Scientists were already worried about the survival of North Atlantic right whales following a slew of tragic deaths over the past year. Now, even more concerns are being raised about the lack of calves this year. Once considered the “right” whales to kill, this species was nearly hunted to extinction. Today, there are estimated to […]
Tag: national marine fisheries service
POLL: Should the Pacific Bluefin Tuna be given endangered species protection?
Pacific bluefin tuna have declined by a staggering 97 percent, but the Trump administration has declined to grant them much-needed federal protection that would have helped ensure their survival. Pacific bluefin tuna are slow-growing, taking years to fully mature, and long-lived, which makes them especially vulnerable to overfishing. The demand for them, particularly for sushi, […]
The World’s Most Endangered Porpoise Could Be Gone by 2018
Conservationists have been sounding the alarm for years over concerns that the world’s smallest porpoise is heading towards extinction, but things are looking even more dire with a prediction that they could disappear forever as soon as 2018. The vaquita only exists in a small area in the Gulf of California, off the coast of […]
The Tea Party Hits a New Low With Attack on Endangered Species
While conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) last week, Tea Party members were busy working on a bill to gut the act, which will put the most vulnerable plants and animals at even more risk. The ESA was enacted in 1973 in an effort to protect the […]
Future of Great Whites in the Hands of California Leaders
We are alarmed by the recent decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) not to provide needed protections for U.S. West Coast great white sharks under the federal Endangered Species Act. NMFS declined protections despite current science estimates of only a few hundred sub-adult and adult white sharks at their primary aggregation sites. The […]
California’s Shark Fin Ban Officially in Effect! The Catch Is…
Let’s start with the good news: As of yesterday, July 1, California’s shark fin ban (passed in 2011) officially came into effect! California grocers that stocked shark fins and restaurants that offered shark fin soup on the menu had 18 months to move their product. During the 18 month interim, the Los Angeles Times reports […]
“Snuffy the Seal”: Offensive or Effective?
Whether this was your first or fiftieth time watching the Discovery Channel’s viral Shark Week ad, “Snuffy the Seal,” the video is sure to have caught your attention. The ad has been called “polarizing,” “controversial,” and even “horrifying.” Loved or hated, there’s no doubt that the video is effective – mere minutes after the promo […]
Rare Breed of Killer Whale May Be New Species
A group of killer whales once thought to be genetic anomalies may in fact be a species all their own, according to a recent study in the journal Polar Biology. The rarely-seen “type D” orcas—which live in the Southern Ocean—are one of four varieties of killer whale. Researchers recently sequenced type D’s genome using material […]
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 739 Miles of U.S. Coastline Protected for Loggerhead Sea Turtles
This morning the government announced a decision, long in the making, to designate more than 739 miles of Atlantic and Gulf coastline as critical habitat for threatened loggerhead sea turtles. Loggerheads face threats from all sides, including from pollution, degradation of foraging areas, and serious injury and death from entanglement in fishing gear. They’re also […]
