Sea Shepherd says its vessel was "violently attacked by poachers" in the Gulf of California. Sea Shepherd
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says that its vessel, the M/V Farley Mowat, was ambushed on Jan. 31 by a group of poachers posing as fishermen while the ship was conducting maritime conservation patrols in a vaquita refuge in Mexico's Gulf of California. It's the second such attack in less than a month.
The conservation organization says its ship was surrounded by more than 50 assailants on 20 high speed boats, according to a press release shared with EcoWatch.
<p>
Sea Shepherd said the side of the Farley Mowat caught fire and its windows shattered because the attackers were hurling molotov cocktails and projectiles such as lead weights and large stones at the vessel.
</p><p>
<span></span>The group also released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al4uQ5COur8&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">dramatic footage</a> of the confrontation:
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f3b782d262e0fe7553d5bd0c7d4fef02"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/al4uQ5COur8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">SEA SHEPHERD SHIP'S WINDOWS SMASHED AND HULL SET ON FIRE BY POACHERS</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al4uQ5COur8&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>
Crew onboard the Farley Mowat used high-pressure fire hoses to defend the vessel while Mexican Navy soldiers and federal police stationed aboard opened fire into the air and sea to deter the attackers. Neither the crew nor the security personnel sustained injuries. No arrests have been made.
</p><p>
The Farley Mowat was
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTMnwr63LIM">similarly attacked</a> by roughly 35 fishing boats in the waters on Jan. 9.
</p><p>
"These repeated attacks have made Sea Shepherd's vital conservation efforts within the Vaquita Refuge challenging in recent weeks, casting a doubt on the vaquita's chances of survival," the press release states.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTE0NzI1OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTE3NzcyNX0.wBlDv4bZ8DIRqhChx-z08vUXOTvEKjrYzmbmoodYNR4/img.jpg?width=980" id="c208e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bb76be475e8469ab1c38447c1b3b7fd0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Projectiles, including lead weights and large stones, were hurled by poachers.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Sea Shepherd</small>
</p><p>
<span></span>Sea Shepherd conducts maritime patrols in the upper Gulf of California, or Sea of Cortez, to protect the critically <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species">endangered</a> vaquita, a porpoise endemic to the waters. <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/only-12-vaquita-porpoises-remain-watchdog-groups-report/" target="_blank">Experts</a> say there could be as few as a dozen vaquitas left.
</p><p>
The operations are conducted with the knowledge and cooperation of the Mexican government to help detect illegal fishing activities, the
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/10/mexican-fishermen-attack-sea-shepherd-vaquita-porpoise" target="_blank">Associated Press</a> noted.
</p><p>
<span></span>The conservation group retrieves <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/gillnets" target="_self">gillnets</a> from the waters to protect the vaquita. The marine mammal is not directly hunted but they become entangled and drown in the illegal nets set for capturing totoaba, a large and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-rescue-totoaba-2554869373.html" target="_self">critically endangered fish</a> that's prized for its swim bladder as a Chinese delicacy.
</p><p>
The latest confrontation happens as the new
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio">Leonardo DiCaprio</a>-produced documentary <a href="https://www.terramater.at/cinema/sea-of-shadows/" target="_blank"><em>Sea of Shadows</em></a>—which features the plight of the vaquita and Sea Shepherd's work to save it—premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
</p><p>
"Sea Shepherd is 100 percent committed to continuing retrieval operations of illegal ghost nets and active illegal gillnets to protect the vaquita marina from extinction at the hands of poachers and criminal gangs," Locky Maclean, Sea Shepherd's director of ship operations and campaigns, said in the release. "We look forward to working closely with the new government and are grateful in playing a part in the protection and preservation of such a special region of the world, and such an iconic species, the vaquita marina."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="801fb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="C4QN871576662563"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="994562918921461760" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">THE VAQUITA ~~ New Doc on Nearly Extinct Vaquita Features Sea Shepherd
Last year, an international vaquita recovery… https://t.co/hKZjOf75Dm</div> — Wildlife Warriors (@Wildlife Warriors)<a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalWarriors/statuses/994562918921461760">1525957252.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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Paul Allen pictured in 2014. Courtesy of Vulcan Inc. / Beatrice de Gea
The world lost an important environmental icon on Monday with the passing of Paul G. Allen. He died from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Seattle, according to his company Vulcan Inc. He was 65.
Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates and owned the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, was also a major philanthropist devoted to making the world a better place.
<p>
In 1986, Allen founded the Seattle-based project and investment firm
Vulcan Inc. to help oversee <a href="http://www.vulcan.com/areas-of-practice/philanthropy" target="_blank">many philanthropic initiatives</a>, which include <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a>, preserving <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans">ocean</a> health, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transporation">transportation</a> electrification and fighting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change">climate change</a>.
</p><p>
Actor
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio">Leonardo DiCaprio</a> paid tribute to his fellow environmentalist on Monday.
</p><p>
"Sad to hear of the passing of Paul Allen, who was a strong advocate for environmental protection," DiCaprio tweeted. "He and the team at Vulcan played a pivotal role in developing the
<a href="https://www.sharkconservationfund.org/" target="_blank">Shark Conservation Fund</a> alongside [the
<a href="https://www.leonardodicaprio.org/" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation</a>]. His legacy lives on via his incredible work as a philanthropist and investor."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="29943" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="A5MK9F1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1051994942552375301" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sad to hear of the passing of Paul Allen, who was a strong advocate for environmental protection. He and the team a… https://t.co/vMVNQTeKgs</div> — Leonardo DiCaprio (@Leonardo DiCaprio)<a href="https://twitter.com/LeoDiCaprio/statuses/1051994942552375301">1539650114.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
His
<a href="https://globalfinprint.org/" target="_blank">Global FinPrint</a> initiative was introduced in 2015 to assess the planet's diminishing number of sharks and rays and to aid management and conservation efforts for marine life. </p><p>Captain Paul Watson, the founder of the <a href="http://www.seashepherd.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd Conservation Society</a>, said Allen was a "great force for marine conservation" and noted that Vulcan co-produced their 2018 high-seas documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8764384/" target="_blank">Chasing The Thunder</a>. </p><p>In 1997, Allen launched Vulcan Productions, an independent film production company. <span></span></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="95d2e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="AADYC41576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1052031758009479168" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sadly Paul Allen died today at the young age of 65.
Paul was a great force for marine conservation. His company… https://t.co/OVTfwIP6NZ</div> — Captain Paul Watson (@Captain Paul Watson)<a href="https://twitter.com/CaptPaulWatson/statuses/1052031758009479168">1539658891.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Erik Solheim, head of the United Nations Environment Programme, also said Allen will be sorely missed but his legacy will continue.
</p><p>
"We will remember Paul Allen as a champion and supporter of wildlife, conservation and the environment," Solheim
<a href="https://twitter.com/ErikSolheim/status/1052180197301194752" target="_blank">tweeted</a> on Tuesday. "He and Vulcan Inc. were instrumental in hugely impactful work on everything from elephants to sharks."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="42f5d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FJJ0PS1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1052180197301194752" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We will remember Paul Allen as a champion and supporter of wildlife, conservation and the environment.
