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Sierra Leone ‘pirate’ fishing boats sell catches in EU
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WITH the dawn of full genome sequencing for $1000 or less will come the need to protect our genetic privacy like never before. So warns the US Presidential
Simon Akam/REUTERS
$1000 genome risk
60 Seconds
“A used drinking glass could be obtained and analysed to judge a person’s genetic predisposition to disease”
Downsize disruption
“Quote to go in here over four lines range left like this Quote to go in her like this xxxxx”
Gerald Herbert/AP/Pa
Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, which is calling for a ban on unauthorised sequencing – citing New Scientist’s –The odd seizure won’t stop illegal fishing– 2009 investigation into genome hacking as evidence of a threat (New Scientist, 28 March 2009, p 6). Pirate plunder report highlights South KoreanThe most obvious threat to registered trawlers as an example. ILLEGAL fishing, often by foreign privacy comes from breaches in “The European Commission the security of computer systems boats, is costing the Sierra Leonean has closely followed up presumed economy $30 million a year. What’s illegal fishing activities in Sierra that hold DNA sequence data. more, some of the hauls are being Leone waters,” says Oliver Drewes, But our investigation pointed sold in Europe, claims a UK to another danger: surreptitious spokesman for Maria Damanaki, campaign group. The European sequencing. An item such as a EC fisheries and maritime affairs Union says it is taking action. used drinking glass could be commissioner. He says member The Environmental Justice obtained by a third party, who states have been sent alerts to stop might then employ commercially Foundation (EJF), a non-profit these catches being imported. group based in London, mounted available services to extract DNA a two-year investigation into from the rim and analyse it to First Alpha planet fishing in Sierra Leone’s waters. judge a person’s genetic MEETING the neighbours is Its new report, Pirate Fishing predisposition to disease. normally easier than this. The new report comes down “Boats in Sierra Leonean A planet has been spotted in firmly against such activities, waters were fishing inside Alpha Centauri, the nearest star concluding: “policies should exclusion zones or hiding system to Earth, for the first time. protect individual privacy by their ID markings” Although too close to its parent prohibiting unauthorized whole star to host life, the discovery genome sequencing without the ups the chance of the star system Exposed, highlights 252 sightings consent of the individual from of boats that broke regulations by, also hosting hospitable planets. whom the sample came.” “It is the most followed for example, fishing inside star in the search for planets,” exclusion zones or covering their says Xavier Dumusque of the identification markings. University of Geneva in The EJF photographed 10 of these vessels and later discovered Switzerland. His team detected the planet via the gravitational that nine were accredited to sell wobble it induces in Alpha their catches in the EU. Centauri, a process that took EU regulations aim to combat more than four years (Nature, illegal fishing by requiring that DOI: 10.1038/nature11572). fish imported into Europe have With a scorching surface and a certificate validated by the a “year” of just over three Earth country where the boat that days, the Earth-sized rock is not caught them is registered. our planet’s twin. But planets tend “But many [countries] are not to be loners, so Alpha Centauri unable or unwilling to monitor should have more, some of which and control their fishing fleets,” –Can’t be waved away– says Andy Hickman at the EJF. The should be cooler.
US soft drinks vendors last week sued to block legislation in New York City aimed at combating obesity by banning the sale of larger sodas. A consortium hopes to stop measures to limit servings to 473 millilitres, due to take effect next March. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office says it has defeated similar lawsuits that aimed to stymie anti-smoking legislation.
Seething satellite NASA and its contractor SpaceX have launched an investigation into an engine failure during the latter’s Falcon 9 rocket launch on 7 October. Although a Dragon cargo capsule reached the International Space Station, the engine loss meant a satellite could not be placed in orbit and instead burned up on re-entry.
Oldest choppers If armour-plated fish don’t sound mean enough, try adding some sharp teeth. Extinct fish called placoderms have the oldest teeth known, according to a new analysis of their fossils (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/ nature11555). The finding suggests that teeth appeared early in vertebrate evolution, soon after jaws.
Curious scoop Mars rover Curiosity was unfairly blamed for shedding, it seems. Last week NASA made the rover discard a scoop of Martian soil after presuming that particles of bright material in the sample were probably contaminating debris from the rover itself. A new analysis suggests other bright particles in the area are native to the surface of Mars, so the rover is going in for another dig.
Madagascar crisis Madagascar is home to six of the 25 most endangered primate species, more than any other country, finds a report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. A separate report reveals that 83 per cent of Madagascar’s palm species are also at risk.
