There was a major development over the weekend in the case of a US research vessel, RV Marcus Langseth, seeking to conduct seismic testing in Canada's first marine protected area.

Environmentalists are fuming after learning the federal government has given permission to a U.S. research ship to begin controversial seismic testing in Canadian waters, despite an ongoing court challenge.

"The issue at stake here is the fact that by issuing this clearance permit for the vessel, they are valuing American interests above that of the Canadian environment and Canadian species at risk," said spokesman Kori Brus. "They've given no reason; they've simply done it."

A foreign affairs spokesman on Sunday would not confirm the ship has been given clearance to begin its test program. He refused to comment, saying the issue was before the courts.

While the Canadian government is refusing to comment on a decision that threatens blue whales and the integrity of the nation's first marine protected area, environmentalists ARE fuming - and rightfully so. The federal government's own documents demonstrate a full awareness of the impacts this testing will have on endangered whales, and they have allowed this research to go forward regardless of the best science available.

We're in court tomorrow working to have the permit issued to the US vessel stayed. More to come then.

Ecojustice is suing the federal government to stop an American research vessel from conducting seismic blasting in a Canadian waters. The area in question? The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents, Canada's first officially designated marine protected area and a known habitat of endangered blue whales and fin whales.

“A marine protected area is a marine protected area because its supposed to be off limits to harmful activity. And its just completely inappropriate that intrusive or harmful research would happen there,” said Ecojustice lawyer, Lara Tessaro.

According to Ecojustice, the seismic blasts at 180 decibels every 2 or 3 minutes would cause intense acoustic disturbance for the marine animals in the area, most specifically the blue whales in the area.

Ecojustice is scheduled for to be in court on the issue tomorrow. See the media release for more.

Cross-posted at Ecojustice

Earlier this week, I shared what is likely the biggest win yet for endangered species in Canada, or as The Canadian Press said,

An endangered bird with a spectacular mating dance could be the key to protecting at-risk species all across Canada.

Here's a video clip of the sage-grouse's famed mating ritual, which this week became a victory dance. Enjoy....

I have no way of verifying the truth value of this, but some things are too endearing to question.

According to a multi forwarded email that landed in my inbox, thirst stricken koala bears were so tapped out by soaring temperatures this year (120F, 49C) that they were approaching people for water.

Believe what you will....but either way, enjoy the pics.

cross posted at Ecojustice


For the second time in the past month we can celebrate a major victory for endangered species, as the courts have come down hard on the federal government for their failure to protect the greater sage-grouse.

In a landmark court battle that will have implications for all of Canada's 585 imperiled species, the federal government will be forced to identify critical habitat for the endangered greater sage-grouse. It's a stunning win for the flamboyant prairie bird, which will disappear from Alberta in as little as 6 years unless it receives the protection it needs.

Our own executive director summed it up best,

“This decision confirms our view that the Ministry of the Environment is routinely breaking the law with species on the brink of extinction,” said Ecojustice executive director Devon Page who brought the case forward. “We won’t go away - if they continue to ignore the law, we will continue to hammer them in the courts."

Despite amply available research, and the presence of known nesting grounds frequented by the bird watching public, the government had been arguing that they couldn't protect key habitat for the sage-grouse because it did not know where to find it. The judge flatly disagreed,

The judge stated it was "unreasonable" for the government to claim it couldn't identify breeding grounds, known as leks, when knowledge of their locations was "notorious."

Once wide-spread across the Prairies, Alberta Fish and Wildlife counted just 66 males in the spring of 2009, a 20% decrease in just one year. With this win, and new protections, the sage-grouse can begin to recover its numbers and survive in the decades to come.

Update: Read more coverage at the Tyee.

Here's one I've been looking forward to, in spirit since witnessing the breathtaking footage of Planet Earth, and in practice since first stepping foot in Africa - cage diving with the Great White Sharks.

Before describing the experience there's a need to address the inevitable and already existing concerns about diving with the great white. In particular, some environmentalists take issue with the activity because they allege that diving with these predators conditions them to view human beings as food. After a day of close quarters observation, both in the cage and from the ship's deck, I can tell you with full confidence that this concern is both unwarranted and unfounded.

To begin with, conditioning an animal to change its natural response patterns takes time, and a unique aspect about the South African great whites is that they are a completely open population, meaning that any given individual shark is only spending about three or four weeks in the area. That's far to little time to ingrain a new conditioning pattern. More to the point, whomever asserts this as a concern has a feeble understanding of conditioning. In order for sharks to be conditioned to view human beings as food, they need to receive some form of reward that causes them to believe this. For starters, they aren't managing to eat human beings during these trips. More importantly, they aren't permitted to eat anything else either. The bait used to attract sharks is pulled away before they can reach it. The entire strategy of shark diving focuses on piquing the shark's natural curiosity in order to bring it within sighting distance. They are not fed, and most importantly human beings are never presented as food, nor are they interested in them as such. Case closed there.

