisheries Are Headed for Disaster," Greenpeace, March 2022. "Argentine Denounces "Depredation" by Foreign Fishing Fleets," Javier Castro Bugarin, Online News, March 21, 2023.

  For "Holy Mackerel" see: "Why Do People Say "Holy Mackerel?", By Stacy Conradt, Mental Floss, Jan 5, 2012.