MARINELAND IN DEPTH

http://www.marinelandindepth.com/

Thursday, September 12, 2013

BREAKING Dr. Naomi Rose to attend Niagara Screening of Blackfish

DR. NAOMI ROSE & SAMANTHA BERG
Blackfish organizers are proud to announce that highly respected marine biologist Dr. Naomi Rose, of the Animal Welfare Institute will be attending the Niagara screening of Blackfish on September 27th in St. Catharines. 

Dr. Rose has worked tirelessly on international marine mammal protection issues around the world. Her areas of expertise include whaling, whale and dolphin watching and marine ecotourism, the dolphin-safe tuna label, marine sanctuaries, acoustic harassment, captive marine mammals (including swim-with-the-dolphin programs), the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the sport hunting of polar bears, as well as the protection of walruses, seals, sea lions, manatees, dugongs and sea otters. 

Dr. Rose is no stranger to the issues surrounding Marineland Canada and in previous visits has worked with groups such as Zoocheck Canada to highlight the woeful conditions animals endure at this facility. Recently Dr. Rose was featured as one of the main protagonists in David Kirby’s best selling book Death at Seaworld.

It is an honour to have Dr. Rose as well as former Seaworld trainer and anti captivity activist Samantha Berg together in attendance for a Q&A session following the historic screening of Blackfish in Niagara.
at 5:21 PM 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

An Open Letter to Niagara Area Politicians RE: Blackfish
UPDATE: Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati has declined this invitation as he will be out of the country on city business during this date and unable to attend. Alternative arrangements to view the film have been offered. 

This letter has been sent to all members of Niagara Falls City Council, MP's Rob Nicholson, Rick Dykstra, MPP's Kim Craitor, Cindy Forster & Jim Bradley.



Hello,
As you are aware the topic of marine mammal captivity has often been quite controversial here in the Niagara Region for many years.  Among your constituents there are those that are extremely concerned about the care of animals at Marineland or do not believe marine mammals belong in captivity at such a facility at all.  There are others who choose to support this local business that is also part of the important tourism economy.
In making one's mind up about an important topic the key is to understand and engage with both sides to get a full and fair grasp of the issue.  We feel, for many years that the captive marine mammal industry has controlled most of the message about captivity to the public.  On a local level it is often felt by many that because they are a business Marineland is often afforded the advantage of having their concerns heard above the voices that oppose their practises.
We are bringing the blockbuster documentary Blackfish to Niagara to make people aware there is another side of the captive marine mammal industry.  While this film primarily discusses Seaworld, their business strategy and tactics are virtually identical to those used by Marineland and the industry as a whole.  Viewing this film will allow you to go beyond all the fuzzy TV & radio commercials and experience what truly happens when you bring wild marine mammals into captivity for the sake of profit.  While you may not agree with everything that is in this film it will at least make you aware of many things you might not have thought about.
We would like to extend an invitation to the Mayor of Niagara Falls, all members of Niagara Falls City Council and all Niagara area MP's and MPP's to be our guests at the screening of this film.  We are offering a nonpartisan hostile-free environment for an enjoyable evening of film. It is our hope you will come away with a better understanding of what many of your constituents have expressed deep concern about.
Please RSVP no later than September 20th 2013 to reserve your tickets:
blackfishniagara@gmail.com
A reminder the screening will be held Sept 27th at 7pm at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School Auditorium in St. Catharines.
 Sincerely,
Blackfish Niagara Organizers
at 11:42 AM 

Friday, September 6, 2013

Niagara Screening of Blackfish

The  blockbuster documentary of the summer BLACKFISH will be screened exclusively in Niagara on Friday September 27th.

The film screening will be part of a fundraising event for the legal defense fund for the Marineland Whistleblowers who are all currently facing SLAPP lawsuits by the captive marine mammal park.

BLACKFISH focuses on the captivity of the killer whale Tilikum, who was involved in the deaths of three individuals and the consequences of keeping such large and intelligent animals in captivity.  The film has played to sold out audiences around the world and garnered rave reviews and will have an immediate impact in the Niagara area where it will be screened for the first time ever in close proximity to Marineland.

Joining us at this event for a Q&A session after the film with Samantha Berg & Dr. Naomi Rose.

Samantha Berg is a former Seaworld trainer featured in the film and is now an anti captivity activist working towards spreading public awareness about marine mammal captivity.

Dr. Rose is a highly respected marine biologist who for years has worked on marine mammal protection issues around the world. She is one of the main protagonists in the recent best seller Death at Seaworld by David Kirby

This exclusive one night only event will be held Friday September 27th @ 7pm
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School Auditorium at 101 Glen Morris Dr. in St. Catharines.

Tickets are on sale for $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW:
Rise Above Restaurant at 120 St. Paul St. in St. Catharines

For EVENT UPDATES Please check out the Facebook event page or check back here.



Sunday, September 1, 2013

Marineland Advertises Orcas That Don't Exist

PHOTO BY TED TRAVER

While we are on the subject of the Marineland billboard located at the intersection of Fallsview Blvd. and Main St. in the city of Niagara Falls, you'll notice a little false advertising.  The billboard shows three orcas while Marineland hasn't had that many Killer Whales in years.  Kiska is the last remaining orca at Marineland and the highly social orca has been alone for almost two years.  Her longtime tank mate Nootka died in 2008 and in 2011 Seaworld repossessed their orca Ikaika after terminating a breeding loan and fighting Marineland in a lengthy court battle.


