Before we get into this...I have a confession to make.
I've been cheating on this blog with another one. Two, actually. Yes - I have two other blogs. But you'll have to find them yourself. :P
Also, in addition to the champagne accident now SIX weeks ago (which still hasn't been repaired...), the happy addition of bleach was added to my laptop. And a few missing keys as emergency surgery. So, yeah. I don't have a lot to work with here. Normally I'd write this all in the "Blog News" sidebar, but I feel the need to explain my on-and-off absences.
ANYWAY.
Good news from the US Coast Guard. They've seized three Mexican ships fishing endangered species in United States waters! The article doesn't go into much detail, but it's worth noting that the bad guys don't always get away!
Good work, USCG.
Full article here (KRGV)
Friday, 25 February 2011
Monday, 14 February 2011
A Special Valentine's Message!
Hey all!
Happy Valentine's Day! Spread the love, but don't forget to love our oceans!!
<3
Happy Valentine's Day! Spread the love, but don't forget to love our oceans!!
<3
New Pressure on Iceland over Whaling - FishUpdate
Conservation groups in the US are mad. They'd like to remind Iceland that it is in violation of the 1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreement that bans commercial whaling, and the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which bans international commercial trade in whale parts and products.
Around 19 different conservation and animal welfare groups which represent millions of citizens are calling on US government secretaries Gary Locke and Ken Salazar to invoke the Pelly Amendment, which "authorises the president to impose trade sanctions against another country for 'diminishing the effectiveness' of conservation agreements."
This would be bad news for Iceland, which exports large quantities of cod and haddock to the United States. Icelandic fisheries are directly tied into the whaling industry, with many fishermen fishing during one season, and whaling during the off season.
"According to reports, the conservation and welfare groups have identified specific Icelandic companies as potential targets for trade sanctions; these include major seafood industry players that are directly tied to Iceland’s whaling industry."
On a semi-related note, Iceland is currently in the process of applying to the European Union, in which whaling is illegal. Will the seafaring nation of Iceland finally leave this scandalous piece of history behind?
Full article here (FishUpdate)
Around 19 different conservation and animal welfare groups which represent millions of citizens are calling on US government secretaries Gary Locke and Ken Salazar to invoke the Pelly Amendment, which "authorises the president to impose trade sanctions against another country for 'diminishing the effectiveness' of conservation agreements."
This would be bad news for Iceland, which exports large quantities of cod and haddock to the United States. Icelandic fisheries are directly tied into the whaling industry, with many fishermen fishing during one season, and whaling during the off season.
"According to reports, the conservation and welfare groups have identified specific Icelandic companies as potential targets for trade sanctions; these include major seafood industry players that are directly tied to Iceland’s whaling industry."
On a semi-related note, Iceland is currently in the process of applying to the European Union, in which whaling is illegal. Will the seafaring nation of Iceland finally leave this scandalous piece of history behind?
Full article here (FishUpdate)
Friday, 11 February 2011
Sharks Up Close: 'Shark Shepherd' Jim Abernethy Photographs the Fearsome Predators - The Telegraph
I'm totally on a shark kick. It's hard not to be. Sharks are awesome.
photo credit Jim Abernethy & Barcroft
These are the best photos of sharks I've ever seen, so you should definitely check them out. Jim Abernethy has spent the past 35 years in the company of sharks and even has personal relationships with certain individuals.
If you like what you see, check out his book of photographs Sharks Up Close. He even has a flying boat to take aerial photos! It's called the Oversear...get it? I thought that was wicked clever.
Valentine's Day is coming up, so if I've got a secret admirer out there...you could get me Mr. Abernethy's book. :P
Full article here (The Telegraph)
photo credit Jim Abernethy & Barcroft
These are the best photos of sharks I've ever seen, so you should definitely check them out. Jim Abernethy has spent the past 35 years in the company of sharks and even has personal relationships with certain individuals.
If you like what you see, check out his book of photographs Sharks Up Close. He even has a flying boat to take aerial photos! It's called the Oversear...get it? I thought that was wicked clever.
Valentine's Day is coming up, so if I've got a secret admirer out there...you could get me Mr. Abernethy's book. :P
Full article here (The Telegraph)
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Sharks in Chinatown
Hi all.
The demonstration last Thursday in Chinatown was a great success!
photo credit EcoHustler
I was excited before I even got there. I had read an article the day before we even went over about restaurants that were already pulling shark fin soup from their menus, fearing the bad PR it would bring them.
"'We’ve taken it off the menu,' says Yip-Cheong Wong, manager at the Golden Dragon, pointing to a sticker plastered across the soup section: 'Save the shark: This item is no longer available.'"
And other restaurants have followed suit, how exciting!