He and… https://t.co/K5exT2B7xc</div> — Erik Solheim (@Erik Solheim)<a href="https://twitter.com/ErikSolheim/statuses/1052180197301194752">1539694282.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Allen's lifetime of philanthropic giving to science, technology, education, conservation, the arts and community improvement totaled more than $2 billion, according to the
<a href="https://www.alleninstitute.org/about/founder/" target="_blank">Allen Institute</a>.
</p><p>
He was among the list of the world's leading philanthropists who pledged to give away the bulk of their fortunes to charity.
</p><p>
"Those fortunate to achieve great wealth should put it to work for the good of humanity," Allen wrote several years ago after announcing that he was donating most of his fortune to charity, the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/e378126a6417466f869b359561d29f09" target="_blank">Associated Press</a> reported.
</p><p>
The pledge "reminds us all that our net worth is ultimately defined not by dollars but rather by how well we serve others."
</p><p>
Vulcan CEO Bill Hilf said in a
<a href="http://www.vulcan.com/News/Articles/2018/Statement-on-Paul-G-Allen" target="_blank">press release</a> that "millions of people were touched by his generosity, his persistence in pursuit of a better world, and his drive to accomplish as much as he could with the time and resources at his disposal."
</p><p>
Allen, his team and his conservation partners helped launch the Great Elephant Census in 2013 to count Africa's savanna elephants.
</p><p>
"Our goal was to learn how many remain and where, then use the information to help protect these iconic animals from the poachers that are driving them toward extinction," Allen
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/every-elephant-counts-paul-g-allen" target="_blank">wrote in 2016</a>.
</p><p>
The census showed that elephant populations in 18 countries declined by 30 percent.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="8d076" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6WEWKH1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="771329701281431552" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Paul Allen's 'Great #Elephant Census' Shows Catastrophic Decline in Africa https://t.co/4F5irXSX86 @CenterForBioDiv @LeoDiCaprio @PaulGAllen</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/771329701281431552">1472734306.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Earlier this month, Allen
<a href="https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/status/1046864324310982668" target="_blank">announced</a> that the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma he battled in 2009 had returned and he planned to fight it.
</p><p>
"I've begun treatment and my doctors are optimistic that I will see a good result. Appreciate the support I've received and count on it as I fight this challenge," he tweeted.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="57734" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="UGGNML1576663334"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1046864324310982668" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Some personal news: Recently, I learned the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma I battled in 2009 has returned. I’ve begun treat… https://t.co/5PTQa9y69C</div> — Paul Allen (@Paul Allen)<a href="https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/statuses/1046864324310982668">1538426879.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
<p>Allen's family released the
<a href="http://www.vulcan.com/News/Articles/2018/Statement-on-Paul-G-Allen" target="_blank">following statement</a>:<br></p><blockquote>
"My brother was a remarkable individual on every level. While most knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, for us he was a much loved brother and uncle, and an exceptional friend.
<br>
<br>
Paul's family and friends were blessed to experience his wit, warmth, his generosity and deep concern. For all the demands on his schedule, there was always time for family and friends. At this time of loss and grief for us—and so many others—we are profoundly grateful for the care and concern he demonstrated every day."
</blockquote>
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WATCH: Less Than 30 Vaquitas Remain. Sea Shepherd Is Determined to Save World's Most Endangered Marine Mammal
08 October 2018
Facebook Videos
Watch as Sea Shepherd Ship Manager Rebecca Benjamin-Carey takes viewers on a tour through Operation Milagro V's latest vessel: The M/V White Holly. EcoWatch's Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/282268175718393/
Sea Shepherd will soon launch the White Holly vessel from Fernandina Beach, Florida to Mexico's Sea of Cortez in an effort to advance their latest campaign, Operation Milagro V. The campaign is focused on saving the the vaquita porpoise—the world's most endangered marine mammal.
EcoWatch teamed up with Sea Shepherd in this exclusive Facebook live video below to hear about their mission to save the vaquita. Asia's wildlife blackmarket is on track to driving the vaquita to extinction. Poachers causing the crisis are not actually after the vaquita, but the totoaba fish, as one totoaba bladder sells for $20,000 USD in China's blackmarket. As a result vaquitas are tragically getting trapped in illegal nets and dying at rapid rates.
<p style="">Scientists reported two years ago that there are less than <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-vaquita-2449075367.html">30 vaquitas alive</a>. Capt. Lockhart "Locky" MacLean, Sea Shepherd's director of marine operations, explained in a press release the proven methods they use to help save the vaquita:<br></p><blockquote>There is work to do to ensure the vaquita survives. Sea Shepherd will start removing inactive totoaba fishing gear, also known as ghost nets and we will come across occasional active nets this early in the season. We are also ensuring no fishing is taking place inside the protected area and preventing poaching activities by patrolling the area with our partner agencies from the Mexican Government on-board.</blockquote><p style="">Working with the Mexican government and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-vaquita-2169987359.html">navy</a> is crucial to helping mitigate Sea Shepherd's risk factors. Poachers have <a href="https://seashepherd.org/2017/12/26/sea-shepherd-night-drone-shot-down-by-poachers/" target="_blank">shot down a drone</a> and <a href="https://seashepherd.org/2018/04/12/shots-fired-at-sea-shepherds-m-v-sharpie/">fired shots</a> at one of the ships.</p><p style="">"Luckily we have senior crew members on board like our experienced captains that provide all the training we need to act accordingly in threatening situations," said Ship Manager Rebecca Benjamin-Carey. "For a lot of us, we have dedicated our lives to protecting the oceans and face these situations head on."</p><p style="">Manny crew members working on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MVWhiteHolly/" target="_blank">the White Holly vessel</a> are working on a ship for the first time. People from all walks of life are coming together and working with Sea Shepherd to defend the oceans and marine life. </p><p style="">"For me, the greatest sin was when humans decided that only humans matter," said Finnish Crew Member and Deckhand Lotta Roti. "That is not true and that's why I want to fight and be a warrior."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d44059d01b6f2ce1ca366c51422d6e5"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IsA9pawkcDc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
</p>
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Support Ecowatch
NPS Photo / Kevyn Jalone
On World Animal Day, we celebrate all the furry, scaly, winged and finned creatures that inhabit our planet.
On this international day of action, participants aim to "raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe," according to organizers at the UK-based charity Naturewatch Foundation. The occasion was first celebrated in 1925 and is observed annually on Oct. 4.
<p>
Roughly 1,000 World Animal Day
<a href="https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/events" target="_blank">events</a>, including educational workshops, adoptions, marches and fundraisers, will be held across 100 countries. Folks around the world are also making <a href="https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/pledges" target="_blank">pledges</a>, such as using cruelty-free products or going <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegetarian">vegetarian</a> or <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan">vegan</a> to help make a positive difference.
