http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225899215511
MALCOLM Wright opposes whaling. But rather than taking to the seas in a protest flotilla, the Australian filmmaker is instead filming a "walk a mile in my shoes" style documentary he hopes will help both sides of the bitter whaling debate understand each other.
The feature-length documentary will see Wright live with a whaling family and join a whale hunt off the coast of Japan, while the whalers will join him in the Cook Islands and swim with humpback whales.
The swap is the final challenge in a set of dares exchanged between Wright and Japanese filmmaker Hideki Fuji, who, like most Japanese, sees nothing wrong with the country's annual harvest of hundreds of whales.
Wright, the grandson of pioneering African-American author Richard Wright, is an accidental whale conservationist who began the project after a vivid dream in 2006 that involved him swimming with a school of humpback whales after hitting one in a boat.
"This dream was immediately very difficult to shake," Wright told The Weekend Australian.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"I had to do something, and as a filmmaker the only thing I can bring to it is to make a film."
Wright believes the protests that spark angry clashes with the Japanese whaling fleet each summer won't stop the whaling because Japan's government and whaling industry will simply dig their heels in.
"The key to the film is reconciliation and the way we see reconciliation is walking a mile in each other's shoes," he said.
"My standpoint is we have to now shift from a moratorium on sustainability grounds to a moratorium on ethical grounds and at least have an international exchange on the issue and come to a conclusion of some sort."
Fuji thinks whale consumption is declining in Japan and whaling's cultural heritage is overstated, but he tells Wright -- both in the film and real life -- that it's no different to the harvesting of other animals for human consumption.
"To make it personal," Wright said. "Hideki says: 'All right, let's try to get you spend some time with some Japanese whalers and get on their boat and witness a kill'."
How the whalers react to their underwater encounter with their quarry towards the end of the documentary -- which Wright is aiming at a cinematic release -- will be entirely unscripted.
The filmmaker -- who has previously worked for Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson -- has posted a trailer of Whale Like Me online, and filming on the full-length feature is expected to begin next month. Wright has assembled most of the shooting budget and is hoping to secure funding partners and donations in order to complete the film.
]]>Quote:
MALCOLM Wright opposes whaling. But rather than taking to the seas in a protest flotilla, the Australian filmmaker is instead filming a "walk a mile in my shoes" style documentary he hopes will help both sides of the bitter whaling debate understand each other.
The feature-length documentary will see Wright live with a whaling family and join a whale hunt off the coast of Japan, while the whalers will join him in the Cook Islands and swim with humpback whales.
The swap is the final challenge in a set of dares exchanged between Wright and Japanese filmmaker Hideki Fuji, who, like most Japanese, sees nothing wrong with the country's annual harvest of hundreds of whales.
Wright, the grandson of pioneering African-American author Richard Wright, is an accidental whale conservationist who began the project after a vivid dream in 2006 that involved him swimming with a school of humpback whales after hitting one in a boat.
"This dream was immediately very difficult to shake," Wright told The Weekend Australian.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"I had to do something, and as a filmmaker the only thing I can bring to it is to make a film."
Wright believes the protests that spark angry clashes with the Japanese whaling fleet each summer won't stop the whaling because Japan's government and whaling industry will simply dig their heels in.
"The key to the film is reconciliation and the way we see reconciliation is walking a mile in each other's shoes," he said.
"My standpoint is we have to now shift from a moratorium on sustainability grounds to a moratorium on ethical grounds and at least have an international exchange on the issue and come to a conclusion of some sort."
Fuji thinks whale consumption is declining in Japan and whaling's cultural heritage is overstated, but he tells Wright -- both in the film and real life -- that it's no different to the harvesting of other animals for human consumption.
"To make it personal," Wright said. "Hideki says: 'All right, let's try to get you spend some time with some Japanese whalers and get on their boat and witness a kill'."
How the whalers react to their underwater encounter with their quarry towards the end of the documentary -- which Wright is aiming at a cinematic release -- will be entirely unscripted.
The filmmaker -- who has previously worked for Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson -- has posted a trailer of Whale Like Me online, and filming on the full-length feature is expected to begin next month. Wright has assembled most of the shooting budget and is hoping to secure funding partners and donations in order to complete the film.
Just got back from Vic University Lecture theatre where Pete spoke. Great guy, down to earth, happy and passionate. Had one Faroese supporter in the audience from America who tried to give his own lecture over top of Pete, but was all good. Should have recorded it, the stories he tells about going to Japan are quite funny.
Said he's still in contact with 3 of the SM2 crew and he got a healthy dose of respect by being Japan's Most Wanted and Dangerous Criminal from the Yakuza when he was in maximum security.
http://tvnz.co.nz/good-morning/s2010...-video-3678569
]]>Said he's still in contact with 3 of the SM2 crew and he got a healthy dose of respect by being Japan's Most Wanted and Dangerous Criminal from the Yakuza when he was in maximum security.
http://tvnz.co.nz/good-morning/s2010...-video-3678569
http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/42410...d99275299.html
Forty years later, Lolita the orca whale is still doing her two 20-minute shticks down at Miami Seaquarium in Florida after being snatched from Penn Cove.
But there’s a new threat floating in — the escaping British Petroleum oil rapidly approaching from the Gulf of Mexico.
The drifting blobs and toxic dispersants mixed with them are creating new urgency in the 15-year effort to return Lolita to Puget Sound, said Howard Garrett of Orca Network, a local whale-watching group based in Greenbank.
“It’s going to get there,” Garrett said of the oil and toxins flowing into Biscayne Bay, the source of water pumped directly into the Seaquarium.
He said the dispersants are the most dangerous, because they will break down the natural oils in Lolita’s skin that are essential to her well-being. He said some scientists have put the probability that the oil will enter Lolita’s tank at 80 percent.
“It could continue to flow for years, and be a constant threat to her health,” Garrett said.
Meanwhile, to mark the 40th anniversary of the capture of Lolita and other orcas that were captured with her, several events are planned for next month. The events at sea and on shore will be Sunday, Aug. 8, at Penn Cove at Coupeville, where the whales were taken in 1970.
Lolita, also known as Tokitae and believed to be between 42 and 44 years old, is the sole surviving “southern resident” orca taken from the cove, Garrett said. She was captured along with six other orcas in the cove on the same day.
In all, 45 whales were captured in the cove. All but Lolita were dead by 1987, Garrett said.
Garrett and others have been trying for years without success to convince the Seaquarium and various government agencies to agree to let Lolita return to Puget Sound, where the southern resident orca population now numbers 86. So far, the only success in the campaign has come in the arena of public opinion.
“It’s amazing, the change of thinking around the world,” Garrett said. “We’ve shown that captivity does harm the whales, and that there is a solution that’s very simple and without risk.”
He said if approval to relocate Lolita is granted, supporters can begin to raise the money.
He said that depending upon the amount of donated equipment and services, the cost to bring Lolita home probably would be between $100,000 and $1 million.
Meanwhile, the August commemoration also will honor all the whales that died during capture or in captivity, Garrett said.
The salute to the anniversary will begin at 3 p.m., when participants in all types of vessels will circle the perimeter of the capture site in Penn Cove and take part in a wreath ceremony.
Kayaks and small boats can be launched from Captain Coupe Park in Coupeville, Garrett said.
The historic 52-foot ketch Cutty Sark, carrying special guest Ric O’Barry and others, will take part in the wreath ceremony and make a cruise around the cove.
O'Barry is a former dolphin trainer for the "Flipper" television show who turned activist to battle against the captivity of dolphins after one died in his arms. His 2009 film, "The Cove," which exposed the seamier side of mammal capture and captivity, won an Academy Award for best documentary.
Following the on-the-water events will by a reception with O'Barry and other guests from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Wharf. There will be displays depicting the Penn Cove whale captures.
Concluding the commemoration will be presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Library, with guest speakers O'Barry, Garrett and others. Witnesses to the captures also will share their memories. The evening will include a silent auction, coffee and desserts.
A limited amount of space is available on the Cutty Sark, with tickets costing $50 per person. All the other events are free.