Personally, I was a bit worried about going into a cultural center on a big holiday and offending people who value their traditions. I've mentioned here before I don't think aggressive confrontation is always the best way about things. However, I did like the way the EcoHustler blog put it:
"The trouble is, eating shark fin is a cultural phenomenon so you have two choices: be politically correct and look the other way or strap a pair on and have a conversation with the people who like to eat it."
The people of Chinatown seemed genuinely concerned about the shark populations and many of them were very opposed to shark fin soup and the practice of shark finning. It was a very friendly afternoon and we reached a lot of people.
So what did we do?
Well, Matt over at EcoHustler created some nice leaflets (available for download and distribution) for the event with information about the decline of shark populations and a few suggestions for people to take action. Having never handed out leaflets before, I was honestly surprised at how many people took and read them. I always just assumed that no one ever took those things, ha! We also had a lovely shark-person in participation:
photo credit EcoHustler
And shark cookies!
om nom nom
photos are my own
We teamed up with Global Ocean, who is preparing a petition to end shark finning in the European Union. Please take a moment to sign it here. There is only one week left before it must be delivered!!
Conversations worth mentioning were with a restaurateur who owns a chain of Chinese restaurants and was concerned about the image shark fin soup gives establishments who continue to sell it, and a woman raised in China who has known shark fin soup all her life but remains shocked and horrified at the practice of finning and doesn't understand why anyone actually supports it.
All in all, a great day with great people.
Missed the event? No worries. Stay tuned here for future rallies and things you can do on your own. Why not start by refusing to buy from restaurants who continue to serve shark on the menu, and by signing the Global Ocean petition?
Additional Information:
Shark’s Fin Comes Off Menu as Cruelty Campaign Sways U.K. Chefs - Bloomberg
(*Worth noting in this article, Royal China claims to have removed all shark products from their restaurants, but investigation by EcoHustler proves otherwise. It is important to note that many of these restaurants will serve it off the menu as to not attract negative attention)
EcoHustler
Check out EcoHustler's summary of the event here; "We Joined the SharkSide!"
Save Our Sharks leaflets for download
Global Ocean
Global Ocean's petition to ban shark finning in the European Union
The demonstration last Thursday in Chinatown was a great success!
photo credit EcoHustler
I was excited before I even got there. I had read an article the day before we even went over about restaurants that were already pulling shark fin soup from their menus, fearing the bad PR it would bring them.
"'We’ve taken it off the menu,' says Yip-Cheong Wong, manager at the Golden Dragon, pointing to a sticker plastered across the soup section: 'Save the shark: This item is no longer available.'"
And other restaurants have followed suit, how exciting!
Personally, I was a bit worried about going into a cultural center on a big holiday and offending people who value their traditions. I've mentioned here before I don't think aggressive confrontation is always the best way about things. However, I did like the way the EcoHustler blog put it:
"The trouble is, eating shark fin is a cultural phenomenon so you have two choices: be politically correct and look the other way or strap a pair on and have a conversation with the people who like to eat it."
The people of Chinatown seemed genuinely concerned about the shark populations and many of them were very opposed to shark fin soup and the practice of shark finning. It was a very friendly afternoon and we reached a lot of people.
So what did we do?
Well, Matt over at EcoHustler created some nice leaflets (available for download and distribution) for the event with information about the decline of shark populations and a few suggestions for people to take action. Having never handed out leaflets before, I was honestly surprised at how many people took and read them. I always just assumed that no one ever took those things, ha! We also had a lovely shark-person in participation:
photo credit EcoHustler
And shark cookies!
om nom nom
photos are my own
We teamed up with Global Ocean, who is preparing a petition to end shark finning in the European Union. Please take a moment to sign it here. There is only one week left before it must be delivered!!
Conversations worth mentioning were with a restaurateur who owns a chain of Chinese restaurants and was concerned about the image shark fin soup gives establishments who continue to sell it, and a woman raised in China who has known shark fin soup all her life but remains shocked and horrified at the practice of finning and doesn't understand why anyone actually supports it.
All in all, a great day with great people.
Missed the event? No worries. Stay tuned here for future rallies and things you can do on your own. Why not start by refusing to buy from restaurants who continue to serve shark on the menu, and by signing the Global Ocean petition?
Additional Information:
Shark’s Fin Comes Off Menu as Cruelty Campaign Sways U.K. Chefs - Bloomberg
(*Worth noting in this article, Royal China claims to have removed all shark products from their restaurants, but investigation by EcoHustler proves otherwise. It is important to note that many of these restaurants will serve it off the menu as to not attract negative attention)
EcoHustler
Check out EcoHustler's summary of the event here; "We Joined the SharkSide!"
Save Our Sharks leaflets for download
Global Ocean
Global Ocean's petition to ban shark finning in the European Union
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)