</p><p>
At EcoWatch, animal
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> is a major priority. Animals not only inspire wonder and awe, but as important parts to the ecosystems they inhabit, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biodiversity-climate-change-2547433920.html" target="_self">biodiversity loss</a> puts the environment and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biodiversity-human-well-being-2553170130.html">human well-being at risk</a>.
</p><p>
The following list shows some of our most popular animal-related content in the past year. These five stories highlight the threats faced by creatures great and small, from
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pollinators">pollinator</a> deaths to "trophy" hunting. On a positive note, the list features conservation success stories, brave feats of activism and includes ways you can help protect animals in your everyday life.
</p><p>
<strong>1. </strong><strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/syngenta-neonicotinoids-2518688773.html" target="_blank">EPA Considers Allowing Bee-Killing Pesticide to Be Sprayed on 165 Million Acres of U.S. Farmland</a>. </strong>This Dec. 2017 article by the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had considered allowing the bee-killing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides">pesticide</a> thiamethoxam to be sprayed on the most widely grown crops in the U.S. This harmful <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/neonicotinoids">neonicotinoid</a> pesticide has long been known to pose serious harm to bee populations, as well as birds of all sizes and aquatic invertebrates.
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>What you can do to help: </strong>The <a href="https://xerces.org/recommendations-to-protect-pollinators-from-neonicotinoids/" target="_blank">Xerces Society</a>, a non-profit invertebrate conservation society you should <a href="https://xerces.org/donate/" target="_blank">consider supporting</a>, has a number of recommendations to protect pollinators from neonicotinoids, from avoiding pesticide use around your home and asking your local nursery to stop selling the products. </li>
</ul><p>
<strong>2. </strong><strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/mountain-gorilla-numbers-on-the-rise-2582376835.html" target="_blank">Against All Odds, Mountain Gorilla Numbers Are on the Rise</a>. </strong>A census of mountain gorillas showed that their population rose from 480 animals in 2010 to 604 as of June 2016, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts. The mountain gorilla subspecies is the only great ape known to be increasing in number.
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>What you can do to help: </strong>The <a href="https://gorillafund.org/" target="_blank">Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund</a> <a href="https://gorillafund.org/5-ways-to-help-save-gorillas/" target="_blank">recommends</a> asking your lawmakers to continue to support the <a href="http://www.fws.gov/international/wildlife-without-borders/great-ape-conservation-fund.html" target="_blank">Great Ape Conservation Fund</a>, as well as recycling cell phones and electronics, as they contain metals that are mined from gorilla habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The fund also suggests looking for sustainable palm oil, wood and other eco-friendly products, as gorilla forest habitats in Asia are being deforested for their resources. </li>
</ul><p>
<strong>3. </strong><strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/alaska-hunters-charged-with-killing-bears-2594586783.html" target="_blank">Father and Son Charged With Killing Mother Bear and 'Shrieking' Cubs in Den</a>.</strong> In April, a father and son from Palmer, Alaska shot and killed a mother black <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bears" target="_self">bear</a> and her two "shrieking" newborn cubs in their den. The hunt took place on state land but the topic of trophy hunting has reignited under the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump" target="_self">Trump</a> administration, which is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-hunting-alaska-conservation-2571000532.html" target="_self">proposing</a> to overturn an Obama-era rule that protects iconic predators in Alaska's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-lands" target="_self">national preserves</a>. The plan would allow hunters to go to den sites to shoot bear cubs and wolf pups, lure and kill bears over bait, hunt bears with dogs and use motor boats to shoot swimming caribou.
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>What you can do to help:</strong> The proposed rule, which is <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/09/06/2018-19293/alaska-hunting-and-trapping-in-national-preserves-extension-of-public-comment-period" target="_blank">posted</a> in the federal register, is still accepting comments until 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 5, 2018. <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=NPS-2018-0005-0001" target="_blank">Make your voice heard</a>!</li>
</ul><p>
<strong>4. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-poaching-arrests-2550858029.html" target="_blank">Notorious Toothfish Poacher Arrested by Liberian Coast Guard, Assisted by Sea Shepherd</a>.</strong> In March, an infamous Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/poaching" target="_self">poaching</a> vessel was arrested in Liberia with the assistance of Sea Shepherd, a marine conservation group.
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>What you can do to help:</strong> <a href="https://seashepherd.org/support-us/" target="_blank">Donate</a> to Sea Shepherd, which has been patrolling the high seas and enforcing conservation law worldwide for more than 40 years. There are countless other non-profits such as <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/" target="_blank">Ocean Conservancy</a>, <a href="https://oceana.org/" target="_blank">Oceana</a> and <a href="https://www.surfrider.org/" target="_blank">Surfrider Foundation</a> that help protect our oceans and save the lives of aquatic life, dolphins, seals, whales and fish. </li>
</ul><p>
<strong>5. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/endangered-species-act-republicans-2586332924.html" target="_blank">House Republicans Launch Extinction Bills to Cripple Endangered Species Act</a>. </strong>Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives initiated yet another attack on the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/endangered-species-act-republicans-2586332924.html" target="_blank">Endangered Species Act</a>. The Center for Biological Diversity reported that the move was among the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/esa_attacks/trumptable.html" target="_blank">75-plus legislative attacks</a> that have been launched against the Endangered Species Act ever since Trump took office—and more than 300 since 2011, when Republicans took over the U.S. House of Representatives. <strong></strong>
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>What you can do to help: </strong>The Endangered Species Act, signed into law by President Nixon in 1973, is one of the most successful wildlife conservation laws in the world. More than 99 percent of species covered under the law have been saved from extinction. Protect the law from becoming extinct itself by telling Congress that you support the law and oppose any efforts to weaken it. You can also sign these petitions from <a href="https://defenders.org/content/help-protect-endangered-species-act" target="_blank">Defenders of Wildlife</a> and the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/save-endangered-species-act" target="_blank">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>. </li>
</ul>
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The fishing vessel Vema, arrested for shark finning. Sea Shepherd Global
On Sept. 22, local authorities from the Central African island state of São Tomé and Príncipe boarded the Senegalese-flagged, but Spanish-linked, long-line fishing vessel Vema in a joint operation with Sea Shepherd marine conservationists and Gabonese law enforcement officers called Operation Albacore III.