To make a reservation on the Cutty Sark, or for more information, call 1-866-ORCANET, e-mail info@orcanetwork.org or visit www.orcanetwork.org.
Background: http://courses.washington.edu/ejourn...cove-round-up/
The Beginning:
In 1964 the orca whale, the creature that inspired terror on the open seas transformed into man’s greatest captive fascination after the unintentional live capture of Moby Doll. Samuel Burich, a sculptor hired by the Seattle Aquarium, embarked on a mission to procure a model for his life size sculpture, a model he intended to kill. When the time came, however, he found his intention’s shifting and himself returning with a live orca in tow. The twenty mile journey landed the orca, mistakenly named Moby Doll, a prime spot in the public eye where he slowly began to starve.
Day after day Moby Doll refused to eat until finally on the fifty fifth day of his captivity he gingerly took food directly from humanity’s hand. He swallowed food, but humanity swallowed its fear leaving room for something equally dangerous. The unexpected gentleness of the giant killer received headlines worldwide and spread a worldwide fascination and desire for captive orcas that would lead to the Penn Cove Round Up.
Penn Cove:
Repeatedly bombs, speedboats, and aircrafts were used to herd local Puget Sound orcas into designated capture locations. The local orcas had seen the nets before and understood what it meant to be ensnared within them. The mothers and calves dove deep, but the others continued on the surface toward Port Susan. Swimming shallower than normal they attempted to divert human attention, but the aircraft flying above spotted the mothers and calves attempting to swim out Deception Pass when they were forced to surface for air.
They had made it past Holmes Harbor, the intended target, so the capture team herded the mothers and calves into Penn Cove instead. The wayward orcas, which traveled along the surface, joined their family in Penn Cove willingly; most likely understanding the threat was not to them directly. Nets go down surrounding the orcas, trapping them against the shoreline.
John Crowe, a member of the whale capture team, was in the water helping to secure the equipment. But the sounds of the adult orcas communicating with their captured calves brought tears to his face. Crowe wasn’t the only person to be torn up about the captures, as protestors congregated along the shores forcing the capture team to work from under darkness’s cover.
In an attempt to avoid a media scandal the capture team sank the corpses of unsuccessful captures by tying them down with chains, attaching anchors, and/ or slitting open their stomachs and loading them with weights. The take granted to them by their permit included the totality of animals removed, which meant both those that lived and died as a result of their actions. They hoped the water would consume their loss in profit and hide their mistakes, but the dead orcas rose to public attention. Some washed up on shore, but one was found by local fishermen that delivered the body to the shoreline home of a Seattle Times reporter.
In 1976 a judge reviewed the evidence, permit violations, and the general attitude and arrogance of the capture team and decided against the capture team. Sea World, by name, was banned from capturing orcas in Washington State. The verdict fell after 45 local Puget Sound orcas were already distributed across the world as far away as Germany and Japan and at least 13 were dead, totaling a minimum of 68 removed animals.
The Aftermath:
The resident orcas lost between one third and one half of their population during the Penn Cove round up, all younger whales. Only 71 animals remained after the final capture in 1976, but the population slowly began to creep toward recovery approaching 100 by the mid nineties. However, the missing young females, as a result of Penn Cove, would have reproduced roughly every five years for about the last two decades if they were still present. There is little doubt that the current struggle of the local orcas would be diminished significantly had they not lost so many to the PennCove round up.
By 1987 of the 45 capture orcas only one, a female named Lolita, remained alive. Today she has attracted a large fan base of people trying to return her home, to the Puget Sound. Originally, she would be kept off the shores of the Sound and slowly taught how to be a wild orca, catching her own live salmon. In an ideal situation she would rejoin her long lost wild relatives, but that would ultimately be her decision. She may have received human care too long to be reintroduced, but many people believe either option would be an improvement over her tank in Miami.
]]>Quote:
Forty years later, Lolita the orca whale is still doing her two 20-minute shticks down at Miami Seaquarium in Florida after being snatched from Penn Cove.
But there’s a new threat floating in — the escaping British Petroleum oil rapidly approaching from the Gulf of Mexico.
The drifting blobs and toxic dispersants mixed with them are creating new urgency in the 15-year effort to return Lolita to Puget Sound, said Howard Garrett of Orca Network, a local whale-watching group based in Greenbank.
“It’s going to get there,” Garrett said of the oil and toxins flowing into Biscayne Bay, the source of water pumped directly into the Seaquarium.
He said the dispersants are the most dangerous, because they will break down the natural oils in Lolita’s skin that are essential to her well-being. He said some scientists have put the probability that the oil will enter Lolita’s tank at 80 percent.
“It could continue to flow for years, and be a constant threat to her health,” Garrett said.
Meanwhile, to mark the 40th anniversary of the capture of Lolita and other orcas that were captured with her, several events are planned for next month. The events at sea and on shore will be Sunday, Aug. 8, at Penn Cove at Coupeville, where the whales were taken in 1970.
Lolita, also known as Tokitae and believed to be between 42 and 44 years old, is the sole surviving “southern resident” orca taken from the cove, Garrett said. She was captured along with six other orcas in the cove on the same day.
In all, 45 whales were captured in the cove. All but Lolita were dead by 1987, Garrett said.
Garrett and others have been trying for years without success to convince the Seaquarium and various government agencies to agree to let Lolita return to Puget Sound, where the southern resident orca population now numbers 86. So far, the only success in the campaign has come in the arena of public opinion.
“It’s amazing, the change of thinking around the world,” Garrett said. “We’ve shown that captivity does harm the whales, and that there is a solution that’s very simple and without risk.”
He said if approval to relocate Lolita is granted, supporters can begin to raise the money.
He said that depending upon the amount of donated equipment and services, the cost to bring Lolita home probably would be between $100,000 and $1 million.
Meanwhile, the August commemoration also will honor all the whales that died during capture or in captivity, Garrett said.
The salute to the anniversary will begin at 3 p.m., when participants in all types of vessels will circle the perimeter of the capture site in Penn Cove and take part in a wreath ceremony.
Kayaks and small boats can be launched from Captain Coupe Park in Coupeville, Garrett said.
The historic 52-foot ketch Cutty Sark, carrying special guest Ric O’Barry and others, will take part in the wreath ceremony and make a cruise around the cove.
O'Barry is a former dolphin trainer for the "Flipper" television show who turned activist to battle against the captivity of dolphins after one died in his arms. His 2009 film, "The Cove," which exposed the seamier side of mammal capture and captivity, won an Academy Award for best documentary.
Following the on-the-water events will by a reception with O'Barry and other guests from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Wharf. There will be displays depicting the Penn Cove whale captures.
Concluding the commemoration will be presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Library, with guest speakers O'Barry, Garrett and others. Witnesses to the captures also will share their memories. The evening will include a silent auction, coffee and desserts.
A limited amount of space is available on the Cutty Sark, with tickets costing $50 per person. All the other events are free.
To make a reservation on the Cutty Sark, or for more information, call 1-866-ORCANET, e-mail info@orcanetwork.org or visit www.orcanetwork.org.
Quote:
The Beginning:
In 1964 the orca whale, the creature that inspired terror on the open seas transformed into man’s greatest captive fascination after the unintentional live capture of Moby Doll. Samuel Burich, a sculptor hired by the Seattle Aquarium, embarked on a mission to procure a model for his life size sculpture, a model he intended to kill. When the time came, however, he found his intention’s shifting and himself returning with a live orca in tow. The twenty mile journey landed the orca, mistakenly named Moby Doll, a prime spot in the public eye where he slowly began to starve.
Day after day Moby Doll refused to eat until finally on the fifty fifth day of his captivity he gingerly took food directly from humanity’s hand. He swallowed food, but humanity swallowed its fear leaving room for something equally dangerous. The unexpected gentleness of the giant killer received headlines worldwide and spread a worldwide fascination and desire for captive orcas that would lead to the Penn Cove Round Up.
