For years, Japan exploited a loophole in international rules to continue hunting whales despite being a member of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) bound by the commercial whaling moratorium that went into effect in 1986.
After a controversial withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission last year, Japan is unfortunately poised to resume commercial whaling after a gap of over 30 years. Come July 1, and a fleet of five vessels will set off from Abashiro port in Kushiro, Hokkaido after a formal ceremony.
The authorities in New Caledonia have begun culling protected sharks in a central Noumea bay after a boy lost a leg in a shark attack last month. Click on the link below to read the full article.
Rarotonga is “lost” as a turtle nesting site – but the battle is on to save their habitats in other islands.That’s the fight that Penrhyn-based marine zoologist Dr Michael White has embarked on, as he seeks to push back against building on beaches, light pollution, noise, traffic and people
New research finds that, to the contrary, large MPAs can confer benefits on migratory marine species — but only when they are carefully designed, strictly enforced, and integrated with sustainable fisheries management. Click on the link below to read the full article
New Zealand scientists are hoping tags on 10 longfin eels will help them pinpoint where in the Pacific Ocean they go to spawn. Click on the link below to read the full article.
Marine heatwaves are defined as periods of five days or more during which ocean temperatures are unusually high, compared with the long-term average for any given place. Click on the link below to read the full article.
A skipper and deckhand were fined $7000 after Queensland Government staff raided their boat and found 31 shark fins on board at the port in Cairns. Click on the link below to read the full article.
As the plight of sharks and rays around the world worsens, James Cook University and WWF have launched the first-ever guide aimed at getting the best out of areas designed to protect them, and avoiding the mistakes of the past.Click on the link below to read the full article.
