fish

We Spaniards are changing fishmongers for fish on a platter. And it is costing us very expensive

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When your grandparents wanted to buy fish, they might have found more or less variety, but they had it easy: they went to the market or the fishmonger, asked questions, chose, paid and returned home with the purchase. Today things are somewhat more complicated. Or not. with consumption in low hours and food spending increasingly concentrated In supermarkets (to the detriment of neighborhood stores), it is increasingly common that instead of buying salmon, sea bream or any other fish on a counter, we take it from a refrigerator, already scaled, filleted and served on trays. The question is… Does that make it more expensive for us? What has happened? that the OCU just responded to a question that you may have asked yourself more than once if you usually consume packaged fish from the supermarket: Are you paying a premium? Would that filleted fish be cheaper if you bought it in the fishmonger’s section instead of on a tray? It is an interesting question if we take into account that Mercadona, the chain with higher market share of the country and agglutinator of more than 30% of the food distribution business in some parts of Spain, has decided retire their fish counters and bet on the sale of this product already prepared, packaged and arranged on trays. What has the OCU found out? In general terms, it is (indeed) likely that you are spending more money by taking home already packaged merchandise instead of buying it at the supermarket fishmonger. After carrying out a study in a dozen chains throughout April, the OCU concluded that “fresh fish sold packaged is up to 30% more expensive than that purchased at the fishmonger if they are small varieties, already cleaned and filleted.” That last nuance is important because the organization’s technicians verified that the percentage goes up or down depending on the type of product we are talking about. In some cases the extra cost of packaged fish compared to that sold over the counter shoots up to 45%. In others it narrows so much that it is almost imperceptible. “The answer is not as simple as it seems: in some cases, especially for smaller or portioned fish, we do pay a lot more to buy clean fish on a tray, but in others, for larger ones, there is almost no difference,” details the OCU. Can it go further? Yes. To begin, it is useful to know how your study was carried out. As recognizes the OCU itselfthe analysis is not as simple as writing down the cost (euros per kilo) of each product and then comparing. There are chains that only sell certain varieties of fish through a single channel (counter or trays). As if that didn’t complicate things enough, there is another key handicap: trays of filleted and packaged fish usually offer 100% edible product; That is, without bones, heads or any other disposable part, something that can happen with whole pieces from the fish market. And how did they calculate it? How can we compare the prices of trays of already cleaned fish with those we see in fishmongers, which usually show the cost €/kg of whole pieces? To solve it, the OCU was based on estimates from the Spanish Nutrition Foundation that they conclude that the edible part of the fish usually represents more or less between 55 and 67%, depending on whether we are talking, for example, about sea bream or sea bass. As for the chains, the OCU set in Ahorramás, Alcampo, Aldi, BM, Carrefour, Dia, Hipercor, La Despensa, Lidl and Mercadona. If we talk about gender, the analysis focused on four species frequently consumed in homes: sea bream, sea bass, hake and salmon. For referencethroughout the year between October 2024 and November 2025, we Spaniards consume 0.56 kg of sea bream, 0.55 of sea bass, 1.44 of salmon and 1.54 of hake. Do those details matter? Yes. Because thanks to them we can better understand how the gap between the price of fish on the counter and on a tray widens or narrows depending on the product we are talking about. The clearest cases are represented sea ​​bream and sea bass. In the first case (gilthead) the OCU calculates that merchandise sold packaged is on average 27% more expensive. And at the counter we also pay for the amount of merchandise that is wasted after weighing the complete piece. In some supermarkets that percentage even shot up to 47%. The case of the sea bass is even more egregious. The surcharge detected in filleted products served on trays is 45%. Is it always like this? Things change considerably when we talk about hake and salome. If we want some slices or loins, there are no big differences depending on whether we ask the fishmonger at the counter or go to the supermarket refrigerator to buy them in trays. A hake cut and prepared on the counter came out in April for €17-25/kgwhile on a tray it was charged at €18-25/kg. The salmon slices or loins also cost practically the same (€20-23/kg) both in the fishmonger and in boats. What is the conclusion? “The conclusion is clear: in small fish, the greater the handling, the more expensive the fish on a tray becomes compared to selling on the counter. In preparations with less handling, the premium is much lower, if not residual,” ditch the organization. In short: there is a premium, although it is not always nor is it equally forceful in all cases. It depends on the type of fish and also the level of preparation we want. “In small and filleted fish, convenience does pay.” Better one or the other? The OCU admits that the trays have “pros and cons” for both consumers and supermarkets. Among the first, the most obvious is speed and comfort. One of its biggest drawbacks is the loss of the figure of the fishmonger, crucial for advising the client, and the generation of waste. The organization also warns … Read more

