Environmental Conservation
Since Eco-Photo Explorers (EPE) was formed to help promote public interest in protecting the underwater environment through knowledge and awareness, this section will be used to provide information on special environmental conservation efforts that you should know about.
This web page contains links to other Internet sites and should not be considered endorsements of any products or services. No information in these sites have been endorsed or approved by Eco-Photo Explorers.
Environmental Telephone Hotlines
for the Vicinity of Suffolk County and Long Island, New York
In the News
Environmental - RSS Feeds from NewsIsFree. This web site is designed to let you access thousands of news sources with a powerful and flexible portal for browsing, indexing and publishing news headlines.
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Ecology News and Headlines from news sources around the world.
Ocean Futures Society
- ocean news
CNN:
Nature and the Environment |
Wildlife Topics
Dolphin slaughter brings charges from both sides
TAIJI, Japan (CNN) -- Mention a dolphin to someone in the United
States and they'll think about a trip to Sea World or the 1960s-era
TV program "Flipper."
Talk about a dolphin in rural Japan and some people think of dinner.
Fishermen hunt dolphins about every day in Taiji, a town of about
3,000 in southwestern Japan that juts into the Pacific Ocean.
Locals know they offend Western sensibilities by eating dolphins,
but they say it's a tradition hundreds of years old. And they say
outsiders have no more right to tell them to stop eating dolphins
than they would have to demand that Westerners stop slaughtering,
say, chickens or cows.
"I know there are many different ways of thinking in different
societies, but for us who've been eating this for a long time ...
it's an awkward thing to be criticized for," says Kayoko Tanaka, a
retired middle school teacher. "I either fry dolphin meat or turn it
into a stew."
That disgusts Ric O'Barry, a 68-year-old retired dolphin trainer
from Miami who makes a second home in Taiji, where he goes to
unusual lengths to fight against the tide of local tradition.
O'Barry sometimes dresses as a woman or wears a large surgical mask
to disguise his Western identity on trips to spots overlooking the
ocean. He prowls the cliffs with a video camera, hoping to catch
fishermen in the act with footage that could stir emotions and raise
awareness in the West.
"This here is ground zero for the largest slaughter of dolphins on
planet Earth," says O'Barry, who trained five dolphins to play
"Flipper" on the TV series of that name. "It's absolutely barbaric
and it needs to stop."
He says the dolphins face a cruel fate.
"It takes a very long time to die. They bleed to death. And some of
them are dragged in the boats with hooks while they're still alive,"
he says. "Many of them are gutted while they're still alive."
Looming beyond questions of whether the slaughter is humane,
however, are larger and more complex questions of culture and
perspective.
To some puzzled people in rural Japan, the question comes down to
this: What's the difference between killing and eating a dolphin and
killing and eating a fish? Or a chicken? Or a cow?
Most Japanese do not eat dolphins -- it's common in a few small
fishing villages -- but the government respects the rights of people
in towns like Taiji, says Joji Morishita, the international
negotiator for Japan's Fisheries Agency.
Many Japanese consider the deer a sacred messenger from the gods, he
says, but they would never suggest that people in other parts of the
world stop venturing into the woods on a quest for venison,
Morishita says.
"We don't like to play God to say this animal is just for food and
this is not," he says. "Because we know nation to nation we have
totally different ideas."
That's obvious in the growing clash between Australia and Japan over
whale hunting.
Japanese ships crisscross the Antarctic Ocean each winter to capture
and kill up to 1,000 whales. Whaling is allowed under international
law when done for scientific reasons, which Japan cites as the legal
basis for its hunts.
Legal justifications aside, however, the whale hunts offend many
people in Australia, where new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has turned
up the political pressure on Japan.
His government has dispatched a customs ship to monitor and
videotape the whalers. And Rudd says Australia could even file
charges against Japan in an international court to try to stop the
whaling.
Back in Taiji, the fishermen are well aware of the Western sentiment
that motivates whaling opponents. They realize the danger to their
way of life that can come with prying cameras from other countries.
When CNN trained its cameras on fishermen gutting some freshly
killed dolphins, the fishermen erected some tarps to obstruct the
view.
Representatives of the Taiji Fishermen's Union declined CNN requests
for an on-camera interview. So did the town's mayor and several
others. And O'Barry says he's gotten into a few shouting matches
with fishermen, who resent him and his camera.