<p>Although the long-liner was licensed to fish for "tuna and similar species," inspections carried out by São Toméan authorities working on board the Sea Shepherd vessel <em>Bob Barker</em> revealed their fish holds were solely filled with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sharks">sharks</a>, predominantly blue sharks that are classified as "near-threatened" by the <a href="https://www.iucn.org" target="_blank">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN).</p><p>Fishing line tracers (or snoods), which are the monofilament segments that support the fishing hooks, were reinforced with steel wire, thereby underlining the suspicion that the targeted species of the <em>Vema </em>was mainly sharks, not tuna. Steel snoods are used to prevent sharks from biting through the fishing line to escape.</p><p>Fish on board were also found gutted and processed, which is a violation of São Toméan fisheries regulations when advance approval has not been sought, which the <em>Vema </em>did not obtain.</p><p>Approximately two tons of sharks—including <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/shark-fins">shark fins</a> severed from their corresponding torsos—were discovered by inspectors, a fraction of what would have been uncovered had the <em>Vema</em> not recently returned to São Toméan waters from Walvis Bay, Namibia, a port commonly used for offloading shark fins.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODY2MTE3MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTMyNzA0N30.PjNOm7O33d1-4PKDbjUuL85H5wEeIY9e61UVE9tKXlE/img.jpg?width=980" id="743ae" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="71ee760490919dd22f634f59e7a433ad" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Vema fishing for sharks</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Sea Shepherd Global</small></p><p>The arrest of the <em>Vema</em> is the fourth shark-finning bust carried out over the past two years, three of which were the direct result of joint operations between São Tomé and Príncipe and Gabon, with assistance by Sea Shepherd ships and crew.<br></p><p>In August 2016, São Toméan authorities, again operating on board Sea Shepherd's <em>Bob Barker</em>, arrested a Spanish long-line fishing vessel, the <em>Alemar Primero</em>. On board the <em>Alemar Primero</em> were 87 tons of sharks and shark fins. The EU Directorate-General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG Mare) decided not to pursue charges of violating the European Union Finning Ban, despite complaints lodged by the São Toméan fisheries department.</p><p>In October 2017, the São Toméan fisheries department issued a Notice of Violation of Fisheries Rules to another Spanish ship owner, as well as a request to the European Commission to investigate an additional violation of the European Union Finning Ban, this time by a Spanish long-line fishing vessel, the <em>Baz</em>.</p><p>On Sept. 12th, 2018, one week prior to the arrival of the <em>Bob Barker</em> in the waters of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Taiwanese-flagged <em>Shang Fu</em> was arrested by São Toméan Coast Guard with assistance from the Portuguese Navy.<br>Shark species are particularly vulnerable to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/overfishing">overfishing</a> because they're slow to grow, late to mature and breed small numbers of offspring.</p><p>São Toméan fisheries regulations that prohibit processing of sharks at-sea and the European Union Finning Ban are existing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> measures that ensure shark bodies are not discarded at sea to make room for the more valuable shark fins, therefore allowing far more sharks to be killed. Sharks are being killed in increasingly large numbers to meet a demand for fins to make shark fin soup.</p><p>Sea Shepherd works with authorities in African coastal states in unique joint patrols that allow shark finning operations to be uncovered through critical boardings and inspections at sea.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="77aca017a8f7620645748a0ba17d6b1e"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GNu1a38-1fg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
</p><p>"Given how sensitive shark species are to overfishing, coupled with the fact that 15 percent of shark species in the Atlantic are now <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species">endangered</a>, it is alarming that industrial fishing vessels, many from Europe, continue to massacre sharks under the guise of tuna licenses," said Sea Shepherd director of campaigns Peter Hammarstedt. "These trojan horse fishing licenses deliberately mislead African coastal states as fishing vessels [and] slaughter sharks with reckless abandon. Sea Shepherd applauds the São Toméan authorities for working together with Gabon and Sea Shepherd to bring African marine wildlife poachers to justice."<br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="eb3b5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Z485IU1576661804"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="839470881797783555" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sea Shepherd Uncovers Huge Shipments of #Shark Fins https://t.co/I1qKbFaTLG @seashepherd @CaptPaulWatson @acousteau @Greenpeace @Oceana</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/839470881797783555">1488980429.0</a></blockquote></div>
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An endangered southern resident killer whale known as Tahlequah or J35, has carried her dead calf for an eighth day in a row as of Tuesday. Center for Whale Research
She hasn't let go. An endangered southern resident killer whale known as Tahlequah or J35, has carried her dead calf for an eighth day in a row as of Tuesday, the Seattle Times reported.
<p>
Researchers scanned the waters all day before the mother orca and her deceased newborn turned up near British Columbia's Southern Gulf Islands.</p><p>
"I am relieved we see her, that she is healthy and swimming strongly, and that she is with her family," Taylor Shedd of Soundwatch, which has been monitoring the pod, told the publication. "But it is so emotional that she is so caring. It boggles my mind. To carry it is hard for her physically and mentally. It is just heartbreaking."
</p><p>
The baby whale was born near Victoria, British Columbia on July 24. The newborn was seen alive and swimming with its mother, Tahlequah, and other members of its pod near Clover Point on the Victoria shoreline in the mid-morning but died a short time after, according to the Washington-based <a href="https://www.whaleresearch.com/home1" target="_blank">Center for Whale Research</a>.
</p><p>
"The baby's carcass was sinking and being repeatedly retrieved by the mother who was supporting it on her forehead and pushing it in choppy seas toward San Juan Island, USA," the center said in a
<a href="https://www.whaleresearch.com/j35" target="_blank">press release</a>. "The mother continued supporting and pushing the dead baby whale throughout the day until at least sunset."
</p><p>
It's not unusual for orcas to carry their dead offspring for about a day or so, researchers told
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/07/31/634316124/grieving-mother-orca-carries-dead-calf-for-more-than-a-week-over-hundreds-of-mil" target="_blank">NPR</a>. However, Jenny Atkinson, executive director of The Whale Museum on San Juan Island, noted this is the longest period researchers have observed.
</p><p>
Researchers are also concerned about Tahlequah's health.
</p><p>
"I am so terrified for her well-being," Deborah Giles, a research scientist for University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology and research director for nonprofit Wild Orca, told
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/grieving-mother-orca-falling-behind-family-as-she-carries-dead-calf-for-a-seventh-day/" target="_blank">The Seattle Times.</a> "She is a 20-year-old breeding-age female, and we need her."
</p><p>
<span></span>The story of the "grieving" orca mother has captured international attention as the population of southern resident killer whales fights to survive.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/orca-whale-crewser-2579121441.html" target="_blank">In June</a>, the Center for Whale Research reported that a 23-year-old male orca was missing and presumed dead, leaving the community of orcas with just 75 individuals remaining.
</p><p>
The population grew 48 percent to a high of 98 in 1995, but has since fallen to their lowest number in 30 years.
</p><p>
Experts say their decline is due to pollution, underwater noise and disturbances from boat traffic, and lack of their favored prey,
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/salmon-chinook-sierra-2507519718.html" target="_blank">Chinook salmon</a>. Recent deaths, particularly <a href="http://www.washington.edu/news/2017/06/29/study-shows-high-pregnancy-failure-in-southern-resident-killer-whales-links-to-nutritional-stress-and-low-salmon-abundance/" target="_blank">among calves, mothers and pregnant whales</a>, appear to be driven by food scarcity, <a href="https://www.whaleresearch.com/j52">according</a> to the Center for Whale Research.