Not only does the billboard mislead people about the animal attractions at the park but a closer inspection shows it is in decrepit condition.  The orcas, presumably made of some kind of metal are rusting and have peeling paint. They appear to be precariously attached to the billboard with loose or missing bolts and feature holes near their attachments.  It seems like a severe gust of wind could send those fictitious orcas falling into the busy intersection and traffic.  Ironically the dilapidated condition of the billboard accurately reflects the conditions tourists might encounter when visiting the park itself.
at 11:23 PM 1 comment: 
Email This
BlogThis!
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook

Labels: advertising, billboard, fallsview, niagara falls
Saturday, August 31, 2013

Infamous Marineland Billboard the Scene of Protest Action

With the city council of Niagara Falls recently handing over more public land to Marineland, activists working to oppose the captive marine mammal park are bringing their fight to the city itself.  Six activists took over a street corner in the busy Fallsview tourist district Saturday afternoon.

Under the very shadow of the dilapidated sculpted orcas affixed to the "Let's all go to Marineland" billboard, advocates handed out hundreds of leaflets to citizens and tourists making their way through the area during the Labour Day long weekend.


Many stopped to read and discuss the information on the pamphlet with the activists who were eager to engage the more curious passersby with further dialogue about Marineland.  Signs were also used where for the very first time anyone passing by could text a phone number to automatically receive a link sent to their phone which provides further information on the park.  Activists plan on continuing this action throughout the weekend and in the future at high profile locations throughout the city of Niagara Falls.

at 8:18 PM No comments: 
Email This
BlogThis!
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook

Labels: action, activists, fallsview, leaflets, niagara falls, niagara falls city council, sign, tourists
Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Release of Dylan Powell's Injunction Raises Questions

A recent injunction order against Marineland Animal Defense "co-founder" Dylan Powell has placed several new restrictions on him when protesting outside Marineland.  He claims that the injunction given to him by the Ontario Superior Court doesn't just apply to just himself but also anyone and everyone. The order lists several restrictions including a ban on using megaphones at demonstrations and certain language on signs such as "abuse" "torture" "animal abuse" "criminal" & "arrest John Holer". 

Rather than provide anyone with an actual real copy of the order, Powell has repeated statements via mainstream and social media where he is the only one quoted explaining the order applies to everyone and not just himself. Powell has warned of dire consequences should everyone fail to follow his instructions at demonstrations. Powell has said a rogue demonstrator could end up in jail or even worse, causing himself to be in contempt of court because of someone else's actions. Anyone who has dared to question the legitimacy of these claims has been quickly dismissed, called stupid and even singled out as someone who would want to "sabotage or dismantle" M.A.D.'s campaign. 

The truth is no one is interested in stopping opposition to Marineland or even halting M.A.D.'s campaign to end the exploitation of animals at the park. It is Dylan Powell who has placed his own campaign in jeopardy with his decisions, his actions and his divisiveness. Now that he faces restrictions that essentially neuter him, he wants everyone else to abide by them or "no one will be allowed to protest at Marineland ever again!"

Marineland: In Depth has obtained a full copy of Justice Lococo's ruling and provide it here for everyone to read.




As can clearly be read: the motion for an injunction order against defendants Dylan Powell, Marineland Animal Defense, John Doe, Jane Doe and Persons Unknown was heard, that much is correct. However the actual ORDER was placed on only one defendant...Dylan Powell. Marineland was not successful in obtaining an injunction against the other defendants. 

Misleading people to believe what the Justice said in court has any actual context to the order itself is quite ridiculous. A person can only know what is written in an order and not what was said in court. It is only what is written that matters and what a person has to comply with. In this case, Persons Unknown, John Doe and Jane Doe are not placed under any orders to comply with. This means no one falls under any of these restrictions except Powell. 

Surely Dylan Powell will drum up more unverifiable reasons why this is being interpreted incorrectly but nothing beats the black and white truth. It is also known that Marineland is continuing their pursuit of another virtually identical injunction order against activist Mike Garrett.

Now if Powell's order covers everyone as he has claimed, then why would Marineland bother to spend thousands of dollars to pursue another injunction that would essentially give them nothing they don't already have?  Better yet, why are donors and supporters of M.A.D. being lied to and told they cannot do things that only applies to really one person? And if Dylan Powell is so concerned about being held in contempt of court for the action of others then why not just stay home on demonstration day? Or is he suddenly more important than the cause?

This site does not condone breaking the law as it exists and has already mentioned Marineland has been known to target people with litigation regardless of what they are doing.  Their lawyers will lie and make false claims about virtually anything to gain political and public sympathy.  Those who do exercise their legal rights to protest on public property should be prepared to defend themselves if Marineland brings forth more frivolous litigation.  Spreading false information about what is legal and what isn't just to hold on to whatever perceived power position one has within an organization does not benefit those who oppose the park but only seeks to manipulate.  If you begin lying to the people that are trying to help then you have become no better than your opponent.
at 2:52 AM 4 comments: 
Email This
BlogThis!
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook

Labels: court, demonstration, dylan powell, injunctions, marineland animal defense, orders

WHY ARE SOME CORALS FLOURISHING 

IN A TIME OF GLOBAL WARMING?

