Fish

There's no cutlery at Die Strandloper fish restaurant: Diners use the mussel shells from the first course to eat the rest of their meal. That sets the tone for the laid-back atmosphere at this beach restaurant, hidden under a tangle of tattered fishing nets perched on driftwood, an hour from Cape Town, in South Africa. Die Strandloper was opened nearly 20 years ago by Zimbabwean Chris Maltby and has became one of the region's best-known seafood restaurants. The dress code is strictly casual -- and preferably barefoot.

Serik Duisenbayv was 17 when he first saw the Aral Sea. "When I was born the sea wasn't in Aralsk, I had only heard about it from my parents and from history books," he told CNN. "When I saw it for the first time I was very sad that people had had to live without the sea for almost 40 years. But now we have hope. Now the sea is only 50km from Aralsk and maybe one day the water will be in the old harbor once again." The shrinking of the Aral Sea has been described as one of the world's most shocking man-made environmental disasters.

CNN National Correspondent Anne McDermott reports on some of the wildly popular items this Christmas season. Q: What's the big item that has surprised retailers this year? MCDERMOTT: One of the big sellers this year is the singing fish, Billy Bass, and his friends. There is now a shark, trout, frog, and even a gopher. All of them sing and move. The fish were originally meant to appeal to outdoorsmen. It looks like a fish that has been stuffed on a plaque, the sort of thing sport fishermen would hang on the wall.

Remote and wild, the windswept island of Newfoundland off Canada's Atlantic Coast offers Viking history, stunning rocky landscapes and warm, welcoming locals. iReporter Margaret Zubert, from Sudbury in the Canadian province of Ontario, recently traveled to Newfoundland as part of a travel quest. "My goal is to visit all the Canadian provinces on the premise that even though I love to travel to other countries, I should also know my own country too. So, after the Newfoundland trip, I only have one more province to go!"

From the Wolf Blitzer Reports staff in Washington: WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Disease, obesity, anemia -- moms-to-be have their hands full with things to worry about. And what they eat can be one of the most crucial. "Diet plays in my opinion an important role during pregnancy," says Dr. David Downing, an OB/GYN at Washington Hospital Center. A draft advisory from the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency warns pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children to limit the intake of certain fish because of their high levels of mercury.

Pacific Bluefin tuna, a fish threatened with extinction, has been successfully bred in captivity for the first time, Japanese researchers say. Researcher Yoshifumi Sawada, of Kinki University, told Reuters: "This is the first time the fish has been taken from egg to egg at the hands of man. "This has enormous potential for not only does this mean we may be able to get Bluefin without depleting limited wild resources, we also may someday be...

Finding Nemo or any of his fishy friends is becoming increasingly hard work on the coral reefs of the South Pacific. The success of the computer animated Disney feature has sparked a global surge in demand for tropical fish that is decimating reef populations, according to Australian media reports. Among the worst hit areas are the waters around the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio reported Tuesday. Dive operators in particular say they have noted a dramatic fall in the number of colorful reef fish in recent months, threatening to deprive the islands of an important ecological and tourism resource.

Superyacht owner Andres Ergas describes the Patagonian coast of Chile as the most wonderful place on the planet, not just for fishing but for hiking, cruising and exploring. He likes nothing more than to gather his friends together and set sail from Puerto Montt in Chile, 650 miles south of the capital Santiago, towards Patagonia. Once there, he flies sorties using one of the two bright red Bell 407 helicopters he keeps aboard his explorer yacht "Atmosphere" to some of the world's most remote spots to explore, and of course, to fish.

To prepare the red wine fish broth If the fishmonger hasnt already done it, remove the gills from the fish heads with scissors. Soak the fish bones and heads in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones and heads and place them in a 4quart pot with the onion, bouquet garni, and red wine. Bring slowly to a simmer and skim off any white foam with a ladle. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean pot and simmer over medium heat until about 1 cup remains, about 30 minutes.

By Environmental News Network staff ;ENN Before discarding that Christmas tree in the trash after the holiday season has run its course, consider putting it to good use for the environment. ; Old trees can be ground into mulch or used as fish shelters in ponds, said Joe Heimlich, a waste management specialist at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. ;Waste management districts, in order to extend the life of landfills, are doing what they can to limit the amount of yard waste, including Christmas trees and other greenery, that goes into landfills, Heimlich said.