Argentina and Taiwan have hundreds of Chinese fishing boats in front of them. And no one has cast their nets into the sea to fish

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In January 2026, a NASA satellite captured off the Argentine coast a strange image: a huge luminous spot floating in the middle of the South Atlantic, so bright that it looked like a city that had suddenly appeared on the ocean. From the ground nothing could be seen, but from space, however, it was impossible to ignore it. The new floating wall. Last February we count what was seen through satellites, and since then it has not stopped repeating itself. For years, the world assumed that Chinese fishing boats were just that: boats dedicated to fishing. In 2026 that perception is changing rapidly. From the South China Sea to the South Atlantic, different governments are observing the same phenomenon: enormous chinese civil fleets remaining for weeks in strategic areas without clear fishing activity. To be more exact, Argentina and Taiwan, separated by half a planet, now face a surprisingly similar situation: hundreds of Chinese vessels off their coasts whose function seems to go far beyond catching fish. What is disturbing is not only their presence, but the growing suspicion that Beijing is using apparently civilian ships like tools permanent geopolitical pressure and maritime surveillance. Get paid to occupy the sea. I counted last April the ABC chain that investigations into the so-called Chinese “maritime militia” have shown the extent to which Beijing has professionalized this strategy. In the South China Sea, many ships receive state subsidies simply by staying in certain disputed areas. The crews spend entire days at anchor, with hardly any fishing activity, while they help consolidate the Chinese presence around reefs, maritime routes or foreign military exercises such as Balikatan. For Western analysts, the goal is clear: physically saturate the sea with civilian vessels to intimidate rivals without the need to directly deploy traditional military units. Taiwan discovers that anyone can be a problem. The pressure on Taiwan has made this tactic much more visible. This same month of May, Taipei expelled to the Chinese scientific vessel Tongji after detecting suspicious operations near the island. Officially he was carrying out oceanographic studies, but Taiwanese authorities suspect that collected strategic information on the seabed and nearby waters. The incident reflected the great problem what Taiwan faces: It is already difficult to distinguish between civil ships, scientific ships, coast guard ships or military support platforms. That is why the island has even begun to adapt its coast guard patrol vessels to carry anti-ship missiles and act as part of national defense in the event of conflict. Argentina sees the same pattern. Also in May, Reuters reported an extensive report. Thousands of kilometers from Asia, Argentina has been observing another enormous concentration of Chinese ships in front of its waters for years. Every season, about 200 fishing boats illuminate the South Atlantic during squid fishing, forming a gigantic floating city visible from space. Although they officially carry out legal fishing activity outside the Argentine EEZ, Washington and part of the Argentine defense apparatus suspect that many of these vessels could be gathering intelligencemapping the seabed or measuring local surveillance capacity. The context makes the issue especially sensitive for a reason: the area is close to the Strait of Magellan and the access to Antarctica, two strategic areas of enormous geopolitical value. Master the sea without shooting. For its part, China denies that there is any military use of these fleets and maintains that their ships act according to the law international. However, it is becoming evident to many countries that Beijing has found a very effective way to expand its maritime influence without resorting to open war. In other words, the real change does not seem to be in the Chinese destroyers or aircraft carriers, but in the ability to bind a huge number of civilian ships in the ocean until the border between fishing, surveillance or strategic intimidation becomes unrecognizable. Meanwhile, Argentina and Taiwan are already seeing the same reality: one where there are hundreds of Chinese boats off its coast, and with each passing day it seems more strange that everyone has gone there so as not to cast their fishing nets. Image | CSIS/AMTI/Vantor In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: China has concentrated thousands of fishing boats off Japan In Xataka | China’s best weapon doesn’t fire a single bullet: 300km ‘moving wall’ to close sea routes instantly

Fish has been in a deep crisis in Spain for years. Mercadona believes it has the formula for that to change