A new study investigates why gorgonian corals, 
which can form a 'canopy' over reefs, 
appear to be proliferating in certain places

IMAGE: These are gorgonian coral-dominated coral reef communities at St. John, US Virgin Islands. Stony corals are present but much of the three-dimensional structure of the reef community is created by the gorgonian corals.

Credit: Howard Lasker

Public release date: 10-Sep-2013

Contact: Charlotte Hsu

chsu22@buffalo.edu

716-645-4655

University at Buffalo 

BUFFALO, N.Y. — As Earth's temperature climbs, the stony corals that form the backbone of ocean reefs are in decline.

It's a well-documented story: Violent storms and coral bleaching have all contributed to dwindling populations, and increasing acidity of seawater threatens to take an additional toll.

Less discussed, however, is the plight of gorgonian corals — softer, flexible, tree-like species that can rise up like an underwater forest, providing a canopy beneath which small fish and aquatic life of all kinds can thrive.

Divers have noted in recent years that gorgonian corals seem to be proliferating in certain areas of the Caribbean, even as their stony counterparts struggle.

Now, a new study will look to quantify this phenomenon.

Scientists from the California State University, Northridge and University at Buffalo will examine 27 years of photographs from reefs off the Caribbean island of St. John to determine how gorgonian numbers have changed, and run field experiments to see how competition with stony corals — or a lack of it — influences gorgonian growth.

The study will also document what gorgonian coral populations look like now at St. John, which is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and track future development there.

Understanding coral reefs is important as they are one of the planet's most biologically diverse ecosystems.

"When you look at these gorgonian corals, it seems that they're increasing in abundance, and that's an anecdotal observation that many people have made," said UB geology professor Howard Lasker, one of three investigators heading the project. "Does this mean that as stony corals continue to decline, we're going to see reefs transforming into these gorgonian coral-dominated communities? That's what we're trying to find out."

"With climate change and ocean acidification, there certainly is a realistic possibility that coral reefs as we know them could pretty much disappear," said Cal State Northridge biology professor Peter Edmunds, another principal investigator. "The question is, what will coral reefs look like in the future?"

The nearly $1 million project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), started officially on Sept. 1.

It brings together a powerful team. There's Lasker, a leading authority on the biology of Caribbean gorgonian corals, and Edmunds, who studies the region's stony corals and has amassed an archive of photographs dating back to 1987 that document changes on the reefs at St. John. The third partner is postdoctoral researcher Lorenzo Bramanti, currently working in France at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), who is an expert on underwater communities in the Mediterranean where gorgonian corals are dominant.

Corals, both gorgonians and stony corals, are aquatic animals that assemble themselves into colonies formed from tiny individuals called polyps.

Stony corals play an important role in reefs: When stony coral polyps die, they leave behind a rock-like skeleton, which forms a platform on which other life forms can grow, including new generations of corals.

Gorgonian corals serve a different purpose. They form tree-like colonies that give reefs 3-dimensional complexity, providing a habitat for fishes and invertebrates, Lasker said. For this reason, Bramanti and other Mediterranean researchers use a poetic descriptor to refer to gorgonian-dominated communities: "animal forests."

Though gorgonians often grow on the remains of stony corals, they can also grow on any solid surface. What the Buffalo and California team is trying to figure out is how and why the balance between gorgonian and stony corals is changing as the Earth warms.

Preliminary data from Edmunds' 27-year photo set suggests that gorgonian coral density has indeed been increasing on the shallow reefs surrounding St. John. The researchers need to take a closer look at the archive, but pictures from five-year intervals show a notable rise in gorgonians starting around 1997, even as stony corals have declined.

The team's field studies will try to explain why gorgonians may flourish when stony corals are in decline. The experiments, taking place in St. John's waters, will look at how two or three species of gorgonians fare when growing alongside different combinations and densities of stony corals and algae.

Using the historical data and observations from the field, the scientists hope to model how the reef — and others like it — may look decades from now as the Earth's climate continues to shift.

The study will fill in important gaps in knowledge, said Lasker, pointing out that gorgonian corals have historically drawn less attention than their stony counterparts, in part because individual species are extremely difficult to identify.

As their NSF project abstract states, "Reefs are more than the (stony) corals and fishes for which they are known best, and their biodiversity is affected strongly by other groups of organisms."

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-09/uab-was091013.php

URUGUAYAN DECLARE WATERS A WHALE SANCTUARY

"A new star in the constellations", "Better light a candle than curse the darkness".....Such are the phrases coined and borrowed to describe such momentuous event as the birth of a new whale sanctuary in Uruguay. 




Once where there were whales there were "whalers"....now wherever there are whales there are "whalewatchers" and advocates of Sanctuaries ,MPAs etc..( Sanctuaries by other names) and the significance of this great event and steady progress of sanctuaries is not lost on them. 