20 October 2012 | NewScientist | 5
WITH the dawn of full genome sequencing for $1000 or less will come the need to protect our genetic privacy like never before. So warns the US Presidential
Simon Akam/REUTERS
$1000 genome risk
60 Seconds
“A used drinking glass could be obtained and analysed to judge a person’s genetic predisposition to disease”
Downsize disruption
“Quote to go in here over four lines range left like this Quote to go in her like this xxxxx”
Gerald Herbert/AP/Pa
Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, which is calling for a ban on unauthorised sequencing – citing New Scientist’s –The odd seizure won’t stop illegal fishing– 2009 investigation into genome hacking as evidence of a threat (New Scientist, 28 March 2009, p 6). Pirate plunder report highlights South KoreanThe most obvious threat to registered trawlers as an example. ILLEGAL fishing, often by foreign privacy comes from breaches in “The European Commission the security of computer systems boats, is costing the Sierra Leonean has closely followed up presumed economy $30 million a year. What’s illegal fishing activities in Sierra that hold DNA sequence data. more, some of the hauls are being Leone waters,” says Oliver Drewes, But our investigation pointed sold in Europe, claims a UK to another danger: surreptitious spokesman for Maria Damanaki, campaign group. The European sequencing. An item such as a EC fisheries and maritime affairs Union says it is taking action. used drinking glass could be commissioner. He says member The Environmental Justice obtained by a third party, who states have been sent alerts to stop might then employ commercially Foundation (EJF), a non-profit these catches being imported. group based in London, mounted available services to extract DNA a two-year investigation into from the rim and analyse it to First Alpha planet fishing in Sierra Leone’s waters. judge a person’s genetic MEETING the neighbours is Its new report, Pirate Fishing predisposition to disease. normally easier than this. The new report comes down “Boats in Sierra Leonean A planet has been spotted in firmly against such activities, waters were fishing inside Alpha Centauri, the nearest star concluding: “policies should exclusion zones or hiding system to Earth, for the first time. protect individual privacy by their ID markings” Although too close to its parent prohibiting unauthorized whole star to host life, the discovery genome sequencing without the ups the chance of the star system Exposed, highlights 252 sightings consent of the individual from of boats that broke regulations by, also hosting hospitable planets. whom the sample came.” “It is the most followed for example, fishing inside star in the search for planets,” exclusion zones or covering their says Xavier Dumusque of the identification markings. University of Geneva in The EJF photographed 10 of these vessels and later discovered Switzerland. His team detected the planet via the gravitational that nine were accredited to sell wobble it induces in Alpha their catches in the EU. Centauri, a process that took EU regulations aim to combat more than four years (Nature, illegal fishing by requiring that DOI: 10.1038/nature11572). fish imported into Europe have With a scorching surface and a certificate validated by the a “year” of just over three Earth country where the boat that days, the Earth-sized rock is not caught them is registered. our planet’s twin. But planets tend “But many [countries] are not to be loners, so Alpha Centauri unable or unwilling to monitor should have more, some of which and control their fishing fleets,” –Can’t be waved away– says Andy Hickman at the EJF. The should be cooler.
US soft drinks vendors last week sued to block legislation in New York City aimed at combating obesity by banning the sale of larger sodas. A consortium hopes to stop measures to limit servings to 473 millilitres, due to take effect next March. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office says it has defeated similar lawsuits that aimed to stymie anti-smoking legislation.
Seething satellite NASA and its contractor SpaceX have launched an investigation into an engine failure during the latter’s Falcon 9 rocket launch on 7 October. Although a Dragon cargo capsule reached the International Space Station, the engine loss meant a satellite could not be placed in orbit and instead burned up on re-entry.
Oldest choppers If armour-plated fish don’t sound mean enough, try adding some sharp teeth. Extinct fish called placoderms have the oldest teeth known, according to a new analysis of their fossils (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/ nature11555). The finding suggests that teeth appeared early in vertebrate evolution, soon after jaws.
Curious scoop Mars rover Curiosity was unfairly blamed for shedding, it seems. Last week NASA made the rover discard a scoop of Martian soil after presuming that particles of bright material in the sample were probably contaminating debris from the rover itself. A new analysis suggests other bright particles in the area are native to the surface of Mars, so the rover is going in for another dig.
Madagascar crisis Madagascar is home to six of the 25 most endangered primate species, more than any other country, finds a report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. A separate report reveals that 83 per cent of Madagascar’s palm species are also at risk.
20 October 2012 | NewScientist | 5