Humpbacks And The Whaling Ban Under Fire ~ Urgent Action Needed!!!

Humpbacks And The Whaling Ban Under Fire

Members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meet this week, from

Tuesday onwards, in St.Petersburg, Florida, to discuss a proposal that

sets out the conditions to make commercial whaling legal again.

The full proposal will be considered at its annual Meeting in June 2010.
 On
the 4th and 5th of March the IWC will decide on another proposal by

Denmark as to whether humpback whales are added to the list of species

hunted in the waters off Greenland.

Is the European Union selling out on Humpback whales?

The
credibility of the International Whaling Commission is undermined by

Greenlands attempts to increase whale hunt quota. A Member of the

European Union, Denmark, has been keeping the EU hostage for the last

three years, trapping the EU in never-ending internal negotiations 

about this flawed proposal. A failure to agree a consensus position

(total agreement by all EU members of the IWC) means that Denmark can

force the EU to abstain on its own demand at the IWC for more whales

for Greenland.

Conservation led countries can no longer exercise
their rights to vote for conservation measures or against whaling

proposals, because Denmark can use the requirements of the internal EU

negotiation rules to tie the EU up in knots.

You can read about the issue of Greenland's proposal here in the joint WDCS/WSPA report revealing the failings in Greenland Whaling.


Urgent Action Needed Now!

Please take action to let the countries of the European Union that they cannot
allow Denmark to hold the EU back from upholding their conservation

lead.


Is the Future of the IWC the end of the whaling ban?

Two years ago the Members of the IWC agreed to open negotiations to potentially
develop a proposal that could be seen as a kind of compromise between

the differing positions of those countries engaging in whaling and

those wanting all commercial whaling banned once and for all.

An IWC  Small Working Group (SWG) of countries of differing opinions was tasked with taking these discussions forward.

This
week the Small Working Group is discussing their Chairmans  draft of

their deliberations and will seek to make recommendations to this years

annual Meeting of the IWC (due to take place in June, in Morocco) for a

decision to be made.

WDCS and our allies are extremely
concerned over the current proposal which basically foresees the

legalisation of commercial whaling as  currently carried out  by Norway

and Iceland under a reservation or objection to the moratorium.

Unfortunately,
from what we understand, the right for Member States to undertake so

called scientific whaling enshrined in Article VIII of the Whaling

Convention will continue to exist, allowing Japan to continue its

activities, both for commercial and research purposes.

The
vague concessions achieved by countries claiming to focus on whale

conservation is a limitation of such whaling activities to Iceland,

Norway and Japan and a still to be negotiated reduction of the number

of whales killed within a ten years time. And then …how many whales

will be dying ?

Both Norways and Japans
whalers have welcomed the proposal as a stepping stone to full scale

industrial whaling on many more species. They see the first ten years

of this so-called deal as simply a transition to allow them to prepare

to ratchet up their whaling

Read a general critique of the Deal by WDCS

Please help the whales now! Every email counts

Please help protect our humpbacks

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More on the background of whaling

Further information:

Read our reports
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Get Glued

Treaty signed to protect endangered sharks

NEW YORK, Feb. 16 (UPI) — More than 100 nations signed a U.N.-supported wildlife treaty Tuesday designed to protect shark species threatened with extinction.

The 113 countries signing the treaty are party to the U.N. Environment Program-administered Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. U.N. officials said the countries agreed to prohibit the hunting, fishing and deliberate killing of certain shark species — the great
white, basking, whale, porbeagle, spiny dogfish, and the shortfin and
longfin mako sharks.

“This first global CMS instrument on commercially exploited species is a decisive step forward in international shark conservation,” said UNEP/CMS Executive Secretary Elizabeth Mrema. “Wildlife conventions, U.N. agencies and international fisheries need to work
together to prevent these creatures that roam the world’s oceans from becoming extinct.”

The agreement, signed during a meeting of government representatives in the Philippines, is designed to restore the long-term viability of populations of migratory sharks.

According to U.N. estimates, as much as 900,000 tons of sharks have been caught every year for the last two decades, and the actual catch figure is estimated to be at least twice as high.

Environmental studies show shark populations collapsed in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea by 90 percent and by 75 percent in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean during a 15-year span.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

John K. Luedeman

Professor of Math Sci and Teacher Education (Ret.)

Clemson University

110 Shorecrest Drive

Seneca, SC 29672-2136

(864) 882-6735 (H)

(864) 650-4599 (C)

Palau Is Home To The World's First Shark Sanctuary

Palau Is Home To The World's First Shark Sanctuary

The Pacific nation of Palau has created the world’s first shark sanctuary, a biological sanctuary to protect great hammerheads, leopard sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks and more than 130 other species fighting extinction in the Pacific Ocean.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 29, 2009 – The Pacific nation of Palau has created the world’s first officially-recognized shark sanctuary, a biological sanctuary to protect great hammerheads, leopard sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks and more than 130 other species fighting extinction in the Pacific Ocean.

Johnson Toribiong, president of the island republic, said , “Palau will become the world’s first national shark sanctuary, ending all commercial shark fishing in our waters and giving a sanctuary for sharks to live and reproduce unmolested in our 237,000 square miles of ocean.”

