Ocean Sentry
The European Parliament has passed a bill that will impose an import ban on seal products, a move meant to force an end to Canada“s annual seal hunt, which is the world”s largest. The bill says commercial seal hunting, notably in Canada, is “inherently inhumane.” It passed the EU assembly …
May, 2009
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5 May
USDA: under fire for having blackbirds in its crosshairs
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 …
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4 May
Japan won’t budge on whale kill
Japan has refused to drop its Antarctic kill below 650 whales at a confidential meeting involving Australia, leaving whaling peace talks at a stand-off. The meeting of six key International Whaling Commission countries wound up soon after the Japanese proposal was tabled in San Francisco, sources told the Herald yesterday.
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3 May
Fish hook continues to torment monk seal
Scientists hoping to rescue an injured Hawaiian monk seal are waiting for the animal to come ashore so they can take a three-inch fish hook out of its mouth. The seal, Kermit, has eluded officials for more than 10 days, said David Schofield, marine mammal response network coordinator for the …
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3 May
The Ocean’s Most Fearsome Predators: No, it’s not sharks — it homo sapiens
Peter Benchley, the creator of Jaws, spent his later years fighting to save sharks. I saw him speak about shark conservation at the University of Miami shortly before he died in 2006. Sharks had become the victim, he realized, and man had become the jaws of death.
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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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2 May
Hundreds of dead birds wash up on Calif. beaches
Wildlife officials say hundreds of dead sea birds are washing up on beaches from Marin to Monterey, and suspect a problem with their food supply may be to blame. Hundreds of Brandt”s cormorants began washing up on beaches in mid-April, surprising sea bird experts who had seen the bird”s population …
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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 …
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1 May
Seychelles Bans Cutting Sharks’ Fins
The Seychelles has banned the cutting off of sharks” fins by foreign fishermen to curb a flourishing global trade that is threatening the survival of the sea predator and marine ecosystems. The United Nations estimates that 100 million sharks are killed every year world-wide, mostly for their fins which are …
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1 May
Dead turtles found along Coast
State marine officials are studying a rash of unexplained sea turtle deaths that have recently occurred along Mississippi beaches. The turtles have included two loggerhead turtles and five Kemp’s Ridley turtles. The latest turtle was discovered near the ruins of an old pier on the Waveland beach, westward of the …
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1 May
All commercial turtle harvesting may be banned in Florida
Under a newly proposed law, all commercial harvesting of freshwater turtles will be completely banned in Florida. The draft rule that bans commercial harvesting of Florida”s diverse freshwater turtle population was passed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on April 15, with a final vote to be held …