High Dolphin Deaths in South Australia: Humane Society challenges fishery management

Another example of the problem with the indiscriminate nature of gill nets: ABC News reports that in South Australia, the Humane Society International is pitting itself against legally sanctioned shark fishing due to a recently high level of dolphin deaths. The commercial shark fishing operators use gill nets which are notorious for catching other marine life other than sharks. Seals, turtles, billfish, and dolphins have been known to get ensnared in gill nets and summarily discarded as bycatch.

Apparently there has been a high accumulation of baitfish in South Australian waters where the shark fishermen operate. This has attracted dolphins, thereby increasing the number accidentally caught and killed in the gill nets. Shark fishing industry officials say they are not to blame as they are operating within all legal regulations. Regardless, Humane Society officials believe action needs to be taken immediately to protect the dolphins.

"It's not only a conservation issue, potentially it's also an animal welfare issue," said Alexia Wellbelove from the Humane Society. "What we're asking AFMA, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, to do is put some measures in place to protect the dolphins. If those can't be put in place then the use of gill nets needs to be banned in that area until they can figure out what the problem is that's causing all these deaths, because it's totally unacceptable."

The Humane Society International is recommending that dolphin experts be brought in to assist the AFMA and the fishery industry in determining a solution to the problem, rather than, in essence, blame the entire situation on the dolphins.

"What we need to do is actually get some dolphin experts to give the industry some advice," Wellbelove said. "I don't believe the industry has the capability or the understanding of dolphins sufficiently to be able to give us that information with any certainty."

CITES Meeting Coming: shark species to be proposed for protection

On several occasions over the past months, I have mentioned the upcoming convening of CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) set for next March. These meetings are always important because CITES is one of the leading international bodies that can generate worldwide policy decisions regarding a wide range of flora and fauna species.

Several species of sharks are expected to be introduced for consideration under CITES system of Appendix classifications (Appendix I requires a complete ban in harvest & trade, while Appendix II does not ban but requires restrictions to "acceptable & sustainable" levels).

The Humane Society International circulated an email today as a reminder of the upcoming CITES meeting and the need to make sure that as much friendly pressure as possible must be exerted on those nations that are undecided on the issue of shark species.

One of the sharks up for consideration is the Spiny Dogfish - a smaller shark, one of the less remarkable or noteworthy sharks but critically important all the same. Populations of these sharks in the Northern Atlantic are in rapid decline with over 75% of mature breeding females having been lost. Surprisingly, the sharks are caught for fish and chips, not shark fins (although some are caught for that market), and are a substitute for declining stocks of cod or haddock. However, unlike cod or haddock, spiny dogfish are slow to reproduce - as is the case with all sharks - and so the impact of commercial fishing has been profound and rapid.

The European Union and Palau will be proposing Appendix II protections for the spiny dogfish. The Humane Society is providing an online form so that people may contact key U.S. officials as the U.S. has not made a firm commitment to the proposal and there are plenty of commercial fishing industry organizations and lobbies hard at work to prevent passage.

Whether it's the "celebrity" sharks like great whites, hammerheads or whale sharks or more obscure sharks like the spiny dogfish, all need protection. Click here and add your voice to insure that CITES will do its part to help save these important ocean animals.

Canadian Seal Hunt: economic pressure through boycotts and bans

The Canadian baby fur seal hunt has, unfortunately, been taking place in the winter and early spring for many years. Even after extreme efforts over the years from Greenpeace and other hard core conservation groups, the Canadian government has continued to support the fishermen who participate in this hunt during their fishing off-season. For many people, it becomes one of those sad conservation issues whose persistence eventually makes it a lower priority; nothing has changed so we'd rather not think about it. But maybe that's now turning around.

Following on the heels of the European Union's recent decision to ban the commercial trade in seal fur (the U.S. initiated such a ban in the early 70's), The Humane Society International is continuing the strategy of economic pressure by promoting an ongoing ban, extending it to Europe, of Canadian seafood products - products that generate much greater income for Canada and the fishermen involved in the hunt than do seal fur.

The images of big-eyed baby harp seals and hunters wielding clubs or picks has always added to the message that the hunt was cruel in it's execution. Seals could be shot, but bullet holes reduce the value of the seal skin, so clubbing remains the preferred method. Often, the seals are skinned while out on the ice, so in the end it's a pretty grizzly scene (although, I think if we spent a day at a slaughter house or chicken farm, we'd probably all be vegetarians). In the end, the question is whether the seal fur market is worth sustaining, given a shrinking customer base (Canada exports most of its seal product), ecological and conservation implications (Grey seals were nearly wiped out due to over-hunting in the Gulf of St. Lawrence), and the anticipated bad PR and loss of revenue from an extended seafood boycott.