</p><p>
"The larger environmental question reflected in the J35 story is that both the USA and Canada MUST redouble efforts to restore wild salmon (particularly Chinook) throughout Washington State and British Columbia for a food supply for the SRKW in this region," the center
<a href="https://twitter.com/CWROrcas/status/1022957383008415744" target="_blank">tweeted</a> last week, citing a statement from founder and senior scientist Ken Balcomb. <span></span>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="bd363" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0RUGAX1576663103"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1022957383008415744" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The larger environmental question reflected in the J35 story is that both the USA and Canada MUST redouble efforts… https://t.co/QYd4Ak0eUg</div> — Whale Research (@Whale Research)<a href="https://twitter.com/CWROrcas/statuses/1022957383008415744">1532727020.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/orcas-gov-orders-protections-2547956591.html">Earlier this year</a>, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed an <a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/exe_order/eo_18-02_1.pdf" target="_blank">executive order</a> to aid the species' recovery and the Chinook salmon they eat.
</p><p>
"The diets of southern resident orcas consist largely of Chinook salmon, but the Chinook are listed on federal and state endangered species lists," Inslee's office
<a href="https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-signs-executive-order-to-protect-orcas-chinook-salmon-8eb97d00b41d" target="_blank">stated</a>. "If the Chinook population continues to decline, the southern resident orca population will follow."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="5bc99" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8ODFER1576663104"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1009207419325505538" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Orca Whale 'Crewser' Presumed Dead as Population Reaches Its Lowest Point Since 1984 https://t.co/DnswjvwhXG… https://t.co/1apBKA0gF5</div> — Sea Shepherd SSCS (@Sea Shepherd SSCS)<a href="https://twitter.com/SeaShepherdSSCS/statuses/1009207419325505538">1529448773.0</a></blockquote></div>
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A photo posted by Hard to Port shows an Icelandic company having killed what some say is an endangered blue whale. Hard to Port / Facebook
Update, July 20: Genetic testing by Iceland's Marine Research Institute revealed the whale killed off the coast of Iceland that some experts thought was an endangered blue whale was actually a blue and fin whale hybrid, BBC News reported Friday. The findings corroborate the claims of the whaling company responsible for the kill. Blue and fin whale hybrids are still rare and it is illegal to trade their meat, researchers told BBC News.
Anti-whaling group Hard to Port posted photos on their Facebook page Tuesday that activist group Sea Shepherd claims show an endangered blue whale recently killed by an Icelandic whaling company, the Australian ABC News reported Thursday.
<p>Kristjan Loftsson, the CEO of the Hvalur hf whaling company that killed the whale, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-07-13/blue-whale-ceo-denies-killing-says-it-was-hybrid/9991876" target="_blank">told ABC News Friday</a> that it was in fact a hybrid of a blue and fin whale, which is not protected by the International Whaling Commission. </p><p>If the whale is a blue whale, it would be the first of its kind intentionally killed since 1978, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44809115" target="_blank">BBC News</a>.</p><p>"I know a blue whale when I see one and this whale slaughtered by Kristjan Loftsson is a blue whale," Sea Shepherd Founder Paul Watson said in a statement reported by ABC News.</p><p>Some scientists agreed with Watson's assessment. </p><p>"From the photos, it has all the characteristics of a blue whale," U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Alaska Fisheries Science Center scientist Dr. Phillip Clapham said in a statement reported by BBC News.</p><p>"Given that, notably the coloration pattern, there is almost no possibility that an experienced observer would have misidentified it as anything else at sea," Clapham said. </p><p>Arne Feuerhahn of Hard to Port, which posted the photos, said that most experts her group had consulted thought it was a blue whale, but some said it could be a hybrid.</p><p>This is also the view currently taken by Gisli Arnor Vikingsson from the Iceland Marine Institute.</p><p>"Photographs point to the fact that it's a hybrid whale and we're almost certain that it is one, but we can't be sure until autumn when we get it DNA tested," he told ABC News.</p><p>The whale's species matters in part because it would determine whether Hvalur hf faces consequences for the kill. </p><p>While there is an international moratorium on whaling, Iceland does issue permits for the hunting and killing of fin whales, which it does not consider <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_blank">endangered species</a>. It does, however, agree with the international prohibition against killing blue whales, which are one of the largest creatures on Earth and can grow to weigh up to 200 tonnes (approximately 220.46 U.S. tons) and stretch 30 meters (approximately 98.43 feet), according to BBC News. </p><p>"If this is a blue whale, it would be illegal and a breach and there could be fines and perhaps the company might lose their licence to hunt whales," Feuerhahn told BBC News. </p><p>But while a hybrid catch would be better news for the whalers, it isn't much better for hybrid whales, which Astrid Fuchs from the charity <a href="http://uk.whales.org/" target="_blank">Whale and Dolphin Conservation</a> told BBC News are also extremely rare. </p><p>"Since 1983, they've only recorded five of them," Fuchs said. </p><p>Blue whales were decimated by 90 percent during the 20th century, according to ABC News. </p><p>Iceland and Norway are the only two countries who persist in open, commercial whaling, though Japan also slaughters whales for what it claims are scientific reasons, according to the <a href="https://www.ifaw.org/australia/our-work/whales/which-countries-are-still-whaling" target="_blank">International Fund for Animal Welfare</a>. </p><p>Hvalur hf has killed 21 fin whales so far this season, according to Sea Shepherd. </p><p><a href="http://www.hsi.org/" target="_blank">Humane Society International's</a> Head of Campaigns Australia Nicola Beynon told ABC News she hoped the publicity around the recent kill would prompt the people of Iceland to turn away from the practice. </p><p>"It looks like a blue whale, but if not a blue whale then it's a hybrid. They're highly endangered animals," she said.</p><p>"It is unforgivable. We hope that the Icelandic public give their whaling group a hard time about this. The cruel and inhumane practice of commercial whaling does not belong in the 21st century, it's time to give it up," Beynon said. </p>
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For years, the Japanese government has hunted whales under the name of "scientific research." Now officials are angling to resume commercial whaling at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting this September in Brazil.
At the meeting, officials "will propose setting a catch quota for species whose stocks are recognized as healthy by the IWC scientific committee," Hideki Moronuki, an official in charge of whaling at Japan's fisheries agency, told Agence France-Presse.
<p>
Japan is also seeking to lower the proportion of votes required to set catch quotas to a simple majority of IWC membership, rather than three-quarters, Moronuki added.
</p><p>
Commercial whaling was banned internationally in 1986 under the IWC's moratorium. However, Japan launched its "scientific whaling" program in 1987 as a loophole to the moratorium. Japan <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-condemns-japans-plan-to-slaughter-4-000-minke-whales-1882127798.html">intends</a> to kill some 4,000 whales over the next decade.
</p><p>
Norway and Iceland are the only other countries that have authorized whaling despite the moratorium.
</p><p>
Japan's controversial hunts have continued despite international protests. Japanese politicians have insisted that the species they hunt, the minke whale, are not endangered and that eating the meat is part of its culture, even though most of its citizens no longer eat it.