President Toribiong’s announcement on the commercial shark-fishing ban came on September 25, 2009 at the United Nations General Assembly. He comments, “The strength and beauty of sharks are a natural barometer for the health of our oceans.”
During his address, President Toribiong called for a global ban on shark-finning and rallied for other nations to join the cause. Through his actions, along with those of the Palau Shark Sanctuary, President Toribiong has put Palau on the map in terms of global efforts to protect sharks.

Some might ask, “What is the motivation behind President Toribiong’s initiatives and his efforts to call upon support of these world-wide efforts?” Shark populations are in danger of demise because of limited protective measures, to date. As a matter of fact, shark fishing has grown rapidly since the mid-1980s, because of the rising demand for shark fin soup, a highly coveted expression of wealth. Sharks, in general, have a long life span and low fertility rates, which makes them vulnerable to extinction.

As a result, Palau formally established a protective zone to help preserve the predatory fish by protecting its 135 Western Pacific species of sharks and rays, considered endangered or vulnerable.

Dermot Keane, of the Palau Shark Sanctuary, “(We) Deeply commend President Toribiong for his international leadership in global efforts to protect sharks.” Keane continues, “We are very proud of President Toribiong and of Palau on this momentous occasion.”

Palau Shark Sanctuary was founded in 2001 in an effort to end the annihilation of Palau's sharks, which come as a result of rampant shark-finning at the hands of foreign long-line fishing vessels licensed by Palau to fish in their waters. Palau Shark Sanctuary seeks a declaration by Palau to establish the waters of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone as a sanctuary for all sharks.

For more information about President Toribiong’s initiatives and the Palau Shark Sanctuary’s efforts, visit www.sharksanctuary.com. For those interested in speaking directly with the shark preservation activists in Palau, contact Dermot Keane of Palau Shark Sanctuary at dermot@samstours.com or Tova Harel Bornovski of Micronesia Shark Foundation at tova@oceanhunter.com.

Palau, Micronesia
Located in the westernmost corner of Micronesia, Palau is an archipelago of more than 586 islands with about 20,000 inhabitants. Consistently ranked as one of the world's best dive destinations, Palau is the ultimate paradise for the adventurous traveler, boasting some of the most spectacular water features and beaches as well as the world famous Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake. With more than 1,400 species of fish and 500 species of coral, some have called Palau the "8th Natural Wonder of the World", while others have identified Palau as "One of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World."* For more information about Palau, please visit www.visit-palau.com.

Palau is blessed with a wealth of biodiversity and natural resources. The Nation enjoys clean air, clean water, abundant marine life and healthy, productive coral reefs and native forests. Weaving these sources of natural and human wealth together is perhaps the most important resource of all: Tradition. Palauans maintain strong cultural ties to their land, waters and history. It is though these traditional ties that Palau strives to preserve and conserve all of its precious resources.

*According to Wikipedia, the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World was a list drawn up by CEDAM International, an American-based non-profit group for divers, dedicated to ocean preservation and research. In 1989, CEDAM brought together a panel of marine scientists, including Dr. Eugenie Clark, to pick underwater areas which the they considered to be worthy of protection.

SHARK CARTILAGE SOLD IN VANCOUVER NUTRITION HOUSE

SHARK CARTILAGE SOLD IN VANCOUVER NUTRITION HOUSE




-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​ Bulletin Message -​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​-​​
From: Global Wildlife Warriors (491992748)
To: (114315459)
Date: 4/08/2009 12:41:54 PM
Subject: SHARK CARTILAGE SOLD IN VANCOUVER " NUTRITION HOUSE"


Here is a communique that just came in from one of our members.

Our First Target. A Call to Arms - Please Repost

Dear Friends!

There's a huge display of Shark Cartilage products in this store called Nutrition House. I tried earlier to educate them about the situation, sent letter and called the store.
Please, if you have a minute, re-send this letter below or modify it OR CALL THE STORE or write YOUR OWN LETTER if you prefer!!

customersupport​@​​​nutritionhouse.​​​com

The letter's been written by Bob Timmons, Endangered Marine Animal Artist & Animal Activist for an earlier campaign and he's given me permission to use it for any purpose in saving sharks - I modified it specially for Nutrition House
(His website is: http:​​​/​​​/​​​www.​​​bobtimmons.​​​org/​​​)

The store is:

Nutrition House
1194 Robson St.
Vancouver BC

PH: 604 632 0047
www.​​​nutritionhouse.​​​com
email: customersupport​@​​​nutritionhouse.​​​com
500 mg Shark Cartilage

(they have an 'online expert' for questions, and the shark cartilage can't be found in their online store but it's been here at the Vancouver store for a while)

Please also forward to others, post it on bulletins, Facebook, contacts etc, we need this store to stop selling shark products!!

Greetings and thanks so much!

from:
Dora
Vancouver BC




To whom it may concern,

Nutrition House
1194 Robson St.
Vancouver BC
Canada

Dear Nutrition House,


We are contacting you regarding one of your product sold for human consumption, the 500mg Shark Cartilage.
There's a huge display of Shark Cartilage products in your store at this address: 1194 Robson Street, Vancouver BC,

We are involved in an International Shark Campaign to help sharks which are endangered species of our oceans.
We believe it would be much appreciated if Nutritional House would rethink this option in their store to help our planet and keep sharks in the oceans.