As far as the experience itself goes, its a phenomenal opportunity to appreciate one of natures most specialized creations. In the cage itself we witnessed great whites of up to 4 metres in length passing within a foot of our eyes. The largest of the species can top 6 metres, but there was no shortage of awe and appreciation for the beauty and power of these animals as it was.

In totaly, we witnessed four individual great whites in close quarters, and on one occasion saw one consume a giant lion's mane jellyfish measuring a full metre in diameter. The shark sucked it back with one motion, and even the marine biologist on board the vessel enthused that she had never so much as read about a great white preying on jelly fish, let alone witness it. The sighting will be her next academic submission to the professional journals.

More than anything the trip was an opportunity to witness a species deeply in peril. Despite their dense numbers on the southern tip of Africa, sharks across the world are in steep decline. Each year 100,000,000 (no that is not a typo) die at the hands of long line fishing nets and cast aside as by catch (but only after their fins are lopped off as delicacies, often with the sharks still alive). Meanwhile, collectors across the globe are willing to pay upwards of $100,000 for their very own set of great white's jaws for display as a trophy to god knows what.

The work of the tour leaders and conservationists who bring these creatures to the public eye is one of the biggest forces working in favour of their protection, and from start to finish, I have nothing but praise for the professionalism of this trip and the enormous respect they help spread for the great whites of South Africa.

The past week saw one of the most impressive and unexpected stops on the tour so far - the Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park in Namibia.

Until then I hadn't caught so much of a glimpse of the world's fastest land animal, and as I said to a travel mate, I might as well pack up and go home if I couldn't see one here.

The farm began in 1994, when the Nel family faced a huge problem with the big cats. In the course of one year, cheetahs took out 38 sheep and goats, plus an additional four calves on the family farm. But rather than shooting the cheetahs, as is both sanctioned and encouraged by the Namibian Nature Conservation, they opted instead to capture them - a decision they credit as having changed the course of their lives forever.

A pregnant female was among the captured cats, and when three of the five cubs survived birth, the family adopted them as house pets and decided to turn their working ranch into a private reserve for the protection of cheetahs. Today, the fenced reserve spans 250 hectares and provides a safe home for 22 wild cheetahs, in addition to their three current house pets.

Time spent with the 'domestic' ones was almost surreal, while at the same time feeling utterly safe. They began purring like idling Volkswagens as soon as we arrived, and all in we had about 45 minutes to spend with them in the Nels' backyard. As risky as you'd think the experience might be, there really was minimal (if any) danger. Cheetahs are specialized for speed and are notoriously weak compared to other big cats. In the wild, they will often get bullied off their kill by lions or hyenas, and although 'big' they stand at about the same height as standard sized dog. They were even left free to play with the family's Jack Russel, doing no more to it than rolling it end over end if it got to yappy or in their face.

After the visit with the house cats we survived an hour long deluge before piling into the back of a pick-up truck for feeding time in the wild reserve. These cheetahs were an entirely different story. Unlike their domestic cousins, these were fit, lean predators in the prime of their lives. Just one hundred yards into the fenced off reserve we were surrounded by no less than a dozen active, pacing animals with no more than the open rail of the truck bed between us and them. I never felt more like a cow being led to the slaughter than at that moment.

But again, it was surprising how little of a threat they were, despite all appearances. The guides stepped directly out of the truck armed with nothing more than a small stick about the size of a conductor's wand - just a prop to make themselves look a bit bigger in the face of a couple bluff charges by the more aggressive cats. Once on the ground, they hauled out the garbage bin of fresh donkey meat that had been riding in the back with us and gave each a healthy 2kg chunk.

I realize that all sorts of people have a problem with keeping big cats or other wild animals as pets. I've never endorsed it, but in secure grounds in the middle of nowhere I could see no harm. All of the cheetahs were in immaculate health, and the service the Nels are providing in giving these animals a safe habitat in the face of the farmers' rifle puts them far beyond most cheetah conservation efforts, particularly the Namibian government who continues to sanction their killing.

All in their are just 7,500 cheetahs remaining in the world, but through their "pest control" policy, the Namibian government endorses the killing of up to 500 to 600 every year. Meanwhile, the Nels are looking to greatly expand their efforts. Eventually, they aim to have their entire 7,500 hectare farm securely fenced for the benefit of the cats. It was more than a pleasure to leave them with a donation towards that effort. The cost of fencing is about $50 Namibian Dollars (about $7 per km), and every square meter of land included in the reserve means a better life for the cheetahs who live there, and more room to transfer other cats that are facing a death sentence on local livestock farms.

For more information on the Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park, see the complete contact details below.