The Irish Whale and Dolphin group (IW+DG) remembers well the euphoria surrounding the Irish Sanctuary and more than 21 years later how this consciousness, multiple shared experience and benefits since , is embedded in the psyche of every resident of the sanctuary..... 

The IWDG wish Uruguay every blessing and benefit also. "Let the contagion spread" was the exhortation of Sidney Holt , welcoming the Irish Sanctuary.... not words readily applied to the watery world of whales but appropriate to the intensity of whale advocates. 

And the image carries through ; as growing populations of sanctuary advocates reach "critical mass" in more countries ; as further nations combust spontaneously adding to the constellation of sanctuaries ; as the contagious vanguards jumps EEZs into fresh jurisdictions and sanctuaries, like the whale inhabitants connecting them ,tectonically collide and co-alesce, covering all the oceans. 

Nothing is more irresistable than an idea come of age and Uruguay and other whale sanctuaries are testament to that. 
They are an unstoppable movement and where words fail to describe the power of an idea and people behind it, such an image as "contagion" of "whale sanctuaries" spreading across oceans , as seen from space, does so fittingly and it started with a "spark". 

Today's sanctuary movement stands on those that went before and tomorrow's on those of today. 

Eric Hoyt's beautiful book and guide is the handbook for  future sanctuaries and essential reading for sanctuary advocates wishing to join the dots and close the gaps in protection for whales.
May Uruguay be further incentive and example for the pan-European Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary advocated by the IW+DG
Well done Rodrigo, the Organisation for Conservation of Cetaceans and Uruguayan Parliament....full account by Carol Ann Bassett follows

Brendan Price Founder Member of the IWDG and proposer of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Sanctuiary
URUGUAYAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES A PROTECTED WHALE SANCTUARY IN COASTAL WATERS

By Carol Ann Bassett

(Montevideo, Uruguay) September 3, 2013

The Uruguayan Parliament today voted unanimously (62-0) to establish a protected sanctuary for migrating whales and other cetaceans. Uruguay’s coastline is a major route for the Southern Atlantic right whale, which travels here to mate and raise its calves during the peak migration season from August to November.

The vote was a major victory for this small South American nation, where in the last few years, large development schemes have continued to threaten the very resources that attract tourists from around the world. These plans include a vast open pit iron mine, a deep sea port along a pristine beach in the Department of Rocha to barge the iron ore to China, and the approval of $1.65 billion USD for offshore seismic testing to international petroleum companies, including Exxon-Mobile and British Petroleum.

The whale sanctuary was first proposed in 2002 by the small nonprofit group, the Organization for the Conservation of Cetaceans (OCC), which created “The Route of the Whale” to raise awareness about sustainable tourism and responsible whale watching. The network extends from the hillside town of Piriápolis north to the Brazilian border. Wooden observation towers mark the way.

“This is a historic moment for Uruguay and the entire world,” said marine biologist Rodrigo García Píngaro, founder and executive director of OCC after the historic vote was cast. “It shows that Latin American nations are becoming more united in protecting whales and other marine life in their coastal waters.”

Before the vote was cast, Congressman Gerardo Amarilla, former president of the national Commission on the Environment, stressed that from this day forward, all major development projects along Uruguay’s coast will require stricter environmental regulations and enforcement before they’re officially approved.

“Our goal is to create a natural Uruguay,” he noted.

* * *
Carol Ann Bassett is Program Director of a Study Abroad Program at the University of Oregon, which focuses on environmental issues in Uruguay. She is currently in Montevideo with eight multimedia students who are documenting OCC’s Route of the Whale.

http://www.iwdg.ie/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2418:uruguayan-declare-waters-a-whale-sanctuary

ISLAND HOPPING: LOCAL DOLPHIN BEGGING RANKS DANGEROUSLY HIGH

A DOLPHIN BEGGING AT A BOAT IN LOCAL WATERS.

Sabrina Bowen-Stevens photo taken under NOAA permit #14219 issued to T. Cox, SSU Posted: September 5, 2013 - 11:51pm | Updated: September 6, 2013 - 12:04am

By Rich Wittish

Marine sciences researchers at Savannah State University are convinced our area’s estuarine waters are the No. 1 spot in the world for begging by bottlenose dolphins, and that’s not a good thing.

Coastal rivers, sounds and creeks from the Savannah River south to Ossabaw Sound are rife with people feeding dolphins and otherwise luring the animals to their boats, researcher Tara Cox told me recently.

That causes the marine mammals to get in the habit of begging for food, which is a dangerous tendency for both dolphins and humans, said Tara, an associate professor of marine sciences at SSU.

“In the Savannah area, we have the world’s worst begging problem with dolphins,” said Tara, whose research was brought to my attention a few weeks ago while I was writing about the rescue of a dolphin that had become entangled in commercial fishing gear.

“When I came here for an interview,” she said of a visit to SSU in summer 2007, “they took me out on a boat, and dolphins came up to the boat, opening their mouths.

“I was horrified.”

Tara said she was appalled because extreme human interaction with dolphins in the wild “dramatically changes their behavior” by influencing the dolphins to beg for food rather than forage for it.