</p><p>
This year, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/japan-whale-hunt-2338123515.html">like in seasons past</a>, Japanese whaling vessels returned with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/minke-whales-killed-japan-2555581472.html">333 Minke whales</a> from Antarctic waters, of which 181 were females. Of those, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/japan-whales-hunting-2573249155.html">122 or 67 percent were pregnant</a>. The whalers also took 61 immature males and 53 immature females.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="9a32a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="FMO29G1576664181"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1001615444745342976" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Japan Kills More Than 120 Pregnant Whales https://t.co/PI5eMQHDAH @SeaShepherd @Oceanwire @savingoceans</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1001615444745342976">1527638705.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Some of the hunting takes place in Australian whale sanctuaries. In a statement to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-prepares-to-block-japanese-bid-to-kill-whales-for-profit-20180630-p4zos2.html" target="_blank">Fairfax Media</a>, Australia's Department of the Environment and Energy said it was aware of Japan's reported plan to resume whaling and will seek to block its bid.
</p><p>
"Australia will strongly oppose any proposals to overturn the moratorium [on commercial whaling] or change the rules for setting catch limits," the department said.
</p><p>
<a href="http://www.hsi.org.au/" target="_blank">Humane Society International</a>'s Australia chapter <a href="https://twitter.com/hsi_australia/status/1013687317259739136" target="_blank">commended</a> the Australian government for "remaining steadfast in its opposition to commercial whaling."
</p><p>
Other anti-whaling nations, including New Zealand and most countries in Europe and South and Central America, would similarly be opposed to Japan's purported plans, Fairfax Media reported.
</p>
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Trending
Shark fins drying on sidewalk in Hong Kong. Nicholas Wang / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Starbucks is being pressured to cut ties with popular Hong Kong restaurant chain Maxim's Caterers Limited over its offering of dishes with shark fin.
<p>
Maxim's said it phased out the controversial product in 2017 but undercover investigators with the wildlife conservation charity
<a href="https://wildaid.org/" target="_blank">WildAid</a> found that the eatery still offers shark fin on a secret "premium" menu, the <a href="http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2150331/shark-fin-still-served-popular-hong-kong-chain-maxims-despite-companys" target="_blank">South China Morning Post</a> reported.
</p><p>Now, activist groups are calling on the coffee giant to break its 18-year partnership with Coffee Concepts (HK) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Maxim's Caterers Limited.
</p><p>
In a letter to Starbucks executives last month, WildAid urged the company to end its relationship with Maxim's Caterers ahead of its upcoming expansion in China.
</p><p>
"Maxim's seemingly contradictory status as Hong Kong's largest retailer of shark fin soup casts a stain on Starbucks' reputation," the letter stated, as quoted by
<a href="https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/06/14/animal-activists-take-aim-starbucks-claiming-licence-holder-maxims-continues-serve-shark-fin/" target="_blank">Hong Kong Free Press</a>. "[We] sincerely urge Starbucks to call on its Hong Kong licensee Maxim's Caterers Limited, to halt all cruel, dirty, unsustainable, and often illegal shark fin trade with immediate effect."
</p><p>
Shark fin soup is mostly served in Chinese banquet menus as a symbol of prosperity and for its supposed health benefits. But the shark fin trade poses a danger to vulnerable shark species. More than 70 million sharks are killed each year and a quarter of species are threatened with extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
</p><p>
WildAid did not appear impressed with Starbucks' response to their letter, tweeting on Tuesday "we got the brush off from Starbucks customer service about two weeks ago. Since then, nothing."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="44f71" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="KOQRVU1576662749"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1006538257717497857" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@Laughhon @Starbucks Thanks, Susie! Please read our letter to @Starbucks founder Howard Schultz and CEO Kevin Johns… https://t.co/PNxxAeQpdt</div> — WildAid Hong Kong (@WildAid Hong Kong)<a href="https://twitter.com/WildAidHK/statuses/1006538257717497857">1528812395.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Gary Stokes, Asia director for
<a href="https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd Global</a>, also spoke out against the partnership.
</p><p>
"The shark fin industry is not limited to just the shark fin traders, but spans from the fisherman who killed the shark all the way to the restaurants that serve shark's fin soup," he said in a statement. "By licensing Starbucks' brand to Maxim's Caterers Limited who openly sell shark's fin on their menus, Starbucks has partnered with the shark fin trade itself."
</p><p>
<span></span>Despite the protests, Maxim's Caterers told
<a href="https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/06/14/maxims-continue-selling-shark-fin-dishes-upon-request-despite-protests-animal-activists/" target="_blank">Hong Kong Free Press</a> on Thursday that they will continue to sell shark fin products "upon request" at their Hong Kong restaurants. They also claimed to only use shark fins from Blue Sharks—a "Lower Risk-Near Threatened" species.
</p><p>
"We have stringent sourcing process, and all suppliers must provide legal shark fin import documentations that met regulatory requirements. We are also the first Chinese chain restaurant to proactively conduct independent DNA testing on shark fin to ensure that the supply is from the lower risk species," they told the publication.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="b1f20" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="09IRAO1576662749"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1006682105084981248" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@ADMCF_Wildlife Here's Maxim's #SecretSharkFinMenu at Hoi Yat Heen in the Harbour Grand Hotel. https://t.co/p8AobB1vq4</div> — WildAid Hong Kong (@WildAid Hong Kong)<a href="https://twitter.com/WildAidHK/statuses/1006682105084981248">1528846691.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
In their press release, Sea Shepherd noted that Starbucks'
<a href="http://www.starbucks.co.th/about-us/our-company/mission-statement" target="_blank">environmental mission statement</a> includes commitments such as "understanding of environmental issues and sharing information with our partners," "striving to buy, sell and use environmentally friendly products," and "encouraging all partners to share in our mission."
</p><p>
Stokes commented, "None of the above points in the mission statement are in line with or justify selling shark fin soup. With between
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/shark-finning-kills-100-million-sharks-a-year-international-commission-1881982976.html">100-200 million sharks</a> being killed annually, no business can claim that they are environmentally friendly or responsible when they sell shark fin soup."
</p><p>
"Starbucks needs to demand that Maxim's Caterers Limited drop shark fin from their menus across their group or cancel their license to operate Starbucks in Asia. Tarnishing the brand of Starbucks should not be an option, and Starbucks customers deserve to be informed if the mission statement has changed," Stokes concluded.
</p><p>
EcoWatch has reached out to Starbucks for comment.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="6664d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="S91DG01576662749"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1001864016942202882" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Endangered Whale Shark Fins Found in Airlines Shipment https://t.co/4mvQ62q0rB @seashepherd #SharkFin @WWF @peta… https://t.co/ojfEdSqB3m</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1001864016942202882">1527697970.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
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A whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium. istolethetv / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Endangered whale shark fins were found smuggled into a shipment sent via Singapore Airlines to Hong Kong in May, activist group Sea Shepherd Global announced Wednesday.
The fins from the endangered species were hidden within legal fins in a 989 kilogram (approximately 2,180 pound) shipment that traveled from Colombo, Sri Lanka through Singapore to Hong Kong, which is one of the largest shark fin trading centers in the world, AFP reported.
