In 2016, Barack Obama, the U.S. president at the time, made a proclamation: he would expand the protection of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a stretch of ocean fringing the islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that native Hawaiians consider to be sacred. Ten years earlier, his predecessor, George W. Bush had protected […]
Tag: fishing
Countries push to undermine ban on commercial whaling
A 40-year-old ban on commercial whaling is in danger after “misleading” resolutions were put forward at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Portorož, Slovenia. The wildlife protection organisations OceanCare and Humane Society International said proposals by pro-whaling countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, could reverse progress made by the IWC. Antigua and Barbuda has submitted […]
Why We Must Reject Octopus Farming Before It Begins
Octopuses have existed for millions of years and are recognized as some of the most intelligent animals in the sea. In 2020, My Octopus Teacher, a Netflix original documentary film, captured the heartfelt relationship between humans and octopuses, placing a spotlight on these miraculous creatures. However, they are all too often treated as a commodity, […]
Greenland shark, world’s longest-living vertebrate, gets long-awaited protection
Everything about the Greenland shark seems to be slow: these long-bodied animals swim slowly, grow slowly and reach maturity slowly. Their maturity rate is so sluggish, in fact, that scientists believe they don’t start reproducing until they’re about 150 years old — and that they can live anywhere from 270 to 500 years, making them […]
Europe moves to protect deep-sea sites in Atlantic from bottom fishing
BRUSSELS — On Sept. 15, the European Commission made a historic announcement: it will prohibit bottom fishing across 16,000 square kilometers, or 6,200 square miles — an area about half the size of Belgium — in waters controlled by the European Union in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. While some fisheries representatives have criticized the decision, […]
Dad takes two-year-old son hunting so ‘he can have fun as he learns about wild animals’
A dad has defended why he teaches his son to hunt – saying it teaches him about feral animals as well as having fun. Zach Williams, father to two-year-old son and seven-year-old stepson, said he is also currently training his eldest son on how to use a bow and arrow, as his younger son watches […]
5 rescued after orcas sink boat off Portuguese coast
This morning a sailboat sank, off Sines, after an encounter with orcas, according to a statement from the Portuguese Navy. Five crew members were rescued by the fishing vessel “Festas André”, which was nearby, under the coordination of the Portuguese Navy, in conjunction with the Captain of the Port of Sines. “The Navy, through the […]
In Sri Lankan waters, endangered but unprotected rays encounter a killing field
COLOMBO — When fishermen in southern Sri Lanka recently caught a giant oceanic manta ray, they needed a backhoe to haul it out of the water once they reached land. Weighing 800 kilograms, or nearly 1,800 pounds, the catch drew much local attention. It sold for 170,000 rupees, or about $470, and soon this endangered […]