Biodiversity Losses Accelerate as Ecosystems Approach Tipping Points

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-05-12 12:21
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Biodiversity Losses Accelerate as Ecosystems Approach Tipping Points

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12, 2010 (ENS) - Unless "radical and creative action" is taken quickly to conserve the variety of life on Earth, natural systems that support lives and livelihoods are at risk of collapsing, finds a new biodiversity report released Tuesday by two United Nations environmental bodies.

It's Unanimous: U.S. Senate Declares Endangered Species Day

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-05-11 07:54
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It's Unanimous: U.S. Senate Declares Endangered Species Day

WASHINGTON, DC, May 11, 2010 (ENS) - The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution Friday declaring May 21st as Endangered Species Day. The resolution "encourages the people of the United States to become educated about and aware of threats to species, success stories in species recovery and the opportunity to promote species conservation worldwide and to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities."

Haiti's Reefs Survived the Quake to Help Feed Hungry Haitians

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2010-05-10 14:35
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Haiti's Reefs Survived the Quake to Help Feed Hungry Haitians

LOS ANGELES, California, May 10, 2010 - Haiti's overlooked coral reefs could help feed thousands of undernourished Haitians finds a post-earthquake assessment by scientists from Reef Check. With headquarters in Los Angeles and volunteer teams in more than 90 countries, the nonprofit organization works to improve reef health worldwide.

Water Scarcity Endangers Iraq's Migratory Birds

Submitted by ecofactory on Fri, 2010-05-07 16:54
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Water Scarcity Endangers Iraq's Migratory Birds

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq, May 7, 2020 (ENS) - To mark World Migratory Bird Day this Sunday, the nongovernmental organization Nature Iraq is joining its BirdLife International partners around the world to celebrate bird migration, and to highlight the difficulties facing some the world's most threatened species.

Biodiversity Target Missed: World Fails to Slow Loss of Animals, Plants

Submitted by ecofactory on Fri, 2010-04-30 15:08
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Biodiversity Target Missed: World Fails to Slow Loss of Animals, Plants

WASHINGTON, DC, April 30, 2010 (ENS) - World leaders have failed to fulfill their commitments to reduce the global rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, and have instead overseen "alarming" biodiversity declines, finds the first assessment of how the targets expressed in the 2002 Convention on Biological Diversity have not been met.

Since 1970, human activities have reduced animal populations by 30 percent, the area of mangroves and sea grasses by 20 percent and the coverage of living corals by 40 percent, the assessment finds.

Whaling Commission Proposes to Cut but Legitimize Kill Quotas

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-04-28 13:57
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Whaling Commission Proposes to Cut but Legitimize Kill Quotas

CAMBRIDGE, UK, April 28, 2010 (ENS) - The world's only three whaling nations - Japan, Norway and Iceland - could continue whaling for another 10 years, even while the current global whaling moratorium is retained, under a draft proposal released on Thursday by the International Whaling Commission.

The proposal will come before the 88 IWC member countries at their annual meeting held this year in June in Agadir, Morocco.

US Backs Plan to Legalize Regulated Whaling

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2010-04-15 17:22
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US Backs Plan to Legalize Regulated Whaling

The United States has brought forward a plan that would legalize whaling in exchange for detailed monitoring, regulation, and trade controls. Anti-whaling groups are opposed to the compromise.
Humpback whale

The United States formally introduced a plan crafted in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida last March during a meeting of the International Whaling Convention. The plan would allow whaling nations to do so legally within the IWC. Currently, Norway and Iceland whale in objection to the moratorium placed by the IWC in 1986. Japan whales under the guise of "lethal research," but brings the meat to market. The US plan will allow these nations and others to whale legally, but will subject them to a rigorous monitoring process. The controversial treaty would expire 10 years after ratification.

Whale Sushi in Los Angeles and Seoul Evidence of Illegal Trade

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-04-15 13:34
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Whale Sushi in Los Angeles and Seoul Evidence of Illegal Trade

CORVALLIS, Oregon, April 15, 2010 (ENS) - An illegal trade in whalemeat, linking whales killed in Japan's controversial scientific whaling program to sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, California and Seoul, South Korea, has been uncovered by an international team of scientists, documentary filmmakers and environmental advocates.

Genetic analysis of sashimi served at a Los Angeles sushi restaurant in October 2009 has confirmed that the pieces of raw meat purchased by filmmakers of the Oscar-winning documentary, "The Cove," came from an endangered sei whale.

New York Moves to Classify and Control Invasive Species

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-04-14 16:19
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New York Moves to Classify and Control Invasive Species

ALBANY, New York, April 14, 2010 (ENS) - Zebra mussels, Sirex wood wasps and Eurasian milfoil, snakehead fish and giant hogweed - these are among the non-native species invading New York state. Now state officials are proposing a system that could help control invasive species, one of the state's fastest growing environmental threats.

Race for Fish Killing Millions of Marine Turtles

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-04-08 18:35
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Race for Fish Killing Millions of Marine Turtles

ARLINGTON, Virginia, April 8, 2010 (ENS) - Millions of sea turtles are thought to have died over the past 20 years because they were caught accidentally in fishing nets or snagged on longlines, according to the first ever global study of unintended capture on marine turtle populations.

Unintended capture of non-target species, called bycatch, happens when fisheries use gear such as longlines with thousands of baited hooks, or nets that kill animals other than those they are intended to catch.