MANATEE REFUGE ESTABLISHED IN FLORIDA, King’s Bay

March, 16, 2012, www.fws.gov | “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, establish a manatee refuge in Citrus County, Florida, in the waters of Kings Bay, including its tributaries and connected waters.”

GoodNews FortheEarth
“~ MANATEE REFUGE ESTABLISHED IN FLORIDA, King’s Bay, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, 3/16/2012
500% INCREASE SINCE 1980 of manatees in this area.”
  • Lindy Rose, Andrea Dispenza, Sarah Elliott, Sheryl Dutton, Sha Akasha, Rita Jacinto, Leila Bee, Heather Massie, Pauline Walsh, Jenny Zoone, and Amy Mmp Hurley like this.

Madagascar Says Hands Off Marine Life – Proactively Protecting 4,000 Square Miles of Marine Resources

March 1, 2012, www.news.discovery.com | “A ‘roadmap’ for preserving marine life around the famously biologically rich island of Madagascar has been proposed in a new study released last week.”

 

Judith Green shared a link.

“Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on Earth yet has proposed to create more than 1 million hectares (3,861 square miles) of protected areas to provide for the long-term conservation of its marine resources, including coral reefs and mangroves.”
Madagascar Says Hands Off Marine Life : Discovery News
news.discovery.com
Madagascar is proactively protecting 4,000 square miles of marine resources from human exploitation.
Veronica Smith likes this.

California’s newest state animal could be the 2,000-pound sea turtle

February 22, 2012, www.latimesblogs.latimes.com | The world’s largest sea turtle could earn a new distinction from the California Legislature: the title of official state marine reptile.

A bill introduced Friday by Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) would add the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle to a growing list of official state animals and plants such as the California quail (the state bird) the gray whale (state marine mammal), plants like the California poppy (state flower) and even extinct megafauna like the saber-toothed cat (the state fossil).

The symbolic measure, intended to raise awareness about the endangered species, comes as the federal government is setting aside 41,000 square miles of the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington as critical habitat for the sea turtles.

 

~ ENDANGERED “LEATHERBACK” SEA TURTLES (world’s largest, up to 8 ft long) WIN 42,000 SQ. MILES OF OCEAN PROTECTION along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington, http://naturescrusaders.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/2-thumbs-up-award-leatherbacks-win/and have been nominated for California’s state marine reptile. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/2000-pound-leatherback-sea-turtle-could-be-californias-state-marine-reptile.html Here’s a map of their migration path all the way across the Pacific, http://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&ParentMenuId=212&id=3994
Rita Jacinto, Dona M. Chase, Andy Sehic, Sameen Laudann, JoAnn Early Macken, Lynda Mink, Marie Cloutier, Angela Bazañes, Jenny Kalasouda, Katy Gray, Margaret Lockley, Darlene Wray, Jeayonna Chapman, Sheila Fine, and Leila Bee like this.

Shark Finning Banned by World’s Largest Tuna Conservation Coalition

1 February 2012, www.iss-foundation.org – A conservation measure passed by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Board of Directors will require industry participants to adopt written policies that prohibit the practice of shark finning and refrain from transactions with fishing vessels that engage in the practice.

Shark finning is the act of removing a shark’s fin while discarding the carcass at sea. Shark finning violates the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries as well as several other resolutions adopted by the FAO, other international marine organizations and national governments.

“There is no room for shark finning in a sustainable tuna fishery” said Susan Jackson, President of ISSF. “We’re calling on the tuna industry as a whole to prohibit this practice while we work with RFMO member nations to strengthen management and enforcement measures and for national governments to follow through with implementation.”

 

Shark Finning Banned by World’s Largest Tuna Conservation Coalition – International Seafood Sustaina
iss-foundation.org
Lindy Rose, Julia Gominelli, Jenny Kalasouda, and Margaret Lockley like this.

Mother Grey Whale Sends a Message from the Klamath River

August 23, 2011, www.tworiverstribune.com | “The awe inspiring mother gray whale that spent 53 days in the Klamath River died at 4:19am last Tuesday morning, August 16.  One sentiment stands out—she was a messenger.  No matter how tirelessly scientists and others tried to lead her out of the fresh water and into her native habitat, she would not go. She did not leave until her message was heard.  But, what was her message? And, was it heard?”

“It’s good news when people get a special message from special actions by other creatures with whom we share the Earth.  In this case, a Gray Whale swam up to the busy Hwy 101 bridge where she could reach thousands of people.  The message re…”
Comments:
  • Zandra Melville “please keep us posted on what the tests reveal:) beautiful picture, beautiful whale, powerful message. i thank her”

New Fishing Hook Reduces Accidental Shark Catch

May 25, 2011, www.livescience.com | “Scientists have developed a new type of fishing hook to reduce the number of sharks accidently caught from commercial fishing. The special hook, called “SMART Hook™” (Selective Magnetic and Repellent-Treated Hook), combines two shark repellent technologies, magnetism and shark repellent metals, into standard fishing hooks.”