<p>Singapore Airlines, which bans the shipment of shark fins, said in an email statement Wednesday reported by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-environment/endangered-whale-shark-fins-found-in-singapore-airlines-shipment-to-hk-idUSKCN1IV08H" target="_blank">Reuters</a> that the shipment had slipped past the airline's notice because it was labeled "Dry Seafood."<br></p><p>"Singapore Airlines are yet another victim of these shark fin smugglers, who deceived the airline by declaring the shipment as 'dried seafood' to skirt the airline's internal booking checks," Asia director for Sea Shepherd Global Gary Stokes told AFP. </p><p>According to Reuters, Stokes discovered the endangered fins hidden in the shipment.</p><p>Singapore Airlines has since blacklisted the shipper and alerted employees to check any other shipments labeled "dry seafood." </p><p>Hong Kong allows the import of shark fins, which are served in a jelly-like soup believed to have health benefits. Most of the fins imported to Hong Kong are then sent on to mainland China, according to AFP. Fins from species on the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species are supposed to be accompanied by a special permit, Reuters reported. </p><p>Activists have succeeding in halving the number of shark fins entering Hong Kong in the past 10 years, but the trade still poses a danger to vulnerable shark species.</p><p>According to the World Wildlife Fund, more than 70 million <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sharks" target="_self">sharks</a> are killed each year and a quarter of species are threatened with extinction. </p><p>The latest discovery comes a little over a year after a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-shark-fins-2304688404.html" target="_self">three-month investigation</a> by Sea Shepherd revealed that shark fins from endangered species like hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks were entering Hong Kong despite bans imposed by shipping lines and airline cargo companies. </p><p>Smugglers used similar tactics of mislabeling shipments as "seafood," "dried seafood" or "dried goods" to bypass bans by Maersk, Virgin and Cathay Pacific. At the time, all three companies pledged to work with Sea Shepherd to combat smuggling. </p><p>Maersk, the world's largest shipping company, also became the first to ban shark fin cargo in 2010. Cathay Pacific was the first airline to ban unsustainable shark products in 2012, and banned shark fins altogether in 2016. </p><p>Now, more than 30 airlines and nearly 20 shipping lines have implemented similar bans, Alex Hofford of WildAid said. </p><p>About 92 percent of shark fins enter Hong Kong by sea and 8 percent by plane.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="298b7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="41LNGG1576663971"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="980802556359266304" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Unprecedented Rescue Operation': Sea Shepherd Saves 25 Critically Endangered #Totoabas at the Height of Spawning Se… https://t.co/uWff5XlA3x</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/980802556359266304">1522676526.0</a></blockquote></div>
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More than 120 pregnant female minke whales were killed this year in the Antarctic Ocean as part of Japan's controversial "scientific whaling" program.
The numbers were revealed in a newly released report presented earlier this month at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Scientific Committee meeting in Bled, Slovenia.
<p>
According to the report, Japanese whaling vessels returned to port from the annual hunt with 333 Antarctic minke whales, of which 181 were females. Of those, 122 or 67 percent were pregnant. The whalers also took 61 immature males and 53 immature females.
</p><p>
The Japanese government plans to hunt about 4,000 whales over the next decade despite the IWC's 1986 moratorium on commercial hunting. The country launched its scientific whaling program in 1987 as a loophole to the moratorium and insists that the marine mammals are killed in the name of research.
</p><p>
However, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-japan-whaling-idUSKBN1720NH" target="_blank">Reuters</a> noted that Japan's ultimate goal is the resumption of commercial whaling. The government insists that most whale species are not <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_blank">endangered</a> and that eating whale is part of its culture, even though most Japanese people no longer eat it.
</p><p>
The Australian chapter of <a href="http://hsi.org.au/releases/index.php/2018/05/29/japan-kills-122-pregnant-whales-in-southern-ocean/" target="_blank">Humane Society International</a> expressed outrage over the new figures and called on the Australian government to intervene.
</p><p>
"The killing of 122 pregnant whales is a shocking statistic and sad indictment on the cruelty of Japan's whale hunt," said Alexia Wellbelove, senior program manager at Humane Society International, in a statement. "It is further demonstration, if needed, of the truly gruesome and unnecessary nature of whaling operations, especially when non-lethal surveys have been shown to be sufficient for scientific needs."
</p><p>
"Whales are already facing substantial threats including bycatch in fisheries and marine pollution. Significant conservation efforts are underway worldwide to address these issues, so the least Japan could do is put away the harpoons," she added.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzgyMjY0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTg0MzgwMH0.QBvqpnGpks4RXpKCu_2V8OhjRHPRXJeA-bXlLWQMqIA/img.jpg?width=980" id="39d8c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="adba049467d8b6bc55f9a8170619f215" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Survey Area in the New Antarctic Cetacean Science Survey</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research</small>
</p><p>
Conservation organization <a href="https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd</a> has <a href="https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/our-campaigns/operation-nemesis-11th-antarctic-whale-defense/learn-more-operation-nemesis-11th-antarctic-whale-defense/" target="_blank">long opposed</a> Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean and has sent ships since 2005 to intercept the hunts. The group, however, did not send ships this year. Founder Captain Paul Watson told <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/australia-refuses-to-stop-japanese-whaling:-sea-shepherd/8851226" target="_blank">Australian Broadcasting Corp</a> in August that Japan is "using military technology. They have real-time satellite coverage of where we are. We cannot close in on them."
</p><p>
"It's a waste of time and money to go down there and not be able to achieve anything," he added.
</p><p>
In November, Sea Shepherd <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AE8Mhw-PNA" target="_blank">released</a> a grisly and unsettling video of a Japanese whaling fleet hunting in the Antarctic Ocean in an Australian whale sanctuary. The Australian government obtained footage of the hunt in 2008 but suppressed its release over diplomatic concerns with Japan. Sea Shepherd was only able to publicly release the film after winning a five-year Freedom of Information battle that began in 2012.
</p><p>
Australia's Labor party environment spokesman Tony Burke told the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/japan-slaughters-more-than-120-pregnant-whales-for-research-20180529-p4zi68.html" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a> that the government "can't continue to turn a blind eye to this. It's appalling."
</p><p>
"There is nothing scientific about harpooning a pregnant whale, chopping it up and putting it on a plate. Japan's position on this is absurd and the Australian government must not be silent," he said.
</p><p>
Wellbelove added, "The continued killing of any whales is abhorrent to modern society, but these new figures make it even more shocking. We look forward to Australia and other pro-conservation countries sending the strongest possible message to Japan that it should stop its lethal whaling programs."
</p><p>
The next IWC meeting will be held in Brazil in September.
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</p><div id="541fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="UU8VWR1576662359"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="980974439503466497" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Another 333 Minke Whales Killed by Japanese Fleet https://t.co/zrKTvDKwVi @ConservationOrg @NatGeo</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/980974439503466497">1522717506.0</a></blockquote></div>
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A vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Paula Olson / NOAA
Last year, an international vaquita recovery committee rang alarm bells after reporting that there were just 30 left on the planet, with more recent estimates pegging the tiny porpoise's population at only 12.