Feeding dolphins and playing with them also makes them much more susceptible to being struck by boats, she said.

“We had one dolphin mom that persistently begged, and her calf wound up dead on a beach,” said Tara. “The calf had several healed injuries, possibly from boat strikes, and it was emaciated — it couldn’t forage on its own.”

Apparently, the adult dolphin had taught her baby to beg instead of teaching it to find its own food.

In their sightings of dolphins on local waters, Tara and her students “see a lot of scarred animals.”

Researchers from other areas, she said, “always comment on how beaten up our animals are — likely from getting too close to boats.”

Feeding dolphins can also be hazardous to humans. Dolphins have extremely sharp teeth, and being inadvertently bitten by one can have serious consequences, because a dolphin’s mouth is full of bacteria, and the animals can transmit some nasty mammalian diseases, such as herpes.

Topping all this off is the fact that federal law — the Marine Mammal Protection Act — makes it illegal to harass or feed marine mammals. Violations can result in fines of up to $100,000 and imprisonment for one year.

Tara began teaching at SSU in January 2008, and during the past four years, she and a half-dozen marine sciences graduate students have been researching the dolphin begging problem.

She and two of the grad students started the project in summer 2009, originally intending to focus on “strand feeding” — a foraging technique peculiar to dolphins in Georgia and South Carolina in which the mammals herd fish onto mud banks, then launch themselves onto the shore to take the fish.

“But we didn’t see much of that,” said Tara. “What we saw instead was begging.

“We saw begging on two-thirds of our days on the water. In 25 percent of our sightings of dolphins, there was begging.”

Since that summer, Tara and the students involved in the project have been documenting the begging, and attempting to quantify it and determine “where it’s coming from.”

They’ve compared begging here to the begging in the four other biggest “hot spots” in the world — in Panama City and Sarasota in Florida and in two places in Australia.

“If you compare us to those areas, we are four to five times greater than any of those four places,” Tara said.

As for the source of the begging behavior, she said that some of it might stem from dolphins feeding on the unwanted catch of commercial fishing boats that’s been thrown overboard.

“But that happens all up and down the East Coast,” Tara said.

A more likely source is what she calls “a culture in Savannah of feeding wild bottlenose dolphins.”

Of their attempts to pin down the source, Tara said, “We tried to figure this out on the water, then switched to the human element — we switched to interviewing people.”

A grad student did surveys at fishing piers, marinas and even downtown Savannah, talking to tourists on the street. The student asked interviewees if they had seen people interacting with dolphins and if they had ever wanted to do so.

“It seems like there were a lot of people who know feeding dolphins is illegal and chose to do it anyway,” said Tara. Others, she said, didn’t know it was unlawful to entice dolphins to come near boats.

The findings of the SSU researchers have been submitted in manuscript form to “Marine Mammal Science,” the journal of the Society for Marine Mammalogy.

The manuscript has been favorably received, Tara said, and she expects an article to appear sometime next year in the journal, which, according to its website, “publishes significant new findings on marine mammals resulting from original research.”

She’s hoping such an article would pave the way to obtaining a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration program called “Dolphin Smart” — an educational campaign and certification program for dolphin tour operators that’s been implemented in Panama City and Sarasota.

“We would like to get it here,” Tara said. “One reason we documented the problem was to convince NOAA to bring the program here.”

It’s her experience that, for the most part, operators of local dolphin tours do a good job in educating their customers about the adverse effects of interacting with dolphins and that the operators aren’t a part of the begging problem.

However, bringing in “Dolphin Smart” might be a first step in increasing public awareness of the begging dilemma.

Rich Wittish can be reached via email at rwittish@bellsouth.net.

http://savannahnow.com/accent/2013-09-05/island-hopping-local-dolphin-begging-ranks-dangerously-high#.UizxvmSDRz_

FROM SOUTH KOREA TO JAPAN TO THE FAROE ISLANDS, DENMARK 

~The dangers of eating fish ~

SOUTH KOREA BANS FISH FROM NORTH EAST JAPAN ON RADIATION FEARS

Laboratory workers at Fukushima Prefecture Fisheries Research Center chop fish caught earlier in the day by local fishermen for radiation test in Iwaki City, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Monday, Aug. 26, 2013. Fourteen fishing boats at a port in the city are asked by Fukushima Prefecture to conduct a once-a-week fishing in rotation to measure radiation level of fish caught in the waters off Fukushima at the laboratory. Fishermen in the Iwaki fishing ports had hoped to resume test catches in September following favourable sampling results after two years of the disaster. But those plans have now been scrapped after the recent news of radiation contaminated water leak from storage tanks at the nuclear power plant. 
(AP Photo/Koji Ueda) (Credit: Koji Ueda)




FRIDAY, SEP 6, 2013 01:19 AM MDT
BY EUN-YOUNG JEONG
Fisheries in Fukushima prefecture (state) are closed, and fish caught in nearby prefectures are sold on the market only after tests have shown them to be safe for consumption.

However, South Korea’s ban applies a total of eight prefectures with a combined coastline of more than 700 kilometers (430 miles), regardless of whether the fish pass safety standards or not.