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He video It is from October 2024, but it could have easily been recorded yesterday, today or even tomorrow. In a piece lasting just under a minute, Jana Quiles, tiktokerrecounts his disastrous time at a fishmonger: “I just wanted a piece of fish for dinner and, because I didn’t know what to order, I ended up buying 25 euros worth of hake.” Your case is interesting because it connects with a phenomenon shared by many other young people on networks and that is reflected in the statistics from the Government: Spanish households buy less and less fish. Mercadona has taken note and has decided to step on the accelerator in a bet that it’s been a while implementing: the move from the fishmonger to the trays. What has happened? That Mercadona wants a “new fish sales model” in its stores. The chain itself announced it in a statement posted on its website, a note that, beyond its corporate tone, stands out for two things. The first, the message. The company advances its intention to complete the transformation of its sections, betting 100% on the packaged product. “We transfer all products to trays, guaranteeing quality and freshness.” The second thing that draws attention is the images. Mercadona’s statement only shows photos of fish already packaged, labeled and arranged in open refrigerators. Not a counter. Not even a stand with fresh goods and fishmongers to consult about the goods or a special cut. Nothing, in short, that can lead to experiences like the one that Jana Quiles lived in her day. @janaquiles This happens to me as a beginner 😂🐟 ♬ original sound – Jana Quiles Is it something new? In a way. Although Mercadona seems determined to complete its “reengineering” of fish, in reality the change comes from behind. Does more than a year There was already talk of the chain’s desire to find a more efficient model for the section, betting on the consumption of clean merchandise arranged on trays. The idea, how it progressed TOB.C. in January 2025: greater offer in packaging, with items ready for consumption, and much less assisted sales, moving away from the model that prevails in traditional markets. From the traditional image of customers browsing the hake, turbot and mussels displayed on ice, with the fishmonger on the other side of the counter, we move to a more functional one in which there is only the customer and the tray. Why this change? Mercadona argues who wants to “adapt” to how we consume in our homes and defends the benefits of the new model: “The key is to reduce as much as possible the time that passes from when the fish comes out of the water until you consume it.” To older claims that the trays allow it to reduce waiting times in stores, offer an “assortment adapted to real consumption” and work with merchandise “clean and ready for consumption.” In short, selling merchandise made almost to measure for a clientele that has lost the habit of buying fish and no longer has the vocabulary and the keys to ordering fresh goods. Again the case by Jana Quiles is paradigmatic. His experience with hake is not something isolated, it connects with an entire generation that has not acquired the habit of going to traditional fishmongers. That’s all? No. To these advantages are added others that Mercadona does not cite and directly affect its production costs, logistics and even the management of spaces in the store. In January the company already made it clear In any case, the change in model would not imply dispensing with employees, they would simply be assigned new roles. “The entire fishmonger’s team continues to be part of Mercadona. Their work adapts to other needs in the store.” Does it only affect fish? No. The focus may now be on fish, but it is only part of a much larger Mercadona strategy that connects with two of its main bets. One is food ready for consumption. For years, the chain has aspired to be more than just the place where you buy products to fill your refrigerator and pantry; It seeks to be directly the space in which you feed yourself. The clearest reflection of this slogan is the section “Ready to eat”but the commitment to trays of fish that are clean, cut, filleted and practically ready to put in the oven goes in that same direction. And the other bet? The ‘Store 9’the new local format that the Valencian chain wants to bet on. Your goal is optimize processes and improve efficiency, but in practice that translates into moving even further away from traditional counters and moving towards already packaged merchandise. Interaction with staff during purchases is reduced to a minimum. No chats with butchers, fishmongers or fruit sellers, like in traditional supermarkets. Speed, efficiency, and functionality prevail, which in turn leads to handling and packaging tasks being removed from public areas. Is this just about Mercadona? Not at all. Roig’s chain has managed to gain a considerable market share in Spain, close to 30% in terms of value, so their decisions affect thousands and thousands of families. However, the changes in fish consumption go further and partly connect with the Quiles video that we mentioned at the beginning of the article. We Spaniards buy less and less fish. The official data of the Government show that per capita consumption of fish (both fresh and frozen) in homes has been plummeting for years. And it doesn’t get better. He latest reportfrom November, shows interannual falls of between 4 and 5.5%. With its latest movements, Mercadona seeks to position itself in the part of the business that performs best. While Fedepesca talks about the closure of thousands of fishmongers Since 2007, there are businesses in the sector more focused on the sale of ready-to-buy merchandise, online orders and home delivery that they keep growing. Fish consumption itself is leaving homes to focus at leisure. Now Mercadona aspires to carve out … Read more