Tollie & Roeleen Nel
Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park
PO Box 60
Kamanjab, Namibia
Phone: 09 264 67 687056
Email: cheetahs@iway.na or Mario@cheetahpark.com
http://www.cheetahparknamibia.com

When you say the word 'safari' most thoughts turn to the endless plains of Tanzania's Serengeti. But where the Serengeti can be likened to driving a sports car on a four lane superhighway, Zambia's South Luangwa National Park is the safari equivalent of a motorcycle ride through a winding country road.

At long last, here is a short photo series of the mountain gorillas....well, except the first shot. Enjoy!

Four decades after it was declared endangered, the bald eagle has been removed from the US critical list.

Population levels bottomed out in 1967 when only 400 breeding pairs remained in the lower 48 states. Today, that number tops 10,000, in no small part thanks to Canada. Over the decades Canada has supplied more eagles to the US efforts than can easily be counted, and with them helped ensure that the aggressive conservation policies put in place were bolstered by a growing and healthy eagle population.

Nature is full of lessons. This clip shows something of the strength of numbers and the power of community. The day is not far off when all of those who care about the environment will similarly realize their strength in the face of obstructionist corporations and government inaction.



Clip via An Insomniac

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has reportedly been stunned by the discovery of what could be "the largest migration of land mammals on Earth". Over 1.3 million animals including white-eared kob, African antelope, mongalla gazelle, elephants, buffalo and ostriches have been counted in an aerial survey of the southern Sudan where it was assumed that wide spread war had wiped out these herds.

This is great news for wildlife. It is not good news for WCS.

I don't usually play the cynic, but this the worst PR job I've seen in the enviro community since the Center for Biological Diversity sued one of North America's largest wind farms for bird deaths caused by turbines. Rather than assuming all animals had perished when a proper survey had not been completed since 1982, it may have been better to take a conservative approach in estimating the death toll.

The WCS is accepting donations to help them "protect this wildlife haven". Although I don't know much about the organization, my advice would be that if the WCS couldn't locate the world's largest migration of animals in the first place, they're probably the wrong folks to be protecting them.

Check out the BBC slide show for more great pics.

A leaked document reveals that the BC government intends to capture the last of Canada's spotted owls for a captive breeding program while it logs the habitat they need for survival.

Only 16 northern spotted owls remain in Canada, all of them in the old growth forests of BC. In the US Pacific Northwest, the owl is also listed as endangerd but still survives in greater numbers.

A full copy of the leaked document can be read here.

In a strong and bold move, the BC Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture (i.e. salmon farming) is calling for a permanent ban on fish farms on BC's north coast and a move to compulsory closed-pen farming within five years.

The industry would be given three years to develop the new systems, and another two years to phase them in. That would mean an end to open-net fish farms within five years.

Not surprisingly, the salmon farming industry has responded with predictable rage scare mongering while providing no real evidence to counter the committee's recommendations.

It's as if you were listening to a climate change denier talk about salmon farming.

For years the risks of open-net salmon farming have been well documented, particularly in Europe where the practice has been used for much longer than in BC. These range from the spreading of parasitic lice, the polluting of seabed floors with fish sewage, the irresponsible use of antibiotics, and thousands of documented cases of foreign Atlantic salmon escaping and surviving in Pacific waters.

The salmon farming industry's response has been typical of corporate propaganda. Scientific evidence is ignored and dismissed while no genuine evidence to the contrary is presented. Instead, industry touts the jobs created by their unsustainable business, and the so called "health benefits" of eating farmed salmon. This point is particularly misleading given that farmed salmon are so laden with cancer causing PCBs that they are the most PCB-contaminated protein source in the current U.S. food supply. Generally it is recommended that adults eat no more than one serving per month. There are no such concerns with wild species.

However, the industry's lobby group - the BC Association of Salmon Farmers - does offer a handy selection of recipes on their website. Substitute your favorite species of wild salmon and bon appetite!

An email has been published from a prominent organic beekeeper stating that organic bee colonies are not suffering from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD is the mysterious mass die-off of commercial bee colonies seen in various countries around the globe.

The cause of CCD, or the reason why organic colonies seem immune, is still unclear. However, evidence is beginning to suggest that the problem may have to do with a powerful interaction between overbreeding, immune system failure and the potential role of genetically engineered crops.

Many people have speculated that the varroa mite is responsible for weakening the bees immune system and for transmitting disease. However, in a report issued three days ago, the Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group reveals that high levels of mites were found in both healthy colonies and those suffering collapse. However, recent research involving genetically engineered crops add an interesting twist.

German researchers found that when healthy bees were fed pollen from a genetically modified corn species called Bt corn they remained healthy. However, when bees already infested with parasites (mites) were fed the same GE pollen their numbers were decimated.