Penn Cove:
Repeatedly bombs, speedboats, and aircrafts were used to herd local Puget Sound orcas into designated capture locations. The local orcas had seen the nets before and understood what it meant to be ensnared within them. The mothers and calves dove deep, but the others continued on the surface toward Port Susan. Swimming shallower than normal they attempted to divert human attention, but the aircraft flying above spotted the mothers and calves attempting to swim out Deception Pass when they were forced to surface for air.
They had made it past Holmes Harbor, the intended target, so the capture team herded the mothers and calves into Penn Cove instead. The wayward orcas, which traveled along the surface, joined their family in Penn Cove willingly; most likely understanding the threat was not to them directly. Nets go down surrounding the orcas, trapping them against the shoreline.
John Crowe, a member of the whale capture team, was in the water helping to secure the equipment. But the sounds of the adult orcas communicating with their captured calves brought tears to his face. Crowe wasn’t the only person to be torn up about the captures, as protestors congregated along the shores forcing the capture team to work from under darkness’s cover.
In an attempt to avoid a media scandal the capture team sank the corpses of unsuccessful captures by tying them down with chains, attaching anchors, and/ or slitting open their stomachs and loading them with weights. The take granted to them by their permit included the totality of animals removed, which meant both those that lived and died as a result of their actions. They hoped the water would consume their loss in profit and hide their mistakes, but the dead orcas rose to public attention. Some washed up on shore, but one was found by local fishermen that delivered the body to the shoreline home of a Seattle Times reporter.
In 1976 a judge reviewed the evidence, permit violations, and the general attitude and arrogance of the capture team and decided against the capture team. Sea World, by name, was banned from capturing orcas in Washington State. The verdict fell after 45 local Puget Sound orcas were already distributed across the world as far away as Germany and Japan and at least 13 were dead, totaling a minimum of 68 removed animals.
The Aftermath:
The resident orcas lost between one third and one half of their population during the Penn Cove round up, all younger whales. Only 71 animals remained after the final capture in 1976, but the population slowly began to creep toward recovery approaching 100 by the mid nineties. However, the missing young females, as a result of Penn Cove, would have reproduced roughly every five years for about the last two decades if they were still present. There is little doubt that the current struggle of the local orcas would be diminished significantly had they not lost so many to the PennCove round up.
By 1987 of the 45 capture orcas only one, a female named Lolita, remained alive. Today she has attracted a large fan base of people trying to return her home, to the Puget Sound. Originally, she would be kept off the shores of the Sound and slowly taught how to be a wild orca, catching her own live salmon. In an ideal situation she would rejoin her long lost wild relatives, but that would ultimately be her decision. She may have received human care too long to be reintroduced, but many people believe either option would be an improvement over her tank in Miami.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scot...rom.6445663.jp
MINKE whales in Scotland are suffering agonising deaths after getting tangled up in fishing ropes, a new report has warned.
MINKE whales in Scotland are suffering agonising deaths after getting tangled up in fishing ropes, a new report has warned.
More than half of all of the dead creatures discovered stranded on the Scottish coast over the past two decades have been killed after getting entangled in fishing gear, particularly ropes used for creel fishing.
The ropes cut into the mouths and heads of the whales, causing them to suffer slow and painful deaths over a matter of weeks, according to the report for the Scottish Government by the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and the Scottish Agricultural College.
Minkes are the most common whale in the waters around Scotland, and a strong tourist attraction, particularly in the seas off west coast islands such as Mull and Tiree.
They are the second smallest type of baleen whale — toothless species that filter food such as krill.
However, ropes used by creel fishermen, who catch species like crabs and lobsters, get caught in their enormous jaws. The scientists found this represented the single most frequently documented cause of death of the animals in Scottish waters.
"Roughly half of all examined dead baleen whales from Scotland are thought to have died due to entanglement," said the report.
"Although this amounts to only about five or six animals per year on average, not all such deaths will result in cases that are reported.
"Among animals photographed off Mull, at least 5 per cent and possibly as many as 22 per cent of minke whales bear some evidence of previous entanglement."
In Scotland, of the 30 baleen whales subjected to post mortem examination since 1990, 16 died as a result of entanglement.
Dr Andrew Brownlow, a vet who runs the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme at the Scottish Agricultural College in Inverness, told The Scotsman it was a "severe problem".
"The lesions are horrendous and lead to what must be a very painful, slow and agonising death. It's a fairly typical case of humans and marine life trying to occupy the same niche.
"Ropes and fishing gear used to hold creel pots or buoys become entangled and attached to their mouths a bit like a bit in a horse.
"There's evidence to suggest they then pull it along a bit like an anchor with whatever is on the end and it gradually digs in to their flesh."
He said minke whales were particularly affected because as filter feeders they swim close to the surface, near floating fishing gear.
They die from combinations of not being able to feed, bleeding to death and infection.
The report authors have called for more research into the scale of the problem, as well as measures to be introduced such as the use of weighted lines that sink to the bottom.
However, they said they could not be sure that entanglement of minke whales represented a "serious conservation threat".
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "This report was funded by the Scottish Government to help us better understand the incidence of minke whale deaths in Scottish waters.
"It concludes that there is no reason at present to suppose that entanglement poses a threat to the conservation status of minke whales on the west coast of Scotland. The Scottish Government is continuing to monitor the situation."
]]>Quote:
MINKE whales in Scotland are suffering agonising deaths after getting tangled up in fishing ropes, a new report has warned.
MINKE whales in Scotland are suffering agonising deaths after getting tangled up in fishing ropes, a new report has warned.
More than half of all of the dead creatures discovered stranded on the Scottish coast over the past two decades have been killed after getting entangled in fishing gear, particularly ropes used for creel fishing.
The ropes cut into the mouths and heads of the whales, causing them to suffer slow and painful deaths over a matter of weeks, according to the report for the Scottish Government by the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and the Scottish Agricultural College.
Minkes are the most common whale in the waters around Scotland, and a strong tourist attraction, particularly in the seas off west coast islands such as Mull and Tiree.
They are the second smallest type of baleen whale — toothless species that filter food such as krill.
However, ropes used by creel fishermen, who catch species like crabs and lobsters, get caught in their enormous jaws. The scientists found this represented the single most frequently documented cause of death of the animals in Scottish waters.
"Roughly half of all examined dead baleen whales from Scotland are thought to have died due to entanglement," said the report.
"Although this amounts to only about five or six animals per year on average, not all such deaths will result in cases that are reported.
"Among animals photographed off Mull, at least 5 per cent and possibly as many as 22 per cent of minke whales bear some evidence of previous entanglement."
In Scotland, of the 30 baleen whales subjected to post mortem examination since 1990, 16 died as a result of entanglement.
Dr Andrew Brownlow, a vet who runs the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme at the Scottish Agricultural College in Inverness, told The Scotsman it was a "severe problem".
"The lesions are horrendous and lead to what must be a very painful, slow and agonising death. It's a fairly typical case of humans and marine life trying to occupy the same niche.
"Ropes and fishing gear used to hold creel pots or buoys become entangled and attached to their mouths a bit like a bit in a horse.
"There's evidence to suggest they then pull it along a bit like an anchor with whatever is on the end and it gradually digs in to their flesh."
He said minke whales were particularly affected because as filter feeders they swim close to the surface, near floating fishing gear.
They die from combinations of not being able to feed, bleeding to death and infection.
The report authors have called for more research into the scale of the problem, as well as measures to be introduced such as the use of weighted lines that sink to the bottom.
However, they said they could not be sure that entanglement of minke whales represented a "serious conservation threat".
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "This report was funded by the Scottish Government to help us better understand the incidence of minke whale deaths in Scottish waters.
"It concludes that there is no reason at present to suppose that entanglement poses a threat to the conservation status of minke whales on the west coast of Scotland. The Scottish Government is continuing to monitor the situation."
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T100728004103.htm
OSAKA--Attendance figures have been consistently strong for "The Cove," a critical portrayal of the dolphin fishing industry of Taijicho, Wakayama Prefecture, since it began screening at cinemas in Japan more than three weeks ago.
Although police officers were sent to some movie theaters on the film's opening day in anticipation of possible violence by protesters, the hubbub quickly subsided.