The South Korean government made the move because of insufficient information from Tokyo about what steps will be taken to address the leakage of contaminated water from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, according to a statement by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant’s operator, acknowledges that tons of radioactive water has been seeping into the Pacific from the plant for more than two years after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami led to meltdowns at three reactors at the plant. Recent leaks from tanks storing radioactive water used to cool the reactors have added to fears that the amount of contaminated water is getting out of hand.

Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said Friday that fish and seafood that go to market are tested for radiation and shown to be safe. Suga also stressed that the contaminated water flowing into the ocean is limited to a small area off the coast of the Fukushima plant.

“There is an international standard on food, including fish, and we are carrying out stringent safety controls based on those standards. We ask South Korea for a response based on science,” he told reporters.

South Korea Vice Fisheries Minister Son Jae-hak said in a briefing that the eight prefectures in 2012 exported to South Korea 5,000 metric tons of fishery products, or about 13 percent of the 40,000 total tons imported last year from Japan. Fish will be banned from the following prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi and Chiba.

Hisashi Hiroyama, a Japanese Fisheries Agency official, said Japan exports about 9.2 billion ($92 million) of fish a year to South Korea. The most common fish exported from Japan to South Korea was Alaskan Pollock.

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/06/skorea_bans_fish_from_ne_japan_on_radiation_fears/

O 

EXTREME LEVELS REVEALED IN WHALEMEAT

10:32 06 June 2002 by Andy Coghlan

Tests on whalemeat on sale in Japan have revealed astonishing levels of mercury. While it has long been known that the animals accumulate heavy metals such as mercury in their tissues, the levels discovered have surprised even the experts.

Two of the 26 liver samples examined contained over 1970 micrograms of mercury per gram of liver. That is nearly 5000 times the Japanese government's limit for mercury contamination, 0.4 micrograms per gram.

At these concentrations, a 60-kilogram adult eating just 0.15 grams of liver would exceed the weekly mercury intake considered safe by the World Health Organization, say Tetsuya Endo, Koichi Haraguchi and Masakatsu Sakata at the University of Hokkaido, who carried out the research. "Acute intoxication could result from a single ingestion," they warn in a draft paper accepted for publication in The Science of the Total Environment.

The researchers call on the government to impose tighter regulations on the consumption of whale organs. In particular, they warn that pregnant women risk poisoning their unborn children. In the 1950s and early 1960s, hundreds of children around Japan's Minamata Bay were born with horrific birth defects after their mothers ate seafood contaminated with mercury compounds, which had been poured raw into the bay since the 1930s. Thousands more suffered brain damage.

Single mouthful

Even veteran researchers from the Minamata saga were shocked by the new figures. "Hirokatsu Akagi, a director of the National Institute for Minamata Disease, was very surprised," says Endo. "He'd never seen levels above 20 micrograms per gram."

On average, concentrations of mercury in whale and dolphin livers were 370 micrograms per gram, 900 times the government limit. Average levels in kidneys and lungs were also high, about 100 times the limit. None of the samples was below the limit.

In work not yet published, Endo's team has shown that rats suffered acute kidney poisoning after a single mouthful of the most highly contaminated liver. While levels were lower in muscle, Endo told New Scientist that on average it still contained 2.5 to 25 times the limit.

The samples came from small-toothed whales and dolphins, catches of which are not restricted by the International Whaling Commission, the international body that regulates whaling. Mercury becomes concentrated in their internal organs when they eat contaminated fish and squid.

Japan continues to campaign vigorously to be allowed to resume full-scale whaling of larger species. But an IWC meeting in May 2002 ended in deadlock.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2362-extreme-mercury-levels-revealed-in-whalemeat.html#.UiokO2SDRz8

O

PHOTO GALLERY OF THE FAROE ISLES

http://faroeislegrind.blogspot.com/p/faroe-isles.html

"I travelled with all my questions to the Faroe Islands" by Pascale Kirchen

If you are interested in dolphins and whales and if the protection of these animals is a concern, then you will not pass by the Faroe Islands!

I've read much on Facebook about the "bloodthirsty, murderous and cruel" Faroese, for whom the Grindarap is all. I have read about the actions of Sea Shepherd, about the new efforts of other groups, and I've signed dozens of petitions. But with time, I started to doubt: Who can take an animal activist seriously that feels only hatred for other nations, and wishes death on people? Who can take an animal advocate seriously, who demands only senseless things without making the effort to research the living conditions of others? And who has the right to dictate to a nation how it should live in its own home at all? Do we have not enough to do with cleaning up our own doorsteps?

So I travelled with all my questions, and my joy of adventures, to the Faroe Islands. I had the first encounter in the taxi on the way from the airport to Tórshavn. The driver, a man of about 48, told me cheerfully about his country, praised the good fish and recommended that I try whale meat. When I told him that I'd prefer whale watching to whale eating, he said something like that whale watching did not exist in the Faroes. I told him that I would have enough opportunity later in Iceland, my next destination. We talked about this and that and then I carefully brought up the topic of the “grind”. He said that he likes whale meat, and it was always so, but his son doesn't like it and his wife is even less impressed. I reminded him that it is surely better not to eat much whale meat because of the pollution and the toxins, and also that it is in their interests to be frugal with their resources, since the stocks are clearly in decline in recent years. He agreed with the contamination, and said they would not eat various parts of the whale because of this. But he said there were enough whales. Time flew past quickly and I had the impression that he wasn't annoyed by the conversation, because he said goodbye in a very friendly manner and wished me happy holidays.