The planet's shark numbers have declined more then 90% the last couple of decades and they have been around for 400 million years. Majority of the declined numbers are due to long-lining and the shark finning industry, where the sharks are caught and their fins are cut off and the body is thrown back into the ocean alive to drown. We are looking at all shark products equally since every shark product sold aids to the decline on a multi-level combination.
A serious health problem with eating or using shark products is the Methyl Mercury that it contains. Mercury that is known to cause significant health issues for pregnant women and children. In August of 2009 we will be receiving laboratory documentation from China that will show the concentration of this poison. Methyl Mercury is due to pollution of our oceans and works its way up through the ecosystem chain and makes it to the top predators being the Shark, Tuna, etc. The concentration of methyl mercury increases with the sharks since they live long lives. This concentration is said to be 10 to 100 times the legal limit allowed for human consumption. We will have this information available for you next month if you're interested in reading the report.In addition to the risks posed by consuming sharks personally, there are significant health risks for our planet. Sharks control an ecosystem that produces more oxygen than all the rain forests combined, removes half of the atmosphere’s man made carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas), and controls our planet’s temperature and weather. As the apex predator of the oceans, the role of sharks is to keep other marine life in healthy balance and to regulate the world’s largest and most important ecosystem. Removal of the sharks and the ocean's ecosystem balance will seriously upset this planet. The Nutrition House, with its recommendations​,​​​ is contributing to this issue, offering individuals to use endangered species that are critical components in our oceans' delicate ecosystems.
Please think ethically and do not sell any shark products to help save the 250 shark species in decline and the health of your patrons, the ocean, and the planet.

For your information, please look up the following website and take time to view this exceptional documentation of the cruel business of shark finning:http:​​​/​​​/​​​www.​​​sharkwater.​​​com/​​​


Thank you for your time,

(name)
International Shark Campaign

The healing power of pets

By Tijn Touber, Ode magazine

A unique American organization, Helping Hands Monkeys, trains monkeys to help paralyzed people function better in their daily lives. Many who are paralyzed spend hours each day by themselves, so the monkeys can be important in helping them get along without professional caregivers as well as a source of companionship. The monkeys bring food and drinks, help feed the paralyzed person, pick things up that are out of reach, put on a CD or video, and turn lights on and off.

While monkeys are exceptional in the what they can do, all kinds of pets have a positive, healing effect on their owners. Studies reveal that having a pet is a better remedy against high blood pressure than commonly prescribed medications. A pet appears to be the strongest social indicator in predicting recovery from a serious heart condition. More and more often, doctors prescribe a pet for loneliness, depression, stress and other emotional problems. In the United States, half of all doctors reported they sometimes prescribe a pet to their patients.

Studies show that older people with pets pay considerably fewer visits to the doctor. Up to 16 percent less, according to professor Judith Siegel of the School of Public Health at the University of California. That percentage is even higher for dog owners, reaching over 20 percent. According to Australian research, the presence of house pets in households saves the Australian government some 800 million to 1.5 billion US dollars a year in health costs.

Psychologists have long realized the healing power of pets. In the 1950s child psychologist Boris Levinson often had difficulty reaching his traumatized patients, until the day that his dog Jingles wandered into the treatment room, His young clients were pleased and spontaneously opened themselves up to the dog, and thus also to Levinson. He was the first to write about “the dog as co-therapist.”

Forty years later, many therapists make grateful use of the intimate bond between humans and animals. People experience pets as non-judgmental and unconditional in their affection, and so clients often consider the animal an ally, which helps foster a spirit of mutual trust and open sharing in therapy sessions. Because animals are often funny or endearing, they help dissipate the tension around a therapy session. Children, in particular, often talk more easily to an animal than a human. Sometimes all the therapist has to do is bring up an issue and then observe where the child and animal take it.

There are countless well-​documented examples of successful animal-​assisted therapy. A little boy who begins to heal his partially paralyzed hand by petting a dog. Abused children and prisoners who train a dog to learn how to not repeat the abusive behavior they have experienced. Autistic children who learn to communicate through contact with dolphins.

Animals have the potential to play a much greater role, particularly in hospitals and care institutions. A friendly dog can perform miracles with critically ill patients. Even a few fish in a fishbowl helps ease tensions in a dentist’s waiting room. Research has repeatedly shown that taking care of an animal (or even a plant) makes people happier and helps them live longer. Could this be because animals and plants can listen so well without ever contradicting us? A study of Canadian doctors once discovered that listening is the most important ingredient in healing. Dr. Samuel Corson, an expert in the area of animal therapy at Ohio State University puts it this way: “A dog is man’s best friend because he wags his tail and not his tongue.”

Operation Trident ~ Urgent petitions

Boycott 2010 Seal Wear Petition Here


Sharks - Racing Towards Extinction Petition Here


Tiger Temple - Saviors Or savages Petition Here