Silly me for thinking there just might be a fluke
connection here eh? do we have a marine mammal act in
Oz that is strictly enforced? with very heavy fines
imposed on those that breach an act?
JAG sleepless in Hastings Zzzzzzzz
=======================================================
I love the seals and what no one seems to realize is,
there was an abundance of salmon at one time, and an
abundance of seals - it wasn't seals but humans that
were over-fishing that killed off all the salmon ...
The fishermen here were secretly killing off all the
seals and the sea-lions they could, even though they
were protected (Marine Mammal protection act), because
they tried to blame the decline of their fisheries on
them ... ridiculous ... I think when we began to see
more seals we began to see more salmon ....!
It is natural abundance, natural prey, natural balance
.. only when we over-fished SO much was it ruined ..
that's why we had to have the marine mammal protection
act, because they were all dying from lack of fish ..
Actually my words aren't very well thought out but you
get the idea? I've been hearing for nearly 30 years
the phrase "There are more deer in the USA now than
there were 100 years ago" which is ridiculous because
there was no one COUNTING deer numbers, 100 years ago!
The Magpie Knee's fished us out, they still sneak in
past our (now) 100 mile limit ... I realize the Magpie
Knee's are a hungry people, but they're really fishing
out the oceans ... the Magpie knee's take everything
and leave NOTHING alone.
=======================================================
The Prince of Wales Endorses BirdLife Campaign to Halt
Global Albatross Decline
London, UK, Monday 14th January, 2002 -- BirdLife
International today welcomed His Royal Highness The
Prince of Wales's endorsement of its Save the
Albatross Campaign at a reception at St James's Palace
[1,2].
"BirdLife International greatly welcomes The Prince of
Wales's support for the Save the Albatross campaign",
said Dr Michael Rands, BirdLife International's
Director and Chief Executive. "The support of His
Royal
Highness is crucial to help rally further global
action to eliminate the mass slaughter of seabirds on
longlines and fend off their extinction."
"Urgent action is needed to halt the decline of the
world's great albatrosses", said Dr Rands. "Longline
fishing is the single greatest threat to these
seabirds, especially by flag of convenience vessels
engaged in illegal or 'pirate' fishing in the Southern
Ocean." [3,4]
"Unless the trade in 'pirate' caught fish is declared
illegal and stamped out, species such as the
Black-browed Albatross will continue to die - at a
rate of tens of thousands per year - until they become
extinct. Those who benefit commercially from the sale
or purchase of pirated fish must be brought to book
and punished". [5]
"The number of seabirds killed by longlines is
increasing, as is the number of albatross species
listed as globally threatened because of longlining.
The Black-browed Albatross, a previously abundant
species, is to be listed by the IUCN in its next
revision of the Red List due in February 2002." [6]
"A range of measures to stop seabirds getting killed
on longlines is available for fishing vessels and
regulators, but they need to be more widely
implemented and enforced. Support for and
implementation of
international agreements such as the 2001 Agreement on
the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) are
also vital." [7,8]
"While there have been some very positive steps during
the past two years, there is still much to be done if
we are to win this campaign and save the world's
albatrosses," said Dr Rands.
For further information please contact Adrian Long on
01223 277 318 or 07779 018 332 (mobile).
- Photographs for use at
www.birdlife.net/seabirds/species_photos.htm
- Broadcast quality footage on Betacam SP is
available from Caroline Osborne at the Royal Society
for the Protection of Birds Press Office (01797
680551).
- A transcript of the Prince of Wales speech will be
available online from Monday 14 January PM (time tbc)
at
www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speeches
- Background information to Campaign at
www.birdlife.net/seabirds
NOTES:
1. BirdLife International Save the Albatross Campaign
Reception, St. James's Palace, London.
2. BirdLife International is a global alliance of
national conservation organisations working in more
than 100 countries who, together, are the leading
authority on the status of the world's birds, their
habitats and the conservation issues and problems
affecting bird life. Partners include the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds (UK), SEO/BirdLife
(Spain), Falklands Conservation, the New Zealand Royal
Forest and Bird Protection Society, Birds Australia,
the Canadian Nature Federation, Wild Bird Society
of Japan, National Audubon Society (USA), LPO
(France), Aves Argentina, and UNORCH (Chile).
3. Twenty-two of 56 species of seabird listed as
globally threatened are killed by longlines, including
all seventeen globally threatened albatross species.
According to BirdLife International data used to
compile the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List
of globally threatened species, the number of
albatrosses threatened with extinction increased from
one-third
in 1994 to more than three-quarters of all albatross
species in 2000.
4. Illegal longlining in the Southern Ocean accounts
for the heaviest seabird toll. Over 100,000 seabirds
per year - including tens of thousands of albatrosses
- are estimated to be killed by 'pirate' fishing
vessels. These vessels often operate under flags of
convenience (FoC) and fish for Patagonian Toothfish
(often sold as Chilean Sea Bass, Antarctic Black Hake
or Mero) and Southern Bluefin Tuna, itself listed as a
Critically Endangered fish species by IUCN.
5. Latest data indicate that over 300,000 seabirds are
killed on longlines every year. In one trip alone a
longline vessel fishing in New Zealand waters recently
caught over 300 seabirds.
6. Research conducted by Falklands Conservation
(BirdLife in the Falklands) and the British Antarctic
Survey (BAS) has revealed a dramatic decline in
numbers of Black-browed Albatrosses breeding in the
Falkland Islands, the global stronghold for this
species. This catastrophic decline is almost certainly
due to longlining.
7. BirdLife considers that Argentina, China, Japan,
South Korea, South Africa, Taiwan and the United
States need to sign and ratify the 2001 Agreement on
the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels for the
Agreement to be most effective in preventing seabird
by-catch. Within the European Union, Spain, France and
Norway are also important.
8. Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Iceland, Peru, South
Korea and Uruguay, as well as the French and British
overseas territories (OTs) in the Southern
Hemisphere, need to develop National Plans of Action
(NPOAs) under the auspices of the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) to cut the number of
seabirds being killed by longliners. Although not
members of FAO, Russia and Taiwan also need NPOAs or
equivalent. All of the key British overseas
territories (OTs) with breeding albatrosses (Tristan,
Gough,
Falklands and South Georgia islands) need NPOAs. With
the exception of the Falkland Islands, which is in the
process of developing one, none of the other UK OTs
has produced an NPOA yet. New Zealand is yet to
finalise
its plan.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail!
http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