I had another very interesting conversation with a saleswoman in a souvenir and woollen sweater shop. To her question how do I like her country, I answered truthfully that I was thrilled with the Islands but that I had a problem with whaling. She said frankly that she would also have a problem with it, and whaling wasn't necessary any more these days. I again mentioned my arguments and she fully agreed with me! An old man came into the shop and bought something. The saleswoman offered us a cup of coffee. She introduced me to the man and said that he was a former whaler. She translated for me what he said. He was very sad because fewer grinds are taking place. His son is just a normal fisherman and his grandson wants nothing to do with either whaling or fishing! I asked them directly about the actions of Sea Shepherd and she hesitated a bit with the answer. Finally, she said that Sea Shepherd haven´t made any friends there with their attitude. She asked whether I belonged to them or any other groups? I said truthfully that I disagree with Sea Shepherd but sympathise with another group. She asked me a simple question that surprised me: Why? I told her that I am of the opinion that dolphins and whales are a legacy for everyone on this planet and not only for those in countries surrounded by water. I'm convinced that our world will have lost something important, come the day that the seas are empty. The man and the saleswoman congratulated me on my position. We chatted a little about every day, you and me at home, and then I said goodbye.

As a smoker you tend to spend quite a lot of time outside, in front of doors, and there I was asked by a young man in front of a pub about the pendants on my necklace.I seized the opportunity, told him about my passion for polar bears, the Arctic, whales and dolphins, and I asked him directly for his opinion on the grind. He replied just as directly: A steak tastes much better than whale meat. He was glad that they had less whale meat at home, and for a few years now no more at all. He said whale meat is eaten mostly by those over the age of 45, because it's what they are used to.

His friends joined us and, to my surprise, none of them were particularly motivated to continue this tradition. None of them liked whale meat and none go to watch the grind. One of them was even against whaling. I asked him if he would have any problems in a society where everyone knows each other, and he laughed. No, he said, every opinion is respected here and there are a lot of people who think it isn't necessary to maintain every tradition. But he knew that the Faroese are very often condemned abroad because of the grind. He felt this was very discriminatory since Faroese culture has many other aspects. Foreigners seemed to think that life on the Faroe Islands centred just around the grind 24 hours a day.

I had several similar discussions and noted that women, particularly, increasingly speak out against the grind. The reason is that they do not want to give contaminated meat to their children, but also because of the way the animals are slaughtered. Many people I spoke to confirmed what Rúni Nielsen, who is well known on Facebook, has been saying. Rùni expects that the grind will be history in the next 10-15 years, because whaling lacks new followers. Young people have other interests than the grind. More and more Faroese become aware of the contamination of the whale meat and it is eaten less. Many people referred to whale meat as 'Poor people's food'.

Now, after all I've seen and heard myself, I fully agree with Rúni's opinion. They will surely be hard years. The helplessness at home will certainly drive me to expletives and anger again. But I will certainly not judge the Faroese! I've seen that Faroese people are open, friendly and helpful. They answered all my questions even though they are aware of our prejudices, and despite the negative impressions left by foreign groups.

The Islands are a paradise for all nature lovers, lonely endless walks, stiff breezes and wild, romantic coves. There are few tourists and the hustle and bustle and stress of everyday life had disappeared in just 2 days! Moreover the old small grass-roofed houses. I honestly admit it: I am thrilled with this country and its people!

In my last hours on the Faroe Islands, I had a conversation I could never have dreamed of! I met a Japanese student who studies, amongst other subjects, whaling. For the third year in a row, she had spent 2 weeks on the Islands with a local host family, observed the grind, studied the tools, etc. We spoke firstly about whaling in Japan. She was very clear and confirmed my/our presumption that scientific whaling is a joke. She didn't know anyone in Japan who eats whale or dolphin meat and she doesn't think that it's part of Japanese culture. Whaling has a small role in Japanese economics. She heard about Taiji recently through the film 'The Cove'. Last year she tried to get gather information on Taiji, but she had no chance. She was not allowed to go to the cove or in the processing halls, she got no documents concerning the number of dolphins slaughtered and also no information on the dolphin trade for dolphinaria. She was very surprised by this rebuff and wants to try again this year with other students and the support of the University. Amazingly, she was against whaling although whaling is one of her studies. To the question what does she think about the grind on Faroes she replied: I must hurry up with my studies because it is a dying practice. We will be staying in touch and I hope for more information about Taiji and whaling in general.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Faroese for their honesty.

Also many thanks to Gaye Hunter and Sasha Alazy for the excellent translation.

Pascale Kirchen, September 2013

O

< O >

FORMER GUNS N' ROSES DRUMMER MATT SORUM JOINS PROTEST AGAINST DOLPHIN HUNT IN JAPAN : IT'S 'LIKE A BAD NIGHTMARE'
The musician traveled to Taiji in Central Japan for the cause of saving the dolphin against the village’s annual hunt.

