Federal Government Must Protect Caribbean Coral Reefs

Photo: GOOD NEWS! Beleaguered coral reefs in the Caribbean got a welcome boost yesterday when a federal court ruled that the government violated the law by allowing overfishing of parrotfish and other important fish species that are beneficial for coral reefs. http://ow.ly/pQf05 Why are parrotfish so important? These beautiful fish graze on algae that can smother and choke endangered coral in the Caribbean. Since coral reefs are biodiversity hotspots of the oceans, parrotfish and other algae-grazers are the front line defense when it comes to healthy coral reefs.Click SHARE or LIKE if you agree that we need to safeguard our coral reefs! TELL US >> Have you been snorkeling in the Caribbeans or in other coral reefs? How important are these fish to the health of the reef?(Photo by Waywuwei, Flickr Creative Commons)

October 14, 2013, earthjustice.org | “A federal district court has ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service violated the law by allowing fishing for depleted parrotfish and other algae-eating reef fish species without properly monitoring the fishery’s impacts on rare corals that depend on healthy fish populations. The decision came in response to an Endangered Species Act suit filed in January 2012 by Earthjustice on behalf of two conservation groups (CORALations and the Center for Biological Diversity), and Mary Adele Donnelly.”

GOOD NEWS! Beleaguered coral reefs in the Caribbean got a welcome boost yesterday when a federal court ruled that the government violated the law by allowing overfishing of parrotfish and other important fish species that are beneficial for coral reefs. http://ow.ly/pQf05
Why are parrotfish so important? These beautiful fish graze on algae that can smother and choke endangered coral in the Caribbean. Since coral reefs are biodiversity hotspots of the oceans, parrotfish and other algae-grazers are the front line defense when it comes to healthy coral reefs.
Click SHARE or LIKE if you agree that we need to safeguard our coral reefs! TELL US >> Have you been snorkeling in the Caribbeans or in other coral reefs? How important are these fish to the health of the reef?
(Photo by Waywuwei, Flickr Creative Commons)

Atlantic sturgeon return home!

Northeast Fishery Center scientist, Jerre Mohler, preparing to release this hatchery-reared juvenile Atlantic sturgeon into the Hudson River. Credit: USFWS

September 30, 2013, usfwsnortheast.wordpress.com | “You’ve probably heard of stocking hatchery-reared fish to help increase fish populations for recreational enjoyment and for food. But did you know that some hatcheries rear and recover endangered fish?”

GoodNews FortheEarth shared a link

Atlantic sturgeon return home!
usfwsnortheast.wordpress.com
Sturgeon reared at our Northeast Fishery Center in Pennsylvania in 1994 and released at the age of four months are returning to their natal waters for spawning.
  • Andrew Wolcott, Illia Heart, Good Vibrations, Rita Jacinto, Frank Bodine, Diana Hartel, and Annie Reid like this.

Protection for Rare Fish Protects Clean Water for People Too

September 24, 2013, www.biologicaldiversity.org | “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protected a rare cave- and stream-dwelling fish found only in Perry County, Mo., under the Endangered Species Act today, but decided against protecting any critical habitat for the fish based on a newly developed conservation plan.”

WIN-WIN -> “Protection for Rare Fish Protects Clean Water for People Too”
“A Missouri Cave Fish, the Grotto Sculpin is now Protected Under Endangered Species Act, the latest to get protection under the agreement made between the US Fish & Wi…”

Trinity Dam Opens to let the Salmon through

August 23, 2013, www.facebook.com | “Drought conditions have parched the dry lands, and the rivers are dangerously low on the eve of a historic salmon season. The Trinity River in Hoopa is at 680 cfs with 900 cfs from Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath, but with creeks and seeps so low, the flows are only 2,400 cfs above the estuary, much lower than 3,200 cfs of a typical year.”

“My FRIENDS…a message to ALL.  You may have heard some of the story, I AM here to tell you more… As you may know drought conditions have parched the dry lands, and the rivers are dangerously low on the eve of a historic salmon season….”
Sharron Thyden, Mica Welch, Melodie George-Moore, Josh Israel, Azlan White, Joseph Marshall, Michael Charlton, Lawrence Journeys, Laura Patterson, Andrew Orahoske, Regina Chichizola, Adam Wolter, Bob Noyes, Hata Hill, Jeremiah Z Sullivan, Melanie Iris Lyon, Darell Warnock, Tom Schlosser, Ashley Tiemann, and Jessa Rego like this.
  • COMMENTS:
  • Nat Pennington “Thanks friend, for all you do! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea and joy to you and me! Lol”
  • Michael Sonn “Fish in the sea
    You know how I feel
    River running free
    You know how I feel
    Blossom on a tree
    You know how I feel
    It’s a new dawn
    It’s a new day
    It’s a new life”
  • Joseph Marshall “So thankful to all the Warriors who have helped win this battle for the Salmon.”
  • Michael Furniss “Well told Dr. Joshua Strange! Sharing this gem. Make this public so it can travel?
  • Fawn Ibecca “Thank you Dr. Strange”
  • Dan Menten “Nicely written doc, the similarities to 2002 gave a horrific sense of deja vu…bury that hatchet indeed! Thanks to the Yurok and Hupa for disallowing the corporate greed, may this run be historic and precedent setting!”