So what does O'Barry say to their claim that he has no right to tell
them to abandon a tradition that has flourished in their small
corner of the world for more than 400 years?
"If someone came to my hometown and told me what to do, what to eat,
I'd be outraged," he says. "But that's not going to stop me from
doing it. I mean, tradition? It used to be traditional for women not
to vote. So do we keep that going because it's traditional and
cultural? Of course not."
Complicating the debate are findings suggesting that eating dolphins
may not be good for one's health. The Japanese government said in
2005 that bottlenose dolphin meat contains 12 times more mercury
than blue fin tuna -- high levels of mercury in fish can cause
health problems in pregnant women and young children.
A city councilman in Taiji, Junichiro Yamashita, grew so concerned
about mercury levels that he persuaded locals schools to stop
serving dolphin meat at lunch. He even plucked some of his hair,
sent it off for testing and discovered that it contained seven times
as much mercury as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
considers safe.
The mercury findings have not swayed Masaru Matsushita, a Taiji fish
dealer. He says that dolphin activists like O'Barry only see their
needs without understanding the culture in his town.
"I understand that they think the dolphin in a cute animal, and I
agree they're cute doing performances," he says, "but it is our
culture to eat dolphins."
Source: CNN, Posted 8:22 p.m. EST, Mon February 11, 2008
Related Information
Special Report!
Imaging Foundation Uses Video to Combat Cocos Island
Shark Poaching!
An Imaging Foundation (IF) expedition uncovered and documented poaching activity at Cocos Island. The core team and Imaging Foundation volunteers pursued poaching vessels and then found grizzly proof of the poaching underwater, just several hundred feet from the island. Team members removed portions of long line and documented the entire trip.
Imaging Foundation materials were produced in Spanish as well as English and were presented to Costa Rican journalists at a press conference. Materials also found their way to the desk of the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias. Imaging Foundation returned to Cocos in December on an unexpected trip to see if the poaching had been curbed. The results were encouraging. The number of vessels had decreased, and the poaching was only found at night. Imaging Foundation teams are eager to return and continue their investigation.
View the Imaging Foundation Video that Brought Attention to
Cocos Island Illegal Poaching!
Imaging Foundation is looking for a few committed individuals
to return to Cocos and Malpelo for one of two trips they will be
spearheading in April and May. Join them and help make a difference!
Cocos Island needs your help!
What if you could make a Difference?
See How You Can!
Protecting Cocos Island is the mission
behind the Imaging Foundation's latest project. Unless Costa Rican
citizens are aware of the value that the island holds, it is
unlikely that more "shark safe" legislation will be passed, much
less enforced in a consistent way. To help convince the citizens of
San Jose, Costa Rica that this island is worth the fight, Imaging
Foundation plans to bring the island to them by creating a
permanent, high quality exhibit. New jobs and fishing alternatives
will be created as part of this comprehensive project.
Imaging Foundation is making Giant Strides!
Please call or email them with any comments or suggestions.
The Imaging Foundation
23852 PCH, Unit 110
Malibu, CA 90265
Phone: 310.458.0210
Fax: 508.464.6514
Email:
info@imagingfoundation.org
International Coastal Cleanup
International
Coastal Cleanup needs volunteers to help our oceans...
Clean oceans and waterways are vital to our health and safety. The International Coastal Cleanup is the world's largest one-day volunteer effort on behalf of the marine environment. Help us restore health to our oceans and waterways by volunteering in this year's International Coastal Cleanup. Events take place in more than 90 countries and in all 55 U.S. states and territories.
What: The International Coastal Cleanup; The world's
largest one-day volunteer effort to remove marine debris.
When: view website at
www.coastalcleanup.org
for current dates...
Where: At a local beach or waterway near you.
Background: The International Coastal Cleanup is the world's
largest one-day volunteer effort on behalf of the marine
environment. In 2003 more then 450,000 people from all 55 U.S.
states and territories and over 90 countries around the world
participated in the cleanup collecting over 7.55 million pounds of
marine debris. Volunteers also found 237 entangled animals last
year, emphasizing the dangers that marine debris plays in the
coastal environment.