Migratory fish populations have plummeted 81% since 1970

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Large animal migrations usually evoke wildebeest images crossing the African savanna or flocks of birds crossing the continental skies. However, beneath the surface of our rivers and lakes lies an epic journey that is about to disappear. Here the UN itself pointed out that the populations of migratory fish of freshwater have fallen by 81% in the last half century. An abyss of data. Data published by the UN with support from WWF and Wetlands they point to a major collapse of the fish population. And to understand the magnitude of the problem, the researchers analyzed 1,864 populations of 284 species of migratory fish between 1970 and 2020. Here the overall result was the loss of that 81% of biomass with a panorama that changes depending on where we look. This is why Latin America and the Caribbean is the most affected region, with a terrifying decrease of 91% of its populations, while in Europe the collapse is 75%. A conservation paradox. A very important fact is that 97% of migratory fish that are already on the CMS protection list are threatened with extinction. However, science indicates that there is 325 species candidates (and long forgotten) that urgently need to be included in the appendices of international protection to survive. Brazil, for example, is already promoting the protection of emblematic species such as the painted surubí so that its delicate situation is recognized. Because? Migratory fish, such as salmon or sturgeon, need to swim hundreds or thousands of kilometers to reproduce or feed, using what scientists have baptized such as Global Swimways, or global navigable waterways. In this way, one of the reasons that is causing this great change is the fragmentation of the habitat, since the massive construction of dams and artificial barriers has cut off these ‘highways’. So if a fish can’t make it up the river to spawn, its lineage ends there. Other reasons are found in overexploitation, since unsustainable fishing continues to decimate adult populations before they can reproduce. But we cannot forget about pollution either, since agricultural, industrial and urban discharges have degraded water quality to toxic levels for many of these sensitive species. It has consequences. Environmental organizations here point out that the disappearance of these animals is not only a zoological tragedy, since migratory fish are a fundamental pillar of food security. In the end, tens of millions of people around the world depend on these animals and we cannot forget that they are the ecological engine that keeps the rivers themselves alive. That is why the message that the scientific community leaves us is an ultimatum: we must restore the connectivity of our rivers to protect the remaining migratory routes, or we will face the imminent extinction of some fascinating species. Images | Jinomono Media In Xataka | Although it may seem impossible, there is a 12-millimeter fish that makes as much noise as an airplane turbine

The first “autonomous” car in history dates back to 1958 and had a peculiar problem: it smelled like fish

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Nowadays, and with few exceptions such as Cybertruckautomobile design is moved by very clear trends. However, in the 1950s and in the midst of the space age, the sky was the limit. Some examples are the amazing General Motors Firebird Ihe Zündapp Janus that you don’t know if it comes or goes or the refrigerator with wheels called BMW Isetta. At that time was born the Golden Sahara IIa car truly ahead of its time. It was so far ahead that it brought driving assistance and full connectivity (of what there was). It is, in short, the grandfather of today’s smart car. A crazy repair idea. If I say George Barris you may not know who I’m talking about, but if I reveal that he is the creator of the Batmobile things change. Well, back in 1953 the car designer had a car accident with his Lincoln Capri: crashed into a hay truck and as a result, the top of the vehicle was destroyed. Probably many of us would have taken the car to the workshop or scrapyard based on the mechanic’s bill, but Barris invested a whopping $5,000 and what was left of his battered Capri (which had a 200 horsepower V8 engine) was built into the Golden Sahara. Be careful, to give you an idea of ​​the inverted grassland: in the 50s the luxurious Cadillac Eldorado It cost $7,750.. Clean slate in the form of an ultra-futuristic car. Equipment from another era. At a time when FM radio was an extra, Barris himself tells its most differential design elements: hand-molded steel panels, vertical design headlights installed in fenders and bullet-type bumpers, fins integrated into the fenders, lounge-type seat with bar furniture on the sides, a removable bubble dome for the roof. Kontinent Media …and paint of with sardines The streamlined design was finished with a two-tone 24-karat gold finish (hence its name) instead of the classic chrome and a paint that shone like a diamond. Barris was looking for a finish never seen before, so he came up with a natural way to achieve a pearlescent touch before that type of paint became popular: with fish scales. As explained the designer in an interview with Jonnie King for his “Hall of Fame Legends” series: “So Shirley and I went to the fishmonger, and I remember that the fish looked very pearly. I had the fishmongers turn all the sardines so that their bellies could be seen until I found the one with the gold. We took it, removed the scales, put it in a jar, took it to the store and mixed it with a natural cellulose clearcoat and toner lacquers. Then I gave it a base of matte white and I sprayed it on top, and it turned out a spectacular pearly gold. The only problem was that it was very difficult to smell because it smelled like fish.” An even more extravagant Golden Sahara II. In 1954 the first Golden Sahara was born and from ’56 to ’58 Barris teamed up with Jim Street and Bob Metz to give it a twist until they found the Golden Sahara II. For this second generation, Goodyear added Translucent and luminous tires to replace the conventional white band tires of the time. It is just the tip of the iceberg of a car that is surprising both on the outside and (especially) on the inside. But Metz also gave it a good facelift and modified the windshield, hood and roof of the vehicle, he put quad headlights and rear fins. And it went from having a radio and steering wheel to truly futuristic technology: with panels on the upper part of the dashboard where it housed a television, tape recorder and even a refrigerator for its bar. It is said that the total cost of the Sahara exceeded $75,000 of the time. Under the hood: ahead of its time. Jim Rote’s electronics It was what made the difference compared to the cars of that era and brought it closer to ours. The steering wheel gave way to a fighter-style central joystick and implemented voice control for tasks such as opening the doors or starting the engine. Likewise, it integrated proximity sensors in two antennas on the front bumper, so that it could brake autonomously. What happened to him. In his days of wine and roses he went to fairs like the Petersen Motorama (his debut), he appeared in ‘cinderfella‘ (1960) with Jerry Lewis, Ed Winn and Judith Anderson and also in the competition ‘I’ve got a secret‘, in 1962. But in the 60s it disappeared from the front page and was relegated to ostracism for half a century, until it returned in style and restored in the Geneva Motor Show of 2019 from the hand of Goodyear. In Xataka | Make your old stickerless car a historic vehicle. A shortcut to circulate through Madrid without fines that does not always work In Xataka | The Bugatti Veyron was a unique car. And we say “was” because Bugatti has decided to betray him with nostalgia Cover | Matti Blume

