Ocean Sentry
The United States Department of Agriculture has recently been sued for spraying pesticides from a helicopter onto wetlands, in an effort to kill blackbirds and the cattails that make up a good portion of their habitat. Wildlife Services, under authority of the USDA, is conducting the assault on blackbirds, a …
May, 2009
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2 May
Highway extension threatens wetlands
A row is brewing over the planned extension to the Roe Highway through the Beeliar Regional Park, south-east of Perth. The State Government has pledged $20 million to the extension under their plan to improve freight transport on roads. But conservationists are vowing to fight the extension, which they believe …
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2 May
Toxic algae bloom sickens sea lions, dolphins
A toxic algae bloom is causing an increased number of sea lions and dolphins to get sick and become stranded on Southland beaches, authorities said today. “In the past weeks, approximately 20 marine mammals have been rescued … that are suspected to be suffering from the toxin,” said Peter Wallerstein …
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1 May
Big increase in ocean mercury found; study predicts more human threat from fish
The researchers, led by scientists from Harvard University and the U.S. Geological Survey, found that the ocean’s mercury levels have already risen about 30% over the last 20 years. Combined, the findings mean the Pacific Ocean will be twice as contaminated with mercury in 2050 as it was in 1995 …
April, 2009
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26 April
Toxic oil spills into Sutlej and wetland
Thousands of litres of oil have drained into the Sutlej in yet another disaster for a river that”s already choked with industrial waste. A bend in a pipe carrying Heavy Furnace Oil (HFO) gave way at the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant on Saturday, causing more than 5,000 litres …
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22 April
European Commission admits failure of fishing policy
A new Brussels position paper highlighted severe problems with fisheries and urged a complete rethink of a key European Union policy. EU officials have been forced to admit that, despite the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), 88 per cent of European fish stocks are over-fished, compared to 25 per cent elsewhere …
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22 April
Predators Starve as Humans Plunder Oceans
Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson described the human race as, “The most devastating meteorite to hit the planet.” In a compelling story written by UK’s, The Independent, Geoffrey Leans said, “Marine giants go hungry as fleets scoop up their prey for our fish suppers. April 19, 2009.
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20 April
Coral Reefs To Melt Away If CO2 Levels Double
The earth is warming up. There is no doubt about that. And carbon dioxide levels are increasing too. New research from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Carnegie Institution in the US suggests that if things get worse, coral reefs will start to dissolve. That’s millions of years of …
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17 April
Volcanic Explosion Rattles Delicate Galapagos Island Wildlife
A volcanic eruption has compromised the wildlife of the ecologically-delicate Galapagos Islands, resulting in the deaths of fish and sea lions over the weekend, officials announced Thursday.
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14 April
The EU responsible for the collapse of bluefin tuna
Oceana calls for the immediate closure of the fishery, as stocks are condemned to collapse even if the fleet complies with 100% of the agreed quotas and management measures. The bluefin tuna fishing season begins today for the Mediterranean purse seiner fleet, under the auspices of management measures that supposedly …
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7 April
Coral reefs, mangroves disappearing fast
Vietnam’s ecological diversity is disappearing before our eyes as farms, factories and pollution destroy vast swaths of coral reef and mangrove forests. Around 80 percent of coral reefs in Vietnam have been damaged by over-exploitation and pollution, according to the General Department of Sea and Islands.
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2 April
Fire Scorches Island in Galapagos
Made famous by Charles Darwin and home to 50 unique species found nowhere else on the planet, 10 acres catch fire because of tourists burning trash in Ecuador”s World Heritage Site Galapagos Islands. A new fire started by people burning trash scorched an upland area in San Cristobal, one of …