The study concluded that there was no evidence of a "toxic effect of Bt corn on healthy honeybee populations." But when, by sheer chance, the bees used in the experiments were infested with a parasite, something eerie happened. According to the Jena study, a "significantly stronger decline in the number of bees" occurred among the insects that had been fed a highly concentrated Bt poison feed.

It would be interesting to have the Colony Collapse Disorder Working Group cross reference bees exposure to GE corn versus high levels of mite infestation. If they correlate it may indicate a frightening link between this mysterious collapse and our increasing reliance on genetically engineered food. Currently, genetically modified, insect-resistant plants are now used in 40 percent of cornfields in the United States.

Definition: Colony Collapse Disorder is the unexplained mass die-off of bee colonies currently being experienced in North America and Europe. To date, 30% - 90% of bee colonies have collapsed in the continental United States, and other significant losses have occurred in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and the UK.

Scientists are optimistic that they may find a mate for the world's rarest living creature.

Lonesome George is the last known survivor of the giant tortoises of Pinta Island in the Galapagos. Discovered in 1972, and now 80 years old, George has been cared for at the Charles Darwin research station on Santa Cruz Island,while researchers have sought a female counterpart and mate that could help to save the species. They are now hopeful of locating one.

Scientists are reporting that genetic testing on nearby Isabella Island has revealed a 30 year old specimen that is a genetic cross between a native Isabella Island female and another male of George's Pinta species. The finding has boosted hope that a female may be found as well, or that selective breeding of mixed specimens could be used to restore the species.

We all know how the saying in the title finishes. Our next generation may not.

For the past year, scientists have been following one of the most baffling and alarming situations yet seen in nature - the abrupt collapse of bee colonies throughout the world.

Termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), it occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers.

Concerns were first raised last fall in the US, and to date the American West Coast is thought to have lost 60% of its commercial bee population and a further 70% on the East Coast. CCD has since spread to Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and most recently the UK, where one of London's largest bee-keepers has recently announced that 23 of 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.

The cause has not been identified with certainty. Deceased bees are being found with massive amounts of pathogens and widespread disease, leading some to blame pollution and environmental toxins. Others are finding evidence that the navigation systems of bees are being disrupted by radiation from the growing number of mobile phones going into use.

Either way, the situation is alarming and represents a huge risk to the environment and our food supply. Most of the pollination for US food crops is accomplished through honey bees, at an annual value of $14 billion.

In some potential good news for the anti-whaling movement, it appears that Nicaragua will no longer vote for alongside pro-whaling nations at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

I say "appears" only because the article in question is in Spanish and the Babel Fish translation was nearly incomprehensible.

The pro-whaling camp has been making significant progress in recent years, thanks in large part to the Japanese efforts to stack the international panel in their favour. Japan has been bringing "sympathetic" countries into the IWC by exchanging foreign aid and IWC membership fees for pro-whaling votes.

The pro-whaling camp gained a key victory last June when the IWC voted 33 to 32 in favour of the eventual return of commercial whaling. In highly contested and tight voting environment, Nicaragua's apparent shift in policy will be key for efforts to maintain the commercial whaling ban.

If any Spanish speaking readers would like to give their interpretation, your input in the comments section is more than welcome.

A radical plan is being suggested to save the Tasmanian devil from extinction.

The rare marsupial once inhabited wide areas of Australia, but predation and human impacts wiped it out everywhere but the small island state of Tasmania. A healthy population of 150,000 had flourished there until the mid 1990s when a mysterious facial cancer began sweeping through the island.

Dubbed devil facial tumor disease, the infectious cancer spreads through mouth to mouth conflict and infects the face with large visible tumours. Eventually, the cancer crowds out the animal's teeth, essentially starving it to death as eating and hunting become more difficult.

Scientists believe that many as 70,000 have already perished, with 65% of the remaining population infected. In the northeast of the state where the disease was first diagnosed, 90% of the population has disappeared.

Now, scientists are proposing a controversial plan to transfer 30 healthy animals to nearby Maria Island - a national park that is also home to several endangered bird species.

Critics are concerned about the impact that the new species will have on local species, an understandable fear given Australia's previous failed experiments in introducing foreign species to sensitive habitats. However, unless a new home or a miracle cure is found there will be no uninfected Tasmanian devils in as little as 5 years.

Those wanting to help save the species can visit the Save the Tasmanian Devil website to donate or find out more.

Last week, a rhino at the UK's Devon Zoo gave birth in what is believed to be the first such event broadcast live over the internet via webcam. Sita, a black rhino, gave birth to her female calf at 2010 GMT on Monday, March 5th.

The black rhino, though far less endangered than the northern white rhino that made news last week, is still critically endangered with less than 4,000 remaining worldwide.

Below is the video clip, courtesy the BBC.