Several commercial food markets and restaurants have joined the Canadian seafood boycott, including Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe's Food Emporiums, and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Cafes.

According to The Humane Society International:

"With more than 1 million baby seals killed in the past five years alone, Canada's commercial seal kill is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. The annual slaughter is an off-season activity conducted by commercial fishermen from Canada's East Coast who earn, on average, just a small fraction of their annual income from killing seals.

'Expanding the boycott of Canadian seafood to Europe is a logical next step in our campaign to end Canada's commercial seal slaughter,' said Mark Glover, director of HSI/UK. 'The European Union took the historic step of banning its trade in products of commercial seal hunts. Now, by not purchasing Canadian seafood products, European citizens are showing their support for putting an end to the bloody slaughter of baby seals.'

HSI's American partner, The Humane Society of the United States, launched the Canadian seafood boycott in the U.S. in 2005. To date, the ProtectSeals boycott has gained the support of more than 5,500 establishments and 650,000 individuals. With the help of European establishments, HSI hopes to increase these numbers—as the European Union is the third largest market for Canadian seafood—and bring an end to the inhumane slaughter of innocent seals."

Once again, it would seem that economic power speaks louder than humane actions when it comes to motivating commerce. If you would like to learn more about the hunt, click here. To add your name to the boycott list, click here.

Chambered Nautilus: a living fossil that needs protecting

When I first started scuba diving over 25 years ago, I became fascinated with all kinds of underwater life - but often for all the wrong reasons. I tried spearfishing, game collecting, shell collecting - a variety of activities that I no longer engage in as I now view sealife as an important but threatened resource.

But in my more naive days, one of the things I fell in love with was the intricacy of the Chambered Nautilus shell. This fascinating living fossil still captivates me to this day, but I wince at some of the shell specimens I collected in my less-conservation minded past from various shops and dealers.

Several years ago, I asked a friend who was an aquarist at a local major aquarium if they planned to acquire any Nautiluses for exhibition. He scrunched up his nose, "I hope not. They're too boring." Well, he had a point. A Nautilus will simply hover in an exhibit and remain so still, you could replace it with a rubber facsimile held down by a weight; its only telltale sign to the visitor being the monofilament line running down to the weight.

But the shell collecting/gift shop and exhibition trades are apparently taking their toll on this incredible, ancient mollusk. Dead or alive, a combined 579,000 were imported to the U.S. alone between 2005 and 2008. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is considering proposing that the Nautilus receive an Appendix II classification with CITES. CITES defines the Appendix II rating this way:
Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. It also includes so-called "look-alike species", i.e. species of which the specimens in trade look like those of species listed for conservation reasons. International trade in specimens of Appendix-II species may be authorized by the granting of an export permit or re-export certificate. No import permit is necessary for these species under CITES (although a permit is needed in some countries that have taken stricter measures than CITES requires). Permits or certificates should only be granted if the relevant authorities are satisfied that certain conditions are met, above all that trade will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.

Such a rating with CITES would have international implications and could go a long way to protecting the Nautilus population (typically found in the South Pacific). The Humane Society International is conducting an email letter campaign to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, urging them to make the proposal to CITES.

You can add your voice to this campaign by clicking here. Do it today.

Ecotourism in Latin America: Human Society International promotes economic strategy

Several times in this blog I have cited my support of ecotourism as a means of enlightening people to the wonders of nature and the need for conservation. And while that is the overarching goal, for ecotourism to be truly successful it must contain a strong economic component that makes it appealing to those who may be faced with having to change established business models or personal activities for the sake of ecotourism operations.

But the economic incentives must not be confined to a small group of profitable businessmen; the community as a whole must benefit so as to ensure long-term support. This has been a cornerstone of the strategy taken by the Humane Society International and a recent email summary newsletter about their activities in promoting ecotourism in Latin America clearly illustrates their approach, from Costa Rica to Peru.

Ranging from hospitality opportunities, including tour guide training to cabins and restaurants, to scientific research support to land and road development - all provide a variety of economic opportunities for local communities. It's fundamental and the cynic may see it as locals just being self-serving, but one of the best ways to garner support for conserving natural resources is to provide a tangible benefit, particularly in areas where the people's day-to-day existence holds much greater influence compared to big picture goals like conservation.

To borrow from a famous quote of Teddy Roosevelt, regulations and enforcement are required to wield "a big stick" at those who would willingly threaten our natural resources; ecotourism serves as a means to "speak softly" and gain converts from both outside and within critical nature sites.

Read HSI newsletter.