Now, the plight of the world's most endangered marine mammal—and the intense conservation efforts to save it—is the subject of a new documentary from Red Bull's Terra Mater Factual Studios, Variety reported Tuesday.
<p>
The new film, slated for completion this year, has the working title <em>Vaquita—Sea of Ghosts</em><em>.</em> The name likely refers to the vaquita being driven to the brink of extinction due to unauthorized gillnet or "ghost net" fishing in the Gulf of California, the critically <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_blank">endangered species</a>' only known habitat. Gillnets, which are used to catch totoaba bass sought by Chinese markets, can entangle and kill marine animals, including the vaquita that get trapped in them.
</p><p>
Terra Mater previously collaborated with actor and environmentalist <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/leonardo-dicaprio" target="_blank">Leonardo DiCaprio</a>'s production company Appian Way on 2016's <em>The Ivory Game</em> that was among the 15 finalists for the best feature documentary Oscar.
</p><p>
The
<a href="https://seashepherd.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd Conservation Society</a>—which has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/sea-shepherd-rescue-totoaba-2554869373.html">vigorously campaigned</a> to save the imperiled porpoise—is also working on the documentary, as Captain Paul Watson announced in a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/captpaulwatson/posts/10156021770485932" target="_blank">post</a>.
</p><p>
According to Variety, the film starts with a meeting between DiCaprio and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dicaprio-vaquita-oceans-day-2436761026.html">Last June</a>, they signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at conserving marine ecosystems in the Gulf of California and saving the vaquita porpoise.
</p><p>
<em>Vaquita—Sea of Ghosts</em> also shows sometimes-heated conflict between Mexican drug cartels and Chinese crime gangs versus the Mexican government, the U.S. Navy, the FBI, Sea Shepherd and other wildlife activist groups, Variety reported.
</p><p>
The film is directed by award-winning Richard Ladkani, who was also behind
<em>The Ivory Game</em>. It will premiere internationally in 2018.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3a29f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="D506RH1576683820"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="923550561831710723" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">First #Vaquita Rescued in Bid to Save the Porpoise From Extinction https://t.co/8gAYe00Pjm @Oceana @VaquitaCPR @WWF @NWF @seashepherd</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/923550561831710723">1509026587.0</a></blockquote></div>
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In defiance of international protests, Japanese whaling vessels returned to port with another 333 minke whales on Saturday after its months-long hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctic waters.
According to the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research, among the whales collected, 152 were male and 181 were female. About 60 percent of the males and 70 percent of the females were matured.
<p style="">
Japan plans to hunt about 4,000 whales over the next decade despite the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) 1986 moratorium on commercial hunting. The country launched its "scientific whaling" program in 1987 as a loophole to the moratorium.
</p><p style="">
Its government insists that the marine mammals are killed in the name of research. "The purpose of this research is to carry out a detailed calculation of the catch limit of minke whales and study the structure and dynamics of the ecological system in the Antarctic Ocean," the Fisheries Ministry
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-31/japan-whaling-fleet-kills-333-minke-whales-southern-ocean-hunt/8405690" target="_blank">said</a> after last year's hunt.
</p><p style="">
<span></span>However, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-japan-whaling-idUSKBN1720NH" target="_blank">Reuters</a> noted that Japan's ultimate goal is the resumption of commercial whaling. Japan insists that most whale species are not <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species">endangered</a> and that eating whale is part of its culture, even though most Japanese people no longer eat it.
</p><p style="">
Conservation organization
<a href="https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/" target="_blank">Sea Shepherd</a> has <a href="https://www.seashepherdglobal.org/our-campaigns/operation-nemesis-11th-antarctic-whale-defense/learn-more-operation-nemesis-11th-antarctic-whale-defense/" target="_blank">long opposed</a> Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and has sent ships since 2005 to intercept the hunts.
</p><p style="">
The group, however, did not send ships this year. Founder Captain Paul Watson told
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/australia-refuses-to-stop-japanese-whaling:-sea-shepherd/8851226" target="_blank">Australian Broadcasting Corp</a> in August that Japan is "using military technology. They have real-time satellite coverage of where we are. We cannot close in on them." <span></span>
</p><p style="">
"It's a waste of time and money to go down there and not be able to achieve anything," he added.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style="">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzQ5ODc0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDQ3NDE5Nn0.p1pOOaRnogGvd_49JnePPES06BFFgBsEq1Nt6W0JVT4/img.jpg?width=980" id="b2842" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="923e41e172304f451748d8596718fefc" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Survey Area in the New Antarctic Cetacean Science Survey</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research</small>
</p><p style="">
Watson is calling on international governments to do more to stop the slaughter of the whales.
</p><p style="">
"The illegal slaughter continues because the signatory nations of the IWC refuse to act. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and the European nations simply turn a blind eye to Japan's continuing criminal activities in the waters off Antarctica. They have the power to stop it. Instead they choose to ignore it," Watson said in a Facebook
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/captpaulwatson/photos/a.443115070931.234296.155430570931/10155934886780932/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">post</a>.
</p><p style="">
"Sea Shepherd will continue to monitor these Japanese crimes to watch for increases in the kill numbers and to research ways to counter superior Japanese surveillance technology," he added.
</p><p style="">
<span></span><span style="background-color: initial;">Watson noted, "This season they murdered 333 Minke whales. If not for the previous decade of confrontations with Sea Shepherd that figure would now be 1,035 and would include 50 Humpbacks and 50 Fin whales."</span>
</p><p style="">
<span></span>In another fiery statement, Sea Shepherd Australia Managing Director Jeff Hansen <a href="http://www.seashepherd.org.au/news-and-commentary/news/japanese-whaling-fleets-returns-from-summer-slaughter-of-333-whales-2.html" target="_blank">stated</a>: "The Japanese whale poachers are in contempt of the Australian Federal Court with a million dollar price tag on their heads and found to be illegal by the International Court of Justice. Their new bogus scientific whaling program does not even have the backing from the International Whaling Commission."
</p><p style="">
"Another 333 whales have been killed in Antarctic waters, while the Australian Government refuses to do anything to halt this illegal slaughter," he continued. "Our Prime Minister has done nothing but 'express disappointment' over Japan's continued whaling programme. The vast majority of Australians want action to end this abhorrent whale hunt, the Australian Government must not allow this to continue any longer.
</p><p style="">
"Legal options and the potential to send a vessel to intervene must be looked at in order to stop whaling occurring next summer," Hansen said.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="9f56a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="T528JE1576683829"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="713016029279084545" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Japan Kills 333 Minke #Whales Including 200 Pregnant Females https://t.co/3PtB1RKjDk @seashepherd @SeaShepherd_Aus https://t.co/iiuyyD8Bo1</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/713016029279084545">1458831243.0</a></blockquote></div>
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