the appearance of two new species of toxic puffer fish is the best proof

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The cold Atlantic waters of the Rias Baixas in Galicia they are changing. Until now we were accustomed to a rich marine biodiversity dominated by native species from temperate and cold waters, but now researchers have found visitors as exotic as they are unwanted: puffer fish. Something is happening. Although this discovery may remain a biological anecdote to add to encyclopedias, the truth is that we are facing an indicator that the “tropicalization” of our seas is knocking at the door. This has been demonstrated by the research staff of the Oceanographic Center of Vigowhich set off alarm bells by documenting the presence of these exotic fish. We didn’t expect them. The published study in Fisher is a pioneer by analyzing for the first time globally the diversity of fish in the order of Tetraodontiformes, which is where puffer fish, sunfish and triggerfish are found in Spanish waters. In total, they have cataloged 26 different species, paying special attention to their distribution areas between the Peninsula and the Canary Islands. But the big surprise has come in Galicia with two unprecedented sightings that have been rigorously confirmed through morphological analysis, photographs and also with DNA itself. The two species. The first species that attracted attention was a green drum, captured for the first time in Galician waters off the Costa da Vela in 2021. The second specimen is a land drum, located in 2025 in the middle of the Pontevedra estuary. Tropicalization. Here the almost obligatory question is: What is a puffer fish doing swimming calmly through the Pontevedra estuary? The short answer is climate change. The long and scientific answer is the tropicalization of the sea. Just like the researcher points out Rafael Bañón, the progressive warming of ocean waters is blurring marine thermal boundaries and this allows species that originate from tropical and subtropical waters to now find temperatures in the Galician Atlantic comfortable enough not only to survive, but to expand their territory. They are a problem. In addition to the ecological challenge it poses and the movement of local species, we must also remember the risk to public health that it entails. And one of the best-known characteristics of puffer fish, especially due to Japanese gastronomy and its famous fuguis that they harbor tetrodotoxin inside. And it is nothing more than a powerful neurotoxin for which there is no known antidote and which can be lethal if ingested. Although in Spain there is no culture of consumption of these fish, the risk of amateur or commercial fishermen catching them by accident and ending up on someone’s plate without the necessary care may exist. In this way, monitoring is needed for these new species and others that may arrive due to the temperature changes that are recorded. Images | Brian Yurasits WINDENRIC In Xataka | Although it may seem impossible, there is a 12-millimeter fish that makes as much noise as an airplane turbine