Victory! Puget Sound’s Orcas Will Stay Protected

Victory! Puget Sound’s Orcas Will Stay Protected

August 16, 2013, www.care2.com | “Following a legal battle about whether or not to remove a group of orca whales from the endangered species list, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced they will be keeping their protection.”

 

GoodNews FortheEarth shared a link

Victory! Puget Sound’s Orcas Will Stay Protected
www.care2.com
Following a legal battle about whether or not to remove a group of orca whales from the endangered species list, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced they will be keeping their protection.
  • Rita Jacinto, Betsy Herren, Ricky Van Heart, Luz Engelbrecht, and Good Vibrations like this.

Victory! Puget Sound’s Orcas Will Stay Protected

Victory! Puget Sound’s Orcas Will Stay Protected

August 16, 2013, www.care2.com | “Following a legal battle about whether or not to remove a group of orca whales from the endangered species list, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced they will be keeping their protection.”

GoodNews FortheEarth shared a link Victory! Puget Sound’s Orcas Will Stay Protected www.care2.com Following a legal battle about whether or not to remove a group of orca whales from the endangered species list, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced they will be keeping their protection.

  • Nancy Brickhouse Pelletier and Frank Bodine like this

1,700 Square Miles of Habitat Proposed for Protection for Rare Rockfish in Puget Sound

Canary rockfish

August 6, 2013, www.biologicaldiversity.org | “The National Marine Fisheries Service today proposed to protect 1,700 square miles of habitat in Puget Sound for endangered rockfish. Often brightly colored and capable of living more than 100 years, rockfish have seen their populations badly depleted by decades of overfishing. The government analysis preceding this proposal is the first study to identify important rockfish habitat in Puget Sound.”

“1,700 Square Miles of Habitat Proposed for Protection for Rare Rockfish in Puget Sound
www.biologicaldiversity.org
SAN FRANCISCO— The National Marine Fisheries Service today proposed to protect 1,700 square miles of habitat in Puget Sound for endangered rockfish. Often brightly colored and capable of living more than 100 years, rockfish have seen their populations badly depleted by decades of overfishing. The go…”
  • Deb Heatherstone and Nancy Brophy like this.

California’s Drift Gillnet Fishery Too Deadly for Endangered Sperm Whales

Sperm whale

July 24, 2013, www.biologicaldiversity.org | “The National Marine Fisheries Service this week declined to issue a required marine mammal “take” permit for California’s swordfish drift gillnet fishery in light of the recent entanglement of two sperm whales, but agreed to call a special meeting next week to discuss possible emergency measures to allow the fishery to continue operating legally while reducing interactions with these endangered whales.”

The National Marine Fisheries Service reversed course on Monday after issuing a draft permit that would allow gillnet fishermen to kill and seriously injure endangered sperm, fin and humpback whales.
Thanks to supporters like you, over 13,000 comments were submitted opposing the permit.
Read about this big win here: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2013/sperm-whale-07-24-2013.html

Court Upholds Protections for Steller Sea Lions in the Aleutians

Steller sea lion. (DeWaine Tollefsrud)

July 23, 2013, earthjustice.org | “Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld necessary protections for the endangered Western Population of Steller sea lions. The measures were put in place by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 2010 to reduce competition between large-scale commercial fisheries and endangered Steller sea lions.”

Robert Brothers shared a link Court Upholds Protections for Steller Sea Lions in the Aleutians earthjustice.org

 Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld necessary protections for the endangered Western Population of Steller sea lions. The measures were put in place by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 2010 to reduce competition between large-scale commercial fisheries and endangered Stel…

Paiute cutthroat trout restoration begins this summer

June 26, 2013, cdfgnews.wordpress.com | “A project to restore one of the rarest trout species in America to a remote stream in Alpine County will begin this August. The Paiute Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project is a joint effort by the U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service”

“The Paiute Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project is working to restore this rare species to 11 stream miles of Silver King Creek and three of its tributaries in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness.
http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/paiute-cutthroat-trout-restoration-begins-this-summer/
Paiute cutthroat trout restoration begins this summer
cdfgnews.wordpress.com
Media Contacts: Christie Kalkowski, U.S. Forest Service, (775) 355-5311 Dana Michaels, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-2420 Jeanne Stafford, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (775) 861-6336 A project …”