timzimmermann:

In Norway, culture of whaling can’t compete with modern alternatives. @whales_org @oceanwire

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Note the slabs of meat. Also, Tim Zimmermann is a hard core, outdoors/environmental dude. He runs a solid tumblr - follow if you can!

Chinese ship runs into protected UNESCO reef in Philippines — while transporting 11 tons of illegal Pangolin meat

A Chinese vessel that ran into a protected coral reef in the southwestern Philippines held evidence of even more environmental destruction inside: more than 22,000 pounds of meat from a protected species, the pangolin or scaly anteater.

The steel-hulled vessel hit an atoll on April 8 at the Tubbataha National Marine Park, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site on Palawan island.

Coast guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo said Monday that 400 boxes, each containing 25 to 30 kilograms of frozen pangolins, were discovered during a second inspection of the boat Saturday.

The World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines said the Chinese vessel F/N Min Long Yu could have been carrying up to 2,000 of the toothless, insect-eating animals rolled up in the boxes, with their scales already removed.

The boat’s 12 Chinese crewmen are being detained on charges of poaching and attempted bribery, said Adelina Villena, the marine park’s lawyer. She said more charges are being prepared against them, including damaging the corals and violating the country’s wildlife law for being found in possession of the pangolin meat.

The poachers posed as fisherman and now face up to 20 years in prison. Via NBC

Here’s a NatGeo video of the endangered pangolin.

It’s going fast,” fisherman Eric Pineda said. “We’ve got to fish harder before it’s all gone.” Asked what he would leave to his son, he shrugged: “He’ll have to find something else.

Via: ‘Free-for-all’ decimates fish stocks in the southern Pacific

watershedplus:

The Double-heart of stacked stones or the Twin-Heart Fish Trap is an old stone weir in in the Penghu archipelago, west of Taiwan. It is a well-preserved ancient fish trap made by stacking stones. A traditional fish trap construction in these islands, this one is the most famous because of the shape of the structure.

Fishing weirs have been used since prehistory in locations all around the world, usually constructed of wooden posts and wattle.

From tywkiwdbi

U.S. Department of State: Preserving One of the Last and Greatest Ocean Wilderness Areas ›

Wild dolphin “asks” for help to get untangled from fishing line and a fishing hook stuck in its skin. Openly trusts divers as they cut off the line.

I know, I know. At first, I didn’t believe the title or description either. And even as the video unfolds, I remained skeptical. But then it happened - the dolphin clearly ‘asks’ for help. I’ve never seen anything like it (well, maybe except in domesticated pets). Definitely gives pause to reflect on the meaning of sentience.

From the description:

This video of a dolphin in need is really something on so many levels.

It turns out that the dolphin had fishing line and a hook stuck on one of its fins, so it approached a group of divers who were watching manta rays at night near Kona, Hawaii. Fortunately one of the professional divers was able to help remove some of the fishing line that was restricting the movement of the dolphin, though in the end they were unable to remove the hook.

Via BoingBoing

Preggers whale shark rescued from rope around her neck. Whale sharks are threatened because their food systems - namely coral reefs - are collapsing from rising temperatures. See here for more about climate threats to coral reefs and the animals that depend on them as feeding grounds.

Also, check out the great tumblr ecocides:

A group of divers in Mexico rescue a pregnant whale shark from almost certain death on Wednesday. The divers, who were on a routine tourist trip to a marine nature reserve in Roca Partida, cut a thick rope which had got caught around its body. The whale shark was around 10 metres long and weighed about 15 tonnes.

Greenland’s ice and glaciers are melting fast, exposing ultra-rare minerals and gems deposits like no other on the entire planet. Gold, diamonds, coal, uranium, possibly oil and gas, and rare-earth metals (a very rare mineral-ore used to make cell phones) are among the many riches to be dug up.

A mining boom is about to completely change the island forever. We’re witnessing it right now. Glaciers are melting, exposing rock underneath that is packed with profits.

This means a tidal wave of money is about to crush centuries of culture, tradition, and local community. Many locals can’t wait for it to happen.

These screens are clipped from this fantastic article covering the economic boom Greenland is about to experience due to the big melt. It’s a beautifully shot video. And these pics do not do it justice. Have a look.

After you watch, I’d also like to hear what you think of this situation. Do you think mining in Greenland is a good thing? If you know Scandinavian politics, what of the possible break between Greenland and Denmark? What new goods and services will the natives and locals need in Greenland?? Click here and add your opinion/ask questions/vent/etc. I’ll do my best to answer!

Breaking/happening now: 80-100 dolphins rounded up for annual slaughter ritual in Taiji, Japan. First pic with the sign is from today. Though, word is the slaughter began late this afternoon. The second picture is from last year’s round-up.

They essentially wrangle the dolphin in to this hidden area, have dolphin-trainers from around the world come pick out dolphins they think are worth training, and then the fishermen kill the rest.

The people of Japan don’t really know what’s happening because the local and national government keeps it a giant secret. The killing also takes places in a giant alcove where no one can see how the dolphins are killed. Via.

Movie about the slaughter: The Cove.

Current petition Japanese government.

UPDATE: CNN ireport

guardian:

Half the size of a football pitch, Migingo Island on Lake Victoria is claimed by both Kenya and Uganda. The population of 131 is made up of mostly fishermen and traders.

Jesco Denzel

More incredible pics here.

Still loving the live bear cam in Brooks Falls Alaska. I watched one yesterday casually shredding a large salmon yesterday. Gulped it down while chilling in the rapids.

Amazing video of a whale shark caught stealing fish from fisherman’s net.

Manta ray populations are being decimated as more people have access to protein and fish stocks plummet. Mantas are seen as alternatives (more like last resort) to regular fish supply. Warning: Graphic content.

skeptv:

Andrea Marshall: An up-close look at the majestic manta ray

Andrea Marshall wrote the first doctoral thesis on manta rays, exploring the physical and figurative depths of this highly threatened species.

Greenland.

peergettyimages:

A great set shot in Greenland from a new signing Andre Schoenherr.

Louisiana Fisherman Pioneer Floating Architecture.

“Old River sits outside the Morganza Levee system, so when the mighty Mississippi floods, rising water overwhelms it. In the past decade, Old River has flooded at least once every year.

In response, residents and those with seasonal fishing camps have mobilized to devise an innovative solution: turning their homes into floating rafts. Also known as “amphibious,” the houses stay grounded under ordinary circumstances, but when water inundates the land, they float.

There are numerous variations on the idea, but the underlying principle is usually the same: a steel frame fastened to the underside of the building foundation contains a buoyant material — large blocks of styrofoam, for example. Vertical guidance poles attached to the frame keep the house from moving any direction but up or down.”

More at PBS