the secret so that cheese doesn’t taste like fish

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You go to a store to buy a refrigerator and see that, in addition to having very different prices, one of them has a double cold circuit. You choose the cheapest one without taking into account that with the most expensive one your food may taste better. Why is this happening? Today we are going to explain How traditional refrigerators differ from Twin Cooling refrigerators. How a traditional refrigerator works Traditional refrigerators operate through a closed refrigeration cycle. The main objective is to extract heat to the outsideand it does so through two condensation and evaporation coils respectively, which are tubes through which the refrigerant fluid circulates. These two coils are placed between a compressor and an expansion valve. To understand it, in the traditional system the dry and cold air from the freezer is mixed with that from the refrigerator. It is, so to speak, as if it were a single lung for two bodies, which causes odors to mix, there to be no optimal humidity and the engine to turn on regardless of whether we open the freezer or refrigerator compartment. To understand it, the refrigerant fluid travels through the condensation coil to the expansion valve, thus reducing its pressure and temperature. This process causes the liquid to evaporate when it reaches the second evaporation coil, which, as you can already imagine, evaporates the fluid until it reaches the condenser in the form of a gas. In this section, the condenser provides energy to the gas so that it can flow, increasing the pressure to become liquid again so that the heat goes outside through the walls of the condenser tube. As a summarythe cycle through which the refrigerant fluid travels is: condensation coil, expansion valve, evaporation coil and compressor and compressor tubes. This cycle is constant until the refrigerator temperature reaches what we have set on the thermostat. Refrigerators with freezers work in a very similar way. The refrigerant fluid travels first to the freezer areaand once it has reached the desired temperature it travels to the refrigerator area. The compressor ensures that the refrigerator has a different temperature, stopping the fluid before reaching the refrigerator area if the temperature is the same as what we have on the thermostat. How a refrigerator with a double cooling circuit works Refrigerators with a double cold circuit work in a very similar way, but they have a fairly big difference: instead of having one circuit, they have two. To clarify, the fact that it has two circuits does not mean that they consume more electricity, since it is quite the opposite because they are usually more efficient. Because? By having two independent circuits, the engine work is less because it cools only the freezer or the refrigerator, and not both. If, for example, you open the refrigerator in a traditional refrigerator, the cooling fluid has to travel through the entire circuit, while in a refrigerator with a double cooling circuit the fluid travels only through the refrigerator and not through the freezer. And it is not the only advantage. These refrigerators with double cold circuit are especially interesting so that food odors do not mix placed in the refrigerator and freezer. This also means that the moisture collected from the refrigerator does not reach the freezer, thus obtaining a drier area and better preserved food. And, be careful, this is important, since with a double circuit the humidity stays where it should be, making the tomatoes stay fresh for twice as long. Of course, just because a refrigerator is No Frost does not mean it is good. Almost all modern refrigerators are No Frost, but the single circuit one is a ‘Total No Frost’ that dehydrates the food. The double circuit ones are a ‘Smart No Frost’. Furthermore, the fact that a refrigerator has a double circuit means that, in most cases, it can be attractive for when we go on vacation. And this is because you can turn off only the refrigerator part while leaving the freezer part on. And this represents savings. The good and the bad of both options, face to face Refrigerator (traditional) Refrigerator (double cold circuit) THE GOOD 🟢 They are more economical and require less maintenance in the long term. It maintains higher humidity in the refrigerator, does not mix odors and is usually more energy efficient. THE BAD 🔴 Odors can mix, food can dry out, and it is more difficult to maintain constant humidity and temperature. They are more expensive and usually require more maintenance in the long term. Ideal for: Tight budgets and for families of one or two people. Prevent odors from mixing and for families of three or more people. In summary: 👉 Choose a traditional refrigerator if: You are a person who lives alone or in a family of two people or you are looking for a refrigerator that does not increase too much in price. 👉 Choose a refrigerator with a double cold circuit: You are looking for a better flavor in food or you live at home with two or more people. Recommended models Traditional refrigerator: Hisense RB372N4AWE The Hisense RB372N4AWE is a 292-liter refrigerator with a single cold circuit that is interesting because it has a technology that means that if you leave the yogurt at the bottom it will not freeze or if you have the milk on the door it will not stay warm, the temperature is uniform in every corner. Also It comes with micro perforations to inject cold air into each shelf of the refrigeratorpreserving food better, and with technology Total No Frost to prevent frost from forming in the freezer. In addition, this refrigerator includes a fruit and vegetable drawer that allows you to control the humidity to keep food fresh and comes with a vacation mode so that it operates at a constant temperature of 15ºC, which can save energy. As a curiosity, its door is reversible, so you can choose to open it to the left … Read more