The popularity of "The Cove," which won the Best Documentary prize at this year's Academy Awards, has led to additional theaters showing the film and others extending its run.
Atsushi Matsumura, manager of No. 7 Geijutsu Gekijo theater in Yodogawa Ward, Osaka, said he has been surprised by the film's success, with screenings selling out every weekend.
"We're going to extend its screening run to the middle of August," he said.
Loudspeaker protests accusing the film of being "anti-Japanese" took place in various locations around the country prior to its release to theaters on July 3. Some theaters canceled scheduled screenings for fear of provoking trouble.
No such protests have taken place since the opening day, however.
As with Geijutsu Gekijo, weekend screenings at Theater Image Forum in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, have consistently sold out.
Attendance at the two theaters for all screenings during the first week of showing averaged 86 percent capacity.
"The Cove" has been picked up by 10 additional theaters--including venues in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture; Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture; and Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture--since its initial release by 25 theaters.
Since the protests subsided, more attention has been focused on the actual content of the documentary.
Film magazine Kinema Junpo featured "The Cove" in an issue published in late July, and the July 6 edition of "Close-up Gendai," a talk program on NHK TV, discussed aspects of the documentary's production, including its use of surreptitious filming.
The film has not generated in-depth public discussion of the practice of dolphin fishing itself, however, and there has been no dialogue between the main stakeholders in the controversy.
Local fishermen in Taijicho, on whose occupation the film is focused, have refused to take part in public events discussing the issues raised in the film. They have objected strongly to the film, saying its presentation of information is biased.
Louis Psihoyos, director of "The Cove," is on record as saying he hopes next time he visits Japan there will be an understanding that the film's goal is to help "both dolphins and humans."
Takeharu Watai, an independent journalist, believes all sides should come together for talks.
"Given that 'The Cove' does raise what I believe are important questions about dolphin fishing, I'd like to see the people responsible for its production and the mass media work together to create a forum for discussions with Taijicho locals and Fisheries Agency officials," he said.
An open forum held last Thursday night at Kyoto Cinema in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, considered the question, "How should we think of 'The Cove'?" One participant said, "I have no idea how we might try to convey the reality of dolphin fishing to the world."
A panel discussion on dolphin fishing, featuring ethological experts and authors, is scheduled to be held in Tokyo on Friday.
]]>Quote:
OSAKA--Attendance figures have been consistently strong for "The Cove," a critical portrayal of the dolphin fishing industry of Taijicho, Wakayama Prefecture, since it began screening at cinemas in Japan more than three weeks ago.
Although police officers were sent to some movie theaters on the film's opening day in anticipation of possible violence by protesters, the hubbub quickly subsided.
The popularity of "The Cove," which won the Best Documentary prize at this year's Academy Awards, has led to additional theaters showing the film and others extending its run.
Atsushi Matsumura, manager of No. 7 Geijutsu Gekijo theater in Yodogawa Ward, Osaka, said he has been surprised by the film's success, with screenings selling out every weekend.
"We're going to extend its screening run to the middle of August," he said.
Loudspeaker protests accusing the film of being "anti-Japanese" took place in various locations around the country prior to its release to theaters on July 3. Some theaters canceled scheduled screenings for fear of provoking trouble.
No such protests have taken place since the opening day, however.
As with Geijutsu Gekijo, weekend screenings at Theater Image Forum in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, have consistently sold out.
Attendance at the two theaters for all screenings during the first week of showing averaged 86 percent capacity.
"The Cove" has been picked up by 10 additional theaters--including venues in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture; Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture; and Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture--since its initial release by 25 theaters.
Since the protests subsided, more attention has been focused on the actual content of the documentary.
Film magazine Kinema Junpo featured "The Cove" in an issue published in late July, and the July 6 edition of "Close-up Gendai," a talk program on NHK TV, discussed aspects of the documentary's production, including its use of surreptitious filming.
The film has not generated in-depth public discussion of the practice of dolphin fishing itself, however, and there has been no dialogue between the main stakeholders in the controversy.
Local fishermen in Taijicho, on whose occupation the film is focused, have refused to take part in public events discussing the issues raised in the film. They have objected strongly to the film, saying its presentation of information is biased.
Louis Psihoyos, director of "The Cove," is on record as saying he hopes next time he visits Japan there will be an understanding that the film's goal is to help "both dolphins and humans."
Takeharu Watai, an independent journalist, believes all sides should come together for talks.
"Given that 'The Cove' does raise what I believe are important questions about dolphin fishing, I'd like to see the people responsible for its production and the mass media work together to create a forum for discussions with Taijicho locals and Fisheries Agency officials," he said.
An open forum held last Thursday night at Kyoto Cinema in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, considered the question, "How should we think of 'The Cove'?" One participant said, "I have no idea how we might try to convey the reality of dolphin fishing to the world."
A panel discussion on dolphin fishing, featuring ethological experts and authors, is scheduled to be held in Tokyo on Friday.
Forty years later, Lolita the orca whale is still doing her two 20-minute shticks down at Miami Seaquarium in Florida after being snatched from Penn Cove.
But there’s a new threat floating in — the escaping British Petroleum oil rapidly approaching from the Gulf of Mexico.
The drifting blobs and toxic dispersants mixed with them are creating new urgency in the 15-year effort to return Lolita to Puget Sound, said Howard Garrett of Orca Network, a local whale-watching group based in Greenbank.
“It’s going to get there,” Garrett said of the oil and toxins flowing into Biscayne Bay, the source of water pumped directly into the Seaquarium.
He said the dispersants are the most dangerous, because they will break down the natural oils in Lolita’s skin that are essential to her well-being. He said some scientists have put the probability that the oil will enter Lolita’s tank at 80 percent.
“It could continue to flow for years, and be a constant threat to her health,” Garrett said.
Meanwhile, to mark the 40th anniversary of the capture of Lolita and other orcas that were captured with her, several events are planned for next month. The events at sea and on shore will be Sunday, Aug. 8, at Penn Cove at Coupeville, where the whales were taken in 1970.
Lolita, also known as Tokitae and believed to be between 42 and 44 years old, is the sole surviving “southern resident” orca taken from the cove, Garrett said. She was captured along with six other orcas in the cove on the same day.
In all, 45 whales were captured in the cove. All but Lolita were dead by 1987, Garrett said.
Garrett and others have been trying for years without success to convince the Seaquarium and various government agencies to agree to let Lolita return to Puget Sound, where the southern resident orca population now numbers 86. So far, the only success in the campaign has come in the arena of public opinion.
“It’s amazing, the change of thinking around the world,” Garrett said. “We’ve shown that captivity does harm the whales, and that there is a solution that’s very simple and without risk.”
He said if approval to relocate Lolita is granted, supporters can begin to raise the money.
He said that depending upon the amount of donated equipment and services, the cost to bring Lolita home probably would be between $100,000 and $1 million.
Meanwhile, the August commemoration also will honor all the whales that died during capture or in captivity, Garrett said.
The salute to the anniversary will begin at 3 p.m., when participants in all types of vessels will circle the perimeter of the capture site in Penn Cove and take part in a wreath ceremony.
Kayaks and small boats can be launched from Captain Coupe Park in Coupeville, Garrett said.
The historic 52-foot ketch Cutty Sark, carrying special guest Ric O’Barry and others, will take part in the wreath ceremony and make a cruise around the cove.
O'Barry is a former dolphin trainer for the "Flipper" television show who turned activist to battle against the captivity of dolphins after one died in his arms. His 2009 film, "The Cove," which exposed the seamier side of mammal capture and captivity, won an Academy Award for best documentary.
Following the on-the-water events will by a reception with O'Barry and other guests from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Wharf. There will be displays depicting the Penn Cove whale captures.
Concluding the commemoration will be presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Library, with guest speakers O'Barry, Garrett and others. Witnesses to the captures also will share their memories. The evening will include a silent auction, coffee and desserts.
A limited amount of space is available on the Cutty Sark, with tickets costing $50 per person. All the other events are free.
