Japanese Town Defends Dolphin Slaughter Portrayed in Oscar-Winning Documentary

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-03-09 17:58
in

Japanese Town Defends Dolphin Slaughter Portrayed in Oscar-Winning Documentary

Japanese officials and citizens of the sleepy fishing town of Taijii defend their annual dolphin hunt, as portrayed in the Oscar-winning documentary, "The Cove."
Taiji Dolphin Slaughter

Last weekend, the who's who of Western entertainment gathered in Los Angeles to cheer on the winners of coveted Oscar awards. The winner of the best documentary Oscar, "The Cove," got a much different reaction from the residents of the town that served as the film's location. That's because the documentary portrays the annual capture and slaughter of some 2,000 dolphins by Taiji fisherman in a secluded cove. The residents of this town are responsible for about 11% of Japan's annual dolphin take, but it is the only place that the ancient "oikomi" hunting method is used.

Taiji Dolphin Slaughter Film Wins Best Documentary Oscar

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2010-03-08 07:22
in

Taiji Dolphin Slaughter Film Wins Best Documentary Oscar

LOS ANGELES, California, March 8, 2010 (ENS) - "The Cove," an American film documenting the annual killing of dolphins in a cove near the Japanese village of Taiji, was awarded an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Sunday night by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Directed by former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos, parts of the documentary were filmed secretly during 2007 using underwater microphones and high-definition cameras disguised as rocks.

Endangered Listing for Greater Sage-Grouse Warrented But Withheld

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2010-03-08 07:18
in

Endangered Listing for Greater Sage-Grouse Warrented But Withheld

WASHINGTON, DC, March 8, 2010 (ENS) - The greater sage-grouse "warrants" the protection of the Endangered Species Act but listing the species at this time is "precluded by the need to address higher priority species first," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday.

IWC Draft Document Promotes Regulated Whaling

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Fri, 2010-03-05 18:07
in

IWC Draft Document Promotes Regulated Whaling

A recent meeting of the International Whaling Convention drafted a plan to begin regulated whaling.
Photo credit: Michael Dawes

A special working group working to save the International Whaling Commission met in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida to propose a "package" that could bring whaling and anti-whaling countries closer together. Notes from the Chairman, which clearly state that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," recognize that the body has not performed to the satisfaction of whaling and anti-whaling nations alike.

Luxury Hawaiian Resort in Legal Trouble Over Seabird Deaths

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-03-04 15:00
in

Luxury Hawaiian Resort in Legal Trouble Over Seabird Deaths

LIHUE, Kauai, March 4, 2010 (ENS) - Four conservation groups today advised the St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai's North Shore of their intent to sue over the resort's failure to prevent the deaths of rare native seabirds, in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act.

The St. Regis is owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which also owns the Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, W Hotels, and Le Meridien brands.

Afghanistan Protects World's Least Known Bird, Rare Mammals

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-03-02 16:15
in

Afghanistan Protects World's Least Known Bird, Rare Mammals

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 2, 2010 (ENS) - The first breeding population of one of the world's least known birds, the large-billed reed-warbler, Acrocephalus orinus, has just been discovered in the remote, rugged Wakhan Corridor of the Pamir Mountains in northeastern Afghanistan.

On Sunday, Afghanistan's National Environment Protection Agency announced that it will expand its Protected Species List by adding the large-billed reed-warbler and an additional 14 species to the list. There are now a total of 48 protected species in Afghanistan.

Conservation Groups Converge in Puerto Rico to Save Endangered Turtles

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-02-23 20:36
in

Conservation Groups Converge in Puerto Rico to Save Endangered Turtles

Conservation groups are moving to keep developers off a 3,000 acre stretch of beach they say is crucial to the endangered leatherback turtle.
Leatherback Turtle

Conservation groups are lobbying with the federal government to preserve a stretch of coastline they say is vital to the nesting of the endangered leatherback turtle. According to The Sierra Club, a 3,200 acre preserve is needed to ensure the species' continued survival. While Puerto Rico's last governor supported the preservation of this land, current governor Luis Fortuno revoked the status of the beach in favor of development to bring in new investment and jobs.

International Whaling Commission Moves to End Ban

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-02-23 18:11
in

International Whaling Commission Moves to End Ban

The International Whaling Convention is moving to repeal a decade-long moratorium on whaling, allowing regulated hunting of non-endangered whale species.
Japanese Whalers

In a compromise intended to ease tensions surrounding Japanese and Icelandic whaling, the International Whaling Commission is suggesting that they will end the decade-old whaling ban to bring back regulated whaling. While this move would end the practically unregulated research whaling carried out by Japan and Iceland, conservationists say that compromise is off the menu. Groups like the International Fund for Animal Welfare say that they will accept nothing less than the end of all whaling.

Australia Issues Ultimatum on Japanese Whaling

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-02-22 17:21
in

Australia Issues Ultimatum on Japanese Whaling

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that he would seek legal action against the Japanese if whaling does not end in 2010.
Whale carcass being removed by a tugboat

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a November ultimatum for Japan to cease its whale hunt in the Antarctic ocean. Rudd, who is the federal leader of Australia's leftist Labor party, has long been an anti-whaling advocate and says that he would prefer to solve the whaling issue politically rather than legally. Rudd said that if a political agreement could not be reached, Australia would seek an immediate injunction against Japanese whaling in the Antarctic.

Antarctic Whaling Conflict Leads to Injuries, Arrests

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-02-15 17:27
in

Antarctic Whaling Conflict Leads to Injuries, Arrests

Confrontations continue as Sea Shepherd hounds the Japanese whaling fleet in the Antarctic Ocean.
A Sea Shepherd activist makes a rude gesture at Japanese whalers

The Japanese government reported that three crewmen were injured when members of the anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd struck them in the face or head with butyric acid stink bombs. Sea Shepherd stated that the aggression originated from the Japanese vessel when they turned their water cannons on the activists as they tried to lay propeller-snarling cables in the path of the whaling ship. Sea Shepherd activist Locky Maclean said that the acid in the stink bombs is "a harmless liquid. You can handle it, it's not corrosive." Sea Shepherd later denied that they caused any injuries.