China has concentrated thousands of fishing boats off Japan, and its idea is not to fish

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The East China Sea is one of the more sensitive scenarios of the strategic balance in Asia for decades. territorial disputes, historical rivalries and the growing weight of new powers have turned these waters into a space where every movement is observed with a magnifying glass. There, apparently minor gestures usually fit into dynamic much deeperand China has just made a move. The diplomatic fuse. Japan’s detention of a chinese fishing boat within its exclusive economic zone, about 170 kilometers from Nagasaki, has rekindled a relationship already deteriorated between Tokyo and Beijing, with a certain island as a backdrop. He captain’s arrestafter refusing an inspection, occurs in a context of growing dispute marked by Japanese statements on Taiwan and the subsequent Chinese warnings its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan. Therefore, it is not an isolated episode, but rather the visible spark of a maritime tension that had been building for weeks. Images from space. AIS system data and the images by satellite show unprecedented concentrations of up to 2,000 fishing boats Chinese aligned near the median line between the two countries in the East China Sea. The formations, hundreds of kilometers long and with vessels separated by less than 500 meters, remained more than 24 hours in static positions despite adverse weather conditions. In other words, China was concentrating thousands of fishing boats off Japan, and its idea is not exactly to fish. The maritime militia and the “gray zone”. They counted on Nikkei that the vast majority of these fishing vessels are part of the so-called chinese maritime militiaa civil network that cooperates with the State and the Army in operations that do not reach the threshold of armed conflict. A priori, this strategy allows pressure to be exerted without formally deploying naval forces, thus making a direct response difficult. In other words, as we count A few weeks ago, what was presented as economic activity could become a test of maritime control or even the interruption of trade routes in the first island chain. Taiwan as a backdrop. Impossible to ignore it. The maneuvers coincide with statements by the Japanese government warning that a crisis in the Taiwan Strait would be an existential threat for Japan. Beijing, for its part, considers the island part of its territory and does not rule out the use of forcewhile Tokyo reinforces its deterrent posture. In this context, each movement in the East China Sea takes on a meaning that goes beyond fishing and is integrated into the regional strategic calculation. A pattern of sustained pressure. Furthermore, the activity is not limited to civil fleets. I remembered the Guardian that the Chinese coast guard has broken presence records around to the Senkaku Islandsalso known as Diaoyu in China, and has released images of patrols in disputed waters for the first time. Plus: the Liaoning aircraft carrier has expanded its radius of operations near Okinawa, while Beijing advances infrastructure on its side of the maritime median line. More than boats, an essay. Analysts interpret these concentrations like exercises of mobilization and coordination within the civil-military fusion plan promoted by Beijing. There is no doubt, the capacity of gather thousands of boats civilians at a strategic point in a short time sends a fairly clear message about the possibility of, for example, saturating maritime spaces without openly resorting to force. In this way, the pulse is no longer so much or only bilateral, but rather a warning to the entire region: China is perfecting tools to shape the balance of the Indo-Pacific, and it is doing so without firing a single shot. Image | Planet Labs, Marine Traffic, Anna Frodesiak, Micromesistius In Xataka | China’s best weapon doesn’t fire a single bullet: 300km ‘moving wall’ to close sea routes instantly In Xataka | China has turned deep-sea salmon farming into an engineering feat. This state-of-the-art boat proves it

For thousands of years, human beings have avoided crossing the Taklamakan Desert. Now China is raising fish there

