Well the science team at the Japanese government sponsored whaling program has significantly increased their productivity by publishing one more paper that actually could require killing whales to produce, while slaughtering 1300+ whales in the past two years. They have gone from 1700(+) whales per paper in late 2005 to 1600(+) whales per paper with the latest paper released (after two journals declined to publish it) in Polar Biology.
Anthony at Small Fish, Big Apple has more on the current paper, which for the Japanese whaling has some rather felicitous conclusions.
As an extremely adapted predator, you use your oddly shaped head to increase your ability to find prey. Your eyes and nostrils are located on both ends of your hammer shaped head. Your vertebrae are especially designed for quick turns and maneuvering. Ranging in size from 3 feet to 20 feet long, you can weigh up to 1,000lbs. You feed on fish, crustaceans and especially enjoy eating rays. You prefer warm temperate and tropical water, and can be found swimming along coastlines and continental shelves in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. You may even catch a tan while swimming in shallow waters. During the day you often swim in large schools, sometimes containing more than 100 fellow hammerheads, but prefer to hunt alone at night.
As true with most shark species, you are in danger of becoming extinct. Highly sought after, your fins are considered an expensive delicacy (used to make shark fin soup), your liver oil is often used to make vitamins, and your skin is use to make leather. While people are not legally permitted to catch you, you are often caught by longlines and driftnets, and rarely make it out alive.
This was from a few years ago, but it relates to today as well. It is a late instar monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) about 10 of which Johann raised as a summer project. The hardest part was finding their food. The caterpillars eat milkweeds, which, being weeds, most people get rid of. We found it only in two locations in all of the general Mystic area - a cemetery and behind one of the old factories.
Ever hear of a book called Miss Rumphius? A lady who traveled he world, then came home to Maine and sowed lupine seeds all over the countryside as she took her daily walks. Well, we are seeding all the semi-wild spots we can find with a mix of native flowers (many of which are considered weeds) essential to local insect and bird populations, including native milkweeds.
My family loves Lobster, especially Mom and me. Whenever they come east to visit there is one meal we know we will always have… lobster. Now there is a great way to support independent lobstermen and women - buy a trap or a share of a trap direct from from. Sea Notes has a great piece about the growing community supported fisheries movement.
From Maine to California, it’s possible to connect directly with the folks going out each day to catch fresh, seasonal seafood. You get a fresher product from someone you know. The folks on the boat get a better price for their catch. Fishing communities stay alive and healthy, rather than withering away into ‘colorful’ remnants on a once-thriving waterfront.
You can, for example, buy a year’s catch from a Maine lobster trap for $2,995 — with the average catch around 150 lobsters a year. Or you can buy a share of the catch for just $249, with the guarantee of ‘a gourmet lobster feast for 4′ from the lobstermen with the Catch a Piece of Maine partnership.
In this area you can still see a number of small family operated lobster boats out on the sound, but more and more they are disappearing. Fortunately there are some restaurants here that support the local fishermen especially during the tourist season, offering only, or at least predominantly, local caught scallops and lobster. My question is where can I buy a share of an oyster farm. mmmm… raw oysters.
As many of you many know I have been working on some video to portray the beauty and diversity of deep sea mounts and the devastation caused to them by deep sea trawling. I stumbled upon an old news article from New Zealand in which I found a great quote by Steve O’Shea on deep sea trawling -
In effect, it’s the same as trying to herd cows up with a net and dragging a net through a farm. You catch a few cows. You catch the farmers wife. You catch a cattle trough. All this other stuff is incidental bi-catch, filth, bottom filth they refer to it. We just don’t do that on land. Why are we doing it in the oceans?
Several nights ago I was quizzing Eric on his Spanish vocabulary at the table. When it came time for Johann’s bath, I left the room to fill the tub. Johann decided to continue in my place and held up the flash cards for Eric. Johann was very intent on helping Daddy study for his test and took on the full role of being the teacher, including telling Eric how he was to address him. He said, “You may call me Professor Heupel. Now, you have to do all these words first and THEN you are finished.”
A day or two later, Johann was pretending to be a college professor lecturing on animal conservation in the kitchen, while I was doing the dishes. Once he said all he had to say on the subject and the urgency of our mission to save the animals, he invited his guest lecturers, the Kratt Brothers and Steve Erwin, to speak and then leave with him once class was over. I’m beginning to think he’s a 46-year-old man trapped in a 6-year-old’s body.
? A lady who traveled he world, then came home to Maine and sowed lupine seeds all over the countryside as she took her daily walks. Well, we are seeding all the semi-wild spots we can find with a mix of native flowers (many of which are considered weeds) essential to local insect and bird populations, including native milkweeds.