To make a reservation on the Cutty Sark, or for more information, call 1-866-ORCANET, e-mail info@orcanetwork.org or visit www.orcanetwork.org.
http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/42410...d99275299.html
]]>But there’s a new threat floating in — the escaping British Petroleum oil rapidly approaching from the Gulf of Mexico.
The drifting blobs and toxic dispersants mixed with them are creating new urgency in the 15-year effort to return Lolita to Puget Sound, said Howard Garrett of Orca Network, a local whale-watching group based in Greenbank.
“It’s going to get there,” Garrett said of the oil and toxins flowing into Biscayne Bay, the source of water pumped directly into the Seaquarium.
He said the dispersants are the most dangerous, because they will break down the natural oils in Lolita’s skin that are essential to her well-being. He said some scientists have put the probability that the oil will enter Lolita’s tank at 80 percent.
“It could continue to flow for years, and be a constant threat to her health,” Garrett said.
Meanwhile, to mark the 40th anniversary of the capture of Lolita and other orcas that were captured with her, several events are planned for next month. The events at sea and on shore will be Sunday, Aug. 8, at Penn Cove at Coupeville, where the whales were taken in 1970.
Lolita, also known as Tokitae and believed to be between 42 and 44 years old, is the sole surviving “southern resident” orca taken from the cove, Garrett said. She was captured along with six other orcas in the cove on the same day.
In all, 45 whales were captured in the cove. All but Lolita were dead by 1987, Garrett said.
Garrett and others have been trying for years without success to convince the Seaquarium and various government agencies to agree to let Lolita return to Puget Sound, where the southern resident orca population now numbers 86. So far, the only success in the campaign has come in the arena of public opinion.
“It’s amazing, the change of thinking around the world,” Garrett said. “We’ve shown that captivity does harm the whales, and that there is a solution that’s very simple and without risk.”
He said if approval to relocate Lolita is granted, supporters can begin to raise the money.
He said that depending upon the amount of donated equipment and services, the cost to bring Lolita home probably would be between $100,000 and $1 million.
Meanwhile, the August commemoration also will honor all the whales that died during capture or in captivity, Garrett said.
The salute to the anniversary will begin at 3 p.m., when participants in all types of vessels will circle the perimeter of the capture site in Penn Cove and take part in a wreath ceremony.
Kayaks and small boats can be launched from Captain Coupe Park in Coupeville, Garrett said.
The historic 52-foot ketch Cutty Sark, carrying special guest Ric O’Barry and others, will take part in the wreath ceremony and make a cruise around the cove.
O'Barry is a former dolphin trainer for the "Flipper" television show who turned activist to battle against the captivity of dolphins after one died in his arms. His 2009 film, "The Cove," which exposed the seamier side of mammal capture and captivity, won an Academy Award for best documentary.
Following the on-the-water events will by a reception with O'Barry and other guests from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Wharf. There will be displays depicting the Penn Cove whale captures.
Concluding the commemoration will be presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Coupeville Library, with guest speakers O'Barry, Garrett and others. Witnesses to the captures also will share their memories. The evening will include a silent auction, coffee and desserts.
A limited amount of space is available on the Cutty Sark, with tickets costing $50 per person. All the other events are free.
To make a reservation on the Cutty Sark, or for more information, call 1-866-ORCANET, e-mail info@orcanetwork.org or visit www.orcanetwork.org.
http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/42410...d99275299.html
The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), the nonprofit organization that brought moviegoers The Cove, is working on its next film project, The Singing Planet.
In a recent interview with Momentum, "The Cove" director Louie Psihoyos said, "We're shooting a 3D film about the mass extinction of wildlife caused by humanity -- I think it's the biggest story out there right now."
Since "The Cove" premiered at Sundance back in January 2009, there has been enormous support for the small nonprofit that helped create the film. According to OPS numbers, more than 1,300,000 many people have taken action to end dolphin slaughter in Japan.
OPS partners with major organizations to address animal rights, oceanic, censorship, and environmental issues. They hope to inspire individuals to take action in protecting our world's diminishing resources.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_660912.html
]]>In a recent interview with Momentum, "The Cove" director Louie Psihoyos said, "We're shooting a 3D film about the mass extinction of wildlife caused by humanity -- I think it's the biggest story out there right now."
Since "The Cove" premiered at Sundance back in January 2009, there has been enormous support for the small nonprofit that helped create the film. According to OPS numbers, more than 1,300,000 many people have taken action to end dolphin slaughter in Japan.
OPS partners with major organizations to address animal rights, oceanic, censorship, and environmental issues. They hope to inspire individuals to take action in protecting our world's diminishing resources.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_660912.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...iver-tour.html
These amazing photographs show incredible wild Beluga whales who help human visitors to swim under thick Arctic sea ice.
The whales have a delicate touch and these two were spotted taking the hands of one diver and coasting along with him.
Photographer Andrey Nekasov, 38, from Odessa, Ukraine, visited the White Sea - off the Barents sea on the north-west coast of Russia - which is popular for spotting pods of the all-white swimming mammals.
Some of the whales in the area were formerly captive but reintroduced to the wild after being rehabilitated.
Curious by nature, the whales greet dive teams as they cut dive holes into the thick Arctic ice by popping their heads out.
Once underwater, divers often get to play games with the whales as they explore and seemingly show off to their guests.
'The White Sea is a whale sanctuary and belugas have been released here from zoos and marine parks,' Mr Nekasov said.
'They are breeding well and there are many babies.'
Belugas have 40 small conical teeth which they use to grasp fish.
The photographer added: 'With this diver they were gripping his hand very gently and pulling him along. It was a lot of fun.
'The whales are really interested in what's going on around them and they use their mouths a lot to feel things.'
Andrey and the team travelled to the dive area on snow mobile.
Organisers from the Arctic Circle Dive Centre cut holes in the ice using hand-powered drills call borers.
After removing the huge slabs of thick ice, divers are submerged on a rope and swim at depths of around five metres below the surface.
Andrey added: 'Diving with the belugas is really popular because they are so friendly. When we are preparing to dive they pop their heads out and watch everyone getting ready.
'It's like they are beckoning you in to come and play.'
]]>Quote:
These amazing photographs show incredible wild Beluga whales who help human visitors to swim under thick Arctic sea ice.
The whales have a delicate touch and these two were spotted taking the hands of one diver and coasting along with him.
Photographer Andrey Nekasov, 38, from Odessa, Ukraine, visited the White Sea - off the Barents sea on the north-west coast of Russia - which is popular for spotting pods of the all-white swimming mammals.
Some of the whales in the area were formerly captive but reintroduced to the wild after being rehabilitated.
Curious by nature, the whales greet dive teams as they cut dive holes into the thick Arctic ice by popping their heads out.
Once underwater, divers often get to play games with the whales as they explore and seemingly show off to their guests.
'The White Sea is a whale sanctuary and belugas have been released here from zoos and marine parks,' Mr Nekasov said.
'They are breeding well and there are many babies.'
Belugas have 40 small conical teeth which they use to grasp fish.
The photographer added: 'With this diver they were gripping his hand very gently and pulling him along. It was a lot of fun.
'The whales are really interested in what's going on around them and they use their mouths a lot to feel things.'
Andrey and the team travelled to the dive area on snow mobile.
Organisers from the Arctic Circle Dive Centre cut holes in the ice using hand-powered drills call borers.
After removing the huge slabs of thick ice, divers are submerged on a rope and swim at depths of around five metres below the surface.
Andrey added: 'Diving with the belugas is really popular because they are so friendly. When we are preparing to dive they pop their heads out and watch everyone getting ready.
'It's like they are beckoning you in to come and play.'
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/27/mic...x.html?hpt=Mid
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency and a Canada-based energy company to step up efforts to contain an oil spill in the Kalamazoo River, after more than 840,000 gallons of oil leaked from a pipeline since Monday.
"There needs to be a lot more done," the governor said Tuesday, after touring the river area in a helicopter. "We don't have enough resources right now for containing the spill to the level where we can feel comfortable."