Dozens gathered in protest to protect the dolphins from the Japanese village’s annual hunt, which the natives call a tradition.
AP


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013, 4:43 PM

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum was in a remote Japanese fishing village Monday to protest against its annual dolphin hunt.

Sorum, who now leads his own group, is the latest celebrity to join the increasingly global campaign to stop the dolphin kill in Taiji, a quaint fishing village in central Japan made famous by the Academy Award-winning 2009 film about the hunt called "The Cove."

The movie depicts how dolphins are herded into a cove and speared by fishermen for their meat. The fishermen say the hunt is part of their village's tradition and call Western critics who eat other kinds of meat hypocritical.

The film features Ric O'Barry, who trained dolphins for the 1960s "Flipper" TV series and has devoted the latter part of his life to protecting dolphins and keeping them in nature.

Sorum arrived in Taiji on Sept. 1, the day the annual dolphin hunt begins, with O'Barry and dozens of Japanese and Western conservationists.

"Like a bad nightmare, I'm watching it almost like a twilight zone, surreal, looking into my eyes in complete disbelief — what's going on in front of me," Sorum said, speaking by phone from Taiji after witnessing the hunt.

In this Sept. 1 photo released by Dolphin Project, Ric O’Barry (r.) holds a banner reading: 'Save Dolphins in Japan' as he joins Japanese activist Satoshi Komiyama with an anti-dolphin hunt message in Taiji, central Japan.

Dolphin and whale meat is considered an eccentric delicacy in Japan, though not all Japanese eat it and not all Japanese know about the hunts. Some nationalist groups have used the controversy to highlight their own message, accusing O'Barry and other Westerners of interfering with Japanese culture.

Over the weekend, nationalists in Taiji used loudspeakers to broadcast their message about the right to kill dolphins, and held a barbecue, presumably of whale or dolphin meat, at the cove, where Sorum and others opposing the hunt were watching.

"Our work here is about supporting the Japanese activists," O'Barry said. "You only hear about the blood and the guts, and it's being created by less than 50 men. It's not even the whole town of Taiji, and certainly not the country of Japan."

Sorum, who has also played with Velvet Revolver, said he hoped to organize a rock concert in Tokyo around the theme of "celebrating the dolphin," bringing together Japanese and Western musicians, including his new band, Kings of Chaos.

"I'm going to bring a bunch of heavyweights, big rock stars," said Sorum. "The main thing is to get the Japanese kids."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/matt-sorum-guns-n-roses-drummer-protests-dolphin-hunt-japan-article-1.1443720#ixzz2dn8uxo1q


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/matt-sorum-guns-n-roses-drummer-protests-dolphin-hunt-japan-article-1.1443720

Photo credit: Blog: Japan Report – Dolphin Drive on Sept. 1st | SaveJapanDolphins.
savejapandolphins.org

< O >

MATT SORUM JOINS FIGHT TO SAVE DOLPHINS IN JAPAN

By Yuri Kageyama

ARTICLESNEWS

By Associated Press | September 02, 2013 10:26 AM EDT

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum was in a remote Japanese fishing village Monday to protest against its annual dolphin hunt.

Sorum, who now leads his own group, is the latest celebrity to join the increasingly global campaign to stop the dolphin kill in Taiji, a quaint fishing village in central Japan made famous by the Academy Award-winning 2009 film about the hunt called "The Cove."

The movie depicts how dolphins are herded into a cove and speared by fishermen for their meat. The fishermen say the hunt is part of their village's tradition and call Western critics who eat other kinds of meat hypocritical.

The film features Ric O'Barry, who trained dolphins for the 1960s "Flipper" TV series and has devoted the latter part of his life to protecting dolphins and keeping them in nature.

Sorum arrived in Taiji on Sept. 1, the day the annual dolphin hunt begins, with O'Barry and dozens of Japanese and Western conservationists.

"Like a bad nightmare, I'm watching it almost like a twilight zone, surreal, looking into my eyes in complete disbelief — what's going on in front of me," Sorum said, speaking by phone from Taiji after witnessing the hunt.

Dolphin and whale meat is considered an eccentric delicacy in Japan, though not all Japanese eat it and not all Japanese know about the hunts. Some nationalist groups have used the controversy to highlight their own message, accusing O'Barry and other Westerners of interfering with Japanese culture.

Over the weekend, nationalists in Taiji used loudspeakers to broadcast their message about the right to kill dolphins, and held a barbecue, presumably of whale or dolphin meat, at the cove, where Sorum and others opposing the hunt were watching.

"Our work here is about supporting the Japanese activists," O'Barry said. "You only hear about the blood and the guts, and it's being created by less than 50 men. It's not even the whole town of Taiji, and certainly not the country of Japan."

Sorum, who has also played with Velvet Revolver, said he hoped to organize a rock concert in Tokyo around the theme of "celebrating the dolphin," bringing together Japanese and Western musicians, including his new band, Kings of Chaos.

"I'm going to bring a bunch of heavyweights, big rock stars," said Sorum. "The main thing is to get the Japanese kids."

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5680022/matt-sorum-joins-fight-to-save-dolphins-in-japan