From community groups to families and concerned citizens, many of
your readers are participating in a local cleanup. Help tell their
story and the story of how marine debris is not only an eyesore, but
also poses a serious risk to health and human safety and harms
wildlife.
To find a Cleanup site near you call
1-800-262-BEACH or log onto
www.coastalcleanup.org.
Save the Dolphin Campaign
CNN Exposes Dolphin Slaughter Cruelty
Follow along as CNN goes with Ric O'Barry, of Save Japan
Dolphins, to the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji Japan. This video
contains brutal fooatge of the suffering dolphins, brutally
slaughtered for an outdated custom that must stop.
-
Save Japan Dolphins
This campaign to end the Japanese drive fishery slaughter of dolphins in Taiji is being jointly conducted by these international organizations with long and successful histories of dolphin conservation.
-
The
Ocean Project |
ACT for Dolphins
End Dolphin Slaughter in Japan- Please sign this petition and help us put an end to the slaughter of dolphins and small whales in drive hunts.
- Earth Island Institute | International Marine Mammal Project
- Elsa Nature Conservancy (petition)
- Say 'NO' to Dolphin Captivity | Dolphin Facts
- Dolphin Protection Campaign Toolkit (pdf)
Sea Turtle Conservation Program
Sea Turtles are seriously threatened, many are nearing extinction. Below are a few links to organizations that are making an effort to help save these amazing creatures. Find out how you can become a volunteer by contacting your location environmental group in your area. more...
Save the Albatross Campaign
The problem - Most albatrosses and several other seabird
species are heading for extinction. They are being unintentionally
drowned in large numbers by "longline" fishing boats. Longlines
are
the single greatest threat to the world's seabirds. Much of it is
carried out by "pirate" fishing boats.
Save the Albatross |
Albatross Conservation
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSAP)
WSPA
works to raise the standards of animal welfare throughout the globe
and their vision is a world in which the welfare of animals is
understood and respected by everyone, and protected by effective
legislation.
Through their collaborative projects, WSPA is Campaigning Against Cruelty by exposing animal abuse and enforcing stronger laws; their Animal Rescue teams are working to save abandoned or neglected animals or those stricken by disasters; and by Changing Hearts and Minds amongst people living and working with animals, WSPA is forging a safer future for all animals.
- How can I Help
- Say 'NO' to Dolphin Captivity | Dolphin Facts
- Dolphin Protection Campaign Toolkit (pdf)
- Norway Set to Kill More Whales
Choose Seafood Wisely
If you’re having trouble keeping track of which species of seafood and shellfish are safe to buy from an ecological perspective, then check out the latest Seafood MiniGuides from the websites listed below. Your seafood choices can really help protect the health of our oceans for future generations. Since many of your favorite kinds of seafood are disappearing from the world's oceans because of over-fishing, habitat destruction and the unintentional catch of other species, being educated about the right seafood to buy at the store or order in restaurants, will make sure our favorite seafood and shellfish will be around for years to come.
In addition to making a difference with your seafood choices, you can take part in local conservation projects as well like beach and river cleanups.
- National Audubon Society's Living Oceans Program
- Environmental Defense "Which Fish is Best?" - Best & Worst Picks
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program - National Chart
- Marine Stewardship Council
- National Audubon Society Right Bite card in PDF format:
Black and White | Color
Links
Atlantis Marine World
Blue
Ocean Institute -
Seafood Miniguide (pdf)
Endangered Species Act of 1973, US Fish & Wildlife Service
(pdf version)
Endangered Species Program, US Fish & Wildlife Service
List of Endangered & Threatened Wildlife Species of New York State
Monterey Bay
Aquarium
Monterey Bay
Aquarium Research Institute
National Marine Sanctuary Program
Oceana -
campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans
OceanNEnvironment
PaleMale: Red-tailed hawk who manages to
thrive in New York City ( Links:
1
2 3
)
Peregrine
Falcons: Webcam at 55 water street in New York City
SaveTheEnvironment.com
Sea Turtle Conservation Program
The Ocean
Conservancy
Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution
World Wildlife Fund
Zoos and
Aquariums of AZA
Any questions not addressed in the above pages or in this website, should be
forwarded by email to Technical Support.
- http://www.ecophotoexplorers.com/contacts.asp?subject=Technical Support#form