"The last thing any of us want is to see a smaller version of what has happened in the Gulf," she said, referring to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Oil began leaking from the 30-inch line Monday, moving from Talmadge Creek into the Kalamazoo River, which flows from near the city of Battle Creek into Lake Michigan. The pipeline normally carries 190,000 barrels of oil per day from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario.
Officials do not know what caused the oil to leak, but the pipeline now has been shut down. It is owned by Enbridge Energy Partners, based in Canada.
The slick spans some 16 miles, and the governor is worried it could reach popular Morrow Lake, between Battle Creek and the city of Kalamazoo.
Crews staffed by Enbridge are using booms to try to contain the oil and vacuum trucks to clean it up. The effort is being supervised by the EPA.
But Granholm fears the slick may spreading faster than it can be contained.
"Clearly this is a significant incident," she said. "It cannot be taken lightly. We need all hands on deck."
The river right now is close to flood stage, complicating efforts to contain the slick.
Two homes near the spill site have been evacuated, and 25 people worried about health issues have been relocated, according to Jim Rutherford, health officer with the Calhoun County Health Department.
Officials say there's no immediate danger to drinking water.
Wildlife has been affected, with some fish and birds coated in oil. The energy company is preparing a wildlife rehabilitation center for treating the animals.
People are being urged to avoid swimming or fishing near the affected areas.
]]>Quote:
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency and a Canada-based energy company to step up efforts to contain an oil spill in the Kalamazoo River, after more than 840,000 gallons of oil leaked from a pipeline since Monday.
"There needs to be a lot more done," the governor said Tuesday, after touring the river area in a helicopter. "We don't have enough resources right now for containing the spill to the level where we can feel comfortable."
"The last thing any of us want is to see a smaller version of what has happened in the Gulf," she said, referring to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Oil began leaking from the 30-inch line Monday, moving from Talmadge Creek into the Kalamazoo River, which flows from near the city of Battle Creek into Lake Michigan. The pipeline normally carries 190,000 barrels of oil per day from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario.
Officials do not know what caused the oil to leak, but the pipeline now has been shut down. It is owned by Enbridge Energy Partners, based in Canada.
The slick spans some 16 miles, and the governor is worried it could reach popular Morrow Lake, between Battle Creek and the city of Kalamazoo.
Crews staffed by Enbridge are using booms to try to contain the oil and vacuum trucks to clean it up. The effort is being supervised by the EPA.
But Granholm fears the slick may spreading faster than it can be contained.
"Clearly this is a significant incident," she said. "It cannot be taken lightly. We need all hands on deck."
The river right now is close to flood stage, complicating efforts to contain the slick.
Two homes near the spill site have been evacuated, and 25 people worried about health issues have been relocated, according to Jim Rutherford, health officer with the Calhoun County Health Department.
Officials say there's no immediate danger to drinking water.
Wildlife has been affected, with some fish and birds coated in oil. The energy company is preparing a wildlife rehabilitation center for treating the animals.
People are being urged to avoid swimming or fishing near the affected areas.
http://www.hawaii247.com/2010/07/28/...umpback-whale/
A new NOAA report on the health of humpback whales within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary evaluates resources protected by the sanctuary.
The status of humpback whales is rated as “good/fair”; however, their health is rated as “fair.”
Although humpback whale population numbers are increasing in the sanctuary, their overall health rating is “fair” because of an increase in reported collisions, entanglements and associated impacts.
Entanglement and whale-vessel collisions have been widely identified as the primary human cause of mortality for humpback whales, both in Hawaii and around the world. Therefore, these two issues have been identified as immediate and pressing issues for the sanctuary.
“The sanctuary was designated to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii, and this report reaffirms why humpbacks need protection,” said Allen Tom, Pacific Islands Regional Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “It also reveals that adaptive management strategies are necessary in order to preserve the sanctuary today and into the future.”
Prepared by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Condition Report provides an important baseline for the status of sanctuary resources at the beginning of the management plan review process.
Water quality in the sanctuary as it relates to humpback whales appears to be in “good” to “good/fair” condition because it is not likely to pose a threat to humpback whales.
This is because most water quality issues occur in nearshore waters, where humpback whales do not frequent. Also, humpback whales do not feed while wintering in Hawaiian waters, avoiding risks from consumption of potential pollutants.
Habitats used by humpback whales in the sanctuary are in “good/fair” condition. Although humpback whale habitat remains widely available in the Hawaiian Islands, some preferred habitats could be removed due to offshore development activities.
This condition report also includes the most up-to-date information from the North Pacific-wide research project, Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks (SPLASH). SPLASH is the most comprehensive humpback whale research study ever undertaken for any population of whales.
The primary objectives are to improve the description of the stock structure of humpback whales in the North Pacific to better understand the population over time, and to assess the human impact on whales. The sanctuary played a central role in initiating, funding and coordinating this cooperative international project.
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was created by Congress in 1992 and was fully established in 1997 with the approval of the sanctuary’s first management plan. The sanctuary is administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in partnership with the State of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The management plan for the sanctuary was last revised in 2002. The sanctuary is currently engaged in a multi-year process with many opportunities for public participation to review and revise the current management plan. In August 2010, the sanctuary will hold public comment meetings statewide.
NOAA prepared the condition report in consultation with outside experts from the scientific community. The full report is available online: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/
Encompassing 1,370 square miles of federal and state waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands, the sanctuary extends from the shoreline to the 100-fathom isobath (600-foot depth) and is composed of five separate marine protected areas accessible from six of the eight main Hawaiian Islands.
Through management, resource protection, education, outreach, research and cultural activities, the sanctuary strives to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
]]>Quote:
A new NOAA report on the health of humpback whales within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary evaluates resources protected by the sanctuary.
The status of humpback whales is rated as “good/fair”; however, their health is rated as “fair.”
Although humpback whale population numbers are increasing in the sanctuary, their overall health rating is “fair” because of an increase in reported collisions, entanglements and associated impacts.
Entanglement and whale-vessel collisions have been widely identified as the primary human cause of mortality for humpback whales, both in Hawaii and around the world. Therefore, these two issues have been identified as immediate and pressing issues for the sanctuary.
“The sanctuary was designated to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii, and this report reaffirms why humpbacks need protection,” said Allen Tom, Pacific Islands Regional Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “It also reveals that adaptive management strategies are necessary in order to preserve the sanctuary today and into the future.”
Prepared by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Condition Report provides an important baseline for the status of sanctuary resources at the beginning of the management plan review process.
Water quality in the sanctuary as it relates to humpback whales appears to be in “good” to “good/fair” condition because it is not likely to pose a threat to humpback whales.
This is because most water quality issues occur in nearshore waters, where humpback whales do not frequent. Also, humpback whales do not feed while wintering in Hawaiian waters, avoiding risks from consumption of potential pollutants.
Habitats used by humpback whales in the sanctuary are in “good/fair” condition. Although humpback whale habitat remains widely available in the Hawaiian Islands, some preferred habitats could be removed due to offshore development activities.
This condition report also includes the most up-to-date information from the North Pacific-wide research project, Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks (SPLASH). SPLASH is the most comprehensive humpback whale research study ever undertaken for any population of whales.
The primary objectives are to improve the description of the stock structure of humpback whales in the North Pacific to better understand the population over time, and to assess the human impact on whales. The sanctuary played a central role in initiating, funding and coordinating this cooperative international project.
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was created by Congress in 1992 and was fully established in 1997 with the approval of the sanctuary’s first management plan. The sanctuary is administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in partnership with the State of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The management plan for the sanctuary was last revised in 2002. The sanctuary is currently engaged in a multi-year process with many opportunities for public participation to review and revise the current management plan. In August 2010, the sanctuary will hold public comment meetings statewide.
NOAA prepared the condition report in consultation with outside experts from the scientific community. The full report is available online: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/
Encompassing 1,370 square miles of federal and state waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands, the sanctuary extends from the shoreline to the 100-fathom isobath (600-foot depth) and is composed of five separate marine protected areas accessible from six of the eight main Hawaiian Islands.
