GreenWatch

B. McPherson  Japan continues its whale slaughter pretending this is scientific research. Japan has begun its annual whale slaughter in the Southern Ocean. Summer there marks the summer slaughter of the cetaceans. While Japan claims that their killing of whales is purely for scientific purposes and have gone so far as to mark their factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, in large letters “Scientific Research” the evidence is to the contrary. Sea Shepherd Society Australia has documented their observation of the whaling fleet since they left Japan on December 7, 2013. A horrific description of finding three Minke whales still alive, bleeding and being pumped full of air lying on the factory ship. From the Society’s helicopter an observer reported watching the Japanese crew hacking the carcass of another whale into marketable pieces. The observer, Tim Watters, described the grisly scene and I won’t attempt to paraphrase him. Go to the Society’s page if you have a strong stomach. ...

B. McPherson   Bat with white nose syndrome and electron micrograph of fungus on bat hair White nose disease has been detected in the Fern Cave National Refuge in Alabama. It is home to about one million endangered gray bats and is their principal wintering cave. The disease has wiped out whole populations of bats since its introduction to N. America in 2006. It has not been confirmed how the disease spread from Europe to this continent, but suspicions lie with bat researchers or cavers who inadvertently brought spores of the fungus back with them in their clothes or equipment. The fungus Geomyces destructans , attacks the muzzle and wings showing up as white fuzz on the nose of the bats. They break their winter hibernation and fly out of their caves searching for insects which, of course, are not around in the winter. The bats die of starvation. "White-nose syndrome has arrived in the very core of gray bat habitat and it's like a bomb waiting to go off. Desp...

B. McPherson One of the leading causes of death to whales is passing ships. An endangered fin whale has washed up on a beach near Los Angeles and is decomposing. The approximately 40 000 of whale is creating quite a smell as Mother Nature goes about recycling the whale. The stink has people in the chi chi neighbourhood of Malibu asking for it to be removed. No agency claims responsibility. It has rotted to the point that it cannot be dragged whole out to sea in any case. Suggestions that it be buried in sand would work, except that it is currently resting in a rocky area. The juvenile cetacean is about 40 feet long. It has likely been struck by a boat as it is exhibiting wounds to its back and a damaged spine. Large vessels are one of the leading causes of death to whales around the world. Only about 2300 fin whales are resident off the California coast. California has made great efforts in the past few years to clean up its coastal waters and the result has be...

B. McPherson A federal court of appeal in Canada has ruled that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) had failed in its duty to protect killer whales (orcas) by not protecting crucial habitat for them. Last year EcoJustice brought suit against the DFO for failing this duty and the lower court agreed with them. The decision of the lower court was appealed by the DFO. “The court ruled that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans must legally protect all aspects of killer whale critical habitat — including their food supply and the quality of their marine environment.” EcoJustice The iconic black and white whales have two main populations on the coast of British Columbia, the northern and the southern. The northern group is made up of 264 individuals and is considered threatened. The southern group is now reduced to 87 and listed as endangered. The southern group travels mainly in the Strait of Georgia south to Juan de Fuca Strait. Both are listed under the Specie...

B. McPherson                                                       Someone in the Puget Sound, Seattle area is shooting sea lions. To date eight dead sea lions have been found. Both the local Department of Fish and Wildlife and NOAA are investigating the crimes. According to Seattle’s King 5 News one of the dead was a Stellar sea lion, supposed to be protected by the endangered Species Act and another, a California sea lion, protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. There have been no arrests in the latest spate of shootings, but the Sea Shepherd Society has stepped up to the plate to offer a $10 000 reward for the apprehension and conviction of the killers. Sea lions and seals have come under attack by fishermen because of their conflicting agendas. The fishermen want to harvest as many fish as they can and the sea mammals wan...

By. B. McPherson It you watch this video from RT television through to the end, you will see the numerous carcasses of these endangered animals at the Tokyo market. While the number of Bluefin Tuna continue to dwindle in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Japan thumbs its collective nose at conservation efforts. Thursday’s Tsukiji fish market saw the first Bluefin tuna reach a price of 56.49 million Yen (USD $ 736 thousand). With profits like those to be made for catching the endangered species and a strong government lobby to prevent controls on the harvesting of these magnificent creatures, the Bluefin doesn’t stand a chance. At the 2010 conference in Qatar, the Japanese were accused of sinking any chance of reaching an agreement on limiting fishing. “Japan's aggressive lobbying operation in the days before the vote will be familiar to veterans of International Whaling Committee meetings, where poor island nations vote with Japan in return for investment i...

By B. McPherson Weep for this small group of Roosevelt Elk. They will probably be dead by spring. They’ve come down from the Island Range of mountains to winter in the Douglas Fir lowlands. Big surprise for them this year – the local First Nation group has been given permission to log the endangered fir trees. They no longer have a winter home . The Province of British Columbia touts its “Supernatural BC” on its car license plates. It is a beautiful province but like any delicate treasure it needs to be treated gently. The Nanoose Bay forest is being logged on Vancouver Island. The land is crown land, that is publicly owned, yet desperate pleas and court cases have failed to dissuade the provincial government and the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation from logging a forest that holds endangered old growth Douglas Fir trees as well as red listed(critically endangered) plants and animals. For more details on this rare jewel that is being killed off along with the organisms th...

By B. McPherson This wildlife refuge in the Albertine Rift area of Africa was designated a World Heritage Site in 1979. The 790 000 ha site was dedicated as a park in 1925. Since then it has been subjected to increasing pressure from the swelling populations in that area. Villagers crowd the park boundaries and infiltrate it, seeking to increase their plantings and find forage for their cattle. Charcoal merchants turn park trees into fuel for city dwellers in Goma who lack other means to cook their food. Tomorrow the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) will hold elections. Perhaps the warfare that has raged in this area will cool, perhaps not. Virunga Park also  borders the countries of Rwanda and Uganda, countries that have had their share of civil unrest, resulting in massacres and millions of displaced people. Enterprising poachers have slaughtered many of the large mammals in the park and sold the meat to soldiers, and irregular militia as well as to the refugees. As w...