“Walls of death.” Gillnets have often been described in this haunting way due to their devastating ability to catch all kinds of fish, as well as sea turtles, seals, dolphins, and even whales. Marine creatures of all sizes and species are indiscriminately snared and drowned in these death traps, and a recent report reveals that […]
Tag: protect marine wildlife
Sawfish Designated as Endangered Species
Sawfish have a reason to breathe a little easier today: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has completed comprehensive status reviews under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and has determined that five foreign species of sawfish meet the definition of “endangered” under the Act. Of course, this “victory” is bittersweet: no one is celebrating the […]
More Than 600 Seabirds and Penguins Found Dead
Last month, in the Coquimbo region of northern Chile, more than 600 guanay cormorants and penguins were found dead on the beaches. The citizen control that monitors the area reported that on May 10, ten fishing boats were seen approaching the beach opposite the Los Choros ravine. Two days later, the Movement in Defense of […]
Swine Flu Discovered in Marine Mammals
Scientists have recently published a paper revealing that Northern elephant seals in California contracted swine flu (H1N1) during the epidemic that affected thousands of people in 2010. This is the first time that this virus has been discovered in marine mammals, establishing Northern elephant seals as vectors for human pandemics and determining that this strain […]