Through management, resource protection, education, outreach, research and cultural activities, the sanctuary strives to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
Great news!
Spanish Region Bans Bullfighting
By RAPHAEL MINDER
Published: July 28, 2010
MADRID — Bullfighting, considered by many Spaniards to be an essential part of their culture, suffered its most significant setback to date on Wednesday when lawmakers in Catalonia voted to ban fights in their region.
The law was immediately hailed as a victory by animal welfare groups over what they consider to be a barbaric and outdated practice.
“This is a historic day for all those who have worked to promote animal rights in a modern society like ours,” said José Ramón Mallén, a representative from Fundación Equanimal, an animal rights organization. “This is not about politics and Catalan identity but about ethics and showing that it is simply wrong to enjoy watching an animal getting killed in public.”
Still, the bullfighting issue has been overshadowed by a political debate over Catalan identity, at a time when similar issues also top the agenda in European countries from Belgium to the Balkans.
The Catalan vote came amid intense political bickering following a contested ruling last month by Spain’s constitutional court on a Catalan autonomy charter that had already been approved by Catalonia’s 5.5 million voters and the Spanish Parliament. While endorsing most of the charter, the court also infuriated Catalan nationalists — triggering a huge protest march in Barcelona — by striking out some of its points, as well as a legal claim to nationhood.
The bullfighting vote came ahead of Catalan regional elections later this year, in which nationalist parties are hoping to make advances.
On Wednesday, Catalan legislators, led by representatives from Catalan nationalist parties, approved the ban, 68 to 55 , with nine abstentions.
Lawmakers from Spain’s largest center-right Popular Party led opposition to the ban, both on cultural and economic grounds.
The economic impact of the ban, however, is likely to be limited because bullfighting’s popularity has long been on the decline in Catalonia, a region that was home to some of the country’s first bullfighting societies and whose main city, Barcelona, once operated three bullrings. Nowadays, just one bullring is left in Barcelona, attracting as few as 400 season ticketholders compared to 19,000 for Madrid’s main ring.
But supporters of bullfighting argued that losing Catalonia would set a terrible precedent for regions that have less bullfighting tradition and history than Catalonia. The vote also came at a time when bullfighting is already suffering from Spain’s economic crisis and lower consumer spending.
As an activity that is reliant on state subsidies, it has also suffered heavily from forced cuts in public funding. The impact has been particularly felt in smaller towns, where local administrations have bullfighting, which used to be the centerpieces of annual festivities. The number of bull fighting fiestas has fallen by almost a third since 2007.
The ban is to come into force in January 2012 to allow time for the industry to reorganize itself and for Barcelona authorities to decide what to do with one of the world’s leading bullrings, La Monumental. The bullfighting sector is expected to claim about 300 million euros in compensation to offset losses resulting from the ban.
]]>Quote:
Spanish Region Bans Bullfighting
By RAPHAEL MINDER
Published: July 28, 2010
MADRID — Bullfighting, considered by many Spaniards to be an essential part of their culture, suffered its most significant setback to date on Wednesday when lawmakers in Catalonia voted to ban fights in their region.
The law was immediately hailed as a victory by animal welfare groups over what they consider to be a barbaric and outdated practice.
“This is a historic day for all those who have worked to promote animal rights in a modern society like ours,” said José Ramón Mallén, a representative from Fundación Equanimal, an animal rights organization. “This is not about politics and Catalan identity but about ethics and showing that it is simply wrong to enjoy watching an animal getting killed in public.”
Still, the bullfighting issue has been overshadowed by a political debate over Catalan identity, at a time when similar issues also top the agenda in European countries from Belgium to the Balkans.
The Catalan vote came amid intense political bickering following a contested ruling last month by Spain’s constitutional court on a Catalan autonomy charter that had already been approved by Catalonia’s 5.5 million voters and the Spanish Parliament. While endorsing most of the charter, the court also infuriated Catalan nationalists — triggering a huge protest march in Barcelona — by striking out some of its points, as well as a legal claim to nationhood.
The bullfighting vote came ahead of Catalan regional elections later this year, in which nationalist parties are hoping to make advances.
On Wednesday, Catalan legislators, led by representatives from Catalan nationalist parties, approved the ban, 68 to 55 , with nine abstentions.
Lawmakers from Spain’s largest center-right Popular Party led opposition to the ban, both on cultural and economic grounds.
The economic impact of the ban, however, is likely to be limited because bullfighting’s popularity has long been on the decline in Catalonia, a region that was home to some of the country’s first bullfighting societies and whose main city, Barcelona, once operated three bullrings. Nowadays, just one bullring is left in Barcelona, attracting as few as 400 season ticketholders compared to 19,000 for Madrid’s main ring.
But supporters of bullfighting argued that losing Catalonia would set a terrible precedent for regions that have less bullfighting tradition and history than Catalonia. The vote also came at a time when bullfighting is already suffering from Spain’s economic crisis and lower consumer spending.
As an activity that is reliant on state subsidies, it has also suffered heavily from forced cuts in public funding. The impact has been particularly felt in smaller towns, where local administrations have bullfighting, which used to be the centerpieces of annual festivities. The number of bull fighting fiestas has fallen by almost a third since 2007.
The ban is to come into force in January 2012 to allow time for the industry to reorganize itself and for Barcelona authorities to decide what to do with one of the world’s leading bullrings, La Monumental. The bullfighting sector is expected to claim about 300 million euros in compensation to offset losses resulting from the ban.
Hi all, this bloke knows a thing or two, he has many clips on youtube. Even how to better your chances on winning the lottery,
Bashar speaks on The Gulf oil gusher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7B34YNWMd4
Bashar is a spirit who is channelled through a person whilst in trance.
enjoy.....
:)
]]>Bashar speaks on The Gulf oil gusher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7B34YNWMd4
Bashar is a spirit who is channelled through a person whilst in trance.
enjoy.....
:)
Sonar, Schiffsmotoren, Ölförderung: Der Mensch verursacht in den Weltmeeren ungeheuren Lärm - und zwingt Meerestiere, gegen den Krach anzukämpfen. Neue Messungen haben jetzt gezeigt, dass Glattwale auf die Belastung ähnlich reagieren wie Vögel in Städten...
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/n...705139,00.html
]]>http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/n...705139,00.html
http://www.asoc.org/Portals/0/Final%...20IWC%2061.pdf
Statement by Sidney Holt, Observer for the non-governmental organizations concerned with the conservation of the Antarctic and its resources (The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, ASOC) on behalf of NGOs participating in the Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission IWC) in Madeira, June 2009.
Mr Chairman, Delegations and Observers,
My name is Sidney Holt. I am observer for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, ASOC. But I am honoured to have been chosen to address you by the NGOs here concerned with animal welfare, conservation and the environment.
We intend to be pro-active, not merely re-active. We wish to focus on the future of whales and the ecosystems they inhabit, not just the future of the IWC. Still, we want the IWC to survive. By the way, this is a multiple anniversary year.
It's important to me because I first became involved with the IWC exactly half a century ago - 1959. It was decided then that Antarctic baleen whale catches would be reduced to sustainable levels, by 1964 at the latest, in accordance with scientific advice to be provided by three independent scientists of which I was one. But that reduction didn't happen until the early 1970s.
Then, 2009 is the thirtieth anniversary of the creation of the Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Next month the first symposium on the cetaceans of the region will be held in The Maldives, attended mostly by young scientists from the region.
Most importantly it's exactly eighty years since the eminent Argentine international lawyer, José Leon Suárez, proposed to the League of Nations that a sanctuary for whales be established in the Antarctic. Suarez reported that if nothing were done the fin, blue and humpback whales would be practically exterminated in the Southern Hemisphere. That took rather longer than he thought it would, but it had happened by 1959.
Then the sei whale resource was plundered in the 1960s.
Demolition of the minke whales was begun in the 1970s.
The biomass of the still numerous minke whales is less than one percent of the biomass of the Southern Hemisphere baleen whales at the time Suarez reported to the League of Nations.