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For more than 1,500 years, the merchants who traveled the Silk Road dared with oceans, mountains and jungles, they dared with endless walks, with warlords, with hunger and pain and the cold; with one of the most destructive epidemics in history; but they did not dare with the Taklamakan. That sand hell (whose name comes from the word ugiur for “abandon, leave alone, leave behind”) is not only the second largest dune desert in the world, but it moved, invaded and devoured everything around it. It’s been a nightmare for thousands of years. Well, now, China is farming fish right there. As? As it sounds, Xinjiang has been committed to producing fish and seafood “in the middle of the desert” for years. And no, obviously, it has nothing to do with “releasing fish in the sand” as if it were worms from Arrakis. The key is saline-alkaline water, lined ponds and recirculation techniques. It is not a revolutionary approach (already We have talked about similar techniques), but without a doubt Chinese producers are taking it to another level. Xinjiang aquaculture production was 196,500 tons in 2024. And, of course, the “desert seafood” boom raises questions about water, energy and scalability. From the promise of fresh fish… We are talking about a very harsh physical context (annual rainfall of less than 100 mm, very high evaporation and salinized soils): thus, the entire Tarim sub-basin depends on melting snow to provide water. Therefore, on the table, there are two clear approaches: the first, which has become popular in the Westtalks about the construction of monitored ponds. And this is already, in itself, very effective: “species such as grouper, mullet, shrimp, oysters and pearl musselsyes reach commercial size with survival rates close to 99%”, always according to the available data. But that’s just the beginning; just a proof of concept. …to the promise of mar. As explained by several chinese mediathe final horizon of the project is much more ambitious: creating a sea in the middle of the desert. That is, take advantage of the water associated with saline-alkaline soils and saline lakes to simulate marine conditions with technical adjustments, circulation systems and cultivation of microorganisms. And thus be able to breed species normally linked to the sea. But can that be done? Of course you can. We have the technology to do it. In a world where aquaculture already exceeds extractive fishing in volume, the interesting question is not that: the question is whether the model is scalable without aggravating tensions over water in a hyper-arid region dependent on snowmelt. What the industry that sees tons of fish emerging from the desert is asking is something even more basic: is it possible that the beginning of the end of commercial fishing is beginning? Image | On Magnet | China is exporting millions of shrimp with antibiotics to the world. And they could end up on your table

We have been fighting with fish bones for centuries. China just won the war with molecular scissors

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For fish lovers, carpin (gibel carp) has historically been a culinary paradox: a meat appreciated for its tender texture and its rich protein profile, but a real challenge for the diner due to its more than 80 “Y”-shaped intermuscular spines (IBs). This inconvenience has caused countless incidents in cafeterias and visits to the emergency room, but now China has made a radical decision: rewrite the DNA of the species to adapt it to our needs. The “Zhongke No. 6”. The research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), led by academician Gui Jianfang, has announced success of the creation of a new variety called “Zhongke No. 6”. Unlike other scientific advances that remain in the laboratory, this specimen is a variety specifically designed to reach consumers’ tables and transform the aquaculture industry. Molecular surgery at the embryonic level. The key to success lies in a “surgical attack” on the fish’s genome. Scientists identified the gene runx2b as the “architect” responsible for giving the order to the fish’s body to develop those 80 pesky spines. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, described by researchers Like “molecular scissors,” they cut this specific genetic code during the embryonic stage. The process has proven to be of unprecedented precision. The main skeleton of the crucian carp – spine and ribs – develops completely normally, allowing the fish to grow, swim and stay healthy. However, the biological pathway that activates intramuscular spines, the ones that really get in the way of eating, do not develop. A six-year challenge: From the laboratory to production. Although the announcement of “Zhongke No. 6” is recent, the journey began years ago. According to the scientific journal Aquaculturethe seminal study that demonstrated the viability of these spineless mutants was originally published in early 2023. That initial work was the result of a six-year systematic effort under the CAS strategic program called “Design and Creation of Precision Seeds.” This project is especially complex because the crucian carp is hexaploid (it has six sets of chromosomes), which forced Gui Jianfang’s team to simultaneously edit all copies of the genes involved to ensure that not a single spine appeared in the new generations. More than an easy-to-eat fish. “Zhongke No. 6” has not only been emptied of thorns; has been optimized for industrial efficiency. According to published technical data, this variety presents accelerated growth since it reaches “commercial size” in less time than wild varieties. Additionally, it is designed to survive in dense, intensive aquaculture environments, where diseases often decimate production. Finally, it requires significantly less feed to produce the same amount of protein, reducing costs and the environmental impact of feed. The limit of the natural. However, this scientific advance places us before an uncomfortable mirror. As official sources conclude from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this milestone represents a triumph of applied science that solves an ancient problem, transforming a difficult-to-eat fish into an efficient and safe source of protein. But, from a more critical perspective, an inevitable question arises: by optimizing every stroke of life for our comfort, what are we losing along the way? If we keep editing species so that they grow faster, are more resilient, and have no natural “defects,” we will reach a point where we won’t really know what we are eating. “Zhongke No. 6” is undoubtedly an engineering miracle, but it is also a reminder that the line between nature and the factory is increasingly thin. Image | Needpix Xataka | All the fish we eat are contaminated by methylmercury. But there are only four specific ones to avoid

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