Think about that. We're talking endlessly about how to sweep up the crumbs left on the table after the feast. If anything's dysfunctional, that's it.
All the NGOs for which I speak unreservedly support at this time the continuation of the moratorium, with no arbitrary catch limits being set. But they think it's time to move on: to end all commercial whaling under unilaterally issued Special Permits, all whaling in sanctuaries, all whaling under objections. And all international trade in commodities from Appendix I CITESlisted species.
An end is justified by the improvement of scientific knowledge about whales, using non-lethal methods, and by the increase in scale and extent of non-lethal uses of whales. Furthermore, increases in threats to the survival and welfare of whales - resulting from the intensifying and growing diversity of human activities in and around the ocean - mean that relieving the ecological stress caused by whaling is now even more urgent.
The wondrous, vulnerable whales will never contribute substantially to the food security of humans. Nor do they threaten it. Despite insistent propaganda they're not responsible for the troubles of the fishing industry.
Commercial whaling is now unnecessary, is inhumane, and is even unprofitable, continuing – subsidized - for minimal financial gain.
Nevertheless, we in civil society insist on being conciliatory and constructive. The three-year phase-in of zero catch limits after 1982 allowed six whaling countries to make the social and economic adjustments needed to fold their operations. That should be long enough now for a phasedown, and –out, of residual commercial whaling. The catches in that period should be fewer than in recent seasons; no new whaling vessels should be brought into service, and no new whaling operations begun. The phase-down and -out should be fair to the whaling countries that did abide by the IWC's 1982 decision. Intransigence should not be rewarded.
If you decide to extend the life of the Small Working Group we suggest you revise its terms of reference to include consideration of this option. And some other useful things could be started during the phase-down and -out.
They include resuming negotiations for revising the ICRW
And also launching more research - as promised to the United Nations in 1972 – on the recovery of the whale populations and ecosystems that were severely impacted by poorly regulated commercial whaling, as well as to gain more knowledge about the new threats to cetaceans.
Those are our suggestions, from all six continents and many small island states, including from all whaling countries. .
A fuller version of them can be made available to delegations and to the media in the normal way. It is also, posted on the ASOC website.
Thank you.
Endorsed and Supported by:
American Cetacean Society
Animal Welfare Institute
Asociacion de Biologia Marina de Guatemala
Campaign Whale
Canadian Marine Environment Protection Society
Centro de Conservacion de Cetacea
Cetacean Society International
Comite Ballenas Azul
Conservaciόn de Mamíferos Marinos de México
Cousteau Society
Environmental Investigation Agency
Eastern Carribean Coalition for Environmental Awareness
Fundacion MonteCarlo Verde
Humane Society International
The Humane Society of the United States
Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas
International Fund for Animal Welfare
International League for the Protection of Oceans
International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute
International Ocean Institute
Irish Seal Sanctuary
Iruka and Kujira Action Network
LegaSeas International
Natural Resources Defense Council
NOAH
Norwegian Society for the Protection of Animals
OceanCare
Pacific Orca Society/Orcalab
Pro Wildlife
Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
The Whaleman Foundation
World Society for the Protection of Animals
WWF*
* Some NGOs do not work on animal welfare issues, and as such have no position on the welfare or cruelty aspects of whaling.
]]>Quote:
Statement by Sidney Holt, Observer for the non-governmental organizations concerned with the conservation of the Antarctic and its resources (The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, ASOC) on behalf of NGOs participating in the Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission IWC) in Madeira, June 2009.
Mr Chairman, Delegations and Observers,
My name is Sidney Holt. I am observer for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, ASOC. But I am honoured to have been chosen to address you by the NGOs here concerned with animal welfare, conservation and the environment.
We intend to be pro-active, not merely re-active. We wish to focus on the future of whales and the ecosystems they inhabit, not just the future of the IWC. Still, we want the IWC to survive. By the way, this is a multiple anniversary year.
It's important to me because I first became involved with the IWC exactly half a century ago - 1959. It was decided then that Antarctic baleen whale catches would be reduced to sustainable levels, by 1964 at the latest, in accordance with scientific advice to be provided by three independent scientists of which I was one. But that reduction didn't happen until the early 1970s.
Then, 2009 is the thirtieth anniversary of the creation of the Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Next month the first symposium on the cetaceans of the region will be held in The Maldives, attended mostly by young scientists from the region.
Most importantly it's exactly eighty years since the eminent Argentine international lawyer, José Leon Suárez, proposed to the League of Nations that a sanctuary for whales be established in the Antarctic. Suarez reported that if nothing were done the fin, blue and humpback whales would be practically exterminated in the Southern Hemisphere. That took rather longer than he thought it would, but it had happened by 1959.
Then the sei whale resource was plundered in the 1960s.
Demolition of the minke whales was begun in the 1970s.
The biomass of the still numerous minke whales is less than one percent of the biomass of the Southern Hemisphere baleen whales at the time Suarez reported to the League of Nations.
Think about that. We're talking endlessly about how to sweep up the crumbs left on the table after the feast. If anything's dysfunctional, that's it.
All the NGOs for which I speak unreservedly support at this time the continuation of the moratorium, with no arbitrary catch limits being set. But they think it's time to move on: to end all commercial whaling under unilaterally issued Special Permits, all whaling in sanctuaries, all whaling under objections. And all international trade in commodities from Appendix I CITESlisted species.
An end is justified by the improvement of scientific knowledge about whales, using non-lethal methods, and by the increase in scale and extent of non-lethal uses of whales. Furthermore, increases in threats to the survival and welfare of whales - resulting from the intensifying and growing diversity of human activities in and around the ocean - mean that relieving the ecological stress caused by whaling is now even more urgent.
The wondrous, vulnerable whales will never contribute substantially to the food security of humans. Nor do they threaten it. Despite insistent propaganda they're not responsible for the troubles of the fishing industry.
Commercial whaling is now unnecessary, is inhumane, and is even unprofitable, continuing – subsidized - for minimal financial gain.
Nevertheless, we in civil society insist on being conciliatory and constructive. The three-year phase-in of zero catch limits after 1982 allowed six whaling countries to make the social and economic adjustments needed to fold their operations. That should be long enough now for a phasedown, and –out, of residual commercial whaling. The catches in that period should be fewer than in recent seasons; no new whaling vessels should be brought into service, and no new whaling operations begun. The phase-down and -out should be fair to the whaling countries that did abide by the IWC's 1982 decision. Intransigence should not be rewarded.
If you decide to extend the life of the Small Working Group we suggest you revise its terms of reference to include consideration of this option. And some other useful things could be started during the phase-down and -out.
They include resuming negotiations for revising the ICRW
And also launching more research - as promised to the United Nations in 1972 – on the recovery of the whale populations and ecosystems that were severely impacted by poorly regulated commercial whaling, as well as to gain more knowledge about the new threats to cetaceans.
Those are our suggestions, from all six continents and many small island states, including from all whaling countries. .
A fuller version of them can be made available to delegations and to the media in the normal way. It is also, posted on the ASOC website.
Thank you.
Endorsed and Supported by:
American Cetacean Society
Animal Welfare Institute
Asociacion de Biologia Marina de Guatemala
Campaign Whale
Canadian Marine Environment Protection Society
Centro de Conservacion de Cetacea
Cetacean Society International
Comite Ballenas Azul
Conservaciόn de Mamíferos Marinos de México
Cousteau Society
Environmental Investigation Agency
Eastern Carribean Coalition for Environmental Awareness
Fundacion MonteCarlo Verde
Humane Society International
The Humane Society of the United States
Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas
International Fund for Animal Welfare
International League for the Protection of Oceans
International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute
International Ocean Institute
Irish Seal Sanctuary
Iruka and Kujira Action Network
LegaSeas International
Natural Resources Defense Council
NOAH
Norwegian Society for the Protection of Animals
OceanCare
Pacific Orca Society/Orcalab
Pro Wildlife
Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
The Whaleman Foundation
World Society for the Protection of Animals
WWF*
* Some NGOs do not work on animal welfare issues, and as such have no position on the welfare or cruelty aspects of whaling.